A Study of F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Beautiful and Damned and The Great Essay

A Study of F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Beautiful and Damned and The Great Gatsby - Essay Example On the other hand, there are those who believe that people are not obliged to be proactive when it comes to living their lives, as people are not forced into doing anything as a result of free will, and because everything has already been "written" by some higher being; therefore, there is nothing people can really do to change the track their lives are taking and are about to take. For example, when one attempts at something and fails, adopting the previously mentioned way of thinking, he or she will take things in a different way, as that person believes that his or her fate has already been drawn and that there is nothing that can be done to change it. Two of the most renowned works of F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Beautiful and Damned and The Great Gatsby, both deal with these issues . Before one delves deeper, it is important to note that these two terms can be and are actually used interchangeably. The dictionary definition of both terms state that fate is "the principle or determining cause or will by which things in general are believed to come to be as they are or events to happen as they do; an inevitable and often adverse outcome, condition, or end" (Merriam-Webster, 2006) and that destiny is "a predetermined course of events often held to be an irresistible power or agency" (Merriam-Webster, 2006), both definitions pertaining to the same idea. This essay will examine some key events in both The Great Gastb... Taking into account the previous definitions of fate, one cannot help but ask, as Schopenhauer did in some sections of The World as Will and Representation: Do humans have any choice with regard to their lives The freedom of choice is brought about by free will. But using the strictest definition of the word fate, how does free will come into play Does the existence of and belief in fate mean that this kind of freedom is disregarded, so to speak There are those who believe, however, that there is a difference between fate and destiny, wherein the consequences of an individual's actions and decisions bear a heavier weight. Through this kind of thinking, it is believed that fate is something that happens to man, giving him or her no choice with regard to his or her fate. On the contrary, destiny is that which man wishes to achieve; something toward which man strives. The Beautiful and Damned was published in 1922. Taking the work's title into context, the word "Damned" actually depicts the protagonist and his fate. Fitzgerald's description of the actions and characters in the novel reveal a pessimistic picture of life in America in the 1920s. The time, place, and circumstances the characters in the novel were born into appear to be the determining factor to the misery they suffer and yet these facts were out of their control. With the definition of fate, it can be said that these things are already written from the beginning, and completely and deeply affect a person's life. This particular work is about a generation of individuals who lived after the First World War. Because of such circumstances, it is believed that these

School and Students Essay Example for Free

School and Students Essay Done By: Fariha Khan Yr: 8Australian International School should adopt the year round schooling process for the benefit of students. During long summer breaks, students forget what they have learned. Not everyone likes traveling during the same time every year. Short breaks help receive education and allow students take rests in the perfect time without over pressurizing students. So, adopting year round schooling in AusIS would help students and give better grades to them. In long summer breaks, students mostly forget what they learned the past year. Kid’s memories are not that good and for two-three months breaks, students do not want to review what they learned and usually stay busy traveling, having fun, playing or getting bored at home. If the long summer breaks were made short and spread throughout the whole year, it would help students remember what they learned. â€Å"It is assumed that shorter breaks help students retain information- therefore less time needs to be spent on review,† Kathryn L. Brandy, teacher in the year round school, Jacksonville Florida Times Union. If teachers would review bits of information to students, then they would remember the rest of the information. Long summer breaks would affect all the hard work of students throughout the whole year. So, it would be really helpful to students if the long summer breaks were made shorter and spread through the whole year, by this students will be able to catch up to all the work and help them remember what they learned. Traveling at the same time every year is not something everyone like. Some people like to travel during the winter, because it is cold and you do not get tired from long journeys. Whereas for summer holidays you get tired really fast, and the weather bothers a lot. It is very hot at the time and from the hotness some students catch cold. Many problems occur from the summer vacations which affect the student’s life in all the ways (education, health, and etc. ). So, traveling in the summer holidays wouldn’t be the opinion for everybody. If the year round schooling process would start in AusIS, the pressure of students would reduce and perfect amount of education would be enriched by the students. The long summer holidays are not always fun. It gets boring and even annoying for some people. After a big summer vacation, study starts to push in, and for a long time you are in a very big pressure, until another holiday knocks up. If the break was spread around the whole year, students would get perfect amount of education and a good holiday in the time needed. This would also give the opportunity to the students who do not like to travel during the summer to travel in some other time during the year. So, if the summer vacation would be spread through the year, it would help students get less pressurized and study. Finally, I feel that year round schooling would help students throughout the year. It would be better and come as benefit to students. Many problems are faced by most of the students. Some of the most important counted facts would come to be as students forget what they learned the past year. Traveling during summer isn’t what everybody would suggest or follow. Short breaks lessen the pressure of students and help students to enrich perfect amount of education. As, coming to my point I suggest that AusIS should adopt the year round schooling process which would come as benefit to students in health, education and traveling way.

The Introduction To Death Penalty Philosophy Essay

The Introduction To Death Penalty Philosophy Essay Introduction to Death penalty The death penalty also called as Capital Punishment is one of the legal process in which a person is punished and put to death for a crime by the state. It is considered as the ultimate denial of the human rights. If a person is punished in this manner, a death sentence is a judicial decree, whereas Execution is the real process of the cause of death of the person. This degrading, inhuman and cruel punishment is being done in name of justice. It desecrates the right to life which is announced publically or officially in the Universal declaration of Human Rights. Death penalty is not considered as mandatory rather it is considered as discretionary in all the capital offenses except the murder case. Background of crime, physical and mental condition of the offender, age of the accused is taken into account by the judges for various capital offenses. It is valid and justified form of punishment. One calls it as deterrence while tit is regarded as potential of executing innocent people b y the others. Also one calls it justice, punishment and retribution while the others say that execution is murder. The punishment of murder is becoming less and less. Punishment for crime should be cruel and harsh. The aim of justice system is to protect rights of property, liberty and life. Here death penalty plays very important role. The criminal has to suffer for his wrongdoing or crime, stops him committing again and allows other criminals to commit the same. A judge orders a criminal for whole life to be in prison, but the prisoner is out of prison within 15 years. Thus the criminals continue committing crimes as they do not have the fear of punishment as they know that they will not be killed. For this death penalty should be an option so that before breaking the law they may be afraid. Capital offenses or we can say that capital crimes are the crimes which results in death penalty. Crime is an obvious part of the society. Death penalty had been practiced by many societies; currently it is practiced by around 58 nations and has been abolished by 97 countries. Execution of criminals i.e. a person who executes criminals by order of the law and the political opponents are being used by all the societies- both to punish the crime and also to suppress the political dissent. In most of the places where capital punishment is practiced it is restricted for various purposes like treason, murder, part of military justice or as espionage. In some of the countries sexual crimes like adultery, sodomy, rape and incest carries death penalty while in Islamic nations religious crimes like apostasy carry death penalty. In most of the countries that uses the death penalty, drug trafficking is also considered as a capital offense. In china, some of the serious cases of corruption as we ll as human trafficking are suffered for wrong doing by death penalty. In all the cases death penalty is opposed by Amnesty International without exception regardless of forming part of offender, nature of crime or the method which is used by the state to put a prisoner to death. Capital punishment has proved to have good benefits in order to determine the consequences which the criminals deserve in the country. This is required to make certain the moral values and safety of the society, then there will be no need of the expenses that are involved in death penalty. History of Death Penalty: Death penalty was set up as a punishment for people who committed crimes. The king of Babylon, Hammurabi in 18th century BC put into the form of a code the death penalty for almost 25 different crimes and murder was not included in them. In 16th century BC Egypt, the first death sentence occurred which was historically recorded where the wrongdoer was ordered to take his own life. Hittite code also practiced death penalty in 14th century BC. Death was made the penalty by Draconian code of Athens in 7th century BC for every crime which was committed. In 5th century death penalty was codified by the Roman Law. There are five justifications for implementation of death penalty which are as follows: The chances that the offender will return back to the society are reducing to nil. Closure for victims families. Other offenders discourage or deter against the future violations. For the offender who commits such serious crimes, death penalty is the appropriate punishment. Rightful societal vengeance is also one of the justifications of death penalty. Death Penalty Facts There are several reasons to abolish death penalty which are discussed as follows: Executions are carried out at unsteady cost to the taxpayers: It costs much more to execute a person rather than to keep him in the prison throughout the entire life. It is being observed that the death penalty trials are around 20 times more costly than the trials that seek a sentence of life in jail without any possibility of parole. No credible evidence is there that the capital punishment causes crime: Scientific studies had failed to find out that that executions cause people to commit crime more than seeking a sentence of life in prison. The states where death penalty is not practiced have much less murder rates. Innocent people are being executed and convicted: The wrong execution of innocent people creates lack of justice which can never be rectifiable. In the last two years it was found that four men had been executed wrongfully for the crime which they did not committed. Always there is a risk of an innocent people to be executed. Race plays a vital role in deciding who is sentenced to die: The two major factors that decides who lives and who dies are the race of victim and the race of defendant. It was concluded from the report of General Accounting Office in the year 1990 that those people who killed the whites were mostly sentenced to death than those who killed blacks. The death penalty is asked to be given without aim or purpose at random: The three determining factors in death penalty case where crime is committed are the politics, jurisdiction and the quality of legal counsel. The death penalty is considered as a lethal lottery. Out of 22,000 people who commit crime every year, approximately 150 people are put to death. Capital punishment goes against every religion: Execution is regarded as immoral by almost all the religious groups although isolated passages of the religious scriptures have given strength to death penalty. Millions of people spend on death penalty which can be used to help the families of the murder victims: Many families who have lost their loved ones in murder victims feels that neither death penalty will not curse their wounds nor will end their pain. In order to help the families funds can be used to put their lives back together crime victim hotlines, counseling, restitution and many other services that addresses their needs. A large number of countries round the world had given up the use of death penalty, but the consensus has not been formed by the world against the use of death penalty. Every year thousands of people are executed in China, which is the most popular country in the world and it is used regularly by the most powerful country, the US. The use of capital punishment is retained by eighty four countries in the world. The use of death penalty is declining in most of the countries and will be abandoned soon. Death penalty in Islam: Islam accepts death penalty. The main point to note is that life is taken by the people by the way of justice and law. In Islam, death penalty is put into practice by the court as punishment for creating serious crimes. But ultimately it is believed that external punishment is in almightys hand. According to the Islamic penal code, the non- physical, immaterial part of man, the soul, the immortal part of man which feels and thinks is to save lifes, prevent corruption and promote justice. Islamic philosophy holds a view that severe and cruel punishment should be given to the one who commit serious crimes, damages the individual victims, or utter a threat to destabilize foundation of the society. International murder and Fasad fil-ardh (which means to spread mischief in land) are the two crimes according to the Islamic law which are to be punishable by death. International murder: The Quran makes laws against the death penalty for murder, though compassion and forgiveness are strongly supported. A choice is given to the murder victims family either to declare with force and confidence on death penalty or to forgive the performer to take mandatory compensation for their losses. Fasaad fi al-ardh: This is the second crime which is being applied for capital punishment. It means spreading mischief in the land. it can have many different meanings but it generally means those crimes that that affects the whole community and destabilizes the society. Crimes under this include the following: Homosexual behavior Terrorism Adultery Treason/ Apostasy (it means when one joins the enemy to fight against the Muslim community leaving faith) Land, sea and air privacy Rape There are various methods of Capital punishment like firing squad, stoning, beheading and hanging. One important thing to be noted is that in Islam there is no place for vigilantism- before the punishment is announced, one must properly convict in Islamic court of Law. Thus the court can order the punishments according to the case basis like prison sentences, imposing fines etc. Questions arise that are the people in favor of death penalty for a person who committed crime? The answer to this question is explained by the following graph. Trend: Are You in Favor of the Death Penalty for a Person Convicted of Murder? According to the recent data of October 2011, approximately 61% people are in favor of death penalty for the one who is convicted of murder, 35%people are against this and around 4% people have no opinion related to this. Conclusion: During the last few decades many studies have sought to find out whether death penalty has doubtful effector deterrent effect on the homicides rates. Researchers have found out the conclusions very widely. It is being concluded that a statement of an intention to punish or hurt deters murders, saving number of people whereas other studies concluded that there is an increase in homicides due to executions. Most of the people believe that there is no effect due to executions on murder rates. It is being concluded from the new report on Law and Justice from the committee i.e. the Death Penalty and the National Research Council Report Deterrence that research on effect of capital punishment on the homicide rates is useless to determine whether there is increase in death penalty, decrease in death penalty or has no effect on these rates. The major question arises whether capital punishment is more or less effective as a cause rather than the punishments like life without possibility of pa role is considered as sensible alternative to death penalty. Simply death penalty is societys way of concluding that an individual has a right to die for committing crime. Harsh punishments are given which are justified by the nature. If the person suffers penalty, it is desirable. Thus punishment is one of the legitimate purposes of criminal sanction.

Space Appeal :: Science Planets NASA Papers

Space Appeal Public relations activities have been and always will be an integral part of crew activities. While these activities absorb resources, the most significant of which is time, they also bring public and political support to the program and provide some of the return on investment of the program.† – NASA, The Mars Reference Mission, Pg. 25 Since the day of NASA’s greatest triumph on July 20, 1969, there has been a sense among many American people and politicians that the once-unimaginable goal of conquering space has been accomplished, and that much of what NASA has done since are simply unnecessary frills of the federal budget. In order to attempt to justify its own existence, NASA has felt the need to engage in projects that can thrill the public and thus keep people interested in space exploration. In doing so, a significant portion of their budget, which has been cut over the years, is spent on public relations, decreasing the budget for actual space-related activities. By using its resources to â€Å"bring public and political support to the program†1, NASA has been looking at the problem backwards. By operating more efficiently and spending less on making their projects â€Å"sexy† they could actually accomplish their goals, which would implicitly grab the public’s attention. It is tim e for NASA to move into a new era, where the goal is to pick those projects that will actually succeed instead of those that sensationalize space, those that appeal to the scientist instead of the average American. One goal that NASA has been working toward for years is that of sending a manned mission to Mars. While there is no official plan to send a man to Mars, there is wide support for it at NASA and it clearly would be attempted when/if possible. Sending a human to another planet would be an impressive step for the recently maligned space 1 Koff, Stephen. â€Å"NASA’s new chief will ask 'why' a lot†. The Plain Dealer. January 10, 2002. National Pg. A2. Lexis-Nexis Universe. Online. Nexis. April 28, 2002. program, and would likely bring back a large public interest in the cosmos not seen since the heyday of space in the 1950s and 60s. However, NASA exists neither to entertain the American people nor to promote interest in outer space. According to Sean O’Keefe, NASA’s newly-minted Chief Administrator, it exists to â€Å"advance the development of science and technology†2.

Reunion Essay

†Reunion† is a short story, written by John Cheever. John William Cheever was an American short story writer and novelist, who lived 70 years from May 27, 1912 to June 18, 1982. He is known worldwide as â€Å"the Chekhov of the suburbs† and for his many short stories and novels. 1 The short story â€Å"Reunion†, which I want to analyse and interpret, was originally published in in 1962 in The New Yorker. 2 The text is a short act with few persons, the environment is non-detailed and the story have one conflict, which all are characterising a traditional short story.The story is about a boy named Charlie, who is traveling from his grandmother’s in Adirondacks to a cottage on the Cape and is going to be between trains for an hour and a half in New York. He grabs the opportunity to visit his father, who he had not seen since his mother divorced him three years ago. As Charlie arrives to the Grand Central Station, he meets his missing father, and together they walked on to a nearby restaurant. Charlie was happy to finally see his father, and as they walked together, Charlie proudly wanted the whole world to see them.At the restaurant the father could not behave himself because of his dissatisfaction with the service, and they ended up leaving to eat at another restaurant. At the second restaurant they ordered a drink and where having a good time with each other, but the good time ended early, once again because of the fathers bad behaviour. This time he was unsatisfied with the waiter, who did not wanted to give Charlie another drink, because of his age. They went to another restaurant again, where the father also started arguing with the waiter.They walked into the fourth restaurant and the same happened. All the restaurant trouble had made the time pass, and Charlie had to catch his train without a successfully restaurant visit. The father wanted to give Charlie a paper to read in the train, and at their way back to the station, t hey stopped by a newsstand. The father began discussing with the man at the newsstand, and Charlie ended up saying goodbye to his father to leave the station on the train, unhappy, disappointed and without any food or paper. The main characters in the story are Charlie and his father.Charlie is a boy, who wishes to have a father to look up to and be proud of, but got the complete opposite. Charlie is under 21, because he cannot be served alcoholic drinks in the restaurant. From what Charlie tells in the beginning, we know that the father is big and good-looking. I think of him as a stressed businessman with too many things going on at the same time and maybe a little abuse of alcohol. The reason to my thoughts is, that his wife divorced him, he have not had time to see his son since, his secretary is answering his messages and he cannot behave himself in the restaurants.In the story there is a development between the father and Charlie. To begin with their relationship is good and t hey are both happy to see each other. But as the father’s behaviour is getting worse throughout the story, Charlie begins to realise, that he feels disappointed and unhappy about his father and his behaviour. This negative development is clearly shown at the end of the story, where Charlie ends up leaving his father with an empty feeling. The text is easy to read and it is easy to understand the language.The narrator is Charlie, and he tells the story from his own point of view. The story also tells about Charlie’s thoughts and feelings, for example his excitement and happiness about seeing his father in the beginning. The writer is also using direct speeches between the father and the different waiters and Charlie to show and underpin the father’s bad behaviour. The story takes place in New York, USA and the action takes place on the Grand Central Station, the 4 restaurants, the streets they are walking trough and the newsstand.The story is, like I said earlier , from 1962, but I think, that it is timeless, because it is a story, which could have happened today as well. I would even say, that the story fits 2013 better than 1962, because it is more normal and frequent to be divorced and have a busy and stressed life. There are some different themes appearing in the story. One of the themes is stress. It is clear, that the father is very stressed about something. It could be his failed marriage, his job or just his insecurity about not being a good enough father to Charlie. That leads us to the next theme; bad parenting.Charlie has not seen his father since the divorce three years ago, and that is of course not good parenting by neither of the parents. It is of course the father’s problem, but the mother could maybe also have had a bad influence in the situation. I think the two themes reminds a lot of each other. In this story stress leads to bad parenting. The father’s own life is stressed, and that is making his behaviour t o other people bad. His bad behaviour to other people is making him a bad parent, because Charlie obviously does not like being with his father, when he acts in that way.With these two themes, the main theme and the message of the story appears. I think, that John Cheever wants to remind people of the importance of treating other people in the same way, that you treat your nearest friends and family. Because in the story it is the father’s bad treatment of other people that courses his bad relationship to his own son. That leads to the message: no matter how busy and stressed you are, always remember to treat other people in the same way, that you will treat your own family, or else you will loose the ones you care about.â€Å"Reunion† and â€Å"Living with strangers† have a lot of the same aspects. â€Å"Living with strangers† has a narrator, who describes the life in New York, where strangers does not care about you and are living their own stressed lif e. The narrator is from another culture, a smaller city, where it is normal to talk and care about other people, and she does not like the way the people of New York treats each other. The narrator’s situation is very similar to the narrator in â€Å"Reunion†, Charlie, who does not like his father’s behaviour.

Anna Hazare’s Movement Against Corruption

A new landmark in the history of independent India, a new path paved by the veteran anti- corruption campaigner Anna Hazare. His struggle against corruption was a gentle reminder of Mahatma Gandhi’s Satyagraha. His fast-unto death, the five day fast has shown the world what Gandhism means in today’s world. The power of Gandhiji’s non violence will never cease to exist in the ages to come. While in Libya and Yemen there is bloodshed for freedom, where people are waging war against one another during the crisis, here in India, a respected social activist Anna Hazare is waging a peaceful, non violent war against corruption. His urge to free India of the greatest evil, corruption, commends appreciation. This fight against corruption staged at Jantar Mantar was not a one- man show. People from different parts of the country gave their support to Anna Hazare. The greatest merit of this non violent struggle was that no political party was involved in it. Anna Hazare and his supporters were not influenced by any political party. There was only one flag waving high in the sky and in our minds, the Indian National Flag. The fast ended on a very positive note when the idea of Jan Lokpal Bill was accepted by the Government of India. According to the Jan Lokpal Bill, there will be a separate body to investigate and curb the ugly face of India†¦. CORRUPTION; where people have the right to raise their voice against corrupt politicians. Moreover the CBI will be seen as an independent body, free of any other external influence. Now that the bill is going to be sanctioned, a very important question arises†¦. Can all the Indians touch their heart and say with confidence that the Jan Lokpal Bill will eradicate corruption Maybe to an extent but I don’t think it will erase corruption completely in a vast country like India. The Jan Lokpal Bill may have loopholes like the Right to Information Act, an Act passed due to the thrust laid by Anna Hazare. According to the right to information act, the citizens of India have the right to get information on any matter concerning the country, but recently an incident occurred which clearly reflects the loopholes in it. A citizen of India lodged a complaint about the illegal wealth possessed by the former chief justice of India, K. G Balakrishnan. Even today complete information about the wealth of this most corrupted chief justice of India is not known to the public. Why? Is it beyond the Right to Information Act? Similar loopholes are likely to be there in the Lokpal bill also. It is sure that as time passes some illegal and illogical rule will come whereby the citizens cannot use this bill against the Prime Minister, Chief justice and so on thus restric ting its use. The new committee formed to frame the bill must take in the interest of all sections of the population. It should be taken care that the bill will be unbiased and does not favour any person; be it the president or prime minister. Further it should be accompanied by other reformation, yes, reformation from the grass root level. Recently when assembly elections were held in Kerala, crores of rupees were spent by each candidate of the 140 constituencies for campaigning. Where did this money come from? If it is the contribution made by big industrialists and so on, then those candidates when elected should serve their interests. In Tamil Nadu, people are given free T. Vs and laptops. Where did this money come from? All these are different manifestations of corruption. A very effective way to end corruption is to reduce the money power in elections. Crores of rupees are deposited as black money by many influential people abroad. This unaccounted money should be brought back and if it is done, this black money alone can provide the necessary funds required for the construction of metros in a ll the states of India. These reformations if enforced can provide that extra impetus needed to curb corruption along with the Lokpal bill. The Lokpal bill is cent percent legitimate and it upholds the spirit of the constitution because its main aim is to create a corruption- free India. If by any chance it is against any article of the constitution, it is better to amend the constitution rather than the bill because of its most noble cause. The 2G spectrum case, Adharsh Bhavan Colony, commonwealth games are the different issues which we have been hearing in the last few months which has made India a laughing stock in the comity of nations. Let us use the Jan Lokpal bill wisely, sealing its loopholes and see the ultimate result. Let us hope for the best.

How to Get Good Grades in Business School

How to Get Good Grades in Business School Every business school works differently when it comes to grades. Some grading systems are based on instructional approaches. For example, lecture-based courses sometimes base grades on class assignments or test scores. Programs that use the case method, like Harvard School of Business, often base a percentage of your grade on classroom participation. In some cases, schools wont even award traditional grades. Yale School of Management, for example, has grading categories like Distinction, Proficient, Pass, and Fail. Other schools, like Wharton, request that professors keep average class GPAs below a certain number, ensuring that only a certain number of students will receive a perfect 4.0. How Important Are Grades in Business School? Before you begin worrying about grades too much, its important to note that GPA isnt really that important if youre an MBA student. Obviously, you want to be able to pass your class and do well, but when it comes down to it, MBA grades just aren’t as important as high school or undergraduate grades. Employers are willing to overlook soft grades for MBA grads who fit the company culture or excel in a particular area, such as leadership. If youre a student in an undergraduate business program, on the other hand, your GPA is important. A low undergraduate GPA can keep you out of a top-ranked graduate school. It can also affect your employment prospects, as employers are much more likely to ask about your class rank and success rate in a particular class. Tips for Getting Good Grades in Business School Determination is an important quality for all MBA students. Without it, you are going to have a hard time wading through the notoriously rigorous curriculum and keeping up with your cohorts. If you can keep your determination level high, your persistence will pay off with good grades or at least an A for effort - professors notice enthusiasm and effort and will find some way to reward it. A few other tips to help you get good grades in business school: Show up for class. You don’t need to attend every single class, but if you attend a small business program, your empty seat will be noticed. Since many business programs are teamwork-based, you will also be letting down your classmates when you do not pull your weight.Participate in class. Remember, participation can account for a large portion of your grade. If you don’t get involved in class discussion or at least look interested in class, you won’t fare well in a case-based curriculum or a course that emphasizes involvement.Learn to read fast. In two years of business school, you could read as many as 50 textbooks and 500 cases. Learning how to take in a lot of dry text in a short amount of time will save you time and allow you to focus on other work.Join or form a study group. Study group members can learn from one another. Making yourself accountable to a group can also keep you motivated and on track.Read case studies. A good case study/analysis combo is th e perfect way to learn how to answer questions in a business school class. If you know what topic you will be studying next week in class, prepare with a few case studies in private this week. Master time management. There is never enough time to get all of your work done in business school. The more you can learn and practice time management, the easier it will be for you to at least get to 90 percent of your work.Network with everyone. Grades are important, but networking is what will help you survive business school and thrive after graduation. Don’t sacrifice your time with other people for hours in the books.

Definition and Examples of Diction in English

Definition and Examples of Diction in English In rhetoric and composition, diction is the choice and use of words in speech or writing. Also called  word choice.In phonology and phonetics, diction is a way of speaking, usually judged in terms of prevailing standards of pronunciation and elocution. Also called enunciation and articulation. Etymology From the Latin, to say, speak Example The principal meaning of diction is the selection and use of words or the manner of expression. But this fact does not rule out, as some purists would like to do, the companion meaning of mode of speaking or enunciation.(Theodore Bernstein, Miss Thistlebottoms Hobgoblins, 1971) Concrete and Abstract Diction Concrete and abstract diction need each other. Concrete diction illustrates and anchors the generalizations that abstract diction expresses. . . . The best writing integrates concrete and abstract diction, the language of showing and the language of telling (explaining).(David Rosenwasser and Jill Stephen, Writing Analytically, 6th ed. Wadsworth, 2012) Diction and Audience Diction will be effective only when the words you choose are appropriate for the audience and purpose,  when they convey your message accurately and comfortably. The idea of comfort may seem out of place in connection with diction, but, in fact, words can sometimes cause the reader to feel uncomfortable. Youve probably experienced such feelings yourself as a listenerhearing a speaker whose words for one reason or another strike you as inappropriate.(Martha Kolln, Rhetorical Grammar. Allyn and Bacon, 1999) Levels of Language Sometimes diction is described in terms of four levels of language: (1) formal, as in serious discourse; (2)  informal, as in relaxed but polite conversation; (3) colloquial, as in everyday usage; (4)  slang, as in impolite and newly coined words. It is generally agreed that the qualities of proper diction are appropriateness, correctness, and accuracy. A distinction is usually made between diction, which refers to the choice of words, and style, which refers to the manner in which the words are used.(Jack Myers and Don Charles Wukasch, Dictionary of Poetic Terms. University of North Texas Press, 2003) Small Surprises Your diction, the exact words you choose and the settings in which you use them, means a great deal to the success of your writing. While your language should be appropriate to the situation, that generally still leaves plenty of room for variety. Skillful writers mix general and particular, abstract and concrete, long and short, learned and commonplace, connotative and neutral words to administer a series of small but telling surprises. Readers stay interested because they dont know exactly whats coming next.(Joe Glaser, Understanding Style: Practical Ways to Improve Your Writing. Oxford University  Press, 1999)Note the placing of the single low word in [Dwight]  Macdonald’s brilliantly high-flown definition of the academic prose that had already begun to jam the college libraries: The amount of verbal pomposity, elaboration of the obvious, repetition, trivia, low-grade statistics, tedious factification, drudging recapitulations of the half-comprehended, and generally inane and laborious junk that one encounters suggests that the thinkers of earlier ages had one decisive advantage over those of today: they could draw on very little research. The low word, of course, is  junk. But it helps to light up a bravura sentence full of useful noncolloquial phrases:  drudging recapitulations of the half-comprehended  is a permanently good definition of the danger posed by college courses without standards, and  low-grade statistics  has the merit of starting another discussion altogether.(Clive James, Style Is the Man. The Atlantic, May 2012) Exactness, Appropriateness, and Accuracy Word choice and usage come under the heading of diction. Some people seem to think that when it comes to word choice, bigger is always better. But using a word just because it is big is a bad idea. Youre better off using words for their exactness, appropriateness, and accuracy than for their size. The only time a bigger word is a better choice is when it is more accurate. In any case, the final decision to use this word over that should be based on the audience for whom youre writing.(Anthony C. Winkler and Jo Ray Metherell, Writing the Research Paper: A Handbook, 8th ed. Wadsworth, 2012) Weasel Words One of our defects as a nation is a tendency to use what have been called weasel words. When a weasel sucks eggs the meat is sucked out of the egg. If you use a weasel word after another, there is nothing left of the other.(Theodore Roosevelt, 1916) T.S. Eliot on Words Words strain,Crack and sometimes break, under the burden,Under the tension, slip, slide, perish,Decay with imprecision, will not stay in place,Will not stay still.(T.S. Eliot, Burnt Norton) Pronunciation: DIK-shun

Neighborhood Watch Prevention Program Research Paper

Neighborhood Watch Prevention Program - Research Paper Example 105). Neighborhood Watch, subsumed within a broad classification of community crime prevention programs, has historical beginnings in the most primitive and olden crime prevention schemes. Undoubtedly, the prevention of crime has been a preoccupation of civilizations spanning the course of time (Lab, 2004). Although crime prevention has been an invariable concern throughout history, the methods used to prevent crime have differed not only in strategic complexity but also with respect to the staff relegated to perform crime prevention tasks (Lab, 2004; Vago, 2003). For instance, quite notable distinctions among historic crime prevention schemes include the exclusive reliance on the informal social control of primitive kin groups, which had no formal system of jurisprudence, versus the utilization of a semi-formal and/or paid obligatory police force, existing within a more complex legal system (Vago, 2003). Regardless of the strategic complexity, crime prevention schemes of past have r elied to a large extent on a familial (kin) and/or a neighborhood watch-style of policing- a style of policing which is congruent with the basic tenets of Neighborhood Watch and a style of policing which is being hailed as a crucial remedy to resolve neighborhood crime and disorder problems (Lab, 2004). This style of policing however does not absolve formal agents of social control from also being responsible for the prevention of crime (Bowers & Johnson, 2005). Since the 1970s, empirical studies have been conducted to determine the effectiveness of Neighborhood Watch (Rosenbaum, Lewis, & Grant, 1986; Lindsay & McGillis, 1986). These studies have focused on finding a relationship between Neighborhood Watch and reductions in (1) residential burglary, (2) fear of crime, and (3) victimizations. Other studies have also assessed the relationship between community crime prevention programs, including Neighborhood Watch and collective efficacy; informal social control; and attachment to th e neighborhood (Rosenbaum et al., 1986). Early studies on Neighborhood Watch revealed the most promising findings. For instance, studies conducted in Seattle and Portland showed that the implementation of watch programs led to a significant reduction in self-reported burglary victimizations (Lindsay & McGillis, 1986). Also, program participants in Seattle were found to incorporate elements of Neighborhood Watch into their daily routines (e.g. personal protection behaviors) and incorporate elements of the program to defend their home from being burglarized (Clarke & Newman, 2006). In Portland, program participants were more apt to engage in protection behaviors that benefited them and their neighborhood. Thus, it showed that residents were engaging in personal and collective protection behaviors (Schneider, 1986). In Hartford, Connecticut, a test of Newman's (1972) notions of defensible space and territoriality also revealed promising findings. Two years after the implementation of w atch programs and after the implementation of changes in the neighborhood's traffic flow, residents reported lower burglary and robbery victimizations. The study also showed an increase in resident's ability to exert informal social control- they were more willing to protect their neighborhood from intruders and more likely to interact with their neighbors (Fowler & Mangoine, 1986). Evaluations conducted in

Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 Revenue from Contracts with Research Paper

Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) - Research Paper Example the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) agreed upon modifying the existing standard of revenue recognition (Accounting Standards codification 605) in Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and publish Accounting standards update 2014-09 (AICPA, 2014). The paper aims at understanding the implications of the update in context of revenue recognition in a broad manner. Alongside, it will also highlight impact of the new development in terms of improvement in financial reporting. Revenue is a very crucial element of the financial statement as it helps investors and other interested parties of an organisation in assessing the financial performance as well as position of the company with respect to others in an industry. It was observed that significant differences existed between revenue recognition principle of US GAAP and that of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). It was also ascertained that both the standards required certain improvements so as to improve the overall quality of financial reporting (Gallistel, et al., 2012). The previous revenue recognition guidelines in the US GAAP integrated broad concepts with various revenue requirements that were industry-specific; this process complicated the overall system of reporting. Contrastingly, IFRS revealed very limited information which made it difficult to account for complex transactions. The new revenue recognition guidance replaces transaction specific and industry specific revenue reco gnition measures with a principle based approach which is more specific in nature (Ernst & Young, 2014; PWC, 2014a). The boards, FASB and IASB, responded to the above mentioned challenges by developing a converged set of requirements that meet existing issues in US GAAP and IFRS. The guiding principle of the new standard aims at ensuring that companies recognise revenue for depicting transfer of goods and services to consumers in an amount which

Laws of Gay Marriage Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Laws of Gay Marriage - Term Paper Example Homosexuality has been practiced by the ancient Romans and Greek people. Although there is a lot of subjectivity about gay marriages in those cultures, as homosexual people have not been provided with as much freedom and liberty to get married until recently, yet literature review suggests that the practice of homosexuality has always been there. Even the term â€Å"homosexuality† was not used before 1869 (McKinnon 1). Ancient Romans and Greeks considered homosexuality a normal practice. Many Greek philosophers including Aristotle, Plato and Socrates had male sexual partners. â€Å"It was common practice for a male to take on a young boy as his lover until he reached maturity where he would, in turn, take on another young boy as his lover† (McKinnon 1). Similarly, there exist accounts of the Native Americans in the literature of the North Americans, who had adopted the â€Å"Berdache† lifestyle in which people of one gender used to dress like people of the opposi te gender, and dated people from the same gender. The reason this practice did not become much stigmatized was that the couples were apparently heterosexuals. Homosexuality has been condemned by a lot of religions. A review of various religious scriptures suggests that homosexuality has been abhorred. Some religious scriptures have mentioned very strict punishments for people indulging in this act. Particularly, the Abrahamic religions, including Christianity, Judaism as well as Islam have condemned the act of homosexuality. In the Bible and Quran, there is a detailed discussion of a nation known as â€Å"the people of Lut† who were indulged in the practice of homosexuality. Prophet Lut (P.B.U.H.) warned the people not to do it, but the people would not listen. Quran describes homosexuality as a practice that crosses the limits of God Almighty. Quran quotes Prophet Lut (P.B.U.H.) in these words, â€Å"Doa ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you? For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds† (Qur'an 7:80-81 cited in â€Å"Isla m and Homosexuality†).

How did economic change and the two world wars effect wome workers in Essay

How did economic change and the two world wars effect wome workers in Britain between 1750 - 1950 - Essay Example Both phases provided empowerment for women altering their roles in their workplace and at home, sometimes restricting opportunity (Noung, Para1). The first phase of industrialization, the outwork, involved the production of goods for home use and for export through the merchants who fed the local and outside markets with the goods. The families never hesitated to squeeze themselves, if it called for, due to the flexibility of the system even though there were frustrations placed on their leisure time by out putting merchants. During this era, the women played a very important economic role since all the members of a household knew how to operate a spinning machine, meaning that together they contributed to the household economy. Therefore, this phase empowered women by making them agents of production and not just consumption (Floud, p25). This development in the production sector was important due to the agricultural trends, which were extant since 1700. This was due to the economics of scales that proprietors were employing. Large farms were able to operate with few workers hence released much labour from the lands driving women out of the labour market. These could be associated with the fact that men still dominated social and economic sectors during this period. As their wages started going down, they sought to exclude women from the labour market to prevent further immiseration. Hence, women from the agricultural region had to seek employment at home. This exclusion of women came with some side effects to the farmers who were their employers. Most noticeable and comical was the violent clashes between well-organized groups of women gleaners and the farmers. They would invade their farms to collect leftovers after harvesting. As the farmers tried to limit this, they developed a stricter notion of property rights in the eighteenth century. The farmers worn the civil case but the local customary law pull-ranked it as the judiciary

The beauty of islam art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The beauty of islam art - Essay Example The beauty of Islamic art, considering outward beauty and inward beauty, has its source in the past. The human activities are integrated to the extent into Islamic; they are a shore up for beauty that really transcends these actions for it is the Islamic beauty itself (Critch, 2004, 8). The art of Islamic receives its beauty from Islamic itself and not from any other ethic genius, and just as the science of Islamic originated in the Hadith and Qur’an, so the Islamic art typical form is rooted in the Islamic spirit. Inward beauty is the beauty of the heart or of the soul, and which necessary emanates outwards, transforming each individual action hooked on an art, and all art into Gods remembrance. As Islamic art is essential to all Muslim’s part of life and makes it beautiful, so the Islamic art ought to be used to invent the things of the everyday life with beauty. In Islamic art, the emphasis is not an art in favor of art’s sake, but it is an art on

Film Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

Film Analysis - Essay Example also tries to answer some major concerns like why these people have always remained so poorly understood and why their history is fraught with endless stories of struggle and strife. This essay aims to concentrate on one planning issue in particular which is cultural awareness and assimilation. This issue has a lot of depth and intensity to it which is why following discussion will be based on it. There are clear evidences present in the film to support this planning issue, each of which will be scrutinized in this essay. First piece of evidence supporting the fact that the film promotes cultural awareness and assimilation is when the FBI agent Ray Levoi begins to go deeper and has his first look at what is hidden under the surface. The surface image of Native Americans is very stereotypical which is created by the white elite forces. It speaks that all Native Americans are wild and deranged especially the infamous Indian tribes. The unmitigated hatred spawned by white people for Indian tribes is a very grave issue which forms the bedrock of this film. Levoi is more culturally aware than others and so, he believes that some Indian tribes may be vicious, but the same cannot be said for all. There is no reason to possess such racial hatred for the Indians as is possessed by characters like Agent Frank â€Å"Cooch† and Jack Milton in the film. Levoi has a different attitude than his partner Cooch toward Native Americans. He understands that there are power inequalities between the Indians and whi tes. After developing a harmonious standing with some tribal elders like Grandpa Sam, he come to know that these inequalities range from political power to social relationships. He sees that whites are certainly more privileged than Native Indians are and he sympathizes with local Indian tribes. This shows how culturally aware he becomes which helps him to swiftly assimilate with them. Another point highlighting Levoi’s cultural awareness is his association with Maggie

How did economic change and the two world wars effect wome workers in Essay

How did economic change and the two world wars effect wome workers in Britain between 1750 - 1950 - Essay Example Both phases provided empowerment for women altering their roles in their workplace and at home, sometimes restricting opportunity (Noung, Para1). The first phase of industrialization, the outwork, involved the production of goods for home use and for export through the merchants who fed the local and outside markets with the goods. The families never hesitated to squeeze themselves, if it called for, due to the flexibility of the system even though there were frustrations placed on their leisure time by out putting merchants. During this era, the women played a very important economic role since all the members of a household knew how to operate a spinning machine, meaning that together they contributed to the household economy. Therefore, this phase empowered women by making them agents of production and not just consumption (Floud, p25). This development in the production sector was important due to the agricultural trends, which were extant since 1700. This was due to the economics of scales that proprietors were employing. Large farms were able to operate with few workers hence released much labour from the lands driving women out of the labour market. These could be associated with the fact that men still dominated social and economic sectors during this period. As their wages started going down, they sought to exclude women from the labour market to prevent further immiseration. Hence, women from the agricultural region had to seek employment at home. This exclusion of women came with some side effects to the farmers who were their employers. Most noticeable and comical was the violent clashes between well-organized groups of women gleaners and the farmers. They would invade their farms to collect leftovers after harvesting. As the farmers tried to limit this, they developed a stricter notion of property rights in the eighteenth century. The farmers worn the civil case but the local customary law pull-ranked it as the judiciary

Film Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

Film Analysis - Essay Example also tries to answer some major concerns like why these people have always remained so poorly understood and why their history is fraught with endless stories of struggle and strife. This essay aims to concentrate on one planning issue in particular which is cultural awareness and assimilation. This issue has a lot of depth and intensity to it which is why following discussion will be based on it. There are clear evidences present in the film to support this planning issue, each of which will be scrutinized in this essay. First piece of evidence supporting the fact that the film promotes cultural awareness and assimilation is when the FBI agent Ray Levoi begins to go deeper and has his first look at what is hidden under the surface. The surface image of Native Americans is very stereotypical which is created by the white elite forces. It speaks that all Native Americans are wild and deranged especially the infamous Indian tribes. The unmitigated hatred spawned by white people for Indian tribes is a very grave issue which forms the bedrock of this film. Levoi is more culturally aware than others and so, he believes that some Indian tribes may be vicious, but the same cannot be said for all. There is no reason to possess such racial hatred for the Indians as is possessed by characters like Agent Frank â€Å"Cooch† and Jack Milton in the film. Levoi has a different attitude than his partner Cooch toward Native Americans. He understands that there are power inequalities between the Indians and whi tes. After developing a harmonious standing with some tribal elders like Grandpa Sam, he come to know that these inequalities range from political power to social relationships. He sees that whites are certainly more privileged than Native Indians are and he sympathizes with local Indian tribes. This shows how culturally aware he becomes which helps him to swiftly assimilate with them. Another point highlighting Levoi’s cultural awareness is his association with Maggie

Halifax & Bank of Scotland Essay Example for Free

Halifax Bank of Scotland Essay The UK has one of the most diverse and dynamic banking sectors in the world. Banking is now a highly competitive industry. Financial consumers are now more sophisticated as they are now more aware of available banking options. The assets of the UK banking system were i 3,441bn (August 2001), which were dominated by a dozen or so retail banks, with national networks, mostly serving domestic, personal and corporate customers. Currently, the big four banks HSBC, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds TSB and Barclays, dominate retail and business banking, jointly accounting for 68% of all UK current accounts. Both Halifax, founded in 1853, and 306-year-old Bank of Scotland are seen as business icons in their regions. Halifax is based in England, while the Bank of Scotland has very few branches south of the border. A merger between these firms would increase the geographic scope for potential customers. Halifax started as a building society and is now more widely known as a big mortgage lender. In the wider community, the Halifax Bank has a very active community-banking sector catering for charity and non-profit organizations including housing associations, credit unions and community development operations. In comparison, the Bank of Scotlands strength lies in the corporate market. It would seem very likely that both firms would like to achieve higher profitability and growth opportunity through cross-selling products to each others customers. For example, the products developed by Halifax could be marketed effectively to Bank of Scotlands customers and vice versa. Because both banks operate complementary activities, it is possible the combining of both firms will result in synergies, which may also result in increased efficiency. There may also be opportunities to achieve savings through cutting some unnecessary costs. For example, the amount of staff needed for the combined firm is likely to be reduced. By merging together, the size of the combined firm will certainly increase, thus leveraging the combined spend to negotiate better deals. The market position of the combined firm will be strengthened. Its market share within the industry will increase, maybe even enough to compete with the big-four banks, thus increasing the competition within the banking industry. In reality, there are wide ranges of techniques that can help analyse a firms performance some firms may base their performance on sales, whereas others through the quality of products. Economists usually analyse a firms performance based on the amount of profit it is making. For a thorough analysis, this paper will be looking at the firms: market value, profitability, stability, value for shareholders, efficiency, and capital adequacy. It must be noted that firms within the banking sector are subject to many economic uncertainties, which can influence how well a firm is doing from year to year. In this case, these uncertainties include: interest rates, employment rates, as well as the condition of the equity markets. For example, the base rate in January 2000 was 5.75%, however, at January 2002, the base rate was at 4. 00%5. To analyse the performance of the banks before and after the merger, the firms financial accounts will be examined and ratios will also be calculated. 6 The main performance indicators that will be analysed include: Profit before tax; Total assets; Dividends and Earnings per share. In addition, the return on equity, cost:income ratio and the firms capital strength will be examined. These ratios will give a clear assessment of the firms performance compared with that of other firms. Before the merger, in 2000, Halifax and Bank of Scotland had market values of $22,105million and $11,762million respectively. Post-merger, in 2002, HBOS then had a market value in excess of $31billion7. This immediately signifies the success of the merger, as the combined company is worth now worth a lot more in the market. Figure 1 Profit before tax From an economic point of view, it is important that a firm makes a profit otherwise there would be no point of the existence of the firm. The Profit Loss account of a firm shows the results of trading over the previous 12 months. It shows the net effect of income less expenses. The reason that profit before tax is analysed rather than profit after tax is due to the fact that interest rates and inflation changes could affect the amount of tax that is paid each year. In 2000, Halifax made i 1,715million profit (before tax), compared with Bank of Scotland, which made i 911million. It would be expected that when both companies have merged together, the pre-tax profit should increase. Figure 1 shows that in 2002, HBOS made a pre-tax profit of i 2,909million, which is more than the separate firms pre-tax profit added together. This shows that HBOS are actually performing better than the previously separate firms.

Assessing Strategic Analysis About Ryanair Airways

Assessing Strategic Analysis About Ryanair Airways The Ryanair is started by the Ryan family in 1985, with share capital of one pound and only with 25 colleagues , they started daily basis flights from Waterford in the Ireland to London Gatwick, with 5000 passengers on the route . The company grow further with high competitors British Airways and air Lingus . It is operating in a highly competitive sectors . but after 3 years of fast industrial growth , company increasingly got the numbers of passengers. with the price and routes competition they face  £20mn losses and it leads thinking about restructuring , Ryanair was take models from southwest airlines low cost leadership model .Under the new management team with new CEO Michael OLeary rethink and Launch a New LOW COST , NO FRILLS Strategy . In 1997 the EU Air transport authority allows the Ryanair to first time to operate 18 new routes in European Continental area. They took many corrective action against cost reduction Eg no free drinks ,foods, and other facilities. Ryanair go t good response from all European passengers who likes frequent , quick and Low cost Travel . Ryanair overtakes BA and Air Lingus in the Dublin London routes . Ryanair achieves their objective in a short period , they won many awards and positions in airlines industry, Ryanair got good name for punctuality. consistently the organisation expands operations , therefore in become very famous airline in the world ., and currently Ryanair operating 24 countries 436 low fare routs carried nearby 60mn people . Ryanairs Strategy : Ryanairs objective is to firmly establish itself as Europes leading low-fares scheduled passenger airline through continued improvements and expanded offerings of its low-fares service(Ryanair.com)The Ryanair key strategies. Industry Leading passenger service High frequency on short- haul routes. Significantly providing a service with very Low fares . low operating costs, addressing aircraft and equipment, personnel productivity, customer service costs and airport access fees Use the internet effectively Commitment to the safety and quality maintenance . Expand the operation results via Ancillary services. Ryanair offering a highly differentiated product with very lower fare, which increasing their competitive advantage to maintain competitive position on over its competitor. The firm makes to claim to their market area by marking Europes first no frills airline service.(Ryanair.com). Sustainable competitive advantage : Cost reduction Strategy: The Ryanair has following cost reduction strategy for achieving its goal for retaining their competitive position in airlines industries . there is five main functional factors like Airport charges , contracting out services , fleet commonality , managed staff costs and marketing cost .these are the areas they are giving great focus to improve low cost operation . According to fleet commonality the airways using particular type of aircraft which controls the cost and limits the cost for employee training and development , maintenance cost and managing spares , giving more flexibility to scheduling the duty crew and aircraft. The Ryanair using Boeing 737 series to operate more numbers of passengers, and it allows 25% of increased their passengers with guaranteed 15 years of operating life .the old fleet took more maintenance coat and less fuel efficient , according to EU noise reduction requirements, the Ryanair fleets are required to install hushkits to avoid noises , it take more cost for installation almost $20mn , the increased weight might leads by negative figure of fuel efficiency . Contracting out services : The better way of reducing operating cost to give the services and maintenance work to contract or outsourcing . Ryanair operates all European countries secondary airports , it makes more numbers of passengers arrive the other city airport. The Ryanair making many contract like with France and Spain to engage with contract to assure certain number of passengers , so it makes to fill up the aircraft first the second think is about fares .Bringing more passengers in to particular airport it gives considerable amount of financial aid . The Ryanair given a contract for making luggage handling, ticket booking , customer service calls, fleet handling and maintenance and other functions . the firm obtains competitive amounts and more number of years of fixed price contract . it also avoid direct employee relationship controversies . Airports and route polices : The Ryanairs policy is to avoid many charges like passenger loading fee, landing fee, flight parking charge and noise charges , because the Ryanair avoiding congested main airport , by choosing secondary airport . it reduces many fees and indirect operational inconvenience .less busy airports give more time to on-time departure, and also reduces the landing traffic time .except London Heathrow and Gatwick airport Ryanair operates regional and secondary airports .also the firm consistent with policy of point to point connection on short range routes. Staff costs and Productivity ; The company manages a staff moderately , in this way the organisation pays modest salary , but if the company gives a pay according to the performance it will encourage the employee performance .Ryanair continuously improving their productivity with productive work force , based on on-board product sales they giving commission and incentives to the cabin crew . Ryanair giving a competitive salary to their pilot and employees, Because keeping their employee turnover they offering more than competitor. The Ryanair refuse to recognise employee union , it means they want to avoid employee relationship controversies . before recessions Ryanair gives many incentives , because it gain more profits as well as good passenger market, but after hitting recession it situation is changed because of economic slowdown , at the same time Ryanair got more number of passengers . it leads recruiting new staff members in to the team. They always think about low cost and high productivity . Marketing Cost ; The firm try to reduce marketing cost by minimising travel agents ,the firm main advertisement via their own website and radio and news paper. And they giving many deals and offers getting more attraction from all kind of customer. Ryanair follows well focussed strategy regarding the Low fares and no frills . but it leads lot more criticism and controversies in their operation . Ryanair taking advantage over the internet to make very fast booking for ticket, they were made a contract for 10 years maintenance of Ryanair website to the Accenture. The website makes more flexible to operate the airline business. And also they offer more additional services via their website to arrange hotels booking , prepaid visa credit cards , giving free city guide it makes more comfortable for their passenger for arranging their travel plan . Enhancement of operating results Through ancillary Services: The Ryanair follows ancillary revenue strategy , to convert the cost centres in to good revenue sources . they giving optional add ones to above the average prices . particularly the Ryanair understands well on optional .and also involves a un avoidable aspects of products. They engaged on in-flight sales Like : food and beverages and merchandise . they are giving a catalogue for the sales product and it will be addressing by the cabin crew , the crew get paid according to the sales levels. Via online they making more revenues by distribution of travel related services and merchandise , and also Ryanair receives commission from their product suppliers. It makes 20 % of revenue by ancillary services. Ryanair marketing message Lowest price on the Market Guarantee of no fuel surcharges it supports Ryanair brand image. The figure says how much they generating revenue from ancillary product. But it sometimes make bad impression on the brand , but prices are in real time is not very low . many times raynair attacked by media for breaching the social contract. They selling charity calendar to passenger it was hit around  £35,000 in 7000 copies in the year 2008 . Analysis : When analysing Ryanair position and strategies , It vital to consider overall industrial environment . I would like to use PESTEL analysis for analysing macro environment of Ryanair. PESTEL: It very constructive framework , it is describing about various factors of while doing environmental analysis of particular organisation . POLITICAL : The Political factors includes all policies and actions of government which affect the overall or any functional area of business operations Like , getting approval to operate the in a particular nation., Taxation , route changes , employee union policy in the local government. The securities and Tourism policy will directly hitting by airlines industry . the European union deregulates the aviation polices to gave more opportunities across EU , to competing each other in local routs. After 2004 most of the eastern European countries mingled with EU it makes expands the EU market. Ryanair crosses many government policy related problems especially in Taxing problem , if any country increase the airport tax suddenly the Ryanair stop their service , then the local government starts negotiate with Ryanair , the similar tactic they followed for negotiate with local government . ( in August 2006 , UK authorities imposed severe security measures at all airports in the face of an alleged imminent terrorist plot to attach up to 10 aircraft on transatlantic routes. These measures applied to all passengers including short-haul ones, so they were to be body searched and banned from carrying liquids and gels in their carry -on luggage. Airports serving London were especially affected. Ryanair had to cancel 279 flights in the days immediately following the incident and refunded  £2.7 million in fares to approximately 40,000 passengers, and also suffered a losses of 1.9 million Euros in reduced bookings).( Ryanair Case Study by Eleanor OHiggins,2008 -2009). UK government establish a law for security concerns , which restricts the operation due to terrorism attack. Increasing route change by the local government Increased trade union pressure Also government upgrade the law against carbon emission to air transport , to compensate other taxes. The new EU regulation and EU expansion caused for more business advantage as well as increased more competition . The French government supports for their national carriers . Now the organisation comfortable with inside the Europe policies and regulations. Still some problem their facing especially with union. Economic : Basically the Ryanair operates based on European continental area so that its operations are not affected by the exchange rate . The main area of economic concerns is oil prices. Ryanair has addressed the problem of increasing oil prices through some productive method, they having some productive fund for managing oil prices hike . but British airways addressing this problem by increasing surcharges , but Ryanair basic strategy is no surcharges for passengers . The general economic environment remains extremely difficult, as the recession saps consumer confidence, but this is proving to be good for Ryanairs traffic growth, as more and more passengers switch to Ryanairs lowest-fare, lowest-cost model. Many of our competitors have in recent months reported short-haul traffic falls, while Ryanair continues to grow. Michael OLeary, http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article5645152.ece 1.EU expansion 2. some fast cares and trains 3. regional subsidies 4.Recession 5. depreciation of US dollars These are the factors that affects the Ryanair operations by economically . Social: The modern globalised business culture which enables more international and frequent domestic business travelling . increasing travelling and tourism lifestyle creates more airways travelling business. Offering very low cost services that increases frequency of passengers travelling . fluctuating of customer taste may affect the business styles , it may lead to rethink their business model according to the current situation . The Low fare for air travelling invites more passenger to travel frequently ,as well as it expands the travelling life cycle . they taken care of health and safety in effective manner. Technological and Environment They effectively using the sophisticated technology to improve their performance and accuracy of business. Ryanair investing high volume of money for Boeing 737-800,900. series aircraft to cope with continuous growth to keep competitive advantage. The strategy behind the using Boeing 737 series is to reduce the level of fuel consumption. Ryanair use the technology tool wisely , by using internet to manage passenger booking tickets and other value added services, it also increase their business accuracy and generates more revenue . when launched the Ryanair website within one week , the company got 50,000 bookings in a week . in the financial year of 2004 the website accounting 98% of overall Ryanair bookings. And the website named one of the most popular website in the world by Google . The environment scanning includes how the business has affect the world environment . especially in the concerns about global worming . but according to the carbon emission percentage the airlines industry accounts only 2% of carbon emission . avoiding noise pollution and reducing green house gasses emission is main concerns for now a days. Boeing 737 900 helps to reduce the carbon emission . Legal : Ryanair faces many legal issues in the past decades, the company engaged with all EU countries employees , it makes more difficult to manage the people in different countries, they are facing different critical situation regarding the Legal issues. The EU makes the law for providing compensation food accommodation for passengers if any flight cancels their schedule . many of the Belgian employees are laid off after the trail period , but it accepted by Irish law. Many of the Ryanair cases are still open . Significantly , damaging for Ryanair has been an European Commission ruling on subsidies. Many airports have aided for subsidise Ryanairs operations because of the economic benefits they can bring to the local area. The Commission ruled that subsidies from Charleroi in Belgium were illegal and that Ryanair must repay 4m. There are 3 main type of strategy was described by porter , 1.differentation 2.cost focused 3.niche , these are strategies for identified by porters generic strategies model . The Ryanair Cost focused model it focused to reduce the features of products to keep the cost low so the flying fare might be minimised. The differentiation strategies is charging high fee for features that add value for product .the niche strategy involves highly sophisticated product into narrow market. The porter argues the strategies mixing is a blender, this is not appropriate for Ryanair , the most successful low fare airlines they dont have premier or standard operations. Most of the occasion Ryanair try to introduce the differentiation strategies with business class and frequent traveller programme , both plan are cancelled. The Porters five theory is used for analysis the Ryanairs , it evaluates how influences affect competing organisation with in the field. And also this analysis explain why the differentiation strategies failed. The porter five forces give a clear picture about how the forces involves the competition environment . Situation Analysis: Strengths The foremost factors that would consider in the top which is their marketing strategy it includes strong branding and reputation and also leads strong and aggressive pricing strategy. The low cost strategies gives more number of customers it also give morale boost to expand the operation to all over Europe .The EU regulations supports the airline to open a new routes, it is one of the greatest advantage for Ryanairs operation expansions to Europe .The Leadership of Michael OLeary s leadership is one of key for success of their business . the customers are very happy with their money proposition of the services . their innovative cost reduction policy attracts many customers. And the mostly the revenue generation from ancillary services gives more financial strengths to the organisation. They having strong public image. And some more like established market share , safety factors, high load factor, first mover advantage these are the strength of Ryanair aviation company . Weaknesses For low fare travel strategies may affected by many times with external factors. This leads on more risk on the business operations. Most their operation with customer relation with online , sometimes because technical error they getting bad name from their customers. Mainly the employee relationship is not good, because their refusing to recognise the employee union . the volatile customer relationship is one of the key point of weakness. The decision mostly depends on Michel OLeary .the employee commitment and loyalty is very lees on the organisation . out sourcing the services may decrease the commitment of employee ,but most of the money used for buy a new aircraft . Opportunities : The strong strategy and strengths to get more opportunities to still dominating in the European airlines industry by providing more quality services at the same time keeping the low cost strategy . the continuous initiatives in company diversified the resources it will give hand on to make a growth . Such opportunities that will include e-business development as well as contracts with suppliers in this difficult economic timing where every one is trying to survive. EU law allows to make more new routes , it will expand the operations , and also the Ryanair having ability to operate the flights into the US domestic airline services .because the regulations are very flexible for operate the low cost airlines in the US. The Leadership getting more involvement on improving the operation and growth of the organisation. Threats : Threats are in the non-static model industry is always challenging and also changing according to the situations . mostly threats from macro environment via government polices affect low cost model , many times it was affected Ryanair , in terms of taxation, like airport traffic charges . The us dollar variations affect the fuel price, it leads increase fuel price . the fast growing technology advancement may be a threat to the organisation . The concerns about competitors, the company should be able to give a unique and more advanced technological services to be able to survive in the competition in the airline industry. The increased competition in the low cost airlines and mergers between competitors is a crutial threat for the company . the trade unionism is more vital point of threats . the industry criticism is may leads many threats from the financial side. Strategic choices : There four different strategies identified in porters generic model , it has 1.differentation , 2. Cost focus 3.. cost leadership 4. Differentiation focus . In a first concern all it is clear the strategy is adopted to be the low fare air travel provider, but at the same time it is focusing on certain segments on location , demographic and niche basis, such as providing Air services which are very short in distances and there are no connecting flights which minimise the cost of luggage handling and connecting passengers .by discussing above strategy it is necessary to explain same direction . i would like to present by the use of ansoff model. It will give a good idea about market development , product and service development, market penetration . Market development strategy can be implemented by introducing existing services to new places in order to attract more passengers and revenue generation. The organisation can elaborate through introduction of operation to other areas of world not just concentrate at one or set number of places. An different aspect is need to be consider of when Market development , which is the communication and channel of distribution have to be altered according to the cultural and geographical aspects of new market. Ryanair can expand its services by introducing flights to different places in Africa, South Asia and Eastern part of the world where there is huge potential of market growth . There are more valuable reasons for this factor, one is there are most of tourist and people are allow to visit those places in holiday timings such as Egypt, India and Dubai etc. Secondly there are many people who have been migrated to west European countries from different countries so they need to going their home countries as well, if these people will get low price deals even the quality is just normal level , the target customers will choose this option as most of the region in eastern and southern part of the world are emerging countries, so low cost fares and no frills would be more valuable as compare to European services . The only think is here that Ryanair is competing with big competitor Airlines in European markets, because it has ability to compete on short routes but it not be able to manage the competition with other national airlines at such a large extent, where they have good experience with airlines services and people might prefer to use their national Airlines instead of those which are badly reputed and being criticised in terms of customer behaviour. On the other hand need more financial capital as operations will be expanded and the size of fleet has to be increased ,which is not possible in current Ryanair position where it is facing financial difficulties in year 2009 due to recession and increased competition at different ends. When diversification occur where the new product and services are introduced in the field. Any strategy is evaluated in aspects of Suitability, feasibility and acceptability , The strategy of diversification which is unique, and there will be some concerns regarding the capital budgeting . as Ryanair Aircraft comprised of Boeing aircrafts, for this strategy it has to invest some more money to get small air crafts having a capacity of 20-30 passenger which can be used for private basis. The overall strategy might also not align with the proposed proposal as it is very niche segment and there profits generated may not be important as compare to current figures being reported from couple of years by Ryanair. Strategic Decision and Recommended Strategy : According to my perspective and my above analysis, Ryanair is doing well under the leader ship of Michael O Leary . According to Michael O Leary it is not fruitfully when you minimise the prices and make losses, the actual competency is reducing the fares and still continue to making profits. It reflects the strategy of market penetration and product development. I agree at some extent. The Ryanair is one of the Porters preferred company profile for charismatic leadership of OLeary .the successful company have a well structured and strong Leadership who willing to made more choices , The porter says I have found that there is a striking relationship between really good strategies and Really strong leaders. (Porter in 2006 ). And also it is created more dependence for OLearys commitment if in case he departs from the company it create more impact on the organisational business. The attitude of employee is a major weakness of its strategy, Recognise the employee union might be give a good result from the employee side, and also it increases employee commitment , the employee feels good. But at the same time the unionism might demand more , and conduct frequent strike , it may affect Ryanair operation .example frequent strike affected many times on British airways. I suggested to implement a strategy it increased move to expand the staff bases across the Europe . Especially in East side of Europe, because there is very less wages . by setting up Training institute across the Europe , it reduces agency cost. Also the purchase of new aircraft like 20 airbus and 116 Boeing is more valuable for the future of the organisation operations. It is vital move on their advancement of cost reduction strategy , because it reduce the fuel consumption as well as increasing the number of passengers . it gives more revenue on their day to day and long term operation. The Ryanair website has some customer relationship problem , in the area of payment of tickets , it may affect the moral image of the organisation , so that make the use of new technology to avoid this kind of problem. The website look and feel is quite older they should be redesign the website look which gives more user friendly , It can give more options when booking , the price of the booking needs to displayed by properly and give a brief explanation about all other costs. It will give a good image to the company because if they feel there is no hidden charge they will believe the company . It is good to lower the cost of operating the business, but not being so cheap which allow inconvenience to passenger and it decreasing value created to them. I strongly recommended those customers who book Low fare flights but dont arrange boarding pass via online, it Leads more expensive for them to arrange for boarding pass at airport and sometimes some extra amount need to be paid as compa re to original ticket. This strategy should be eliminated as customer gets frustrated and if customer feel more incontinence it may not want to think to travel again with Ryanair. It is important to assess the number of passengers travelling within the one year of period on a particular route .if they find a new route like Athens to London , Cyprus to Amsterdam . It is commercially profitable and possible to providing the service on the suggested route . The main reason for success is providing lowest fares then competitor without charging the fuel surcharges, but the organisation must think about giving more value to the passengers.   Ryanair can be summarised as a organisation it has had a very clear strategy differentiating it from competitors in a way of enabled it to meet passenger needs effectively, and there are remarkably few commercial weaknesses in its approach. Critical Reflections from Learning Outcome : When i started before i have some less idea about corporate strategy, I dont have much knowledge about the organisations strategies , but now I have understand what is use of strategy and what it says. More then that how strategies are important for successful organisation. It gives me a detailed idea about how to manage long term business, I had understand well in the frameworks which i studied it gives a clear picture about the macro environmental and micro environmental factors. I used to analyse environment via PESTEL framework , it is very useful to assess the industries current environment. But it takes more time to asses all functional areas. It is put me reed more sources. And I also used SWOT analysis to assess the current situations about Ryanair. The comparisons between in the four major area that gives a clean picture about the current situation. The Ryanair CEO Michael O Leary has a very charismatic and contradicting personality and his statements like  £1 for toilet use means reduction in cost but at same time inconvenience to customer .In most of the time it gets confusing to count the above statement as strength or weakness. The over all module shape my view about on the corporate strategy , it gave a more knowledge about how to operate a business in the corporate levels. And also addressing many framework that gives a solution for the conflicts ,some time it take vague . The case study which is related to subject give great and depth knowledge about current and historic trends of their strategies . it also teaches some successful strategies on the industrial operations. The module gives full extend level of knowledge about strategies as well as the delivery of subject knowledge is excellent , the tutor gives many more real time example and shares knowledge with us, encourage the student participation in the class , it makes more interactive in the class room. But the course is very short time period so the time management for study this subject is somewhat difficult. References: JOHNSON G, SCHOLES K, AND WHITTINGTON (2008) Exploring Corporate strategy text and cases 8th edition FT and Prentice Hall , Pearson Education publishers , London KOTLER P, ARMSTRONG G, SAUNDERS J and WONG V (1999) Principles of Marketing 2nd  European Edition (Prentice Hall, London) KOTLER P and KELLER K (2005) Marketing Management 12TH edition Pearson Education, London MARCOUS A, GILLIESPIE A, MARTIN B (2003) Business studies 2nd edition Hodder Arnold , Oxon. PORTER (1987) From the Competitive Advantage to the Corporate Industry, Harvard Business Review may 1987 pp 43 to 59 . PORTER (2001) Strategy and Internet In Harvard Business Review in march 2001. Pp 44- 73. PORTER (1996) What is strategy ? in Harvard Business Review pp 61- 69. MILNER M and BRIGNALL M (2006) EU court rules that airlines must compensate stranded passengers in The Guardian 11/01/2006 Mintzberg H (1989) Mintzberg on Management (Free Press, New York) The stock holders information http://www.ryanair.com/doc/investor/Strategy.pdf . Referring the home website for data http://www.ryanair.com/en/about Ryanair Case Study by Eleanor OHiggins,2008 -2009 Bibliography: Ryanair Strategic Study from Michael Choi WWW.Ryanair.com ACCA book for business analysis www.airscope.com

The Costs of Racism Essay -- Essays Papers

The Costs of Racism The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines racism as â€Å"a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.† Racism is one of the deepest stains on the pages of American history. What began as feelings among whites of being superior to blacks turned into possibly the worst phenomenon the United States ever dealt with. Even 100 years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, many white people were still treating blacks atrociously. It took many decades before blacks were granted truly equal rights that white Americans were given. In Anne Moody’s autobiography, Coming of Age in Mississippi, she discusses growing up in Mississippi. She writes about her memories of childhood, high school, college, and finally her courageous work in the civil rights movement during the 1960s. Moody offers readers a startling and remarkable story of he r life. She also gives great insight into the effects of racism on the victims of it, on those who practice it, and the effects on American society. The effects of racism on the victims differed depending on age and whether or not a person would withstand the abuse. Moody makes these connections in her book by realizing that when the civil rights movement picked up in the 1960s, older blacks usually remained dormant and never stood up for themselves by speaking out against the abuse they received. In contrast, younger black Americans, notably teenagers, were more likely to be fearless and take part in the Movement. This theme can be seen throughout the whole book, from when Anne was a young girl and never understood why her mother co... ...any whites could have believed so strongly that blacks were inferior to them, so mediocre that they would treat them like animals and murder them in cold blood. But this is a problem that still occurs today, though in a lesser form, and it is important to study our past in effort to keep from repeating the mistakes of our ancestors. By reading things such as Anne Moody’s autobiography, we can get an inside view into what really took place in the South, and we can be inspired by people like Moody who stood up to it. The negativities of racism against blacks taught us important lessons about ethics and how humans should treat each other because we can see the effects it had on people less than 50 years ago. And if we learn from the mistakes of our ancestors and move away from their supremacist ideals, then as the freedom song in Coming of Age goes, â€Å"we shall overcome.†

Americas Ultimate Concern :: Essays Papers

America's Ultimate Concern There are only a handful of universal truths to be found, and sex is one of them. Other than life, death, and the need for food, shelter, & society, sex and all that it entails is a fundamental and pervasive fact of human existence. Augustine knew of sex all too well. He guiltily wallowed in & enjoyed it for the majority of his life. When it comes to sex, Augustine was not very different than the millions of Americans who live today, some 1,500 years after him. The world is made up of approximately 7 billion males and females, all of whom are genetically and culturally wired to procreate and/or enjoy the pleasures that the sexual experience provides. Yet how does this simple scientific and psychological fact account for the unbelievable sexual statistics and facts about current American and global society? How does one explain that, in a comprehensive two-year study done by Alexa Research, a leading web intelligence and traffic measurement service, â€Å"sex† was the most popular term for which people searched? Why is it that 54% of men think about sex at least every day and 19% of women think about sex at least once per day? And why, in 1998, were 87% of American high-school students having sexual intercourse? These few facts alone, as well as other obvious overwhelming evidence, should cause us to sit up and ask questions such as: Why are humans, and especially Americans in this case, so obsessed with sex? Why has sex, pornography, and self-pleasure become a predominant ingredient in every-day society? Why are we not able to overcome our infatuation with sex like Augustine did? When following Augustine’s sexual journey through his Confessions, one can see that the only way to examine and overcome American’s obsession with sex is to understand their ultimate concerns, just as Augustine understood and re-defined his own. Augustine was naturally very sexual. As an adolescent he experienced â€Å"the bubbling impulses of puberty [that] befogged and obscured [his] heart so that it could not see the difference between love’s serenity and lust’s darkness.† In his Confessions one reads of how Augustine struggled with lust and his sexuality, eventually giving wholly into a carnal lifestyle by taking a concubine at the age of 17. When he was a student at Carthage all around him â€Å"hissed a cauldron of illicit loves†, and from the time when he was nineteen to twenty-eight he lived a life of â€Å"being seduced and seducing.

Premarital Cohabitation Essay

Over the past 30 years countries have experienced a phenomenon that has raised many questions about the future of the institution of marriage. Western societies, such as the United States, Canada, and countries in Western Europe have witnessed a virtual explosion in the number of unmarried cohabitating couples. Quite a number of studies have been done to research what effect, if any, this trend has on the subsequent marriage, and how does this affect any children as a result of this union. According to some estimates, since the 1970s, the number of couples that live together has more than tripled. However, there are two sides to the story – one, proposes that premarital cohabitation is like a trial marriage and allows people to eventually marry the one they are more comfortable and compatible with. The other point of view is that premarital cohabitation leads to a higher divorce rate in the society and may also have other negative effects. However, research suggests that there is little merit to the claim that cohabitation effectively serves as a trial marriage. Furthermore, studies indicate that premarital cohabitation is actually detrimental because it leads to higher divorce rates and dissolution of marriage. Why Would People Prefer to Cohabit To understand the effects of cohabitation it is necessary to review why people cohabit in the first place. About 50% of cohabitating individuals express the belief that living together without is a way to determine compatibility before getting married. Based on the premise that premarital cohabitation allows couples to determine compatibility, this practice should result in more stable marriages. However, evidence suggests that the contrary is true. Cohabitation is linked to lower levels of marital satisfaction. Couples who previously lived together are reported to spend less time together in shared activities. They report higher levels of marital disagreement, less supportive behavior, less problem-solving, more marital problems, and greater perceived likelihood of marital dissolution (Amato 2003). Premarital Cohabitation Leads to Higher Divorce Rates Research has shown that cohabitation is extremely unstable. For example, Canada has experienced a ninefold increase in the numbers of cohabitating couples, as well as a fourfold increase in the number of divorces over the past 30 years. Recent studies have not only indicated that cohabitation is negatively linked to marital stability, but studies also indicate that living in common law is related to a decrease in quality of marriage (Hall 1995). In a survey conducted by the Australian Institute of Family Studies Family Formation Project showed that after 5 years of being married, 13 per cent of those who had cohabited before marriage would divorce, versus six per cent of non-cohabiters. Ten years later, the difference increased to 26 per cent for those who had cohabited and 14 per cent for those who had not. After 20 years, there was a further increase of 56 per cent of people who had cohabited versus 27 per cent of those who had not (Weston 2007). Many reasons are cited for the resulting instability and the higher divorce rate among former couples who formerly cohabitated. Cohabitators are thought to hold more unconventional values and attitudes than those who marry without cohabitating. Those who cohabitate are thought to have a weaker commitment to marriage in general, or they may have higher expectations about the quality of marriage than those who do not cohabitate. Cohabitators are also thought to have socioeconomic or personality characteristics that are linked to higher likelihood of union dissolution (Dourleijn 2006). Among these socioeconomic and personality factors which are thought to be linked to higher instances of marital dissolution are parental divorce, less education, lower income, premarital pregnancy and childbirth, being non-white, and having had a previous divorce (Cohan 2002). According to research conducted and published in the American Sociological Review, it was concluded that â€Å"Overall association exists between premarital cohabitation and subsequent marital instability. The dissolution rates of women who cohabit premaritally with their future spouse are, on average, nearly 80 percent higher than the rates of those who do not. † (Bennett, Blanc, and Bloom 1988). Based on the US data, researchers have shown that ‘marriages that are preceded by living together have 50 per cent higher disruption rates than marriages without premarital cohabitation. In Sweden, researched showed that cohabiters were more likely to divorce even if the period of marriage is counted from the beginning of cohabitation. A subsequent study also found that premarital cohabitation, regardless of the nature or reason; it is associated with an increased risk of marital instability. Based on the work of Bennett, Blanc and Bloom (1987) whose findings correspond with previous findings, the following conclusions can be made: knowing that cohabiters and non-cohabiters differ in the sense of higher risk of divorce, the researchers set about to explore if there are other characteristics which were unique to these two groups, or a factor which can show that it is not premarital cohabitation alone which leads to higher divorce rate. While no one factor was found to support the argument that cohabitation caused the difference, researchers did not find a characteristic to dispute the argument. According to their data sample, women who cohabited were younger than those who did not. They are also more likely to have had a premarital conception, and were twice as likely to have had a premarital birth. For those who marry at a young age, or who have had a premarital birth have higher divorce rates. However, the first birth within a marriage has a stabilizing effect, and for these couples divorce rates are one quarter lower. These results are consistent with previous research. In 1985, it was found that for every year of age an adult attains before marrying, the risk of dissolution decreases by 16%. Education achieved for women is negatively related with the possibility of divorce. However, for this aspect other factors may also be involved. When social background was considered, similar findings were found. Social background is measured by using the occupation of the main breadwinner in the household. This factor indicates level of education achieved, parent’s marital status etc. It was found that women in households with a white collar worker as the breadwinner had higher divorce rates than other women. Another interesting finding concerns the duration of how long the couple have been together. The researchers assume that people who cohabit can be roughly divided into two groups: those who believe in the institution of marriage, and those who don’t. In such a case, the less committed group should be seen to have higher divorce rates. This should be observable if the relationship between cohabitation and dissolution should decrease with increase in duration. This is proved by the data researchers had collected. Their findings show that for up to two years of marriage the divorce rates of people who had cohabited before was almost three times. This reduced to twice for people who were married for two to eight years. After eight years, the differences in divorce rates of cohabiters and non-cohabiters are statistically insignificant. Thus one interpretation of this is the fact that people who cohabit have characteristics that make them more likely to have higher chances of a divorce. Another finding points to the fact that women who cohabit premaritally for more than three years have a 54 percent higher divorce rate than those who have cohabitated for shorter periods of time. This is because the former groups of people have such characteristics which make them less willing to commit. These include valuing one’s independence and being more self-reliant (Bennett 1987). Other Adverse Effects The increase in the rate of premarital cohabitation raises important concerns about the institution of marriage from a societal perspective. One concern is that individuals may find cohabitation to be an attractive arrangement and will be more likely to view marriage as undesirable. Another concern is that the high rate of dissolution among couples will reinforce the view that â€Å"intimate relationships are fragile and temporary,† thereby reducing the view within society that marriage is a rewarding lifetime commitment. In addition, research shows that cohabitation is linked to delayed marriage, an increase in nonmarital fertility, less commitment to marriage, and greater approval of divorce and nonmarital cohabitation. Furthermore, societies which have experienced a sharp increase in premarital cohabitation rates have also experienced an upward trend in divorce, premarital sex, and premarital pregnancy rates, while marriage and marital fertility rates have declined (Balakrishnan 1995). Conclusion: Although a number of individuals believe that cohabitation provides a means by which couples may determine their compatibility before getting married, there is a vast body of strong evidence that suggests otherwise. Married couples who previously lived together report high levels of marital disagreement, spend less time together, and are more likely believe that their marriage will end in dissolution. These couples tend to be less supportive of each other, and they institute fewer problem solving skills. Cohabitation has been linked to lower commitment levels among couples, diminished views on the marital relationship in general, and a higher divorce rate. These ill effects are directly linked to the cohabitation trend, which has exploded over the course of the past few decades. Researchers believe that cohabitation leads to unstable marriages because those who cohabitate tend to have weaker commitment to marriage in general, or they may have higher expectations for the quality of married life. Cohabitators are also more likely to hold unconventional views on marriage. It has also been observed that those who cohabitate tend to have other socioeconomic and individual characteristics that are linked to a higher rate of marriage dissolution. In addition to the higher divorce rate that seems to be directly related to the dramatic increase in cohabitation, other undesirable effects have also resulted. Societies that have experienced a surge in premarital or nonmarital cohabitation have also seen a sharp increase in premarital pregnancies, delayed marriage, and greater acceptance and approval of divorce and nonmarital cohabitation.