Service quality of Fine Dining Restaurant Essay

Service quality of Fine Dining Restaurant - Essay Example From the collected data, it was evident that the main factors considered by the customers in terms of service quality revolved around four subjects. These areas of concern are the physical appearance of the place, the kind of food offered, the variety of foods in the menu, the type of service provided by the staff, and the pricing of the food. Most of the respondents found something positive about the physical appearance, considering it was a fine dining restaurant. On the other hand, the service of the staff and the quality of the food served received a lot of criticism from the customers as they did not meet their expectations. As such, appropriate recommendations were made at the end of the research that would assist the restaurant in meeting customer expectations and retaining its economic competitiveness. A lot of research has been carried out in the field of hospitality (Lane, 2014). According to Rush (2008), it has been noted that many industry players are no longer concentrating on the speed at which they expand their hospitality companies and businesses, but at the rate at which they meet customer expectations. There has been a great need for maintaining customers in restaurants following the rapid increase of fine dining restaurants, and the key winner is the level of service quality. It is important to identify the fact that customers’ perception of the service quality of a business determines the level to which they are satisfied. Therefore, a business should be careful in setting the customer perceptions as they affect their expectations. The level to which these expectations are met determines the service quality of a place through either satisfaction or dissatisfaction of a customer. These two states are quantified from the experience of a client in the business through incidents that they undergo (Ford, Sturman, & Heaton, 2012). The critical incidents technique is used to identify these experiences for individual customers. It is

Kudler Fine Foods & Cardiff Seaside Market Analysis Essay Example for Free

Kudler Fine Foods Cardiff Seaside Market Analysis Essay In this paper I will talk about Kudler Fine Foods and Cardiff Seaside Market and since both the businesses are direct competitors of one another, I would compare and contrast the two businesses in order to analyze the areas where one falls short from the other.   Kudler Fine Foods is a gourmet grocery store that targets the upscale customers for whom time constraint is a big issue as the store enables the customers to buy their desired products at one go. It is based on Southern California and it operates in three locations in San Diego in La Jolla, Del Mar and Encinitas. Kudler Fine Foods was founded by Kathy Kudler in 1998 who felt that traveling all the way out of the town only for the purpose of purchasing grocery items and ingredients used in cooking is tiring and to crater to this problem, she came up with the initiative of one stop shopping. The five main departments that Kudler Fine Foods is divided into are mentioned below. Fresh bakery and pastries Fresh produce Fresh meat and seafood Condiments and packaged foods Cheeses and specialty dairy products One thing that has to be noted about Kudler Fine Foods is that they do not just sell the ingredients that are used by people while cooking meals but they sell home cooked meals as well and this eases the cooking efforts. (University of Phoenix, 2007). Cardiff Seaside Market is one of the biggest competitors of Kudler Fine Foods and it was formed in 1985. It does not just offer top-notch quality products to the customers but it also provides them with excellent services. It is a family owned and operated business and the management promises to create excellence in every department. Cardiff Seaside Market has a chain of stores that offers a variety of items that includes food items and they also sell other things such as floral items and gifts. The items and services that Cardiff Seaside Market offers to its customers are mentioned below. (Cardiff Seaside Market, n.d.). 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Catering 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cheese 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cuisine and bakery 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Floral and gifts 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Meat and sea food 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Produce 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wine 8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gluten free products When we compare the home pages of the websites of both the businesses, it is much evident that the offerings of Cardiff Seaside Market outnumber that of Kudler Fine Foods. Both the businesses offer the customers to buy cheese and dairy products, cuisine and bakery items, meat and sea food, wine and produce. However, Cardiff Seaside Market also offers catering services and gluten free products and free healthy recipes. Cardiff Seaside Market is a family oriented business while Kudler Fine Foods was founded by a lady named Kathy Kudler who realized that travelling to the town to buy kitchen items was tiring. Further talking about the home page, I would say that since Kudler Fine Foods is owned by a lady, not much innovations and new strategies are being used to improve the business operations but Cardiff Seaside Market offers special food items on daily basis and they have also given their weekly special. Besides this, the reward card of Cardiff Seaside Market offers the customers the opportunity to earn rewards up to 3%. Complimentary Healthy Grocery Store Tours are also offered by Cardiff Seaside Market where the customers get to know about all kinds of information related to nutrition. Since the expert has studied dietary theories and clinical aspects of health and nutrition, the customers can get to know about their queries and about the way they can live healthier lives. Moreover, since the programs offered by them are uniquely tailored according to the preferences of the customers, all the health concerns of the individuals are well taken care of. (The Whole Journey, n.d.). Further talking about the sub sections of the websites of both the businesses, they are divided into different parts according to their offerings in which the details of the offerings are mentioned. (Hisrich, Peters Shepherd, 2006). The website of Kudler Fine Foods is not available for access to every individual and when you search for it on Google; we are not able to get any such link. However, people can have access to the website through University of Phoenix but they need a username and password for that. Therefore, access to the website of Kudler Fine Foods is not easy as it is not public but the website access of Cardiff Seaside Market is very easy and convenient as it can be easily found while browsing on the Internet. As I already mentioned about the website access, I would say that the search ability of Cardiff Seaside Market is very easy but in the case of Kudler Fine Foods, everyone cannot have access to the website. Further talking about the layout of the websites, Kudler Fine Foods has a very simple website and everything mentioned on the website can be easily found and is easy to read and understand. Same is the case with Cardiff Seaside Market is but they have added some more things other than the basics i.e. their offerings. These new additions that Cardiff Seaside Market has made include the weekly specials, soups of the day and recipes. The graphics of both the websites are fine but the pictures used by Cardiff Seaside Market are not too catchy and so they must be replaced with more lively pictures while Kudler Fine Foods must add some more pictures to keep the interest of the customers. The navigation of the websites is fine and one is easily able to browse the entire website. Although the product display at Cardiff Seaside Market is fine but they should add some more pictures to make them stand out but in the case of Kudler Fine Foods, the website has very less pictures because of which it is a bit boring. The site administration of Kudler Fine Foods is done by Apollo Group and it is being done apart from the other changes that have to be made. On the website of Kudler Fine Foods, there is no option for the customers to pay online but Cardiff Seaside market offers a payment solution to the customers and the customers can order online and they can either pick up their delivery or they can get their orders delivered to their desired address. Once the customers select their desired option, they can choose their pick up date and they also have the facility of ordering seven days before they actually need to collect the order or to get the order delivered. Lastly, the customers can also choose the time at which they find it feasible for them to pick the order or to get it delivered. Reference Cardiff Seaside Market. (n.d.). How May We Serve You? May 12th, 2010.   Retrieved from:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://seasidemarket.com/ Hisrich, R., Peters, M. Shepherd, D. (2006). Entrepreneurship. 7th Edn. McGraw-Hill/Irwin. The Whole Journey. (n.d.). Holistic nutrition and wellness. May 12th, 2010.   Retrieved from:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.thewholejourney.com/ University of Phoenix. (2007). Kudler Fine Foods.   May 12th, 2010.   Retrieved from:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/CIST/VOP/Business/Kudler/Internet/Index.htm

US History Essays -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although the federal governments attitudes and actions towards blacks and Native Americans civil rights in the 19th century were very different they also had lots of similarities. Both blacks and Native Americans were treated poorly and did not have many rights. Blacks were slaves and Indians (Native Americans) were fighting to stay alive. All these negative actions were a bad look for a country that was growing bigger and bigger by the day to someday reach what the United States is today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Culture was a huge part of Indian life in the 19th century, from hunting buffalo and respecting and loving the lands that they lived on to amazing spiritual and religious ceremonies. Blacks did not have much culture because they were mostly all born slaves in the U.S.; except for the ones that were born in Africa and had good memories about they’re past culture. There were also elder slaves that had experienced the African culture who tried to pass it on to the American born slaves who didn’t have any sense of there culture. From the 1850’s all the way until 1924 the Indians were battling the U.S. militia, government and army. The Indians were being kicked off there land and forced onto reservations. Many battles such as Red Clouds war in 1863, Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 and even the Battle of Little Big Horn (Custer’s last stand) in 1876 are all examples of battles that the Indians fought against U.S. men. Many of these batt...

California Love :: Economics Culture Cultural Essays

California Love Do you have any interest in politics? Could you lay your hands on $3,500? Would you be able to attain 65 signatures from registered voters? If you answered yes to these three questions, then congratulations, you are qualified to enter the race to run the fifth largest economic empire in the world. All the more power to you my friend. If you are not already aware, my home state of California is undergoing civic pandemonium disguised in political rhetoric as a â€Å"recall.† We are witnessing one of the biggest travesties in the modern era and poor Gray Davis is clearly the victim. Given the circumstances when he took office, Davis has done a pretty damn good job with the mess he inherited from former Governor Pete Wilson. Davis is surrounded by malevolent bureaucrats on a day-to-day basis, as is true for most politicians, and when one has to work with these bad guys, bad things tend to happen. Why is this? California is dealing with the fallout from an inefficient federal government that left its western daughter to flounder in the wake of a crisis the feds very likely created. When Wilson pushed for de-regulation of energy distribution (electricity/gas), outside suppliers, primarily Texas ringleaders like Enron, were allowed to run wholesale pricing up unchecked. Pacific Gas and Electric then filed for ban kruptcy, Southern California Edison was similarly affected. Now layer on surplus spending from dot.com tax coffers and the inability of legislators to rein in spending after the collapse of the dot.com industries due to their greed or bury-the-head-in-the-sand mentality. Now you have a reversal of a record surplus to a record deficit of some 35+ billion dollars. Prime fodder for the Republicans. Whenever there is a great deal of power, you will find a great deal of attention, greed and controversy. In the political arena, parties will strive for stability and control to maintain their power. So, is this recall really a street-smart reaction by Republicans, or is there a connection between California's recent foibles and a Republican conspiracy to regain stability and control? My congratulations go out to Mr. Bush for once. Perhaps he actually does know what he's doing. Perhaps he can push his personal agenda and look totally innocent. Knowing how much California would suffer financially, he couldn't have had any connection to the demise of Enron and WorldCom, could he? No ... certainly he didn't plan this crisis to rid California of its apparent cause, Gray Davis, did he?

Child beauty pageants Essay

One of the main issues people have with child beauty pageants is that the children’s childhood gets taken from them. Children shouldn’t be wearing fake tan, false eyelashes and make up. France is looking to ban beauty pageants for children under 16 and anyone who organises a pageant would face up to 2 years in jail and a fine of about â‚ ¬40,000. The senate in France states â€Å"If we stop child beauty pageants now, these little girls will grow up to have self-respect and respect for others too, all these pageants do is destroy their self-esteem.† People also argue that these little girls attend pageants because they enjoy it and it’s a hobby, nothing dangerous will come of it. But what harm will banning them do? Child beauty pageants should be banned because they cause little girls, to be artificial to boost their self-esteem. The parents of these children put so much stress and pressure onto these children to look and be a certain way. Beauty pageants make children believe they have to be fake to be beautiful. I feel it can completely lower a girl’s self-esteem if they don’t win. Children of such a young age shouldn’t have to be worrying about the way they look or being judged at all. When we think of beauty pageants we tend to think of the society’s idea of perfect little girls competing to see who the judges think is the most beautiful. Also, we think of crazy moms who push their children too hard and will do anything so that their child will win. All of this is true but there are more issues with beauty pageants, some that are more concerning. Beauty pageants are judged based on physical appearance, yet haven’t we always been told not to judge based on looks? They aren’t healthy for kids- they take away their childhood. Lastly, beauty pageants do not set a good example for kids; they do many things that we are told not to do. One of the largest issues that deals with Child hood beauty pageants is the problem of little children being forced to be dressed in sexualising costumes, that ruins their innocence and such. However i would like to point out that a childhood beauty pageant ranges til the age of 18 years old. A 18 year old girl is allowed to choose to do a beauty pageant and if she wishes to wear something revealing. By placing all the problems of childhood beauty pageants is seen in a brief window of a child’s younger years. What will we achieve by banning the pageants other than a huge amount of protest and disapproval? Just because showing off may not be the best thing in the world why should we ban it? It is wrong to ban something because people look up to it and think they are not as good. Most people are intelligent enough to not do crazy things when they see someone prettier than them. These shows are for entertainment anyway. It is crazy to get rid of things because some people dislike them. People that don’t like the pageants shouldn’t watch them and shouldn’t ruin the fun for others. If people want to show off and get money for it, why shouldn’t they? In the professional pageants showing off is another form of advertising anyway. We shouldn’t ban something while we still encourage other things such as the tour de France, boxing and some legal drugs. Many people enjoy watching and participating in beauty pageants. Just because some people dislike them doesn’t mean we should eradicate all pageants of all types forever. In fact lots of people like them and that is why we have them. The competitors have fun hearing the audience applaud, dressing up, showing off and hearing that they are one of the prettiest, most talented or best dressed competitors. Most of the prizes for beauty pageants are scholarships or savings for the future by banning the pageants we are depriving the talented winners of a decent prize. Beauty pageants do not involve illegal activities, unlike sports. In some sports athletes use illegal drugs to help them perform better and win. We do not ban the Tour de France even when certain people use illegal stimulants. Eddy Merks, a famous cyclist, who was a winner of the tour de France had been caught using illegal drugs 5 times, in fact huge amounts of competitors have been found doping! Do I have to even have to mention Lance Armstrong? So why should we ban beauty pageants if we don’t ban things such as the tour de France? Why should it be illegal to dress up and compete to see who looks better? It is not illegal to have or use makeup, lipstick, eyelash thickener, and fake tans.

What is science essays

What is science essays Science is one word in the English dictionary, that could have many different meanings. Many times, humans will attempt to reach too far, and distort the true meaning of a word, as is the case with science. After reading the selected material in Science s quite easy to gain a simple knowledge of the word. Science can be defined as the testing of nature to explain how things work. Through the study of science, many questions about the world we live in can be answered. Through science, we see many of the boundaries and rules of our natural world. Science also gives us a way to make conclusions about evidence that weve not yet discovered. Throughout the books, there are very drastic viewpoints about some of the basic elements of science. Science hard proof of what is already revealed in the Bible. When God created the Earth, he made absolutes that only God could ordain. Nature works on boundaries that only God fully knows about. Science is an attempt by us to understand and explain the rules the God set in place many years ago. The viewpoints of this book reflect that of our discussions so far in class. Through our Christian perspective, God is the ultimate truth and only he has all the answers for the world. He chose to reveal himself to us in two ways, through his teachings and his only son Jesus Christ. In both instances, he revealed many things that he didnt have to reveal. The bible is the best source for information about the world that we live in. Also, we have the empirical knowledge that we obtain about the natural world that compliments the scriptures and in result, helps us better know our creat or. The book A beginners guide to the Scientific Method giv...

My Life Growing Up

My Life Growing Up Free Online Research Papers This is all about me growing up in my early years, school years and how I have made different career choices in my life. I also talk about my family, my life now and most importantly my future. This is all about me growing up in my early years, school years and how I have made different career choices in my life. I also talk about my family, my life now and most importantly my future. The Early Years While growing up, I don’t remember too much of my early years. All I can remember is that my mother passed away when I was around four or maybe five years old. I didn’t know my father, but heard of him sometimes. I have one blood sister that I know of, but don’t really know anything about her. However, I can say that I was adopted into a big family that raised and took care of me. Growing up with my new family, I learned how to cook, plant vegetables, clean and take care of myself. My sister on the other hand, was living with another family at that time. Although, I can’t remember a lot about my early years, but I do know me and my family always went fishing, hunting, picking peas on the farm and always celebrating something. Ever Easter, my parents would throw a cabaret, which I enjoyed the most, because people from everywhere would put on their best Sunday outfit just to win one of the contests that they had their. Christmas was a blessing, because everything I wanted I always got until I started snooping around and learned there was no Santa clause, and then it started getting boring. On the other hand, every holiday with my new family was great. ? The Early Years in School When I moved here from Michigan, high school was one of the most exciting and at the same time the most boring periods of my life. During my four years at Patterson Co-Op, I learned things but nothing of what I learned would be more confusing than my college course classes. During my freshman year of high school, I had just moved here from Michigan to Ohio. I had no friends and I was starting high school in about a month. As the days got closer to the start of the school year, I found some people to hang around with in the building I was living in however; they were going to a different school than me. The first day of school I was actually excited to go. I learned how to catch my first bus. When I arrive to school I nearly hit the floor, cause it reminded me a little of my old school in Michigan. I settled into this new atmosphere after a while and found out that it wasn’t so hard after all. As the year progressed I became more and more comfortable with the people and environment around me. Then here comes sophomore year. Sophomore year, I took up machine trades. There were only me and one other girl in this class which we became friends. Everyone always called us some tomboys, because we were the only girls who took this course up, which made it very weird for us. As the year was going we were the best in our division. We were in every skill trade competition you can name, made tools and even made the fellows mad. I still have all my awards up till this day. In my junior year, many new and interesting things happened. I made more friends, played basketball and even tried out for the cheerleading team while still taking up machine trades. Although, I never made the cheerleading team, but I can say I did join ROTC at the school. This was the best time ever, going to military balls, dances and even booth camp during the summer in Nashville, Tennessee. Senior year suppose to be the best year of high school. While getting ready for senior trips, dances, prep rallies and most of all graduation, well for me it was not so good. Last day, I just knew I had passed the profiecy test. When the scores came out I fell to the floor and started crying cause I had missed it by three points. However, I did get my diploma that summer year. I just could not walk across the stage and receive it like I always dreamed of. Upon graduation from Patterson Co-Op, I plan to acquire a logistics management position in industry. I was hoping to work in an environment in which I can help a company achieve its goals, as well as an environment that will provide me with personnel growth and development. With my educational background, machine trades/JROTC, cooperative work experience, and the desire to learn, I was capable of handling the challenges that the work force would bring. However, being fresh out of high school I didn’t accomplish this dream right off the back. I’ve work at many restaurants and also attended some college. During college, my career choice was to become a police officer. I was doing great until I became with child and my instructors’ told me I had to withdraw from the classes because pregnant women were not allowed to go through their training. Coming to the point of my current career choice has been a long road. My idea of what a career is or should be has changed with circumstances and age. After years of trying I fondly landed a decent job in the manufacturing world. My Family Me and my family love to go on short trips. One trip I took the kids on was to Kansas City. Our children ranging from ten – five loved when we drove through St. Louis and passing the football stadium. Even though, it was a long drive (which I was told 6 hours) we had fun all the way there. My son and his dad went to check out the Chiefs stadium while we girls went on a shopping spree as usual. My family is a sport fans all the way especially loving the Cleveland Browns. I try to keep them very business with cheerleading, soccer, football and even base ball, although they hate the last one. However, I love them all more and more every day. My Life Now When I look at a picture of myself, I realized how much I’ve grown and changed, not only physically, but also mentally as a person in the last fifteen years. Remember the phrase â€Å"If I knew what I know now, things would be differently.† We’ll that phrase means a lot to me, but the only thing is, I would not change anything, just make it even better. Our lives know is going to school and getting an education while taking care of my family. My Future However, after so many years of working in the manualfacture world then being put out. I decide to change my life around and do something total different. Know that I am currently back into school after ten years I am taking up cooking classes, something I’ve never thought I would be doing, but it was time for something different and new. Right know I cannot predict my future especially with the economy the way it is. I’m just going to take it one day at a time and see what the future will bring me and hopefully it will be good. ? Research Papers on My Life Growing UpStandardized TestingPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyHip-Hop is ArtThe Spring and AutumnHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UsePETSTEL analysis of IndiaThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductGenetic Engineering

International Business Environment The Benefits and Risks of Deeper Globalization for Guidia

International Business Environment The Benefits and Risks of Deeper Globalization for Guidia The recommendation by the IMF for Guidia to embrace deeper globalization aims at increasing the economic opportunities of the country. The IMF believes that Guidia will have an increased volume of trade, more foreign direct investment, and greater transfer of knowledge if it pursues deeper globalization.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on International Business Environment: The Benefits and Risks of Deeper Globalization for Guidia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The basis of this recommendation is the view held by development economists from the IMF based on the belief that globalization can improve the economic fortunes of any country. Research into this subject does not support a universal positive outcome for countries that embrace globalization. This paper reviews the specific economic circumstances of Guidia in order to determine whether it will benefit or lose from deeper globalization. What is Globalization? Th e term globalization normally refers to the sum total of several forces that are shaping the relationships of nations across the world. It includes political issues, social and economic relationships, and cultural interaction among the peoples of the world. There is no consensus on when globalization started. Some scholars pin the origin of globalization to the departure of Columbus to the Americas, while others prefer to associate it with the colonial era during the industrial revolution. Others prefer to look at it as the technology driven changes of the latter half of the twentieth century. For purposes of this report, globalization refers to the current forces shaping global relationships. The recommendation of the IMF to Guidia to pursue deeper globalization assumes this meaning. In this sense, this report will investigate the actual circumstances of Guidia in relation to its political, social, cultural, and economic realities through a PESTLE analysis. While the IMF offered it s recommendation to Guidia to improve the performance of the economy of the country, deeper globalization will precipitate several other changes.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the political scene, globalization creates a greater desire for political space by the citizens of any country. Depending on the political system in use in the country, globalization can lead to either political instability or political maturity. If the government does not want to become more accountable to its citizens, then globalization can precipitate political instability. Economically, deeper globalization can create opportunities for profit by meeting the demands of the international market. The IMF foresees this situation for Guidia. Becoming a player in the international market will ensure that Guidia harnesses its competitive advantages as a country on order to enjoy the benef its of international trade. However, deeper globalization can also lead to deeper exposure of the country to shocks. Events in far off countries that trade with Guidia will have an effect on local economic conditions. On the social front, globalization tends to increase the expectations of citizens from their governments when they see how people in other countries live. Globalization exposes citizens to new ideas and different viewpoints that at times contradict local customs. For instance, many African and Asian countries are reluctant to accept same sex unions as an alternative to heterosexual unions. In the West, same sex unions find wider acceptance. Globalization means that the ideals of a country will experience challenges associated with the ideals of other countries. Technologically, deeper globalization calls for the introduction of new technologies that support globalization. The most significant technological investment needed for deeper globalization is the internet. It also means that the country will need the human resource to handle the technologies it adopts to support deeper globalization. Increasingly, a free press is becoming an important aspect of globalization. In a globalised economy, it is impossible to control news because people have a multiplicity of new sources.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on International Business Environment: The Benefits and Risks of Deeper Globalization for Guidia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Environmental issues are also an important part of the global economy. The main issue underlying global discussions on the environment is global warming and the fight to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Industrializing countries such as India and China are opposed to emission reduction because they feel that it is unfair to ask them to control their emissions at this point in their development. They feel that no one asked the West to do the sam e thing when they were industrializing. Finally, on the legal landscape, international law is becoming more important. The free movement of labor means that every country needs to subscribe to an internationally acceptable code to guide international trade and international relations. The issue of jurisdiction in cyber crime is a very sensitive topic in online commerce. For instance, what happens when someone located in a foreign country hacks into local systems? Is there a way to prosecute them for cross boarder crimes? The issues above underlie this analysis. They will form the bedrock for the analysis of the benefits and risks Guidia will experience by taking IMFs advice to pursue deeper globalization. A Review of Guidia’s Socio-Economic Profile: A SWOT Analysis A SWOT analysis is the best tool for carrying out a socioeconomic analysis of the condition in Guidia. Guidia has a relatively high-income per capita standing at four thousand dollars. This means that with a popula tion of sixty million, the country has a strong local market. The fact that sixty-five percent of the population is in urban areas means that it will be easy for the country to embrace deeper globalization. Urban communities tend to have better exposure to international issues. A high urban population is a critical sign of the ability of a country to pursue deep globalization. The country also has raw materials, which it currently exports.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The presence of raw materials is an indication that the country can establish local industries through foreign direct investment (FDI) in order carry out value addition for products before export. Finally, the country’s trade in natural gas and the recent establishment of export processing zones are sources of learning for the country that can enable it to pursue deeper globalization. The main weaknesses of the country include the potential problems associated with middle and low-income countries that have high population densities. The information provided does not substantiate the population growth rate or the demographic ratios. Therefore, the classification as a weakness comes from the perception that the country has a high population. High population can hinder the growth of a country because of competition for resources. Secondly, the country will suffer because of little industrial development. The fact that the country exports natural resources shows that the industri es in the country are underdeveloped. The opportunity cost of being a net exporter of raw materials high. It is always better to sell value-added products. Thirdly, the country has limited experience in international trade. So far, the only exports the country makes are natural gas and products made in the newly created export-processing zone. The two opportunities the country has in the context of deeper globalization the availability of affordable labor and the availability of raw materials. The population of the country is an asset. The citizens can provide labor for business process outsourcing. As a middle-income country, it can compete favorably for outsourcing contracts with companies from high-income economies. Apart from this, its population is already high enough to provide a market for products from both local and international companies. Secondly, the presence of raw materials makes the country an ideal investment destination for international investors. The country can attract foreign direct investment from investors who can utilize the raw materials in the country to produce products for sale in the international markets. The threats facing Guidia include the potential for exploitation by international investors, and lack of capacity to deal with the consequences of deeper globalization. Experienced international investors can bind the country in unreasonable contracts. Due to its lack of experience in international trade, Guidia can fall for one-sided contracts. Elements of one-sided agreements include unreasonably long tax holidays, long land leases, and unfair profit repatriations. Secondly, the country is vulnerable to the disruptive effects of deeper globalization. People in the country will demand changes in the political and social environment to match the experience of other countries. Such changes can cause political and social instability. If Guidia’s political leadership is not accountable, then deeper globalization may lead to political unrest in the country. Benefits of Deeper Globalization Based on the SWOT analysis of the socioeconomic environment of Guidia, and the examination of its environment, the country can enjoy some benefits by pursuing deeper globalization. First, the country can gain from deeper globalization by making use of its competitive advantages. The SWOT analysis revealed that the country has natural resources, and a high population. In addition, its classification as a middle-income country suggests that labor costs are more competitive in Guidia than in high-income countries. These are potential sources of competitive advantage for the country as it determines the best policies to pursue in its globalization efforts. According to Faulkner and Segan-Horn (2004) when a country concentrates on using its competitive advantages in international trade, it receives better returns. In turn, the country can access products from other countries, which are more expensive to produce locally. In this sense, Guidia can enjoy better quality of goods and services by increasing its returns from international trade. It can then use those returns to access high quality goods and services bought at lower cost from competitive producers. If Guidia chooses to pursue a globalization policy based on the Washington consensus promoted by the IMF, then it means that the country will need to focus on institutional changes as the primary means of economic development. Institution-driven changes usually mean that the country’s development programs will move from personality driven to issue driven policies. As such, decision-making will move from a centralized model to a more institutional approach. Foreign investors usually feel more confident in institution-driven systems rather than personality driven systems. The benefit that Guidia will experience from such a shift is that it will have a more predictable environment. Therefore, no radical changes take place when new people ascen d to the helm of the institutions. The second model that Guidia can follow is pursing growth spurred by foreign aid. This model will involve finding countries and international lending organizations that can forward development aid to Guidia. The basis for this approach is an economy grows through various thresholds. Each of these levels corresponds to certain operating characteristics of the economy. In order to grow from one level to another, the country needs a certain amount of capital injection in order to arrive at the next threshold. International aid is an example of the capital injection needed to spur the growth of an economy. An example of a region that benefited from international aid at some point in its history is Europe after the Second World War. However, the structure of the aid is very important. Some countries in the developing world have found themselves in a perpetual poverty cycle caused by aid. When international debt equals or exceeds GDP, the debt becomes un sustainable. Apart from the debt cycle, international aid may come with conditions. These conditions may not reflect the priorities of Guidia. For instance, the IMF and the World Bank promote democratic ideals and free market policies in their aid programs. If Guidia does not believe in these ideals, then it must take care as it accepts the conditions imposed on it. Change is very disruptive. Guidia must take such aid with caution if it decides to use this model to pursue globalization. Risks of Deeper Globalization The global financial crisis of 2009 illustrates the interdependence between global economies. The crisis arose from events in the financial markets and the real estate sector in America. Property prices plunged as many people saw their investment in real estate disappear. Financial institutions suffered most because most of their assets were in the real estate sector. When more and more people defaulted on their mortgage payments, financial institutions could not remain afloat. These events affected the entire global economy. The countries that had the most globalised systems suffered most from the global crises. This illustrates the exposure Guidia will have if it pursues deeper globalization. Globalized economies are at a high risk of exposure to events taking place in other countries. Another risk that Guidia will need to address if it takes on deeper globalization is that it will have to deal with the disruptive impacts of globalization. As a country, Guidia has a set of national values, culture, and a generally unified worldview. These elements of the Guidia society will come under scrutiny from outsiders, and its citizens will ask questions. The Arab Spring is a good illustration of the disruptive nature of globalization. The citizens of the countries that faced the wave of popular dissent found their voice based on information gleaned online. The actual coordination of the protest meetings took place via social media platforms. The demonstra tions received support from people across the entire world. In response to these disruptions, some countries developed controls over the internet to reduce the risk of popular revolt coordinated through the internet. China, for instance does not allow unhindered access to the open web by its citizens. Some commentators refer to the Chinese control over the internet as the great firewall. This is means of controlling the disruptive effects of globalization. There is debate whether such efforts will remain in place over the long term. The point here is that deeper globalization will have an impact on Guidia. These impacts will be more severe if the country does not embrace democracy, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press. As soon as the citizens of the country learn about the extent of freedom citizens in other parts of the world enjoy, they will revolt. The success of deeper globalization in Guidia also depends on the financial system of the country. Deeper globalization will f orce Guidia to conform to international norms of trade. Part of these norms includes market driven currency exchange rates. This means that the strength of the national currency of Guidia will depend on the demand and supply of the currency. In addition, Guidia will have to develop a tariff system that is in conformity with rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Failure to conform to these rules will lead to the isolation of Guidia from international markets. In addition to these issues, Guidia will stand a better chance of benefiting from international trade if its financial policies conform to the national culture and business practices. While the World Bank and the IMF previously argued in favor of free market economies, the experiences of many countries show that it is better to develop a national policy in line with the governance systems rather than adopt foreign systems. The Asian financial crisis affected countries with liberal financial policies proposed by the Washin gton Consensus. However, China, which still controls many aspects of its economy, did not suffer a lot from the crisis. The lesson here is that opening the markets to the forces of globalization without appropriate checks and balances can result in economic problems for the country. Conclusion Guidia can benefit from deeper globalization based on the following conditions. First, Guidia must develop policies that affirm its aspirations and its economic objectives, and not the will of external parties. Secondly, the country will benefit from deeper globalization if it can align its political system to conform to the international norms of governance. This means that the country will benefit more from globalization of it upholds open and accountable governance. Thirdly, there will be a greater reward for the country from globalization if the country uses a capitalist model in its economic planning. The model must take into account the country’s culture and traditions, and the ex pectations from players in the global markets. Finally, Guidia will benefit from deeper globalization if it can identify and use its competitive advantages as a country as it positions itself as a global player. The competitive advantages should encompass aspects such as national branding, strategic planning, and any peculiar elements of the population such as availability of skills. On the other hand, Guidia will face a number of risks associated with deeper globalization. These risks include the disruptive effects of forces of globalization, risk of increased national debt, and the risk of internal economic instability caused by institutional changes demanded by international financiers. Reference List Bond, P 2008, Global Uneven Development, Primitive Accumulation, and Political Economic Conflict in Africa: The Return of the Theory of Imperialism, Journal of Peace Building and Development, vol 4, no. 1, pp. 1-14. Dodgson, M Gann, D 2010, Innovation: A Very Short Introduction, Ox ford University Press, Oxford. Dunning, JH 2001, The Eclectic (OLI) Paradigm of International Production: Past, Present and Future, International Journal of the Economicsof Business, vol 8, no. 2, pp. 173-190. Dunning, JH 2008, Location and the Multinational Enterprise: John Dunning’s Thoughts on Receiving the Journal of International Business Studies 2008 Decade Award, Journal of International Business Studies, vol 40, pp. 20-24. Faulkner, D Segan-Horn, S 2004, The Economics of International Comparative Advantage in the Modern World, European Business Journal, pp. 20-31. Goldman, G Nieuwenhuizen, C 2006, Strategy: Sustaining Competitive Advantage in a Globalised Context, Juta and Co Ltd, Cape Town. Gordon, RJ 2012, Is U.S. Economic Growth Over? Faltering Innovation Confronts the Six Headwinds NBER, vol 18315, pp. 1-23. Guttal, S 2007, Globalisation, Development in Practice, vol 17, no. 4-5, pp. 523-531. Holmes, D 2005, Communication Theory: Media, Technology, and Society, SAGE, London, UK. Meon, P-G Sekkat, K 2012, FDI Waves, Waves of Neglect of Political Risk, World Development, vol 40, no. 11, pp. 2194-2294. Meredeth, JR Mantel, SJ 2011, Project Management: A Managerial Approach, 8th edn, John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken, NJ. Porter, ME 1980, Competitive Advantage: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors, Simon and Schuster, New York, NY. Rodrick, D 2006, Goodbye Washington Consensus, Hello Washington Confusion? A Review of the World Bank’s Economic Growth in the 1990s: Learning from a Decade of Reform, Journal of Economic Literature, vol XLIV, pp. 973-987. UNWTO 2011, Tourism and Climate Change, United Nations World Tourism Organization, Geneva. Wade, R 2009, Is the Globalization Consensus Dead?, Antipode, vol 41, no. 1, pp. 142-165. Walker, DM, Walker, TD Schmitz, JT 2003, Doing Business Internationally: The Guide to Cross-Cultural Success, McGraw-Hill Professional, New York, NY. Wolf, M 2003, The Morality of the Market, Foreign Policy, pp. 47-50. Zatzman, G Islam, R 2007, Economics of Intangibles, Nova Publishers, New York, NY.

Reflect on learning activities becoming a registered nurse Essay

Reflect on learning activities becoming a registered nurse - Essay Example In order to get involved with such a practice, usually an employment request is sent to such hospitals. These employment requests contain a letter and Curriculum Vitae. Curriculum Vitae or CV is basically a summary of your academic and work history. However it is developed as a personal sales brochure which is carefully written and presented to ensure you have the best possible chance of getting the job you want. A CV is often all a prospective employer has to judge you and call for an interview which is the final step to employment. [3] Focusing on the specialization is extremely important. For example after becoming a registered nurse, you further specialize in midwifery area so it is very important to update your CV with this additional qualification. Furthermore employers are likely to be impressed if you have a membership of a professional association. Therefore it is recommended that you join at least one association e.g. NMC, RCM, RCN, MDU. Apart from this the most important area you should concentrate is to be active in your field and learn any new developments. You must update your CV using current buzz words that are specific to your field and updates should occur after a month adding any new duties, responsibilities and skills learnt. [1] [3] [5] To increase your credibility, ensure that you include at least two references from past and present employers. And following my experience, make sure that you never criticize your past employers as all your credibility of work and skills will be lost in a jiffy. All in all the employer will look at the neatness and attractiveness of your CV so make it as presentable as possible taking advice from senior and experienced people during the process of making a CV. [1] [4] Nurses play a key role as a part of a multi-disciplinary team and, as such, you will need to

Steve jobs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Steve jobs - Essay Example While the later part will indicate how his life influenced mine in particular. Steve Jobs, the man and the innovator, was of a very buoyant character. Upon research, we realize that Job’s life was like a roller coaster ride in most meanings. He started out as a college dropout, who did not have the financial means to support education, worked his way up and became immortal. Baig and Aamir (2013) encapsulate Jobs’ desire, motivation and also his diligence, to rise from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of corporate success, in the following words, ‘In 1976, before Co-founding Apple Inc., Steve Job’s worked at Atari.’ He teamed up with his friend Steve Wozniak to establish the company that went on to be named Apple Computer. Apple computers, an essential part of many peoples' lives today; was initially an idea conceived in Jobs' garage. Having fallen out with his first financier, Jobs was forced to seek capital elsewhere. Following the success of Apple II in 1977, Wozniak left the project to go back to university while Jobs was fired by Scully (CEO at the time) from the company he had created from scratch Exploring alternatives every time he met a dead end, Jobs never let his circumstances hinder his ambitions. He was fired from his own company yet evolved as per the requirements and founded the production house which gave us the block buster Toy Story trilogy. "While Jobs was away from Apple, he founded NeXT Computer and developed Pixar out of the Computer Graphics." (Webster, 2013) Not only did Jobs completely revolutionize the world's perspective on household use of technology, but also made it much simpler and user friendly. This view is endorsed by Aziz (2013) as he states, ‘His vision for the next generation computer was so far ahead that it was mind boggling for everyone.’ There was a time when, in order to use a computer, you had to be a computer genius; not anymore.Jobs’ Graphical User Interface made sure that folders looked like folders and files like files, making computers viable for people other than brain surgeons and rocket scientists, with no need of coding knowledge (Webster, 2013). This transition of computers, from being a novelty, exclusive only to the smartest minds, was truly the hallmark of Jobs’ innovation. Who else better to personify his yearning for change, transition and the evolution of technology, than Jobs himself. As he’s cited by Anderson (2011), â€Å"Here’s to the crazy ones, the rebels, the troublemakers, the ones who see things differently. While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.† After 1991 Microsoft's Windows was rising fast while Apple went into decline as managerial politics caused disturbances. ‘Jobs was invited back to Apple when the company was in trouble having lost huge market shares roughly from 1 2 per cent of PC use in countries where Macs were available, to fewer than 3 per cent.’ (Webster, 2013). Although Jobs was reluctant at first, he accepted the offer under certain conditions and went on to make Apple an example of glowing success as we see it today. Spinelli Jr. (2011) summarizes Jobs’ second-coming in the following words, ‘He knew how to think constructively about hardware and software, beautiful design and great function, the new ways to provide

Holiday decision making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Holiday decision making - Essay Example Background It is arguable that the largest intervening sub-sector in the decision-making process of consumers is family influence. Marketers exhibit interest in the relative influence and the roles that the wife, children, and husband have on how a large variety of services and products are purchased. A family tends to make joint decisions regarding its vacations and holidays. There has been a tendency for previous studies to focus on the making of decisions involving wife and husband, and spousal interpersonal conflict, instead of the family unit in entirety including children. Previous research conducted on holidays mentions a limitation in light of not considering what impact children can make on the decisions made by families, in addition to the great use they have in demographic segmentation. This is therefore an area of research that is particularly underexplored and requires some investigation. Research question What are the factors that influence a family’s decision ab out where to go on holiday, and what is the relative importance of these factors? Literature review Decision factor Individual family members regularly serve different decision roles that ultimately function to draw on shared family resources. Some of the individuals are information holders/gatherers, and see out information pertaining products that are of relevance to their family. Often, these individuals carry a great deal of power owing to the fact that they may ultimately pass on information that tends to favor the alternatives they have chosen. As such, influencers are one primal component that underpins the consumer decisions of the family regarding holiday decision making. It is not an ultimatum that influencers possess the power to make decisions between alternatives (Belch, Belch, & Ceresino 2005). They however make their wishes well known by requesting for specific products, or espousing embarrassing situations in the event that their demands are met. Decision makers poss ess the power of determining issues such as: Whether to purchase What product to purchase What brand to purchase When to purchase; and Where to purchase it It is however worth noting that the roles of the decision maker and the purchaser are separate. From the marketer’s point of view, this tends to introduce some problems in that the purchaser may be targeted by marketing efforts allied to the point of purchase (POP), which cannot be directed at the decision maker. It is also imperative to note that there might be a blurred distinction between the purchaser and the decision-maker: The decision maker can possibly specify the kind of product to purchase, but not the brand; There may be need for the purchaser to make a substitution in the event that the desired brand is out of stock; The purchaser might possibly disregard instructions (deliberately or by error). It is worth noting that decisions made by families are in most instances subject to a lot of conflict. The incumbent reality is that very few families possess sufficient wealth to avert strong tension between the demands pegged on a family’s resources. There is high likelihood of conflicting pressure in families that have children, or/and in the event that it is only one spouse who works outside the home (Chavda,, Haley, & Dunn 2005.). Most of the decisions are inherently associated with values, and an objective way of

Comparative youth justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparative youth justice - Essay Example Despite their naivety, initially children were treated and punished in the same way as their adult counterparts irrespective of their crime but gradually the criminal justice system was introduced to reforms that ensured an alternate protocol to deal with child crime. Tracing the history of youth justice system, In 1933, The Children and Young Persons Act (1933, Sec. 44(1)) was introduced which said, ‘Every court in dealing with a child or young person who is brought before it, either as an offender or otherwise, shall have regard to the welfare of the child or young person and shall in a proper case take steps for removing him from undesirable surroundings, and for securing that proper provision is made for his education and training’. Since then there have been amendments and changes to this act. Later acts, for example, The Children and Young Persons Act of 1969 (1969, Sec. 43 (1)) gave a more of a welfare spin to youth justice but the question arises that should the young ones be punished for their crimes (which they might have committed in adolescence and immaturity)? People have different perspectives over this, some say that they should be forgiven and sent to rehabilitation centres while others are of a view that they should be punished so they learn their lesson and never repeat the mistake again. Surprisingly, it has been observed that first timers who have been punished for their crime tend to become second time offenders. This might be associated to the severity of the punishment that consequently makes the young so revengeful of the society. The next logical inquisitions that pop up include, is custody/punishment an expensive way of making bad people worse? Does the locking up of children work? Statistics show that around 2203 children are in custody in England and Wales and most of them are imprisoned for non-violent offences so does it add up to be logical to imprison a child for a non-violent crime when they can be rehabilitated in the community? Locking someone in prison is usually for individuals who are harm to community. The premise of taking a child into custody is a thought that suggests that they are a hazard to society. Children tend to wallow, all their lives in a complex that they were not worthy enough to be forgiven and given another chance. These disturbing thoughts make them so hateful of the society that they begin to think that no matter what they do, they will land up in a prison anyway. According to Morse (2010, Sec. 6), in his report to the ministry of justice, such thoughts make it easier for these children to go back to crime thus they end up being second time offenders. Although all of them do have a potential to have a good life again but once they get into a prison such is the urge of reoffending that they are likely to be engaged the cycle of getting in and out of prison for life. According to Wark (2010), some young offenders were interviewed during a research and it came out that tho se children have now become worst than before. A child who was given a custodial sentence at the age of 12 for robbing off people to buy drugs, is now a maniac to society, he was expelled thrice from school after that then became a rebel. He began fighting on streets, spitting at teachers, threw chairs at fellow students and started smoking, he has become an angry rebellious child who is not acceptable anywhere and the already highlighted non-acceptance has

Rich Pictures Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Rich Pictures - Article Example It was developed by Peter Checkland as a Soft Systems Methodology for gathering information about a complex situation (Checkland 1981, p. 37). Structure, processes and concerns are the main components of any Rich Picture diagram. Use Case method analyses the expectation of a primary actor with the proposed system. Actors are the stakeholders of the system, e.g. end users and other systems that are supposed to use the system. They are not considered as a part of the system, only their interaction with the system is taken in to consideration while developing the system. Use Case modeling is extensively used in software application modeling process and object oriented programming. A clear understanding of Use Case is necessary for using UML and other modern software development process. This dissertation will critically evaluate Rich Pictures and Use Cases as a requirements analysis tool. It will also compare and contrast adoptability, advantages and shortcomings of these analysis methods. With the help of a case study based on a Children Support Agency and analysis of its requirement using both methodologies it will highlight the usability of these methods to different situations. Soft System Methodology (SSM) deals with problem situations in which there is a high social, political, and human activity component (Checkland, 90). The SSM is effective in dealing with "soft problems" that are difficult to define but comparatively easier to solve as presented in Children Support Agency case study. Examples of problem situations where SSM is more effective includes socially more complex but technically easier problems such as dealing with homelessness, illiteracy and distressed young people. SSM as defined by Checkland (1990) is composed of seven stages from, finding out the problem situation, expressing the problem situation through Rich Pictures (i.e., representations of organizational structure and processes pertinent to the problem situation), viewing the situation and produce root definitions, building conceptual models of what the system must do for each root definition, comparing the conceptual models with the real world, identifying feasible and desirable c hanges, to making recommendations to improve the problem situation. Expressing the problem situation through Rich Pictures is a major phase of Soft System Analysis. Rich Pictures are most effective in analyzing the complex organizational structures, functions and processes. Rich Picture diagrams as illustrated by following figure are one of the best and most flexible ways for communicating systematic planning process. Following Rich Picture for the complete Children Support Agency environment outlines all major structures, processes, different stakeholders and their concerns. Figure 1: Rich Picture Diagram for CSA Management Information System. The above rich picture modelling gives a broad picture of the situation. It shows clearly the expectations of different stakeholders from proposed Management Information System. Development of rich pictures gives a systematic understanding of all questions and observations about the problem situation. The above representation of the scenario can be very helpful in identifying

Comparative youth justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparative youth justice - Essay Example Despite their naivety, initially children were treated and punished in the same way as their adult counterparts irrespective of their crime but gradually the criminal justice system was introduced to reforms that ensured an alternate protocol to deal with child crime. Tracing the history of youth justice system, In 1933, The Children and Young Persons Act (1933, Sec. 44(1)) was introduced which said, ‘Every court in dealing with a child or young person who is brought before it, either as an offender or otherwise, shall have regard to the welfare of the child or young person and shall in a proper case take steps for removing him from undesirable surroundings, and for securing that proper provision is made for his education and training’. Since then there have been amendments and changes to this act. Later acts, for example, The Children and Young Persons Act of 1969 (1969, Sec. 43 (1)) gave a more of a welfare spin to youth justice but the question arises that should the young ones be punished for their crimes (which they might have committed in adolescence and immaturity)? People have different perspectives over this, some say that they should be forgiven and sent to rehabilitation centres while others are of a view that they should be punished so they learn their lesson and never repeat the mistake again. Surprisingly, it has been observed that first timers who have been punished for their crime tend to become second time offenders. This might be associated to the severity of the punishment that consequently makes the young so revengeful of the society. The next logical inquisitions that pop up include, is custody/punishment an expensive way of making bad people worse? Does the locking up of children work? Statistics show that around 2203 children are in custody in England and Wales and most of them are imprisoned for non-violent offences so does it add up to be logical to imprison a child for a non-violent crime when they can be rehabilitated in the community? Locking someone in prison is usually for individuals who are harm to community. The premise of taking a child into custody is a thought that suggests that they are a hazard to society. Children tend to wallow, all their lives in a complex that they were not worthy enough to be forgiven and given another chance. These disturbing thoughts make them so hateful of the society that they begin to think that no matter what they do, they will land up in a prison anyway. According to Morse (2010, Sec. 6), in his report to the ministry of justice, such thoughts make it easier for these children to go back to crime thus they end up being second time offenders. Although all of them do have a potential to have a good life again but once they get into a prison such is the urge of reoffending that they are likely to be engaged the cycle of getting in and out of prison for life. According to Wark (2010), some young offenders were interviewed during a research and it came out that tho se children have now become worst than before. A child who was given a custodial sentence at the age of 12 for robbing off people to buy drugs, is now a maniac to society, he was expelled thrice from school after that then became a rebel. He began fighting on streets, spitting at teachers, threw chairs at fellow students and started smoking, he has become an angry rebellious child who is not acceptable anywhere and the already highlighted non-acceptance has

The Radical Idea of Marrying for Love Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Radical Idea of Marrying for Love - Essay Example In the past, just like it is today, love reigned in the lovers’ hearts. However, unlike today, it was always seen as a phenomenon very distant from love and mostly a threat to the â€Å"societal order.† Precedence was given to the people’s obligation to not only their extended families, but also to the society in general and the creator. As such, love was perceived as a big interference. For instance, during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries in Europe, there was a strict distinction between love and marriage. Those with desires to express their true love or intimacy could only do that through adultery since marriage was purposefully instituted to fulfill obligations. There is a good example in one love story that involved a theologian (Peter Aberlard) and a mistress (Heloise). Heloise declined Aberlard’s proposal to marry her in secret because that would put her reputation in jeopardy. For her, â€Å"marriage would not only harm his career but also und ermine their love† (Coontz, 132). In most societies (for example, Greeks, Romans, Christians, and Muslims), people despised those lovers who publicly expressed their love for each other. Such an act was not only sinful but also drew people away from God. For Christian theologians, married partners who had too much love and affection for each other were seen idol worshippers. In addition, it is still considered bad, in Cameroon, to express intense love for your partner, since it is believed that this isolates couples from the rest of the society (Coontz, 132). And for those societies in India as well as Europe, it was believed that love could only exist after marriage. A well-matched couple and one with financial stability would eventually see partners experiencing a perfect love for each other. Love was considered as a benefit, and therefore, any marriage built on it would inevitably lead to sadness in life. Today, an ideal marriage is totally different.

Color and Vans Essay Example for Free

Color and Vans Essay Vans and Converse are both brands of shoes. Vans and Converses have many similarities but they also both have many differences. Both brands come in many different colors and patterns. They also both come in many different styles. For example, they both come in slip-ons, lace-ups, and boots. Also both Converse and Vans make shoes for many different activities. For example, Converse makes shoes for Basketball and Cheerleading. Vans make shoes for surfing, skating, skateboarding, BMX, Moto X, and Snowboarding. Last but not least, they both make casual shoes. Some differences between Vans and Converse are sizing and pricing. The Converse sizes are smaller than the actual street shoe you wear. The pricing between Vans and Converse is also different. Converses are more expensive than Vans. Those are just some of the similarities and differences between vans and Converse. Vans vs converse Vans and Converse are both brands of shoes. Vans and Converses have many similarities but they also both have many differences. Both brands come in many different colors and patterns. They also both come in many different styles. For example, they both come in slip-ons, lace-ups, and boots. Also both Converse and Vans make shoes for many different activities. For example, Converse makes shoes for Basketball and Cheerleading. Vans make shoes for surfing, skating, skateboarding, BMX, Moto X, and Snowboarding. Last but not least, they both make casual shoes. Some differences between Vans and Converse are sizing and pricing. The Converse sizes are smaller than the actual street shoe you wear. The pricing between Vans and Converse is also different. Converses are more expensive than Vans. Those are just some of the similarities and differences between vans and Converse. Vans vs converse Vans and Converse are both brands of shoes. Vans and Converses have many similarities but they also both have many differences. Both brands come in many different colors and patterns. They also both come in many different styles. For example, they both come in slip-ons, lace-ups, and boots. Also both Converse and Vans make shoes for many different activities. For example, Converse makes shoes for Basketball and Cheerleading. Vans make shoes for surfing, skating, skateboarding, BMX, Moto X, and Snowboarding. Last but not least, they both make casual shoes. Some differences between Vans and Converse are sizing and pricing. The Converse sizes are smaller than the actual street shoe you wear. The pricing between Vans and Converse is also different. Converses are more expensive than Vans. Those are just some of the similarities and differences between vans and Converse. Vans vs converse Vans and Converse are both brands of shoes. Vans and Converses have many similarities but they also both have many differences. Both brands come in many different colors and patterns. They also both come in many different styles. For example, they both come in slip-ons, lace-ups, and boots. Also both Converse and Vans make shoes for many different activities. For example, Converse makes shoes for Basketball and Cheerleading. Vans make shoes for surfing, skating, skateboarding, BMX, Moto X, and Snowboarding. Last but not least, they both make casual shoes. Some differences between Vans and Converse are sizing and pricing. The Converse sizes are smaller than the actual street shoe you wear. The pricing between Vans and Converse is also different. Converses are more expensive than Vans. Those are just some of the similarities and differences between vans and Converse. Vans vs converse Vans and Converse are both brands of shoes. Vans and Converses have many similarities but they also both have many differences. Both brands come in many different colors and patterns. They also both come in many different styles. For example, they both come in slip-ons, lace-ups, and boots. Also both Converse and Vans make shoes for many different activities. For example, Converse makes shoes for Basketball and Cheerleading. Vans make shoes for surfing, skating, skateboarding, BMX, Moto X, and Snowboarding. Last but not least, they both make casual shoes. Some differences between Vans and Converse are sizing and pricing. The Converse sizes are smaller than the actual street shoe you wear. The pricing between Vans and Converse is also different. Converses are more expensive than Vans. Those are just some of the similarities and differences between vans and Converse.

Dependency School of Development: Summary and Critique

Dependency School of Development: Summary and Critique In this essay I address the claim that the dependency school sees development from a Third World perspective.[1] I focus on two dependency theorists, Andrà © Gunder Frank and Fernando Henrique Cardoso, as a way to examine such a statement. First, I describe dependency theory in a historical context as well as in general terms, in order to clearly situate the school within Third World discourse. Second, I examine the specific theoretical characteristics of Frank’s theories, and some of the criticism of it and how they relate to Third World issues. Third, I discuss Cardoso’s scholarship in relation both to the dependency school and to Frank’s research by emphasizing his theoretical divergence from orthodox dependency theory. Next, I comparatively discuss Frank and Cardoso’s theories in relation to an overall discussion on dependency and development. In conclusion, I review the reasons why the dependency school incorporates a Third World perspective, particu larly a Latin American perspective. Throughout this essay I refer to ‘dependency theory’, yet I would like to point out, as Roxborough (1979) has stressed, that rather than viewing the notion of dependency as a â€Å"specific theory† or a â€Å"theory of dependency† it be seen as a paradigm (p.43).[2] This is because there are many competing theories and definitions of dependency as well as several historical intellectual shifts and revisions among dependency scholars (Hout, 1993). The dependency school of development is also variably referred to as the ‘structuralist’, ‘world economy’ and ‘underdevelopment’ schools (Bosch, 1997). It has its roots in theoretical debates discussing capitalism and Marxism (Gardner and Lewis 1996; Chilcote 1981; Roxborough, 1979; Frank, 1967). The earliest discussions emerging from the dependency school can be traced to the ECLA (Economic Commission of Latin America), established by the United Nations in 1948 whereby a radi cal group of scholars examined the inequities of North-South relations and trade. This enclave of scholars specifically focused on Latin American issues and the paradox of why these countries so rich in natural resources are so economically poor. The need for the ECLA forum arose from an academic and political reaction toward the inability of Latin American countries to halt the â€Å"imperialist siphoning-off of the surplus value produced by their working classes†, hence, the association of dependency theory with a Third World perspective (Johnson 1981, p. 58). The ECLA theorists argued that Latin American countries are subjected to an international system that manipulates and controls them from beyond their own borders (Staniland, 1985). These ideas, moreover, offered a critique of modernisation theories that view less developed countries in terms of an evolutionary process whereby industrialization and economic development are seen as stages that they must undergo in order to achieve higher incomes and living standards. In contrast, dependency theory views less developed countries as resulting from conditions generated by a broader global system of exploitation set within wider social and historical processes (Bilto n et al., 1996). The theoretical debates surrounding dependency theory hinge upon the central idea that it is pointless to study the development of Third World societies in isolation from more developed countries. Debates further the notion that western capitalism in the industrialized world is built upon its ability to dominate and control the resources of non-industrial less developed countries and must thus sustain its dominant position to advance its own interests. The historical basis for such domination is the significant accumulation of capital that occurred during colonization and the industrial revolution. The continuation of such domination transpires through neo-colonialism. As such, dependency theorists primarily focus on the political structures that shape the relationships between the First and Third World (Staniland, 1985). This main tenet of dependency theory is closely tied to what is widely refereed to as ‘world systems theory’, established by Immanual Wallerstein. In fact, ‘world systems theory’, is commonly viewed as an adaptation or extension of the dependency school (Chirot and Hall, 1982). Wallerstein (1974) views the world as an interrelated system, a world-economy, whereby each country is perceived in terms of its relationship to the whole. It is precisely through a world systems analysis that notions of ‘First† and ‘Third’ worlds have materialized as a way to portray the simultaneous differentiation and interdependency of distinct parts. Dependency theory suggests that the Third World â€Å"is not natural, but created through economic and political processes†(Gardner and Lewis 1996, p.17). Like dependency theory, ‘world systems theory’ is often criticized for being overly deterministic (Staniland, 1985). Two of the most prominent dependency theorists are Andrà © Gunder Frank and Fernando Henrique Cardoso. Frank and Cardoso are both ECLA scholars and associated with Latin American issues and the dependency school to the extent that they are often referred to as ‘dependistas’. Frank (1967) introduced the popular term ‘the development of underdevelopment’ and wrote specifically about how â€Å"the domestic, political and social structure of Chile was and still remains determined first and foremost by the fact and specific nature of its participation in the world capitalist system† (p.29). His work also attempted to address a major gap in the ECLA discussions: the role of class interests within Third World countries in creating cycles of dependency. To do this, Frank developed the notion of metropolis-satellite links whereby capitalism produces a developed center and its underdeveloped peripheries. He purported that the ties between metropolis and satell ite can also represent links between advanced capital cities and their hinterlands. This metaphorical binary aims to examine the relationships between industrialised and non-industrialised countries. Although revisionist dependency theorists now refer to these as core-periphery relationships, this metaphor still forms the basis for many contemporary critiques of global capitalism. According to this view, the peripheries supply cheap raw materials and labour to the core. In return, the core supplies them with obsolescent technologies, manufactured goods and debt. This results in peripheral economies being oriented toward the outside whereby resources flow toward the core and, in turn, continue to flow toward the more dominant economic interests of other cores. Capitalism is seen to necessitate the core-periphery division for the efficient allocation of resources in favour of dominant countries. . Despite, Frank’s intentional focus on class interests, he ignores questions of class formation and behaviour. In his analysis, the flow of resources between the divergent metropolis and satellite regions takes social classes as a given without specifically analysing their structures and roles in contributing to a system of domination. Hence, in Frank’s analysis, spatial relations are conflated with social class relations, a contentious point in criticisms of his work (Chilcote, 1981; Cardoso, 1972; Laclau, 1971). In other words, the shift of value from satellite to metropolis cannot always be viewed as an identical phenomenon to that of the exploitation of labour (Roxborough, 1979). Another point that provoked much commentary in Frank’s analysis of Latin American underdevelopment was his claim that Latin America has been a capitalist society ever since the sixteenth century. For Ernesto Laclau (1971), an Argentinian scholar, Frank had misread Marx’s definition of capitalism and was thus mistakenly reducing capitalism to a mere equation of exchange and enterprise omitting the equally important emphasis on modes of production. This was particularly important in regards to labour since, at that time, much labour in Latin America consisted of slavery and debt peonage as well as other pre-capitalist forms. Laclau does not question the premise that at the time of colonization, market economies became tied in with those of First World countries; his main point is that the participation of a country in a world economic system does not necessarily render it as being capitalistic. As such, he indicates that Frank confounds the production of commodities with the commoditization of labour, a criticism which led Frank to revise his work.[3] Fernando Henrique Cardoso, a Latin American sociologist who later served as the President of Brazil, draws ties between dependency theory and imperialism.[4] Using the work of Leninist theories, Cardoso (1972) makes parallels with the dependency school over their mutual use of the term ‘dependency’ and their shared observations about how imperialism furthers the capitalist agenda and necessitates economic domination over less developed countries. Cardoso’s analysis attempted to address those issues of social class that the dependency school had allegedly ignored. He looked at the social and economic as being inextricably tied together, stating, for instance, that â€Å"an economic class or group tries to establish through the social process a system of social relations that permits it to impose on the entire society a social form of production akin to its own interests† (ibid, p. 15). Cardoso went beyond the metropolis/satellite metaphor and the perceived asymmetry between First and Third Worlds by examining the political, economic and social links between the dominant local social classes within and between Third and First World countries (Cardoso and Faletto, 1979). For Cardoso, â€Å"political institutions at a given moment can only be fully understood in terms of the structures of domination because these express the class interests behind political organization† (ibid, p. 14). He thus envisioned the capitalist economy as growing toward an internationalization in which societies become divided into antagonistic classes. Cardoso’s delineation of class interests between and within countries departed from the more deterministic model offered by Frank, seeing dependency as varying by degree and thus allowing for a more unconstrained view of international relations. Furthermore, by placing dependency into situation-specific contexts, his position is a more relativist departure from that of Frank’s. Most importantly, Cardoso’s perspective is optimistic about the possibility that dependent relations can transform over time. In fact, Cardoso (1973) argues that in some contexts development and dependency can actually be compatible. This is a clear departure from Frank and other dependency theorists who are often labeled as having a stagnationist view toward development. Both Frank and Cardoso agree that exploitation from dominant states is a key operating factor in how regional economies develop but whereas Cardoso might focus on class interests, Frank will more broadly hold the forces of capitalism accountable (Bosch, 1997). In fact, Cardoso’s critics accuse him of not detailing the more general conditions and mechanisms by which global capitalism operates (Staniland, 1985). Whereas Frank is pessimistic about liberal and neo-liberal trade theory’s claims to create equality and more fairly distribute resources and the access to them, Cardoso is optimistic. Although Cardoso accepts the basic premise of dependency theory as describing third world countries as being conditioned by global agendas and constraints, he does not call for a socialist revolution, as does Frank, as a means to remedy these problems.[5] Yet Frank is also critical of his own former position that assumed that in order for Third World countries to achieve economic independence from the First World they could voluntary de-link themselves from broader economic systems thus controlling their own internal resources, such as raw materials and labour, to develop their own economies. Frank claims that â€Å"experience has shown it to be extremely difficult, if not impossible for voluntarist political action to de-link particular countries from the world economy† (Frank, 2002). Undoubtedly, as I discussed previously, the intellectual roots, vitality and application of dependency theorists have fostered around Third World issues and debates that, in turn, have greatly influenced development studies at large. I would make the case that even more specifically, dependency theory is also distinctively Latin American.[6] First, its origins emerge from a think tank focused on Latin America as a region. Second, its main proponents are Latin Americanists of which many are also Latin American nationals. Third, the application and analysis of the dependency school of thought has been on Latin American development. Fourth, its popularity among Latin American scholars and policymakers has made it an important intellectual school of social thought within Latin American academia and politics. Through Latin American intelligentsia, such as Cardoso, dependency theory has even entered mainstream Latin American politics. Overall, Latin Americanists have used the main argument s of dependency theory to stress how the structural climate of the world economy shapes Latin American economies. As such, through dependency theory, they have strongly influenced the international scholarship on development. In conclusion, the dependency school, unlike other development perspectives, distinctively represents a Third World view. The debates inspired by the dependency school have given voice to a Third World perspective, in terms of focus, point of view and representation. As I have shown, there are equally as many excellent expositions as there are criticisms of Frank and Cardoso’s studies and the dependency school at large (Smith 1981). What is significant is how these provocative and critical debates ultimately touch upon broader themes that, like the dependency school itself, address expansive global, economic, political and social issues. References: Bilton, Tony et al. (1996) Introductory Sociology, 3rd edition. London, Macmillan. Ahiakpor, James C.W. (1985) The success and failure of dependency theory: the experience of Ghana. International Organization, 39(3), 535-552. Bosch, Gerald R. (1997) Eric Williams and the moral rhetoric of dependency theory. Callaloo, 20(4), Special Issue: Eric Williams and Postcolonial Caribbean, p 817-827. Cardoso, Fernando Henrique (1972) Dependency and development in Latin America. New Left Review, 74,83-95. Cardoso, Fernando Henrique (1973) Associated dependent development: theoretical and practical implications.In: Alfred Stephen (ed) Authoritarian Brazil: Origins, Policies and Future. New Haven, Yale University Press, p.142-76. Cardoso, F. H. and Faletto, Enzo (1979) Dependency and Development in Latin America. Berkeley: Pergamon Press. Chilcote, Ronald H. (1981) Issues of Theory in Dependency and Marxism. Latin American Perspectives, 8 (3/4), dependency and Marxism. 3-16. Chirot, Daniel and Hall, Thomas D. (1982) World-System Theory. Annual Review of Sociology, 8, 81-106. Frank, Andrà © Gunder (1967) Capitalism and underdevelopment in Latin America: historical studies of Chile and Brazil. London, Monthly Review. Frank, Andrà © Gunder (1984) Critique and anti-critique: essays on dependence and reformism. New York, Praeger Publishers. Frank, Andrà © Gunder (2002) Interview. In: Practical Strategies For Social And Economic Development. Aurora online (Simmons, Tony). February 2002. Available from: http://aurora.icaap.org/gifs/frank.gif [Accessed July 7, 2005]. Gardner, Katy and Lewis, David (1996) Anthropology, development and the post-modern challenge. London, Pluto Press. Hout, Wil (1993) Capitalism and the Third World: development, dependence and world system. Aldershot, Edward Elgar. Johnson, Carlos. (1981) Dependency theory and the processes of capitalism and socialism. Latin American Perspectives, 8 (3/4), Dependency and Marxism, 55-81. Kleemeier, Lizz Lyle. (1978) Review: Empirical tests of dependency theory: a second critique of methodology by Vengroff, Richard. The Journal of Modern African Studies, 16 (4), 701-704. Laclau, Ernesto (1971) Feudalism and capitalism in Latin America. New Left Review, 67, 19-38. Roxborough, Ian (1979) Theories of Underdevelopment. London: Macmillan. Smith, Tony (1981) The logic of dependency theory revisited. International Organization, 35 (4) 755-761. Staniland, Martin (1985) What is political economy? A study of social theory and underdevelopment. New Haven: Yale University Press. Wallerstein, Immanuel (1974) The modern world system: capitalist agriculture and the origins of the European world economy in the sixteenth century. New York, Academic Press. 1 Footnotes [1] The analytical categories of First World, Second World, and Third World are used to make a distinction between the different levels of economic development among nations/states. [2] The dependency school is similarly also refereed to as a ‘perspective’ (Kleemeier 1978, 701). [3] Frank (1984) later incorporated Laclau’s criticisms, which strongly influenced the direction of his future work, particularly in his volumes on world capitalist history. [4] Cardoso also served as the President of Brazil from 1994 through 2002. [5] Frank has revised his former position that once assumed that â€Å"significant political change could free any people from these economic and historical determinants.† (Frank, 2002) [6] I am not implying that dependency theory is exclusively debated around Latin American issues, see for example Kleemeier (1978) and Ahiakpor (1985). Apocalypse Now: An Anti-War Message Apocalypse Now: An Anti-War Message The 1979 movie Apocalypse Now was created in an extremely deliberate and thought out fashion by Francis Ford Coppola. There is a purpose behind how he filmed and what he filmed. Each edit, angle, shot, sound, transition, and lighting technique was filmed in such a way in order to convey meaning. The cinematic tools that Coppola utilized in the making of Apocalypse Now encouraged the American public viewing the film to take an honest look at how warfare is really conducted. Like many other movies created about the Vietnam War, such as Platoon and Full Metal Jacket, Apocalypse Now has an anti-war message within it. This attitude is a shift in the way the American public had viewed war, since usually they were very patriotic and supportive. By making films that raise up issues regarding war, directors were taking advantage of the already troubled public and challenging them to look deeper and question the way in which they had previously viewed warfare and the preparation given to soldi ers for it. The film techniques allowed Coppola to condemn military recruiters as well as army officials who did not properly prepare and condition soldiers to withstand the psychological affects of warfare. His method of filming also displays a critique of politicians who mandate warfare for political expediency. In this paper, I will discuss how Coppola used cinematic tools strategically in his film Apocalypse Now to show warfare for what it truly is and the effect on soldiers that combat had in order to inspire society to re-evaluate and change its attitude towards war. Apocalypse Now is a film that follows Captain Benjamin Willard on his second tour in the Vietnam War. When the film begins, it finds Willard in a hotel room in Saigon, Vietnam waiting for his next mission. In this scene, Willard offers a vague picture of his first tour in Vietnam and expresses how desperate he is to return to action. In the following scene, Willard is sent for by army officials and given his next mission which is to locate and murder Colonel Walter E. Kurtz, an American green beret who went rogue, created his own army of native Vietnamese people and subsequently appointed himself as a god over them. To complete his mission, Willard is accompanied by four soldiers who do not know the purpose of his mission, as it is classified information. On their expedition to find Kurtz, Willard and the crew come across Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore, who commands them to take part in a brutal and merciless attack on a small Vietnamese village. As Willard and his crew continue on their journey upriver towards Kurtz, they attend a Playboy show, massacre a crew of Vietnamese fishermen, and fall under the surprise attack from natives on shore. When they finally reach Kurtzs camp, Willard is taken captive by Kurtz and forced to listen to Kurtzs philosophical concerns at length, for days. Upon being set free, Willard enters Kurtzs private rooms and fulfills his mission, finally killing Kurtz. When the natives realize that Kurtz has been killed, they bow to Willard and accept him as their new leader and god. However, Willard passively rejects the role of their leader by taking the remaining member of his crew, boarding their boat, and riding away from the native camp as the film ends. Within the film, there are various scenes that show the chaos, uncertainty and absurdity of warfare that often leave soldiers in a state of psychological trauma long after their time in combat. As a result of this story being told through the medium of film, Coppola is able to use cinematic tools he would otherwise not have had at his disposal. There are two particular scenes in which the tools he employs help to convey the significance of the scene with more impact. These two scenes are the opening scene of the movie and the scene known as Ride of the Valkyries. These scenes and the five cinematic elements employed in them, will be the focus of this paper. In the opening scene of the film, Coppola employs elaborate editing techniques in order to show the phycological damage that Willard has been suffering from since his first tour in Vietnam. Although the focus is obviously only on the character of Willard, Coppola means for this to be a display of what happens to the mind of any soldier after returning from combat, where their minds are in a state of psychological turmoil.   The scene shows a green, peaceful treeline in Vietnam and then shows it exploding in flames as numerous helicopters fly close by (Apocalypse Now, 0:01:10). The film then transitions from this image in a smooth fade away to Willard lying in his hotel room (0: 03: 55). As the transition continues, it shows Willard take a long drag from a cigarette as the ceiling fan above him rotates fast and loud. The fade in this scene is significant because of its smooth transition from one picture and place to another; the helicopters in the scene with the trees make an n ear identical sound to the ceiling fan and the propeller of the helicopter looks like the ceiling fans blades rotating in Willards room. The way Willards cigarette lights up has the fading image of exploding fiery trees in the background. The editing is magnificent. It is clear from the scene, that the explosions and helicopters are memories from Willards first tour in Vietnam. The images of the blown-up trees cut and edited into the images of Willards tortured face in the hotel room portray a man who is really struggling with what he has experienced. While most memories fade over time and details are forgotten, victims of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder often remember their traumatic experience vividly and the same way every time they think about it (Vees-Gulani 55). For many, it is not even that they are remembering but rather they are living in a continual presentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [and] an endless present (Vees-Gulani 55). The memories that Willard cannot escape from, from his first tour, are persistently intrud[ing] on him (Vees-Gulani 62).   For him, something as mundane as a ceiling fan materializes into a combat helicopter and the burning of a cigarette is an explosion. Often throughout the movie, it seems as if Willard is one of the only men still sound of mind, but the first scene with its masterful edits to Willards first tour flashbacks clue the viewer in on the fact that Willards PTSD made him bound in the timelessness of warfare (Vees-Gulani 89). For the viewer to fully appreciate the genius of Coppolas use of editing in this scene, one must recognize that PTSD is an illness that plagues the victim relentlessly and constantly. By displaying this scene and these ideas in one seamless transitional edit, Coppola is indicating to the viewers that soldiers who return from war may look physically unscathed, but that does not mean they are not haunted and harmed by their experiences in combat. Another technique utilized in this first scene is that of lighting. Coppola strategically uses it in order to set a certain mood and feel for the scene. As Willard lies on his bed, he looks at the ceiling fan, which is black and yet there is a slight flicker of light from the fan. It catches the viewers eye and helps to create a more ominous scene, really giving the viewer a feeling for what was happening within the scene. It is fascinating that something so small as a flicker of light can add so much insight to a scene and enrich ones overall understanding of a story. In a captivating interview with Apocalypse Nows production designer, Dean Tavoularis, Tavoularis described how the films cinematographer Vittorio Storaro purposely choreographed the lighting cues on many shots to add an extra level of significance to scenes and that the speck of light in the opening scene from the fan was one of such times (Gentry 96). He described how the flicker of light in this scene is like an irri tation, an insect, an element that gets across to the viewer and adds to the chaotic scene to help display the psychological trauma that Willard is dealing with.   The flicker lasts for hardly a second, but it was intentionally put in at that time to help further the story and its message. Attention grabbing, this cinematic tool is used to its fullest potential in this scene. The music in Apocalypse Now is also a cinematic technique that Coppola capitalizes on. Coppola deliberately chose the song This is the End to critique the sentiments preached by many of the benefits one receives when they serve in the army in order to ignore their societal duty to look after the wellbeing of veterans. Coppola is criticizing the way in which soldiers are prepared, or in from his standpoint under prepared, for war and how upon their return from combat, with their physical and mental scars, society neglects them. The song This is the End begins slow with pleasant guitar and a soft melody. The song fades out for a bit but then plays again as the scene transitions to Willard intoxicating himself in his hotel room (0:05:58). However, when the song fades back in, it sounds dramatically different. The guitar has picked up speed, the tempo is faster and the singer screams, Fuck! Fuck me!. As the songs intensity increases, the scene shows Willard strip naked, cut himself and c ry uncontrollably. Coppola used the feeling given off from the crazed music to increase the intensity of the scene.   He uses the music almost as a metaphor for a soldier in their war experience. The soldier starts off by being told the war will award them with lifelong skills, such as loyalty and respect. However, they are not equipped for the psychological and emotional suffering from being in combat, the effects of PTSD, or the high suicide rates amongst veterans. The music starts out slow and pleasant but they soon find out on their own that the music changes, it is not predictable, it can become violent. Using music as a cinematic tool in Apocalypse Now, Coppola presses Western societies to stop romanticising the idea of war. Towards the close of the scene, Willard is bleeding and crying on the floor of the hotel room (0:07:16), and the viewer can hear the song This is the End playing but cannot hear Willards crying. The silence of Willards cries is a message as well. The unheard cries of Willard can be seen as the unheard soldiers upon their return from war. They come back from combat scarred physically and mentally. Their minds cannot rest, they are never completely at ease and the constant suffering leads many to turn to destructive substances, like alcohol and drugs, just to escape from their own minds for a time. This is not a case of one veteran but rather a horrible trend that occurs to many, and it can be seen as a clear sign that they are calling out for help. Yet, it seems that Western society chooses to close their ears to their cries. The Music in the scene is used to send a message from Coppola that he condemns Western societies who promote war but deafen themselves against the cries of the s oldiers suffering, which they helped to create. Coppola is highlighting how there is a great need for honesty about what effect the army can have on ones life before soldiers are enlisted and how adequate resources are needed for their recovery when they return from combat. In the scene known as March of the Valkyries, Lieutenant Kilgore orders an air attack on a Vietnamese village. It is in this scene that Coppola uses the tool of camera shots and angles to showcase to the viewer the absurdity and violence that soldiers endure during warfare. It is clear from the contrasting shots that Coppola used that he wished viewers would re-evaluate their opinions on war and question politicians inclination to engage in war. Coppola uses close-up camera shots in order for the viewer to feel as if they are in the sequences in the March of the Valkyries scene. As the helicopters approach the village, the viewer is privy to a conversation between Lieutenant Kilgore and a soldier named Lance, an expert surfer, as they discuss the different types of surfboards they prefer (0:36:20-0:36:55). The absurdity and backwardness of this conversation at that time is dumbfounding. They are in a helicopter that is about to attack and kill an entire village of Vietnamese soldiers and innocent civilians and yet, the Lieutenant does not review the battle plan with his crew or tell them to reflect on what they are about to take part in. Rather then do any of these normal and expected things, he is instead choosing that particular time to talk about one of his favourite hobbies. The only people in the frame of the shot are Kilgore and Lance, from their shoulders up, making the viewer feel as if they are part of the conversation as well. This is a strategic tool use by Coppola to get his audience to understand the soldiers who have these mundane conversations at inappropriate times and how these interactions skew with the soldiers sense of morality. It becomes clear that the soldiers have a hard time dealing with the guilt of murdering entire villages when it is equated to regular past times by their officers. The contrast of what they are going to do in the scene and what they are discussing is made evident through the cameras close shots. It is another example , by Coppola, of how army officials do not prepare soldiers for warfare since they make it less serious and make the consequences less harsh with conversations such as the one Coppola zooms up on. Another example of a shots that Coppola uses to showcase the absurdity of war it close to the end of the March of the Valkyries attack, is when he shows two long shots. The first is of rockets and ammunition hitting the water, causing five enormous explosions of water to shoot up (0:44:55), and the second is of napalm bombs being dropped on the village, producing a huge fire (0:48:55). By zooming out on this shot, Coppola is showcasing the violence and devastation of war in all its totality as well as the beauty of nature. The blending of the beauty and the destruction enters the soldiers awareness, making them flinch and recoil in horror and at the same time exclaim, Its really exciting, man! (0:45:00). The contrast can add to soldiers mixed feelings about the war, morally and emotionally. Its exciting and incredible and its also terrible and monstrous. These long shots are used by Coppola to show that when you zoom out fighting for ones country seems brave and courageous but up clo se it can hurt the soldiers in ways that are ignored by society. The camera angles that are used in Apocalypse Now are also used by Coppola to critique war and its effects on soldiers. Kilgore and his helicopter unit land by the shore as the March of the Valkyrie battle ends. As they all try to take cover in a ditch, Kilgore stands above ground in the open and shouts orders. (0:46:02). The angle that the camera shoots Kilgore at is at level with the soldiers in the ditch, so it is as if the viewer is in the position of the soldier. He is shown to be glorious leader that none of them would disobey, even if his command seems insane such as when he says, If I say its safe to surf this beach, Captain, its safe to surf this beach! (0:47:10). During war, it is expected that soldiers will obey their commanding officers without question. There are times when this is absolutely necessary, however it can also lead to issues with trust. In an instance where a soldier witnesses his officer commanding a fellow soldier to do something that in turn leads to his death, the soldier may have issues trusting the judgement of his commanding officer. When officers in leadership positons, and by extension, the politicians who declare war, are given all knowing and godlike statuses among soldiers and society, it can create psychological trauma for soldiers and questions of faith within larger society. The camera angles used by Coppola are to put the viewer in a soldiers shoes and to understand that leaders should not be seen as all knowing and all powerful and that it is important to question their choices before accepting them. It is clear that Francis Ford Coppola used many cinematic techniques in Apocalypse Now in order to convey to society that they must re-evaluate their views on war and be more considerate of the soldiers who have been hurt physically and mentally by it. The way in which he cut and edited scenes showcase the trauma that continues to haunt soldiers even after they return from war. Lighting is also used as a technique to further this message. The use of sound in certain areas and not in others is employed to accuse society of turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to the veterans who do not receive proper rehabilitation upon their return. Another technique Coppola used was to zoom in or out on specific camera shots to display the absolute absurdity of war and the effects that has on soldiers. Lastly, Coppola utilized camera angles to encourage society to think for themselves and never trust a leader without first questioning their true intentions, especially in the context of war. These five cinematic elements help to tell the story of Apocalypse Now in a way that a novel never could, since it is not just a film with a captivating plot but rather a movie in which cinematic techniques force the viewers to reconsider some troubling societal issues. References Apocalypse Now. (1979) . Retrieved March 20, 2017, from https://solarmoviez.to/movie/apocalypse-now-6743/74126-8/watching.html Gentry, R. (2010, Winter-Spring). Dean Tavoularis. Post Script, 29(2), 93+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/ps/i.do?p=EAIMsw=wu=yorku_mainv=2.1it=rid=GALE%7CA247223175asid=3fccc0d830aca85bdf6a33f51c16a1bf I found this source to be very helpful in my understanding of the movie Apocalypse Now since it is an interview that addresses not only the movie, but also some of the cinematic techniques used to create it. The interview covers a variety of topics about the film like plot, symbolism, character development and the tools used to showcase all of these ideas in the best possible way. Although I did not end up using many quotes from it, I found that it expanded my knowledge of the way in which the director and those who advised him chose to portray certain scenes. This source backed up the most essential of points for my essay, that everything Coppola did was deliberate and in order to draw the audiences attention to certain things. Vees-Gulani, Susanne. Diagnosing Billy Pilgrim: A Psychiatric Approach to Kurt Vonneguts Slaughterhouse-Five. Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction 44.2 (2003): 175-184. Retrieved from http://literature.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/searchFulltext.do?id=R01664027divLevel=0area=abellforward=critref_ft I found this source to be incredibly useful on the topic of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Soldiers. The source is an analysis of an antiwar novel in which the author wrote about their own experiences in World War II. I found that many of the points that were made about this man and his novel also applied to the soldiers in the film Apocalypse Now. When discussing PTSD and how it feels for an individual, it really seemed to be in complete conjunction with the way Coppola portrayed Willard in the opening scene of the movie. This article helped me to see the techniques that Coppola was using were in order to show PTSD as realistically as possible.