Into the Wild Reflection free essay sample

But do we really know the whole story? Do we really know Chris McCandless? (Seidgul) At first glance, you may think of Chris McCandless’s story as a call for death; you may even think of him as a fool, but that’s only on the surface. The public’s response to his story is based on what they’ve heard rather than the facts. The rare few, who look into Chris’s life, discover that he is an example of heroic idealism. This is because he had a dream and he went out and fulfilled it. How many of us have something in the back of our minds, but never go and do it? It’s not easy to chase the dreams in our hearts and in many cases, this may be difficult or even impossible; but not for McCandless. The dictionary’s definition of a hero is a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. We will write a custom essay sample on Into the Wild Reflection or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Chris McCandless fits this definition perfectly. He did not lack in ability to succeed and he had a great amount of courage with anything he tried in life. Chris was extraordinarily talented; he excelled in most areas, letting nothing stand in his way. During Chris’s year and a half adventure around the Western United States he showed all the qualities of a hero. He dropped everything he owned and took away the barriers that society had subconsciously imposed on him, to discover who he really was. A bold and stubborn risk it was, but more importantly Chris took that risk, something many people would never dream of attempting because they can’t predict the outcome. That’s why Chris is a hero, because he did something so many can’t. He set out on an adventure to enjoy what little time he had on this beautiful planet. (Peton) When you want something in life, you just gotta reach out and grab it (Krakauer) I don’t want to know what time it is. I don’t want to know what day it is or where I am. None of that matters. † (Krakauer 7) What Chris was saying is that our life in this world is limited. We are living in this world with a deadline; the more we live, the closer we become to our ending point. We normally try to pretend that this fact isn’t true but at some point in our life we get to believe wha t we were trying to avoid for so long. We are also limited by a place, just like Chris was. He was feeling trapped in an overwhelming society he didn’t even want to be a part of. Chris was trying to go a place which allowed him to ignore the limitation of place and time, a place where he could live in his own imagination and the wild was that place for him. In the documentary Call of the Wild, Alaskan men talk in a bar about Chris and how stupid he was for thinking he could survive. They’re thinking what everyone else in the world was at the time but what they don’t know is that McCandless was a very smart guy. He attended college at Emory and got a degree but all of that wasn’t enough for him. Chris stresses on going into the wild for a purpose, to simplify. Boy Scout rule number one is to be prepared and Chris was. He had everything he needed, food, money and identification indicating that he did intend to come home someday despite what everyone else thinks. As a boy he grew up in a wealthy family and it’s clear he didn’t agree with the lifestyle. He spent his weekends helping the less fortunate out and rejecting his parents gifts because he didn’t need all the material things. For example, his parents offered to buy him a new car but he declined because he had a car that was running perfectly fine. It is evident that McCandless was also trying to get away from his family. After he learned about his father’s past mistakes he no longer respected the man that raised him. In McCandless’s journal he writes, â€Å"He was right in saying that the only certain happiness in life is to live for others. I have lived through much, and now I think I have found what is needed for happiness. A quiet secluded life in the country. † (Krakauer 169) Living in the wild is what made Chris happiest and we can’t dictate what makes others most happy. Jon Krakauer describes Chris in a picture he found, â€Å"His face is horribly emaciated almost skeletal.

5 Superstar Female Sociologists You Should Know

5 Superstar Female Sociologists You Should Know There are many female sociologists who do important work around the world, on topics ranging from the achievement gap, to global consumption patterns, to gender and sexuality. Read on to learn more about 5 superstar female sociologists. Juliet Schor Dr.  Juliet Schor  is arguably the foremost scholar of the sociology of consumption, and a leading public intellectual who was awarded the 2014 American Sociological Associations prize for advancing the public understanding of sociology.  Professor of Sociology at Boston College, she  is the author of five books, and co-author and  editor of numerous others, has  published a multitude  of journal articles, and has been cited several thousand times by other scholars. Her research focuses on consumer culture, particularly the work-spend cycle- our tendency to spend more and more, on things that we don’t need and that won’t necessarily make us happier. The work-spend cycle was the focus of  her  research-rich, popular companion hits  The Overspent American  and  The Overworked American. Recently, her research has focused on  ethical and sustainable approaches to consumption in the context of a failing economy and a  planet on the brink. Her 2011 book  True Wealth: How and Why Millions of Americans Are Creating a Time-Rich, Ecologically-Light, Small-Scale, High-Satisfaction Economy makes the case for shifting out of the work-spend cycle by diversifying our personal income sources, placing more value on our time, being more mindful of the impacts of our consumption, consuming differently, and reinvesting in the social fabric of our communities.  Her current research into collaborative consumption and the new sharing economy is a part of the MacArthur Foundations Connected Learning Initiative. Gilda Ochoa Dr.  Gilda Ochoa  is  Professor of Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies at Pomona College. Her cutting edge approach to teaching and research has her regularly leading teams of college students in community-based research that addresses problems of  systemic racism, particularly those related to education,  and community-driven responses to it  in the greater Los Angeles area. She  is the author of the 2013 hit book,  Academic Profiling: Latinos, Asian Americans and the Achievement Gap. In this book, Ochoa thoroughly examines the root causes of the achievement gap between Latino and Asian American students in California. Through ethnographic research at one Southern California high school and hundreds of interviews with  students, teachers, and parents, Ochoa reveals troubling disparities in opportunity, status, treatment, and assumptions experienced by students. This important work debunks racial and cultural explanations for the achievement gap.   Following its publication, the book  received two important awards: the American Sociological Associations  Oliver Cromwell Cox Book Award for Anti-Racist Scholarship, and the Eduardo Bonilla-Silva Outstanding Book  Award from  the Society for the Study of Social Problems. She is the author of numerous academic journal articles and  two  other  books- Learning from Latino Teachers  and  Becoming Neighbors in a Mexican-American  Community: Power, Conflict, and Solidarity- and co-editor, with her brother Enrique, of Latino Los Angeles: Transformations, Communities, and Activism.  To learn more about Ochoa, you can read her fascinating interview about her book Academic Profiling, her intellectual development, and her research motivations. Lisa Wade Dr. Lisa Wade is a preeminent public sociologist in today’s media landscape. Associate Professor of Sociology at Occidental College, she rose to prominence as co-founder and contributor to the widely read blog Sociological Images. She is a regular contributor to national publications and blogs including  Salon, The Huffington Post, Business Insider, Slate, Politico, The Los Angeles Times, and Jezebel, among others. Wade  is an expert in gender and sexuality whose research and writing now focuses on hookup culture and sexual assault on college campuses, the social significance of the body, and U.S. discourse about genital mutilation. Her research has illuminated the intense sexual objectification that women experience and how this results in unequal treatment, sexual inequality (like the orgasm gap),  violence against women, and the socio-structural problem of gender inequality.  Wade has written or co-written over a dozen academic journal articles, numerous popular essays, and has frequently been a media guest on radio and television. In 2017, her book American Hookup was published, which examines hookup culture on college campuses. With Myra Marx Ferree, she  has co-authored a textbook on the sociology of gender. Jenny Chan Dr. Jenny Chan  is a  groundbreaking researcher whose work, which  focuses on issues of labor and working class identity in iPhone factories in China, sits at the intersection of the sociology of globalization and the sociology of work. By gaining hard-to-come-by access to Foxconn factories, Chan has illuminated many of the things Apple doesnt want you to know about how it makes its beautiful products. She is the author or co-author of numerous journal articles and book chapters, including a heartbreaking and analytically shrewd piece about a Foxconn suicide survivor,  and is writing a book with Pun Ngai and Mark Selden, titled  Dying for an iPhone: Apple, Foxconn, and a New Generation of Chinese Workers. Chan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Social Sciences at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and was previously a Lecturer at the University of Oxford. In 2018, she became the Vice President of Communications for the International Sociological Association’s Research Committee on Labour Movements. She has also played an important role as a scholar-activist, and from  2006 to 2009 was the Chief Coordinator of Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior (SACOM) in Hong Kong, a leading labor watch organization that works to hold corporations accountable for abuses happening in their global supply chains. C.J. Pascoe Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Oregon, Dr. C.J. Pascoe is a leading scholar of gender, sexuality, and adolescence. Her work has been cited by other scholars  over 2100 times and has been widely cited in national news media. She is the author of the  groundbreaking and highly regarded book  Dude, Youre a Fag: Masculinity and Sexuality in High School, winner of the 2008 Outstanding Book Award from the American Educational Research Association. The research featured in the book is a compelling look at how both formal and informal curricula at high schools shape the development of gender and sexuality of students, and how in particular, the idealized form of masculinity boys are expected to perform is premised on the sexual and social control of girls. Pascoe is also a contributor to the book  Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out: Kids Living  and Learning with New Media.   She is an engaged public intellectual and activist for the rights of LGBTQ youth, who has worked with organizations including Beyond Bullying: Shifting the Discourse of LGBTQ Sexuality, Youth in Schools, Born This Way Foundation, SPARK! Girls Summit, TrueChild, and the Gay/Straight Alliance Network. Pascoe is working on a new book titled Just a Teenager in Love: Young People’s Cultures of Love and Romance and is a co-founder and co-editor of the blog Social In(Queery).

This is history...this is history on drugs Essay

This is history...this is history on drugs - Essay Example It is also a contributor to the economy. Historical sites and archeology have attracted tourist and thus pumping cash into the country’s economy. History has boosted scientific growth since it is from the past that advancements are made to better human life. It is from history that a country is able to know is origin and independence. How the country evolved and split into its various states. Nowadays in school, history is an uphill task and most students do not like it. The students have the mentality that the course is very wide and difficult. Loewen records that current history analysis focuses more on the good and pays little attention to the wrong. He quotes President Wilson to whom many students attribute women suffrage. Though this is true, President Wilson led the country to war during Palmers raid. He says more harm took place when Wilson secretly funded the invasion of Russia thus controlling the security of the state. Wilson linked with Japanese invasion to invade Vladivostok and set up an anticommunist government while maintaining the war fronts. Loewen says,’ no one of the twelve American history textbooks in my original sample ever mentioned it.’ He compares American history books to Russian books and concludes that the latter are more descriptive in their approach. In the past, Wilson also wanted to build links and promote boarder security wi th neighboring Latin countries. The idea was noble and favored both countries to grow economically and have a larger security backing. Current books however shy from showing the wrongdoing of Wilson. It was through this that the invasion occurred. American books try to make individuals to seem like heroes. It is through this that most books shy away from documenting the outcome of the 1920 election (Loewen 17). Idolizing individuals led to the development of new terminologies owing to their acts. Christopher Columbus voyages are said to be the cause of

Renewable Wind Power Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Renewable Wind Power - Research Paper Example A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy of wind into mechanical energy. When mechanical energy is put to use directly in some equipment such as grinding stones or a pump, it is called a windmill. Instead, when it is converted to electricity for further use, the device is known as wind turbine or wind generator. Wind turbines are mounted at high elevation so as to receive a constant flow of wind power at higher average velocity. Usually, wind turbines need an average speed of 35 kilometer/hour or 11 meters/second. Wind velocity mapping is done before selecting a place for wind turbine. Higher the wind speeds, more are the chances to get continuous flow of electricity (Whitburn, 2012). As terminology implies, 1- kW rated capacity wind turbine would generate theoretically maximum of 1 kW of power per hour, if continuous flow of wind with the average wind velocity is available at all the time; however, in all practical purposes it does not happen so because wind energy is intermittent. In the long run, wind turbines are found to generate electricity only at 10-40% of their rated capacity. This means that wind turbine with the rated capacity of 1 kW would generate between 2.4 kWh (1Ãâ€" 24Ãâ€" 0.10) and 9.6 kWh of power per day (1Ãâ€"24Ãâ€" 0.40) (Whitburn, 2012). Wind turbines can be segregated on the basis of horizontal- and vertical-axis turbines. Horizontal-axis turbines have tail fins that keep blades facing the wind. A constant flow of wind keeps turning the rotor blades of the turbine, which is connected to the generator through a rotating shaft and gear-wheel assembly. The power so generated is called Direct Current (DC) and needs to be converted to Alternating Current (AC) for its use as all devices for home use are usually designed based on AC current. The conversion from DC to AC is done through a device called inverter. Inverter is connected to a battery bank that is a store house of electricity produced in this way because wind energy is available intermittently while electricity demand is continuous. When no sufficient wind energy is available, electricity production comes to a standstill; however, the need of end users are met through the stored energy in the pool of battery (Whitburn, 2012). The following schematic shows the st eps involved in the production of wind power. Source: http://exploringgreentechnology.com/wind-energy/how-does-wind-energy-work/ How Wind Energy Can Save Money Companies can save a huge amount of money if they use this renewable source of energy. Subsidies that are available at Federal and State levels give extra cushioning; technological advances and scale of operations have changed the scenario in clear terms. Subsidies Available on Wind Energy The production tax credit (PTC) is the subsidy available to the producers of wind power and that, currently, rules at 2cents/kWh (zFacts, 2011). Most of the wind generators have qualified for this and they will receive it for 10 years. Moreover, double declining 5-year depreciation is the second benefit that companies get on investment toward wind power. This allows investor to take a 40% tax deduction on the very first year and 24% deduction on the second year. It is allowed to be completed in five years. The combined federal-sales tax rat e is around 43% and in that sense the depreciation allowance is lucrative enough and in terms of benefits, it accounts for half a cent/kWh (zFacts, 2011). Though wind produces electricity free of operating cost, it requires still huge investment toward the cost of equipment and installation

International trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

International trade - Essay Example in 20 countries of the world, so far the company has not expanded into one of the most important emerging economies in the world in the world, India. Goldman Sachs, in its world famous BRICs report has predicted that within the year 2050 four emerging economies, Brazil, Russia, Indian and China would have a combined GDP more than the combined GDP’s of G6 countries or the biggest present six economies of the world in terms of US Dollar. Income levels would rise in these economies and as a result there would be huge demand for consumer goods including motorcycles.. The Indian economy is predicted to surpass the economies of Italy, France, Germany and Japan by the years 2015, 2020, 2025 and 2035 respectively. The report also points out that the Indian economy shows the potential of accelerating the fastest for the period of next thirty to fifty years. (Dreaming with BRICs: The Path to 2050, 2003). This high rate of growth presents huge opportunities in front of local and multinational companies and this is the right time to invest in India. Moreover India is already one of the most important motorcycles and two-wheeler markets in the world. The domestic two-wheeler market size of Indian in the year 2007 was 7.86 million units which were 4.2 million units in the year 2004 (Automotive Industry, October 2007). India is already the 2nd largest two wheeler producing country in the world and as of 2007 two wheelers constituted around 76.2% of the total automobile market in the country with CAGR of 14.5%. Moreover out of this huge two wheeler market, 83.3% is constituted of motorcycles. All these data signify how important India is or should be for any motorcycles manufacturer of the world. So it is crucial for Triumph motorcycles Ltd. To venture into the Indian market seriously to leverage its present and future growth potential. On the other hand due to the subprime crisis which started in the US followed by the credit crisis, many economies including UK have suffered

Causes And Effects Of Global Financial Crisis Economics Essay

Causes And Effects Of Global Financial Crisis Economics Essay Financial crisis is defined as a situation characterized by severe disruptions in the value of financial institutions assets, their access to funding or their clients trust, to the point of endangering the financial systems sustainability (Argandona 2009). This essay will discuss the various likely causes of Global financial crisis and the preventive measures that the UK government could take to avoid or diminish the threats of another crisis. Global economic crisis of 2008 resulted due to some fundamental and undesirable changes that took place in the efficient use of resources in America (Davis 2009, p. 1). According to Davis (2009), some changes that could be easily perceived were breakdown of information technology and the ever increasing globalization across the world. He has discussed in his article, the consequences of emergence of Post Industrial Society in US which led to an increase in unemployment as the largest employers shifted from manufacturing organizations to service industry which later contributed as a cause of credit crunch. The essay will first place the possible causes that led to the downturn in the financial position of the various economies across the world and finally it will talk about the methods that UK government can adopt to prevent itself from the hazards of next financial crisis. The essay concludes that while some countries were largely affected by the impact of crisis in 2008, there remain few countries that managed to overcome the shock and survived because of their policies and the best possible steps taken by them. The IMF remains bedeviled by philosophical disputes about the scale and scope of its lending and crisis related activities. These disputes distract the institution from its role as a global lender of final resort.(Truman 2006b, p. 532) Truman (2008) says that at the time of unfolding of economic crisis, members of International Monetary Fund failed to provide any kind of assistance to the economies that required a short term need for external liquid resources. According to him, one of the various possible causes was macroeconomic policies of several countries across the world that jointly holds the responsibility to a great extent for the crisis. He further commented that easy monetary policies and fiscal policies of countries like US, Japan and others reduced the savings rate of these countries and distorted the balance of the financial system and led to a soaring of global credit and elevated the price of houses. Collateralized debt obligations are bonds ultimately backed by bundle s of loans such as subprime mortgages.(Davis 2009, p. 103) Financial institutions had a good amount of money in the form of foreign exchange reserves so it started lending money to everyone at a very low interest rate (Truman 2008, p. 23) and also to the people who had no capacity to return it back, that is, subprime mortgages came into picture (Davis 2009). After a certain period, when the supply started exceeding demand, housing prices in US began to drop, mortgage holders found that the price or value of their house was less than what they were owing to the banks and so they started defaulting in high numbers and a rise in foreclosures was observed. Emergence of post industrial society, i.e. a shift from manufacturing to service industry in US led to large unemployment. In an effort to improve productivity, companies started cutting down on labour and ultimately small number of skilled labours were left. So the competition for skilled labour increased. With the materialization of defined contribution pension plan, the incentive to stick to a particular company came to an end. And employees started moving from one company to another. This new plan of pension fund led to the growth of mutual fund industry (Davis 2009, p. 31) which resulted in decline in employee attachment with the company and increased participation by financial institutions through mutual funds. Securitization [altered the traditional pattern of banking by] turning assets into securities traded on markets (Davis 2009, p. 35). This way of banking allows the bank to lend more amount of money. One form of securitization was mortgage backed bonds (Davis 2009, p. 35). Deboer (2008, p. 5) says that any commercial bank must have approximately 10% of the total amount of loan issued by it, in its capital assets. Many financial bodies issued mortgage-backed financial derivatives and eventually when the housing prices started falling, the value of mortgage backed securities declined too which in turn started making them bankrupt. Realizing this, banks started issuing small number and small quantity of loans. This strapped the credit situation tightly and thus housing prices started narrowing further. In Eastern Europe, the major reason behind the crisis was short term borrowings (Aslund 2009) from many European banks in large amounts because of the security and safety offered by so many countries in Europe by setting a fixed exchange rate. This led to inflation of prices because high amount of money was flowing in. Also the countries like Ukraine started importing goods on high scale and thus fell short of balance payment it owed to other countries. Lack of administration and regulation of the financial sector is another cause identified by Truman (2008, p.24). He says that the overleveraging of the financial system took place gradually in an exponential rising manner over several years, where poor supervision of the policymakers and the others responsible praised the incredible growth of the economy in its early years when the signs of inflation were not noteworthy. After a period of time, (Truman 2008, p. 24) when the financial institutions were left with no money and had no capacity to fund any further investment, the formation distorted and deleveraging began. He believes that another possible reason that might have had altered the market structure was the poorly understood risk associated with the innovations in the formation of new policies in the financial institutions. Bergsten (2008) says that countries like UK should adopt an economic expansion programme to avoid or surpass the effect of next possible financial crisis. Such programme would involve an effort to increase the domestic demand and thus causing an expansion of the trade in between countries. It also involves reducing the restrictions of trade on the border and inside the country as well. He says the most positive step the leaders of the G-20 could take would be to pledge to adopt fiscal stimulus programs amounting to at least 1 to 2 percent of most of their national economies. Leaders should try to think something creative rather than blaming each other for the crisis. Bergsten (2008) suggests that UK along with other countries must assure a support of at least $500 billion each to enhance the resources of IMF (International Monetary Fund) so that it will accumulate good amount of wealth and pledge to support UK as well as other countries at the time of crisis. He also suggests that an efficient working group needs to be formed within the countries to analyse and supervise financial regulations closely. Financial stability report from Bank of England (2009) states that banks should have sufficient amount of liquid assets to lessen its dependence on short term borrowings for funding non liquid assets. The Tripartite Committee comprising of the Bank of England, FSA (Financial Services Authority) and the treasury was held responsible for the crisis of 2008 by the staff of politics.co.uk (2009) in a report. They say that the Bank of England should be held accountable for macro-economic supervision instead of FSA and that all the three should know their exact roles and responsibilities. The report also suggests steps like developing policies to suppress fluctuations in financial conditions, assigning British authorities to constantly monitor UK branches of multinational banks so that if any new policy is formed by them which might affect the financial status of the co untry in future can be clogged at the right time, increasing the regulations about the capital assets requirement for the bank so that it properly assesses the loan borrower and grant it to him only if he can afford to pay it back. Bergsten (2008) has put forward the idea of a joint work or supervision of the FSA and the Bank. He feels that it would be effective if FSA concentrates on the conduction of the business and Bank focuses on the systemic issues. Amato (2009) expresses his views saying that assets whose value could not be determined were given triple-A ratings by the rating agencies and thus attracted more investors so UK government must ensure that banks dont over rely on the credit ratings (Bank of England 2009). Amato (2009) says protectionism should be removed so that all the companies across the world can trade easily and freely in other countries without any barriers. Recapitalization scheme has been undertaken by UK banks deliberately to raise capital to provide it w ith ample amount of insurance against future threats of crisis. (Bank of England, 2008) CONCLUSION Looking at the various causes, we can conclude that there were different reasons for crisis in different parts of the world. If a country forms strong policies and takes decisions that would be beneficial in the long run, then it might be able to protect itself from the adverse consequences of financial instability. Amato (2009) says that a country needs to form policies keeping in mind not only the benefit of its domestic market but also of the whole world. All the countries should cooperate at the international level and support IMF by all means. Countries like China, Malaysia and some Islamic countries were least affected by crisis because of their strong policies, good supervision and regulations, ability to predict or identify financial fluctuations in advance and resistance to outside worlds financial imbalance. The world has lot to learn from these countries.

up yours :: essays research papers

Kristine Bartasavich My first day of Childbirth Education class was January 17th. The teacher first started out the class with any questions we had. Question such as if there is any other calcium supplements you could take instead of drinking milk like viactive. She also asked how we were feeling at that point in our pregnancy. A lot of people had the same feeling; they were scared about the labor. After we all talked she should us a video of women giving birth. During the video we saw woman who had their waters broken by a tool that looked like a crochet nettle. Another had an internal monitor were a wire was put onto the babies head to keep a better track of the heart rate. As we watch the teacher passed around the things that were being used in the video.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During my second day of class we learn breathing techniques and the option of anesthesia. We first learn the deep breathing technique that would relaxes us during our contractions. The deep breathing is breathing in through your nose and letting it out slowly through your mouth. When contractions begin and end we are supposed to take a deep cleansing breath witch is like deep breathing but breathing out normally at the end. We also learned high chest breathing where you take a cleaning breath if you have time inhale, then exhale as you say â€Å"Hout†. Are partners also learned how to help relax us by talking to each other and eye contact or by a massage. If the breathing dose not help and are at lest 6cm dilated then you can get Anesthesia witch is inserted into the back with a large nettle. A tube is taped to your back and anesthesia is injected into it through out your labor to num the lower half of you.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For our third class we learned about cesarean birth. This only takes place if the mother or baby are going to be harmed and could die. An incision is made through the wall of the abdomen and the uterus.

Monopoly and Fair Return

Chapter 10 (Tentative Due Date: by November 1) Question 2: Discuss the major barriers to entry into an industry. Explain how each barrier can foster either monopoly or oligopoly. Which barriers, if any, do you feel give rise to monopoly that is socially justifiable? LO1 The major barriers to entry in an industry are economies of scale, legal barriers such as patents & licenses and other strategic or pricing barriers. Economies of scale occur only in large firms who are able to reach a minimum efficiency scale point and operate at that point for a long period.This high TC results in a low ATC and high efficiency. Once a huge firm innovates, it protects that very idea or product through patents disallowing other firms to copy their product. Government licensing could also result in limited entry of firms because they might not provide permission for another firm to enter the market. Another means to reduce competition within an industry is to manipulate price. Monopolists, being a price setter, could slash their price just to make it tougher for their competitor to survive.Other strategic methods could include increased advertisement to a level where the lesser and smaller firms will find impossible to compete against. These barriers of entry can prove to be pertinent for the existence of a pure monopoly. The absence of some of these barriers would lead away to a market structure resembling an oligopoly or perhaps even a monopolistic competitive industry if the number of firms was to be large. And in the case where there are no barriers a purely competitive market would appear.But definitely some barriers are within legal rights. For example a patent protects the product for a number of years and it’s understandable that a monopoly would want to restrict the usage of their research and hard work. Similarly if the price slashes are pushing out competition, they are at the same team encouraging competitors to reduce their costs/price which is great for t he consumers and the market in general. Question 3: How does the demand curve faced by a purely monopolistic seller differ from that confronting a purely competitive firm?Why does it differ? The demand curve of a purely competitive firm is horizontal because it has perfect substitutes and a very large number of firms. The demand curve is perfectly elastic and hence horizontal. On the other a pure monopoly’s demand curve is downward sloping because market demand is not perfectly elastic. The monopolist is the industry and its demand curve is hence the market demand curve. The difference in characteristics such as number of firms, types of product and barriers to entry cause the distinguished demand curve.Question 9: Explain verbally and graphically how price (rate) regulation may improve the performance of monopolies. In your answer distinguish between (a) socially optimal (marginal? cost) pricing and (b) fair? return (average? total? cost) pricing. What is the â€Å"dilemma of regulation†? LO5 Thinking of a firm operating at a point where ATC is still falling. Each small firm would produce a much smaller output at a higher ATC. So efficient and lowest-cost production requires a single seller. This is represented in the graph attached and named Graph 1. The monopoly could charge any price they choose.One option is to charge the socially optimal price where price equals marginal cost. This is the allocatively efficient output level where all marginal benefits exceed marginal cost. An alternative pricing method is the fair return theory where price is equal to ATC. Under this operation the monopoly is able to break even and continue operation. A fair return is equal to normal profit. The â€Å"dilemma of regulation† is caused by these very regulation methods. These regulatory measures which are set to achieve the most efficient allocation of resources in P=MC actually result in the monopoly making a loss.Similarly the problem with the fair re turn price is that it doesn’t completely solve the issue of under-allocation. Question 11, LAST WORD: How was De Beers able to control the world price of diamonds even though it produced only 45 percent of the diamonds? What factors ended its monopoly? What is its new strategy for earning economic profit, rather than just normal profit? Despite producing 45% of the diamonds, De Beers was able to control the world price due to the ability to control its own production levels and high market share.The fact that so many diamond suppliers were coming through and providing alternatives such as synthetic diamonds forced De Beers to invest in advertising and promoting their own diamonds. These were factors simply out of De Beers control. More diamond reserves were being discovered and caused competition. So De Beers was forced to stop its operation as a monopoly and instead as â€Å"the diamond supplier of choice†. Problem 1: Suppose a pure monopolist is faced with the demand schedule shown below. Calculate the missing total? revenue and marginal? revenue amounts.Assuming that MC is $39, determine the profit? maximizing price and profit? maximizing output for this monopolist. Assuming that the ATC is $52. 50, what is the monopolist’s profit? Verify your answer by comparing it to the Total Revenue -Total Cost approach. LO2 Total Revenue from top to bottom, in dollars: 0, 100, 166, 213, 252, 275, 288, 294, 296, 297, 290 Marginal Revenue from top to bottom in dollars: 100, 66, 47, 39, 23, 13, 6, 2, 1, -7 The profit maximizing price is $63 and profit-maximizing output is 4. Monopolist’s profit is TR-TC=252-(4*52. 50)=>252-210=$42

Kea Case study Essay Example

Kea Case study Essay Example Kea Case study Essay Kea Case study Essay Kea Case Study- Marketing issues and future recommendations Subsequent to my study of Keas case, below Is a brief description of the marketing issues that I have observed and my recommendations for future. 1. Kea has this brand image of low cost modern furniture. Though this brand perception is great for value conscious modern families, this perception might not be helping Kea in gaining greater traction with the high income people. Kea has still not been able to come out completely of Its image as a European brand. Infant some of the challenges that It aced Initially while entering American market Is a testimony to that. Initially when It entered American market, the Sales were relatively low because the furniture and Its dimensions were more appropriate for European customers. Later when it started designing and dimensioning furniture and other accessories per American tastes, the Sales shot up. Therefore it is important for Kea to continue to design its furniture and accessories keeping in view local cultures to be able to effectively meet their needs. Secondly Kikes business model is different from traditional furniture places. One Is expected to pick up these large flat modular furniture boxes at the store, drive them home, inbox them and then assemble the pieces. Now this can be psychologically burdensome for a lot of customers who are not good with assembling and with the tools. This could potentially discourage quite a segment of potential customers. Recommendations: Understand the local demographics and culture more closely to be able to more effectively design the marketing campaigns. Low cost sometimes can create this Image of low quality products. And so I would also commend to Kea to Incorporate strict quality control mechanism with Its suppliers to make sure the quality of its products doesnt go down. I would recommend Kea to highlight in its marketing campaigns both -value as well as quality of Kikes products. Secondly, for the people who may get scared at the very thought of picking up the heavy boxes, unfixing them and then assembling them, my recommendation would be to come up with staggered delivery and assembly options for the customers for an additional cost. Also If Kea can replace written assembly Instructions with DVDs, I hint that would be a very smart move which will bring down the furniture returns and thus improve companys bottom line. 2. While offering low cost good quality furniture is one of the strengths of Kea, it can also lead to concerns and a perception of not long lasting products because of the low prices. And while the cost of the products has been going down consistently primarily as a result of Kea bringing more local suppliers on board, It still depends on European suppliers to meet Its International supply chain obligations. As competition with other low cost furniture tillers becomes fierce, Kea may be at a disadvantage if it continues to source material from Europe. Recommendations: I would recommend Kea to target young demographics and highlight its low cost leadership, good quality and modern attributes In Its marketing campaigns to further reinforce and consolidate Its brand postponing for the long and open up more local manufacturing facilities to lower its dependence on European imports to further drive down its prices as the competition with the other local retailers heats up. Keas has been mainly promoting its products via distribution of product dialogues. And they seem to distribute these within surrounding areas of the store. Now, furniture is a high involvement product in my view and people might be willing to travel some distance to buy if they can it at affordable prices with good quality. Secondly, Kikes products seem to cater to value conscious young modern people and to that segment of the population it doesnt seem to market aggressively enough. This segment of the population is definitely more active on social media on the internet and so if Kea is not using the social media platform more effectively in its advertising forts that would be a problem. They also have not signed up any celebrities to be the brand ambassadors of the products which might not be working out for them. Recommendations: I would therefore recommend that the catalogues be distributed among the target segments (students, young modern value conscious families) in areas little farther from the stores as well. They can take advantage of the college/ university campuses and sporting events to distribute those catalogues to promote their brand. I also recommend incorporating social media marketing campaigns as one of the marketing strategies. Kea could also promote their brand more aggressively in print media and especially in the magazines catering to value conscious modern families and students. And finally they could sign up some celebrities to be brand ambassadors of their products. 4. Kea stores are generally located farther from the main business centers or the population hubs. They are also few in numbers. This may be a problem since they are not conveniently located to encourage people to drive by and check out their products. On top if Kea is also not aggressively marketing to get those people to visit the stores that will sure become a robber in gaining incremental market share. I also observed that Kea faced long lines at times in their stores which the customers are not going to like. Recommendations: My recommendations would be for Kea to sign up more franchises to expand the distribution, build more stores in strategic areas complimenting companys overall business model and strategy. Kea could possibly consider tie-ups with other furniture brands/outlets to increase its reach and presence. Kea should continue to innovate, improve their store designs, expand on the payment methods and integrate more technology to improve its store operations.

Applying Marxist Literary Criticism to Of Mice and Men Essay Example

Applying Marxist Literary Criticism to Of Mice and Men Essay Example Applying Marxist Literary Criticism to Of Mice and Men Paper Applying Marxist Literary Criticism to Of Mice and Men Paper Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’ is a microcosm of reality for the working classes during the great economic depression in the U. S. A. Through the use of generic characters which represent the different echelons that existed at the bottom of society during a period of economic instability – Steinbeck’s novel resists dominant ideologies at the time of publication as the bleak portrayal of the lives of itinerant workers could be interpreted as a statement against capitalism. Karl Marx saw political devices such as ‘The American Dream’ as oppressing the proletariat by giving them false hope. This idea of a false consciousness is evident throughout the novel as Steinbeck uses the recurring theme of dreams in ‘Of Mice and Men’ to illustrate the unsatisfying nature of the lives that the ranch members lived. The fact that all the characters have idealistic dreams of a better life highlights their dissatisfaction with their current predicament. Although the use of dreams such as George’s utopia of an easy and simple existence on a farm could be interpreted as positive because they give the characters hope, the reality which Steinbeck makes clear at the end of the novel is that these dreams are unrealistic and the majority of people in society do not fulfil their ambitions. ‘Someday – we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs’ is repeated many times in the novel to highlight how dreams are used to prevent the proletariat from rising against their oppressors as they are manipulated by the promise of a life that is in reality unobtainable for the vast majority. Thus, resisting the dominant ideology that ‘everybody has an opportunity to be successful’. As the two central characters in the novel, George and Lennie epitomise the average itinerant worker in the sense that they are unskilled workers attempting to survive in a harsh economic climate. Itinerant workers are generally considered as being at the base of an economy, so by illustrating their plight Steinbeck is in fact devaluing the superstructure as the novel highlights the tough living conditions they are subjected to in order increment the wealth of the bourgeoisie. Steinbeck uses George’s perspective to further illustrate his perceived mistreatment of lower economic groups in society. ‘Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place†¦ They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to’ is the overpowering message at the end of the novel as all of the characters are subjected to hardship, tragedy and loneliness yet none are presented as facing a better outlook. This theme of loneliness and isolation also supports the Marxist theory of ‘The forces of production’. Whilst most of the characters in the novel are working at an unforgiving labour intensive job they are still at the bottom of the economic hierarchy. Steinbeck constantly reiterates the loneliness of the characters’ lives in order to highlight that although they are a major force of production there is an absence of enjoyment in the lives of the itinerant workers as they are not properly rewarded for their contributions to the economy. Coupled with the temporary nature of their employment, the workers are shown to be dislocated from reality and other people, living lonely existences and spending what little they earn on perverse pleasures such as gambling and prostitutes. This desire for false gratification could be a symbol for the lack of substance in the workers lives, or in other words Steinbeck’s perceived alienation of ranch workers. Karl Marx believed that workers in capitalist states such as the U. S. A where ‘Of Mice and Men’ is set are psychologically estranged from their work as they do not see the fruits of their work, instead they merely repeat one step of a cycle and are paid a fixed wage which is not relative to the profit the product they create gains. This theory is adopted by Steinbeck as the itinerant nature of the ranch workers job is shown to cause a separation from nature, leaving the workers disillusioned. The workers are given one task to fulfil, for example hauling the crop, and then they repeat this step over and over again until they move to another ranch – never seeing the result of their hard work. This industrialisation of the workers is depicted as having a detrimental effect on the workers psychology by Steinbeck and being the causation for their unhappiness. George and Lennie’s dream to ‘live of the fatta the land’ also forces itself into the fervent desires of Candy and Crooks which supports Marx’s belief that humans yearn for a relationship with nature. In this light, George is shown to resist bourgeoisie values which would stipulate that the industrialisation of workers is necessary for a healthy society which would be based on the assumption that profit is the most important motive – not the mental well-being of the workers. Curley’s wife could be seen as a symbol for those crushed by dominant ideologies and bourgeoisie values. Curley’s wife is portrayed as a vain and attention seeking character in life yet after her tragic death she is also a source of sympathy as Steinbeck shows her in a different light. ‘She was pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young’ contrasts with the flirtatious, provocative and callous woman who endangered Lennie and cruelly threatened to have Crook’s hanged. Steinbeck is implying that the flaws in her character were created and compounded by the system she was born into. The fact that she is not named in the novel is an overt statement of how undervalued she is in society and this contrasts with the dominant ideology at time which is that everybody has equal opportunities to become ‘successful’. Instead of attempting to make the best of life within her means, she dreamed of the ‘high life’ advertised by purveyors of bourgeoisie values in order to preserve a capitalistic state. This meant she accepted the harsh reality of her predicament in the belief she would soon escape it.

What is the Calorie Plate Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

What is the Calorie Plate - Research Paper Example In fact, the concept has never been introduced before. It uses state-of-the-art technology which digitally shows the number of calories the calorie plate contains. Calorie Plate has recently just been patented, with the concept coming from a group of students in Brisbane Australia. The emergence of this new product prompted the individuals involved in its intention to create a business unit that would market, sell and distribute the product in various locations within the country, and other major parts of the globe. The company behind Calorie Plate is named C-Med, Inc. Due to the nature of the product and the forecasted demand for its distribution in key sales channels for medical products, C-Med, Inc. will primarily take on a direct-selling approach to the product. This method shall be supported by both above-the-line and below-the-line advertising efforts, with specific emphasis on merchandising and web-based promotional and marketing activities. C-Med, Inc. will handle all aspects of the business – from manufacturing, operations, distribution, and marketing. The management will carry these out through partnerships with third-party suppliers and distributors to ensure that it reaches the right channels and the right market. As primarily a corporate type of business, all incorporators have invested an equal sum to make launch and operate the business. As a support to the current investments, C-Med, Inc. will open shares to other individuals who believe in the marketability of the product. Weight management is both wellness and aesthetic concern. Due to the competitive nature of the society we live in, people are now more conscious of their looks and their health. The first area of concern is one's health. As such, there are countless weight-management program and supplements in the market today. In Australia, there is a need to address the growing concern about the increasing number of people who may be considered obese.

Case study furniture bank Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Case study furniture bank - Term Paper Example Though the company is going to incur expenses which have to be given from the cash in hand or go for bank loans. But furniture bank being a charitable organization will also get some rebate in the interest levied on the loan. Once the furniture banking starts building up on the cash, they will also be in a position to spread an awareness regarding their cause for which they are working in the country. Moreover, a further cash of $127000 can be earned from which the expenses of the truck drivers can be borne. Thus, the truck which gets utilized for five days for 90 hours can give more output. Capital Campaign The problem faced by the charitable institution like furniture banking may be that of many other organizations which non profit making institutions are. Being a charitable institution the land acquired by furniture bank was given for free; which is now being taken away forcefully with the intention of building houses at affordable rates. The institution also wants to move to a pl ace which is easily accessible to their entire volunteers who live in Greater Toronto Area. But getting a property there even at a subsidised rate accounts to $1.5million to 3.5million which is almost beyond the limit of furniture bank. Though the institution is having a favourable cash balance yet the rate proposed is beyond their limits because if they go for a property at exorbitant price then the cash required for rendering services will get reduced hampering the cause which is their main motive behind starting of the organization. So in order to get rid of the relocation problem some steps need to be taken like the create more volunteers for the organization, improving fund raising skills and confidence and train the existing staff for making a strong team towards the achievement of the goals. But until a suitable place to set up the institution is found it would not be advisable to shift from the present location under any circumstances (Kihlstedt, 2010, p. 2). Information Tec hnology The information technology is an essential element to run any business effectively, be it profit making or non profit making organization. To track the caller of the furniture bank a proper information system should be built up so that the company can expand more. The cause of the company though a good one is not yet marketed properly so the number of volunteers is a mere 30 members. For a non profit making organization to grow it is very important to spread the cause near and far. This will require more volunteers than presently existing, so marketing through the information technology will not only spread the cause of furniture bank but also do the needful at an affordable cost. Even the records of the institution related to its policies and procedures will be well maintained unlike now. Answering calls will be much prompt than that of now. Customer relationship will also get enhanced. Though the initial cost will come to around $90000 approximately with a monthly payment of $1500 for system maintenance and direct technical support, yet it is advisable to bear with the