Paul Taylors Respect for Nature Human Superiority Essay

In Respect for Nature, Paul Taylor develops the following four elements of the biocentric outlook on nature: 1. Humans are members of the Earths community of life in the same sense and on the same terms as other living things. 2. The natural world is an interdependent system. 3. Each organism is a Teleological Center of Life (TCL) with a good of its own. 4. Humans are not inherently superior to other living things. Taylor believes that if one concedes and accepts the first three components then acceptance of the fourth component is not unreasonable. He also suggests that in order to adopt the attitude of respect for nature one must accept all four elements of the biocentric outlook. â€Å"Once we reject the claim that humans are†¦show more content†¦On the other hand, nearly all organisms can exist without humans. There are some exceptions to this, such as endangered species or pets but, in general, most wildlife does not need human presence in order to survive. This is a fact of life and is accepted as an ecological truth. Accepting and understanding our equality with and interdependence on the Earth’s community of life is the first step in adopting the attitude of respect for nature. The third component, however, is somewhat difficult to grasp and harder for some to accept; but it is also the most crucial when adopting the attitude of respect. If one fails to accept Taylor’s third element then one cannot adopt the attitude of respect. This is where Taylor is mistaken. Taylor fails, or at least neglects, to consider the importance of his third element. Instead, he places most of the emphasis on moving to deny human superiority and then concludes that by doing so only then can one respect nature. Yet, in order to allow Taylor’s fourth element, one must first concede that all Teleological Centers of Life have equal inherent worth. Therefore, when one accepts and believes the third component of the biocentric outlook only then can they adopt the attitude of respect. Subsequently, I plan to show that the third element and not the fourth is fundamental in adopting the attitude of respect. In Taylor’s third element, all living organisms (plants, animals, insects, fungi, microbes)Show MoreRelatedThe Ethics For Respect For Nature1477 Words   |  6 Pages In Paul Taylor’s essay, â€Å"The Ethics for Respect for Nature,† he argues that†¦ In this paper I will first describe Taylor’s concept of â€Å"respect for nature.† I will then explain the part this attitude plays in rationally grounding a biocentric outlook on environmental ethics. Lastly, I will present Rosalind Hursthouse’s criticism of Taylor’s view, and state how Taylor might respond to this criticism. Paul Taylor approaches â€Å"respect for nature† as a moral attitude, meaning that if an individual isRead MoreAnalysis Of Paul Taylor s Respect For Nature 912 Words   |  4 Pagessympathetic to Paul Taylor’s idea that people should respect for every living organism. From his book â€Å"Respect for Nature†, he proposes a definition of environmental ethics called Biocentric Individualism. It basically means that humans are not superior to any living organisms. Humans are a part of nature, so humans should have moral relations and connections with every living organism in the world. Thus, human’s obligations, actions and responsibilities should be often determined with respect to thoseRead MoreMahfuz7742 Words   |  31 PagesHe went on to assert that â€Å"the management of works has become a matter of such great and far-reaching importance as perhaps to justify its classification also as one of the modern arts.† Towne’s speech heralded a new reality in at least three respects. 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The Twilight Saga 3 Eclipse Chapter 15. WAGER Free Essays

I STARED AT HIM FOR A LONG MINUTE, SPEECHLESS. I could not think of one thing to say to him. As he watched my dumbfounded expression, the seriousness left his face. We will write a custom essay sample on The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 15. WAGER or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Okay,† he said, grinning. â€Å"That’s all.† â€Å"Jake -† It felt like there was something big sticking in my throat. I tried to clear the obstruction. â€Å"I can’t – I mean I don’t . . . I have to go.† I turned, but he grabbed my shoulders and spun me around. â€Å"No, wait. I know that, Bella. But, look, answer me this, all right? Do you want me to go away and never see you again? Be honest.† It was hard to concentrate on his question, so it took a minute to answer. â€Å"No, I don’t want that,† I finally admitted. Jacob grinned again. â€Å"See.† â€Å"But I don’t want you around for the same reason that you want me around,† I objected. â€Å"Tell me exactly why you want me around, then.† I thought carefully. â€Å"I miss you when you’re not there. When you’re happy,† I qualified carefully, â€Å"it makes me happy. But I could say the same thing about Charlie, Jacob. You’re family. I love you, but I’m not in love with you.† He nodded, unruffled. â€Å"But you do want me around.† â€Å"Yes.† I sighed. He was impossible to discourage. â€Å"Then I’ll stick around.† â€Å"You’re a glutton for punishment,† I grumbled. â€Å"Yep.† He stroked the tips of his fingers across my right cheek. I slapped his hand away. â€Å"Do you think you could behave yourself a little better, at least?† I asked, irritated. â€Å"No, I don’t. You decide, Bella. You can have me the way I am – bad behavior included – or not at all.† I stared at him, frustrated. â€Å"That’s mean.† â€Å"So are you.† That pulled me up short, and I took an involuntary step back. He was right. If I wasn’t mean – and greedy, too – I would tell him I didn’t want to be friends and walk away. It was wrong to try to keep my friend when that would hurt him. I didn’t know what I was doing here, but I was suddenly sure that it wasn’t good. â€Å"You’re right,† I whispered. He laughed. â€Å"I forgive you. Just try not to get too mad at me. Because I recently decided that I’m not giving up. There really is something irresistible about a lost cause.† â€Å"Jacob.† I stared into his dark eyes, trying to make him take me seriously. â€Å"I love him, Jacob. He’s my whole life.† â€Å"You love me, too,† he reminded me. He held up his hand when I started to protest. â€Å"Not the same way, I know. But he’s not your whole life, either. Not anymore. Maybe he was once, but he left. And now he’s just going to have to deal with the consequence of that choice – me.† I shook my head. â€Å"You’re impossible.† Suddenly, he was serious. He took my chin in his hand, holding it firmly so that I couldn’t look away from his intent gaze. â€Å"Until your heart stops beating, Bella,† he said. â€Å"I’ll be here – fighting. Don’t forget that you have options.† â€Å"I don’t want options,† I disagreed, trying to yank my chin free unsuccessfully. â€Å"And my heartbeats are numbered, Jacob. The time is almost gone.† His eyes narrowed. â€Å"All the more reason to fight – fight harder now, while I can,† he whispered. He still had my chin – his fingers holding too tight, till it hurt – and I saw the resolve form abruptly in his eyes. â€Å"N -† I started to object, but it was too late. His lips crushed mine, stopping my protest. He kissed me angrily, roughly, his other hand gripping tight around the back of my neck, making escape impossible. I shoved against his chest with all my strength, but he didn’t even seem to notice. His mouth was soft, despite the anger, his lips molding to mine in a warm, unfamiliar way. I grabbed at his face, trying to push it away, failing again. He seemed to notice this time, though, and it aggravated him. His lips forced mine open, and I could feel his hot breath in my mouth. Acting on instinct, I let my hands drop to my side, and shut down. I opened my eyes and didn’t fight, didn’t feel . . . just waited for him to stop. It worked. The anger seemed to evaporate, and he pulled back to look at me. He pressed his lips softly to mine again, once, twice . . . a third time. I pretended I was a statue and waited. Finally, he let go of my face and leaned away. â€Å"Are you done now?† I asked in an expressionless voice. â€Å"Yes,† he sighed. He started to smile, closing his eyes. I pulled my arm back and then let it snap forward, punching him in the mouth with as much power as I could force out of my body. There was a crunching sound. â€Å"Ow! OW!† I screamed, frantically hopping up and down in agony while I clutched my hand to my chest. It was broken, I could feel it. Jacob stared at me in shock. â€Å"Are you all right?† â€Å"No, dammit! You broke my hand!† â€Å"Bella, you broke your hand. Now stop dancing around and let me look at it.† â€Å"Don’t touch me! I’m going home right now!† â€Å"I’ll get my car,† he said calmly. He wasn’t even rubbing his jaw like they did in the movies. How pathetic. â€Å"No, thanks,† I hissed. â€Å"I’d rather walk.† I turned toward the road. It was only a few miles to the border. As soon as I got away from him, Alice would see me. She’d send somebody to pick me up. â€Å"Just let me drive you home,† Jacob insisted. Unbelievably, he had the nerve to wrap his arm around my waist. I jerked away from him. â€Å"Fine!† I growled. â€Å"Do! I can’t wait to see what Edward does to you! I hope he snaps your neck, you pushy, obnoxious, moronic DOG!† Jacob rolled his eyes. He walked me to the passenger side of his car and helped me in. When he got in the driver’s side, he was whistling. â€Å"Didn’t I hurt you at all?† I asked, furious and annoyed. â€Å"Are you kidding? If you hadn’t started screaming, I might not have figured out that you were trying to punch me. I may not be made out of stone, but I’m not that soft.† â€Å"I hate you, Jacob Black.† â€Å"That’s good. Hate is a passionate emotion.† â€Å"I’ll give you passionate,† I muttered under my breath. â€Å"Murder, the ultimate crime of passion.† â€Å"Oh, c’mon,† he said, all cheery and looking like he was about to start whistling again. â€Å"That had to be better than kissing a rock.† â€Å"Not even remotely close,† I told him coldly. He pursed his lips. â€Å"You could just be saying that.† â€Å"But I’m not.† That seemed to bother him for a second, but then he perked up. â€Å"You’re just mad. I don’t have any experience with this kind of thing, but I thought it was pretty incredible myself.† â€Å"Ugh,† I groaned. â€Å"You’re going to think about it tonight. When he thinks you’re asleep, you’ll be thinking about your options.† â€Å"If I think about you tonight, it will be because I’m having a nightmare.† He slowed the car to a crawl, turning to stare at me with his dark eyes wide and earnest. â€Å"Just think about how it could be, Bella,† he urged in a soft, eager voice. â€Å"You wouldn’t have to change anything for me. You know Charlie would be happy if you picked me. I could protect you just as well as your vampire can – maybe better. And I would make you happy, Bella. There’s so much I could give you that he can’t. I’ll bet he couldn’t even kiss you like that – because he would hurt you. I would never, never hurt you, Bella.† I held up my injured hand. He sighed. â€Å"That wasn’t my fault. You should have known better.† â€Å"Jacob, I can’t be happy without him.† â€Å"You’ve never tried,† he disagreed. â€Å"When he left, you spent all your energy holding on to him. You could be happy if you let go. You could be happy with me.† â€Å"I don’t want to be happy with anyone but him,† I insisted. â€Å"You’ll never be able to be as sure of him as you are of me. He left you once, he could do it again.† â€Å"No, he will not,† I said through my teeth. The pain of the memory bit into me like the lash of a whip. It made me want to hurt him back. â€Å"You left me once,† I reminded him in a cold voice, thinking of the weeks he’d hidden from me, the words he’d said to me in the woods beside his home. . . . â€Å"I never did,† he argued hotly. â€Å"They told me I couldn’t tell you – that it wasn’t safe for you if we were together. But I never left, never! I used to run around your house at night – like I do now. Just making sure you were okay.† I wasn’t about to let him make me feel bad for him now. â€Å"Take me home. My hand hurts.† He sighed, and started driving at a normal speed, watching the road. â€Å"Just think about it, Bella.† â€Å"No,† I said stubbornly. â€Å"You will. Tonight. And I’ll be thinking about you while you’re thinking about me.† â€Å"Like I said, a nightmare.† He grinned over at me. â€Å"You kissed me back.† I gasped, unthinkingly balling my hands up into fists again, hissing when my broken hand reacted. â€Å"Are you okay?† he asked. â€Å"I did not.† â€Å"I think I can tell the difference.† â€Å"Obviously you can’t – that was not kissing back, that was trying to get you the hell off of me, you idiot.† He laughed a low, throaty laugh. â€Å"Touchy. Almost overly defensive, I would say.† I took a deep breath. There was no point in arguing with him; he would twist anything I said. I concentrated on my hand, trying to stretch out my fingers, to ascertain where the broken parts were. Sharp pains stabbed along my knuckles. I groaned. â€Å"I’m really sorry about your hand,† Jacob said, sounding almost sincere. â€Å"Next time you want to hit me, use a baseball bat or a crowbar, okay?† â€Å"Don’t think I’ll forget that,† I muttered. I didn’t realize where we were going until we were on my road. â€Å"Why are you taking me here?† I demanded. He looked at me blankly. â€Å"I thought you said you were going home?† â€Å"Ugh. I guess you can’t take me to Edward’s house, can you?† I ground my teeth in frustration. Pain twisted across his face, and I could see that this affected him more than anything else I’d said. â€Å"This is your home, Bella,† he said quietly. â€Å"Yes, but do any doctors live here?† I asked, holding up my hand again. â€Å"Oh.† He thought about that for a minute. â€Å"I’ll take you to the hospital. Or Charlie can.† â€Å"I don’t want to go to the hospital. It’s embarrassing and unnecessary.† He let the Rabbit idle in front of the house, deliberating with an unsure expression. Charlie’s cruiser was in the driveway. I sighed. â€Å"Go home, Jacob.† I climbed out of the car awkwardly, heading for the house. The engine cut off behind me, and I was less surprised than annoyed to find Jacob beside me again. â€Å"What are you going to do?† he asked. â€Å"I am going to get some ice on my hand, and then I am going to call Edward and tell him to come and get me and take me to Carlisle so that he can fix my hand. Then, if you’re still here, I am going to go hunt up a crowbar.† He didn’t answer. He opened the front door and held it for me. We walked silently past the front room where Charlie was lying on the sofa. â€Å"Hey, kids,† he said, sitting forward. â€Å"Nice to see you here, Jake.† â€Å"Hey, Charlie,† Jacob answered casually, pausing. I stalked on to the kitchen. â€Å"What’s wrong with her?† Charlie wondered. â€Å"She thinks she broke her hand,† I heard Jacob tell him. I went to the freezer and pulled out a tray of ice cubes. â€Å"How did she do that?† As my father, I thought Charlie ought to sound a bit less amused and a bit more concerned. Jacob laughed. â€Å"She hit me.† Charlie laughed, too, and I scowled while I beat the tray against the edge of the sink. The ice scattered inside the basin, and I grabbed a handful with my good hand and wrapped the cubes in the dishcloth on the counter. â€Å"Why did she hit you?† â€Å"Because I kissed her,† Jacob said, unashamed. â€Å"Good for you, kid,† Charlie congratulated him. I ground my teeth and went for the phone. I dialed Edward’s cell. â€Å"Bella?† he answered on the first ring. He sounded more than relieved – he was delighted. I could hear the Volvo’s engine in the background; he was already in the car – that was good. â€Å"You left the phone . . . I’m sorry, did Jacob drive you home?† â€Å"Yes,† I grumbled. â€Å"Will you come and get me, please?† â€Å"I’m on my way,† he said at once. â€Å"What’s wrong?† â€Å"I want Carlisle to look at my hand. I think it’s broken.† It had gone quiet in the front room, and I wondered when Jacob would bolt. I smiled a grim smile, imagining his discomfort. â€Å"What happened?† Edward demanded, his voice going flat. â€Å"I punched Jacob,† I admitted. â€Å"Good,† Edward said bleakly. â€Å"Though I’m sorry you’re hurt.† I laughed once, because he sounded as pleased as Charlie had. â€Å"I wish I’d hurt him.† I sighed in frustration. â€Å"I didn’t do any damage at all.† â€Å"I can fix that,† he offered. â€Å"I was hoping you would say that.† There was a slight pause. â€Å"That doesn’t sound like you,† he said, wary now. â€Å"What did he do?† â€Å"He kissed me,† I growled. All I heard on the other end of the line was the sound of an engine accelerating. In the other room, Charlie spoke again. â€Å"Maybe you ought to take off, Jake,† he suggested. â€Å"I think I’ll hang out here, if you don’t mind.† â€Å"Your funeral,† Charlie muttered. â€Å"Is the dog still there?† Edward finally spoke again. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"I’m around the corner,† he said darkly, and the line disconnected. As I hung up the phone, smiling, I heard the sound of his car racing down the street. The brakes protested loudly as he slammed to a stop out front. I went to get the door. â€Å"How’s your hand?† Charlie asked as I walked by. Charlie looked uncomfortable. Jacob lolled next to him on the sofa, perfectly at ease. I lifted the ice pack to show it off. â€Å"It’s swelling.† â€Å"Maybe you should pick on people your own size,† Charlie suggested. â€Å"Maybe,† I agreed. I walked on to open the door. Edward was waiting. â€Å"Let me see,† he murmured. He examined my hand gently, so carefully that it caused me no pain at all. His hands were almost as cold as the ice, and they felt good against my skin. â€Å"I think you’re right about the break,† he said. â€Å"I’m proud of you. You must have put some force behind this.† â€Å"As much as I have.† I sighed. â€Å"Not enough, apparently.† He kissed my hand softly. â€Å"I’ll take care of it,† he promised. And then he called, â€Å"Jacob,† his voice still quiet and even. â€Å"Now, now,† Charlie cautioned. I heard Charlie heave himself off of the sofa. Jacob got to the hall first, and much more quietly, but Charlie was not far behind him. Jacob’s expression was alert and eager. â€Å"I don’t want any fighting, do you understand?† Charlie looked only at Edward when he spoke. â€Å"I can go put my badge on if that makes my request more official.† â€Å"That won’t be necessary,† Edward said in a restrained tone. â€Å"Why don’t you arrest me, Dad?† I suggested. â€Å"I’m the one throwing punches.† Charlie raised an eyebrow. â€Å"Do you want to press charges, Jake?† â€Å"No.† Jacob grinned, incorrigible. â€Å"I’ll take the trade any day.† Edward grimaced. â€Å"Dad, don’t you have a baseball bat somewhere in your room? I want to borrow it for a minute.† Charlie looked at me evenly. â€Å"Enough, Bella.† â€Å"Let’s go have Carlisle look at your hand before you wind up in a jail cell,† Edward said. He put his arm around me and pulled me toward the door. â€Å"Fine,† I said, leaning against him. I wasn’t so angry anymore, now that Edward was with me. I felt comforted, and my hand didn’t bother me as much. We were walking down the sidewalk when I heard Charlie whispering anxiously behind me. â€Å"What are you doing? Are you crazy?† â€Å"Give me a minute, Charlie,† Jacob answered. â€Å"Don’t worry, I’ll be right back.† I looked back and Jacob was following us, stopping to close the door in Charlie’s surprised and uneasy face. Edward ignored him at first, leading me to the car. He helped me inside, shut the door, and then turned to face Jacob on the sidewalk. I leaned anxiously through the open window. Charlie was visible in the house, peeking through the drapes in the front room. Jacob’s stance was casual, his arms folded across his chest, but the muscles in his jaw were tight. Edward spoke in a voice so peaceful and gentle that it made the words strangely more threatening. â€Å"I’m not going to kill you now, because it would upset Bella.† â€Å"Hmph,† I grumbled. Edward turned slightly to throw me a quick smile. His face was still calm. â€Å"It would bother you in the morning,† he said, brushing his fingers across my cheek. Then he turned back to Jacob. â€Å"But if you ever bring her back damaged again – and I don’t care whose fault it is; I don’t care if she merely trips, or if a meteor falls out of the sky and hits her in the head – if you return her to me in less than the perfect condition that I left her in, you will be running with three legs. Do you understand that, mongrel?† Jacob rolled his eyes. â€Å"Who’s going back?† I muttered. Edward continued as if he hadn’t heard me. â€Å"And if you ever kiss her again, I will break your jaw for her,† he promised, his voice still gentle and velvet and deadly. â€Å"What if she wants me to?† Jacob drawled, arrogant. â€Å"Hah!† I snorted. â€Å"If that’s what she wants, then I won’t object.† Edward shrugged, untroubled. â€Å"You might want to wait for her to say it, rather than trust your interpretation of body language – but it’s your face.† Jacob grinned. â€Å"You wish,† I grumbled. â€Å"Yes, he does,† Edward murmured. â€Å"Well, if you’re done rummaging through my head,† Jacob said with a thick edge of annoyance, â€Å"why don’t you go take care of her hand?† â€Å"One more thing,† Edward said slowly. â€Å"I’ll be fighting for her, too. You should know that. I’m not taking anything for granted, and I’ll be fighting twice as hard as you will.† â€Å"Good,† Jacob growled. â€Å"It’s no fun beating someone who forfeits.† â€Å"She is mine.† Edward’s low voice was suddenly dark, not as composed as before. â€Å"I didn’t say I would fightfair.† â€Å"Neither did I.† â€Å"Best of luck.† Jacob nodded. â€Å"Yes, may the best man win.† â€Å"That sounds about right . . . pup.† Jacob grimaced briefly, then he composed his face and leaned around Edward to smile at me. I glowered back. â€Å"I hope your hand feels better soon. I’m really sorry you’re hurt.† Childishly, I turned my face away from him. I didn’t look up again as Edward walked around the car and climbed into the driver’s side, so I didn’t know if Jacob went back into the house or continued to stand there, watching me. â€Å"How do you feel?† Edward asked as we drove away. â€Å"Irritated.† He chuckled. â€Å"I meant your hand.† I shrugged. â€Å"I’ve had worse.† â€Å"True,† he agreed, and frowned. Edward drove around the house to the garage. Emmett and Rosalie were there, Rosalie’s perfect legs, recognizable even sheathed in jeans, were sticking out from under the bottom of Emmett’s huge Jeep. Emmett was sitting beside her, one hand reached under the Jeep toward her. It took me a moment to realize that he was acting as the jack. Emmett watched curiously as Edward helped me carefully out of the car. His eyes zeroed in on the hand I cradled against my chest. Emmett grinned. â€Å"Fall down again, Bella?† I glared at him fiercely. â€Å"No, Emmett. I punched a werewolf in the face.† Emmett blinked, and then burst into a roar of laughter. As Edward led me past them, Rosalie spoke from under the car. â€Å"Jasper’s going to win the bet,† she said smugly. Emmett’s laughter stopped at once, and he studied me with appraising eyes. â€Å"What bet?† I demanded, pausing. â€Å"Let’s get you to Carlisle,† Edward urged. He was staring at Emmett. His head shook infinitesimally. â€Å"What bet?† I insisted as I turned on him. â€Å"Thanks, Rosalie,† he muttered as he tightened his arm around my waist and pulled me toward the house. â€Å"Edward . . . ,† I grumbled. â€Å"It’s infantile,† he shrugged. â€Å"Emmett and Jasper like to gamble.† â€Å"Emmett will tell me.† I tried to turn, but his arm was like iron around me. He sighed. â€Å"They’re betting on how many times you . . . slip up in the first year.† â€Å"Oh.† I grimaced, trying to hide my sudden horror as I realized what he meant. â€Å"They have a bet about how many people I’ll kill?† â€Å"Yes,† he admitted unwillingly. â€Å"Rosalie thinks your temper will turn the odds in Jasper’s favor.† I felt a little high. â€Å"Jasper’s betting high.† â€Å"It will make him feel better if you have a hard time adjusting. He’s tired of being the weakest link.† â€Å"Sure. Of course it will. I guess I could throw in a few extra homicides, if it makes Jasper happy. Why not?† I was babbling, my voice a blank monotone. In my head, I was seeing newspaper headlines, lists of names. . . . He squeezed me. â€Å"You don’t need to worry about it now. In fact, you don’t have to worry about it ever, if you don’t want to.† I groaned, and Edward, thinking it was the pain in my hand that bothered me, pulled me faster toward the house. My hand was broken, but there wasn’t any serious damage, just a tiny fissure in one knuckle. I didn’t want a cast, and Carlisle said I’d be fine in a brace if I promised to keep it on. I promised. Edward could tell I was out of it as Carlisle worked to fit a brace carefully to my hand. He worried aloud a few times that I was in pain, but I assured him that that wasn’t it. As if I needed – or even had room for – one more thing to worry about. All of Jasper’s stories about newly created vampires had been percolating in my head since he’d explained his past. Now those stories jumped into sharp focus with the news of his and Emmett’s wager. I wondered randomly what they were betting. What was a motivating prize when you had everything? I’d always known that I would be different. I hoped that I would be as strong as Edward said I would be. Strong and fast and, most of all, beautiful. Someone who could stand next to Edward and feel like she belonged there. I’d been trying not to think too much about the other things that I would be. Wild. Bloodthirsty. Maybe I would not be able to stop myself from killing people. Strangers, people who had never harmed me. People like the growing number of victims in Seattle, who’d had families and friends and futures. People who’d had lives. And I could be the monster who took that away from them. But, in truth, I could handle that part – because I trusted Edward, trusted him absolutely, to keep me from doing anything I would regret. I knew he’d take me to Antarctica and hunt penguins if I asked him to. And I would do whatever it took to be a good person. A good vampire. That thought would have made me giggle, if not for this new worry. Because, if I really were somehow like that – like the nightmarish images of newborns that Jasper had painted in my head – could I possibly be me? And if all I wanted was to kill people, what would happen to the things I wanted now? Edward was so obsessed with me not missing anything while I was human. Usually, it seemed kind of silly. There weren’t many human experiences that I worried about missing. As long as I got to be with Edward, what else could I ask for? I stared at his face while he watched Carlisle fix my hand. There was nothing in this world that I wanted more than him. Would that, could that, change? Was there a human experience that I was not willing to give up? How to cite The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 15. WAGER, Essay examples

Constitution Law of Kenya free essay sample

The three arms are: The Executive, The Judiciary and The Legislature. Each of the three arms performs different functions to ensure effective running of the government. While the Judiciary is conferred with the assignment of interpreting laws and statutes, the Legislature has the role of making such laws. The Executive plays the role of implementing these laws after the judiciary has interpreted their meaning.However, for the purposes of this essay, I will look at the legislative role and the legislative process of the parliament in Kenya. Legislatures are the people’s branch of government, the institution where citizen interests and preferences are expressed and transformed into policy, and the point at which, at least potentially, people most closely engage their national government. As such, legislatures are key to achieving the democratic potential embodied in free and fair elections. While legislatures are central to democracy, they tend to inherit a position of weakness relative to the executive. We will write a custom essay sample on Constitution Law of Kenya or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Moreover, legislatures must function effectively to reinforce democracy and make public policies effective. If the voices of those most affected by government policies are not heard in the policymaking process, those policies will not be as successful as they can be. Legislatures fulfill a number of important functions in a democracy: they represent people and groups, reflecting and bringing their needs, aspirations, problems, concerns, and priorities to the policymaking and policy-amending process; they make laws, the rules that govern a nation; and hey practice oversight, assuring that laws and programs are carried out legally, effectively, and according to legislative intent. The representation function is fundamental, for it shapes the democratic character of the other two functions. Legislatures can legislate and conduct oversight, but without effective mechanisms of representation, they cannot be democratic, and are not likely to act in the interest of society as a whole. To understand the legislative process, it is necessary to know a few facts about this lawmaking body in Kenya. The Kenyan legislature consists of two bodies as established by Article 93 sub-article (1) of the Constitution 2010. It states: There is established a Parliament of Kenya, which shall consist of the National Assembly and the Senate. Sub article (2) states that; The National Assembly and the Senate shall perform their respective functions in accordance with this Constitution.According to article 97 (1) The National Assembly consists of— (a) two hundred and ninety members, each elected by the registered voters of single member constituencies; (b) forty-seven women, each elected by the registered voters of the counties, each county constituting a single member constituency; (c) twelve members nominated by parliamentary political parties according to their proportion of members of the National Assembly in accordance with Article 90, to represent special interests includin g the youth, persons with disabilities and workers; and (d) the Speaker, who is an ex official member.According to Article 98(1) The Senate consists of—(a) forty-seven members each elected by the registered voters of the counties, each county constituting a single member constituency; (b) sixteen women members who shall be nominated by political parties according to their proportion of members of the Senate elected under clause (a) in accordance with Article 90; (c) two members, being one man and one woman, representing the youth; (d) two members, being one man and one woman, representing persons with disabilities; and (e) the Speaker, who shall be an ex officio member.Article102(1) of the Constitution 2010 states that the term of each House of Parliament expires on the date of the next general election meaning that the Houses shall serve for a term of five years upon which new elections shall be called. With reference to standing order no. 3 of the Standing Orders 2008, on the assembly of a new House pursuant to the President’s proclamation the list of the names of the Members of the House shall be laid on the Table by the Clerk, and the House shall there after proceed to the election of a Speaker.

The Alltel Pavilion Case Strategy and Cvp Analysis free essay sample

Based on an actual entertainment pavilion, the case develops many factors unique to a service business and illustrates how pavilion management can use CVP analysis to determine which artists to attract and what kinds of contracts to have with these performers. The Pavilion has two types of customers (paying ticket holders and free ticket holders) and earns profits from three types of revenues (ticket revenues, concession revenues, and parking fees). The case requires you to identify the best strategy for different types of artists, conduct cost-volume-profit analyses, consider the strategic issues related to operating leverage and how this affects the choice of performer and contract, and assess pricing strategies. O ne day in early November, Pam Berg, Manager of the ALLTEL Pavilion, was reviewing the operating results for the year just completed in preparation for the executive board meeting the following Friday. While the year ended in the black, she was disappointed that the ALLTEL Pavilion failed to earn the budgeted profit goal. We will write a custom essay sample on The Alltel Pavilion Case: Strategy and Cvp Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This was the second year since Ms. Berg assumed the manager’s position at the ALLTEL Pavilion. After the somewhat disappointing first year, she was determined to exceed the budgeted profit in the coming year. While not all events developed exactly as expected at the time of preparing the budget for the year, there were no major surprises during the year. Yet, the operating results are below the budgeted goal. In addition, Pam was frustrated by the lack of clear guidelines for contract negotiations with artists, for setting ticket prices, and in dealing with unexpected low ticket sales for certain concerts. THE ALLTEL PAVILION FOR LIVE ENTERTAINMENT The ALLTEL Pavilion in Raleigh, North Carolina (http://www. alltelpavilion. com/) is an outdoor amphitheater that provides live concerts to the public from April through October each year, hosting as many as half a million patrons a year. The seven-month season usually hosts an average of 40 concerts, and 12 year-round staff plan and manage each season. SFX Entertainment Inc. (http://sfxyes. liveonline. net/) operates the pavilion. SFX is one of the largest diversified promoters, producers, and venue operators for live entertainment events in the United States. It has 71 venues either directly owned or operated under lease or exclusive booking arrangements in 29 of the top 50 U. S. markets, including 14 amphitheaters or pavilions in 9 of the top 10 markets. Edward Blocher is a Professor at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Kung H. Chen is a Professor at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. 555 556 Blocher and Chen ALLTEL Pavilion wants to be the nightlife for the Triangle (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC) and eastern North Carolina, and one of the most beautiful, technologically advanced, and successful amphitheaters in the world. It features the most modern state-of-the-art acoustics and video of any facility of its kind. In the last few years, ALLTEL Pavilion staged shows by the Dave Matthews Band, Alan Jackson, Brooks Dunn, Toby Keith, Santana, Tim McGraw, Aerosmith, James Taylor, Jimmy Buffett, and many other national, regional, and local artists. The Pavilion claims, â€Å"There isn’t a bad seat in the house. Whether you choose to spread a blanket on our gently sloping festival lawn or select a reserved seat in our pavilion seating area, you are guaranteed a great view of the action on the stage† (ALLTEL Pavilion website). Exhibit 1 shows the stage and seating of the amphitheater. History/Development The city of Raleigh and Pace Entertainment Company of Houston, Texas jointly built the ALLTEL Pavilion in 1991. Pace Entertainment and Cellar Door Inc. of Raleigh, NC had the initial contract to manage the Pavilion. Hardee’s Food Systems, Inc. of Rocky Mount, NC, the original sponsor of the amphitheater, paid an annual fee to carry its name and logo on all signs and ads regarding the amphitheater. On February 3, 1999 ALLTEL Corp (http://tel. com) became the title sponsor for the amphitheater. The demand for the outdoor facility came about because the rapidly growing city of Raleigh lacked a major entertainment complex. In the late 1980s Pace Entertainment and the city of Raleigh came to an agreement to build the facility. The city of Raleigh would own the land while Pace Entertainment would own the facility and assume sole operations of the facility; Cellar Door would do the booking for all the concerts. Pace Entertainment would pay income taxes on earnings from the use of the facility. In 1998, SFX Entertainment Inc. acquired Pace Entertainment Inc. The amphitheater facility and its employees became part of SFX Entertainment Inc. Also, in 1999 SFX Entertainment Inc. acquired Cellar Door Inc. and merged with Clear Channel Communications Inc. , one of the largest owners of radio stations in the country. This move brought together both worlds of the entertainment business. While the company has diverse holdings, the philosophy of SFX is â€Å"One Company, One Mission. † Many companies that are now owned by SFX were at one time bitter rivals in the concertpromoting business. These companies now maintain good working relationships within SFX. A key goal for SFX is for the net operating income of each of its holdings, including the ALLTEL Pavilion, to grow 5 percent each year. The Pavilion competes with the RBC Center (http://www. rbccenter. com) at North Carolina State University in Raleigh (NCSU), the Dean Smith Activities Center (http://tarheelblue. ocsn. com/genrel/ 092301aad. html) at The University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC (UNC), and the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Charlotte, NC (http://www. verizonwirelessamphitheater. com/charlotte/), among others. In contrast to the facilities at NCSU and UNC that offer only indoor events, the Pavilion offers outdoor as well as sheltered seating for its events. Marketing, Operations, and Accounting When the marketing department plans a promotion for an upcoming event, it coordinates with the sales department to see if there is a conflict in sponsorship. Marketing also coordinates with the operations department to effectively manage the activities on show days. Finally, the budget of each department (sales, marketing, and operations) is reviewed by the accounting department, which provides overall financial anagement of the project. Bringing Concerts to Reality A concert becomes reality in many steps. First, a group or performer with an interest in performing at ALLTEL will discuss with Cellar Door, Inc. and the Pavilion the possibility of performing at Issues in Accounting Education, November 2004 The ALLTEL Pavilion Case: Strategy and CVP Analysis 557 the Pavilion, and look at the open dates. Upon reaching an agreement, Cellar Door, on behalf of the Pavilion, signs a contract with the booking agent for the performer. A time is specified for gate openings, and once the gate is opened the show is underway. The job of the staff during a concert is to make sure every customer of the ALLTEL Pavilion has a pleasant experience and that the mission of the company is clearly seen by everyone that â€Å"a concert †¦ it’s better live. † Clean Sweep Inc. of Raleigh handles the cleanup after a show. Key Business Issues Marketing has an important role in the success of the ALLTEL Pavilion, but marketing expenditures are carefully watched. For every show, the marketing budget is limited to $20,000. For many shows it is difficult to stay within the budget, since the Pavilion serves a five-market region consisting of Raleigh-Durham, Fayetteville, Wilmington, Greensboro, and the Carolina Coast. Most of the marketing budget is spent on advertising with radio, TV, and print media in the designated regions. Prior to developing advertising plans, the marketing staff analyzes ticket sales geographically over the five-market region. It is important to know the demographics of the five regions and compare them with the profile for each performer. The more ALLTEL Pavilion can know about the fans, the more they know where to spend the $20,000. SFX develops measures of performance and profitability for each advertising media, by region. This type of analysis is important to the ALLTEL Pavilion because increased ticket sales, through effective advertising, not only affect ticket revenues, but also revenues from parking, merchandise, and concessions. It is also important because of the increased cost of advertising. The advertising rates in the Raleigh-Durham region are comparable to the rates in Washington, D. C. The rates are up 200 percent over the last five years, while the budgets per show are only up 15 percent over this time. The cost of the performing artist has also increased dramatically. The average fee for an artist is approximately $160,000. Some artists are paid on a fixed-fee basis, while others are paid on a per capita basis. Generally, the most popular artists seek a per capita contract because they are confident of a high level of attendance. In contrast, the artist paid a fixed-fee is guaranteed the same fee whether 100 or 20,000 people attend (the capacity of the Pavilion is approximately 20,000 attendance). On average, the total number of paid tickets per fixed-fee concert is 7,000. The role of marketing and advertising is especially important for fixed-fee shows. One method the Pavilion uses in addition to advertising is to distribute â€Å"comp† tickets (comp tickets are free tickets distributed throughout the community) to build interest in the Pavilion that will later be realized in paying customers. Comp customers also bring in revenue for parking, concessions, and merchandise sales. In a fixed-fee concert, the number of comp tickets is approximately 25 percent of the number of paying tickets, while a per capita show has no more than 2. 5 percent. Because of the increasing cost of the performing artists, ALLTEL Pavilion tries to reduce nonartist costs. Nonartist costs at ALLTEL Pavilion include expenses for sales, marketing, parking, security, concessions, and merchandise. Since assuming the manager position, Pam has developed several avenues to reduce nonartist costs and/or increase revenues and profits, including reducing expenses, having the parking service pass out flyers for upcoming events, trading â€Å"comp† tickets for online spots in the radio industry, and giving local businesses tickets in exchange for advertising on their premises. Revenues, Costs, and Flash Report for the KFBS Allstars Concert Exhibit 2 is a mock flash report for an illustrative fixed-fee show, the KFBS Allstars. A flash report is a projection of costs and revenues for a scheduled concert. The guarantee/talent cost ($160,635) is the amount the KFBS Allstars are guaranteed for the show. Projected sales is the number of projected paying ticket holders, while the â€Å"drop count† is total attendance, including both Issues in Accounting Education, November 2004 558 Blocher and Chen paid and comp tickets. Setting ticket price is often done together with the performer, taking into consideration SFX’s national and regional pricing policies, prices of comparable venues, and the Pavilion’s desired profit for the concert. Pam uses the flash report to plan potential concerts and to evaluate the success of concerts already presented. The report shows the variety of revenues and costs for a concert, and the projected profit for the concert. The flash report projects total revenues including ticket sales, parking, food, and merchandise based on per capita (drop count) rates. Ticket sales are in four ticket categories: A seats and B seats are regular price tickets for the reserved and lawn seating sections respectively; C and D seats are promotional (discount) price tickets for reserved and lawn seating, respectively. Other revenues include per capita facility charges paid by the sponsoring corporation for naming rights (based on paid ticket holders) and a per capita service charge paid by the performer for food, transportation, and other services. Not included are the annual lease payments for VIP seats at $10,000 per year. Patrons to the VIP seats also have to pay the ticket price of A-level seats. Reserved and lawn seating areas are shown in Exhibit 1. The parking, food concession, and merchandise operations are outsourced to other service providers, so the direct costs for parking, merchandise and concessions are determined based on contracts with the service providers that include both a percentage (10 percent) of applicable revenues and a fixed fee. Operating expenses include an allocation of the total of fixed production and operations costs for the season, the advertising expenses for the KFBS Allstars event, and other variable expenses. These are then added to the direct costs for concessions, merchandise, parking, and insurance to determine total operating expenses. REQUIRED How would you describe the competitive strategy of the ALLTEL Pavilion? Given the firm’s strategy, what are the critical success factors for the Pavilion to achieve its goal of continuous annual growth in operating income? 2. Complete two selected cost-volume-profit analyses for the show illustrated in Exhibit 2, the KFBS Allstars: a) How many tickets must the ALLTEL Pavilion sell to break even? ) How many tickets must ALLTEL sell to earn $30,000 operating income after taxes, assuming a 40 percent tax rate? 3. What should be the average ticket price for the KFBS concert if the fixed-pay fee is $200,000 and the Pavilion expects to sell 7,000 tickets and wants to earn $30,000 after 40 percent in taxes? 4. Negotiating the fee for the KFBS Allstars: fixed-pay or per capita contracts? a) What is the maximum fixed fee that the Pavilion can pay the KFBS Allstars if the Pavilion wants to earn $45,000 after 40 percent tax and expects the show to have an average ticket price of $22. 12? Assume the show is expected to draw 6,000 paying ticket holders. b) What is the maximum fixed fee that the Pavilion can pay the KFBS Allstars if the Pavilion wants to earn $45,000 after 40 percent tax and expects the show to have an average ticket price of $22. 12? Assume, including 25 percent comp tickets, the show is expected to be a sell-out. c) Independent of (a) and (b), what is the maximum per capita fee that the Pavilion can pay the KFBS Allstars, whose concert is expected to be a sellout, if the Pavilion wants to earn $180,000 after 40 percent tax from an average ticket price of $22. 2 per ticket? 5. What role does CVP analysis and operating leverage play in contract negotiations with different types of performers (fixed-fee or per capita)? 1. Issues in Accounting Education, November 2004 The ALLTEL Pavilion Case: Strategy and CVP Analysis 559 EXHIBIT 1 ALLTEL Pavilion Stage and Seating The Pavilion can accommodate 20,000 fans with 7,000 reserved seats directly in front of th e stage (covered seating in sections 1 through 9 and VIP seating) and another 13,000 on the spacious lawn. It has 78 theater-style VIP boxes that can accommodate 4, 6, or 8 people. In addition to positioning for prime viewing, patrons in VIP boxes also enjoy amenities such as wait staff service at their seats, personalized parking, and exclusive membership to the VIP Bar Grill. Directly in front of sections 4, 5, 8, and 9 is seating with an elevated floor that provides excellent views of the stage for patrons with disabilities and additional seating for the hearing or visually impaired. Lawn Seating Reserved, Covered Seating Issues in Accounting Education, November 2004 560 Blocher and Chen EXHIBIT 2 Flash Report for the KFBS Allstars Concert ARTIST NAME ACTIVITY/EVENT NUMBER EVENT MONTH EVENT DATE Projected Sales (Number of Seats) A Seats B Seats C Seats D Seats TOTAL Number of Seats Projected Ticket Price A Seats B Seats C Seats D Seats PROJECTED NET AFTER TAX ADMISSIONS AVG TIX PRICE NET OF TAX PER PAYING PATRON TALENT % GUARANTEE/TALENT COSTS NUMBER OF PERFORMANCES DROP COUNT (includes comp tickets) Other Ticket-Related Revenue FACILITY CHARGE Per capita SERVICE CHARGE Per capita REVENUE FROM TICKETING Per capita ANCILLARY REVENUES PARKING Per capita FOOD CONCESSION Per capita MERCHANDISE Per capita RENTALS REVENUE FROM ANCILLARIES Per capita TOTAL REVENUE Per capita The KFBS Allstars 10310001 7 7/31/04 2,778 2,845 1,747 881 8,251 $36. 29 $22. 22 $11. 31 $ 4. 92 $182,479 $22. 12 88. 03% $160,635 1 10,349 $24,010 $2. 91 $16,172 $1. 96 $222,673 $26. 99 $19,767 $1. 91 $79,273 $7. 66 $36,428 $3. 52 $0. 00 $135,468 $13. 09 $358,141 $34. 61 (continued on next page) Issues in Accounting Education, November 2004 The ALLTEL Pa vilion Case: Strategy and CVP Analysis 561 EXHIBIT 2 (continued) Other Direct Costs PARKING CONTRACT CONCESSION CONTRACT MERCHANDISE CONTRACT TOTAL DIRECT COSTS Per capita PERCENT OF SALES TOTAL REVENUE (from above) TOTAL DIRECT COSTS (from above) GROSS PROFIT Operating Expenses TOTAL PRODUCTION EXPENSE TOTAL OPERATIONS EXPENSE TOTAL OTHER VAR. EXPENSE TOTAL ADVERTISING EXPENSE TOTAL OPERATING EXP Per capita PERCENT OF SALES OPERATING INCOME Per capita PERCENT OF SALES Detail: Other Concert Variable Expense Insurance Expense per person COGS—Concession per person COGS—Merchandise Inventory per person COGS—Parking per person Other Variable Concert Expense per person TOTAL OTHER VARIABLE EXPENSE $0. 17 $0. 35 $1. 12 $0. 08 $0. 02 $14,323 $4,448 $43,356 $17,826 $226,265 $21. 86 63. 2% $358,141 $226,265 $131,876 $15,506 $14,991 $14,323 $20,030 $64,850 $6. 27 18. 1% $67,026 $6. 48 18. 7% Issues in Accounting Education, November 2004

A Light In August Essays - Television, Light In August, Free Essays

A Light In August Essays - Television, Light In August, Free Essays A Light in August In the novel, A Light in August, William Faulkner introduces us to a wide range of characters of various backgrounds and personalities. Common to all of them is the fact that each is type cast into a certain role in the novel and in society. Lena is the poor, white trash southern girl who serves to weave the story together. Hightower is the fanatic preacher who is the dark, shameful secret of Jefferson. Joanna Burden is the middle-aged maiden from the north who is often accused of being a ?nigger-lover?. And Joe Christmas is the epitome of an outsider. None of them are conventional, everyday people. They are all in some way disjointed from society; they do not fit in with the crowd. That is what makes them intriguing and that is why Faulkner documents their story. Percy Grimm is another such character and he plays a vital role in the novel. He is the one to finally terminate Joe Christmas, who has been suffering his entire life. Grimm is the enforcer, the one man who will uphold American pride at all costs. He also stands for everything in the world that has held Christmas back. He is the prototype of the ruthless enemy who is the source of all of Christmas? struggles. And Christmas can never escape him. He can run, as he has been doing all his life and as he does in his desperate attempt to escape. But he can never hide, as he tries to do at Hightower?s and as he has been hiding his true self from the world he hates so much. Percy Grimm represents the unmerciful society that has restrained and persecuted Joe Christmas; it is only fitting that he should be the one to finally bring him down in the end. Percy Grimm was born into the American south and grew up to be a symbol and backbone of the environment he was raised in. His only regret in life is being born too late. He feels that his sole purpose in life would be to fight in World War I and defend the country to which he is completely and utterly devoted. But the war happened to occur in the time period where ?he should have been a man instead of a child? (Faulkner, p.450). So when he grows to be a man, he joins the National Guard, which is the closest thing to an army he can find. But instead of protecting the country from foreign enemies, his job with the National Guard entails protecting the country from certain things within itself. Joe Christmas and the situation he has created is a direct threat to Percy Grimm and the establishment he represents. Although Grimm?s primary objective is to protect Christmas from hostile crowds, Grimm is imprinted with a sort of primitive and instinctive hatred for who Joe Christmas is, what he is, and what he has done. Grimm sees him as a dangerous, unknown and more importantly ?nigger-blooded? criminal. He had the nerve to violate and savagely murder a white woman who happened to be part of Grimm?s specifically drawn definition of ?American?. He has adopted, adheres to, and enforces the ?belief that the white race is superior to any and all other races and that the American is superior to all other white races and that the American uniform is superior to all men, and that all that would ever be required of him in payment for this belief, this privilege, would be his own life? (Faulkner, p.451). Percy Grimm is a tough, humorless, and forceful individual who commands the respect of others. He is always on some sort of mission involving the preservation of order and he is determined to use all of his resources to accomplish his goal. Grimm is referred to by Faulkner as ?the Player?. His main purpose in the novel is to play the part of the executioner. Christmas does not stand much of a chance. Joe Christmas has always been hampered by a society that shuns him, alienates him, disgraces him and chases him away. Percy Grimm is the human representation of this society. The climactic chase scene between Grimm and Christmas is symbolic of how Christmas has been running from people and places all his life. He was on the road all the time and was never able to settle down in one place for a significant time period. Society never accepted his heritage and personality and so he was always running away from

The Battle of Pichincha

The Battle of Pichincha On May 24, 1822, South American rebel forces under the command of General Antonio Josà © de Sucre and Spanish forces led by Melchor Aymerich clashed on the slopes of Pichincha Volcano, within sight of the city of Quito, Ecuador. The battle was a huge victory for the rebels, destroying once and for all Spanish power in the former Royal Audience of Quito. Background By 1822, Spanish forces in South America were on the run. To the north, Simà ³n Bolà ­var had liberated the Viceroyalty of New Granada (Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, part of Ecuador) in 1819, and to the south, Josà © de San Martà ­n had liberated Argentina and Chile and was moving on Peru. The last major strongholds for royalist forces on the continent were in Peru and around Quito. Meanwhile, on the coast, the important port city of Guayaquil had declared itself independent and there were not enough Spanish forces to re-take it: instead, they decided to fortify Quito in hopes of holding out until reinforcements could arrive. First Two Attempts In late 1820, the leaders of the independence movement in Guayaquil organized a small, poorly-organized army and set out to capture Quito. Although they captured the strategic city of Cuenca on the way, they were defeated by Spanish forces at the Battle of Huachi. In 1821, Bolà ­var sent his most trusted military commander, Antonio Josà © de Sucre, to Guayaquil to organize a second attempt. Sucre raised an army and marched on Quito in July 1821, but he, too, was defeated, this time at the Second Battle of Huachi. The survivors retreated to Guayaquil to regroup. March on Quito By January 1822, Sucre was ready to try again. His new army took a different tactic, swinging through the southern highlands on its way to Quito. Cuenca was captured again, preventing communication between Quito and Lima. Sucre’s rag-tag army of approximately 1,700 consisted of a number of Ecuadorians, Colombians sent by Bolà ­var, a troop of British (mainly Scots and Irish), Spanish who had switched sides, and even some French. In February, they were reinforced by 1,300 Peruvians, Chileans and Argentines sent by San Martà ­n. By May, they had reached the city of Latacunga, less than 100 kilometers south of Quito. Slopes of the Volcano Aymerich was well aware of the army bearing down on him, and he placed his strongest forces in defensive positions along the approach to Quito. Sucre did not want to lead his men straight into the teeth of well-fortified enemy positions, so he decided to go around them and attack from the rear. This involved marching his men partway up Cotopaxi volcano and around Spanish positions. It worked: he was able to get into the valleys behind Quito. The Battle of Pichincha On the night of May 23, Sucre ordered his men to move on Quito. He wanted them to take the high ground of Pichincha volcano, which overlooks the city. A position on Pichincha would have been difficult to assault, and Aymerich sent his royal army out to meet him. Around 9:30 in the morning, the armies clashed on the steep, muddy slopes of the volcano. Sucre’s forces had become spread out during their march, and the Spanish were able to decimate their leading battalions before the rear guard caught up. When the rebel Scots-Irish Albià ³n Battalion wiped out a Spanish elite force, the royalists were forced to retreat. Aftermath of the Battle of Pichincha The Spanish had been defeated. On May 25, Sucre entered Quito and formally accepted the surrender of all Spanish forces. Bolà ­var arrived in mid-June to joyous crowds. The battle of Pichincha would be the final warm-up for rebel forces before tackling the strongest bastion of royalists left on the continent: Peru. Although Sucre was already considered a very able commander, the Battle of Pichincha solidified his reputation as one of the top rebel military officers. One of the heroes of the battle was teenage Lieutenant Abdà ³n Calderà ³n. A native of Cuenca, Calderà ³n was wounded several times during the battle but refused to leave, fighting on despite his wounds. He died the next day and was posthumously promoted to Captain. Sucre himself singled out Calderà ³n for special mention, and today the Abdà ³n Calderà ³n star is one of the most prestigious awards given in the Ecuadorian military. There is also a park in his honor in Cuenca featuring a statue of Calderà ³n bravely fighting. The Battle of Pichincha also marks the military appearance of a most remarkable woman: Manuela Senz. Manuela was a native quiteà ±a who had lived in Lima for a time and had been involved in the independence movement there. She joined Sucre’s forces, fighting in the battle and spending her own money on food and medicine for the troops. She was awarded the rank of lieutenant and would go on to become an important cavalry commander in subsequent battles, eventually reaching the rank of Colonel. She is better known today for what happened shortly after the war: she met Simà ³n Bolà ­var and the two fell in love. She would spend the next eight years as the Liberator’s devoted mistress until his death in 1830.

Cultural Stereotypes as Reflected in Literature Essay

Cultural Stereotypes as Reflected in Literature - Essay Example In the same way as the concept of stereotyping had been introduced in the first paragraph, stereotyping is defined as â€Å"making generalizations or assumptions about the characteristics of all members of a group based on an image (often wrong) about what people in that group are like,† (Burger and Els 105). Certain observed qualities have been used to describe a certain group of objects or people and that is stereotyping. It is possible that a person had just seen some people wearing glasses study very hard and that person might generalize that all people are nerds. In reality, that is not the case as people may get blurry eyes due to aging, computer eye strain and other eye diseases. In such practice, a person or people are placed in certain categories using certain criteria like a color of the skin, nationality, religion, ethnic race and even gender and sexual orientation (Cook and Cusack 10). In using categories to group people with the prevailing image, discrimination is inevitable. In line with discrimination come prejudices and pains. As discrimination becomes rampant because of stereotyping, the treatment balance among people have been subjected to several stresses and strains as people are judged for qualities that do not make up their whole selves. People are judged for skin color like black, discriminated for their sexual orientation like being gay, offended for being immigrants, punished for practicing their religious rituals, and hurt for on-going wars where peace is not an option (Kruhm and Wirths 1).

Buddhist philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Buddhist philosophy - Essay Example Another Buddhist element related to achieving the highest good is the belief that since suffering is a result of material longing and desire by eliminating material longing and desire, one can eliminate suffering and move towards achieving this highest good. While this is a simple formulation, the actual challenge of eliminating desire is extremely difficult. Craving can also be extended to include the gratification of the passions or the longing we have for an abstract sense of accomplishment of success in our earthly lives. The Second Noble Truth states that if we persist in allowing our lives to be dominated by desire and ignorance we will always be haunted by an unachievable longing and pervasive suffering. Therefore, the Buddha states that to achieve the highest good one must be guided by what is, not what is desired. One must fight against their preconditioned ways of longing and desire and accept the world and their place as it currently exists, as this is the only path to the highest good. In following these Noble Truths the individual is able to achieve the highest good or Nirvana. This is a spiritual state that transcends all traditional concerns with material existence. I recognize that I generally disagree with this ideal. To begin with, I disagree with the idea that all of life is suffering, as one might argue that such a characterization of the human condition is overly pessimistic. When Buddha developed the Four Noble Truths the Indian people faced considerable difficulties in life. Their subsistence was harder earned than we experience today, and I believe that this element of Buddhist philosophy can be seen to be a response to this challenge of existence, rather than an accurate reflection of the human condition. While all humans experience suffering, to claim that this is one

Unemployment research Essay Example for Free

Unemployment research Essay Unemployment From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Unemployment (or Joblessness), as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without Jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks. [2] The unemployment rate is a measure of the prevalence of unemployment and it is calculated as a percentage by dividing the number of unemployed individuals by all individuals currently in the labour force. In a 2011 news story, BusinessWeek reported, More than 200 million people globally are out of work, a record high, as almost two-thirds of advanced economies and half of eveloping countries are experiencing a slowdown in employment growth, the group There remains considerable theoretical debate regarding the causes, consequences and solutions for unemployment. Classical economics, neoclassical economics and the Austrian School of economics argue that market mechanisms are reliable means of resolving unemployment. citation needed] These theories argue against interventions imposed on the labour market from the outside, such as unionization, minimum wage laws, taxes, and other regulations that they claim discourage the hiring of workers. Keynesian economics emphasizes the cyclical ature of unemployment and recommends interventions it claims will reduce unemployment during recessions. This theory focuses on recurrent supply shocks that suddenly reduce aggregate demand for goods and services and thus reduce demand for workers. Keynesian models recommend government interventions designed to increase demand for workers; these can include financial stimuli, publicly funded Job creation, and expansionist monetary policies. Georgists, half a century before Keynes, also noted the cyclical nature but focused on the role of speculation in land which pushes up economic rent. Because rent must be paid mostly from wages (yield of labor) but also from interest (yield of capital), economic activity cannot be sustained in the rent bubble, which finally burst resulting in recessions or depressions. Once the speculation is wrung out of system the cycle of land speculation begins again. [4] Henry George therefore advocated the taxation of land values (Single Tax) to stop land speculation and in order to eliminate taxation of labor and capital. George opposed land nationalization and Marxs theories. Marxism focuses on the relations between the owners and the workers, whom, it claims, the wners pit against one another in a constant struggle for Jobs and higher wages. The unemployment produced by this struggle is said to benefit the system by reducing wage costs for the owners. For Marxists the causes of and solutions to unemployment require abolishing capitalism and shifting to socialism or communism. In addition to these three comprehensive theories of unemployment, there are a few categorizations of unemployment that are used to more precisely model the effects of unemployment within the economic system. The main types of unemployment include structural unemployment which focuses on structural problems in the conomy and inefficiencies inherent in labour markets including a mismatch between the supply and demand ot laborers witn necessary skill sets . Structural arguments emphasize causes and solutions related to disruptive technologies and globalization. Discussions of frictional unemployment focus on voluntary decisions to work based on each individuals valuation of their own work and how that compares to current wage rates plus the time and effort required to find a Job. Causes and solutions for frictional unemployment often address barriers to entry and wage rates. Behavioral economists highlight individual biases in decision making and often nvolve problems and solutions concerning sticky wages and efficiency wages.

Borderline Personality Disorder :: essays research papers

Why Are Women Diagnosed With Borderline Personality Disorder More Than Men? Borderline Personality Disorder is diagnosed predominantly in females. There is approximately a 3:1 female to male gender ratio for this disorder. Theories of why Borderline Personality Disorder occurs more often in women -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sexual abuse, which is common in childhood histories of borderline patients, happens more often to women than men. - Women experience more inconsistent and invalidating messages in this society. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Women are more vulnerable to BPD because they are socialized to be more dependent on others and more sensitive to rejection. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clinicians tend to be biased. Studies have shown that mental health professionals tend to diagnose BPD more often in women than in men, even when patient profiles are identical except for the gender of the patient. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Men seek psychiatric help less often. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Men are more likely to be treated only for their alcoholism or substance abuse; their borderline symptoms go unnoticed because BPD is assumed to be a women’s disorder. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Female borderlines are in the mental health system; male borderlines are in jail. (www.bpdcentral.com) Skodol, A. & Bender, D (2003) have also addressed several theories as to the gender bias with this diagnosis. Their research on gender bias in borderline personality disorder indicates that: -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The elevated base rate of women in clinical settings may be one of the reasons why clinicians perceive more women to have BPD. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Women and men present with different symptoms patterns, such as the criterion of identity disturbance, which tends to be significantly more common among women. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Female patients tend to receive unwarranted diagnoses of BPD more often when the clinician is a women, which suggests less acceptance of borderline-like traits and behaviors in women by women. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sampling bias in research -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Biological differences in which men show more aggression and externalizing behavior patterns and women show more behavioral inhibition and internalizing. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sociocultural differences Johnson, DM., Shea M.

Southern Hospitality

Imagine living near your entire family in your hometown. Imagine that one of those people is your 6 months pregnant fiancee. Now imagine the fact that you have just received a job opportunity some 900 miles away, and the best thing for your future family is to take that job. What would you do? There are three major things that affect you and your life when you move away from home. Those three things are, missing your family, adapting to new living conditions, and expanding your responsibilities as a person and eventually a parent. When you live any distance away from your family, you will miss them with varied amounts of difficulty. Some of us have no problem missing our families, however. When I was eighteen years old I joined the United States Air Force. My first duty assignment was RAF Mildenhall, England. After the first year I became accustomed to missing my family. The largest difference about this move from Michigan to Georgia was, in fact, that I was engaged and that my fiancee was six months pregnant with my son, Derek. This was the most difficult thing I had ever had to endure as a person. When I first moved, she didn’t immediately want to move with me because it was much easier to move by myself, because we had no money, and no place to live. Eventually, after about three months and the birth of our son, she moved down with the help of her parents, and grandparents. When I first arrived in Georgia, it was much hotter than Michigan. Remember now, that I’ve lived in two different places in my life. The first place was Michigan, with its icy and brash winters and mild to medium summers. The second place, being England, with is bone chilling still aired winters and extremely mild summers. Now we move to Georgia with its extremely tolerable winters and scorching hot summers. Think about the differences here and imagine how much anyone would have to adapt to those differences. When I first moved here I had a ratty old Ford Explorer with no air conditioning and only two windows that worked. There was an immediate difficulty trying to regulate body temperature when such extremes are encountered. One thing that helped adapt to it was the friendly people that the â€Å"south† is so famous for. Everywhere you went, someone would say, â€Å"How are you hun? † or â€Å"Can we get you something sweetie? † This is one thing that anyone could get used to experiencing every day. All of these things have helped me grow into a better person. When I found out that my fiancee was in labor, it was an unbearable situation to deal with. I was able to take off of work for two weeks so I could make the sixteen hour drive back to Michigan to be with my family and see the birth of my son. When I made it back, I was able to witness the birth of my son. It was the single-handed most exciting moment and day of my life. After the two week â€Å"vacation† I had to make the trip back to Georgia, again, without my family. Now if that doesn’t make your stomach churn, I’m not sure what will. That was the most difficult thing I’d ever had to do. Think about the things that make you who you are. If I am having difficulty with anything in my life, I think of my children and one simple verse. Philippians 4:13 which reads, â€Å"I can do all things in God who gives me strength. †

Responding Techniques

Responding and summarizing begins with using active and responding where I preview the author’s background as well as the writing context. Summarizing accurately and objectively represent key ideas. A summary cites the author and title, quotes key phrases or sentences directly and describe the main ideas and feature of a text. Responding is critiquing the ideas in the text. Responding technique gives responses that may agree or disagree with the argument in the text.Responses may analyze the argument, organization or quality of evidence in the text; and/or they may reflect on assumptions or implications. Summary includes main ideas and key features while a response includes my reactions, comments and questions. A summary gives a reader an objective and condensed account of the main ideas and features of a text while a response. A response should include own perspective, experiences, attitudes and beliefs that will guide in a particular response.To make it effective, a response paper effective, I need to say what I think and show why I think so. The response should show the relationship between my opinions and the argument in the text. A response requires analyzing the effectiveness of the text, agreeing or disagreeing with the author’s ideas and interpreting and reflecting on the text. Responses must be supported by evidence, facts, examples and details.Personal experience, evidence form the text and other texts form supporting evidence for good responses. In responses, there is need for in text citations like sentences and phrases. Ideas from other books, essays and articles are relevant. Usually, summary appears first and then the reader’s response. The two parts are carefully integrated where the response focuses quickly on the main idea summarized. Use a clear transition from the summary and response or integrate both the summary and response throughout.

The Matrix

The Matrix The Matrix A Pop Culture Fusion of Western Literature Literary Masterpieces ? Professor Hirschberg ? 12/6/00 Initially, I didn?t get it. Having heard that the Matrix was a smooth sci-fi fusion of virtual reality, amazing martial arts effects, and philosophical undertones I took my girlfriend to see it at the local theater as soon as she was back from college. The special effects were truly breathtaking: I found myself dumbfounded at the first fight scene as the camera panned 180‚Â ° around a hovering Trinity before she delivered a lethal flying center kick to the police officer foolish enough to try to arrest her. I have to admit, though, that as the movie progressed I found myself struggling to keep up with the plot line. By the time the movie ended with Keanu Reeves? character ascending into the sky, I had that warm, fuzzy feeling that the protagonist had won out in the end?I just wasn?t sure why.English: User:Spencerian and close friend, dressed...It wasn?t until having watch ed the movie several times that I could appreciate its storyline, and then several more times that I could appreciate its complexity. Not only does the movie appeal to my enthusiasm for technology and my lust for martial arts acrobatics, it also appeals to my interest in early Western and postmodern thought and Christian theology. Apparently, according to box office numbers and the rise of Matrix ?web rings? and chat sites, I am not alone in my fondness of this movie.Since its debut in April of 1999, The Matrix has grossed over $171 million in the box office, putting it in the top 100 moneymaking films of all time. The movie has also drawn over $500 million in DVD sales, making it the most sought-after DVD video of 1999. Several ?web rings? have sprung up all over the...

Mergers & Acquisitions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mergers & Acquisitions - Essay Example A merger takes place when the firms involved in the combination are of unequal size. The larger or stronger firm continues to exist because of its stronger bargaining power and the smaller or weaker firms go out of existence. Four periods of economic history have witnessed very high levels of merger activity, which are called a merger waves. These periods are characterized by cyclical activity i.e. large number of mergers followed by relatively fewer mergers ((ICMR), 2003). The current period is called as the fifth wave. In the first three waves, merger activity was concentrated in the United States of America. The fourth and the fifth waves were global in nature though the impact of the wave is most pronounced in the United States of America. First Wave The first merger wave occurred after the depression of 1883. It peaked between 1898 and1902 though it began in 1897 and ended in 1904. The merger had the greatest impact on eight specific industries i.e. primary metals, bituminous coal, food products, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum and fabricated metal products. These industries accounted for almost two – thirds of the total mergers during these periods.The mergers in the first wave were predominantly horizontal combinations. These resulting industrial consolidations led to creation of large monopolies. For example, US steel founded by J P Morgan merged with Carnegie Steel founded by Andrew Carnegie.The merged firm US Steel also acquired several other smaller steel producers and the resulting giant capture 75% of the steel market of the United States of America. ... Second Wave The second merger wave occurred between 1916 and 1929. George Stigler, a winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, has contrasted the first wave as "merging for monopoly" and the second wave as "merging for oligopoly." The consolidation pattern resulted in the emergence of oligopolistic industrial structures. The second wave was primarily fuelled by the post World War I boom in America Economy and a buoyant capital market. The second merger wave lasted until the Great Depression. The wave ended with the stock market crash on the "Black Thursday" i.e. October 29th of the year 1929, when the stock market witnessed one of the steepest stock price falls in history. Some of the corporate giants like General Motors, International Business Machines (IBM), Union Carbide, and John Deere etc., are a product of this era. Third Wave The third merger wave occurred during 1965 to 1969. This wave featured a historically high level of merger activity. One of the reasons for this factor is that this wave occurred in the background of a booming American Economy. One of the new trends started by this wave was the acquisition of larger companies by smaller companies. In the waves prior to this, the acquirer was always bigger in size than the target. A large proportion of transactions that took place during this wave were conglomerate transactions. The conglomerates formed during this period were highly diversified and simultaneously operated in several unrelated industries. For example, during the sixties ITT acquired such diversified businesses like car rental firms, bakeries, consumer credit agencies, luxury hotels, airport parking firms,

Character biography of Wintertime by Charles L. Mee Essay

Character biography of Wintertime by Charles L. Mee - Essay Example Although she is married, Maria is happy to stay in an illicit relationship with her lover Frank. She invents her own views on love in order to justify the complex relationships that define her social life. Maria emphasizes on the value of her freedom on matters of love, family and the discourse of sex. For instance, she reinvents the aspect of womanhood by projecting views that appear abnormal to the larger society. Her philosophies on matters of sex appear to be idiosyncratic and even rebellious. She tells her husband about the desire of a woman to engage in some form of wild sexual engagements and deliberate deviation from the order and tranquility of the domestic space without a free conscience that operates on the sidelines of the acceptable. Although she admits her love deep love for Francois, he shocks him by admitting that she reserves every Friday night for a routine sexual relationship with Frank (Mee 6). This sense of strange freedom and order unsettles Francois whose conce pt of love appears to be bound in philosophies that are more conventional than Maria’s is. A clear understanding of Maria’s peculiar approach to life could gbe drawn from a comparative assessment between her views on love and those projected by Ariel. The two women have exactly opposite views about then discourse of love. While Ariel indulges her mind in the innocence of youth by upholding the sublime and real element of love, Maria takes an opposite view by establishing categories of love. For instance, she views love in two broad perspectives. One of the perspectives is about romantic love. Maria believes that romantic love should be separate from the other kind of love that attaches couples in a marriage. She reminds Frank, her husband, that she never intended to love him in a romantic kind of love. She only loves him as some kind of duty that a wife ordinarily owes to her husband. Maria’s personality has a redemptive effect to the social disadvantages that w omen have to endure because of traditions, values, and expectations. She presents life in terms of a sum total of her own views and the practical things of life. Maria lives in a conservative society. This society demands women to live in accordance with specific laws and specifications. There is a patriarchal undertone in the dominant philosophies that undergird perspectives and reactions. As a result, she rebels and creates a world that would accommodate the feelings and opinions of a liberal woman (Case and Elaine 56). Her defiance could be understood as a rebellion against the domestic space. She affirms ownership of the Winterhouse and does not regard Frank in any terms larger than a companion. She comes to the defense of fellow women whenever situations demand. In this manner, Maria could be considered as an influential matriarch of women liberation with a deep desire to create an alternative frame of reference for the conquered women in the society. On this score, it makes se nse to consider her attitude in terms of the multiple challenges that are systematically created to stifle the course of women empowerment. Normally, the society would want to convert Maria into an ideal woman who dutifully plays the role of wife and mother in total submission. Instead, Maria appears to be untamed and subscribing to strange philosophies that define her relationship to both Francois and Frank. She is a strong defender of women freedom

Determine if there are similarities or differences with respect to the Essay

Determine if there are similarities or differences with respect to the treatment of Aboriginal youth by the governments of Canada and Australia, - Essay Example It is reported that the indigenous people have the highest incarceration rates in both countries as compared to any other lots. It is realized that the two governments treats and victimized offenders in the similar manner resulting from highest number of criminal activities undertaken by these indigenous groups. In Australia, statistics shows that 15.1 percent of the homicide victims are felt by the indigenous groups despite their less population of 2.2 percent of the Australian population and 15.7 percent of victimized offender’s results from same indigenous groups according to the 2011 Mouzous research (In Chall,& ProQuest Firm,1953, p.123). Aboriginal are also found in police custodies mainly because of violent and justice offences as compared to other lots who mainly being in custody for drug and traffic offences. Governments in both countries are thus find it necessary to detain more number of Aboriginals with Australian figure rated at 26 percent of all the people detained calculated to be 17 times that of non-indigenous persons. Australian government differs in terms of Aboriginal policing with that of Canada in the sense that indigenous policing systems seen to be relatively centralized divided into eight main police services with one attached to each state and territory and federal department. Unlike in Canada where there is correctional institutions and absence of federal-state split in sentences, Australian states are mandated to enactment of criminal laws and the policing programs are only within the state jurisdictions. Australian aboriginal have found themselves tasks with self-policing as well as hired as police officers after the discussion erupted on the failure of the government to include indigenous in such services but to use police services throughout course of Australian history in which police were universally expected to apply government policies to Aboriginal which led to Aboriginal

Why does the middle east is important to obama Essay

Why does the middle east is important to obama - Essay Example This became evident in 2007 when a plutonium-producing reactor of Syria in cooperation with North Korea, was discovered. Israel released photographic evidence of the said partnership leading to the raid of the nuclear reactor in Deir ez-Zor region and the dismissal of a terrorism attempt (Blackwill and Slocombe). Israel is skillful in making aerial systems, armored vehicle protection, and short-range rockets defenses, and robotics. It has been known as a world leader when it comes to developing devices and techniques for force protection (Blackwill and Slocombe). Because of the unifying goal of both countries to eliminate terrorism and nuclear proliferation, Israel shares its assets to United States which on the other hand, finances Israel’s projects and endeavors. In this case, the role of Obama’s partnership with the Israelis is to further develop missiles which would help him protect his forces and allies and span its influence over Europe, Middle East, and Persian Gulf (Blackwill and Slocombe). In all of these involvements, Obama does not only interestingly gain the assets of Israel but a possible underlying reason for this involvement is for him to expand its power over Middle East. This is evident in Michael Oren’s book, â€Å"Power, Faith, and Fantasy†. He stated, As an explanation to this, Oren mentioned about Jefferson and the May 1787 Articles of Confederation. In the meeting that followed, Americans felt a great threat from the kingdoms of Middle East countries. They stated, As a result of this, America waged wars all intended for Middle East. By imposing wars and force, America gained power over its greatest enemy – the Middle East countries and thus worry less about this threat (Oren). United States’ gaining of power and influence becomes more convincing when Obama expressed his interest in the oil industry of Middle East in his speech in

The Virgin Group An insight into the organizational structure and culture

The Virgin Group An insight into the organizational structure and culture Introduction The Virgin Group of companies is one of the largest business organizations in the world. Founded by Richard Branson, the Virgin Group has established itself into many diverse facets of the business industry. This paper analyzes the organizational structure and culture of the Virgin Group and how it has helped this organization attain such success in many diverse industries. Much of the culture of the Virgin Group is influenced by the personal beliefs and philosophies of its founder, Richard Branson, and is one of the reasons for the organizations success. Branson highly values all of his employees and takes personal responsibility to ensure that his beliefs are instilled among all of them. Branson has created a decentralized structure in the organization by giving his employees the authority to take decisions thereby reducing bureaucracy. Employees are encouraged to not always follow rational procedures and instead think on their own. This paper will first briefly give an overview of the Virgin Group of companies and its history and development. The organizational structure and culture of the Virgin Group will help the reader understand the organizations processes and business practices and how the values and belief system of its founder has shaped its structure and culture. In addition, the reader will learn how the Virgin Group has established itself as a successful organization based on its structure and culture. The paper will apply some of the theories and concepts from the course textbook to the Virgin Group which will help to understand the working of this organization better. In conclusion, this paper hopes to emphasize the Virgin Groups overall journey through the years and the role that its structure and culture has played in its success. About the Virgin Group The Virgin Group is one of the most successful business empires today. This organization has established itself in diverse industries including mobile telephony, retail, music, financial services, travel, and many more. Virgin has ruled the British market and has expanded worldwide into other regions like North America, Asia, Africa and Australia. Starting out as a simple mail-order record retailer in 1970, Virgin has grown into one of the most successful business empires in the world. The Virgin Group has established more than 300 companies, employing around 50000 people in 30 countries. Its global revenues in 2009 exceeded US$18 billion. (Virgin, n.d.) The majority of the Virgin Groups success has been credited to the founder and CEO of Virgin, Richard Branson. Bransons beliefs and philosophies are deeply rooted in the corporate culture of the Virgin Group. This has helped the Virgin Group to flourish in todays competitive business world. History and Development Richard Branson is the founder of the Virgin Group of companies. When he was a student at Stowe, he published a magazine called Student. The magazine was a success and it encouraged Branson to leave school and try his hand at new business ventures. His first target was mail-order records. He found that by putting a single advertisement in an issue of Student magazine, he was able to establish a thriving business with almost no up-front investment and no working capital. The name Virgin was suggested by one of his associates who saw the name as proclaiming their commercial innocence, while possessing some novelty and modest shock-value. In 1971 Branson opened his first retail store on Londons Oxford Street. Virgin then expanded into the recording industry and the result was the Virgin record label. By 1983, the Virgin Group was earning profits of 2 million pounds on total revenues of just under 50 million pounds. (Grant, 2008) Gradually Branson expanded into other ventures. The Organizational Structure Many assume the Virgin Group to be a multinational, but such is not the case. Each of the 300 odd companies of the Virgin Group operates separately and Branson serves as shareholder, chairman, and public relations supremo. Most of them are operating companies that own assets, employ people, and offer goods and services. These operating companies are owned and controlled by about 20 holding companies. The Virgin Group has a very complex structure. It has been termed both as a brand franchising operation as well as a keiretsu. (Grant, 2008) However, based on its structure, the Virgin Group can be safely termed as an organization with a keiretsu structure. A keiretsu is a group of organizations, each of which owns shares in the other organizations in the group, and all of which work together to further the groups interests. (Jones, Mills, Weatherbee, Mills, 2006) Furthermore, such a large organization with a complex structure needs to be organic in order to be able to adapt to changes in its environment. An organic structure promotes flexibility, so people initiate change and can adapt quickly to changing conditions. ( Jones et al., 2006) Considering each of the individual companies as a department providing a unique product or service, it is evident that they exhibit product departmentalization. Product departmentalization is the division of the departments of an organization based on the type of product or service offered. (Jones et al., 2006) For example, Virgin Mobile offers cellular services while Virgin Records is a music label. However, the structure of the Virgin Group is so complex that it is necessary for it to not just have one type of departmentalization. For instance, Virgin Mobile has operations in many different countries like the UK, India and Australia. As such, the type of service varies in each of these countries. This shows that Virgin Mobile also exhibits geographic departmentalization. Geographic departmentalization is the division of an organization based on the geographic location. (Jones et al., 2006) In addition, type of service and products also varies depending on the customer base hence ex hibiting customer departmentalization. Customer departmentalization is the division of an organization based on the kind of customers it serves. (Jones et al., 2006) Since the Virgin Group of companies exhibit so many types of departmentalisations, the organization as a whole is said to have a hybrid structure, which is a mixture of two or more kinds of departmentalisations. This multi-divisional approach helps the Virgin Group to easily adapt to the cultural, technological and other forces in the region it expands to. The division of labour and the hierarchy is also an important aspect of an organizations structure. The number of levels of authority, the control, and the amount of communication are key factors in the proper working of an organization. As mentioned, the Virgin Groups companies operate as separate organizations. The companies are part of a family rather than a hierarchy. They are empowered to run their own affairs, yet the companies help one another, and solutions to problems often come from within the Group somewhere. In a sense, Virgin is a commonwealth, with shared ideas, values, interests and goals. (Virgin, n.d.) In fact, Branson himself has provided all his employees with the authority to make unsupervised decisions based on their intuition rather than following a chain of command. This leads to the employees having more confidence in them and in the management. Since interaction among all the levels of the hierarchy is promoted, it increases effective communication. This is e vident from the fact that Branson personally interacts with employees on a regular basis discussing ideas and receiving feedback. The Virgin Group expresses self-sufficiency and effective communication. Virgin has a flat hierarchical structure and this enables quick and efficient decision making. The flat structure is one of the reasons that the Virgin Group has been able to expand into new ventures. In addition, a flat structure allows a wider span of control, and decentralization. Span of control is the number of subordinates a manager manages directly. (Jones et al., 2006) The decentralized structure of the Virgin Group gives more power in the hands of its employees when it comes to decision making. Decentralization is the delegation of authority to all levels of the hierarchy. (Jones et al.,2006) Branson believes that the employees are the backbone of the company and hence it is important that they have enough involvement and authority in decision making. Since the Virgin Group comprises of so many companies, along with a decentralized structure, it should show some signs of organizational bureaucracy. However, Branson has ensured since the beginning to minimize bureaucracy as much as possible since he strives to flatten the hierarchy. Bureaucracy is a structure in which people are held accountable for their actions because they are required to act in accordance with rules and standard operating procedures. (Jones et al., 2006) The efficiency of the employees is enhanced under Bransons leadership who emphasises a wide span of control and self management. Bransons scepticism of organizational hierarchy and a formal structure has contributed to organizational cohesiveness to a great extent. His adoption of this unorthodox strategy rather than traditional business practices and non-traditional structuring of the organization may be the reason for the Groups success. The Organizational Culture Much of the Virgin Groups culture is influenced by its founder Richard Bransons personal philosophies. Just as his employees are important to him, so are the customers the Virgin Group serves. The ability of the Virgin Group to operate effectively with almost a non-formal structure is because of its unique organizational culture. The culture of the Virgin Group reflects Bransons casual nature, his disrespect for hierarchy and formal authority, commitment to employees and consumers and his belief in hard work and responsibility. (Grant, 2008) This influences all of the companies in the Virgin Group and its organizational culture. This in turn, enables the Virgin Group to provide an environment in which talented, ambitious people are motivated to do their best and strive for a higher level of performance. However, even in an informal environment, a high level of commitment, acceptance of personal responsibility and long hours of work when needed is expected. Performance incentives at V irgin for most employees are diffident but Virgin provides benefits like social activities, company sponsored weekend getaways and impromptu parties. (Grant, 2008) Such an environment promotes better relations among the employer and the employees. Virgins unique culture has gradually progressed to where it is today. Virgin describes itself as a family emphasizing its informal but strong belief system and values. Possessing such a culture enables the Virgin Group to have effective coordination among its various departments. Working as a community rather than a corporation, instils the ability to communicate effectively among the many companies in the Group. The Group as a whole works together based on these shared set of values which are continuously strengthened. This is important considering the vast size and complexity of the organization. Following in the footsteps of its founder, Virgin has always maintained the belief that the employees are the biggest force of the organization and as such, should be treated with respect. (Virgin, n.d.) The management cares for the welfare of the employees and allows them to work in a free environment. Because of these primary beliefs and values, Virgin has been able to compete, thrive, a nd challenge new business opportunities. As mentioned before, Richard Branson has influenced the culture of the organization the most. He has managed to instil his belief system into all of his employees and this has motivated them to strive to perform better. One of the many strong points in Virgins favour is the fact that it is non-traditional; revolutionary even; in the manner it does business. Virgin believes in grasping opportunities. Contrary to what many people may think, Virgins constantly expanding and eclectic empire is neither random nor reckless. Each successive venture demonstrates their devotion to picking the right market and the right opportunity. This has proved beneficial to the organization and is one of the many reasons for its success. (Virgin, n.d.) Conclusion Based on the analysis of the corporate culture and structure of the Virgin Group, it is evident that it is a highly successful organization most of whichs credit goes to the founder and his values and beliefs. Even though the industry considers much of his methods to be unorthodox, these methods have proved highly beneficial to him and the Virgin Group and have been deemed to be effective. Not many today can dream of venturing into so many diverse industries starting from scratch. If Virgin continues to strengthen its culture and structure, it has the potential to become one of the most successful companies ever.