Samsung Ansoff Matrix and Generic Strategies free essay sample

Over the past few years the company has shown tremendous ontogeny. Indeed it is Europes largest low cost carrier and fastest growing airlines. Currently it’s operating more than 1,500 flights every day from over 50 bases and around 1400 low fare routes across 28 countries which connect 165 destinations. Now I am going to discuss Ryan air’s (RA) current strategic position by analysing its macro (external)and micro (internal) environment. Macro Environment Macro environment consist of those major external and uncontrollable factors that influence an organizations decision making, and affect its performance and strategies. Now, i am going to analyse company’s position by using PESTLE and porter’s 5 Forces. Pestle Analysis: This is mainly used to analyse the wider macro environment in which the business operates. The organisation normally have no control over PESTLE factors and at best should try to accommodate and device strategies around these factors or issues. Political factors: The political environment in EU has been stable, enabling Ryan air to expand its routes and activities successfully. We will write a custom essay sample on Samsung Ansoff Matrix and Generic Strategies or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The increase in Air Passenger Duty in UK in 2009, 2010 and 2012 (? 11, 12, 13 ) and the EU Airport Charges applicable from March 2011 have affected the operating costs of Ryan air consequently. The repeated European government owned Air Traffic Control strikes have also caused a huge loss for airline industry as these strikes forced RA to cancel huge number of flights. Ryanair also had to pay compensation to passengers based on EU 261 reforms. Economic factors The interest rates in England is 0. 5% which has a positive affect and will encourage RA to borrow money on low interest rates to expand their business activities. (buying air crafts etc. ) The high unemployment rate in EU and UK has resulted in less people travelling even by low-fare airiness. This has a negative impact on RA as the ratio of domestic flights in Uk has been decreased due to less disposable income. The economic instability in Greece, France, Hungary and Italy has resulted in low demand for air travelling, thats why many airlines are cutting their routes including RA. The social environment It can be explained by different demographic trends. Majority of the people living in UK and EU countries are individualistic and they prefer to travel during their vacations. A substantial increase in leisure travelling, student migration programs within the EU nations has resulted in an increased demand for low-fare airlines especially Ryan air. The free trade concept specially in European union, has made possible for Rain Air to earn some revenue from the business community. Technological factor Internet is the most powerful tool available to travel marketers. RA and its competitors have their internet-based reservation system which helps to increase the number of passengers. RA uses the modern aircrafts with new generation engines, which result in less emissions and less fuel consumption; and allows the company to move on through its cost reduction strategy. Ryanair has introduced online check-in and self services in airports for the passengers which has received a mixed response from the passengers especially people travelling with families. Legal factors The emission constraint set by the European commission and its activeness of monitoring antitrust law and policies, sooner or later will affect the RA strategies; as EU legislation on working time regulation and union recognition, could seriously threaten RA policies and revenues. Due to BAA airport monopoly, Uk Court of Appeal asked BAA to sell Stansted and Glasgow airport (October 2010) to increase competition; which has helped RA in increasing their market share by increasing the traffic at those airports which had declined due to BAAs high cost and mismanagement. Environmental Factors As for the environmental aspect, Ryan air is currently the industry leader in terms of environmental efficiency. As per requirement of Environmental Protection Laws Ryan air operates a single-aircraft-type fleet of Boeing 737-800 â€Å"next generation† with an average age of only 3. 4 years which are aimed at minimizing drag, thereby reducing the rate of fuel burnt and noise levels. The unit emission per passenger has also reduced due to the inherent capacity increase in the Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The new cap-and-trade scheme of EU for CO2 emission control can effect RA cost management based on the allowances to be needed in 2012. Now we are going to analyse industrial environment of RA using porter’s five forces. Porter’s 5 Forces The 5 forces are the environmental forces that impact on the companies ability to compete in the given market. The purpose of 5 forces analysis is to diagnose the principal competitive pressures in a market and assess how strong and important each one is. Threat of new entrants: The threat of new entrants is low. The short haul market is highly competitive as it needs high capital investment, special licenses and flight authorisation. Then the restriction or lack of slot availability makes it even more difficult for new entrants, to assess many airports. Any new entrant should have a differentiation strategy to enter and stay competitive in the market. The low threat of new entrants has provided RA an opportunity to grow and focus on the existing customers. Ryan Air has consolidated its position in the market with a brand differentiation as low-cost airline. The power of buyers: At present, the bargaining power of buyer for RA is medium/high due to the alternative options available and switching to another airline is relatively simple and doesnt imply further cost. Internet has made it easier for the customers to have an access to the latest low fare offers, provided by different airlines and do the comparison among their prices and services as well. Though Ryan Air has 7% growth in volume of passenger in third quarter of 2011 but they are not getting good customer service feedback and customers are not loyal to RA. So, RA should consider its other extra-cost factors like customer service, punctuality etc. to attract the new and retain its existing customers. The power of suppliers: The bargaining power of supplier is high. The suppliers for Ryan Air include aircraft suppliers, airports, fuel suppliers, catering etc. Boeing and Airbus are the only two aircraft suppliers. Ryan Air uses only single type of aircraft Boeing 737-800 and so faces high switching cost related to maintainability. Ryan Air uses regional airports which have low bargaining power as they are heavily dependant on one airline. Bigger airports where RAs competitors operate, have greater bargaining power. RAs policy is to avoid these airports. Price of aviation fuel is directly related to the cost of oil; RA controls this successfully through hedging. So rising fuel prices could not be a threat to RA in future. Threat of Substitutes: Threat of substitutes is very high as there are number of substitutes available to the customers. Induction of high speed trains and cars with low fuel consumption are the biggest competitors of Ryan air; as they have attracted the young generation in EU nations towards land transport which is easier to access and use. In Ryan Air’s case: Depending upon the price/performance ratio, passengers of airline can easily opt for the land travel substitutes like trains, cars or ferries. For e. g. the high speed trains in UK like Euro star are the main competitors as these trains give almost same services in similar budget as that of RA Moreover the stations are nearer the city centre than the regional airports (RA). Hence, there is no brand loyalty for RA. Competitive Rivalry: The low cost airline industry in UK is highly competitive and most of the advantages can be copied easily. There is no much differentiation on services among LCC; thus the main differentiating factor for RA is price. One of the main competitors of RA is Easyjet which like RA offers no-frills, short haul travel in low cost. So far, the direct competition has been avoided by mainly operating from/to different destinations; the moment the competition should become direct, there will be heavy pressure on prices, revenues and profitability consequently. Other competitors are Aer Lingus, Analysis of the internal environment An analysis on Ryan air internal environment needs to be done to assess the extent to which companys strategies are suitable to what is happening in its task environment. Micro environment This environment influences the organization directly. Firm has full control over these factors. For the analysing the micro environment of the RA, I will use SW analysis. SWOT This is an overall evaluation of the companies strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strengths and weaknesses are internal and can be controlled by the organisation while opportunities and threats are external. The objective of SWOT is to identify and convert the threats into opportunities and weaknesses into strengths. Strengths: Ryan air provides no-frills, point-to-point services on short haul routes which allow offering its low fares by cutting down the unnecessary frills like meals, video etc. The source-to-destination service cuts down extra service charges on connecting passengers and baggage transfer resulting in reduction of baggage losses. RA has earned a good repute due to its punctuality and in 2010 the rate of on-time departure was 88%. RAs aircraft maintenance cost is controlled by using single type of aircraft Boeing737-800 with average age of 3. 4 years. However its 374. 6 millions profit (2011), 8056 staff and a fleet of 275 air crafts displays its spectacular strength. Weaknesses: Ryan air has poor public image and had been involved in different controversies regarding customers dissatisfaction through misleading adverts. In different customer satisfaction surveys, Ryan air has been voted among the bottom players. The reasons for this also include unfriendly staff, uncomfortable seats, hidden costs, insufficient safety measures etc. Recently Ryan air has been accused for charging passengers for boarding pass. It has also been criticized for extra luggage allowance and higher credit card fee per passenger. After analysing its strength and weaknesses we can say that government policies in EU, different EU regulations like compensation for travellers for delay or cancellation of flights, CO2 emission regulations etc. ; recent economic crisis in some EU countries is worth mentioning, all these are a constant threat and can have adverse effects on the operating cost of RA. Else security threats needs to be addressed constantly and demand more and more effective steps to be taken, to maintain Ryan air s passengers volume. Moreover, to compete with substitutes like fast speed cars, ferries, trains and coach services throughout UK and Europe is a big challenge for RA as those services are also easy to access and economical for the customers. Fluctuation in currency rates is another issue which can directly affect the revenue earned by RA as it recorded foreign exchange losses of 1. 0 million in the 2010; due to the strengthening of the U. K. pound sterling and U. S. ollar exchange rates against the Euro. It provides four different growth strategies: Market Penetration, Market Development, Product Development, Diversification. Corporate Level Strategy (Ansoffs Matrix) Existing New Products Products Existing Markets Market Penetration The firms growth with existing products in the current market segment. For e. g sales, promotions, seasonal offers, royalty cards etc. Product Development The firms growth by targeting its existing market segment with new product. For e. g. apple introducing new ipad s. New Markets Market Development The firm targets new market with its existing products. For e. g. Tesco going to USA with the same products to capture that market. Diversification The firms growth into new businesses by developing new products for new markets. For e. g. Virgin introducing low fare flights by the name Virgin Australia. After analysing Ryanairs growth in the industry we suggest that Ryanair should use these two strategies: †¢Product Development †¢Diversification 1- Product Development keeping in mind the technological advancement in the airline industry RA should enhance its product development strategy by introducing Satellite phone in its air crafts. This will help in attracting business travellers; once find it beneficial, they will start travelling frequently by RA. . This satellite phone which also includes video conferencing will help the business community to have a continual communication or remain in contact with their businesses. RA can spread the cost by charging the facility from its customers. Strategic Evaluation and selection Product development Suitability Offering of satellite communication will increase market share and will especially help in attracting more business travellers. Acceptability Risk: medium- it may be expensive because of maintenance expense of satellite communication. Return : medium as it might take some time for business community to chose RA, solely for satellite phone. Reaction : mixed kind of reaction can be predictable. Feasibility Money: They have sufficient financial resources to support their product development. Other wise they can raise funds by issuing shares, as well as low interest rate can also help in raising finance. People time: RA can also outsource their new products saving enough time and minimising their operational costs. 2- Differentiation RA can internationalise by using Diversification strategy. It can be done by introducing long- haul flights into a new market. It means new product targeting new market such as India. Long haul flights that can accommodate travellers easily and are facilitated with all the required immigration facilities. RA has chosen Asian market and especially India because Indian airline is the fastest growing passenger market in major economies up to 18% in 2011. The life style of people in India is changing and buying power of the Indian market is increasing . Indians economy is stable and growing. Else India has got so many attractions for the tourists. While entering India, RA should acquire Air Asia to grow and plan for the long term. RA need to launch aggressive market campaign to reach out to new customers and to grow in the new market. Diversification seems to be the best suitable practise in this environment as airline industry has started to decline. Going to long haul in suitable and aligns with its strategy. RA can use its Boeing 737-800 aircrafts which new generation engines, which result in less emissions and less fuel consumption. Acceptability Risk: High as market (Asian) and product (long haul) ; both are new for RA. But this can be minimised by making an alliance with Air Asia which is experienced and dealing with both. Level of Though uncertainity exists but high risk – high return. Return : high. Adopting the new strategy is always a challenge. But it is expected that RAs diversification strategy will result in increased passengers volume and high profit margins; due to acquisition with AirAsia. Reaction : Positive. Customers are expected to be happy as RA will maintain its low fare strategy. It will create new job opportunities in UK and India.

Free Essays on Involuntary Commitment

Involuntary Commitment and the Issue of Patient’s Rights The issue of involuntary commitment and its place in the mental health community has become increasingly controversial. Interestingly, both sides of the debate use an argument based on the violation of rights and the protection of rights in an attempt to prove a point. As with many mental health policies, the rules governing involuntary commitment are flawed. However, involuntary commitment is one of the ways that the mental health arena takes responsibility for the safety of society and the mentally ill individuals. Involuntary commitment should not be abolished because it serves a protective purpose, however the rights of the mentally ill population must always be considered and evaluated before instituting involuntary commitment. In an effort to avoid involuntary commitment, society must increase the amount and availability of less restrictive opportunities for treatment including the availability of medication. The National Mental Health Association discusses the accessibility issue concerning medication in their position statement on involuntary commitment. NMHA states, â€Å"consumers are sometimes forced to take less effective medications due to restrictive formularies and in order to reduce costs. In addition, the lack of parity between physical and mental healthcare coverage often results in higher co-payments for psychiatric medications†(NMHA 2003). This statement crosses over to psychiatric treatment in general. Many people are receiving inadequate treatment or short-term, intensive treatment due to cost cutting by insurance companies. Long-term therapy and treatment are very costly and available only to those who are able to pay privately. This excludes a large portion of the mentally i ll population. The underprivileged and impoverished mentally ill are often excluded from treatment which leads to decompensation and often involuntary commitment. This... Free Essays on Involuntary Commitment Free Essays on Involuntary Commitment Involuntary Commitment and the Issue of Patient’s Rights The issue of involuntary commitment and its place in the mental health community has become increasingly controversial. Interestingly, both sides of the debate use an argument based on the violation of rights and the protection of rights in an attempt to prove a point. As with many mental health policies, the rules governing involuntary commitment are flawed. However, involuntary commitment is one of the ways that the mental health arena takes responsibility for the safety of society and the mentally ill individuals. Involuntary commitment should not be abolished because it serves a protective purpose, however the rights of the mentally ill population must always be considered and evaluated before instituting involuntary commitment. In an effort to avoid involuntary commitment, society must increase the amount and availability of less restrictive opportunities for treatment including the availability of medication. The National Mental Health Association discusses the accessibility issue concerning medication in their position statement on involuntary commitment. NMHA states, â€Å"consumers are sometimes forced to take less effective medications due to restrictive formularies and in order to reduce costs. In addition, the lack of parity between physical and mental healthcare coverage often results in higher co-payments for psychiatric medications†(NMHA 2003). This statement crosses over to psychiatric treatment in general. Many people are receiving inadequate treatment or short-term, intensive treatment due to cost cutting by insurance companies. Long-term therapy and treatment are very costly and available only to those who are able to pay privately. This excludes a large portion of the mentally i ll population. The underprivileged and impoverished mentally ill are often excluded from treatment which leads to decompensation and often involuntary commitment. This...

Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Where Are You Going Where Have You Been - Essay Example She is the complete opposite of Connie’s, which is the prime reason why Connie’s mother nags her and expects her to emulate her sister more. Their mother is a typical maternal figure and is the source of Connie’s distress, who sometimes wished for her mother to die. Whereas, her father was a busy man, who always worked and hardly had time to talk to anyone in the family. 2. How does Connie view her mother, and vice versa?   Connie views her mother as the primary source distress and frustration in her life as her mother always expects her to be more like her sister. They bicker almost all the time and in the story it is often hinted that her mother envies Connie’s youth and beauty both things that Connie’s mother has lost but Connie admires them in the mirror all the time. There is a lot of friction between the two characters and at one point Connie even wishes for her to die. 3. Why is the father's role so minimal in the story? How is this signifi cant?   The story depicts a typical American family, with a mother, father and two children. The father is shown to be the provider and he takes care of all the demands and needs of the family. His role is largely minimal in the story because the author wants to point out the general role of a father in a domestic household, where the man works and the mother manages the household and is responsible for rearing the children. 4. What are the "two sides" of Connie's life? Why is she split this way?   The two sides of Connie’s life represent ‘fantasy’ and ‘reality’. The schism between these two facets of Connie’s life is understandable, as reality depicts what Connie really is and her fantasy include what she wants to be. In reality, Connie is juts a 15 year old and though she is beautiful, she still has a very childlike view of the world and boys in general. She just pretends to act like an adult but when the time came to stand up to Arnold Friend she yelled for her mother, which showed her juvenile insecurity in her nature. The split in the two sides to her life came with the notion that Connie can never fir in to what she imagined herself to be. 5. How does Connie feel about boys? Sex? Is she a typical teen in her fantasies?   Connie for all her immaturity is aware of the beauty that she endowed with. She acts as an adult to convey a powerful sexual image but lacks the power to consistently carry that image due to her juvenility. Her sexual fantasies are largely based on the pop-culture of the society and wishes for a fairy-tale like sexual experience but when she goes with a boy for the first time in an alley, she realizes that life a has lot more to it than just fairytales. However, her immature fantasies are understandable because she is just a 15 year old girl and is just acting her age; hence, Connie is depicted as an archetypal starry-eyed teenager in the story. 6. What is the significance of Arnold's masquer ade? (Car, clothes, boots, glasses...). Why can't Connie see through it at first? At what point does she begin to see through the mask?   There is a story motif attached to Arnold’s character in the story with his Gold convertible, expensive clothes and shades. He represents ‘desire’ for every teenager, because young people at some point or another all dream about more money and power. He even exudes certain amount sexuality that draws Connie towards him; which signifies the materialistic approach that every teenage girl or boy has at this age. However, she soon realizes that when he starts to threaten that he would harm her family that is when she realizes the scary face behind the

Are we really running out of oil Research Paper

Are we really running out of oil - Research Paper Example The OECD is made up of about 28 countries as of 2010, including countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Korea, Japan, Canada, Germany, France, and Australia. The European Commission also â€Å"participates† in the work of the IEA as written or reflected in the IEA documents. From the perspective of the IEA, the summary situation is that â€Å"global production will peak one day, but that peak will be determined by factors affecting both supply and demand† (IEA, World Energy Outlook 2010 Executive Summary, 6). IEA data and forecasts indicate that oil demand (excludes demand for biofuels as opposed to fossil fuels), will continue to grow steadily to reach 99 million barrels per day (mb/d) by 2035 or 15 mb/d higher from 2009. In the IEA estimate, all of the net growth will come from non-member of the OECD, about half from China alone. The rise in demand from non-OECD member countries will be mainly driven by demand for transport fuels (IEA, World Energy Outloo k 2010 Executive Summary, 6). Given the estimated rise in demand to 99 million barrels per day by 2035, global oil production will only reach 96 million barrels per day (mb/day), 3 mb/d of which will come from gains in processing efficiency (IEA, World Energy Outlook 2010 Executive Summary, 6). ... ation of Petroleum Exporting (OPEC) countries to rise continuously up to 2035 under the â€Å"New Policies Scenario† (IEA, World Energy Outlook 2010 Executive Summary, 6). The increasing production from OPEC will boost OPEC’s share in total world oil production by about one-half (IEA, World Energy Outlook 2010 Executive Summary, 6). Iraq will account for the largest share in the increase of OPEC oil output, â€Å"commensurate with its large resource base† (IEA, World Energy Outlook 2010 Executive Summary, 6). The statements from the IEA suggest that the immediate decreases in output in oil production will be coming from the non-OPEC countries rather than from the OPEC countries. In clarifying what it means by â€Å"global production will peak one day, but that peak will be determined by factors affecting both supply and demand,† the IEA clarified that in the â€Å"New Policies† scenario, total world production does not peak before 2035 (although it will be â€Å"close to doing so†). However, according to the IEA, production can peak at 86 mb/d just before 2020 because of weaker demand that falls briskly thereafter because of lower prices (World Energy Outlook 2010 Executive Summary, 6). The scenario of a weak demand can come about because of environmental concerns related to global warming. In summary, the IEA said that â€Å"if governments act more vigorously than currently planned to encourage more efficient use of oil and development of alternatives, then demand for oil might begin to ease soon and, as a result, we might see a fairly early peak in oil production† (World Energy Outlook 2010 Executive Summary, 6). The IEA strongly emphasized that the early peak in this scenario will not be caused by resource constraints but by dwindling demand and price realignments

My role as an Officer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My role as an Officer - Essay Example I also have been trained to specialize in operating maritime vehicles; this is not something that every Warrant Officer will be responsible for, however each will specialize in some field such as with aircraft, special units and equipment, organized tasks and other events. I have been trained to specialize in maritime vehicles because so many other roles within the Army are not so focused; Army personnel are generally trained in a little of every aspect of the entire organization and it is my job and the job of other Warrant Officers to take the lead on tasks that require a deeper knowledge base. Another important part of my job is to function as a teacher for other Army personnel. I possess the skills to train a variety of personnel in general studies as well as to help recruits who have been chosen to specialize get their studies underway. It is up to me to share my own knowledge of how the Army is organized and how each person fulfills a role within that framework so that every new recruit understands their function and what they are responsible for within the larger unit. As a Junior Warrant Officer, I was involved more in the day-to-day tasks of my unit; dealing with machinery and exercises.

Should Race Be Used as a Form of Identity?

Should Race Be Used as a Form of Identity? Identity is based on being the same as some people and different  from others. The difference is usually equally weighted discuss with  reference to the category of race. Identity is one of the most heavily debated factors of modern social life. This is represented in the corpus of sociological research, by the importance placed upon its influence in the different ways in which individuals and societies conceptualise themselves and others. Identity, first and foremost, is based upon the notion of being the same as some people (to identify with some people), and to be different from others. This can and often is interpreted as identity having both a positive and a negative aspect, positive in identifying with a social group, and negative in being different (or opposing) another. This may not necessarily be the case however. In this paper I will investigate the use of race as an identity, as this has traditionally presented us with both the positive and negative model of identity, and in more recent times, a more positive model in both identity and difference. Identity, in its most basic sense, is formed from being ‘other’ than another particular person or group. This basic difference comes in many forms, from gender, to class, nationality, sexual orientation and race or ethnicity. Whilst these are the some of the more major identity groups, there are countless other ways in which people identify with each other, from a lifestyle guided by a certain musical taste to a radical political identification. Identity therefore remains a very important way in which people understand themselves and the world. Any one person will belong to a number of different identity groups however. A person might, for example, be a British national with an Asian ethnicity, and belong to a particular political group and economic class. Whether or not one particular facet of a person’s identity is more important than the others, is a matter that is fiercely debated. For some theorists such as Miller (1997:11), ‘nations are ethical communities. They are contour lines in the ethical landscape. The duties we owe to our fellow-nationals are different from, and more extensive than, the duties we owe to human beings as such’. Miller and others argue that nationality is the most important way in which people identify themselves, and as such it renders their responsibilities to co-nationals much greater than to others. Whilst Perry (2001:103-108) argues that gender is the most important identity group, and that feminism is in danger of being watered-down and destroyed by theories that place too much emphasis on the multi-faceted nature of an individual’s identity. For, she argues (2001:107), ‘Women of all ethnicities, sexual preferences, and even classes, will be disadvantaged by proposed changes in welfare regulation, means-tested custody, and the rolling back of abortion rights and affirmative action guidelines’. Marxi st theorists argue however that class is the most important factor in social identity, for the economic class you belong to will determine whether or not you have political control over you and your society’s future. Hence Marx’s (2001:8) famous opening line to his Communist Manifesto, ‘The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles’. For the purposes of this paper however, I am going to focus on the influence that race plays in identity formation, and its relationship with the other facets of identity. Race has long been debated in sociological circles, but precisely what race is or even whether it exists to any significant level has been placed in doubt by a number of theorists. Todorov (1999:64-70) argues that for a theory of races (or racialism) to exist, it needs to have five different presuppositions. Firstly the racialist must suppose that there are different races of people at all. Scientifically such a position is untenable, but, as Todorov argues, whether or not the man in the street thinks this way does not depend upon science. Secondly the racialist must suppose that people are not only racially separated by appearances, but that there are lines of division amongst cultures too, which are intimately linked with racial appearances. The third supposition is that the behaviour of an individual is profound ly affected by their race. Fourthly there is a hierarchy of values between differing races, and lastly that some political order should be in place to reflect all the previously mentioned factors. For Todorov racialist doctrine has not gone away but has merely changed its form, from discourses based on race to those of culturalism and nationalism. For Todorov then there are many different presuppositions that have to be in place before race itself as a significant identity can be considered. But, as he himself notes, there is an ideological form of racialism which is pure and simply racist and does not rely upon theoretical grounding or offer any form of justification. This is racist behaviour and attitude is the most common one in society, and this behaviour can only create and galvanise race or ethnic identity. This can take occur in both a positive and negative fashion, in that one group might define itself in a positive nature when under pressure from another, or one group might violently negate another and try to eradicate it. In such circumstances, the significance that race or ethnicity plays in identity is accentuated and becomes more important than other factors. Indeed, according to Assad (1993), minorities in modern states are faced with two stark choices; they can submit to complete assimilation or be despised as d ifferent. In such circumstances, the identity under threat comes to the fore of the life of the person in question. To submit to the majority is to lose your identity, but to keep it is to face hostility and conflict. Of course, the situation that Assad presents us with is somewhat extreme. But whereas in most circumstances the differences among people might be treated with equal weight, within the boundaries of a nation state trying to forge a unifying identity, racial and ethnic identity does become more important. Britain, for example, present us with a multicultural society that incorporates a whole range of people from different ethnic, religious and economic backgrounds. But this does not mean that racial discrimination and intimidation does not occur. As Solomos (2003) argues, the long history of racial discrimination in Britain has led to political activists in all the main political parties, whose aim and purpose is to fight for the rights of ethnic minorities. Such developments galvanise people around their ethnicity and form new identities with which people differentiate themselves against others. The Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies in the 1980s were interested in precisely this: A major concern of the group was the need to analyse the complex processes by which race is constructed as a social and political relation. They emphasised that the concept of race is not simply confined to a process of regulation operated by the state but that the meaning of race as a social construction is contested and fought over. In this sense they viewed race as an open political construction where the meaning of terms such as black are struggled over. Collective identities spoken through race, community and locality are, for all their spontaneity, powerful means to coordinate action and create solidarity (Solomos 2003:28). Race can therefore be theorised not as a natural category or regulation of the state, but as a political construction where identity can be formed in order to fight for social justice. This political use of race argues that racial divisions in society are a cause of major differences in quality of life, and therefore racial identity is of much more importance than other factors. Such division can however cause greater resentment amongst different social groups and put more emphasis on difference than on similarity. While positive discrimination by the dominant social group, in an attempt to redress the power balance between different segments of society, can often enflame racial tension. As Solomos (2003:192) argues, anti-racists are often depicted as doing more harm to race relations than extreme rightwing fanatics. This is because they highlight racial differences and polarise people between different racial identities. It could be argued however that anti-racists do not create rac ial tension, but merely highlight tension that is already there. In any case, the importance that race plays in everyday social life is clearly evident. Anwar (1998:99-100), for example, claims that racial discrimination against Asian people has been on the rise in recent years in Britain, and that in 1994 alone there were 170,000 instances of racially motivated crimes and threats, whilst an estimated 74 people have been killed by racist attacks between 1970 and 1989. Racial identity can motivate people not only to dislike and slander each other, but even to reach the extremes of violence and murder. With this in mind race is quite obviously, although without any ultimate justification, the deciding factor in a person’s identity in many social situations, overriding other factors such as gender, political affiliations or, very often, religion. Scott (2002) renders this assumption problematic however by researching the roots of racism from a Marxist perspective. Whilst race and racism clearly do have an important impact in social identity, this is for Scott a modern phenomenon with historically traceable roots. Scott argues that modern racism is intimately related with that of capitalism, and that whilst racism has always figured in societies in different forms, it is only with capitalism that it becomes a constant factor. Early slavery in the New World, for example, was largely made up from white slaves from England before the large influx from the West Indies and Africa. The English ruling classes had no qualms about exploiting the white working classes, but in the end the demand for labour at home rendered the practice of shipping white slaves over to the Americas as inefficient. Using Blackburn’s analysis of racism and capitalism, Scott (2002:167) argues that racism is linked to capitalist growth, national identi ty and the individualising of the populace. Its development was associated with several of those processes which have been held to define modernity: the growth of instrumental rationality, the rise of national sentiment and the nation-state, racialized perceptions of identity, the spread of market relations and wage labor, the development of administrative bureaucracies and modern tax systems, the growing sophistication of commerce and communication, the birth of consumer societies, the publication of newspapers and the beginnings of press advertising, â€Å"action at a distance† and an individualist sensibility (Blackburn in Scott (2002:167). A further Marxist analysis might consider the influence that alienated labour has on divisive notions of race (see Manson 2000:20). For Marx, man becomes alienated from his labour in a capitalist society, because he no longer has any control over the products of his labour. He therefore becomes reduced to an atomistic cog in a productive machine, alienated from his work and society. Pseudo-identities can then be formed and people coerced into assuming them to fill in the lack of meaning left by his lack of control over his social production. Furthermore, the crux of Marxist theory rests upon the notion that the ‘class which has the means of material production at its disposal, has control at the same time over the means of mental production, so that, generally speaking, the ideas of those who lack the means of mental production are subject to it’(Marx and Engels 1970:64). This means that it is the ruling economic class, which are the people who control the means of produ ction, that disseminate ideas and values throughout the rest of society. Notions of race are therefore inherently linked with the prevailing ideas of capitalist production and the values and ideas that this produces. Whilst the Marxist analysis does not refute the existence of racism, nor can it deny its powerful and destructive effects, it does suggest that the existence of racial discourse is the product of an underlying one, that of the capitalist economy. Whether this is correct or not, it does at least render problematic the notion that race is a distinct and unique form of identity. This also calls into question whether or not race really is more important than other forms of identity, or whether its existence is part of an underlying form of identity production.

Christianity in Crime and Punishment Essay -- essays papers

Christianity in Crime and Punishment While reading Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky, the notion that it is a novel about Christianity seems absurd at first. Its central story focuses on revenge, murder and punishment – ideals contrary to Christian beliefs. Although the book may appear to be non-Christian, there were many instances where faith, suffering and redemption were present. These occasions show that the underlying theme of Crime and Punishment is one of Christianity. The references to icons, Lazarus, New Jerusalem and the constant presence of suffering prove that the novel has biblical connotation. In the beginning of the novel, when Raskolnikov goes to the pawnbroker to pawn his father’s watch, Dostoevsky describes Alyona’s apartment. â€Å"The furniture, all very old an of yellow wood, consisted of a sofa†¦ In the corner a light was burning before a small icon.† Even from the very first chapter, Dostoevsky made a reference to a Christian image. An ‘icon’ is a picture or representation of a saint or other Christian figures. I believe that the author did this to make it evident right from the start that Crime and Punishment is irrevocably a novel about God. An icon reappears every now and then in the rest of the book to reiterate that God will always be around, watching and guiding over everyone. Also near the beginning of the story, the man Raskolnikov met at the bar, Marmeledov, declared the first primary Christian message in the novel. Ironic as it was, being that he was drunk, he cried out, â€Å"Crucify me oh judge†¦ He is the One... He will forgive my Sonya.† The idea that God could forgive is a very strong belief throughout the novel and this concept is one that is vital to the transformation of ... ...tly, she knows that he loves her and that they will have a future together. â€Å"†¦ The dawn of a new future, a perfect resurrection into a new life...† The Lazarus image recurs. Love has raised them from the dead. This love is the love of God that has shown through their suffering. By loving Sonya, I believe Raskolnikov is ready to love God. The seven years that remain on his sentence have a religious significance too, for seven is the number of creation, as well. In closure, the Christian content in Crime and Punishment is definitely evident and teaches many morals to the reader. The story has a message of faith and enlightens those who do not have any. In reading this novel, I came to realize that â€Å"you must accept suffering and redeem yourself by it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  For if you do not, then you will being like Raskolnikov and suffer the punishments for dong the crime. Christianity in Crime and Punishment Essay -- essays papers Christianity in Crime and Punishment While reading Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky, the notion that it is a novel about Christianity seems absurd at first. Its central story focuses on revenge, murder and punishment – ideals contrary to Christian beliefs. Although the book may appear to be non-Christian, there were many instances where faith, suffering and redemption were present. These occasions show that the underlying theme of Crime and Punishment is one of Christianity. The references to icons, Lazarus, New Jerusalem and the constant presence of suffering prove that the novel has biblical connotation. In the beginning of the novel, when Raskolnikov goes to the pawnbroker to pawn his father’s watch, Dostoevsky describes Alyona’s apartment. â€Å"The furniture, all very old an of yellow wood, consisted of a sofa†¦ In the corner a light was burning before a small icon.† Even from the very first chapter, Dostoevsky made a reference to a Christian image. An ‘icon’ is a picture or representation of a saint or other Christian figures. I believe that the author did this to make it evident right from the start that Crime and Punishment is irrevocably a novel about God. An icon reappears every now and then in the rest of the book to reiterate that God will always be around, watching and guiding over everyone. Also near the beginning of the story, the man Raskolnikov met at the bar, Marmeledov, declared the first primary Christian message in the novel. Ironic as it was, being that he was drunk, he cried out, â€Å"Crucify me oh judge†¦ He is the One... He will forgive my Sonya.† The idea that God could forgive is a very strong belief throughout the novel and this concept is one that is vital to the transformation of ... ...tly, she knows that he loves her and that they will have a future together. â€Å"†¦ The dawn of a new future, a perfect resurrection into a new life...† The Lazarus image recurs. Love has raised them from the dead. This love is the love of God that has shown through their suffering. By loving Sonya, I believe Raskolnikov is ready to love God. The seven years that remain on his sentence have a religious significance too, for seven is the number of creation, as well. In closure, the Christian content in Crime and Punishment is definitely evident and teaches many morals to the reader. The story has a message of faith and enlightens those who do not have any. In reading this novel, I came to realize that â€Å"you must accept suffering and redeem yourself by it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  For if you do not, then you will being like Raskolnikov and suffer the punishments for dong the crime.

Orlando Garcia, Jr. vs. Ranida and Ramon Salvador Essay

Orlando Garcia, Jr. (Community Diagnostics Center) vs. Ranida and Ramon Salvador G.R. No. 168512 March 20, 2007 FACTS: Respondent Ranida Salvador underwent a medical examination at the Community Diagnostics Center (CDC) as a prerequisite for regular employment. Garcia, a medical technologist, conducted the HBs Ag (Hepatitis B Surface Antigen) test. On October 22, 1993, CDC issued the test result indicating that Ranida was â€Å"HBs Ag: Reactive.† The result bore the name and signature of Garcia as examiner and the rubber stamp signature of Dr. Castro as pathologist. When Ranida submitted the test result to Dr. Sto. Domingo, the Company physician, the latter apprised her that the findings indicated that she is suffering from Hepatitis B, a liver disease. Thus, based on the medical report submitted by Sto. Domingo, the Company terminated Ranida’s employment for failing the physical examination. It was later determined that there was an error in the previous examination and that the respondent was not suffering from Hepatitis B. Respondent was rehired by the company. ISSUE: Whether Garcia (CDC) is liable for damages to the respondents for issuing an incorrect HBsAG test result. HELD: The Court held that CDC was negligent because there was no licensed physician in CDC as required by law. CDC is not administered, directed and supervised by a licensed physician as required by law, but by Ma. Ruby C. Calderon, a licensed Medical Technologist. In the License to Open and Operate a Clinical Laboratory for the years 1993 and 1996 issued by Dr. Juan R. Naà ±agas, M.D., Undersecretary for Health Facilities, Standards and Regulation, defendant-appellee Castro was named as the head of CDC. However, defendant pathologist is not the owner of the Community Diagnostic Center nor an employee of the same nor the employer of its employees. Defendant pathologist comes to the Community Diagnostic Center when and where a problem is referred to him. Castro’s infrequent visit to the clinical laboratory barely qualifies as an effective administrative supervision and control over the activities in the laboratory. â€Å"Supervision and control† means the authority to act directly whenever a specific function is entrusted by law or regulation to a subordinate; direct the performance of duty; restrain the commission of acts; review, approve, revise or modify  acts and decisions of subordinate officials or units. Moreover, Garcia conducted the HBsAG test of respondent Ranida without the supervision of defendant-appellee Castro. Lastly, the disputed HBsAG test result was released to respondent Ranida without the authorization of defendant-appellee Castro.

The Gold-Legged Frog by Khamsing Srinwark Essay Example

The Gold The Gold-Legged Frog by Khamsing Srinwark Essay The Gold-Legged Frog by Khamsing Srinwark Essay Essay Topic: Literature The character of Nak is born into a life of hardship and there are many things that make his life seem anything but lucky. The environment of the country that Nak lives in and depends on is difficult and hostile. Early morning it is freezing cold the morning cold had pierced his bones but by mid day the sun is so hot it is hard just to work outside the sun blazed, he knew it meant giddiness and sunstroke, Nak relies on the land and so the harsh climate does not make it easy. Nak as a rice farmer relies on the earth and his crops but his environment makes this another hardship, the land is stricken with drought, want, disaster and death the fields are completely starved of water cracks of the parched earth this must make it extremely difficult to bring in enough food to feed his family which relies on him. We are shown Naks frustration at this angry at the weather capable of such endless torture Naks poverty makes his living conditions also harsh, the food they eat frogs with morning rice is very basic and must be monotonous and boring. But there is no money for Nak to spend on food, youre poor so they rely on what can be found around his home land snail or razor clam he would take these as well this diet must not be very healthy. The lack of modern medicine available to Nak must make his life seem very unlucky. He has to rely on faith healers and herbalists without antibiotics, vaccinations or any other the treatments for illness we would take for granted. Naks treatment from the deputy district officer, the authority, is disrespectful, snobbish and rude, the deputy district officer raised his fat face to stare at him for a moment then when spoke to he is insulted Idiot him and the others waiting to see the deputy are made to wait an hour outside like unworthy subjects. This behaviour from the government Nak must feel is a last hope for him and his family must be extremely de-motivating and must make Nak feel himself like he is born to suffer, youre at the end of your tether and you turn to the authorities only to be put down The final straw for Nak is having to leave is son in a state where he could die any moment, we see the sons good relation ship with his father, Pa, heres another one. Pa and when the snake bit Naks sons hand he carried his child this shows how much Nak loved his son. Nak is then faced with an awful decision to make, to stay with his dieing son and face jail if you dont go, you simply go to jail or leave his son, who could die at any moment. For Nak to make this decision is cruel and extremely unlucky, the timing of the government offering the money for families with five or more children and his son suffering a snake bite can only be seen as anything but lucky. Nak makes the harsh decision to leave his son in a critical condition to receive the money, which itself was very difficult, cant you see my boys gasping out his life? How can I go? He cried this shows Naks desperation and anger at the events. When Nak returns he finds his son dead. one more day and youd be out of two hundred baht although we do not find out Naks reaction to this, we know how much Nak cares for his son, and the final death of his son was surely heartbreaking. In conclusion, there are so many things which make Naks life anything but lucky; the environment he lives in, his poverty, hardship, treatment, living conditions, and most importantly the death of his son. All these reasons could easy make you believe the view that Nak was born to suffer.

Kenyon Commencement Speech Essay Essays

Kenyon Commencement Speech Essay Essays Kenyon Commencement Speech Essay Paper Kenyon Commencement Speech Essay Paper One of the best beginning addresss that were given was by David Foster Wallace. Many may state that he was a superb adult male. which he genuinely was. In his address you can state he gave a life lesson to his graduating category and the people among them. He gave his position of what â€Å"freedom† truly is. Freedom is to be able to care of others alternatively of merely yourself. to be able to be free from your ain head. to be able to alter your default scene. You can be in control of your bosom and your head ; be their maestro and be able to command them your wants and demands. Always try to believe long and difficult about your life determinations and everything that defines who you are. Peoples can hold or differ with Wallace’s point of position on freedom because freedom is so large and it has different significances for everyone. To truly hold freedom and to be able to populate the manner that you truly want to. is truly all up to you. You need to do your life de terminations for yourself and maintain your fingers crossed that you truly hold yourself figured out and you’re perfectly certain you know what you’re making and where your determinations will take you. Your head and your bosom are merely under your control and they will make as you say. Now we all know that the head and the bosom don’t ever acquire along. one can desire one thing and the other one can oppugn that. It’s alright to be confused. but to be able to state yourself to maintain composure and grok what is traveling on with yourself and what is around you will merely fulfill you. Wallace provinces. â€Å"This I submit. is the existent freedom of existent instruction. of larning how to be well-balanced. You get to consciously make up ones mind what has significance and what doesn’t. You get to make up ones mind what to worship† ( 207 ) . This statement that he made is nil but true. You should be able to believe for yourself and respond the manner that you feel. Never make a determination based on the determinations of your parents. co-workers. friends. because you can hold your ain ethical motives and beliefs. and that’s what makes you. you. To hold freedom is to be your ain individual. believe logically. and know the right manner to respond in life. â€Å"It’s the automatic manner that I experience the drilling. frustrating. crowded parts of grownup life when I’m runing the automatic. unconscious belief that I am the centre of the universe. and that my immediate demands and feeling are what should find the universes priorities† ( 206 ) . says Wallace. In everyone’s caput. the universe is all about us and we are the centre of attending. Most of the clip we neer think about the people among us and their feeling or state of affairs. It’s easier for us to believe about our demands and the state of affairs that we are in that 2nd. Wallace besides says how sometimes we need to step out of our ain places and seek to look at the state of affairs from person else’s point of position. Which merely sound superb because every bit much as being â€Å"selfish† is in our nature. there might be people in worse state of affairss than us. It’s ever easy for us to kick about our jobs. which some people may truly hold. and others may overstate over a interruption up and believe that’s the terminal of the universe. Before making or stating something you will repent you need to take others in consideration. You can take full control over your head and alternatively of responding the manner that you automatically would. you could take to do the right determination and understand that non everything is ever about you. You have the power to command yourself if you truly want to. No 1 truly likes to be commanded to make anything. In fact. many of us intentionally do the antonym of what we are told to make because we want to be â€Å"rebels† or because we want to turn out our ain point. One thing that is ever hard for us to travel against is our ain head. It takes dedication and strength to hold the bravery to contend against your head. and to be able to alter your default scene. Like it was mentioned before. our default scene is chiefly to be selfish and think that it’s all about us. â€Å"Think of the old cliche about the head being an first-class retainer but a awful master† ( 202 ) . says Wallace. If you truly look deep into this cliche . you truly get down to recognize how much sense it truly makes. How astonishing would it be if you were ever the maestro of your head and it ever did merely as you said. Never would you have to hold a default scene of your ain. you would be in the scene that you pleased to be in. Most of us suffer in our ain ideas and allow our heads take over our whole organic structure. To be able to put yourself free. you need to larn to put yourself free from your ain head. You need to be the maestro of your head alternatively of being its waiter. In decisions. you can state that Wallace was seeking to learn his fellow graduating category to larn non to takes things for granted. Freedom is fundamentally all about being able to be well-balanced. Bing able to care for others. set yourself in their places and seek to do bad state of affairss look better. Our default scene is all about ourselves ; how we feel. how we look. what we think. what we want. etc. To be able to alter that default scene and be able to believe of others merely every bit much as believing about yourself would reasonably much give you the feeling of being free. To hold the power to command your head alternatively of being under its control. As we all know. it’s ever hard to acquire your bosom and head to acquire along and hold. Well. if you genuinely wanted. you can do them acquire along. Everyone has their ain ideas about this topic. This beginning address that Wallace gave about â€Å"freedom† was one of his brilliant authorship. His address genuinely shows how he feels about freedom. and of class he cared plenty to inform others about it before they all started a life outside of school.

ECO..Profits and morality Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ECO..Profits and morality - Assignment Example This is because there will no longer be a motivation to keep doing paying or else the electric supply will be cut off. However, in this case of freedom to decision-making involving consumption has led to a negative outcome reducing the wellbeing of the capitalistic electric company that is there for profit. Another example mentioned involves Ford Pinto model of car and is a quite well-documented incident regarding the defective rear engines of the car that could catch fire following collisions (Sidewinder77, 2007b). If people were given the freedom to decide about the production and buying variables of the car, most individuals would not be willing to pay a higher price for a safer car. This decision would ultimately increase the risk of being susceptible to death by a faulty car because people, if given the freedom to decide, would not always choose rationally thereby reducing overall wellbeing of the

Personal Development Plan for the Next Five Years Essay

Personal Development Plan for the Next Five Years - Essay Example ement) For my personal analysis, I used the Myers-Brigg personal indicator and the VARK learning styles assessment. Myers-Briggs assessed me as a INTJ, Introverted, focusing on my inner world, Intuitive, one who interprets and adds meaning to data, Thinking, one who depends on logic and consistency, and Judging, one who prefers things to be settledhttp://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/. The Myers-Brigg type indicator is based on C.G. Jung’s psychological character theory that classifies individuals by their introverted and extroverted attitudes as fundamental orientations to the subjective world around them (MacCrae & Costa, March 1989). Myers-Briggs used Jung as their starting point and created 16 types of attitudes and preferences to measure personality types. The MBTI measures our preference for 1) interacting with one another, 2) gathering information, 3) making decisions about what we experience, and 4) controlling ourselves and the world around us (Nicholson, 24 June 2011). Extroversion or Introversion(Energy Orientation)   According to Quenk,extroverts get their energy from the outer world of people and objects.(Quenk, 2009) Extroverts are social and outgoing, build attachments quickly and share ideas readily; introverts are personality opposites of extroverts. This type of personality is satisfied and feels energized when they spend a time alone or with a close friend.(Quenk,2009).According to Watkins,these type personalities think before they speak, are not always self-confident and are reserved and introspective(Watkins,1999).   According to my MBTI result I'm clearly the introverted personality type (84% introversion vs. 16% extroversion).The result of the first step was not surprising for me. I have been criticized many times about being introverted, but the significant way to analyze me is by giving an example about my friends and our meetings. As a friends group, we usually meet in numbers of three or four peop le and avoid activities that require interaction with other people. We prefer going to the cinema rather than talking in a pub. Even when we are giving a party we invite people that we know very well, rather than groups of strangers or classmates. According to these examples I am an introverted personality type.   Sensing and Intuition (Learning Process)   By Sensing we gather information using our five senses; Sensing is based on details of the environment surrounding us (Quenk,2009).Intuition is assimilation of ideas and theories by focusing less to the details in environment (Joyce). People who prefer sensing like problems with standard solutions, they are more realistic, practical and more interested in things happening (Bayne, 1997). Intuitive people are more futuristic, impatient to routine and they like to see the big picture (Bayne,1997).   Results of the MBTI showed that my learning style is more close to the intuitive type (intuition 74% vs. sensing 26%).   When I get bored from a book,to entertain myself I open the book at random and try to relate the events to one another then attempt to figure out the ending of the book. Sometimes I ignore details aboutan object and assign a metaphorical meaning to the story. I agree that I prefer intuition but I am questioning the high percentage that was portrayed in my evaluation. When I solve problems I