How and why are American Families changing Essay

Family polishes individuals like in an institution, but the American family is gradually losing the status of an alma mater. The main setback suffered is devaluation and deficient functioning. Devaluation is evident from a decline in its perusal by new generation and deficient functioning due to economic burdens, ethical vacuum and reluctance in offering unsung sacrifices to raise a family. (Benokraitis) Three factors can be ruled out as the primary functionaries in shaping up the current family setup. Firstly, the lack of religious involvement leads to a decline in performance of moral duties. Raising a family is not fun but a responsibility laden task. Without moral pressures, few young minds will take pains to shoulder the burden of acting responsibly. Secondly, devaluation of family as an inspirational medium is also leading the minds to lose interest in it. Economic pressures, social injustices in the first place destabilized families which then gradually lost their own grounds. (Benokraitis) Thirdly a vast, open spouse market does not let many to settle seriously, carry the burdens of family life. Mostly youngsters are falling prey to this. Many with their bad experiences leave the idea of settling ever even before practicing it. (Benokraitis) Thus, we see that even these three factors are intimately interconnected. To revitalize the family institution individuals with their moral, religious, educational, social faults have to be analyzed and corrected. Our parents enjoyed much better coherent family setups. Technologically and educationally they were far behind. However, psychological, emotional development of them was superior to us.

Drama Logbook Example Essay

Today before drama class started I was really tired and really couldn’t be bothered for class. I hope this didn’t affect what happened in class, I don’t think it had that much of an affect. Mr McPhee gave us a lot of talks today which provided us with less time to work in our groups. After Mr McPhee marked the roll he told us about the new school policy with mobile phones. Instead of only getting punished during school hours with a mobile phone, this policy now applies even if we are on the school campus. The next thing he talked about was a story about his flat mate long ago. His friend was Japanese and during the time where he was learning how to speak English, the teacher saw a spider and killed it. His friend was appalled and told him that spiders are man’s best friend because it kills insects for us and also it’s harmless to humans. Spider’s are entitled to as much life as we were. They are more scared of us then we are of them. When he finished telling us his story we finally were sent into our groups to work. Phillip and I just took a seat in front of Mr McPhee’s table to wait for the girls to get ready. They took a while to get started, but eventually they got there. He had to call her mum to get some money and Lisa and Amanda had to get changed into tights again for better working conditions. He turned on the air conditioning for us. Eventually they came and we got started. Lisa and Amanda got the blocks for us this lesson and put it on the floor. He told us that we should have done it, but we were tired. Lisa was really eager to just go through the whole thing first whereas the rest of the group wanted to talk about the start and how we could improve the start. Eventually we caved and decided to just go through what we had so far. We made our way through the work before He stopped our group and told us that we needed to make our starting thing more dynamic and powerful. He also stopped us at anot her point where he told us that the deliver of the words would be influenced by the character. We took his advice and built upon this. Phillip had to redo his line over again so many times, it was pretty funny. We also tried to work on the start but decided to work with it next lesson. Even though we knew what we were doing, we kept messing up and it took us a long time to get through what we had. We added some little details and refined what we had. It was more of a rehearsal then adding to it this lesson. Once we reached the end of what we had plan we all took a seat. The next thing we had to do was plan another persons segment. Phillip was suppose to be next but it was too hard so we decided to brainstorm Jeannette’s. It was still too hard so we just brainstormed in general. In the end we managed to sketch in simple terms what the foundations of each of their performances would be. Jeannette would be along the lines of each of Jeannette thinks that each of us are a fairytale character but the truth is she’s only seeing things and we are just ordinary people. Phillip’s one would be the one we decided before, Lisa didn’t like this idea for a reason but I liked it. Lisa’s one would be about her not fitting in to society so she tries to copy people to fit in with the rest of society and makes friends but she fails. At the end of the lesson, George’s group volunteered to go do their work in progress today. They wanted feedback and advice on how to improve and some negative and positive feedback from Mr Mcphee. Even though they didn’t have enough time to hear the feedback, they were able to perform most of their piece. From what I saw I noticed that their piece had a lot of exiting the stage which was bad. I liked the fact that they used their bodies to turn into machines and I liked the story of their idea ! Their story was basically a girl who is writing in her diary about the different dreams she wants to have and eventually she falls asleep and dreams about meeting all of them. Firstly she meets Harry Potter and then she runs into Alice from Wonderland and then it’s James Bond and lastly it’s Juliet. It was pretty well how they blended all the stories together. The bell rang and we were dismissed. The teacher said he would give them feedback next time.

Analysis Poem No Coward Soul Is Mine

With wide-embracing love Thy Spirit animates eternal years, Pervades and broods above, Changes, sustains, dissolves, creates, and rears. Though earth and man were gone, And suns and universes ceased to be, And Thou wert left alone, Every existence would exist in Thee. There is not room for Death, Nor atom that his might could render void: Thou — Thou art Being and Breath, And what Thou art may never be destroyed. Analysis Connotative words: First stanza In the second line, storm-troubled has negative connotative meaning. Denotative meaning from storm is an extreme weather condition with very strong wind, heavy rain, and lighting; and the denotative meaning of trouble s to cause someone to have a problems or difficulties. The word storm-troubled is a compound verb that has connotative meaning an activity of destroying something with the powerful energy or an activity that can cause a dangerous effect. In the fourth line, shines has positive connotative meaning. The denotative meaning from shines as verb is to send out or reflect light; the connotative meaning is to show something or looks like. Also in fourth line, the word arming has positive connotative meaning. The word arming comes from word arm and affix  ¬Ã¢â‚¬â€œing. Arming then has meaning as verb. The denotative meaning from arm is part of body which consist of two long parts of the upper body that fixed to the shoulders and have hands at the end. The connotative meaning from arming is to embrace or to hug someone, also to save or to make safety from something. Second stanza In the first line, the word breast has positive connotative meaning. The denotative meaning from breast is part of body, especially has relation with women. The connotative meaning from this word is deep inside of heart. In this line the poet wants to show that she really believes in God, so that she says that God in her breast or in her deep inside of her heart. Fourth Stanza In the fourth line, Rock has positive connotative meaning. The denotation meaning of rock is the dry solid part of the Earth’s surface; stone. The connotative meaning of Rock here is the faith, beliefs, or religion that people have to have. Seventh Stanza In the third line, Being and Breath has positive connotative meanings. The denotative meaning of being is a person or thing that exists or the state of existing; and breath is the air that goes into and out of lungs. The connotative meaning of those words is the One who only has the being forever or the One who can give a life or soul for the creature. Analysis Poem No Coward Soul Is Mine With wide-embracing love Thy Spirit animates eternal years, Pervades and broods above, Changes, sustains, dissolves, creates, and rears. Though earth and man were gone, And suns and universes ceased to be, And Thou wert left alone, Every existence would exist in Thee. There is not room for Death, Nor atom that his might could render void: Thou — Thou art Being and Breath, And what Thou art may never be destroyed. Analysis Connotative words: First stanza In the second line, storm-troubled has negative connotative meaning. Denotative meaning from storm is an extreme weather condition with very strong wind, heavy rain, and lighting; and the denotative meaning of trouble s to cause someone to have a problems or difficulties. The word storm-troubled is a compound verb that has connotative meaning an activity of destroying something with the powerful energy or an activity that can cause a dangerous effect. In the fourth line, shines has positive connotative meaning. The denotative meaning from shines as verb is to send out or reflect light; the connotative meaning is to show something or looks like. Also in fourth line, the word arming has positive connotative meaning. The word arming comes from word arm and affix  ¬Ã¢â‚¬â€œing. Arming then has meaning as verb. The denotative meaning from arm is part of body which consist of two long parts of the upper body that fixed to the shoulders and have hands at the end. The connotative meaning from arming is to embrace or to hug someone, also to save or to make safety from something. Second stanza In the first line, the word breast has positive connotative meaning. The denotative meaning from breast is part of body, especially has relation with women. The connotative meaning from this word is deep inside of heart. In this line the poet wants to show that she really believes in God, so that she says that God in her breast or in her deep inside of her heart. Fourth Stanza In the fourth line, Rock has positive connotative meaning. The denotation meaning of rock is the dry solid part of the Earth’s surface; stone. The connotative meaning of Rock here is the faith, beliefs, or religion that people have to have. Seventh Stanza In the third line, Being and Breath has positive connotative meanings. The denotative meaning of being is a person or thing that exists or the state of existing; and breath is the air that goes into and out of lungs. The connotative meaning of those words is the One who only has the being forever or the One who can give a life or soul for the creature.

Liberal Art Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Liberal Art Studies - Essay Example Perhaps in more authoritarian societies using cunning and deceit are necessary to rise out of poverty, but one would hope that in a free society that although using the end to justify immoral means may give a person wealth, it will damage their souls and lead to negative consequences in the end. In this sense, the liberal arts are important because they serve as a guide for moral and ethical behavior and show that one’s duty to the state and their fellow man is rewarding in many ways, even economically. This essay will focus on the importance of the liberal arts in modern as well as ancient times through the writings of Kimball, Shorris, Sullivan, Cicero, and Machiavelli. Additionally, the essay will focus on the problems that arise when what is viewed as modern realism is pitted against traditional moral idealism. The liberal arts can certainly have a positive effect on professional life. The liberal arts teach of things like ethics and integrity. Shorris believes that humani ties does function on its own, but does not have its full effect unless it is integrated into professional life (2000). The ancient Greeks also believed it was essential to the welfare of the state that humanities and public life function together. Morals are generally inherent in any professional career. Being a professional carries with it a responsibility to clients, communities, and society in general. This social contract is the basis of professionalism. Therefore it is important that professionals exercise moral judgment in their professional careers. Because a professional is confronted with moral dilemmas, a liberal education is something that is very useful to society in general. A liberal education teaches us about morals and can be seen as something that makes a person’s professional career more rewarding when it is fully guided by ethical principles. Many people feel that a job is just a job and is a means to an end, but the study of liberal arts tell us that a pe rson and their job can’t be completely separated. In other words, a person influences the job and the job influences the person. Because of this, it is important to realize that a job, or making money, can often impose moral decisions upon the professional. Also, a person who is very immoral and unethical can use their job as a means to lie, cheat, and steal from others. Sullivan believes that, at its best, a profession can provide an important benefit to the individual as well as to society as a whole. However, at its worst, a profession can strip a person of their ethics and their humanity (2004). Using this definition he illustrates that professionalism is headed down a dangerous road as more and more people feel that economic ambition is the only thing that matters and things like loyalty and social responsibility are being thrown by the wayside. Sullivan also believes that society is in danger of simply training people instead of educating them and explains that this cou ld lead to people only using one small part of their brain. Often certain professionals are only focused on the technical aspect of their career and do not regard anything else as important. This type of person may be doing their job but they are not engaged in examining their lives and therefore it is difficult for them to achieve a truly fulfilled working life. The study of liberal arts is something that is capable of making a person’s everyday life better because it can take a person out of their

The role and impact Forensic Anthropology has on death investigations Research Paper

The role and impact Forensic Anthropology has on death investigations - Research Paper Example Forensic anthropology applies the techniques and methodology of skeletal biology and osteology to forensic (i.e., legal) cases. One such set of techniques used is â€Å"anthropometry,† which aims at the quantitative assessment of gender, age, ancestry, and stature, as well as the analysis of trauma and disease. When such analytical techniques are applied to modern remains the identity of which is unknown, for the purpose of establishing the identity of the person and the manner and circumstances of death, then the exercise pertains to the forensic application of onteology, e.g., the study of skeletons for the purpose of establishing a ground for legal action. (Adebisi, 2009). This study shall seek to provide an assessment of the role and impact of forensic anthropology in death investigations. An overview of recent developments in this field and new theories garnered from academic journals is given, leading to a generalisation of the importance of the field in resolving cases of deaths where the identity of the deceased is unknown. Contemporary developments of forensic anthropology Forensic anthropology is not needed in all cases of post-mortem analysis. ... There are occasions when anthropologists would be instrumental in positively identifying the person whose remains had been discovered, but in most cases their work involve gathering information and reducing the uncertainties in order to exclude as many groups as possible and thereby narrow the possibilities. Principally, the anthropologist aims to supply police investigators with the profile of the deceased and provide them clues to its identity. Arguably, their most important tool is the Fordisc program, used by the forensic anthropologists to identify particular attributes and characteristics present in the remains to identify the racial or ethnic group to which the deceased belongs. Most forensic anthropologists work in tandem with homicide investigators, odontologists and pathologists in order to determine who the decedent is, whether his death was caused by a violent at, and how much time had passed since death occurred (Adebisi, 2009). They could not, however, declare the offic ial cause of death; even so, their research could inform the final report of the medical examiner who is charged with this authority. They may also be asked to give evidence in court as expert witnesses, but reservations about certain methods or techniques that are acceptable and used in the discipline (e.g. forensic facial reconstruction) render them inadmissible in court. Identification of numerous victims of war The war in Croatia lasted from 1991 to 1995. During that time, countless individuals, many of whom were civilians and therefore not bearing any forms of identification, were killed and interred collectively in mass graves. A particular case that proved more of a challenge than the others was the case of the multiple individuals contained in 13 wells. There

In what ways do colonialist ideas continue to influence contemporary Essay

In what ways do colonialist ideas continue to influence contemporary culture Describe with reference to fashion, literature, fi - Essay Example Africa is the country which has suffered most from colonization and this could be due to its vast natural resources and cheap labor. White men have colonized many parts of the world and have lived there more than a century. Colonization means losing sovereignty from the indigenous people to the foreigners. They dominate the cultural, social, spiritual, economic, political and psychological ways of indigenous people. Violence and enforcement has always been a part of colonization. These colonized people lived in different countries like India, African continent, America, Spain, Philippines and Portugal. This gives chance for lot of amalgamation of culture. Since the colonized Europeans live in these regions for a longer period the indigenous people are highly influenced by the lifestyle of the colonized. According to Sanders(2009,pg.1-51)â€Å"Of the great colonial powers of Western Europe – Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain – only Britain le ft this legacy to its colonies†. The culture, politics, government, education and language changes largely due to colonization. We can see that Europeans left large legacies behind in almost all the countries they have colonized. The colonialist ideas have made many countries what I see today and we can see it in many aspects of our lifestyle like fashion, literature or education system. The Colonization and English Colonization has been influencing people in different countries on different level. Mostly English men have ruled many African countries and South Asian countries. The British men have lived for more than a century in many African regions and they have influenced the people in many ways. However, if we contemplate our contemporary world is influenced by colonialist ideas in many spheres of our life. Actually we are living in symbolic skeletal remains of colonial infrastructure until now. What we see in newspapers, television and magazines are a face lift life from previous era. We have had a social reformation but still we have traces of colonialism in our everyday life. The traces of colonialism are evident in cultural economy and popular culture. We can see the biggest influence of colonization is the language the whole world is speaking. We can see that as the British ruled many parts of the world for centuries they established their Mother tongue as a universal language. If we look at our contemporary world, we can see that English is the communication medium for all people around the world .All the countries teaches English language in schools. In most countries, English is the primary language and then comes their mother tongue. The English language now cannot be considers as the language of British but it is language spoken by all people in the world. This can be first and most evident colonist influence on contemporary world. The Colonist and Fashion Image 2 – A colonial costume We can see that before colonial period, the cloth ing of people in different countries varied to a great extent. If one look at African culture, we can see that men and women wore less of clothing as they had humid weather. They wore cotton fabrics which are heavy with dark color motifs. In the same manner, South Asian people wore less of upper clothing and mostly had a cotton or linen clothing for their lower body. Most of the colonized

Technology and Cultural Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Technology and Cultural Change - Essay Example Technology has intervened deeply in the prevailing societies and it is due to this intense intervention that life cannot be imagined without its usage. Alongside the numerous revolutionary inventions and advantages of the current technological era, there exists a severe downside to the continuing source of improvement in the society. Technology has started instigating cultural changes in the societies. As a result of these changes, the historical norms, traditions and values are being influenced and taking new forms. The relation between technological changes and cultural changes shall be discussed in this paper in the light of contribution from different researchers in the recent history. 2. Relation between Technological and Cultural Changes Machines and technical equipments were originally invented to provide aid to humans in their work processes to make them faster and easier. With the passage of time, the uses of the equipments and machines started increasing and people began de pending on technology more than themselves. Ross (1991) defines the technological culture as the â€Å"new age† that has formed a subculture of its own. This subculture has modified the face of the heritage that was once the source of pride for millions of people. Ross (1991) also highlighted that the people belonging to the â€Å"new age† have embraced science and technology as their religion since they want logic and reasoning in every aspect of life, rather than compassion and humility. Neil Postman is a renowned author who has raised his concerns in multiple publications regarding the cultural changes that are being witnessed in the prevailing times due to the integration of technology in the lives of individuals. Postman (1993) stated that tools were made to be used by humans but the prevailing times support the contrary; machines have taken over human intellect and thinking capability to such a great extent that it seems like machines are using humans. Cultural c hanges in the societies have been witnessed in different walks of life. Few fields have been discussed below that have been influenced by the technological changes: 2.1 Education Education plays an important role in the life of humans. The concept of education that initiated from the cherished sessions of academic discussions between students and teachers has become a prey of the technological advancement in the current times. The advent of virtual learning management systems and e-learning platforms has totally modified the traditional mode of teaching that had been benefitting individuals for thousands of years. These platforms have been accepted around the world and are continuing to integrate in the field of education at high schools and college levels. E-learning management systems promote the acquisition of education through web platforms. Although the respective concept increases accessibility of course material but encourages them to attend lectures and class sessions on the websites. Sher (2009) pointed out that the most adverse effect of virtual learning is the degree of isolation that the student experiences in the process. Postman (1993) stated that isolated learning processes have destroyed the conventional gains that can only be attained during productive class sessions and personal guidance from the instructors. Personal interactions

Children with HIV in the U.S Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Children with HIV in the U.S - Research Proposal Example ed States got the virus through mother to child transmission; through labor, pregnancy, through breastfeeding or during delivery - as opposed to other modes of transmission. The information in this undated source is published by Avert.Org. The source provides general overview of the state of the United States in terms of the number of people, by categories, affected by HIV and AIDS. The statistics in this source are those provided by CDC among other reputable organizations, the data being of more recent years. The source also provides statistics of deaths that have resulted from HIV and AIDS with focus being on the US. This fact sheet, authored by the Kaiser Family Foundation in 2006, provides statistics of HIV/AIDS infections although it mainly contains information related to HIV/AIDS infection among women in the United States. This book, published in 1998, gives a detailed discussion of HIV and AIDS. The book provides up-to-date information regarding HIV including its history, mode of transmission, symptoms and the various means that have been applied to control the virus and prevent its attack. To acquire reliable data, an interview with a medical practitioner from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is proposed. CDC, as an institution has the most current data that relates to HIV in the USA as a whole. Such an interview is expected to give insights into the current infection levels among children of various ages, and in different

Write an essay in which you agree or disagree with the author's

Write an in which you agree or disagree with the author's position. Use your own ideas and experiences - Essay Example e facts in the article, it is absolutely necessary to put a muzzle on credit card companies that give away free gifts to lure young students into â€Å"plastic bondage†. Credit card marketing in colleges needs restrictions The first reason I agree with the writer’s idea that students don’t need extra credit is that the data shows that there are only 21% people (students) that pay their credit payment each month and only 11% pay even less than the minimum payment. The rest of the student lot (including 11%) rolls over their debt to next month and that’s what puts a big smile on credit card companies. That is exactly what they want to see, credit being rolled over swelling up into more credit. It is no surprise that financial analysts call accumulating debt or credit the eighth wonder of the world. The debt just keeps building up and the credit card holder becomes a financial slave to the credit card company. The second aspect of the article that makes me agree with the writer is the probe that why credit card companies that set up their tables and their ‘poison lemon stands’ in colleges always give away gifts for signing up for a credit card not a debit card. It is obvious that they will get their spending on the gifts back with interests later on. It is hard to imagine that all people holding credit cards would be paying their minimum credit payments regularly, it is simply impossible, that is why credit card companies are ready with their big open mouths waiting for this to happen and they could feed off of the credit chunks. Compare the credit card to debit card, there is no difference in spending principle, the only difference comes when it’s time to pay off. For a debit card, one has to have that amount of money in the bank account thus he can’t in any case spend more than he can afford. On the other hand, it is the credit card that begs the credit card holder to spend more than he can afford. This is where banks cash in tons of money. Once the

Mediterranean Diet And Public Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mediterranean Diet And Public Health - Essay Example The diet has been found to reduce cancer and type 2 diabetes; however, the main disadvantage of this diet is its cost, which is very expensive. Human beings for a long time have devised various dietary methods in an attempt at living a healthy life by choosing carefully choosing what type of foods they eat. The Mediterranean diet is an example of such dieting whose primary principles include high consumption of fruits, vegetables among others. Besides these foods, the Mediterranean diet allows for a reasonable consumption of wine and wiry meats while discouraging the consumption of processed meals. Moreover, the Mediterranean way of life advocates for constant physical activity and a social support system while enjoying your meals. There have been growing criticisms regarding the Mediterranean diet with opponents raising questions on its wholesome nutritional values and the costs that come with maintaining it. It is important to note that the Mediterranean diet has been proven a healthy way of life that provides the body with all the essential elements. The Mediterranean diet is a healthy way of eating because it is a nutrit ional tactic that helps the body keep slim, sturdy and active. Sofi et al (2010) in their meta-analysis found that Mediterranean diet been can be directly linked to decreased mortality from all causes particularly cardiovascular disease. The diet is composed of essential mono and polyunsaturated fats, which can reduce the levels of cholesterol in the body, consequently reducing the risks of heart-related diseases. Most importantly, the diet is very low in saturated fats that can increase the levels of cholesterol in the body. However, it is important to note that the Mediterranean diet does not strive to limit the total fat intake but rather encourages the intake of fats and oils that are less harmful to the body such as olive oil that is the major source of fat in the diet.

Tsunami Maldives Essay Example for Free

Tsunami Maldives Essay Natural disasters act as strong bonds to join the hearts of people even if they live poles apart. Irrespective of caste, religion and creed, everyone sympathise with the victims and comes forward to help them. Helps pour in from every corner of the world. Even persons who have little idea about the locations where such disasters occur, offer their wholehearted support, be it monetary or simple condolence messages. I have chosen this topic because of its sensitivity. It is very necessary to highlight the issues which are very crucial from humanitarian point of view. Tsunami in South Asia created havoc and caused widespread devastation. As an educated and responsible person, I volunteered to work for the needy people. I actively took part in the rescue and relief operations in Maldives. I performed my duty to my home country as well as to the mankind. It is always seen that volunteers always take the initiatives to participate in the rescue operations much before the official machinery reach there. It is a unique example how the tragedies unite people emotionally. Such tragedies make the national boundaries irrelevant. In such terrible times, we only remember one thing that we are human beings and offer physical and moral support to our fellow brethren who are suffering at the moment. I could not have chosen a better topic than this one. Rather than writing on my works, I have focused on how people from all sections of society join hands to help the people in distress. Humanity plays a great role in such incidents. Importance of volunteers and workers in such disasters cannot be undermined. It is necessary to make people aware of their responsibilities as human beings. Everyone should know about the impact of such disasters on the affected people who go through traumatic experience. The difficulties experienced by the official machinery in helping the affected people clearly emphasise on the need of volunteers in such incidents who are always in a better position to reach the victims immediately. Tsunami in South Asia A devastating earthquake occurred off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra (Indonesia) on 26 December 2004. It magnitude was measured at 9.0 on the Richter scale. Another earthquake of magnitude 7.3 occurred in the Great Nicobar Islands, India. These two earthquakes triggered Tsunami in South Asia. A series of aftershock were reported in this region. The worst-affected countries by Tsunami were India, Indonesia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia. The 30 feet high tidal waves or Tsunami that travelled at the speed of up to 500 miles per hour, caused massive destructions all over (Behreandt, 2005, p. 4). Maldives was one of the countries in South Asia, which was affected heavily by the killer Tsunami waves. Maldives comprises of 199 islands in the Indian Ocean. It has a population of around 300,000. The geographic position of Maldives makes the transportation system a little bit complex. Boats and Ferries are the prime mode of transportation between the islands in Maldives (Behreandt, 2005, p. 16). When Tsunami struck, it damaged most of the boats, ferries and jetties. Falling trees and damaged houses blocked the public transport system. It became tough to rescue the victims who were stuck under the debris. The government machinery was completely paralysed as it was never prepared to deal with such a situation. It did not have the resources and immediate manpower to help the victims. Isolation of places and problems in transportation aggravated the situation further. Bad weather hindered the rescue and relief operations. Agencies such as Red Cross, Red Crescent and others found it difficult to provide immediate relief to people who lived in distant places. Several areas in Maldives were without power and water due to the damage caused by Tsunami. There were several tourist resorts in Maldives which were completed damaged. Heavy Destruction Rescue Operations in Maldives At the time of Tsunami, I was in Maldives due to vacation. My mother was in one of the most affected island (TH VILUFUSHI) during tsunami. But it was not possible for me to go there as all the communication links were cut off. Although I was disturbed and panicked for the well-being of my mother, I knew I could only pray for her safety. Situation around me was tense and horrible. Death toll was mounting and people are not getting the help they desperately needed at that time. Official machinery was not effective and other agencies were finding it difficult to reach the affected areas. In such a situation, there was need of volunteers who could understand the geographical conditions very well and offer helping hands. I joined the group of volunteers in the rescue and relief operations. Maldives was experiencing the worst disaster in its history. There was panic and grief all over. Our main focus was to save as many lives as possible. We dig out the debris to look out for the survivors. We had witnessed people crying under the debris for help. It was not easy to rescue the survivors safely as they were already injured and we had to pull them out with proper care and caution. I remember one incident when one of my co-workers got himself injured during the rescue operation. He was hit by a large stone on head and bled heavily. We immediately rushed to his help with first-aid. But he urged us to ignore his condition and help the victims who had been affected badly by the killer Tsunami and needed immediate attention. That incident filled new spirit in us and made us more determined. Role of Volunteers in the Tsunami Relief Operations Although the death toll in Maldives was 82, there were many people who would have died without the rescue operation undertaken by volunteers. Volunteers played a major role in locating the survivors and providing them food and medical aid. It was really heartening to see the youth volunteering in the operation without any self interest. Our group was comprised of 20 people and we carefully carried out our operations. Our first priority was to recover, identify and bury the dead. We provided emergency food, water and shelter to displaced people with the help of NGOs and other foreign agencies. We experienced a series of problems in burying the dead as many of the bodies were beyond recognition and could not be identified. There were several people who were crying and looking for their family members and relatives. We tried our best to help them in identifying their deceased relatives and then burying the bodies. Sometimes, we got distracted by the emotional experience around us. But we knew we had to keep patience and help the survivors who were completed stranded without any basic amenities. I remember a 12-year old boy who lost all his family members and was crying bitterly. He had lost everything in the disaster and was clueless about his future. There were several such incidents which occurred before us and other volunteers. While the rescue operation was going on, I got the news of safety of my mother. It boosted my confidence and filled new spirit in me. I was determined of doing my best to help people of my country at the time of disaster. My country was going through the worst-phase of its history and it desperately needed volunteers like me. Once the debris was cleared and all the survivors were rushed to safe places, we had another challenging task in hand. It was very necessary to clear the mess created by the Tsunami. Broken houses, debris, falling trees and contaminated water would have resulted in deadly epidemic like situation. With the help of government officials, NGOs and other foreign agencies such as Red Cross and UN volunteer groups, we worked on a war-footing to restore the water and power supplies. We had launched a cleanliness drive to purify the water and improve the sanitation facility. It was really surprising to see a large number of volunteers participating in such operations. Role of Foreign Groups and Agencies in the Tsunami Relief Operation The overwhelming response received from governments, charities and NGOs of foreign countries had provided a great support to the rescue and relief operations in Maldives. There were several such groups and agencies that played an important role in helping Tsunami-affected people. The death toll in Maldives would have been much higher without the help of volunteers who came to rescue of the victims and survivors. The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, in coordination with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (BCPR), had deployed teams of UN Volunteers in Tsunami-affected countries. Their aim was to help governments and other UN agencies provide relief to thousands of people who lost their homes and family members. The UNV sent its team of volunteers who worked along with the local people in the rescue and relief operations. They mainly work for the rehabilitation and restoration of the fishing villages devastated by the Tsunami in the islands of Maldives (Behreandt, 2005, p. 24). RedR is one of the agencies which played an active role in the Tsunami relief operations. It deployed logisticians, engineers and camp managers in Maldives. It provided selected relief personnel to clear the areas and rebuild them. Australian Volunteers International (AVI) worked in areas affected by the tsunami. Many of the volunteers had expertise and experience in handling such type of operations. During the rehabilitation process, AVI launched a project to tackle the shortage of teachers in Maldives (Behreandt, 2005, p. 25). Another volunteer organisation, Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) launched a number of projects such as the educational sector grant initiated by the Development Cooperation of Ireland. It provided library books and facilities to 27 tsunami-affected schools. It also trained 230 teachers in 20 schools across the Maldives. Another key voluntary organisation was Friends of Maldives (FOM) that sent over 100 tons of medical supplies, food, clothing and tools to Maldives. FOM is the major NGO bringing aid to the Maldives aftermath Tsunami (Behreandt, 2005, p. 25). Rehabilitation Process According to the government estimates, more than two-thirds of the population in Maldives were affected by Tsunami. Fifty per cent of houses in Maldives were affected. Communication links, jetties, power supply, hospitals and sewerage system had been heavily hit. Transportation to the islands had become more difficult. The government had little resources to cope with the situation arisen after Tsunami. The President of Maldives declared a State of National Disaster and called for international help. Several countries and foreign agencies responded with the financial aid. Donations of food, clothing, medicine, tents, blankets and other necessary goods poured in. However, it was necessary to distribute these relief materials among people. It would not have been possible without the help of volunteers. We coordinated with the local officials and a team of Red Cross workers who developed an effective psychosocial program in the Maldives. The main focus of the psychosocial program was to address the physical, mental and social well-being of the Tsunami-affected people in Maldives. We took the initiative of providing community support to families. After the disaster, children were too scared to go to school. Once the school buildings were repaired, we met their parents and convinced them to send the children to school. With the help of other agencies, we provided them food, clothing and books. There was shortage of teachers in the schools. Most of us volunteered to assist the teachers in our spare time. I also took part in the teaching programmes and taught in two schools on a part-time basis for a few weeks. Red Cross played an important role in the rehabilitation work. Besides launching psychosocial programs and providing educational support to the children, it reached the local women groups that were active in the society. Red Cross believed that providing support to women would benefit their families and children. It launched mass awareness programmes to persuade people come out of their home and work to earn money for their families. Due to the joint efforts of Red Cross and local volunteers, more than 13,000 people were assisted by the psychosocial programme. The Commonwealth provided medical assistance to the Tsunami-affected Maldives. Doctors from the Commonwealth countries were brought to Maldives to provide adequate treatment to the injured people. Doctors with expertise in orthopaedics, paediatrics, general surgery, obstetrics, gynaecology and medicine joined the team of volunteers under the Commonwealth Service Abroad Programme (CSAP). They coordinated with the local staff for the development of rehabilitation health programmes (Behreandt, 2005, p. 26). Teaching the children was a great experience for me. It was a tough task to motivate the students who were already going through the traumatic experience of Tsunami. They could hardly concentrate in study. Our first priority was to help them regain their confidence. We were trained with child-centred teaching techniques. The new techniques involved bringing the children into groups and wiping out the fear from their mind. Rather than going for the traditional way of teaching methods, we tried to create a child-friendly environment. That worked perfectly and they soon started forgetting the bitter memories of Tsunami. They felt more comfortable in groups and became more open. We introduced games, competitions with rewards and other entertainment programmes to add fun to their life. It was a great achievement for us as we succeeded in bringing smile to the faces of the horror-stricken children. Conclusion From my experience as a volunteer in Maldives, I realised the importance of working for the well-being of the needy people during disasters. The poor and helpless people desperately needed help in those hours of crisis. The role of volunteers becomes very crucial in such rescue and relief operations as the official machinery always find it difficult to cope with the situation. Its time for the youth to realise its full potential in life. They need to rise to the occasion to fulfil their obligation towards the nation and the mankind. Every responsible youth must understand the importance of volunteering during disasters. We understood our responsibility and did whatever we could for the benefit of the community. Our sincerity and dedication have been appreciated by everyone. Our work was purely based on humanitarian ground and we never expected anything in return. We had a one point agenda – to bring smiles on the face of people who lost almost everything in the disaster. Â   Bibliography Behreandt, Dennis. 2005. Swept Away: The Epic Disaster in Southeast Asia Has Taken Many Thousands of Lives. As Failures by the Involved Governments Attest, the Relief Efforts Are Best Left to the Private Sector, The New American, Vol. 21. Walls, Michael, 2005, Report: Review of Tsunami Recovery, 30 October 2005, http://www.reliefweb.int/library/documents/2005/trn-tsunami-24Jun.pdf. Winston, Stacy, 2005, The beginning of a Red Crescent National Society in the Maldives, 30 October 2005, http://www.ifrc.org/docs/News/05/05100501/index.asp. Mark, Amanda, 2005, Red Cross Programs Help Rebuild After Tsunami, 30 October 2005, http://www.redcross.org/article/0,1072,0_440_4091,00.html. Rice, Alison, 2005, Post-tsunami reconstruction and tourism: a second disaster?, 29 October 2005, http://www.tourismconcern.org.uk/pdfs/Final%20report.pdf. Dhivehi Observer, 2004, Tsunami waves flood Maldives, 30 October 2005, http://www.dhivehiobserver.com/tsunami_december_2004/day3.html. UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 2004, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Thailand and, Somalia Earthquake and Tsunami: OCHA Situation Report No. 4, 29 October 2005, http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2004/12/mil-041227-un1.htm. Thomas, Dan, 2005, Tsunami offers schools opportunities for change, 30 October 2005, http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/maldives_27300.html.

Rolls Royce in Contemporary Business Environment

Rolls Royce in Contemporary Business Environment This assignment is aimed to critically evaluate a change management towards to the operations at Rolls Royce plc, ascertain a range of reasons for either success or failure to implement a operations management and to propose further improvements for the companys performance. The annual Rolls Royce report was used a primary source of business data. It was found that the firms strategy and operations management conforms to the current trends in the operations, i.e. environmental needs, customised quality of products and flexibility of production, etc.; however, certain risks and global challenges may affect a success of the business, leading to losing a share in the market niche. Introduction Rolls Royce in Contemporary Business Environment Rolls Royce is a global company providing a power product, judging on a basis of customers demand or a niche market position its me, for land, sea and air (Rolls-Royce, 2006). The company has a balanced business portfolio with the leading positions in civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy markets. One of key factors of Rolls-Royces success is continuing expansion of its business globally. In the past five year RR started work on or opened facilities in Europe, the United States and Asia. Company employs over 38,000 employees, 22,700 are in the UK with the balance primarily in the US, Asia, Germany, Scandinavia and Brazil, which represents a global expansion of business operations, human resources for implementation of process and technology, i.e. resources for the status. Rolls Royce is a highly focused power systems business, concentrating on manufacturing and services of power systems, including a gas turbine engine. There are approximately 54,000 Rolls Royce gas turbines in service. With annual sales of around  £4 billion and a forward order book of nearly  £22 billion, its technology is applied over a wide range of products that generate high-value services throughout their operational lives. These operations give a value for the companys business. In response to increased orders from the market due to A380 production will recommence and Boeing787 production begins (Boeing, 2006), the firm implements a strategy towards to the best operations for turbine engine production. Objectives of the Assignment Manufacturing (WCM) is one of the broadest philosophies focusing primarily on production (Lind, 2001). Although Hayes and Wheelwright originally defined the WCM term (B. Flynn, 1997) to describe organizations which achieved a global competitive advantage through use of their manufacturing capabilities as a strategic weapon, there is no consistent definition of WCM (Maskell, 1991). So does Roll_ Royce represents the operations management? In my opinion, the answer is clearly, yes, it does. A world-class organization is an organization that had established itself as the best (RR automotive has been doing it continuously since 1906) becomes the best with new product lines (such as gas turbines) and then sustains itself as the best in its field during a life cycle. It goes beyond TQM (Total Quality Management), which is an adaptive process. It also goes beyond the learning organization by keeping ahead of changes. World-class organizations practice Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) a management philosophy which focuses on improving processes within an organization. Further these principles of the operations will be analysed and discussed. Analysis and Discussion 2.1. Ownership and Finance Roll_ Royce is a Public Limited Company (plc). What are benefits or drawbacks to be a plc for the ? As firm is selling shares on a stock market, the business gets a huge capital injection allowing the company to expand quicker and invest in new products. In RRs case it allows them to use high quality machinery and materials to produce innovative and yet expensive products, entering a niche on the markets. Being on the stock market can have a positive effect on your publicity and suppliers are more willing to offer you a credit as they can see how secure finances are. Plc-type organisation has also drawbacks. Financial information has to be published for shareholders and it also open for competitors. The company on a stock market have to pay its profit out to shareholders (Fig. 1), which reduces a financial security of the business. Also the shareholders may influence a management style, not always in the best way, in running the company. This could lead to a conflict of interests between ownership and management board, leading to decisions taking a long time to be made. In addition such a business may be affected by movements of global markets themselves, i.e. commodity prices, foreign currency exchange rates etc. Fig. 1. Total Shareholders Return over five years [Rolls-Royce, 2006] 2.2. Business Strategy Roll_ Royce sets-up their strategy towards to be the best, i.e. and had a restructuring programme after 11 September 2001, increasing investments in both technology and capabilities to create competitive products. More satisfied customers relations, which can last up to 25 years or more, is also important for the business as it gives more than 50% of revenue from after sales market service. As a result of this strategy RRs mission statement is described as Roll_ Royce offers the best customers business solutions from superior power systems and services (Rolls-Royce, 2006). RRs ambitious and yet timely objective is to help the environment. The company developed a re-engineering program to reduce as much waste as possible. Using the SMART concept Roll_ Royce come up with a consistent strategy: Developing a competitive product portfolio (currently over 50 product programmes and  £350 millions for development and introduction of new products) for four global markets Civil, Defence, Marine and Energy with 40-50% market share in the next 5 years. Reducing operational and unit costs by increasing operations efficacy. Responding to the challenge of climate change.  £100 million annual investment for RD, introducing an Environmental Engine Programme. Capturing aftermarket services opportunity and add value for customers through the provision of product-related services. Environmental issues will dominate in the airline industry as more public issues have been arisen due to climate change, pollutions, noise and air quality (Fig. 2). The Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe (ACARE) has set a range of challenging environmental improvement goals to be achieved by 2020. Globally a rapid growth continued in manufacturing load in 2006 and will increase further for the company. It is also inevitable that turnover will increase within the next years due to a world growth of transportation business and energy demand. As a result one of the key objectives at Roll_ Royce is the environmental issue. The pollution produced by companys factories and produced engines has to be designed, monitored and checked regularly. The Environmentally Friendly Engine (EFE) is the latest demonstrator programme to be launched by Roll_ Royce to enable them to meet these targets: reduced fuel consumption, while lowering emissions and engine noise. In addition RR is d eveloping renewable fuel cell systems that have the potential to be clean, quiet, cost effective and highly fuel efficient. Fig. 2. This is an example of an increasing environmental pressure for aerospace industry both manufacturers and carrier companies. Roll_ Royce aims to produce engines to meet the most stringent noise and emission requirements for future civil aircraft. A company is successful if it has stable growing sales and thus financial resources for further business development towards to the level. 2.3. Sales and Operations Management Roll_ Royce press release shows the group ended 2006 with a net cash balance of  £826million. Underlying aftermarket services revenues grew by 13% in 2006 and represented 53% of total sales and is expected to grow up to 63% further. Any threat to security of aftermarket revenues through a failure to provide an operational service which meets customers expectations, would threaten a RRs level of profitability. Therefore Roll_ Royce is focused on providing a high standard of service to all its customers, investing in capabilities such as its recently established Operations Centres, which monitor engine operations in real time, co-ordinating and integrating data to enable Roll_ Royce to provide better predictive information and operational performance. A corporate report shows how well after-sale revenue has increased (Table 1). *Reconciliation of underlying results is provided in notes 2 and 7 of the consolidated financial statements. **Underlying revenues reflect actual US dollar exchange rates on settled derivative contracts. A Roll_ Royce presentation (Rolls-Royce, 2006) contains a statement from each area referring to how well they have done in the previous year: Civil Aerospace = Growing services/improving business mix Defence = Well positioned on new programme Marine = Continuing strong order intake Energy = Introduced new products These four sentences sum up how the business has done in relation to their strategies mentioned previously. But the markets in which company operates are highly competitive that is another challenge faced at Rolls-Royces strategy mix to be the world-class. As Roll_ Royce does not offer products that can be sold over a till but more order based products over long periods, it is risky to have lots of pre-ordered products and therefore important to offer a good stock price to encourage potential investors. Majority of Rolls-Royces programmes are long-term in nature and access to the key platforms is critical to a business success. Although there is clearly a positive feeling to these four statements it is hard to measure these long-term objectives. One mentioned objective is that there is no reference to in their annual report is whether harmful waste has been disposed, protecting the environment, or it has resulted to increased emission tax, reducing a financial outcome. However the Managing Director of Roll_ Royce said that 2006 is developing, overall, in line with our expectations. Particular emphasis is being made on the most profitable engine market for long-haul aircrafts (Fig. 3, table 2). With more orders for new Trent engines to date is exceed 200 aircrafts valued  £6billions with the major clients in Asia and Europe (Table 1, 2 in appendix) shown for coming new A380. This delivery is a real challenge to maintain the status at Roll_ Royce as a series of delays with the aircr aft official launch showed this year. How this does affected the quality management will be discussed next. Sources: Boeing Commercial Airplanes and Airbus Figure 3: Delivered aircraft value and units (2006-2025) Table 2: Long-haul large capacity aircrafts and turbine engine types Aircraft passenger capacity Output (to date) Engine Unit cost Changes and benefits Boeing 747-8 (400-500 passengers) 747 deliveries, 60% civil, 40% cargo. 747-8 to be launched in 2009 4 ц¦ GEnx-2B67 US$ 240 millions Reduced NOx emission, noise dB and better fuel efficiency. Boeing 767-400 (245-375 seats) 767 deliveries, most companies have favoured B 777 instead of B767-400. 2 ц¦ PW40xx or Rolls Royce RB 211 with reduced noise and emission Boeing 777 (300 pass) 791 ordered, 509 delivered. 2x PW 40xx RR Trent 8xx or GE 90-94B US$ 220-240 millions with reduced noise and emission Boeing 787 (220-300 seats) 482 (452 firm, 30*** pending). The sales will continue till 2014. 2 ц¦ GEnx or Trent 1000 US$ 140-188 millions 137 orders for Trent 1000, 170 orders for GNex Airbus 380 (pass 555-853) To date 166 orders from 15 customers. Expected sales of 750 jets A380s over the next 20 years at 420 jets for breakeven. 4 ц¦ GE/PW GP72xx or 4 x RR Trent 9xx US$ 296 316 millions 86 orders for RR Trent, 80 for GE72xx. Fuel consumption of 2.9 litres per passenger km the current industry average is 5 litres per passenger km. Airbus 350 (pass 270-350 seats) Planned from 2013. 2 ц¦ GE/PW GP72xx or CEnx or 2 x Trent XWB US$ 200-240 millions Engines will have a thrust of 75000-95000 lb Sources: Boeing Commercial Airplanes and Airbus. Trent is Roll_ Royce trademark for aeroengines. http://www.answers.com/topic/list-of-aircraft-engines Another challenge is to reduce operations and unit costs. Cost of kerosene, which is main aircraft fuel, and other energy resources is continued growing within the industry, although it has achieved almost 50% improvements in fuel use in the last 20 years [1]. Advanced machinery and production tools offer further reduction of energy use to manufacture an aeroengine. If in the short term Roll_ Royce could invest in faster machinery or more productive workforce it could cut down the forward orders and thus optimise the production. In the long run, however, it would mean larger wage bills and higher risk of depreciation on the automated machinery. Cutting staff to reduce the costs by making people redundant is only really necessary if there is a major financial worry, which is the case for many airlines but not yet widely applicable for Rolls-Royce, who is moving production to more labour-effective countries. Therefore companys strategy, to increase quality and reduce waste products, seems to give the results. The production method itself will rely on quality of the product. Roll_ Royce at its current level of business operations has a high quality product, which needs to be maintained and improved continuously. In the long run it would be better but forward orders (Table 2, Appendix) could also decrease due to energy crisis. It would also lead to staff working longer hours and as a result staff morale decreases. Note that many airlines has either cut a number of flights or increased a fuel charge per passenger. This will affect new production orders from Rolls-Royce. One objective that could change for Roll_ Royce is to continue establishing themselves as a leading supplier in the four growing markets. Since the company has positioned itself in the key markets, it has substantial customers to get orders. If one market slows down, e.g. a civil aerospace department after the delay of A380 launch, it can fall back on the other three markets maintaining the business. A disadvantage of this strategy is the significant resources spent for employing experienced workers and management staff to keep the operations in these four markets. It is there Roll_ Royce would need to realign the core objectives to the global challenges to maintain the world-class operations and attract new shareholders. 2.4. Quality Management Within the factories Roll_ Royce manages complex production programmes with demanding technical requirements against stringent customer schedules and a capital intensive form of production, which allows products such as turbine engines to be made fast and all of the same quality. Failure to achieve sustainable quality goal would have significant financial implications for the Group. Car production facilities at Roll_ Royce have labour intensive operations due to handmade cars, causing it to be a far slower and more expensive process. Thus RR cars made by orders have an upper price and a market niche. When producing a product such as a jet engine Roll_ Royce employs a batch production method, which tends to be highly customised. It took several years for the company to change productions to lean system and receive an ISO certification. Quality at Roll_ Royce is intangible because of its world-renowned reputation for many years. The company employs three methods of quality testing. Firstly, Quality Control involves checking of the project at the end of production. But there is a drawback to this form of checking. If errors identified results in a waste being produced, this adds extra costs to operations. Another technique Quality Assurance is also employed at the production; however because there is more time taken on producing a product the cost of originally implementing the product although short term could be significant. As quality needs to be assured it means regular inspections need to be undertaken to ensure quality is achieved. Overall this is a better form of quality testing than quality control as changes can be made to product as it goes through production to increase quality. Final form of quality testing is Total Quality Management (TQM). It involves Building Quality In. All three of these methods of quality testing contribute to the overall quality produced by Rolls-Royce, which manufactures approximately 30 per cent by value of its gas turbine products and some 70 per cent is provided through external supply chains. Any quality failure happened in the supply chain would present a risk to the RRs ability to meet customer requirements and to achieve its financial goals. If quality is not met it could mean lack of sales due to reasons such as loss of reputation. It is not just Roll_ Royce that has to deal with quality. All businesses have to ensure they are producing quality goods otherwise people wont buy their products. A supporting infrastructure for quality management, a key element of world-class manufacturing, is an important element (Flynn, 1999). Roll_ Royce has an impressive investment plan totalling to more than  £3billion for advanced technology, capability and infrastructure, offering improved performance and better energy efficiency of products, environmentally friendly operations and long-term competitiveness.  £30million is spent annually on training and some  £250million is directed annually on capital projects. 2.5. Leadership Style and Management Culture Roll_ Royce has Democratic paternalistic style of management. Although the company has department it also has a management board, making all the decisions and having centralised power over company. An extreme management style is an authoritarian style, which would be noted in a military organisation such as Rolls-Royces military division. Another extreme in management style is a lasses-faire style that gives almost 100% control of a company to workers. Roll_ Royce is though none of the extreme management as it has CEO and a chairman who overlook all decisions. Styles of management are summed up in McGregors Theory Y and X. Another form of measuring management styles is through the Tannenbaum and Schmidt Continuum (Dawson, 2005). None of these theories has been fully taken at the company but it seems to be more towards the McGregor X theory of management, which has an important role of mangers and therefore it is further to the left (Fig. 4). It is thought that manger sells technique where people at the top make the decision but invite people questions. Degree of Workers Authority Degree of Manager Authority Rolls Royce Manager Manager Tells Delegates Allows people to function independently Makes a decision and announces it Fig. 4. Management style at Roll_ Royce Power culture dominates in the company because of its top-mangers. This type of culture is normally linked with an autocratic or authoritarian style of management. It is not solely a power culture as it has many leaders at the top where a position does play a role. However RR has many departments run by leaders that work under one brand name for one goal. A person-type culture can also be found inside Roll_ Royce as skilled employees are able to make their own decisions; however, it does not change much to the overall culture. This links to a hierarchy organisation that is a tall structure but it has a certain degree of openness between CEO and regular employee. 2.6. Communications Management Roll_ Royce is very process focused firm and it continues to reduce operating costs through standardisation but as ever IT, with investments to be at around 2.5% of sales, has been playing a significant role in Rolls-Royces growth, with strong project management and very aggressive timescales being the norm at the company. Roll_ Royce aims to implement a Global Supply Chain management structure at Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems which will allow them to consolidate commodity management and increase US dollar based proportion of a purchase bill. The ERP convergence programme has 18,000 SAP users and is allowing us to open up our capacity and improve effectiveness. A substantial CAD/CAM product lifecycle project was to cut design and development times on the back of technology and monitor a process change down to the second phase. The next stage of Rolls-Royces IT strategy will be nine major teams looking at pushing forward a global supply chain and engineering level. Increased globalisation of the business and advances in technology has resulted in more data being transmitted across global communication links, posing an increased security risk. This puts higher responsibility and risk for being attacked by competitors (The Times, December 3, 2007). Therefore, the company has a corporate IT department and the latest security technology responsible for data management at the company as well as communication specialists at each department. A global company may have certain language and cultural barriers if using a phone is the only way to contact a client. The company uses IT for e-mails. As aforementioned e-mails can have attachments, which makes sending images or documents far quicker and easier than by post. Other electronic devices such as telephones are used to record voicemail and a factory wide public address system to notify staff. However this form of communication is open, as it is not used for restricted information such as redundancies. Externally RRs business uses e-mail to place orders or inquire about business. However it isnt entirely fool proof if a company urgently needs to contact supplier e-mail, although may take a few days before it is read and replied too. Apart from contacting suppliers or customers Roll_ Royce has the website. It provides an alternative way of selling products and giving information away to the public such as potential buyers and shareholders. Dramatically increased IT and operations costs due to market growth and disruption caused by shortages of raw materials could diminish the RRs aims towards to operating and unit cost reduction at UK factories. 3. Conclusion The Roll_ Royce achievements indicated that WCM practices were related to competitive performance, and that the addition of new manufacturing and management practices has resulted in further improvements in competitive performance such as gas turbines assembly line replicated for four key markets and after-sales services, including training. The WCM implementation was recognized as having been an economic success by the company itself and by partner-businesses. Being a world-class company gives to Roll_ Royce a certain advantage on a stock market, where so-called alpha and beta investors do prefer using rather a traditional approach (quality of management and production) to analyse a financial performance of a company, than quantitative approach to investment analysis. Thus more investors do believe in RR, especially after a series of financial crunches on the world markets. Roll_ Royce aeroengines aims to maintain the no. 1 market position by offering industry leading technology at the best environmental and operational performance, minimising airline costs throughout a total product lifecycle, and innovative technical and business solutions maximising customer value. Combination of the technology and after-sales support has created the growing demand at stable price for the new engines. In my opinion, further improvements towards to the world-class require four components: Vision, Active Leadership Involvement, Hierarchy of Trained People, and Constancy of Improvement Activity. (3468 words excluding references) Bibliography Roll_ Royce and Shell has been attacked by Chinese Spies. The Times, December 3, 2007 Boeing Marketing Outlook, 2006. www.boeing.com Dawson, M. (2005). The Consumer Trap: Big Business Marketing in American Life. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-07264-2. General Electrics. GEnx engine. www.geae.com/engines/ assessed on 10.06.2008 Ohno T., Toyota Production System, Productivity Press, Cambridge, MA, 1988. Roll_ Royce Aerospace Market Outlook, 2006. www.rolls-royce.com B. Flynn, R. S. (1997). World-class manufacturing project: overview and selected results. International Journal of Operations Production Management, 17 (7) , 671-685. Flynn, R. S. (1999). manufacturing: an investigation of Hayes and Wheelwrights foundation. Journal of Operations Management 17 , 249-269. Jonsson, P. (2001). Towards an holistic understanding of disruptions in Operations Management. Journal of Operations Management 18 , 701-718. Lind, J. (2001). Control in manufacturing A longitudinal case study. Management Accounting Research, 12 , 41-74. Maskell, B. (1991). Performance Measurement for Manufacturing-A Model for American Companies. Cambridge: Productivity Press. Testore, R. (1998). manufacturing demands suppiers . European Journal of Purchasing Supply Management 4 , 3-5.

The Stranger, Albert Camus | Themes of Existentialism

The Stranger, Albert Camus | Themes of Existentialism Existentialism is often defined as a philosophical movement or tendency, emphasizing individual existence, freedom and choice. As a result of the diversity of positions associated with this term it is impossible to define precisely. As is evident through the root of the word, exist, there is a stress on definite individual existence and freedom of choice. Certain aspects of existentialism are witnessed in The Stranger. Existentialists attempt to direct our attention to ourselves as individuals. They force us to think about our relation to such topics as the existence and nature of God, what it is to be Christian, the nature of values, and the fact of ones own death. Man is the only known being, according to the philosophers, that defines itself merely through the act of living. In other words, first you exist, and then the individual emerges as life decisions are made. Many existentialists believe the greatest victory of the individual is to realize the absurdity of life and to accept it. Existentialism is liberating for those of us who do not rely on fate, God, or chance to guide us through the path of life. One aspect that is questionable is our ability to continuously reinvent ourselves through our actions. While this is possible, the majorities of people stick to old ways of doing things, or follow others blindly. Despite encompassing a staggering range of philosophical, religious, and political ideologies, the underlying concepts of existentialism are simple. Mankind has free will. Life is a series of choices. Few decisions are without any negative consequences. Some things are irrational or absurd, without explanation. If one makes a decision, he or she must follow through. The decisions you make are whom you are, so decide accordingly. In The Stranger Meursault embodies all of the six existential themes. The first existential theme is freedo m. Freedom means that whatever happened prior to now do not influence what your next choice in life will be, we are free to make any choice we want. Meursault displays Freedom by just doing as he wishes to do. In part one of the novel Maman dies so he attends the funeral, nothing out of the ordinary. While attending his mothers funeral, Meursault decides to smoke cigarettes, drink a cup of coffee, and he fails to show emotion. This just shows how Meursault is displaying his free will; he does not let the influence of his mother dying effect what he wants to do. The second and the third themes Meursault displays together. These themes are existence which is the awareness of our choices, and passion which are psychological feelings that we understand before thinking kicks in. Meursault displays both of these themes at the end of the novel. Meursault wants his life to be here and now, he is not concerned with the hereafter. Meursault wants the remembrance of his life. Through this thinking Meursault displays Existence and Passion. The fourth theme is contingency. It basically says that life is unpredictable, prone to chance happenin gs, also to the unexpected. Meursault displays this theme at the very end of part one of the novel. Meursault is so content with walking back down to the spring unaware that he is going to end up destroying his happiness by shooting the Arab. This is a very unpredictable event because Meursault is just so happy and content with the sun shining on him, then all of a sudden something unexpected happens and his happiness is gone. I knew that I had shattered the harmony of the day, the exceptional silence of a beach where Id been happy. The fifth theme is individuality. An individual is a single unique member of a collectivity. Meursault lives out his individuality. The strongest display of individuality is at the very end of the novel when Meursault wants a large crowd of people to witness his death, and he also wants them to greet him with cries, but those of hate. I had only wished that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution and that they greet me with cries of hate. By being hated Meursault retains his individuality. If Meursault goes out there begging for forgiveness he would just become a member of a collectivity. The final theme is reflection. It refers to the capacity to bring that which we are unaware of into awareness. Meursault leads a pre-reflective life. He goes through his daily events and is so absorbed in each moment that he never reflects on them. Meursault does this until he looks at a reflection of himself for the first time in prison. Meursault looking at himself shows his transition from pre-reflective to reflective. He begins to become aware of what he was unaware of. The main theme in The Stranger is that life is absurd. Reason is incapable of explaining human nature. Meursaults absurd beliefs are that life is meaningless and without purpose. The meaninglessness implies absence of any obvious meaning to our life. This cannot be explained, because no one can explain someone elses sense of meaning or meaninglessness towards life . Camus The Stranger presents the character of Meursault who, after killing an Arab, is sentenced to death. This conflict portrays the stark contrast between the morals of society and Meursaults evident lack of them; he is condemned to death, less for the Arabs murder, than for refusing to conform to societys standards. The discussion of Meursaults responsibility takes place at the end of the novel. Meursaults execution symbolically brings forth emotion, as Meursault confronts his nothingness and the impossibility of justifying the immoral choices he has made, he realizes the pure contingency of his life, and that he has voided, in essence, his own existence by failing to accept the risk and responsibility that the personal freedom of an existentialist reality entails. Meursault never really takes responsibility for his actions, all Meursault does is wish that his life could go back to the way it used to be. Meursault is an anomaly in society; he cannot relate directly to others bec ause he does not live as they do. He cannot abide by the same moral confines as the rest of the world because he does not grasp them; he is largely indifferent to events occurring around him. Meursaults entire being is unemotional. He derives a certain level of pleasure from eating and drinking, smoking cigarettes, sitting on his balcony. Yet all these things are tactile; Meursault derives physical satisfaction from them, but there is no emotion attached. This is in direct contrast to society, whose strict guidelines focusing on right and wrong depend on an individuals sense of these concepts. Meursault is perfectly capable of analyzing the situation, but not of responding to it as society wishes him to. Life or death, and anything in between, makes no difference to him. Meursault sees the outcome as inevitable. He cannot perceive any right or wrong in killing the Arab. The action in itself was not out of deep hatred for the man but, as he reveals at the trial, because of the sun. The sun at the beach, similar to the sun at his mothers funeral, was beating down on him. The sun represents Meursault emotions, which he cannot deal with. Likewise, he cannot deal with the intense heat, the light reflected off the Arabs knife which seems to stab at him. Meursaults senses are being overwhelmed, and the only way to handle the situation is to end it so he fires the gun. The death of the Arab in itself is not crucial to Meursaults fate. Meursaults true undoing comes from his lack of emotion. At the beginning of the novel, Meursault sits at his mothers funeral, quietly analyzing det ails of the scene. The onlookers present do not understand him; in fact, they are afraid of him. The prosecutor says, I look into a mans face and all I see is a monster. What Meursault has realized, by the end of the book, is that any meaning he finds in life he must create. Meursault is the absurdist, explaining the philosophy of existentialism: Mans isolation among an indifferent universe. There is no inherent meaning in life its entire value lies in living itself. Meursault feels he has been happy, and longs to live. When he must die, he wants a crowd to greet him with cries of hate; they are screaming because they want life and the world to have meaning; they need this because that is what their entire existence is built upon. As the magistrate asked of Meursault, Do you want my life to be meaningless? Meursault understands how estranged the individual truly is from society. Until the conclusion, he was a stranger to himself as well as to the rest of the world. In the end, he o pens himself to the gentle indifference of the world, and finding it so much like myself, he feels he has been happy, and is again. Society finds this unacceptable, and by refusing to conform to its face-value standards, Meursault must die. Albert Camus believed that to be a true existentialist you had to remove yourself from society as much as possible since a belief in the foundation of government was to conform. Conforming to society norms is considered bad, it doesnt allow the individual to progress and reach his own decisions Camus realized, however, that restricting himself from all social conformity was impossible. Camus depicts a man with very little emotion. Once in a while he shows a bit of heart, but for the most part, he gives a robotic appearance. The character expresses no feeling about anything except that light is a sign of evil or annoyance, while the dark becomes a place of calm and seriousness. In society, the common idea is that light is good and evil grows in the darkest of places, but in Albert Camus novel, evil is good and the light is bad. In The Stranger, Albert Camus uses Mersault and his experiences to convey the philosophy that man is full of anxiety and despair with no meaning in his life ex cept for simple existence. The concept of existentialism is reflected through Mersaults experiences with his mothers death, his relationship with Marie, the killing of the Arab, and his own trial and execution. Camus uses the death of Mersaults mother to convey his existentialistic philosophy. He seems more concerned about the time of death, and not the fact that he just lost a loved one. It also conveys the existentialist idea that reason is powerless to the idea with the depths of human life. Furthermore, Mersault shows no compassion at his mothers funeral either. He does not cry or behave the way that society expects him to. This leaves the impression that Mersault is insensitive, or that he did not love his mother. As an existentialist, he accepts life as it is without seeking deeper meaning. Mersaults murder of the Arab is another example of existentialism. The absurdity of the murder is what makes it a good portrayal of the concept of existentialism. This part of the novel sho ws how Mersault is not only a stranger to his experiences in life, but also to nature. For the first time, the sun and his sensual pleasures begin to act against him, and cause him to lose control. Most of Mersaults actions have no true conscious motives. Mersault shoots the Arab because of his physical discomfort with his surroundings, but in any case he consciously makes the decision to shoot the Arab. When he is taken into police custody and is asked if he would need an attorney, he is genuinely confused. It is simple to him: he murdered a man and is now ready to face the consequences. The second half of the book begins after Meursault is put in jail and is awaiting his trial. Rather than being on trial for the crime, he is on trial for his values, like the lack of grievance of his mothers death. Meursault is found guilty and he is convicted and sentenced because of his lack of moral feeling. While awaiting his execution, he thinks about how his life has no meaning besides just living and how death does not scare him. He realizes that life is meaningless and the world is irrational. This suddenly makes him happy and he accepts his death. There are numerous meanings to the title, The Stranger, one is that if you live a life different than what society accepts, then you are a stranger; an outcast, and will be punished by the rest of society. In other words, the title means that Meursault is a stranger to society. Nothing discussed in the trial had anything to do with the murder. It was all about the way he acted and how different he was. This was used to prove that p eople who are different are judged by their character over their actions. Also, most of the society was Christian in the book and held Christian values. They believed in an afterlife and a heaven while Meursault did not, since he was an atheist. Since society does not understand him, they cannot know him and therefore hes a stranger. Another meaning of the title is that he is also a stranger to himself. He did not make any personal connections to the things he has done, only indifferent observations. He seemed unaffected by his mothers death, the killing of the Arab, and his trial. Being a stranger to himself leads to the final meaning, which is a stranger to life. At the end of the novel Meursault is able to understand the meaning of life. He was able to do so because he was approaching death, which is an existentialist principle; death is the one certainty of life. Before, when his mother died or when he killed the Arab, he did not have any feelings. When he thought about his own life and that he was about to die, he accepted it. He realizes that one can truly enjoy their lives when they approach and accept death. The understanding of this allowed Meursault to be at peace with himself. Albert Camuss philosophy in the novel can be related to the philosophy of existentialism, which stresses that the individual is solely responsible for the choices they make, there is no predetermination and there is no supreme being who decides morality. This philosophy is extended with the philosophy of the absurd, which states that human beings live an essential isolation in a meaningless and irrational world and people being able to accept that everything cannot be controlled in your environment, which is how Meursault live his life. In existentialism, you believe that there are some things that cannot be rationally explained and just happen out of your control. The Stranger was an unusually good book, which made me think. A majority of the book made me feel like the rest o f society, which was not accepting Meursaults behavior. However, the ending changed all of that and further analyzing gave me the real reasons for his actions. When I started reading the book for the first time I jumped in right away and didnt want to close it because I never read anything like it. I had to go back a few times to re-read it to understand it better and every time I re-read it, I got a different message. Meursault was an interesting character to read about. His ideas and beliefs seem wrong but are very right. I was able to understand what Albert Camus was trying to say with his philosophy. In fact, I have never heard of existentialism or absurd philosophy until I researched the author to see what he wanted to tell us. Meursault is able to accept the fact that everyone dies and realizing this allows you to live a better life. He lives a life that he controls and accepts all his actions that he does. I cant say that I understand everything about him, like how he uses Marie for sexual reasons even if she tells him her love and commitment to him. Nonetheless, this character had the most interesting conflicts that kept me reading. I do feel, however, that the second part dragged on and got a bit dull. The first half of the book was filled with action and there were no direct reasons given for certain actions. In the second half, it is mainly of his self-realization about society and life, which I feel, could have been approached another way by the author, like being shortened. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thinking after reading a book or even coming to his or her own realization like Meursault. Work Cited Andrew Irvine, Basic Themes of existentialism, http://people.bu.edu/wwildman/WeirdWildWeb/courses/wphil/lectures/wphil_theme20.htm Crowell, Steven, Existentialism, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2010 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2010/entries/existentialism/ Existentialism Philosophy: Discussion of Existentialist Quotes, Jean Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Albert Camus http://www.spaceandmotion.com/Philosophy-Existentialism.htm/ New World Encyclopedia, Existentialism http://HYPERLINK http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Existentialism/www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/HYPERLINK http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Existentialism/Existentialism/ Solomon, Robert C. Wyatt, C. S. (1999). Existentialists: a primer to existentialism http://www.tameri.com/csw/exist/exist.html

Molecule may be key to nicotine addiction :: essays research papers

A single molecule may be partly to blame for nicotine’s addictive allure, a finding that researchers say could lead to potential therapies to help millions of smokers quit a life-threatening habit. More than 4 million people around the globe — 440,000 of them Americans — die from smoking-related causes each year. And, the nicotine-laced smoke damages more than just their lungs. The California researchers not only pinpointed a molecule responsible for nicotine addiction, they also created specialized mice to make it easier to search for other molecules impacted by nicotine addiction. The research team started by fiddling with a single gene to create mice that were hypersensitive to nicotine. The genetically engineered mice were tripped up by the tiniest exposure to nicotine — a concentration 1/50th of the strength of nicotine coursing through a typical smoker’s blood. Once hooked, the mice experienced classic signs of nicotine dependence that keep smokers puffing, the research team reports Friday in the journal Science. â€Å"Dependence-related behaviors, including reward, tolerance, and sensitization, occur strongly and at remarkably low nicotine doses† in the mice, the research team wrote. In humans, reward arrives as a pleasant little jolt of dopamine, a calming brain chemical unleashed by nicotine. The body’s tolerance for the drug leads to more smoking. Sensitization means not feeling good without a nicotine fix, said Henry Lester, a biology professor at the California Institute of Technology who was among the paper’s 10 authors. In mice, researchers saw reward when mice chose nicotine hits over salt, changed body temperatures as evidence of tolerance and more running around among sensitized mice. Other researchers praised the study. The findings â€Å"not only provide direct evidence of how nicotine promotes dependence, but also raise fundamental questions about the genetics of addiction,† researchers at the Centre Medical Universitaire, in Geneva, Switzerland, wrote in a companion piece. Could drugs fight addiction? If the findings in mice hold true for humans, the work points to a specific target for a new drug to attack, others suggest. People become dependent on nicotine when it parks in nerve cell receptors designed for the chemical acetylcholine. Once nicotine fills that space, dopamine is released. By knowing the specific parking place where nicotine can exact a high toll, a drug could be fashioned to fill it. â€Å"The power lies in the ability to be so specific. In being so specific, you can treat the cause without the ramifications of the side effects,† said Stephen L.

Kurt Vonnegut :: essays research papers

Kurt Vonnegut   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kurt Vonnegut is an impressive author who combines comic fiction and social satire in his novels. He often writes about the main character Kilgore Trout, who seems to be more like Vonnegut’s alter ego. He has written many books including Player Piano, Cat’s Cradle, Slaughterhouse Five, Galapagos, Bluebeard, and Fates Worse Than Death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kurt Vonnegut was born November 11, 1922 in Indianapolis Indiana. His parents were Kurt Vonnegut Sr. and Edith Leiber. He graduated from Shortridge High School in Indianapolis where he was editor of the school newspaper. After graduation in 1940, he moved on to Cornell University in Ithaca, New York where he took classes for biochemistry. In 1942, he enlisted in the army as an Infantry Battalion Scout. Later he was trained by Carnegie Institute and University of Tennessee to become a mechanical engineer. In 1944, Kurt’s mother committed suicide on May 14. He returns home briefly, then was captured in the Battle of the Bulge. While working in a factory in Dresden, Germany, Vonnegut picked up his materials for Slaughterhouse Five. After this he married Jane Mary Cox on September 1, 1945. Working as a police reporter, he studied Anthropology at the University of Chicago, but his thesis was rejected. In 1947, his son Mark was born, later, in 1949 his daughter E dith. He then became a publicist for General Electric in Schenectady, New York, but in 1950 he quit GE, and moved to Cape Cod to write. He published Player Piano in 1952. His third child, Nanette was born in 1954. Between 1954 and 1956 he taught English at Hopefield school, worked for an ad agency, and opened the very first Saab dealership in the great United States. Next, Kurt was rocked with a number of close deaths. His father passed away in 1957 on October 1, his sister and his brother-in-law die in 1958. He then adopted his three oldest nieces and nephews. Kurt still found time to write and Cat’s Cradle was published in 1962. From 1965 to 1967, he took up a residency at University of Iowa Writer’s Workshop and published Pearls Before Swine. Vonnegut wanted a closer look in Dresden before he wrote the novel Slaughterhouse Five, to he went back to Dresden on a Guggenheim Fellowship. He finished the novel in 1969. His education was furthered after he taught creative writing at Harvard and received his master’s degree from University of Chicago for Cat’s Cradle.

Minerals :: essays research papers

Mining is one of the largest commercial jobs. The word mining doesn’t sound very important to ordinary peoples who doesn’t know geology. After I read this book, I knew our culture need industrial minerals more than they need anything else except food, but even food could not be produced without minerals. There are only a few of the world’s five billion people who don’t rely on mineral everyday. Unfortunately, there is many factors concerning these industrial activities. Will it make profit or is it not economically feasible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Minerals can be found in every part of the earth’s crust, but with two important needs; the concentration of mineral and the size of the deposit. We want to make sure the mineral is high grade and large enough to repay the investment and make profit. Of the many mineral found, there is only a few mineral will appear to have good potential. So it must be tested widely, which costs a lot of time and speed is one of the critical factors. If the construction is financed by loans, it leads up to high interest costs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The economics of a mine depends upon ore reserves, grade, type of ore, and the location. In order to mine, many months and millions of dollars have to spend in construction. There are only a few mines are discovered in convenient places, this costs a lot on transportation and labor on such an atmosphere. Construction includes food, health, accommodation and recreation facilities for the hundreds of working man. Water, power, communication, equipment, etc… So in a construction site is almost the same as a little empire. In able to build this, the Industry Company has to make sure the ore they are getting is worth it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Environmental concerns are global concerns; cost advantages may increase by having higher environmental impacts from mining. This creates air pollution and global problems. In the other hand, the skill of mining delivers benefits to all of the earth’s population. Such as medicine, communication, etc… all provide benefits to human by metals and minerals.

Software Piracy Problem

Software piracy is a rising problem not only in the United States, but around the world. In 1993 worldwide software piracy cost 12. 5 billion dollars to the software industry, with a loss of 2. 2 billion dollars in the United States alone. Estimates show that over 40 percent of U. S. software company revenues are generated overseas, yet nearly 85 percent of the software industry's piracy losses occurred outside of the United States borders. The Software Publishers Association indicated that approximately 35 percent of the business software in the United States were obtained illegally, which 30 percent of the piracy occurs in corporate settings. In a corporate setting or business, every computer must have its own set of original software and the appropriate number of manuals. It is illegal for a corporation or business to purchase a single set of original software and than load that software onto more than one computer, or lend, copy or distribute software for any reason without the prior written consent of the software manufacturer. Many software managers are concerned with the legal compliance, along with asset management and costs at their organizations. Many firms involve their legal departments and human resources in regards to software distribution and licensing. In 1974, Congress created the Natural Commission on New Technological Uses (CONTU) to investigate whether the evolving computer technology field outpaced the existing copyright laws and also to determine the extent of copyright protection for computer programs. CONTU concluded that while copyright protection should extend beyond the literal source code of a computer program, evolving case law should determine the extent of protection. The commission also felt that copyright was the best alternative among existing intellectual property protective mechanisms, and CONTU rejected trade secret and patents as viable protective mechanisms. The CONTU report resulted in the 1980 Computer Software Act, and the report acts as informal legislative history to aid the courts in interpreting the Act. In 1980 The Copyright Act was amended to explicitly include computer programs. Title 17 to the United States Code states that it is illegal to make or to distribute copies of copyrighted material without authorization, except for the users right to make a single backup copy for archival purposes. Any written material (including computer programs) fixed in a tangible form is considered copyrighted without any additional action on the part of the author. Therefore, it is not necessary that a copy of the software program be deposited with the Copyright Office in Washington, D. C. for the program to be protected as copyrighted. With that in mind then a copyright is a property right only. In order to prevent anyone from selling your software programs, you must ask a federal court to stop that person by an injunction and to give you damages for the injury they have done to you by selling the program.

Explore the presentation of Nick as a narrator in the first three chapters of The Great Gatsby

Nick comes across as an unreliable narrator throughout the first three chapters of ‘The Great Gatsby’, especially during Chapter two at the party, where his use of ellipses suggests to the reader that his knowledge is distorted. Also, nick is unable to give an accurate account of what has occurred in the society he has become acquainted with before he moved to West Egg and therefore his insights into events are based on hearsay and rumours. Jordan has become a source of Nick’s intelligence, and he demands information from her at Gatsby’s party – about Gatsby himself – however he then goes on to describe her as ‘incurably dishonest’, casting doubt on everything she has said previous to this. Furthermore, Nick does not confirm whether the information he has been told is truthful or not, he merely states what he has been informed without expanding on this, thus it is unclear to the reader if Jordan is a reliable source of information . Nick himself is going through an internal conflict, implying that he cannot give an accurate, unbiased account of what is going on in other people’s lives. It is clear that he is struggling between two contrasting lifestyles – the pleasure-orientated, fast-paced life of New York and the conventional, fairly nondescript background he came from where, he believes, morality is still valued. This suggests that he is so concerned with his own problems that he cannot afford to think through the events of other people. Despite this, Nick seems drawn towards the garishly ostentatious lifestyle that he is introduced to at Gatsby’s party and appears to forget his morals and ideals – ‘on my way to get roaring drunk’; this story is set whilst prohibition was in place, and so to get ‘roaring drunk’ was to go against the law. This contradicts his earlier statement, ‘wanting the world to be in uniform’ which implies that he wants the strict discipline and uniformity of society during the Great War back, despite him participating in many activities that would strongly go against this – for instance, his drunken fiasco at Myrtle’s apartment. Incidentally, the morals he so strongly believes in are questioned through his meeting with Myrtle – she is Nick’s cousins husbands mistress and yet he seems to have no objection to their affair, despite the seemingly close relationship he has with Daisy. Furthermore, the ease at which he has adapted his characteristics is similar to the ease that the disciplined society of the Great War changed at its sudden abrupt end; although he is being critical about the changes that have happened since that point in time he is actually changing in the same way, thus emphasising his hypocritical mannerisms. Nick seems to have been caught up in the moral decay of the society; the only mention of his engagement is from Daisy in Chapter 1, and in the form of the ‘certain girl’ that played tennis at the end of chapter three, but the lack of detail given about her suggests that he doesn’t believe that fact to be entirely important – especially considering that Nick is writing about past events. Based on the romantic imagery that he uses – ‘one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance’ – and the romantic ideals he appears to believe in, it seems out of character for him to skip over his engagement, thereby suggesting that he has been caught up in the moral decay within the society. Nicks character portrays something different to what Nick as a narrator thinks. Nick believes he is ‘inclined to reserve all judgements’, however he immediately contradicts this by stating he has been made ‘victim of not a few veteran bores’, reiterating his obvious hypocrisy. This is the narrator’s attempt to make the reader aware that although many opinions are not voiced, they are still there and various techniques are used throughout to novel to allow the reader to draw their own conclusion – especially symbolism. Whilst Nick realises that Tom, Daisy and Jordan are dishonourable people, he still spends a great deal of time with them, choosing to neglect their faults; it is more important for him to fit in with these rich, sophisticated people that to risk his friendship with them by pointing out their imperfections. It is this reservation of the truth that leads the reader to question Nick’s reliability and honesty, and it is also this that makes him conform to the majority of society; most people are dishonest and they sacrifice their honesty to fit in with the rest of society. Nick seems to be a bit of a wallflower throughout the first three chapters in that he doesn’t get involved in the events that are happening all around him and appears to blend in with the background. This is especially apparent in Chapter Two; whilst Nick is at Myrtle and Tom’s apartment he merely sits and watches everyone else in the room. It implies that he doesn’t have a mind of his own – he would rather sit and watch from the side-lines than actually get involved – and this is emphasised when Tom drags him off the train to meet Myrtle, ‘I followed him’. The valley of ashes appears to intrigue and repulse Nick almost simultaneously – this is made apparent through his use of imagery, ‘spasms of dust’. This is perhaps because, whilst Nick thinks that he has seen the ‘real world’ he has in fact only seen a shaded version of reality as he comes from a reasonably well-off background – implies through his great-uncle being able to send a ‘substitute to the Civil War’ in his place, which was something that only the rich could achieve. Part of Fitzgerald’s skill in ‘The Great Gatsby’ shines through the way he cleverly makes Nick a focal point of the action, whilst simultaneously allowing him to remain sufficiently in the background, thereby being able to comment on what events were unfolding; throughout the novel, Nick functions as Fitzgerald’s voice.