The Romantic Era Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein - 871 Words

The Romantic era, which originated in the 18th century, was a movement which sought to explore and return to human feelings. It also opposed the enlightenment movement, which sought reason and rationality, due that it found it cold and emotionless. Romanticism became one of the greatest periods of literature, but despite what one may think not all of it novels were about love or romance. Indeed, many of their period greatest writings were also about tragedy or drama, like â€Å"the rime of the ancient mariner† . Above many one of the greatest novels of this period was mary shelley’s Frankenstein, which have some of romanticism greatest themes First we have nature imagery, as show many times when Victor would get angry or moody and only the beauty of the alps would calm him down: â€Å"Sometimes I could cope with the sullen despair that overwhelmed me, but sometimes the whirlwind passions of my soul drove me to seek, by bodily exercise and by change of place, some relief from my intolerable sensations. It was during an access of this kind that I suddenly left my home, and bending my steps towards the near Alpine valleys, sought in the magnificence, the eternity of such scenes, to forget myself and my ephemeral, because human, sorrows.†(Shelley 78-79) This is a theme present in many writings of the romantic period,like for example â€Å"the rime of the ancient mariner†: And now there came both mist and snow, And it grew wondrous cold: And ice, mast-high, came floating by, As green asShow MoreRelatedThe Romantic Era Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein1343 Words   |  6 Pagescreates;† and it was the Romantic Era which established and seized the essences of Oscar Wilde’s quote. The romantic era really demonstrated how the previously untapped potential of the creative mind was on the threshold of redefining the intellectual spirit. The romantic era was a time of complete transition in regards to the arts because it was a movement predicated on defying the standards and rigidity that previously controlled the art world. There were numerous romantic era authors but one of theRead MoreThe Romantic Era Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein1502 Words   |  7 Pagescentury through the first decades of the 19th century, the romantic ear took over the styles of novels. This was a time of disagreement and confusion over principles and aesthetics; there were many philosophies, agendas, and points of interest that competed in all types of literature. Fran kenstein, written by Mary Shelley, is a work from the Romantic Era, and you can see some characteristics of this era in her novel. Romanticism was an era where the individual became more important than societyRead MoreRomanticism In Frankenstein Essay740 Words   |  3 Pages Mariah McCoy Dr.Bardot His-102 16 June 2017 Historical Relevance Within Frankenstein Imagine a world without Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution,and Romanticism. Mary Shelley uses these topics in her novel to expose the effects that each of these had on society. Frankenstein is a novel that was published in the early 1800’s and tells a story about a man by the name of Victor Frankenstein. Technology and critical thinking skills plays a huge role in the novel and real life.By analyzingRead MoreEssay about Romanticism in Frankenstein1010 Words   |  5 Pages19th century, author Mary Shelley was greatly influenced by the intellectual movement of Romanticism. Since she was closely associated with many of the great minds of the Romantic Movement such as her husband Percy B. Shelley and Lord Byron, it is natural that her works would reflect the Romantic trends. Many label Shelley ¡Ã‚ ¯s most famous novel Frankenstein as the first Science Fiction novel in history because its plot contains the process of a scientist named Victor Frankenstein creating a livingRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein 1601 Words   |  7 Pagesthe substance itself.†(Mary Shelley) An author’s personal story and background has an immense impact on literature and culture. It affects the style of the writing and ultimately the topics and themes they write about. The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is an exceptional example of how a person’s experiences influence literature and culture. Frankenstein tells the story of Victor, his monstrous creation, and the consequences both he and the monster had to live through. Mary Shelley’s traumatic earlyRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein 1527 Words   |  7 PagesShelley s narrative is seen to symbolize romantic fears, offering a tale of certain demise, one that gives technology negative connotations in the form of the creature whom is represented as an outcast of society. To emphasise this, the sublime settings in the text, provide a space where the marginalised can be heard, however, for in contrast to the power of beauty which works to contain and maintain social distinctions, the sublime in Frankenstein opens the way for the excluded to challenge theRead MoreMary Shelley s Frankenstein - Romantic Ideology Of A Byronic Hero1270 Words   |  6 Pagesthose authors was Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly. Her novel Frankenstein, which was published in 1818, incorporates different characteristics of Romanticism in many aspects but more directly through the characters. With an analysis of Victor Frankenstein, the monster, and Henry Clerval, it is clear that the characters of Frankenstein epitomize ideologies that were embodied during the Romantic Era including the Byronic hero, and emphasis on nature’s significance. Victor Frankenstein s character is an exampleRead MoreScience May Be Interesting To Most, But Its Development1781 Words   |  8 Pagesthis in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. This extremely famous novel is about a scientist named Victor Frankenstein who creates a grotesque creature, using electricity. Many assume the creature’s name to be Frankenstein as it may be depicted in movies but this is false, as the scientist’s name is Frankenstein and the monster does not have a name. New developing science allows Victor to create this creature which, as we learn throughout the story, should never have been created. Mary Shelley uses multipleRead More Frankenstein, Community, and the Individual Essay1697 Words   |  7 Pagesresponsibility that lie at the core of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein. It is through these concepts that Shelley explores how society has changed during Romanticism and the Industrial Revolution, with lessening importance on shared knowledge and the publ ic sphere and more emphasis on individual achievement and identity, leading to a fractured and isolated society. In this paper I argue that Mary Shelleys Frankenstein criticizes the impacts of Industrial Revolution and Romantic era-inspired individualism on theRead MoreScientific Progression in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein and the Film, Blade Runner1184 Words   |  5 PagesMary Shelley’s â€Å"Frankenstein† is an early 19th century cautionary tale examining the dark, self-destructive side of human reality and human soul. It is written in the Romantic era where society greatly valued scientific and technological advancement. Throughout the novel, Shelley expresses her concerns of extreme danger when man transgresses science and all ethical values are disregarded. The implications of debatable experimentation and thriving ambition could evoke on humanity are explored in the

African American And Hispanic Women - 893 Words

facilities (Reichert et al., 2007). This particular argument may stem from the lack of safe, but free, areas to exercise; many low-income neighborhoods do not have safe sidewalks, parks, or even free recreation centers to participate even if the desire was there. A prevalent argument that both African American and Hispanic women use as to their inability to obtain a healthy exercise routine is that the additional money needed to provide for childcare while exercising does not suffice a cost to benefit (Reichert et al., 2007). A study done in regards to the Hispanic population found that in the case of parents, money would be spent on a child’s participation in sports or exercise before an adult (Steenhuis, Nooy, Moes, Schuit, 2009). That†¦show more content†¦One particular barrier that has been found to have an indirect effect on physical activity is self-efficacy and self-motivation. Self-efficacy allows humans to overcome barriers such as feeling tired to exercise; because of social norms, it is harder for females to have high self-efficacy and in turn, harder to overcome barriers to motivation (Louw, Van Biljon, Mugandani, 2012). Age can most certainly stand in the way of ones motivation; younger groups of people cite that not having a workout partner keeps them exercising while the senior groups barrier was simply the lack of knowledge about how their bodies respond to certain exercises, as well as the health issues that come with growing older (Louw et al., 2012). Additionally, older adults are rarely met with successful stories of aging by the media, which establishes a stigma that the ability to retain health throughout ones lifespan is non-existent, and therefore the motivation to try is wasted (Louw et al., 2012). Race plays a part in the motivation of exercise; majority races are more likely to exercise for weight and stress management, as well a revitalization and enjoyment, while minority races tend to exercise to avoid health issu es in the future or circumvent behavioral problems (Egli, land, Melton, Czech, 2011). While the same motivational struggles when it comes to overall

The Joys of Being Pregnant Free Essays

On August 9, 2010, life as I knew it changed forever. It was a normal summer day at home, much like any other Monday that summer. Everything on the outside appeared to be the same as usual, but on the inside, I knew there was a change. We will write a custom essay sample on The Joys of Being Pregnant or any similar topic only for you Order Now I was two weeks pregnant and I wouldn’t know it until about 5:30 that night. It was a very emotional discovery, finding that I would become a mother in a little less than nine short months. Not only did that discovery change my life, but it also changed the lives of many others who love and care about me. My mother, 33, would become a young grandmother and my step dad, 26, would become an even younger grandfather. My boyfriend of three years would have to throw away his childhood and become a man for his son or daughter. I was scared to death that the shock and severity of my situation would destroy any chance of gaining the support of them, but all three, along with the rest of my family, kept loving me and began to love the new life growing inside of me. I am now eleven weeks pregnant and I have had the privilege of actually seeing my baby via ultrasound. He or she was almost a centimeter long on the first of September and resembled a peanut or a lima bean. Seeing the baby’s heartbeat flashing like a tiny strobe light hit me like a ton of bricks. The â€Å"embryo† that I had heard of in books and diagrams was now a child to me; a living, growing baby who was developing arms and legs and eyes. A baby that may grow up to have my dimples or my boyfriend’s blue eyes. He or she would call me â€Å"mommy† and love me unconditionally. And I would love him or her right back, as strong and as hard as I could. I keep the pictures from the sonogram on the refrigerator, but my favorite one is in a little white frame in my bedroom. I look at it often and I wonder how much the baby has changed since that picture was taken. My next appointment is the 29th, and I am so anxious to be able to see how much this life inside of me has grown and be able to take home more pictures that I will treasure as much as the first one. How to cite The Joys of Being Pregnant, Essay examples

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Technology Essay Example For Students

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Technology Essay Society never advances. It recedes as fast on one side as it gains on the other. Although written long ago these words by, Ralph Waldo Emerson still hold true today. Everyday in society people are making improvements, however, but these improvements also have equal drawbacks. Today we are using cutting edge technology to improve every aspect of our daily lives. For instance in todays society the fields of Communication and Medicine are constantly advancing yet they both create significant losses. Technology has helped increase the speed of communication and decrease its cost. However, at the same time it has caused people to become more impersonal with each other. In earlier times the major form of communication was for people to visit each other and go to public meeting places. One of the next major advances was the telephone. Due to the telephone people no longer went to the public meeting places as often as they used to. As time goes on, new advances still allow people to contact and communicate with each other more easily. These advances such as faxes, beepers, and electronic mail, although seemingly making life easier, each help to decrease the earlier forms of communication. The field of medicine, like the field communication, also displays what Emerson was trying to say. This field too, which had many advances, has also caused many difficulties. As scientists and doctors try to come up with cures for the many diseases we have today, they are also making new ones. For example, when scientists went to Africa in search of a cure for a disease, they came back with monkeys that were contaminated with the Emboli virus. Today in Russia there are military bases where Russian scientists are creating thousands of germs and viruses to use in germ warfare. These germs and viruses are capable of killing thousands of people instantly. As technology continues to advance and society moves forward, people continue to use the less personal forms of communication, and create new problems in the field of medicine. The fear of becoming a society, which communicates only through machines, and creates new disease, is becoming greater with time. For all of society gains there are equal drawbacks. So as in Ralph Waldo Emerson words society never advances.

Private Equity in Southeast Asia Region Essay Example

Private Equity in Southeast Asia Region Essay As many investors and finance people know, the United States has been the biggest laying field for PEE firms since 1980 as it is a developed market with mature structure and clear regulations. However, due to competition and limited resources in the United States, investors and PEE firms have a growing need for a new market to grow and expand their business. One of these new, emerging markets for PEE is the Southeast Asia region. This Southeast Asia region is characteristic of developing countries that are rich with natural resources. Most of the countries in this region of Southeast Asia have a lot in common including; they are developing countries, they re rich with natural resources and they all have a big market in terms of population. One of the exceptions in this region is Singapore as it is considered a developed country, especially in the finance sector. Southeast Asia is very lucrative in the sense that it offers a lot of opportunities for investors, including PEE investors and firms, however, in order to realize the revenues and returns of these opportunities these firms would need more knowledge on how to deal with the challenges in this new emerging market. Private Equity in Southeast Asia The emergence of Private Equity (PEE) markets outside the United States and Europe as significantly broadened the scope of portfolio diversification. We will write a custom essay sample on Private Equity in Southeast Asia Region specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Private Equity in Southeast Asia Region specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Private Equity in Southeast Asia Region specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Also, due to the growing importance of PEE in nontraditional markets, the need for investors to broaden their knowledge has increased significantly as knowledge is the key in regards to international investing as a whole. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to provide relevant information about PEE market in the Southeast Asia as well as provide recommendations on how to deal with the challenges. Market Typology With the exception of Singapore, most companies in the Southeast Asia region are developing countries and are therefore referred to as an emerging market. Table 1 describes the market typology of PEE market based on four market types. Table 1 Market Typology Mature Markets Non-traditional markets in advance economies Emerging markets Frontier markets Economic structure Sophisticated Sophisticated Relatively developed Early stage of economic/financial development Economic stability High High Track record is being establish Track record still short Size of the economy and growth Large/high level of prosperity Varies Varies with high growth prospect Small size, lower level growth Debt markets Highly liquid Liquid Emerging Still embryonic Exit markets Developed public equity markets with high market capitalization Developed public equity markets with significant market capitalization Relatively developed public equity markets with sufficient market capitalization Underdeveloped Global PEE firms Investing Investing Investing Very limited, if any investment Domestic PEE industry Developed Emerging Emerging Rudimentary PEE exits Considerable history Track record being established Visible exits already occurred Very limited Key markets United States, ELI-1 5, Switzerland Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore Brazil, China, India, Russia, South Korea, Slovenia, South Africa, Southeast Asia countries: Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines Bulgaria, Colombia, Pakistan, Astrakhan, Tunisia, Ukraine Source: Cornelius (2011). The term emerging markets has been widely adopted by international investors to refer to all developing countries. Specifically, Emerging PEE markets refers to those where an indigenous PEE industry is already developing and visible exits have begun to attract a growing amount of interest among international investors. Southeast Asian Private Equity market In general, PEE investment is growing in Asia entirely. According to Perrine, PEE funds share of investments in Asia has grown from a mere 2. 6% in 2006 to 10. 6% in 2012, due to PEE funds investing a total of SIS$27. 8 billion in Asia (Figure 1). Although some of this increase in share can be attributed to the decline in PEE investment in North America and Europe as a result of the financial crisis, the PEE investment in Asia continued to grow at an average annual rate of 8% from 2006 through 2012. In fact, trends show that Asia was the only region in which PEE investment grew over this timeshare. Figure 1 Global PEE Investments by Region (Left) and Trend in Asia for P Deals Source: Pretentiousness Asia has continued to become increasingly attractive as a P destination over the years. According to an investor survey conducted by Ernst Young that involved both general and limited partners, 36% of the respondents believe that PEE investment in Southeast Asia will in fact increase. The survey results from 2012 to 2014 (figure 2) shows an increase in PEE investors confidence level AIBO Southeast Asia Market in comparison to China. Figure 2 PEE Investors Survey: Which geography will see the most PEE activity in the next 12 months? Source: Ernst Young Based on Perrine data, the Southeast Asian PEE Investment reached the highest peak I terms of both investment value and number of deals in 2007, right before the financial crisis. There was a slowdown during the crisis but the markets start to bounce back in 2012. Figure 3 below shows the PEE Investments in major Southeast Asian countries. In Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, the PEE Investments started to increase in 2012 after the financial crisis. While the PEE Investments in Singapore, Vietnam, and Philippines in 2012 started to recover after the crisis. Figure 3 PEE Investments in Southeast Asia Countries Source: Predisposed on Boston Consulting Groups (BCC) report, from 2005 through 2010, Southeast Asia accounted for about 18 percent, by value, of PEE deals in Asia. In 2010, the value of the regions deals was about one-fourth of Chinas and 30% of Indians. Deal sizes and volumes vary significantly by country: Singapore has historically led in the number and size of deals, while Thailand and Vietnam have small and relatively underdeveloped PEE markets and have therefore lagged. Indonesia is extremely active indeed, the largest PIP in the history of the Indonesian stock market was a private-to-public deal. On the other hand, trend shows that Malaysia has delivered mix results. Overall, with a host of new players entering the region, Southeast Saiss share of Saiss deal pool looks set to continue to increase. The growing interest from investors and the recovery of PEE markets in Southeast Asia from the crisis is as a result of several growth-driving factors including: Macroeconomics growth According to Pain Company data, the total GAP in Southeast Asia in 2011 was SIS$2 trillion, accounting for 4. 2 percent of the world total GAP and is expected to row at 4. To 7. 9 percent compound annual growth rate from 2011 to 2016. Natural resources The Southeast Asia region has lots of natural resources such as oil and gas, mineral, marine resources, fertile-land for plantations, palm oil, agro commodities, and many more. These natural resources can stimulate growth opportunities for companies who operate in the region that will lead to signifi cant returns in their investments. Demographic Southeast Asia was home to a mostly young and dynamic population of nearly 600 million in 2011 and this population is projected to grow at 10. Percent compound annual growth rate from 2011 through 2016. With this type of demographic, Southeast Asia offers a big market for consumption especially in its lower to middle class population. In addition to creating a large consumer market, Southeast Asia demographic also provides human resources for companies to support their business in this region with relatively lower costs compared to other regions or countries. Economic Liberalizing Economic reform has spread across the region with democracy in politics and law enforcement significantly improving. Restrictions on foreign investments and winnowers have been relaxed, and some governments are actively developing the PEE sector. At the same time, the connection between countries in Southeast Asia is strengthening to create rationalization and intraregional trades. Capital market Another driving factor is that the capital markets in Southeast Asia are generally underdeveloped and predominantly revolve around indirect finances. In other words, access to traditional capital markets is generally difficult however not for large companies and therefore PEE funds will emerge as a source of growth capital for rowing companies in need of financing. China and India Slowing Economic Growth This is an external factor that creates opportunity for Southeast Asia to grow the PEE markets. Many investors shift their focus to Southeast Asia due to economic slowdown in the two biggest markets in Asia, China and India. Besides economic slowdown, PEE firms reportedly encountered challenges in these two countries. The main challenge in both countries is difficulty exiting investment or selling the portfolio companies. Ipso in China and India are currently inhibited by the regulatory body and market environments. Beside PIP, the strategic selling also faces a problem because of the difficulty of negotiating attractive sales price with potential buyers, particularly in India in the wake of economic slowdown and currency depreciation. All the opportunities and driving factors create optimism for the investors including PEE investors. Result from a Joint survey conducted by Pain Company and the Singapore Venture Capital PEE Association (SVGA), showed clear signs of optimism about the regions prospects, which could have marked 2012 as the start of Southeast Saiss time to shine. Respondents looked for deal activity to increase substantially, especially in consumer, healthcare, and energy sectors. PEE firms that are active in the region reported that they would boost their investments in Southeast Asia, with some 40% of respondents planning to invest more than SIS$1 50 million in 2012, compared with Just 20% in 2011 (see figure 4). Figure 4 Survey Result Growing Optimism for PEE Markets in Southeast Asia One of the negative effects coming from those opportunities is the growing competition for PEE investments deals. Such competition has led to concerns about oaring valuations that make most of the acquisition prices in Southeast Asia rise since 2012. The main cause of this problem is the limited number of good portfolio companies. Most of the PEE firms focused their deals on consumer-related sectors such as food, beverages, healthcare, media and telecommunication, and energy. It is understandable since these sectors are the one that have the best growth and return opportunity due to consumer market growth (huge and young population) in Southeast Asia. Moreover, Southeast Asian countries still possess some classical robbers that can be considered as the major risks for PEE firms to invest in Southeast Asia. These risks include: Economic risk Economic conditions in most countries in South Asia, including Singapore are facing some macroeconomic risks, such as inflation, currency exchange fluctuation, and the dependency of foreign investment. All these risks can cause instability to the economic condition. According to Cornelius (201 1), between the time span of 1993 and 1999, many PEE firms failed to meet investors return expectation due to the currency exchange rate changes. Inflation is another big problem in Southeast Asia, inflation can suddenly spike because of the sharply higher commodity prices thus leading to a considerable increase in the general price level. According to Cornelius, in emerging markets, including Southeast Asia, average consumer inflation surged to 9. 2 percent in 2008 from 5. 6 percent in 2006. The inflation rates can have a big impact on real investment returns. Political risk Political instability has been identical with the Southeast Asia region for decades. Political instability causes investment uncertainty and could potentially result in a monumentally different investment regime. Governments in Southeast Asian countries still have a big role in business and economics. They control the business by imposing several regulations that can change from time to time creating uncertainty in business. Moreover, every time there is a change of government, the policy will be changed and can sometimes harm the investments that have already been made. Unanticipated changes in regulations have substantial return implications through their impact on production costs, market prices, and the repatriations of profits. Governance risk Except for Singapore, all the countries in Southeast Asia hold governance problem, especially corruption and law enforcement. Law enforcement is very important for investors in relation with the protection of investors rights in case of disputes. There is an absence of well-functioning and predictable legal institutions in most countries that can give a negative effect for business and legal assurance. Of all the risks we consider in this section, corruption perhaps the most evil one. Corruption has many dimensions, including tax bribery, procurement bribery, and Judiciary bribery. Corruption has flourished in previous years within the Southeast Asia region due to complex bureaucratic regimes. This risk can severely distort policy dimensions in all areas imposing huge macroeconomic costs. Conclusion and Recommendation 2014 will continue to be a competitive year for PEE investors in Southeast Asia. Pain ; Company stresses that with more PEE firms turning their focus to the region and cash rich corporate on the prowl for acquisitions, valuations in 2014 are expected to remain at lofty levels. Respondents polled by the research outfit pointed o a scarcity of high quality target companies as one of the most pressing challenges. Macroeconomics volatility, political instability, and corporate governance are still the major threats in Southeast Asia. But with all the opportunities going forward, Southeast Asia will become the deal making hotshots, drawing an influx of PEE firms from the United States and Europe. However to get all the benefits that Southeast Asia offered and to get the best investment returns, PEE firms should be able to overcome the risks and challenges that exist in the region. Some of the strategies and commendations are: Choose a focused Model An investing model focused on a specific industry sector or on Just one or two countries will maximize the chances of sourcing and converting the right deals. For example, targeting consumer sectors, since this sector offers a robust growth due to increases in middle-class populations and growing consumption. The biggest beneficiary country of consumption growth driven by growth in the middle class is Indonesia, the most populous country in Southeast Asia, with a population of over 240 million. Enhanced due diligence and deal-execution process Allow plenty of time for due diligence process, especially when creating market scenarios and mapping industry structures and value chains. PEE firms that excel in converting more acquisitions into winners and avoiding losers use probing due diligence process to dig deeper into a potential targets operations before they commit to an investment. Superior due diligence is very critical in Southeast Asia where information often less transparent and reliable sources of date are hard to find. A good due diligence can also reduce the negative effect from uncertainty in economic and political condition. Proprietary sourcing and smart partnership To find the best companies quickly and avoid overpaying, fund managers need to forge alliances and have people on the ground that can spot opportunities before competitors do. To be able to do that, PEE firms should reinforce local connections and consider partnerships with conglomerates or family groups seeking to institutionalize their investment capabilities. Other potential partners include local PEE funds as well as local banks, government-linked organizations, and state-owned wealth funds. They can facilitate access and help build up a steady deal flow. PEE firms should consider

It Took a While, but the Midget Raisin is No More

It Took a While, but the Midget Raisin is No More Responding to a petition first filed by the Little People of America in May 2103, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has agreed to remove â€Å"midget† from its list of size classifications for raisins.   In a new federal regulation proposed by the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) on August 13, the USDA would eliminate all five occurrences of the word â€Å"midget† from the â€Å"U.S. Standards for Grades of Processed Raisins.† The USDA had used â€Å"midget† to describe the smallest size of commercially processed raisins since WWII. ‘Small,’ Not ‘Midget’ â€Å"The action would clarify AMS grade standards by eliminating the use of the term ‘midget,’ while consistently using the term ‘small’ for raisins graded in that category,† states the USDA’s proposed rule. â€Å"The industry has used the two grade terms interchangeably for years. The proposed grade standards would be applied uniformly by all handlers.† The USDA acknowledged that the change was being made in response to the petition from the Little People of America (LPA), a non-profit advocacy group providing support and information to persons with a medical diagnosis of dwarfism or other form of short stature between 2’-8† and 4’-8† tall and their families. â€Å"On May 13, 2013, AMS received a petition from the Little People of America stating that they ‘are trying to raise awareness around and eliminate the use of the word midget,’† the USDA said. According to the USDA, the petition also stated that, â€Å"Though the use of the word midget by the USDA when classifying certain food products is benign, Little People of America, and the dwarfism community, hopes that the USDA would consider phasing out the term midget.† The Problem with ‘Midget’ The LPA considers the word â€Å"midget† to be â€Å"an antiquated slang term often used as slur toward shorter than average persons, specifically, â€Å"a person with a diagnosable skeletal dysplasia or medical condition,† according to the group’s Web site. In 2014, the LPA criticized Marvin Lewis, head coach of pro football’s Cincinnati Bengals for referring to Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel as a â€Å"midget.† Manziel, while considered by some in the sport to be â€Å"short† for a pro football quarterback, is 6’-0† tall. â€Å"LPA has been actively working to get the word taken out of societys vernacular, where it is often used carelessly and without regard to who else it may affect,† states the LPA. Dwarfism is a recognized condition under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In 2011, Startbucks Coffee agreed to pay $75,000 to settle an ADA-based disability discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charging that the coffee retailing giant had unlawfully denied a reasonable accommodation to a barista with dwarfism at one of its El Paso stores and subsequently fired her because of her disability. How Tall is a Midget Raisin? Under USDA standards adopted in 1978, midget – now to be called â€Å"small† raisins are â€Å"95 percent, by weight, of all the raisins will pass through round perforations 24/64-inch in diameter, and not less than 70 percent, by weight, of all raisins will pass through round perforations 22/64-inch in diameter.† Size standards for commercially-processed raisins are set by the USDA’s Raisin Administrative Committee, which had already â€Å"approved the removal of the term midget from the standards† in 2014. When Will You Notice the Change? While you might already see â€Å"small† replacing â€Å"midget† on raisin packaging and advertising, the change will not become official for while. As required by law, the USDA must continue to accept public comments on the new regulation until October 20. At least a month later, the new regulation will be published in the Federal Register, making the change from â€Å"midget† to â€Å"small† official. Justice or ‘Political Correctness?’ Interestingly, the only two comments submitted on the rule change so far have come from people opposed to the growing demand for â€Å"political correctness.† â€Å"This is akin to killing fleas with a cannon,† wrote on commenter. â€Å"Certainly, there is a better use for workers at the USDA than to be checking under every rock for an offended person.† â€Å"Its a shame political correctness has come to censoring the federal government!† stated the other comment. â€Å"Eliminating 5 ‘midget’ mentions in the guidelines at expense of millions more ‘midget’ mentions on the interwebs is ridiculous!†

Theory of Social Contract Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Theory of Social Contract - Essay Example Hobbes theory of Social Contract ratifies the condition in which individuals give up their individual liberties, in exchange for a common security. In this theory, no limits exist to the natural rights to liberty. Through the social contract, people are able to transfer their mutual rights. According to Hobbes, individuals sacrifice their liberty to the Leviathan because the society in which people are born into has laws and convection that are already in place (Baumgold, 53). Folks have no option but to adhere to the existing limited conventions and laws instead of exploiting their natural unlimited rights. The application of Hobbes’ ideas in the modern society is apt. Its application is important due to many reasons. First, the societies’ population grows rapidly, and there is a need to avail stronger societal norms that can hold people together. Laws are vital in ensuring that the large population of the world coexists in peace. Secondly, the world of today embraces capitalism, which leaves a larger part of the world population grieving in poverty. Without proper policies such as property rights, the poor population can trespass into the property of the rich people. In conclusion, Hobbes reiterates that people tend to sacrifice their natural liberties to the Leviathan because of the pre-existing conventions and property rights that they find in the society. It is important, to reinforce such legislation in the contemporary society to ensure the maintenance of sanity and order amongst the world’s populace.

MySQL Information Technology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MySQL Information Technology - Research Paper Example The database of MySQL enables the users to develop a structure of relational database somewhere in the web-server so as to store information and do the necessary computing. When compared with the Microsoft Access, MySQL facilitates the users by organizing tables for them. Amongst other elements, the PHP serves as the queries. User’s forms play the role of individual web pages that contain fields. A combination of all these features allows the user to develop wonderful projects upon web which are very difficult to create without the use of MySQL. â€Å"The SQL part of â€Å"MySQL† stands for â€Å"Structured Query Language.† SQL is the most common standardized language used to access databases and is defined by the ANSI/ISO SQL Standard† (MySQL, 2011). Since the year 1986, SQL Standard has been evolving. Today, users can choose from numerous versions of SQL. MySQL is absolutely freely downloadable from the Internet and licensed by the GNU General Public Lic ense (GPL). GLP sets the rules for the use of MySQL in various situations. One of the most fundamental elements of MySQL that distinguish it from the conventional databases is its open source nature. Being open source, anybody can make use of and make alterations in the MySQL software. The source code can be altered as per the requirement of individual users. In a vast majority of cases, when a user already has a web-page or is getting one, PHP and MySQL are supported by the host. Servers which they are normally linked with include Linux. A user may check out the Dreamhost if he wants to gain the support of PHP and MySWL while getting his page. Some users have a difficult time dealing with the MySQL database because of their lack of prior interaction with the WYSIWYG interface which is afforded by the Microsoft Access. Therefore, when they have to develop tables, they either use SQL Statements for it or else, make use of some open source tool that can be downloaded from the Internet . Such tools are commonly referred to as the PHPMyAdmin. PHPMyAdmin provides the users with a user friendly interface which makes it easy for them to develop tables and forward their queries by providing the required information. This becomes particularly convenient for a user when he is tired or does not want to indulge in the lethargic SQL Statements. MySQL is significantly different in its properties, characteristics and uses from Microsoft Acess. After the creation of tables, it becomes very easy to use MySQL. MySQL far exceeds Microsoft Access in terms of both reliability and speed. In a relational database, data is kept in individual tables instead of one storeroom. This promotes flexibility and enhances the speed of the process. Microsoft Access is not much more than a system of desktop database. Small organizations can do with up to 20 users of Microsoft Access at one time, but hits as many as 10000 per day require a much more efficient and stronger system that is provided b y MySQL. The tables in MySQL can use real data unlike Microsoft Access. Need a text field that can hold over four billion characters? Not a problem, just use the LongText data type. Want the field to hold that many characters and be case-sensitive? Easy, just use the LongBlob data type. Need to store numbers from 0 to 18,446,744,073,709,551,615 (for those of you who are curious, that would be over 18 Quintillion), then use the BigInt data type. Indeed, 18 quintillion is a big integer. (Blue Moose

The Theories of Thomas Hobbes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Theories of Thomas Hobbes - Essay Example Talking about Hobbes’s state of equality, he strongly believed that we as human tend to be very watchful of the differences that lie between all individuals: differences that distinguish the diverse individuals from each other. For example he said that some of us tend to perceive others as smarter or wiser than ourselves, however, what we fail to take into account is that the bulk of the people around us are more or less the same as ourselves, particularly in thought. Such was the way in which Hobbes defined equality of human nature, that given a particular situation many of the individuals would react to it much in the same way. Moreover, Hobbes felt that all human beings were materialistic beings, motivated by nothing so much as they are motivated by self-interest, thus the term egoism (Clarke, 1995). This self-interest which dominates human nature in Hobbes’s point of view is the root cause of all chaos and anarchy that has ever prevailed throughout human history. Hobbes believed that if ever in a dilemma, an individual will always choose the alternative which benefits him the most, irrespective the extent of damage that it may cause to anyone else. This egoism of man never allows him to be content with what he has. Rather it requires him to constantly desire more and more power than he already has. Consequently, Hobbes described his â€Å"State of Nature,† which was from the nature made by God as one would normally expect it to be. The Hobbes's State of Nature is one which any known State can undergo at a time of absolute chaos and anarchy.

Economic Indicators of The Great Depression

Economic Indicators of The Great Depression 1. Start of the Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s.[1] It was the longest, most widespread, and deepest depression of the 20th century. In the 21st century, the Great Depression is commonly used as an example of how far the worlds economy can decline. The depression originated in the U.S., starting with the fall in stock prices that began around September 4, 1929 and became worldwide news with the stock market crash of October 29, 1929 (known as Black Tuesday). From there, it quickly spread to almost every country in the world. The Great Depression had devastating effects in virtually every country, rich and poor. Personal income, tax revenue, profits and prices dropped while international trade plunged by  ½ to â…”. Unemployment in the U.S. rose to 25% and in some countries rose as high as 33%. Cities all around the world were hit hard, especially those dependent on heavy industry. Construction was virtually halted in many countries. Farming and rural areas suffered as crop prices fell by approximately 60%. Facing plummeting demand with few alternate sources of jobs, areas dependent on primary sector industries such as cash cropping, mining and logging suffered the most. Some economies started to recover by the mid-1930s. However, in many countries the negative effects of the Great Depression lasted until the start of World War II. 2. Causes and economic indicators There were multiple causes for the first downturn in 1929. These include the structural weaknesses and specific events that turned it into a major depression and the manner in which the downturn spread from country to country. In relation to the 1929 downturn, historians emphasize structural factors like massive bank failures and the stock market crash. In contrast, economists (such as Barry Eichengreen, Milton Friedman and Peter Temin) point to monetary factors such as actions by the US Federal Reserve that contracted the money supply, as well as Britains decision to return to the Gold Standard at pre-World War I parities (US$4.86: £1). Recessions and business cycles are thought to be a normal part of living in a world of inexact balances between supply and demand. What turns a normal recession or ordinary business cycle into an actual depression is a subject of much debate and concern. Scholars have not agreed on the exact causes and their relative importance. Moreover, the search for causes is closely connected to the issue of avoiding future depressions. Thus, the personal political and policy viewpoints of scholars greatly color their analysis of historic events occurring eight decades ago. An even larger question is whether the Great Depression was primarily a failure on the part of free markets or, alternately, a failure of government efforts to regulate interest rates, curtail widespread bank failures, and control the money supply. Those who believe in a larger economic role for the state believe that it was primarily a failure of free markets, while those who believe in a smaller role for the state believe that it was primarily a failure of government that compounded the problem. Current theories may be broadly classified into two main points of view and several heterodox points of view. First, there are demand-driven theories, most importantly Keynesian economics, but also including those who point to the breakdown of international trade, and Institutional economists who point to under consumption and over-investment (causing an economic bubble), malfeasance by bankers and industrialists, or incompetence by government officials. The consensus among demand-driven theories is that a large-scale loss of confidence led to a sudden reduction in consumption and investment spending. Once panic and deflation set in, many people believed they could avoid further losses by keeping clear of the markets. Holding money became profitable as prices dropped lower and a given amount of money bought ever more goods, exacerbating the drop in demand. Secondly, there are the monetarists, who believe that the Great Depression started as an ordinary recession, but that significant policy mistakes by monetary authorities (especially the Federal Reserve), caused a shrinking of the money supply which greatly exacerbated the economic situation, causing a recession to descend into the Great Depression. Related to this explanation are those who point to debt deflation causing those who borrow to owe ever more in real terms. Lastly, there are various heterodox theories that downplay or reject the explanations of the Keynesians and monetarists. For example, some new classical macroeconomists have argued that various labor market policies imposed at the start caused the length and severity of the Great Depression. The Austrian school of economics focuses on the macroeconomic effects of money supply, and how central banking decisions can lead to over-investment (economic bubble). The Marxist critique of political economy emphasizes the tendency of capitalism to create unbalanced accumulations of wealth, leading to over accumulations of capital and a repeating cycle of devaluations through economic crises. Table 1: Change in economic indicators 1929-32 USA Britain France Germany Industrial production −46% −23 −24 −41 Wholesale prices −32% −33 −34 −29 Foreign trade −70% −60 −54 −61 Unemployment +607% +129 +214 +232 3. Breakdown of international trade Many economists have argued that the sharp decline in international trade after 1930 helped to worsen the depression, especially for countries significantly dependent on foreign trade. Most historians and economists partly blame the American Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act (enacted June 17, 1930) for worsening the depression by seriously reducing international trade and causing retaliatory tariffs in other countries. While foreign trade was a small part of overall economic activity in the U.S. and was concentrated in a few businesses like farming, it was a much larger factor in many other countries. The average ad valorem rate of duties on dutiable imports for 1921-1925 was 25.9% but under the new tariff it jumped to 50% in 1931-1935. In dollar terms, American exports declined from about $5.2 billion in 1929 to $1.7 billion in 1933; but prices also fell, so the physical volume of exports only fell by half. Hardest hit were farm commodities such as wheat, cotton, tobacco, and lumber. According to this theory, the collapse of farm exports caused many American farmers to default on their loans, leading to the bank runs on small rural banks that characterized the early years of the Great Depression. 4. Debt deflation Irving Fisher argued that the predominant factor leading to the Great Depression was over-indebtedness and deflation. Fisher tied loose credit to over-indebtedness, which fueled speculation and asset bubbles. He then outlined 9 factors interacting with one another under conditions of debt and deflation to create the mechanics of boom to bust. The chain of events proceeded as follows: Debt liquidation and distress selling Contraction of the money supply as bank loans are paid off A fall in the level of asset prices A still greater fall in the net worth of business, precipitating bankruptcies A fall in profits A reduction in output, in trade and in employment. Pessimism and loss of confidence Hoarding of money A fall in nominal interest rates and a rise in deflation adjusted interest rates. During the Crash of 1929 preceding the Great Depression, margin requirements were only 10%. Brokerage firms, in other words, would lend $9 for every $1 an investor had deposited. When the market fell, brokers called in these loans, which could not be paid back. Banks began to fail as debtors defaulted on debt and depositors attempted to withdraw their deposits en masse, triggering multiple bank runs. Government guarantees and Federal Reserve banking regulations to prevent such panics were ineffective or not used. Bank failures led to the loss of billions of dollars in assets. Outstanding debts became heavier, because prices and incomes fell by 20-50% but the debts remained at the same dollar amount. After the panic of 1929, and during the first 10 months of 1930, 744 US banks failed. (In all, 9,000 banks failed during the 1930s). By April 1933, around $7 billion in deposits had been frozen in failed banks or those left unlicensed after the March Bank Holiday. Bank failures snowballed as desperate bankers called in loans which the borrowers did not have time or money to repay. With future profits looking poor, capital investment and construction slowed or completely ceased. In the face of bad loans and worsening future prospects, the surviving banks became even more conservative in their lending. Banks built up their capital reserves and made fewer loans, which intensified deflationary pressures. A vicious cycle developed and the downward spiral accelerated. The liquidation of debt could not keep up with the fall of prices which it caused. The mass effect of the stampede to liquidate increased the value of each dollar owed, relative to the value of declining asset holdings. The very effort of individuals to lessen their burden of debt effectively increased it. Paradoxically, the more the debtors paid, the more they owed. This self-aggravating process turned a 1930 recession into a 1933 great depression. 5 Keynesian British economist John Maynard Keynes argued in General Theory of Employment Interest and Money that lower aggregate expenditures in the economy contributed to a massive decline in income and to employment that was well below the average. In such a situation, the economy reached equilibrium at low levels of economic activity and high unemployment. Keynes basic idea was simple: to keep people fully employed, governments have to run deficits when the economy is slowing, as the private sector would not invest enough to keep production at the normal level and bring the economy out of recession. Keynesian economists called on governments during times of economic crisis to pick up the slack by increasing government spending and/or cutting taxes. As the Depression wore on, Franklin D. Roosevelt tried public works, farm subsidies, and other devices to restart the economy, but never completely gave up trying to balance the budget. According to the Keynesians, this improved the economy, but Roosevelt never spent enough to bring the economy out of recession until the start of World War II. 5.1 Monetarist Monetarists, including Milton Friedman and current Federal Reserve System chairman Ben Bernanke, argue that the Great Depression was mainly caused by monetary contraction, the consequence of poor policymaking by the American Federal Reserve System and continued crisis in the banking system. In this view, the Federal Reserve, by not acting, allowed the money supply as measured by the M2 to shrink by one-third from 1929-1933, thereby transforming a normal recession into the Great Depression. Friedman argued that the downward turn in the economy, starting with the stock market crash, would have been just another recession. However, the Federal Reserve allowed some large public bank failures particularly that of the New York Bank of the United States which produced panic and widespread runs on local banks, and the Federal Reserve sat idly by while banks collapsed. He claimed that, if the Fed had provided emergency lending to these key banks, or simply bought government bonds on the ope n market to provide liquidity and increase the quantity of money after the key banks fell, all the rest of the banks would not have fallen after the large ones did, and the money supply would not have fallen as far and as fast as it did. With significantly less money to go around, businessmen could not get new loans and could not even get their old loans renewed, forcing many to stop investing. This interpretation blames the Federal Reserve for inaction, especially the New York branch. One reason why the Federal Reserve did not act to limit the decline of the money supply was regulation. At that time, the amount of credit the Federal Reserve could issue was limited by the Federal Reserve Act, which required 40% gold backing of Federal Reserve Notes issued. By the late 1920s, the Federal Reserve had almost hit the limit of allowable credit that could be backed by the gold in its possession. This credit was in the form of Federal Reserve demand notes. A promise of gold is not as good as gold in the hand, particularly when they only had enough gold to cover 40% of the Federal Reserve Notes outstanding. During the bank panics a portion of those demand notes were redeemed for Federal Reserve gold. Since the Federal Reserve had hit its limit on allowable credit, any reduction in gold in its vaults had to be accompanied by a greater reduction in credit. On April 5, 1933, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 6102 making the private ownership of gold certificates, coi ns and bullion illegal, reducing the pressure on Federal Reserve gold. 5.2 New classical approach Recent work from a neoclassical perspective focuses on the decline in productivity that caused the initial decline in output and a prolonged recovery due to policies that affected the labor market. This work, collected by Kehoe and Prescott, decomposes the economic decline into a decline in the labor force, capital stock, and the productivity with which these inputs are used. This study suggests that theories of the Great Depression have to explain an initial severe decline but rapid recovery in productivity, relatively little change in the capital stock, and a prolonged depression in the labor force. This analysis rejects theories that focus on the role of savings and posit a decline in the capital stock. 5.3 Austrian School Another explanation comes from the Austrian School of economics. Theorists of the Austrian School who wrote about the Depression include Austrian economist Friedrich Hayek and American economist Murray Rothbard, who wrote Americas Great Depression (1963). In their view and like the monetarists, the Federal Reserve, which was created in 1913, shoulders much of the blame; but in opposition to the monetarists, they argue that the key cause of the Depression was the expansion of the money supply in the 1920s that led to an unsustainable credit-driven boom. In the Austrian view it was this inflation of the money supply that led to an unsustainable boom in both asset prices (stocks and bonds) and capital goods. By the time the Fed belatedly tightened in 1928, it was far too late and, in the Austrian view, a significant economic contraction was inevitable. According to the Austrians, the artificial interference in the economy was a disaster prior to the Depression, and government efforts to prop up the economy after the crash of 1929 only made things worse. According to Rothbard, government intervention delayed the markets adjustment and made the road to complete recovery more difficult. 5.4 Marxist Marx saw recession and depression as unavoidable under free-market capitalism as there are no restrictions on accumulations of capital other than the market itself. In the Marxist view, capitalism tends to create unbalanced accumulations of wealth, leading to over-accumulations of capital which inevitably lead to a crisis. This especially sharp bust is a regular feature of the boom and bust pattern of what Marxists term chaotic capitalist development. It is a tenet of many Marxists groupings that such crises are inevitable and will be increasingly severe until the contradictions inherent in the mismatch between the mode of production and the development of productive forces reach the final point of failure, at which point, the crisis period encourages intensified class conflict and forces societal change 6. Inequality Two economists of the 1920s, Waddill Catchings and William Trufant Foster, popularized a theory that influenced many policy makers, including Herbert Hoover, Henry A. Wallace, Paul Douglas, and Marriner Eccles. It held the economy produced more than it consumed, because the consumers did not have enough income. Thus the unequal distribution of wealth throughout the 1920s caused the Great Depression. According to this view, the root cause of the Great Depression was a global over-investment in heavy industry capacity compared to wages and earnings from independent businesses, such as farms. The solution was the government must pump money into consumers pockets. That is, it must redistribute purchasing power, maintain the industrial base, but re-inflate prices and wages to force as much of the inflationary increase in purchasing power into consumer spending. The economy was overbuilt, and new factories were not needed. Foster and Catchings recommended federal and state governments start large construction projects, a program followed by Hoover and Roosevelt. 7. Turning point and recovery Various countries around the world started to recover from the Great Depression at different times. In most countries of the world, recovery from the Great Depression began in 1933. In the U.S., recovery began in the spring of 1933. However, the U.S. did not return to 1929 GNP for over a decade and still had an unemployment rate of about 15% in 1940, albeit down from the high of 25% in 1933. There is no consensus among economists regarding the motive force for the U.S. economic expansion that continued through most of the Roosevelt years (and the 1937 recession that interrupted it). The common view among mainstream economists is that Roosevelts New Deal policies either caused or accelerated the recovery, although his policies were never aggressive enough to bring the economy completely out of recession. Some economists have also called attention to the positive effects from expectations of reflation and rising nominal interest rates that Roosevelts words and actions portended. However, opposition from the new Conservative Coalition caused a rollback of the New Deal policies in early 1937, which caused a setback in the recovery. Picture 3: The overall course of the Depression in the United States, as reflected in per-capita GDP (average income per person) shown in constant year 2000 dollars, plus some of the key events of the period. According to Christina Romer, the money supply growth caused by huge international gold inflows was a crucial source of the recovery of the United States economy, and that the economy showed little sign of self-correction. The gold inflows were partly due to devaluation of the U.S. dollar and partly due to deterioration of the political situation in Europe. In their book, A Monetary History of the United States, Milton Friedman and Anna J. Schwartz also attributed the recovery to monetary factors, and contended that it was much slowed by poor management of money by the Federal Reserve System. Current Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke agrees that monetary factors played important roles both in the worldwide economic decline and eventual recovery. Bernanke, also sees a strong role for institutional factors, particularly the rebuilding and restructuring of the financial system, and points out that the Depression needs to be examined in international perspective. Economists Ha rold L. Cole and Lee E. Ohanian, believe that the economy should have returned to normal after four years of depression except for continued depressing influences, and point the finger to the lack of downward flexibility in prices and wages, encouraged by Roosevelt Administration policies such as the National Industrial Recovery Act. 8. Gold standard Economic studies have indicated that just as the downturn was spread worldwide by the rigidities of the Gold Standard, it was suspending gold convertibility (or devaluing the currency in gold terms) that did most to make recovery possible. What policies countries followed after casting off the gold standard, and what results followed varied widely. Every major currency left the gold standard during the Great Depression. Great Britain was the first to do so. Facing speculative attacks on the pound and depleting gold reserves, in September 1931 the Bank of England ceased exchanging pound notes for gold and the pound was floated on foreign exchange markets. Great Britain, Japan, and the Scandinavian countries left the gold standard in 1931. Other countries, such as Italy and the U.S., remained on the gold standard into 1932 or 1933, while a few countries in the so-called gold bloc, led by France and including Poland, Belgium and Switzerland, stayed on the standard until 1935-1936. According to later analysis, the earliness with which a country left the gold standard reliably predicted its economic recovery. For example, Great Britain and Scandinavia, which left the gold standard in 1931, recovered much earlier than France and Belgium, which remained on gold much longer. Countries such as China, which had a silver standard, almost avoided the depression entirely. The connection between leaving the gold standard as a strong predictor of that countrys severity of its depression and the length of time of its recovery has been shown to be consistent for dozens of countries, including developing countries. This partly explains why the experience and length of the depression differed between national economies. 9. World War II and recovery The common view among economic historians is that the Great Depression ended with the advent of World War II. Many economists believe that government spending on the war caused or at least accelerated recovery from the Great Depression. However, some consider that it did not play a very large role in the recovery, although it did help in reducing unemployment. The massive rearmament policies leading up to World War II helped stimulate the economies of Europe in 1937-39. By 1937, unemployment in Britain had fallen to 1.5 million. The mobilization of manpower following the outbreak of war in 1939 finally ended unemployment. Americas entry into the war in 1941 finally eliminated the last effects from the Great Depression and brought the unemployment rate down below 10%. In the U.S., massive war spending doubled economic growth rates, either masking the effects of the Depression or essentially ending the Depression. Businessmen ignored the mounting national debt and heavy new taxes, redoubling their efforts for greater output to take advantage of generous government contracts. Picture 5: A female factory worker in 1942, Fort Worth, Texas. Women entered the workforce as men were drafted into the armed forces. 10. Effects The majority of countries set up relief programs, and most underwent some sort of political upheaval, pushing them to the left or right. In some states, the desperate citizens turned toward nationalist demagogues—the most infamous being Adolf Hitler—setting the stage for World War II in 1939. Canada Harshly affected by both the global economic downturn and the Dust Bowl, Canadian industrial production had fallen to only 58% of the 1929 level by 1932, the second lowest level in the world after the United States, and well behind nations such as Britain, which saw it fall only to 83% of the 1929 level. Total national income fell to 56% of the 1929 level, again worse than any nation apart from the United States. Unemployment reached 27% at the depth of the Depression in 1933. During the 1930s, Canada employed a highly restrictive immigration policy. France The Depression began to affect France around 1931. Frances relatively high degree of self-sufficiency meant the damage was considerably less than in nations like Germany. However, hardship and unemployment were high enough to lead to rioting and the rise of the socialist Popular Front. Germany Germanys Weimar Republic was hit hard by the depression, as American loans to help rebuild the German economy now stopped. Unemployment soared, especially in larger cities, and the political system veered toward extremism. The unemployment rate reached nearly 30% in 1932. Repayment of the war reparations due by Germany were suspended in 1932 following the Lausanne Conference of 1932. By that time, Germany had repaid â…› of the reparations. Hitlers Nazi Party came to power in January 1933. Japan The Great Depression did not strongly affect Japan. The Japanese economy shrank by 8% during 1929-31. However, Japans Finance Minister Takahashi Korekiyo was the first to implement what have come to be identified as Keynesian economic policies: first, by large fiscal stimulus involving deficit spending; and second, by devaluing the currency. Takahashi used the Bank of Japan to sterilize the deficit spending and minimize resulting inflationary pressures. Econometric studies have identified the fiscal stimulus as especially effective. The devaluation of the currency had an immediate effect. Japanese textiles began to displace British textiles in export markets. The deficit spending, however proved to be most profound. The deficit spending went into the purchase of munitions for the armed forces. By 1933, Japan was already out of the depression. By 1934, Takahashi realized that the economy was in danger of overheating, and to avoid inflation, moved to reduce the deficit spending that went towards armaments and munitions. This resulted in a strong and swift negative reaction from nationalists, especially those in the Army, culminating in his assassination in the course of the February 26 Incident. This had a chilling effect on all civilian bureaucrats in the Japanese government. From 1934, the militarys dominance of the government continued to grow. Instead of reducing deficit spending, the government introduced price controls and rationing schemes that reduced, but did not eliminate inflation, which would remain a problem until the end of World War II. The deficit spending had a transformative effect on Japan. Japans industrial production doubled during the 1930s. Further, in 1929 the list of the largest firms in Japan was dominated by light industries, especially textile companies (many of Japans automakers, like Toyota, have their roots in the textile industry). By 1940 light industry had been displaced by heavy industry as the largest firms inside the Japanese economy. Soviet Union Having removed itself from the capitalist world system both by choice and as a result of efforts of the capitalist powers to isolate it, the Great Depression had little effect on the Soviet Union. A Soviet trade agency in New York advertised 6,000 positions and received more than 100,000 applications. Its apparent immunity to the Great Depression seemed to validate the theory of Marxism and contributed to Socialist and Communist agitation in affected nations. United Kingdom The effects on the northern industrial areas of Britain were immediate and devastating, as demand for traditional industrial products collapsed. By the end of 1930 unemployment had more than doubled from 1 million to 2.5 million (20% of the insured workforce), and exports had fallen in value by 50%. In 1933, 30% of Glaswegians were unemployed due to the severe decline in heavy industry. In some towns and cities in the north east, unemployment reached as high as 70% as ship production fell 90%. The National Hunger March of September-October 1932 was the largest of a series of hunger marches in Britain in the 1920s and 1930s. About 200,000 unemployed men were sent to the work camps, which continued in operation until 1939. In the less industrial Midlands and South of England, the effects were short-lived and the later 1930s were a prosperous time. Growth in modern manufacture of electrical goods and a boom in the motor car industry was helped by a growing southern population and an expanding middle class. Agriculture also saw a boom during this period. United States President Herbert Hoover started numerous programs, all of which failed to reverse the downturn. In June 1930 Congress approved the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act which raised tariffs on thousands of imported items. The intent of the Act was to encourage the purchase of American-made products by increasing the cost of imported goods, while raising revenue for the federal government and protecting farmers. However, other nations increased tariffs on American-made goods in retaliation, reducing international trade, and worsening the Depression. In 1931 Hoover urged the major banks in the country to form a consortium known as the National Credit Corporation (NCC). By 1932, unemployment had reached 23.6%, and it peaked in early 1933 at 25%, a drought persisted in the agricultural heartland, businesses and families defaulted on record numbers of loans, and more than 5,000 banks had failed. Hundreds of thousands of Americans found themselves homeless and they began congregating in the numerous Ho overvilles that had begun to appear across the country. In response, President Hoover and Congress approved the Federal Home Loan Bank Act, to spur new home construction, and reduce foreclosures. The final attempt of the Hoover Administration to stimulate the economy was the passage of the Emergency Relief and Construction Act (ERA) which included funds for public works programs such as dams and the creation of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) in 1932. The RFCs initial goal was to provide government-secured loans to financial institutions, railroads and farmers. Quarter by quarter the economy went downhill, as prices, profits and employment fell, leading to the political realignment in 1932 that brought to power Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Shortly after President Roosevelt was inaugurated in 1933, drought and erosion combined to cause the Dust Bowl, shifting hundreds of thousands of displaced persons off their farms in the Midwest. From his inauguration onward, Roosevelt argued that restructuring of the economy would be needed to prevent another depression or avoid prolonging the current one. New Deal programs sought to stimulate demand and provide work and relief for the impoverished through increased government spending and the institution of financial reforms. The Securities Act of 1933 comprehensively regulated the securities industry. This was followed by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 which created the Securities and Exchange Commission. Though amended, key provisions of both Acts are still in force. Early changes by the Roosevelt administration included: Instituting regulations to fight deflationary cut-throat competition through the NRA. Setting minimum prices and wages, labor standards, and competitive conditions in all industries through the NRA. Encouraging unions that would raise wages, to increase the purchasing power of the working class. Cutting farm production to raise prices th

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Case Study Essay -- Business Management Studi

The company Established in Hong Kong in 1963, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is and international hotel investment and management group operating ten hotels in the Asia-Pacific region. The company manages each of these hotels and has significant ownership interests in all but Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco and the Phuket Yacht Club Hotel and Beach Resort, Thailand. Mandarin Oriental’s overall corporate quality goal is to achieve a level of excellence that sets the group apart from all of its competitors in the eyes of customers, investors and staff. In order to achieve this level of excellence it strives for total customer satisfaction in its service delivery, and to consistently be a leader in the industry in terms of profitability and the creation of a rewarding working environment for all of its staff. The Mandarin Oriental Hotel has, from its creation, received recognition for providing a level of products and services of the highest quality. While traditions of consistent quality service delivery are practiced at each of the hotels, the challenge to the Group is to develop an ongoing corporate culture of quality service drawing upon the strengths of each individual hotel. At the beginning of 1993, the company introduced a new Group Mission Statement that has been rolled out to every member of staff through personal presentations by the Managing Director at every hotel and corporate office. This Mission Statement has been published in English, Chinese, Thai and Indonesian, and serves as a model in that it conveys guidelines and criteria that can be used by hoteliers who wish to monitor and evaluate their own leadership and quality improvement efforts. Mission Statement The company Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is a leader in the hotel industry, owning and operation some of the world’s finest de luxe and first class hotels. The mission Their mission is to completely delight and satisfy our guests. They are committed to making a difference every day; continually getting better to keep us the best. The guiding principles Delighting their guests They will strive to understand our client and guest needs by listening to their requirements and responding in a competent, accurate and timely fashion. They will design and deliver our services and products to address their needs. In fact, the MOG a... ...he same as those employed to build their business, they are tied to each other. They are currently developing a Group-wide Guest History network whereby the â€Å"history† of a customer of any one hotel can be accessed by any other hotel so that preferences are immediately responded to even if it is the customer’s first use of a new hotel. When this is in place, a customer of Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong who prefers a particular type of beverage will find it waiting for him upon arrival at The Oriental, Bangkok. They follow up their customers with a personalized written response to every comment card or letter received and recently have begun telephoning customers for follow up. In every case they strive to let the customers know that they appreciate their comments; that their experiences are important to them; that they want to address the specific instance generating the comment; that they want them to be satisfied and, finally, if appropriate, they explain the change that will be made in their processes to assure achievement of better customer satisfaction in the future. (Go, F.M and Pine, R.(1995). Globalization Strategy in the Hotel Industry. Routledge)