Positive Effects of Media on Children Essay

Many people argue that the media only brings negative effects on children, forcing the parents to constantly say â€Å"no† to their children’s requests. Parents argue that the media repetitively advertises junk food and things that may damage a child’s health; and they are forced to â€Å"counter the culture†, which means to stop the messages that the media is trying to deliver to their children. Although it may be true that some of what the media advertises is not good on big quantities for the children’s health, I believe that not everything the media presents is bad, as it has plenty of positive sides. Much of the kids’ programming shown on TV is meant to be educational, and teach the children different aspects of the world. By watching television and the media, the children discover what they truly like, what sports they’re interested in, what instruments they want to play, etc. Furthermore, the television advertisements can bring positive effects on the kids’ knowledge about everyday lives, and different aspects of such influence children positively. The use of social media and television has more positive effects than what it has negative, it is a key part of our current society and the minds of the children. Television acts as a meaningful teacher for children, as many programs that the kids watch are educational and cover aspects of the world in a way that it is understandable by children. Sesame Street has been one of the most influential TV show on children for over 35 years now, and it has shown to have positive results in the viewer’s learning skills and developing character. By watching Sesame Street, toddlers can learn much about cultural diversity, racial harmony, cooperation, kindness, and how to manage feelings and emotions. This show also teaches basic simple arithmetic and the alphabet to children, in such way that is easily understandable by the kids with no further explanation. Another show that has been greatly influential now is Curios George, which has been a PBS classic in the most recent years, and teaches viewers about problem solving skills. The monkey fellow encourages children to ask questions about the world, and find solutions through questioning. A study conducted by PBS shows that watching the episodes of Curious George boosts the knowledge of the young children about science and math. The children that are watching television today at their homes will eventually become the celebrities, stars and athletes of tomorrow. Every passion starts with a kid saying â€Å"I want to be like him when I grow up†, after watching the stars on TV. Kids watch sports, and decide what attracts them the most, and they discover their passion as they practice it. Currently the best basketball player in the world is Lebron James, who also had an idol as a kid: Michael Jordan. James says that his mom told him that you always want to be better than your idol, not like him; he watched Michael Jordan play with the bulls on TV, and he practiced basketball to discover his passion. Through this, Lebron James is already being compared with Michael Jordan and his ultimate goal is to be better than him but he explains that their aim is for children to be better than them when they grow up. Pop idol celebrities, like Justin Bieber also had idols when they were kids, who inspired them to grow towards their passion. Justin Bieber’s idol was Michael Jackson, who inspired him to become one of the most influential teen celebrities in the current world. The children of today might tomorrow be celebrities and may say they were inspired by Justin Bieber, or other current celebrities. One of the most controversial aspects of social media is the advertisement, as parents claim that too much junk food is advertised, forcing parents to say â€Å"no† to their children. However, advertisements are also one of the positive aspects of television, as it promotes general knowledge about decision making to children. It is shown that some alcohol manufacturers spend about 10% of their budget advertising the dangers of drinking. These include drinking and driving, excess drinking of alcohol, and alcohol related sicknesses and diseases. By watching these advertisements, the children are able to make the decisions of not drinking, or not drinking and driving; this can eventually reduce the dangers that the children are exposed to, and may even reduce the deaths of people. The tobacco companies also spend a good amount of money on advertisements about the dangers of smoking, and the possible consequences. Television often also advertises products that are good for the children’s health and development. Studies show that milk consumption has significantly increased since the implementation of broadcast advertisements on television. Milk and other essential dieting products are shown attractive to children to increase their consumption, and improve their growth and health. There are three types of people: the ones who think that every aspect of the social media is bad for our children; the ones who think that social media may have some positive aspects; and then there are the people who follow the studies and base their opinions on facts, who believe that the social media is good for our children. Various TV programs such as Sesame Street and Curious George engage the kids in entertaining knowledge, through which they are able to learn about diverse topics. The stars and idols of tomorrow are the children watching TV today, the kids who are inspired by that athlete, by that celebrity, or that scientist; restricting television for kids would mean prevailing them from growing their passions and becoming who they want to be. Advertising companies spend huge amounts of money on creating conscience among kids about the problems related to drugs, alcohol, social problems, and bad nutrition. Through TV ads the children are able to make the right decisions in life, and are being informed about the problems they may face in their future lives. The television has a huge positive influence on children, as it promotes education, making right decisions, and finding their passion. Times have changed; we are in the 21st century, which is prevailed by technology and the social media. Television is now a common part of our children’s lives, and it makes positive changes in them, on the education, and their lives. Social media has an infinite amount of positive effects on children, and its growth must be encouraged, as those positive aspects will also grow with it. References Paulsen, Christine, Ph. D. â€Å"Evaluation of Curious George. † PBS. Concord Evaluation Group, May 2012. Web. 19 Aug. 2013. Anthony, Ford-Jones, Ph. D. â€Å"Impact of Media Use on Children and Youth. † National Center for Biotechnology Information. Canadian Paediatric Society, May-June 2003. Web. 19 Aug. 2013.

How Does Stevenson Engage His Readers? Essay

In Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Stevenson uses many ways of engaging his reader throughout the novel. He applies these methods in this way to keep the reader interested in the book. To start off with, Stevenson uses Narrative Methods. These methods add to the suspense and heighten the emotional impact. One use of narrative methods is the fact he tells the story from several perspectives. One chapter of the book is set out as a type of police report with the maidservant recalling what happened the night that Danvers was murdered. The way you can tell it is a report of some kind is because of the extra bits of information added – â€Å"(as the maid described it)† (page 47, line 2). This chapter, apart from giving you a different view of events, makes the readers realise that this man was an important figure in society and this story has gone from a mystery story (with the mystery being the nightmare Enfield had, the door and the strange man named Hyde) to a murder-mystery story as now there is a killer on the loose. This will give the story a frightening twist for the readers but the use of the language makes them keep reading particularly as it Hyde is revealed to be the killer in chapter 4. This twist gives the readers momentum to keep reading as they have already learnt that Hyde has no conscience really and has an inhuman side which can snap at any moment making him all the more dangerous but making the story all the more exciting – â€Å"And then all of a sudden he broke out in a great flame of anger, stamping with his foot, brandishing the cane, and carrying on like a madman† (page 46-47). This helps as all of the Narrators (bar the maidservant) were all reliable figures in society and truthful characters who never dream of lying. Mr Utterson – â€Å"Mr Utterson the lawyer was a man of rugged countenance, that was never lighted by a smile† (Page 29 line 1), this explains he did not have a sense of humour and would not joke around but tell the story as it is. This will help keep the reader interested as if it was a story told by a tramp then the Victorians would never have believed it as they have no reason to be truthful whereas Utterson is a lawyer and was well respected so there’s every reason to trust him. Stevenson introduces him as a calm, gentle man, who just wants to lead a quiet life (making him all the more believable) – â€Å"He was austere with himself; drank gin when he was alone† (Page 29 line 9.) This sentence is very important as well as it tells the reader that he is very strict with himself and sets himself boundaries . What also attracts the reader’s attention is they think that the story has finished chronologically at the end of chapter 8. The Victorians didn’t like mystery stories finishing with loose ends not tied up, so he leads on to the two real documents by saying – â€Å"They trudged back to his office to read the two narratives in which this mystery was now to be explained†. This ends the chapter on a cliffhanger, therefore adding to the suspense and inviting the reader to get involved with the conclusion of the mystery. Stevenson made sure not to reveal that that Hyde was Jekyll until the end when the story was over, although he had left clues – Hyde’s and Jekyll’s writing was similar. Also in chapter 8 when they find that Hyde was wearing oversize clothes that looked suspiciously like Jekyll’s and he infact does pretend to be Jekyll. Chapters 9 and 10 give the story a sense of authenticity as they are â€Å"real† documents. In chapter 9 Utterson receives a letter that was meant for Lanyon from Jekyll. There is a sense of urgency about the letter – â€Å"I had already sealed this up when a fresh terror struck my mind† (Page 75 line 29). This shows he wasn’t thinking clearly and he was rushed, leaving the audience to think why? And therefore reading on. Chapter 10 is a full summary of the book. It ties up all the loose ends as it is a letter from Jekyll himself summarising all the events that have taken place. This particular chapter uses a lot of emotional sentences from Jekyll – â€Å"Under the strain of this continually impending doom and by the sleeplessness to which I now condemned myself† (Page 95 line 13-14) and also â€Å"A mist dispersed; i saw my life to be forfeit. This tells how Jekyll feels he has nowhere to go in life and feels despondent. He recalls all of Hyde’s action and how he â€Å"enjoyed the leaping pulses and secret pleasures† but how he knew admits Hyde was sadistic and mental – â€Å"No man morally sane could have been guilty of that crime†. This is because it was a stupid thing from Hyde’s point of view as know he is a wanted man and cannot roam the streets freely anymore – â€Å"To be tempted, however slightly, was to fail†. Jekyll starts to think suicide’s the only way to stop the maniacal Hyde – â€Å"and when I know he fears my power to cut him off by suicide† (Page 96 line 15-16), as he has â€Å"terrors of the scaffold†. The last page of the book is the most emotional and well-written page of the whole book as Jekyll writes â€Å"his wonderful selfishness† but also â€Å"ape-like spite†. There he turned some con about Hyde into a pro but also made a con seem more than a con. This will tell the reader how emotionally attached to Hyde, Jekyll really was and how this decision was probably the hardest he has had to make in his life. The last few lines Jekyll has made up his decision in the sense he has gone from contemplating suicide to being definite – â€Å"And indeed the doom that is closing on us both† (Page 96 line 6-7). Stevenson also makes you feel sorry for Jekyll – â€Å"I know how i shall sit shuddering and weeping in my chair, or continue with the most strained and fearstruck ecstasy of listening, to pace up and down this room (my last earthly refuge)† (Page 96 line 11-13). That quote makes you think it’s taking every bit of strength to make these decisions and to do the simplest tasks and by this stage the readers eyes are glued to the page. The ending is a cliffhanger, in the sense you do not know anyone else’s reactions to Jekyll’s confession. It ends – â€Å"Here, then as i lay down the pen, and proceed to seal up my confession, i bring to life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end†. That line tells you that he will kill himself but does not tell you how the others react which the readers will put the book down and think about it – in shock due to the confession but also thinking about it some more. My penultimate method is the setting that Stevenson used. He brought the â€Å"evil† immediately into the readers’ lives due to the fact he relates to London which was the most densely populated place in the UK. He also used middle class and well respected gentlemen which told the readers that not all people were perfect and not all the well off led boring lives. Stevenson uses winter as a month where â€Å"bad† things happen as both the murder of Danvers and the girl getting trampled was in Winter late at night. He uses to points of views – a characteristic and a psychological point of view. Characteristic – Mr Hyde’s resides in Soho which was a pocket of poverty and crime whereas Hyde lived in the West End (represents Hyde/Jekyll relationship) Also the respectable view of the entrance to Jekyll’s house to the back door which Hyde uses (represents two sides of the character) Psychological – The misty, dreary London seems to echo the unsettled mood of the characters and the dark mystery of the story – â€Å"The square when they got there was full of wind and dust, and the thin tress in the garden were lashing themselves along the railing† (Page 63 line 17-20). These settings help to set the scene and add the tension as they usually involve a â€Å"cold, windy night† which makes a chill run down the spine therefore wanting the reader to know more. My final method is the way Stevenson has used morals and the likes of the Victorian people in his favour. He has given us the moral – you can never trust appearances, as charming Dr. Henry Jekyll led this duel life with the bloodthirsty Mr Hyde. But also don’t let anything control you – â€Å"I am now finishing this statement under the influence of the last of my old powders†. He is reliant on a source which has driven him to suicide. It is also hypocritical as it’s saying â€Å"if we repress our dark side, it will become stronger†. This is true as Jekyll said of not changing to Hyde for two months – â€Å"But time began at last to obliterate the freshness of my alarm, I once again compound and swallowed the transforming draught†. Stevenson also included a lot more questions than there were answers. The Victorians enjoyed this as although the main loose ends tied up they had a feeling of authority as they got to decide some of the outcomes. As the Victorians found literature as a type of â€Å"escapism† where they could escape from their boring, old lives Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was the perfect novel which fitted all the criteria of a good, mystery/horror book that the Victorians could escape to and therefore engage them! In conclusion to the question, How Does Stevenson Engage His Readers, I think he engages them by using all these different methods – narrative, setting, and what the people in the era it was written liked. I think he engaged the Victorians though particularly on the latter as they had something to relate to e.g. Soho – a lot lower – middle class people lived round there who would buy this book and therefore read it to the end as it is of particular interest to them. This is the same for all of London though. For most people though this story kept them engaged by the excellent descriptions, the use of emotions and the suspense involved. Once a murder had taken place no one was ever going to put the book down!

High School Relfective Essay Essay

When I think about the years that I’ve spent in high school I feel like I am back to those times again. I never thought that the years would go by so quickly, but as fast as it was I still learned a lot from the experiences I had. There were times when I didn’t make anything for my self, and times when I felt like I could do anything. As much as I hated some of the things I went through in high school, I’m glad they happened because without them I wouldn’t me who I am right now. I always wanted to be someone who could excel at everything. I was always jealous of people like that; I admired them for their perseverance. As much as I tried I always seemed to be average at most of the things that I did. Over this summer I had time to get my priorities straight. The fact that this is my last year, sort of scared me into getting my act together and doing what needs to be done. I am the slacker no more. I will not procrastinate. I am more than an average student. I recently realized that I have changed a substantial amount since my arrival at BVH. When I first got here, I was shy. When I made friends I became a chameleon. What they did, I did. What they wore, I wore. That went on until I became familiar with the cruel world of teenage guys. Because I was like them, I was called out when a speck of originality was shown. Once I started being myself, I think I got made fun of more than I ever had. All of that verbal abuse hit me hard because I had never experienced it before. Within my two first years, I almost had the hide of a rhino. I had grown apart from the people who were my â€Å"best friends† and decided to wait for people who could accept me for who I am so that I didn’t have to be what I’m not. I think the early years of high school are where you figure out what kind of person you want to be. It being my last year, I know who I am right now and who I want to be as an adult. All of the troubles I went through have made me who I am today. The strength that I’ve gained from that is part of me, and as hard as it was for me I am glad that I had those experiences. School is very hard. Academically and socially, you go through so many different feelings and experience. For a lot of us,stressful is the one word that describes it. Some of us think of it as fun, others are bored, or depressed. There are so many different words to describe ones feelings on school. For me it was awesome, and I am very thankful for all the experience I had.

Ethno Nationalist Terrorism Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethno Nationalist Terrorism - Personal Statement Example In this regard, the avoidance of media attention on Israeli-Arabs is crucial for the maintenance of peace and prevention of war (Seib, 2005). If the Israeli-Arab situation was highlighted by the media, it would have a negative impact on Palestinians because of the biased reporting that portrays Arabs to be terrorists (Seib, 2005). As a result, the Palestinians would feel compelled to defend their religion against Israeli attacks. It is apparent that Palestinians are fighting for a separation from the Israel governance and would use this war to extend their intentions. Another impact of media exposure of the Israel-Arab war on the Palestinians is that it would increase the recruitment of citizens to join the war. This implies that the reporting would incite people, raising negative emotions that cause tension (Seib, 2005). This can cause an Arab-Jewish war across the world with religious nations taking sides to support their allies. It is essential to avoid media attention on this situation because it has previously contributed to the outbreak of attacks between Israeli and Palestinians concerning border, security and cont rol for Jerusalem issues (Seib, 2005). I do not think media is an avenue to help with countering terrorist activities because of its biased reporting and partisan approach. The media has been faulted for inciting viewers on certain issues that cause tensions between communities. The media should take neutral grounds through the choice of their words when dealing with ethno-nationalist terrorism to avoid animosity. In this way, the media is not helping with efforts towards countering terrorist actions in wars involving religious

Employee Motivation and Incentives Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Employee Motivation and Incentives - Coursework Example Another factor that can inhibit commitment is that the goals of the organization are handed down to the employees rather than having the employees participate in the development of these goals. Employee participation in the development of goals will create more commitment towards achieving these goals, which in turn can influence turnover, willingness to help co-workers and team performance in terms of quality, quantity, cost and time. Studies have shown that employee commitment may translate into a willingness to help team members and improve team performance (Bishop, and Scott 1997). On the other hand low levels of commitment to both the organization and the team have been linked to absenteeism, turnover and intention to quit. 2. Why native moods are unequal Moods are long lasting feelings and are not necessarily tied to a particular cause. A person may be in a positive cheerful mood or a negative mood and feeling down. Therefore all native moods are not equal. Employees with posit ive mood tend to do better in the workplace because they cognitively process more efficiently and more appropriately. They are more open to taking in information and handle it professionally and objectively. Positive moods are linked to high performance and stronger commitment to the organization. On the other hand, a person with a negative mood performs poorly in the workplace which is linked to poor productivity, absenteeism and turnover. Researchers have found that the mood an employee brings to work has a stronger effect on the person’s overall mood though the day and on work performance when compared to mood changes caused by events in the workplace (University of Pennsylvania 2006: 1). According to Nancy Rothbard, Wharton management professor, a business’s performance might be enhanced by efforts to help employees cope with mood-affecting influences in their private lives. This includes advising employees on how to best handle commuting hassles or offering counse ling for family problems (University of Pennsylvania 2006: 1). 3. Importance of participation and its effect on work effectiveness Employee participation is defined as any workplace process which allows employees to exert some influence over their work and the conditions under which they work (Heller et al. 1998). One of the key factors that ensure employee participation is effective communication between the management and employees. Employee participation or â€Å"employee empowerment† as is the popular buzz word, improves work effectiveness. Employees have the ability, knowledge and expertise to assume greater responsibility in the workplace and can therefore make significant contributions to their organizations. Studies have confirmed that when organizations tap into this resource and involve their employees in decision making, the overall productivity of the organization increases. Employee participation also fulfills many of their psychological needs and serves as a mot ivating vehicle resulting in greater productivity and effectiveness for the organization. Participative management therefore stimulates employee enthusiasm and willingness to carry out decisions in which they have been involved. High performance organizations are now encouraging employee participation in decision-making because they realize that employees have a legitimate right to be involved in decisions

Nature or nurture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nature or nurture - Essay Example This at least seem possible conclusions that may be drawn from the work of Michael Kimmel, a sociologist, teaching at the University of New York at Stony Brook. Apart from having written on gender in general and men in particular, he has also produced numerous books and journal articles that deal specifically with the issues of masculinity, particularly that of teenage boys and young men under the age of 30. In a recent book (2008), Kimmel discusses the ‘code of masculinity’ these young men are socialized into, usually from an age earlier than even puberty, and the fear that is created by enforcement tactics used by others around them to ensure that the socialization process is successful. It is not only Kimmel but also others like Kindlon and Thompson (qtd. In Kimmel 2008) who point out that young men are not comfortable with the denial of personal needs and with living in emotional isolation. The cruel treatment they suffer at the hands of their peers leaves them beref t and is the reason for many teenage suicides. The fact that so many young boys and men appear to be extremely ill at ease with ‘wearing the mask of masculinity’ (Pollack qtd. ... nowledges the recent pre-occupation with biology in the area of human identity, and the apparent demise of theories of gender as a social construct, she also points to the fact that the difficulties so-called ‘transgender’ children experience, appear to have been exacerbated by parental indulgence. These children take on role-playing at a very early age – usually the role of the opposite sex – and persist with it, without a sign of change in sight. In A Boy’s Life (November 2008) Rosin maps the options that are open to these children and how their parents agonize over choices they are ill equipped to make. Both Rosin and Kimmel offer a disturbing view of the motivation of peers, parents, communities and professionals, those involved in the negotiation of gender and identity, and how a mix of fear of rejection, a need for normalcy and peer approval, parental weakness and professional ambition can lead to a single-minded homing in on only those solutio ns that serve these purposes. As Kimmel points out, it is not surprising that a system that is held together by fear and constant peer affirmation should selectively look to nature and nurture to justify itself. Like many other ambiguous intellectual constructs, it uses contradictory justifications. Thus, masculinity is described to be the result of evolutionary and chemical processes – biologically determined, unalterable and unassailable (614). It would appear that men come into the world, fully ‘wired’ for masculinity. This is indeed biology at work. Yet, curiously, it is vulnerable. It must be re-enforced by toughening up or it is in danger of lapsing. As Kimmel points out, if it is indeed hard-wired, nothing whatsoever would need to be done to preserve it. But that is clearly not the case, otherwise men

Are You Living With A Psychopath Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Are You Living With A Psychopath - Essay Example In recognition of those who have been abused, physically, morally or financially, to all of them, especially to Alicia C. Cussi, who lived brutally exploited, stripped and tormented by Teresa. Her own daughter, Alicia, inspired the creation of NEW ERA ELDERLY FOUNDATION, which will open to help to improve the elderly living conditions, preventing any kinds of elderly abuse caused by "family blindness" and excessive confidence to someone who would take advantage and betray the confidence, abusing us them with impunity. A reporter went to Ensenada, Mexico. Once he gets there, he goes to a supermarket. Upon arrival, a vagabond is being handcuffed by the police, being arrested because, being so hungry, he ate a piece of bread in the store. The reporter offers to pay for the bread, only 30 cents, and the guards let the indigent free. The vagabond was sorry and wants to pay the reported back. He pulls from his pocket a Rolex watch that he had tried to pawn only moments earlier; however, from the look of his appearance, the pawn manager had not accepted. The reporter, too, doesn’t accept the watch and he is pushed away by his friends to continue his trip. He keeps an eye on the news and returns many times to Ensenada, but he does not find the man; months after, he finds the vagabond in California. The reporter decides to lead the homeless man through the history and motivation that he has had to fight to build a foundation to prevent the abuse of older people who, like him and his mother, have been abused by a trusted family member.

Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Business Strategy - Essay Example This paper is going to look at the strategic planning process of TNT as well as the formulation of a new strategy. Strategic planning is a significant aspect when it comes to the operations of any organization. It is important for an organization to have a clear understanding on the process of strategic planning in order for it to implement it successfully (Johnson, 2004). This section is going to focus on the mission, objectives, vision as well as the core competencies of TNT, the issues that are involved in the process of strategic planning and lastly, the different planning techniques. A strategy can simply be defined as a long-term direction for any organization. According to Johnson et al, a strategy has the long-term direction that is required in achieving the set organizational goals (Johnson, 2004). In the case of TNT, the organization has established its own practical measures based on three aims. These aims are customer relationship, innovation and operational excellence. These measures in this context can be classified as the long term direction goals for TNT. The vision statement of an organization is simply focussed with the state of an organization that is desired based on future forecasting (Simerson, 2011). A vision statement for any organization should look at what the organization wants to achieve at present and in the future. The core competencies simply differentiate an organization from the competitors in the same industry. The resources, activities and skills which cannot be copied by the competitors may be regarded as the core competencies of that organization. TNT is known to have many core competencies in the industry and thus it has been able to gain a competitive advantage over its competitors through the available resources. According to Sadler et al, strategic planning is a form of systemized procedure that is used to develop a strategy for an organization. This

Capital Projects and Strategic Direction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Capital Projects and Strategic Direction - Essay Example (Bender & Ward, 2002) A typical process to evaluate a project involves assessing its net present value by discounting the future cash flows of a firm with appropriate discount rate and deducting the resulting amount from the total capital outlay spent on the project. If the net present value of the project is positive it adds value to the firm and if it is negative, it could not add value to the firm. The value addition proposition of the capital projects is therefore their net present value. If the net present value is positive, it adds value to the firm and the shareholders. Positive NPV of the project therefore is considered as the key criteria for adding value to the firm. If NPV of the capital project is negative, it is assumed that it will not add value to the firm and hence could not maximize the value of the firm or the value for the shareholders. Major capital projects with positive NPV help the organization’s stock prices to increase by such projects give a signal to the investors that the firm is adding more capacity to it and expanding its markets. Expansion through new capital projects therefore also allow the firms to increase the future cash flow generation of the firm and hence increase their share prices also.

Terrorism and Technology Essay Example for Free

Terrorism and Technology Essay India and the United States, the world’s two largest democracies, are both vulnerable to terrorist attacks. As an Indian participant in the workshop said, â€Å"The most vulnerable states are those with open societies that tolerate dissent.† So far, India and the United States have faced rather different forms of terror attacks. Notwithstanding the terrorist threat, modern industrial societies have some offsetting advantages. Their global intelligence services and military presence, especially when they cooperate with one another, may keep the terror networks off balance, and may be able to damage some of them and interfere with their communications and money flows. Military action, or the threat of it, may discourage rogue states from supporting the terrorists. Nevertheless, highly efficient economies also acquire vulnerabilities and reduced resilience from the private sector’s reluctance to sacrifice efficiency to reduce catastrophic risks whose likelihood is difficult to estimated One area in which both India and the United States enjoy impressive capability is research and innovation. Through the application of available or new technologies, states can make targets less vulnerable, thus less attractive. They can limit the damage that may result from an attack, increase the speed of recovery, and provide forensic tools to identify the perpetrators. However, terrorist networks are led by well-educated and well-financed people who may also enjoy advanced technical skills. If supported by a government whose military establishment has developed weapons of mass destruction, these skills may be greatly amplified. Any technical strategy for responding to the threat of catastrophic terrorism must address this fact. †¢fissile nuclear materials, tactical nuclear weapons, and radiological materials †¢pathological organisms (human, plant, and animal) †¢military-type toxic chemical weapons †¢inflammable, toxic, and explosive chemicals and materials in industrial use †¢cyberattacks and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attacks on electronic targets (telecoms, data, or command and control centers) †¢transportation systems used as delivery systems for weapons †¢explosives, either conventional or derived from fuel oil and nitrogen fertilizer (ammonium nitrate), for example Benefits- †¢revitalization of the public health service for serving the normal health needs of communities †¢technical capability to respond even faster and more effectively to natural biological threats such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), West Nile virus, and monkey pox virus †¢reduction in the number of illnesses caused by infection or poisoning of the food supply †¢more reliable electric power and other services, especially in the face of hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes †¢further improvements in the safety standards of the chemical industry †¢reduced incidence of cyber attacks by hackers and financial systems made more secure against theft and malicious damage †¢more efficient and timely tracking of goods in transit and billing for their content †¢reduced risk to fire, police, and emergency health professionals MITIGATION: THE ROLE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Nuclear and Radiological Threats If terrorists with a minimal level of scientific knowledge can acquire enough highly enriched uranium (HEU), they may be able to assemble an inefficient but effective nuclear weapon for detonation in a major city. The countries are now cooperating in safeguarding fissile material and blending down stocks of HEU, but progress is far too slow. Even more dangerous is the possible availability to terrorists of finished nuclear weapons either stolen and sold from nuclear states or provided by rogue states capable of making them. The public must be educated on the nature of radiological threats, both from Radiation Dispersal Devices (dirty bombs) and from damaged nuclear electric power plants and radioactive waste storage. Public ignorance about radiation hazards may induce a level of panic much more destructive than the radiation from which people may be fleeing.. Biological Threats to People and Their Food Supply Research on pathogenesis of infectious agents, and particularly on means for early detection of the presence of such pathogens before their symptomatic appearance, is important. Nations will stockpile vaccines against known diseases, but the threat of genetic modification—while perhaps beyond the capability of most terrorists but not of rogue states—requires a vigorous research effort to find solutions for detection, evaluation, and response.  In the United States the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides a robust capability in epidemiology, but there is no equivalent epidemiological response capability for possible biological attacks on agriculture and farm animals. Thus, measures to protect the food supply, and to provide decontamination after an attack, must have high priority. Toxic Chemicals, Explosives, and Flammable Materials . Dangerous chemicals in transit should be tracked and identified electronically. To ensure that only first responders, and not terrorists, know what the tank cars contain, the rail cars should be equipped with encrypted electronic identification. Sensor networks are required to detect and characterize dangerous materials, particularly when they are airborne. Self-analyzing filter systems for modern office buildings whose windows cannot be opened can not only protect the inhabitants but also detect and report the first presence of materials (such as aerosols) that may be trapped in improved filters. An example of long-range, basic research that could be highly beneficial would be the discovery of olfactory biosensors than can reach dog levels of sensitivity, some 10,000 times that of humans. Communications and Information Systems In the United States the most urgent issue is to reconfigure first responder communications so that police, fire, and medical personnel can communicate with one another and with the emergency operations centers. Inability to do so greatly aggravated loss of life, especially among firefighters, in the World Trade Center attacks. The main worry about cyber attacks is the possibility of their use, perhaps with electromagnetic pulse devices as well, to amplify the destructive effect of a conventional physical or biological attack.13 Cyber security is one of the top priority areas for research investment because private industry was, before September 11, 2001, largely content with the level of computer and network security available to it. A quite inadequate level of sophisticated talent is devoted to the goal of fully secure operating systems and networks. Transportation and Borders Sensor networks for inspection of goods and passengers crossing the nation’s  borders will be a research priority. The primary technical challenge will not be the design of sensors themselves, although much progress is needed in this area, but in the systems engineering of the networks of sensors together with data fusion and decision support software. Biometrics for more secure identification of individuals shows promise, and systems superior to the driver’s licenses and passports used by most travelers are promising. The range of threats to the transportation networks of a modern state is very great, and careful systems analysis is essential to identifying the weak points and finding the most effective and economical means of protecting them. Cities and Fixed Infrastructure The Emergency Operations Centers (EOC) in many large U.S. cities are quite vulnerable, not only to a destructive physical attack but to more indirect attacks on their ability to access data and to communicate through a cyber attack or electromagnetic pulse attack. Remedying these vulnerabilities must have high urgency; in many cases the centers will have to be relocated. Tragically, the EOC in New York City was located in a known target, the World Trade Center. Much research is already under way to analyze the structural characteristics of high-rise buildings that may make them much more vulnerable than necessary. Without waiting for this research to result in revised building codes, the expert panel recommended immediate adoption and extension, where appropriate, of European standards for fire and blast, which were much improved following World War II. As already noted, air intakes for large buildings need to be less accessible and equipped with better air filters, perhaps with chem ical analysis sufficient to determine if a toxic material is present. Instrumentation to allow first responders to detect toxic and hazardous materials; special provisions for protecting harbors, bridges, dams, tunnels, and dikes; and protection against attacks on urban water supplies downstream from the treatment plant are all discussed in Making the Nation Safer. How much of the long term, imaginative research and development envisioned in Making the Nation Safer has been undertaken by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)? Not enough. The Science and Technology Directorate of DHS does not have the scope of authority, nor the length of vision that the Academies’ study urged on Congress. Critics say that it has been difficult for DHS to sustain an  expert staff with low enough turn over to build and execute the needed technical strategies. Nor has the Homeland Security Institute been given the necessary scope of independent system-level review of the DHS technical priorities. SOCIETAL RESPONSES TO TERRORIST THREATS the public can also be an attack amplifier. The government faces a number of dilemmas, such as using a color-coded warning system to alert the public to the perceived likelihood of additional terrorist attacks. Some citizens feel that this system itself may needlessly amplify the threat, thus doing terrorists’ psychological job for them. An urgent issue to be addressed is for government to train and introduce to the public, well in advance of any attack, a number of trusted and knowledgeable people who are prepared to provide accurate and trustworthy information quickly and authoritatively. TECHNICAL STRATEGIES From the great variety of threats studied by the National Academies’ experts, several commonsense conclusions about technical strategy can be extracted: †¢repair the weakest links (single-point failures) in vulnerable systems and infrastructures †¢use defenses-in-depth (do not rely only on perimeter defenses or firewalls) †¢use â€Å"circuit breakers† to isolate and stabilize failing system elements †¢build security and flexibility into basic system designs where possible †¢design systems for use by typical first responders †¢Focus priority attention on the â€Å"system of systems† technical challenge to understand and remedy the inherent weaknesses in critical infrastructure that are inherent in their architecture. †¢Ensure that first responders, including technical teams from critical infrastructure service industries, are properly trained and equipped, and the targets themselves are designed to be more resilient in the face of disaster. †¢Emphasize the importance of flexibility and agility in responding to disasters that were not anticipated in the system design and personnel training. The last point is particularly important. Future attacks are likely to involve multiple complex systems. There are a number of dimensions to the systems engineering challenge of homeland security. The multiple critical industrial infrastructures are closely coupled. Almost all of the responses to terrorist threats require  the concerned action of national agencies, state and local authorities, private companies, and in many cases, friendly nations. The technologies used in counterterrorism will themselves be coupled, complex systems. An evident example is the notion of complex networks of sensors that are coupled to databases, within which the network output is fused with other information, and from which sensible and useable information for local officials in Emergency Operations Centers must be provided. Thus, setting priorities requires modeling and simulating attack and response, and â€Å"red teaming† to test the effectiveness of proposed solutions. Finally, there is a need to build up investments in the social sciences, which will be especially important in devising strategies for countering terrorism. Both the roots of terrorism and its consequences need to be better understood. Social science can also contribute to a sustainable effort, involving multiple levels of government, with minimal economic cost, and where the perceived conflict between security activities and protection of individual freedom can best be informed and adjudicated. A SUSTAINABLE STRATEGY FOR HOMELAND SECURITY Because major terrorist attacks against civil populations may be separated by considerable intervals of time, there is reason to be concerned that the public will lose interest in the threat, and that none of the organizational or investment needs will be satisfactorily met. For these reasons, the strategy for maximizing civil benefits deserves high-priority attention. There are many obvious examples of how counter terror research and development can create values appreciated by the public and of economic value to firms, such as creation of a more agile vaccine development and production capability, information and communications networks that are more resistant to cyber attack, energy systems more robust in the face of natural disasters and human error, security technologies that are more effective yet more unobtrusive and convenient for the public. Sustainability will be a challenge for those in political power in the United States, for they find themselves compelled to emphasize the public’s vulnerability (for example, with the color-coded alert system, which is largely successful in making the public nervous) and at the same time to emphasize that the government’s efforts â€Å"have the terrorists on the run.† Indeed, we can easily imagine that  terrorist organizations such as al Qaeda may deliberately wait long intervals between attacks to decrease the alertness of the target’s defenses. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS There are seven major points that I would conclude from this discussion. First, only a far-sighted foreign policy, addressing the roots of terrorism and denying terrorist ideologies a foothold in other societies, can make the United States and its allies safer in the long run. Second, weapons of mass destruction are potentially devastating, but the most probable threats will be fashioned from the economy itself, as was the case on September 11, 2001. Private property and commercial industry is most often the target of terrorist attacks, and may be providing the weapons for their own destruction. Thus, the federal government must devise both positive and negative incentives for private investments in hardening critical infrastructure and urban targets. Third, the protection of critical infrastructure must, to the extent possible, be accomplished through a civilian benefits maximization strategy. Fourth, reducing vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure is a highly complex systems problem; it requires a strategy tested by the most modern systems analytic approaches. Fifth, since most of the science and technology capability of market economy governments lies outside the security agencies, governments must be able to coordinate and fund a national science and technology strategy. Sixth, a degree of cooperation between industry, cities, and government unknown in prior experience is required. In particular, local authorities must have an effective voice in setting the technical agenda for equipment for which they are the customer. Finally, for the protection against terrorism to be sustainable, more than a civilian benefits maximization strategy is required. The negative effects on civil freedoms from increased authority in the central government must be resisted, since the threat of terrorist attack is indefinite and emergency measures may never be relaxed. Now, let us examine security. First, although science and technology will not solve all problems related to terrorism against the components making up a modern regional or national infrastructure, it can help in prevention, mitigation, and restoration if an attack or attacks are attempted or carried out. In other words, science and technology will help to reduce the threat of  terrorism, but it cannot eliminate it. Unfortunately, terrorism has become a fact of life. Whenever there are dissatisfied people who are willing to give up their own lives or do not value human life, it will be difficult to eliminate the threat of terrorist attacks. A specific point where science and technology can help is in the area of intelligence, by providing information about the potential for an act of terrorism to be conducted. For example, what is being done to sort through open-air communications—both e-mail and voice wireless—is rather startling both in quantity and in degree of soph istication. There are programs, such as Trailblazer at the National Security Agency, that look for keywords and matches. Some of the recent terrorism alerts have been based on information gathered through these programs. There is another aspect that inexorably links infrastructure and security. The more sophisticated, complicated, or technologically evolved the infrastructure, that is, the more fragile it is, the more difficult it is to secure against terrorism and the greater theneed for science and technology solutions. The latter was the particular challenge that we were confronted with at the National Academies in producing the report entitled Making the Nation Safer.50 What can and should be done incrementally as society becomes more and more complex, sophisticated, and interdependent? How do you establish layers of protection because of increased vulnerability? First, communication and coordination is required. When the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks occurred, the New York City Resp onse Center was in the World Trade Center. So the ability of the fire and police departments within New York City to respond was hampered severely because there was no way to centralize and coordinate the actions of the first responders. The lesson to be learned is that redundant response centers are needed for just this sort of contingency. The lack of communication was another lesson coming from the World Trade Center disaster. There is a definite need to have common systems that will allow all parties to communicate seamlessly Regarding building structures, another lesson can be drawn from the attack on the Pentagon. The Pentagon was hit exactly at the point between a newly restored portion of the Pentagon and the old Pentagon. While there was damage to the newly restored section, there was no structural failure to that part of the building. The walls absorbed the energy of the crash. In contrast, the old Pentagon suffered severe damage. Its walls collapsed. Most of the loss of life was in the old part of the Pentagon. The lesson here is to incorporate blast-resistant designs and materials into high-profile buildings For cities, one of the areas that is most in need of immediate attention is the ability to respond to catastrophic events. There is a need for simulation models, improved communications, and associated training. There is also a need to conduct systems analyses of responses to events in both space and time. For transportation systems, there is an immediate need for intelligent â€Å"information agents† for cargo. These agents would include a combination of global positioning systems and sensors to detect intruders and, possibly, the presence of certain materials as well as shipping documents detailing the contents. Such agents would be installed on every freight car in a rail system, every container on a ship, and every container transported by truck. Thus, one could monitor at every point in time exactly where each container or rail car is, what it contains, its destination, and whether there has been any attempt to tamper with or enter it. The various pieces of the so-called intelligent agent exist today and have been used on a limited basis. Efforts are under way to marry these various components into the type of agent I have described. Cargo scanning technology is complementary to the intelligent agents. While cargo scanners do exist, there is a need to integrate various components into a â€Å"one-stop shop† to monitor for specific items or radioactivity. The scanning equipment should be located at the point of embarkation of the container to prevent lethal weapons from reaching their intended destination. What good would it be to identify a nuclear weapon in a container as you offload it in New York Harbor?53 Transportation technology needs to extend beyond the cargo. There is a compelling need to develop means of rapidly identifying people, checking them and their luggage. Although there are systems in place today, the sheer numbers of people and locations is daunting. The use of biometrics would greatly alleviate this problem, while increasing the confidence level of the security forces. Rapidly deployable barriers to keep underground structures and tunnels from being flooded are another need.

Paradise Lost And Frankenstein Theology Religion Essay

Paradise Lost And Frankenstein Theology Religion Essay Despite being written more than a century apart, Paradise Lost and Frankenstein, share the idea of individuals limitations. As classic science fictions, both books seek to express individuals over the control of a higher authority. In Paradise Lost, John Milton, questions the religious idea of predestination that says every individuals life is perfectly designed by God, and therefore one should happily accept his or her identity. During the 18th century, England empowered churches and priests as messengers of God, and Milton despised the corruption and injustice he saw in these Catholic churches. Through Paradise Lost, Milton celebrates individuals who challenge a higher authority and are willing to shape their own identity. Under the influence of John Milton, Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein in 1818 in which people are armed with science technology to challenge authority of nature or God. Although both books celebrate protagonists strong will to search and shape their identity, the b ooks still reflect the authors concerns that individuals cannot actually shape their identity that had been already determined by predestination or a higher authority. In Paradise Lost, although Satan declares a revenge on God by ruining his plan on humanity, God always has Satan under his eyes and has authority to trump anything Satan has done. Unlike Satan, the creature in Frankenstein is not always under control or watch by his creator, Victor, but ultimately fails to change his identity of being a monster regardless of how hard he tries to be like a human being. As these books assert the existence of a God or creator, the books depict that individuals in any part of human history cannot shape their authentic identity given by a higher authority because although characters who perceived predetermination attempts to change it by doing what they can do the best, the predestined identity and fate remain still regardless of their best attempts. Although Satan is known for his evilness, his evil identity is conspicuously designed by Miltons God who eliminates all Satans choices except committing sins. In Miltons Paradise Lost, God is the most authoritative figure and often expressed as the will of whole universe. Satan, who desires to escape from God, has to make a false vision in order to reject the influence from God. After his fall from heaven, Satan made a speech to gather and encourage his fellow-demons. During his speech, Satan suggests that it is tyrannical for the  Son to rule over the angels, because the angels are self-begot, self-raisd / By our own quickning power (5.860-61). This is first deception Satan creates to cancel the fact that God is the creator of all angels. This false expression indicates while Satan knows he is ruled by God, he pretends to be out of Gods influence. Swayed by this false sophistry, the demons, and even Satan himself are deluded to believe the false belief. Miltons God does not taking their strengths when defeated. Giving hope that Satan and devils still have chance to overcome God, God rather prevents devils from repenting and receiving forgiveness. By choosing to follow Satans false reasoning, the rebel angels lose all choice in whether they will repent to return to Heaven, and perhaps do not even realize that they are given a chance of repentance. Under Gods machination, they do not have choice because Gods false hope makes them chose to have no choice, but commit sins. The demons wills are not conquered by God but instead their wills are voluntarily surrendered to Him. Satans false claiming that the angels are self-created further deprives Satans will by making him a creator of sort that his creation is a privation. Sin is his self-begotten creation, and with Death, they compose an unholy, sinful trinity. With Sin and Death, Satan, as an inversion of God, is prevented from creating anything good and allowed to create only Miserie, uncreated till the crime (6 .268-69). As Satans choice to be good is initially limited by God and evilness is what Satan is entirely composed of by his false claim, the destiny of Satan is already shaped to be nothing but evil. Despite the fact that Satan is limited by careful designs of God, he still shows a sign of independence by using material objects to support him. Raphael explains to Adam and Even that Gods creations are more refined, more spirituous, and pure, / as nearer to him placed or nearer tending (5.475-476). If Raphael is true, then conversely, Satan must become less refined, spirituous, and pure once Satan turns away from God. However, in the hell, Satan is still ambitious and willing to challenge against   God with his spear and shield. As Satan takes his material arms in a war against God, these weapons are symbols of Satans unconquerable will against Gods will. Using his spear as a crutch to support [his] uneasy steps, as he moves around in hell, Satan, instead of returning to God and seeking for forgiveness, puts his faith in his material things (1.295). Falling with his weapons in hell, Satan never loses faith that his unconquerable will is capable of contravening Gods will. Satans unconquerable will to interrupt Gods plan is also highlighted when Satan enters Eden as a cormorant and wolf and approaches to Adam and Eve first as a lion, tiger, then as a serpent (4.402-08). The change of Satans physical appearance might indicate that Satan is actually being less refined, spirituous, and pure as he turns more against God. However, it also signifies that despite the insignificant physical shape of Satan, he does accomplish his own goal of corrupting Adam and Eve. In addition, Miltons God is omniscient, knowing all that happens and all that will happen, but consequently, God can be seen as tyrannical and cruel in not preventing evil. The success of Satans mission might reflect that God allows Satan to execute his free-will of ruining Gods plans. However, Satans belief in freewill is rather a delusion that he cannot act apart from God and all acts he performs serve Gods service. When Satan returns to hell after corrupting Adam and Eve, he does not receive victory cheers. Instead, he hears a universal hiss as he and his fellow devils transform into serpents. Punished by God, Satan receives punish in the shape he sind, and the rest of the rebels are like in punishment, / As in thir crime (10.516, 544-5). The punishment of this group of sinners reflects that as a poetic justice, Gods justice dispenses punishments that are appropriate to the crimes they committed. The punishment by God further suggests that the rebels punishments are fitting as they choose to be governed by Satan and refuse to be governed by God. The fact that God punished them for their decision indicates that although their actions seem free from God, the result of their actions, the poetic justice, is always held by God. In this sense, a demon gets what he wil ls, but having his will accomplished is always followed by a punishment because what he wills falls short of Gods will. Another instance that Satans freewill actually does not exist is Miltons description of Satan through Paradise Lost. Milton began his epic with pseudo-heroic size of Satan as that of Typhon or Leviathan (1.201). Although Satan is a fallen angel, Milton left his majesty and glory as archangel to provide God with a worthy adversary. However, all the appearances he takes on after fall lesson this angelic nobility; he transforms into a cormorant, lion tiger, toad, and at last serpent. As Satan chooses to appear baser as time progresses, there is gradual decrease in a sinful wills power. His transformation displays an unregenerate aspect of the sinner. Satan did will to be a serpent, and his followers willed for him to corrupt Adam and Eve. However, once they commit sins, their wills are slavishly subjected to the sin that there is no chance of way-out from the sin. Thus, they repeat their sins involuntarily, reminding the results of devils decision to have no choice. Ultimately, the poet shows the abysmal fate of Satan that his will is annihilated as one becomes further enveloped in sin, for his will cannot be redirected from sin after God prevents him from being good. With all these careful plans by God, God not only has the power to trump what Satan uses evil actions of Satan as a part of his plan. By the end of the book, Raphael opens the idea of the fortunate fall, that the corruption of Adam and Eve is also in a way an act that brings more goodness to creation, for it leads to the coming of the Messiah who makes evil turn to good (12.471). Although Satan initially attempts to corrupt Adam and Eve to create evil and disorder in the universe, his will of creating evil actually falls under Gods plan of salvation for humanity. Therefore, when it comes to Satans proud action, it is really Gods will being done, not his, though Satan never realizes this fact. Finally, Satans belief in free-will is rather a delusion that he cannot act apart from God since all acts are performed in Gods service. Satan is rather a very tragic figure whose actions against God in exchange of his own punishments are actually used to serve Gods plans. While Miltons God is almost impossible to overcome, in Frankenstein, the creature seems to have more control over his situations. However, the creature, too, falls to the victim of predetermination by his creator, Victor. Since the time of being created by Victor, the creature is rejected by his creator and world and does not seem to have a place in the world. Since the beginning of his life, the creature is be already abandoned before he knows anything about the world he enters. When the creature muttered some inarticulate sounds, and his hand was stretched out to his creator, Victor refuses to listen and escapes the laboratory (59). In this scene, the creature is portrayed like a baby, who cannot speak a word, but stretch his hands to father for a protection. The rejection by his creator, Victor, indicates that there is already a gap between the actual creature and the imagined creature by the creator. This gap, which the creature does not perceive yet, already reflects the creature as unwanted life and abortion from Victor and his world. Victors first idea of creation and rebirth is somewhat ideal and beautiful, an art work only allowed to God. When Victor with knowledge of science created a life, the created life is rather false and ugly, pointing out that peoples imaginations that sound really appealing can be horrific when brought to the world. The rejection of Victor is therefore significant that the monster is not only rejected by his deformed physicality but also rejected by the fact that he is a resemble of false, imaginative ideas that must only stay in unreal world, in peoples imaginations. In this Mary Shelleys world of science fiction, the creature is able to be brought to the real world with scientific imagination, but since the creature is a false product of scientific imagination, he has no place to belong in the world. The creature is an outlier in the world and cannot shape his identity because his identity is free to be changed only in unreal world and in imagination of Victor. The view of the creature as the unwanted becomes more evident as the creature makes inarticulate sounds like a baby to communicate with his creator. Victors refusal to understand or co mmunicate with the creature suggests that the creatures link with Victor, which is the only connection the creature is born with, can easily fall apart, leaving the creature with no connection to the world, and therefore isolating him from the real world. Regardless of the creature is able to perceive or not, there is again a gap or loss of connection between the creature and the world. In addition to Victors rejection, even the nature of the real world seems to reject the creature. When the narrative is turned to the creature, he describes his experience of first entering the world: The light became more and more oppressive to me; I sought a place where I could receive shade (105). In Frankenstein, light is often a symbol of virtue and life which people use it to celebrate a new birth or goodness. The creature, however, finds more comfort in darkness than light, evidence that he does not seem to fit into the world. Light is rather a torture or discomfort for him that nature does not welcome him for entering the world. As the creature is rejected both in terms of nurture and nature, he clearly does not belong to the world. The idea that the creature does not belong to the world continues even after the creature becomes conscious of his surroundings. After gaining knowledge and human sense, the creature realizes that Satan had his companions, fellow-devils, to admire and encourage him, but [he] is solitary and abhorred (133). The creatures attempts for self-extension, for connection with community do not seem to work at all; as Satan has evilness to have fellow devils and belong to hell, the creature has labeled identity of a monster to belong to its category. It is a tragic irony that while ones original identity guides one to ones original community, there is no such thing as original community for the creature, who does not initially belong to the world. For the creature, the chance of belonging to this world is never given because it is Victor and society that attributes his labeled identity, forcing him to belong somewhere else. Despite his initial rejection from his creator and the world, the creature develops hope to be part of community. Without help of his creator, the creature educates himself to be closer to humankind. The creatures desire to be accepted and assimilated is apparent when he speaks his feelings toward cottagers: The more I saw of them, the greater became my desire to claim their protection and kindnessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ to see their sweet looks directed towards me with affection was the utmost limit of my ambition (134). His desire to be a part of the cottagers lives, to have them accept and love him, illustrates a tangible connection felt between the creature and the rest of the humanity. The creature goes on to say I required kindness and sympathy; but I did not believe myself unworthy of it (134). The creature believes himself capable and even worthy of both emotional and psychological reciprocation and by extension, capable of existing in harmony with the rest of humankind. The creature confirms his belief by educating himself, showing that at least there is an opportunity for him to assimilate to the morals and ethics of humankind. The product of his self-education seems fruitful when the creature talks with Victor persuasively: my food is not that of man; I do not destroy the lamb and the kid to glut my appetite; acorns and berries afford me sufficient nourishment (148). Without the teaching from his creator, the creature is able to discern moral right and wrong. The creature is able to form his own code of behavior on example and the behavior he views from others despite the lack of formal education. This is notable that his instinctive sense of morality comes without any help of creator, and although his morality is not inborn, it is obtainable by the creature. Further knowledge on virtue and vice is given to the creature through the books: I read of men concerned in public affairs governing or massacring their species. I felt the greatest ardor for virtue ris e within me, and abhorrence for vice (131). The presence of a creator is again absent from his education, yet he is capable of developing a thoroughly structured sense of morality and ethics. His ardor for virtue and abhorrence for vice is a basis for strong intellectual development, as well as, being skillful in human relations, the end goal of the creatures self-education. His capability of changing himself by learning indicates that the creature is not an incommunicable evil monster by inherent constitution. He is rather born unformed without any shaped identity. Therefore, as he absorbs the characteristics of humans, he feels to be closer to mankind. Despite the creatures effort to be closer to mankind, his constructed inner-personality is easily overridden by his deformity, and ultimately cannot depart from predetermination by his creator, Victor. The fall of his inner-personality occurs when the creature is shot by a boy after the creature saves a girl. The feelings of kindness and gentleness which I had entertained but a few moments before, gave place to hellish rage and gnashing of teeth. Inflamed by pain, I vowed eternal hatred and vengeance to all mankind (143). The sudden turnover of creatures personality from kindness and gentleness to hatred and vengeance suggests how easily his constructed virtue and inner-personality to be a person can be replaced as if his efforts are worthless. Regardless of his efforts in creating his inner-personal identity, the labeled physical monstrosity overlaps his self-construction and even brings him back to his initial status, a rejected and isolated life from the world. The insignificance of his self-education becomes more apparent when Victor replays his rejection to the creature: Begone! I will not hear you. There can be no community between you and me (103). The repetition of Victors rejection is evidence that there is not much change in the creatures connection to the world after his self-education. Although the creature learns the value of virtue and community, Victor denies the creatures needs when he insists that there is no community. As the creatures efforts turn out to be futile, the creator, Victor, seems to be the only one who can save the creature from misery. Even though the creature renounces all his virtue and passion to revenge on Victor after destroying his mate, Victors death, the loss of creator, does not allow him to be independent from misery: in his murder my crimes are consummated; the miserable series of my being is wound to its close (221). While Victor is the creatures source of agony, Victor has been the only relationship he actually has i n the world. The death of Victor represents the loss of core link between the creature and the world, which allows him at least to stay in the world. His demise, in fact, brings the complete isolation of the creature in the world and therefore his own annihilation in the world. The classic science fictions reflect that overcoming the creator or a higher authority is near impossible, and even if one defeats ones creator, what left is ones self-annihilation because one is directly connected with the creator. The scientific imaginations from classic science fiction do not provide actual freedom or extension of independence beyond the limit of the world. In classic science fictions, the freedom of imagination rather brings down the individual by imagining a higher authority in form of supernatural. Therefore, at the time of classic science fiction, the ideas of science fiction are powerful tool to erase existing boundaries in oneself, but seem to paralyze one by giving new boundaries, that are taller than the old boundaries.

Sport and Identity Formation

Sport and Identity Formation Sport and Identity: Essay Proposal How Does Rugby Union Shape And Reflect Identity In Northern Ireland? Despite the increased interest and understanding of identity, the concept itself remains something of an enigma (Fearon, 1991, cited in Hooti Mahmoudi, 2013). The meaning of identity as we now use it, is not well captured by dictionary definitions. Our present idea of identity is a recent social construct, and a rather complicated one. Even though everyone knows how to use the word properly in everyday discourse, it proves quite difficult to give a short and adequate summary statement that captures the range of its present meanings (Gleason, 1983, pp. 910-930). A short definition by Hogg and Abrams (1988) state that identity is peoples concepts of who they are, of what sort of people they are, and how they relate to others (p.2), and when a set of people who hold a common social identification are categorised together they form a social group. These groups of collective identities can be constructed around many forms and circumstances, for example, nationality, race, gender, sexuali ty, religion and many more. Woodward (1997) adds to this by suggesting that Identity marks the ways in which we are the same as others à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and the way in which we are different. Often identity is most clearly defined by difference (Woodward, 1997, pp. 1-2).   When analysing the definition, its clear that Hogg and Abrams as well as Woodward are only talking about people. Other authors (Elliott, 2007; Mead and Morris, 1934) suggest that objects and symbols can also be used to express and forge a sense of self. This further demonstrates the complexity of defining identity. Identity in the context of sport can unify and/or divide. It can show common ground or expose differences. Sport can be used as a tool to show how people see themselves and how others see them. It is a potential platform for the construction and display of identity (Maguire, Jarvie, Mansfield, Bradley, 2002). One example for the display of an identity through sport is national identity. If the concept of nations being an imagined community (Anderson, 2006) is accepted, then Bairner states that Sporting competition arguably provides the primary expression of imagined communities with the nation appearing more real in the domain of sport (Bairner, 2005, p. 105). It is around the subject of national identity that I will form my topic of research for the essay. I want to explore the ways in which Rugby Union helps to shape and reflect national identity in Northern Ireland, a county divided for many decades by two main ideologies. The first is the, mainly protestant, unionist ideology. P eople who follow this ideology believe that Northern Ireland, part of Great Britain, should continue some form of political union with Great Britain and thus, view themselves as British. The second, mainly catholic, nationalist ideology is opposed to such a union and favours a unified Ireland, and thus, view themselves as Irish'(Cronin,1999, p. 143-146). Then there are people who consider themselves as Northern Irish. They are either politically neutral or take on a mixture of beliefs from both sides of the community so I will have to consider this during the essay. I want to explore this looking solely at Rugby Union as it is unique and significant that the Irish national team compete as a united nation against Scotland, Wales and England and, as such, have a large nationalist following in Northern Ireland. In contrast, the Ulster Rugby Union side that also incorporates counties from both sides of the border has a large unionist following in Northern Ireland. The academic rationale for my choice of topic is that it is only in the last decade that a more heterogeneous approach to identity construction in this subject area generally has been acknowledged and followed (Hassan, 2002). There isnt a lot of research on how Rugby Union shapes and reflects identity in Northern Ireland but there are sections of research by other academics and authors which will be useful. The concepts of identity will allow me to explore this sectarian divide and understand how both sides of the community can use Rugby Union to display which side of the ideological line they stand on and/or if it can also be used as a tool to unite the conflicting sides of the community. The topic, with its deep historical and political complexity, will also allow me to further explain identity as a socio-logical concept that is ever changing, fluid and complicated. To do this I will use the Identity and Difference theory by Woodward (1997). The reason for this is that my topic will mainly focus on two main nationalities and ideologies. People with the same nationality and ideology share a sense of geographic space, beliefs, and history with other members of that community, whilst excluding those who do not belong. Difference is central to the shaping of many collective identities and is often used as an active form of social exclusion, particularly when political problems between groups occurs (Woodward, 1997). One could argue that for some people in Northern Ireland being Protestant, unionist or British can be defined as much by not being Catholic, nationalist, or Irish. Other forms of identity could also be explored in the final piece to further explain the topic. Looking at another form of identity could allow a better understanding or explanation of a range of things related to the topic, for example, social class to expand on the historical context. In terms of social interaction, the middle classes were more integrated than the working classes and the rise of the Irish middle class, in part a response to political developments in Northern Ireland, inevitably led to Catholics being socialised into rugby (Hassan, 2002). Other forms of identity include race, religion, sexuality, profession, age, gender and many more. With every form of identity that is explored, better understanding and a more in-depth knowledge can be attained. I will also have to read up on some relavant secondary research, particularly the books and studies of Cronin (1999), Woodward (1997) and Bairner (2005) in preparation for the final piece. References Anderson, B. O. R. (2006). Imagined communities: Reflections on the origin and spread of nationalism. New York: Verso Books. Bairner, A. (2005). Sport and the Irish: Histories, identities, issues. Dublin: University College Dublin Press. Cronin, M. G. (1999). Sport and nationalism in Ireland: Gaelic games, soccer and Irish identity since 1884. Dublin: Four Courts Press. Elliott, A. (2007). Concepts of the self. Cambridge: Polity Press. Gleason, P. (1983). Identifying identity: A semantic history. The Journal of American History, 69(4), 910. doi:10.2307/1901196 Harris, J., Parker, A. (Eds.). (2009). Sport and social identities. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. Hassan, D. (2002). A people apart: Soccer, identity and Irish Nationalists in Northern Ireland. Soccer Society, 3(3), 65-83. doi:10.1080/714004886 Hogg, M. A., Abrams, D. (1988). Social identifications: A social psychology of intergroup relations and group processes. New York: Routledge. Hooti, N., Mahmoudi, Y. (2013). Identity Discordianism under the trepidation and duplicity of human essence: A trenchant investigation on Luigi Pirandellos war. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 3(7), . doi:10.4304/tpls.3.7.1209-1213 Maguire, J. A., Jarvie, G., Mansfield, L., Bradley, J. (2002). Sport worlds: A sociological perspective. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Publishers. Mead, G. H. H., Morris, C. W. (1934). Mind, self, and society; from the standpoint of a social behaviorist (17th ed.). Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago press. Woodward, K. (1997). Identity and difference. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage in association with the Open University.

The V-chip :: essays research papers

The V-Chip What is a V-chip? This term has become a buzz word for any discussion evolving telecommunications regulation and television ratings, but not too many reports define the new technology in its fullest form. A basic definition of the V-chip; is a microprocessor that can decipher information sent in the vertical blanking of the NTSC signal, purposefully for the control of violent or controversial subject matter. Yet, the span of the new chip is much greater than any working definition can encompass. A discussion of the V-chip must include a consideration of the technical and ethical issues, in addition to examining the constitutionally of any law that might concern standards set by the US government. Yet in the space provided for this essay, the focus will be the technical aspects and costs of the new chip. It is impossible to generally assume that the V-chip will solve the violence problem of broadcast television or that adding this little device to every set will be a first amendment infringement. We can, however, find clues through examining the cold facts of broadcast television and the impact of a mandatory regulation on that free broadcast. "Utilizing the EIA's Recommended Practice for Line 21 Data Service(EIA-608) specification, these chips decode EDS (Extended Data Services)program ratings, compare these ratings to viewer standards, and can be programmed to take a variety of actions, including complete blanking of programs." Is one definition of the V-chip from Al Marquis of Zilog Technology. The FCC or Capitol Hill has not set any standards for V-chip technology; this has allowed many different companies to construct chips that are similar yet not exact or possibly not compatible. Each chip has advantages and disadvantages for the rating's system, soon to be developed. For example, some units use onscreen programming such as VCR's and the Zilog product do, while others are considering set top options. Also, different companies are using different methods of parental control over the chip. Another problem that these new devices may incur when included in every television is a space. The NTSC signal includes extra information space known as the subcarrier and Vertical blanking interval. As explained in the quotation from Mr. Marquis, the V-chips will use a certain section of this space to send simple rating numbers and points that will be compared to the personality settings in the chip. Many new technologies are being developed for smart-TV or data broadcast on this part of the NTSC signal. Basically the V-chip will severely limit the bandwidth for high performance transmission of data on the NTSC signal. There is also to be cost to this new technology, which will be

Certainty is Decartes Discourse of Method Essay -- Rene Descarte Pape

Rene Descartes' overall objective in publicizing "Discourse of Method" is to developing a new system of knowledge that is free of prior prejudices for establishing the truth of things. In Part 4 of the book he explains the philosophical basing (the meditations) for establishing the new system. These meditations were based on the epistemological theory of rationalism: that is if someone truly knows something then they could not possibly be mistaken. He goes on to provide solid argument for his ideas. In Meditations he comes to term with three certainties: the existence of the mind as the thing that thinks, the body as an extension, and God as the supreme being. He attests that he came to these conclusions by doubling all that had been taught to him in his formal education, and all he received through the senses. In the "Discourse of Method" he states his first uncertainty when he says, " I found myself embarrassed with so many doubts and errors that it seemed to me that the effort to instruct myself had no effect other than the increasing discovery of my ignorance". He has difficulty embracing the diverse, and sometimes hypocrtical, ideas that he encountered in his studies. He thought all of his confusions and indeterminate ideas were caused by the senses. Therefore, he first jettisons any information, knowledge or truths that are based on his senses. Here, he applies the "Dream Argument, " (32) where he states that based on senses alone, there is no definite way of proving that you are dreaming or that you are awake. After all, derams are indistinguishable from reality because during a dram, a person is unaware that he is dreaming. In fact, no sing... ...d, which is of an infinite being, cannot arise from a mortal, a finite being. The idea of infinite must therefore be due to the existence of an infinite, which must have placed this idea in him. Thus, proving his theory of the existence of God. From the nature of the perfection that God is, Decartes comes to conclusion that God is the ultimate causeless cause. Decartes holds that the innate idea of God that rises in the mind is sufficient proof of God's having made man in His own image. God's existence is the precondition of the existence of all other things, including the individual souls, and also of His idea in the human mind. Since there cannot be an idea of God without the existence of God. God is incorporeal, intelligence, all-knowing, good and just. He is omnipotent, eternal. He has no changes, no modes of attribute, no modifications.

International Joint Ventures Essay

The objective of this paper is to highlight some of the important issues that must be considered prior to forming an international joint venture. Why is this topic important? The following quote summarizes the main reason: â€Å"Cross-border M&As, JVs and alliances seem to share at least two characteristics with marriage trends of the post World War II â€Å"Baby Boomers† generation: They have grown explosively during the 1980s and through the 1990s but – less fortunately – they fail about half the time.†[1] With this in mind, it is very likely that sooner or later you will be involved in an international joint venture, either in the process of forming one, dissolving one or working for one. The more you know about international joint ventures, the better prepared you will be to understand and contribute to the solution for the challenges they present. Most companies begin their expansion to overseas markets by exporting their products or services. Exporting products has minimal risk involved, especially if the proper steps are followed. However, in some instances exporting is difficult or expensive and companies use other methods to penetrate international markets. Forming an international joint venture with a foreign firm in the target market is, in some cases, the only avenue to accomplish the goal. An international joint venture is usually a progression in the investment level that companies are willing to commit prior to fully investing in a foreign subsidiary. What is the main difference between opening a subsidiary and forming a joint venture? According to Andrew Inkpen, a joint venture occurs when â€Å"two or more legally distinct firms (the parents) pool a portion of their resources within a jointly owned legal organization†[2] â€Å"The distribution of equity among the parent companies can take different forms, ranging from 50/50 IJVs between two companies, to reduced minority or dominant majority stakes.†[3] In contrast, only one company owns a subsidiary. Even though companies perceive IJV as less risky than opening their own subsidiaries, forming inadequate joint ventures can be risky and expensive. If managers are not careful in their analysis and are not aware of the potential pitfalls of international joint ventures then they can face some serious trouble. So far we have learned that culture plays a major role in business culture. Hence, culture will ultimately have a major impact in the international joint venture. Piero Morosini, one of the leading researchers in international joint ventures, explains the role culture plays in international joint ventures as follows: â€Å"Empirical evidence suggests that technical issues are less likely to lead to conflicting situations compared to relationship problems during the implementation of international JVs and alliances. Throughout this phase, too much emphasis is usually placed on setting strategic objectives at the cost of ignoring personal interaction aspects involving people from different national cultures. This has been cited as the most critical factor leading to unresolved conflicts and outright failure of an international JV or alliance.†[4] Companies some times enter into joint ventures with objectives other than to gain rapid access into the market. Some companies want to learn from other companies or like to combine resources in order to make a stronger company. â€Å"The need to combine strategic resource contributions and foster functional co-operation and co-ordination between the partners to create mutual advantages is at the heart of both IJVs and global alliances.†[5] As you read this paper, you will learn that most of the failures in joint ventures occurs due to the misunderstanding in the goals and the definition of the goals. Finnie Williams states that â€Å"half of all partnerships don’t work. Those that are successful share three characteristics with successful marriages: †¢ The actual and perceived potential benefits must be large for both parties. †¢ The partners must share a common set of values †¢ The key people must be committed to success.†[6] It seems that the most important aspect when speaking of international joint ventures, is that partners must share a common set of values. This is very unlikely to happen. The main reasons cultures are different is because they have different sets of values. For instance, some companies define success in terms of return on investment, others use market share, yet others define it in terms of customer satisfaction. These differences are critical and must be discussed early in the planning stage in order to lay a solid foundation for the partnership. It is important to keep in mind that even companies from the same cultural and business background have different plans to achieve their goals. Therefore, whenever we mix companies with different cultural backgrounds, the complexity level increases. People from different cultures perceive business in different ways. The rest of this paper provides examples of international joint ventures in different countries and examines some of the general observations related to such ventures and countries. China â€Å"Foreign investment in 1995 was $US38 billion (China Statistical Press 1996). International Joint ventures (IJVs) between overseas companies and domestic state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have been the dominant mode of entry. However, many JV investments have been less than successful.†[7] China â€Å"is now the world’s most active joint venture market.† [8] These facts are not surprising as â€Å"China is home to 25 percent of the world’s population and many western firms view the country as a prime target market.†[9] However, as we will discuss, not everyone venturing in China has been successful. For instance, a group of French investors dissolved their joint venture in China after 12 years of investment. The agreement was primarily between Peugeot and Guangzhou Automotive Manufacturing (GAM). It took four years of negotiations between French and Chinese investors to form the joint venture Guangzhou Peugeot Automobile Corporation (GPAC) in 1985 . Following are some of the major problems that Peugeot mentioned as key elements to the failure of their venture in China: †¢ The labor force from the Chinese partner had inadequate skills, which resulted in more time and money spent in training. †¢ Lack of suppliers in the Guangzhou area that could provide quality parts. As a consequence many of the parts had to be imported which raised the cost of the vehicles as compared to the competition. †¢ Guangzhou officials would not allow the plant to purchase parts from suppliers from other regions in China. Competitors who were located in other Chinese regions had access to quality Chinese parts and were able to build vehicles at lower prices. There is another side to this story, analysts believe that: †¢ Peugeot chose the Guangzhou area because the central government had little influence over the local government and there would be more management freedom. However, this backfired on Peugeot as the distance from Beijing acted as a barrier to access suppliers from other regions. †¢ Peugeot did not act fast enough to form a joint venture with a supplier in the Guangzhou region. Their competitors had formed such partnerships with their suppliers. †¢ Peugeot repatriated most of its profits and made few changes to their vehicles. Their competitors instead, reinvested most of the profits in the venture and to improve the vehicles. [10] I think there are several lessons to be learned from this example. One is that it takes a long time to agree on the terms of the agreement. Second is that even though both partners had agreed on the goals, unexpected deficiencies (labor and parts) put the company at a disadvantage with its competitors. It is amazing that after four years of negotiations, nobody checked if the skill sets were compatible and if the local suppliers could provide quality parts. Third is that even when companies believe that they are making the correct strategic move they could be doing the opposite due to lack of knowledge of the local culture. In this case, Peugeot was under the impression that distance from Beijing would be positive and in fact it turned out negative. Finally, companies that want to use joint ventures as means to have a quick entry into the market can get hurt. In this case, Peugeot was not committed to re-investing capital in the joint venture, which at the end made them completely uncompetitive in the market. You might be wondering who was the competitor to Peugeot that was being so successful in China. That competitor was also a joint venture. This time it was between a German company, Volkswagen AG, and a Chinese partner in the Shanghai area. As mentioned before, Shanghai Volkswagen was quick to form partnerships with suppliers to increase the content of Chinese parts in their vehicles and reduce the number of imported parts. Another important aspect is the fact that Shanghai Volkswagen was reinvesting their profits in order to improve their vehicles. Such improvements plus their commitment to the Chinese economy, allowed Shanghai Volkswagen to earn a better reputation among customers.[11] Another major corporation that has been successful in forming joint ventures in China is United Parcel Service. â€Å"UPS has been aggressively expanding its operations there. On Jan. 21 1999, the company announced an agreement with Chinese airline Sinotrans to expand UPS-branded operations to 18 additional cities in China, bringing the total to 21. The two carriers signed a memorandum of understanding that includes new investments to develop dedicated operations and more joint training and management efforts. In 1994, UPS opened representative offices in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing, and by 1996 established a joint venture with Sinotrans in Beijing. Efforts to establish joint ventures in Shanghai and Guangzhou were temporarily put on hold with a change in government leadership.†[12] These examples provide us with some useful information regarding joint ventures in China. However, there are some other facts that you must know: †¢ Laws governing international joint ventures in China are different than the laws for Chinese firms. †¢ Laws may also be different depending on whether the Chinese partner is a state business, village or township enterprise. †¢ China’s legal system consists of guidelines for businesses and individual judges have enough leeway to determine what is right and what is wrong. †¢ Provincial regions can prohibit the sale of goods not produced on its own region. (this was the case with Peugeot suppliers). †¢ The need for government support is greater when the output of the joint venture is sold within China †¢ The local partner is critical when the output must be sold to the government instead of the general public. [13] A survey of 125 randomly chosen Sino-Western joint ventures, each with a minimum of 50 employees, and each in business for over one year, were surveyed in Shanghai. They surveyed mangers from both parent companies in order to compare results and the results were as follows: †¢ The goal emphasis of the two groups was substantially different. †¢ Chinese managers focused on things that they had not yet mastered such as technology, management skills, and capital understanding. †¢ Western managers focused on their own things to be mastered such as understanding the local market, government policy and the political system. [14] Japan The situation in Japan is mixed. While some researchers point that there are some major problems in forming international joint ventures, large multinationals have formed very successful joint ventures and the announcements of more and more joint ventures being formed continues. On one hand is the view that international joint ventures between Japanese and North American firms in the automotive industry have encountered many problems. Most of the problems are related to cultural differences and management styles. â€Å"Although it is overly simplistic to describe Japanese management as long-term oriented and American management as short-term oriented, the Japanese partner firms in this study appeared to focus on customer satisfaction and product quality rather than profit based performance. Japanese firms seemed less constrained by issues of share price and impatient board of directors than their American counterparts.†[15] On the other hand is the trend of new joint ventures being formed or existing ones being expanded, â€Å"Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and Sumitomo Rubber Industries announced the formation of four joint venture operating companies. The units will be based in North America, Europe, and Japan. Two U.S.-based service joint ventures will also be formed, one for global purchasing and one for sharing tire technology.†[16] This agreement between Goodyear and Sumitomo reflects some experience in forming joint ventures as they have clearly defined the goals of the different joint ventures. This joint venture seems to be headed in the right direction, it will be interesting to follow up in a few years to see if they actually become successful. â€Å"Dainippon Ink and Chemicals (DIC) and Eastman Kodak say they will combine portions of their Japanese graphic arts businesses in April to make a Japanese unit for their existing JV, Kodak Polychrome Graphics (Norwalk, CT). The combination will increase the JVs sales from $1.5 billion last year to $2 billion in 1999, Kodak says.†[17] Kodak seems to be having success in their joint ventures with Japanese companies as they are expanding their current joint venture. Dupont and Teijin announced that they will form a 50-50 joint venture to manufacture polyester films. The joint venture is expected to generate sales of $1.4 billion and represent 25% of the market. â€Å"Both companies say the venture will allow for the free flow of technology and will combine DuPont’s strengths in the U.S., Europe, and China with Teijin’s strengths in Japan and Southeast Asia.† [18] Once again, it seems that companies that invest time and effort analyzing and understanding the challenges of joint ventures get on the right track from the start. Companies that just want to do business as usual (the case in the automotive industry) will have a hard time making the joint venture successful. SPAIN Spain has seen less activity in terms of joint ventures than Japan and China. It seems that Spain is not perceived as â€Å"risky† country and most companies might be willing to spring into fully owned subsidiaries in Spain. Also, the barrier to enter the market might not be as high as in the case of the Japanese market. However, in some industries, such as the financial services industry, there is a need for joint ventures to penetrate the market. Spanish people look for names of familiar companies to invest their money. According to a London fund manager interested in the Spanish market, â€Å"The easiest way to break into the market is through joint ventures with local banks but there are not many suitable partners. We have looked around a few banks but we haven’t been able to come up with a deal we like the look of.†[19] There is one company that has formed a joint venture with a Fibanc in Barcelona, Lazard Unit Trust Managers. Although, the majority of the investment firms have decided to just open their own branches in Spain. Fidelity’s managing director for central Europe believes that â€Å"Spain has a big population, around 40 million so in terms of sheer size it is very attractive. It’s one of the markets we have to be in. Fidelity opened its office in Madrid this year and has put a sales team in place. We are aiming at creating our own distribution channel rather than any other form of strategic alliance or joint venture†[20] It will be interesting to observe which of the two firms becomes more successful given the different approaches to penetrate the Spanish market. Another recent joint venture in Spain is Spanair. Formed between Scandinavian Airlines (49%) and Viajes Marsan (51%). Due to the recent deregulation of the European airline industry, the two companies were able to establish the airline as a joint venture. Spanair is flying direct from Madrid to Washington D.C. and it is increasing the number of intra-Europe flights. Spanair is now trying to form alliances with United Airlines to gain market recognition in the United States. Spanair has a different approach to marketing, they consider themselves an â€Å"airline with humor†, in fact, they gave away 266 round trip tickets to the first 266 people to arrive at the airport wearing some type of costume resembling some aspect of the Spanish culture.[21] Although, it seems that this airline has had a great start, it will be interesting to find out how they do in the future, as the Spanish culture seems to be playing a mayor role in the way the airline is run. I think that if Scandinavian Airlines is fully aware of the differences in management style between them and their Spanish partners, this joint venture should successful. Russia Prior to 1987, Russia had major restrictions in the formation of joint ventures. Only Eastern Block countries were allowed to form joint ventures with Russian partners. However, after 1987 the opportunity for joint ventures with Russian companies opened up and the result was a flood of joint ventures along with problems, risks, frustrations, opportunities and rewards.[22] The following quote summarizes the joint venture situation in Russia: â€Å"Although more than 10,000 international joint ventures have been registered in Russia since 1987, only about one-fifth of those have actually begun operations. Historically, many Russian-foreign joint ventures fail in the first year of operation, with an average survival rate of about 2.5 years.† [23] Richard Reece has identified some myths about Russians, which he believes are key elements in the failure track of international joint ventures in Russia. Following is a summary of these myths and his observations regarding the myths and suggestions to consider when forming a joint venture in Russia. 1. Russian workers are alcoholics and have an inferior work ethic. Alcoholic consumption might be higher, there is no certainty in this remark, however, Russian workers are used to longer vacations in the summer time and this can create the impression that Russians are lazy. His suggestion is to learn more about the Russian habits and styles prior to committing to a joint venture and have unrealistic expectations. 2. Russians are ignorant, incompetent managers. It is important to remember that Russians are learning about the market economy. For many years they have not been exposed to open markets, so they are less familiar with issues such as pricing, receivables, cost analysis, financing, cash flow, and marketing. It is important to remember that this is one of the major reasons why Russians are looking for partnerships with western companies. Russians are eager to learn more about the western style economics. The best way to find out the knowledge level is trough interviews with potential partners. 3. Russian managers lack business savvy. This myth has some truth in it, however, the fact that the Russian economy is unstable, has given managers the ability to react quickly to changes and adapt to the conditions of the new environment. In fact it is important to understand that not all western style solutions will work in Russia and Russian manager are more familiar with the details on how to get things done in Russia. Richard Reece makes particular emphasis in communication as a key ingredient to a successful joint venture in Russia. If potential partners do not learn about each other, how can they expect the venture to be successful. General Guidelines to Select a Partner. In general regardless of the countries involved, William Myers offers the following guidelines to select an adequate business partner: †¢ Is your prospective partner a known entity? †¢ Have you worked with the group before? †¢ Do the organization’s culture and values match yours? †¢ Does your prospective partner understand how associations work? †¢ Will the organization be flexible in crafting workable deals? †¢ Can your prospective partner clearly define success in the joint venture? †¢ Does your prospective partner have a reputation for honesty, and will the organization define working agreements in writing? [24] Answers to these questions will give you a general idea on whether to proceed with the venture, do more in depth analysis or simply not go through with the process. Conclusion This paper presented examples of successful and unsuccessful joint ventures. It also highlighted important information regarding key aspects of joint ventures in different countries. Joint ventures are still popular and international companies are creating more every day. Therefore, the knowledge from this paper should assist you to better understand the challenges associated with most joint ventures. A topic that was consistent throughout the literature on joint ventures is the importance of cultural differences, patience and the comparison of joint ventures to marriage. Therefore, if you have been married for a while, you might be better prepared for a joint venture than you think. Another interesting observation is that joint ventures seem to be preferred when there are market barriers, such as the case with Japan, or when the perceived risk level is relatively high, such as Russia and China. The fact that there was scarce information on joint ventures between companies of developed nations indicates that joint ventures are not the main avenue of expansion for most firms. This does not imply that they do not happen or that are not recommended, it simply states that they are far less popular. Companies are more willing to establish their own subsidiaries or branches since the risk level is lower. If you are involved in a joint venture, use the guidelines presented in this paper. The authors who recommend them have been studying international joint ventures for several years and have learned a lot from them. ———————– [1] Morosini, Piero.1998. Managing Cultural Differences, Pergamon Great Britain. [2] Inkpen, Andrew. 1995. The management of international joint ventures, Routledge London and New York. [3] Morosini, Piero.1998. Managing Cultural Differences, Pergamon Great Britain. [4] Morosini, Piero.1998. Managing Cultural Differences, Pergamon Great Britain. [5] Morosini, Piero.1998. Managing Cultural Differences, Pergamon Great Britain [6] Finnie, William C. 1998. Strategic partnering: Three case studies. Strategy and leadership, 26 (4): 18-22. [7] O Connor, Neal; & Chalos, Peter. 1999. The challenge for successful joint venture management in China: Lessons from a failed joint venture Multinational Business Review, 7 (1): 50-61. [8] Si, Steven & Bruton, Gary. 1999. Knowledge transfer in international joint ventures in transitional economies: The China experience. Academy of Management Executive, 13 (1): 83-90. [9] Si, Steven & Bruton, Gary. 1999. Knowledge transfer in international joint ventures in transitional economies: The China experience. Academy of Management Executive, 13 (1): 83-90. [10] Harwit, Eric. 1997. Guangzhou Peugeot: Portrait of a commercial divorce. China Business Review, 24(6): 10-11. [11] Harwit, Eric. 1997. Guangzhou Peugeot: Portrait of a commercial divorce. China Business Review, 24(6): 10-11 [12] Traffic World 1999 UPS’s big stake in China talks. Feb 8: 37. [13] Si, Steven & Bruton, Gary. 1999. Knowledge transfer in international joint ventures in transitional economies: The China experience. Academy of Management Executive, 13 (1): 83-90. [14] Si, Steven & Bruton, Gary. 1999. Knowledge transfer in international joint ventures in transitional economies: The China experience. Academy of Management Executive, 13 (1): 83-90. [15] Inkpen, Andrew. 1995. The management of international joint ventures, Routledge London and New York. [16] Fleet owner. 1999. Goodyear, Sumitomo deal. March: 16. [17] Moore, Samuel K. 1999. Kodak and DIC develop another JV. Chemical Week, 161 (8): 22. [18] Westerlvelt, Robert. 1999. Dupont and Teijin take a joint role in films. Chemical Week, 161 (6): 19. [19] Marshall, Julian. 1998 / 1999. Retail Pioneers will gain in Spain. 118: 56. [20] Marshall, Julian. 1998 / 1999. Retail Pioneers will gain in Spain. 118: 56. [21] Guttman, Robert J. 1998. Spanair: The sky’s the limit. Europe, 380:16-17. [22] Reece, Richard. 1998. Successful joint ventures in Russia. World Trade, 11 (8): 42-44. [23] Reece, Richard. 1998. Successful joint ventures in Russia. World Trade, 11 (8): 42-44. [24] Myers, William. 1998. Picking your partners wisely. Association Management, 50 (10): 31.