Analysis Of Toni Morrison s Beloved - 943 Words

It is within human nature to fear that which we do not understand. In Toni Morrison’s Beloved, this idea is explored through the lens of racial discrimination. In this passage, Morrison uses animal imagery as a means to criticize the whites’ dehumanization and subsequent fear of the blacks. With a focus on this inherent, primal fear, this section stresses the novel’s theme of the â€Å"Other† and reinforces the existence of racial prejudice. While this piece of the narrative emphasizes that this â€Å"othering† strips the blacks of human identity, it also brings to the forefront the idea that through this cruel evaluation of the blacks, the whites only degrade themselves. This reinforces the novel’s idea that anywhere slavery exists, each individual suffers a loss of compassion and humanity. In this passage, Morrison utilizes animal imagery to emphasize the dehumanization of the blacks at the hands of the whites: they are viewed as something dangerous, savage, and wholly other. First, the blacks are depicted specifically as â€Å"screaming swinging baboons† (Morrison, 234). Baboons are known for their extremely feral, aggressive, and violent nature: by relating the blacks to these animals, Morrison is suggesting that they, too, are seen as vicious and uncivilized. Furthermore, by describing the baboons as â€Å"screaming† and â€Å"swinging†, she utilizes powerful sensory detail to augment the wild nature of the animals. Through this imagery, it is suggested that the blacks are unsophisticated:Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Morrison s Beloved, By Toni Morrison Essay941 Words   |  4 PagesMorrison and Twain each present freed slave mothers as self-sacrificing. Each woman s traumatic experiences as slaves create a deep fear of her children s enslaveme nt. In Morrison s Beloved, Sethe is so distressed by her past; she murders her child to save her from slavery. Morrison uses Sethe s drastic sacrifice to comment on slavery s psychological effects. Meanwhile, Twain s Pudd n Head Wilson portrays Roxy as a sacrificial mother to create sympathy for black people. From a culturalRead MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Beloved1458 Words   |  6 Pagesinequality between races, classes, and genders. Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved is a story that truly shows how oppressive slavery was during the setting of the book. Similarly to the inequality faced during the time of slavery, while Morrison was writing the her novel the issue of women’s equality was present, and being fought for. Morrison, through Beloved, is able to show the world her views on inequality, and how it is still present in life today. Morrison is African American, she was born into a familyRead MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Beloved1615 Words   |  7 PagesIn her novel Beloved, Toni Morrison utilizes a circular narrative to emphasize the similarities, or lack thereof, between her characters. In Philip Page’s article, â€Å"Circularity in Toni Morrison’s Beloved,† he writes, â€Å"The plot is developed through repetition and variation of one or more core-images in overlapping waves... And it is developed through... the spiraling reiteration of larger, mythical acts such as birth, death, rebirth, quest-journeys, and the formation and disintegration of families†Read MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Beloved1200 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"We’ve all got both light and dark inside of us. What matters is the part we choose to act on (Sirius Black) †. Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved dedicates her novel to the 60 million and more exposed to the darkness within the people set out to hurt them. The novel depicts how cruelty leads ex-slaves to make irrational decisions and shape the people they are at the end . The cruelty inflicted on one including but not limited to slavery causes a chain reaction of hatred, pain and suffering and theRead MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Beloved1547 Words   |  7 PagesToni Morrison’s Beloved extends beyond a description of individuals held captive by their past through the exploration of human responses to slavery. The manipulation of language and its controlled absence reinforces the mental enslavement that persists after individuals are freed from physical bondage. It is when language is amplified into song that an individual or community may free themselves from the constraints of mental enslavement, therefore enabling their ability to claim ownership of themselvesRead MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Beloved1323 Words   |  6 PagesToni Morrison’s Beloved is a masterwork of fiction that allows the reader to have many different experiences based on the novels that you pair the book with. When you read Beloved in a modernist light you get a story with slightly different themes then if you read it through a feminist lens. It is a credit to Morrison that her thoughtfully crafted piece of art is able to stand on it own in so many varying ideas. One of the lens that doesn’t get discussed enough is the lens of African AmericanRead MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Beloved1200 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"We’ve all got both light and dark inside of us. What matters is the part we choose to act on (Sirius Black) †. Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved dedicates her novel to the 60 million and more exposed to the darkness within the people set out to hurt the m. The novel depicts how cruelty leads ex-slaves to make irrational decisions and shape the people they are at the end . The cruelty inflicted on one including but not limited to slavery causes a chain reaction of hatred, pain and suffering and the cycleRead MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Beloved871 Words   |  4 Pagesvery important motif in both Morrison and Faulkner’s stories. In Beloved, the reader is presented with a sad and depressed portrait of Sethe. Her life seems dark and bleak. However, once Beloved enters into her life, the reader sees an apparent shift in Sethe as a character. She begins to see color again, and it is Beloved who brings about this sudden transformation (Beloved, 65). And in the end, after Beloved has left, Sethe states, â€Å"She was my best thing† (321). Beloved was her redeeming quality,Read MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Beloved 702 Words   |  3 PagesWilliams 2 period Book by: Toni Morrison Book Titled: Beloved Beloved is about a lady they call Sethe who lives in Bluestone with her daughter Denver and her mother in law Baby Suggs. Fifteen years before the story starts, Sethe kills her baby because she was trying to keep her kids from being brought into slavery. The community knew about her killing her baby and judges her. Her sons Buglar and Howard left fifth teen years before the book started. After Baby Sugg s died, Denver and Sethe are aloneRead MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Beloved 1310 Words   |  6 Pages Mommy Issues: A â€Å"Beloved† Response Essay Late in 1987, after being inspired by a fellow story of a female fugitive slave, Toni Morrison pens a novel about a runaway slave and her children. Although Morrison’s â€Å"Beloved† quickly became a best-seller, and even has a movie adaption, it still left the audience with many unanswered questions. This novel not only gave a voice to those who were often silenced in the male stories of slavery, but it also perfectly exemplified the relationship was between

The Renaissance And Romanticism During The 19th Century

The Renaissance and Romanticism were periods of history in which literature changed the mindset of the people. The Renaissance occurred in Britain during the late fifteenth century to the early seventeenth century, and was a response to the Medieval Age. There was a spike in learning during the Renaissance, because of the invention of the printing press and the return of classical Greek and Roman literature. The Romantic period occurred during the late eighteenth century, as a response to the Enlightenment. The Romantics believed in the importance of the imagination and turned away from logical thinking. The Renaissance and the Romantic periods are similar, because they focus on individuality and occur as a rebellion to the previous†¦show more content†¦During the Renaissance, many believed they were making a leap towards perfection(†¦). This idea of perfection came from the Greek search for excellence (page 4, PDF). Some major figures in British literature during this time period were William Shakespeare, John Milton, John Donne, and Ben Johnson(†¦). William Shakespeare had a large influence on literature(†¦). He was considered one of the greatest and most famous poets of his time(†¦). John Milton was a major figure during the Renaissance(†¦). He was also considered one of the greatest poets of the English language(†¦). His most popular work is Paradise Lost, about? which he wrote during the Renaissance(†¦). Ben Johnson is known for writing satires(†¦). His most famous works are Volpone, â€Å"On My First Son†, and â€Å"Song: To Celia† (†¦). â€Å"On My First Son† was written after the tragic death of his 7-year-old son(†¦). The major works produced during this time are Paradise Lost by John Milton, The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Macbeth by William Shakespeare, and the translation of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey(â € ¦). The Romantic period began during the late eighteenth century and continued until the mid nineteenth century(†¦). It began in England and Germany, which some scholars find odd, because neither country spoke a romantic language (public.wsu). William Wordsworth and SamuelShow MoreRelatedOutline of Movements in Art813 Words   |  4 PagesWestern perspective (14 ed., Vol. II, p. 562). Boston, MA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. II. Impressionism (began around the late 19th century) a. Impressionism, both in content and in style, was an art of industrialized, urbanized Paris, a reaction to the sometimes brutal and chaotic transformation of French life that occurred during the latter half of the 19th century (Kleiner, 2014). b. Artwork significant to the movement * Monet, C. (1877). â€Å"Saint Lazare Train Station† [oil on canvasRead MoreThe American Renaissance Essay1648 Words   |  7 PagesIn America, the American Renaissance was the period in 1835-1880 in which United States literature came of age as an expression of a national spirit. Literature became one of the most historically significant effects that occurred throughout the time period of the American Renaissance. The American Renaissance is also characterized by renewed national self-confidence new ideas and technologies. Politically and economically, this era coincides with the Gilded Age and the New Imperialism. By the endRead MoreRollercoaster of Arts and Architecture Brought About by Napolean Bonaparte1083 Words   |  5 Pagesof Napoleon Bonaparte. Soon enough art would become a way for people, (even those without high-level education) to express themselves. The new styles of architecture and visual arts that Napoleon introduced in France sparked new eras of art l ike Romanticism that he used to make himself popular; it caused Napoleon to be noticed, not just because of his military conquests, but also because of his artistic vision and innovation. The rule of Napoleon Bonaparte was spectacular because of his elaborateRead MoreBaroque And The Baroque Era732 Words   |  3 PagesWestern perspective (14 ed., Vol. II, p. 570). Boston, MA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. II. Impressionism (began around the late 19th century) A. Impressionism, both in content and in style, was an art of developed, urbanized Paris, a reaction to the sometimes brutal and chaotic transformation of French life that occurred during the latter half of the 19th century (Hubbard,2001). B. Artwork significant to the movement ïÆ' ¼ Monet, C. (1877). â€Å"Saint Lazare Train Station† [oil on canvas 2’ 5  ¾ xRead MoreArt Movements From 17th 20th Century1453 Words   |  6 Pages17th-20th Century Art plays important part of mankind throughout our whole existences. During each period of time art has its own movements; the art style of the tendency in art committed by group of artists with common philosophy during a restricted period of time. Throughout the 17th to 20th centuries there are hundreds art movements that contribute to human purposes. Baroque Art, Romanticism, Art Nouveau, Dadaism, and Art Deco are some of the popular art movements during the 17th – 20th century. TheRead MoreCharacteristics of Drama1660 Words   |  7 PagesHistory of Drama Ancient Drama The origins of Western drama can be traced to the celebratory music of 6th-century BC Attica, the Greek region centered on Athens. Although accounts of this period are inadequate, it appears that the poet Thespis developed a new musical form in which he impersonated a single character and engaged a chorus of singer-dancers in dialogue. As the first composer and soloist in this new form, which came to be known as tragedy, Thespis can be considered both the first dramatistRead MoreA Grand Chain Of Rebellion First Beginning Of The Renaissance Era2674 Words   |  11 Pagesa grand chain of rebellion first started in the Renaissance era. Renaissance era covers the 300 years from 1400 to 1699 and is characterized by a revival of Classical scholarship, wisdom and values. European culture was reborn in the 15th century after a long dormant period in the Middle Ages that extended from the fall of the Roman Empire until the beginning of the 14th century. In addition to the revival of Classical scholarship, the Renaissance period also experienced cultural, scientific andRead MoreThe Characteristics Of Classicalism And Romanticism In The Renaissance979 Words   |  4 Pagesthinkers, the Renaissance brought the rebirth of classical philosophy and literature. During the 18th century, Renaissance thinkers began to resonate with their early Greek and Roman counterparts, valuing reason and order. However, in the early 19th century a new intellectual movement would surface as antithesis to the Classicism––revival of classical texts––of the 1700s. What Romantic thinkers valued, Classic thinkers rejec ted. Placing emphasis on notions like imagination and nature, Romanticism soughtRead MoreMadam Odalisque and Lady Olympia1168 Words   |  5 Pagessubject of human body and nudity has always been a topic that artists have taken into consideration when painting, depending on the time period that they were living in and style that they were working in. By looking at the history of art through the 19th century, it is very clear that this subject was by far the most important and most consistent topic throughout this specific time period. Other subject matters such as still life, everyday life, landscapes, biblical and mythical stories and etc at someRead MoreThe Renaissance And The Renaissance796 Words   |  4 PagesThe transition from the middle ages to the renaissance drastically changed art, culture, and the common worldview. The middle ages were viewed in a negative connotation as far as art and music goes. It was a religious time, focusing on God above all else unlike the rena issance. The renaissance brought about works of Michelangelo, Da Vinci, and Raphael. It brought about an appreciation of humanism and secularism along with the renewal of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Causes of a shift from focusing

Should Managements’ primary goal is shareholders’ wealth maximization Free Essays

string(59) " this view are Merton Miller and Franco Modigliani \(MM\)\." I. INTRODUCTION Dividends are payments made by a corporation to its shareholder members. It is the portion of corporate profits paid out to stockholders. We will write a custom essay sample on Should Managements’ primary goal is shareholders’ wealth maximization? or any similar topic only for you Order Now When a corporation earns a profit or surplus, that money can be put to two uses: it can either be re-invested in the business, or it can be paid to the shareholders as a dividend. Dividend policy has been an issue of interest in financial literature since Joint Stock Companies came into existence. Dividends are commonly defined as the distribution of earnings (past or present) in real assets among the shareholders of the firm in proportion to their ownership. [15] Dividend policy connotes to the payout policy, which managers pursue in deciding the size and pattern of cash distribution to shareholders over time. Managements’ primary goal is shareholders’ wealth maximization, which translates into maximizing the value of the company as measured by the price of the company’s common stock. This goal can be achieved by giving the shareholders a â€Å"fair† payment on their investments. However, the impact of firm’s dividend policy on shareholders wealth is still unresolved. THEORIES OF DIVIDEND POLICY: DIVIDEND IRRELEVANCE THEORY DIVIDEND RELEVANCE THEORY DIVIDEND IRRELEVACE THEORY: The dividend irrelevance theory is based on the premise that a firm’s dividend policy is independent of the value of its share price and that the dividend decision is a passive residual. The value of the firm is determined by its investment and financing decisions within an optimal capital structure, and not by its dividend decision. A common dividend policy should be able to serve all firms because the dividend policy is irrelevant in determining firm value. Modigliani and miller pointed out that investors who are rational, in the sense that they always make the choice but maximise their utility, are indifferent to receiving capital gains or dividend on their shares. From the perspective of maximising the shareholder utility is that a company maximises its market value by adopting an optimal investment policy. Such a policy is represented by a company which invests in all projects that yield a positive net present value and hence maximises the net present value of the company as a whole. A company with insufficient internal funds can raise funds on the capital market, allowing it to finance all projects. Hence, according to Modigliani and Miller, the investment decision is divorced from the dividend decision. A company’s choice of dividend policy, given its investment policy, is really a choice of financing strategy. ARGUMENTS FOR DIVIDEND IRRELEVANCE: The residual theory outlined above suggests that if the firm cannot invest further to earn in excess of its cost of capital, it should distribute the earnings to its shareholders. MM argue that the firm’s value is determined by the investment policy and that the split between dividends and funds to be reinvested does not affect this value, under the assumptions explained. This argument is also supported by Miller, Black and Scholes. This party raised the following question: If companies could increase their share price by distributing more or less cash dividends, why have they not already done so? ‘This brings us to the real world scenario with wrinkles of imperfection in its capital markets, a far cry from the understanding of a perfect capital market. The clientele of firms, in this context referring to persons with money to invest, come in all varieties of preferences, some with low-payout and others with high-payout demands. MM argue therefore that changes in dividend policies from low-to-high payouts, for example, should not have a bearing on the market value of the shares, but rather on the clientele that the firm will attract. Looking at this from the other end, Miller, Black and Scholes argue that if all clienteles are satisfied, their demands for high or low payouts will have no effect on prices of shares.12 In the real markets, studies have however shown that large changes in dividends do affect share prices.13 However MM’s counter-argument to this is that the effects on the prices are attributable to the informational content of dividends with respect t o future earnings rather than to the dividend itself. The shift in the clienteles questing to satisfy their preferences is what may cause prices to change. This characteristic allows firms to avoid having to identify the indifference curves of individual shareholders when establishing their investment policies. There is a strong consistency between the MM views and those of the ‘dividend irrelevance’ proponents, and the ‘residual theory’ discussed above. DIVIDEND RELEVANCE THEORY: A theory put forth by Miller and Modigliani that, in a perfect world, the value of a firm is unaffected by the distribution of dividends and is determined solely by the earning power and risk of its assets. Dividend relevance theory, that current dividend payments reduce investor uncertainty and ultimately result in a higher value for the firm’s shares. In perfect capital markets, in the absence of taxes and transaction costs, dividend policy is irrelevant in the sense that it cannot affect shareholder value. The effect of any dividend policy can be offset by management adjusting the sale of new stock or by investors adjusting their dividend stream through stock purchases or sales. This theory was proposed by Myron J. Gordon and John Lintner. Dividend relevance theory suggests that investors are generally risk averse and would rather have dividends today (â€Å"bird-in-the-hand†) than possible share appreciation and dividends tomorrow. Dividend relevance theory proposes that dividend policy affect the share price. Therefore, according to this theory, optimal dividend policy should be determined which will ensure maximization of the wealth of the shareholders. Empirical studies do not support this theory. However, actions of market participants tend to suggest that there is some connection between dividend policy and share price. The dividend irrelevance theory holds that dividend policy has no effect on either the price of a firm’s stock or its cost of capital. The principal proponents of this view are Merton Miller and Franco Modigliani (MM). You read "Should Managements’ primary goal is shareholders’ wealth maximization?" in category "Essay examples" They prove their position in a theoretical sense, but only under strict assumptions, some of which are clearly not true in the real world. Thus, when dividends are raised, this is viewed by investors as recognition by man-agreement of future earnings increases. Therefore, if a firm’s stock price increases with a dividend increase, the reason may not be investor preference for dividends, but expectations of higher future earnings. Conversely, a dividend reduction may signal that management is forecasting poor earnings in the future. The clientele effect is the attraction of companies with specific dividend policies to those investors whose needs are best served by those policies. Thus, companies with high dividends will have a clientele of investors with low marginal tax rates and strong desires for current income. Similarly, companies with low dividends will attract a clientele with little need for current income, and who often have high marginal tax rates. ARGUMENTS FOR DIVIDEND RELEVANCE: The dividend controversy over so many years of debate, has resulted in two extreme groups apart from the above discussed ‘middle-of-the-roaders’. A conservative group, the Rightists, believe that higher dividend payouts will result in an increase in the value of the firm. The Leftists on the other hand believe that a high dividend will decrease the firm’s value. A common belief in the business and investment communities is that earnings paid out as dividends should be allotted a much higher multiplier in evaluating shares than that to undistributed earnings.14 The Rightist group argue that there seems to be a natural clientele for high-payout shares because dividends are regarded as ‘spendable’ income whereas capital gains are additions to capital. Myron J Gordon and John Lintner suggested in the early sixties15 that investors see current dividends as less risky than future dividends or capital gains. Their proposition came to be known as the ‘b ird in the hand’ argument, and suggested that the lower uncertainty attached to dividends received will result in a lower Discount factor applied to the firm’s earnings resulting in a higher stock value. That said, shareholders may realise capital gains by selling stocks, whenever they Feel they have not received enough returns by way of dividends. However there Still remains much sympathy with the argument that investors prefer higher Dividends. One reason may be because mature companies may have plenty of free cash flow but few profitable investment opportunities. Another major departure from the perfect market scenario is the effect of taxes which, together with other imperfections is likely to interfere seriously with the hypothesis of dividend irrelevancy. If dividends are taxed more heavily than capital gains16, then it is more advantageous to transmute dividends into capital gains. It is a growing practice that when companies make large one-off distributions to shareholders, they do so by repurchasing stocks. However this cannot be done frequently because the tax authorities may identify the scheme, deem the distribution as a dividend and tax it accordingly with the higher rates. Another argument put forward by the ‘Leftist’ group is that taxes on dividends have to be paid immediately whereas capital gains tax can be deferred until shares are actually sold. Apart from the distinction between income and capital gains, there is also the effect of differential rates of personal income tax and also the possibility that a company may have shareholders, both private and corporate, who are taxed under different tax regimes. Dividend payment has negative impact on shareholders wealth: [arguments for and against] The main impact on the firm’s dividend policy on its value is an unresolved issue. Miller and Modigliani demonstrate that, the absent imperfections, dividend policy should not affect the shareholders wealth. Dividend irrelevance is also supported by the empirical work of Black and Scholes leading to an argument in the MM paper, Black and Scholes shows the ability of firms to adjust dividends to appeal to tax included investors and argue that this supply effect may account for their finding of no relationship between dividends and stock returns. FACTORS AFFECTING THE DIVIDEND POLICY OF A COMPANY: Stability of Earnings: The nature of business has an important bearing on the dividend policy. Industrial units having stability of earnings may formulate a more consistent dividend policy than those having an uneven flow of incomes because they can predict easily their savings and earnings. Usually, enterprises dealing in necessities suffer less from oscillating earnings than those dealing in luxuries or fancy goods. Age of corporation: Age of the corporation counts much in deciding the dividend policy. A newly established company may require much of its earnings for expansion and plant improvement and may adopt a rigid dividend policy while, on the other hand, an older company can formulate a clear cut and more consistent policy regarding dividend. Liquidity of Funds: Availability of cash and sound financial position is also an important factor in dividend decisions. A dividend represents a cash outflow, the greater the funds and the liquidity of the firm the better the ability to pay dividend. The liquidity of a firm depends very much on the investment and financial decisions of the firm which in turn determines the rate of expansion and the manner of financing. If cash position is weak, stock dividend will be distributed and if cash position is good, company can distribute the cash dividend. Extent of share Distribution: Nature of ownership also affects the dividend decisions. A closely held company is likely to get the assent of the shareholders for the suspension of dividend or for following a conservative dividend policy. On the other hand, a company having a good number of shareholders widely distributed and forming low or medium income group, would face a great difficulty in securing such assent because they will emphasise to distribute higher dividend. Trade Cycles: Business cycles also exercise influence upon dividend Policy. Dividend policy is adjusted according to the business oscillations. During the boom, prudent management creates food reserves for contingencies which follow the inflationary period. Higher rates of dividend can be used as a tool for marketing the securities in an otherwise depressed market. The financial solvency can be proved and maintained by the companies in dull years if the adequate reserves have been built up. Government Policies: The earnings capacity of the enterprise is widely affected by the change in fiscal, industrial, labour, control and other government policies. Sometimes government restricts the distribution of dividend beyond a certain percentage in a particular industry or in all spheres of business activity as was done in emergency. The dividend policy has to be modified or formulated accordingly in those enterprises. Taxation Policy: High taxation reduces the earnings of the companies and consequently the rate of dividend is lowered down. Sometimes government levies dividend-tax of distribution of dividend beyond a certain limit. It also affects the capital formation. N India, dividends beyond 10 % of paid-up capital are subject to dividend tax at 7.5 %. Legal Requirements: In deciding on the dividend, the directors take the legal requirements too into consideration. In order to protect the interests of creditors an outsiders, the companies Act 1956 prescribes certain guidelines in respect of the distribution and payment of dividend. Moreover, a company is required to provide for depreciation on its fixed and tangible assets before declaring dividend on shares. It proposes that Dividend should not be distributed out of capita, in any case. Likewise, contractual obligation should also be fulfilled, for example, payment of dividend on preference shares in priority over ordinary dividend. Past dividend Rates: While formulating the Dividend Policy, the directors must keep in mind the dividend paid in past years. The current rate should be around the average past rat. If it has been abnormally increased the shares will be subjected to speculation. In a new concern, the company should consider the dividend policy of the rival organisation. Ability to Borrow: Well established and large firms have better access to the capital market than the new Companies and may borrow funds from the external sources if there arises any need. Such Companies may have a better dividend pay-out ratio. Whereas smaller firms have to depend on their internal sources and therefore they will have to built up good reserves by reducing the dividend pay out ratio for meeting any obligation requiring heavy funds. Policy of Control: Policy of control is another determining factor is so far as dividends are concerned. If the directors want to have control on company, they would not like to add new shareholders and therefore, declare a dividend at low rate. Because by adding new shareholders they fear dilution of control and diversion of policies and programmes of the existing management. So they prefer to meet the needs through retained earing. If the directors do not bother about the control of affairs they will follow a liberal dividend policy. Thus control is an influencing factor in framing the dividend policy. Repayments of Loan: A company having loan indebtedness are vowed to a high rate of retention earnings, unless one other arrangements are made for the redemption of debt on maturity. It will naturally lower down the rate of dividend. Sometimes, the lenders (mostly institutional lenders) put restrictions on the dividend distribution still such time their loan is outstanding. Formal loan contracts generally provide a certain standard of liquidity and solvency to be maintained. Management is bound to hour such restrictions and to limit the rate of dividend payout. Time for Payment of Dividend: When should the dividend be paid is another consideration. Payment of dividend means outflow of cash. It is, therefore, desirable to distribute dividend at a time when is least needed by the company because there are peak times as well as lean periods of expenditure. Wise management should plan the payment of dividend in such a manner that there is no cash outflow at a time when the undertaking is already in need of urgent finances. Regularity and stability in Dividend Payment: Dividends should be paid regularly because each investor is interested in the regular payment of dividend. The management should, in spite of regular payment of dividend, consider that the rate of dividend should be all the most constant. For this purpose sometimes companies maintain dividend equalization Fund. CONCLUSION: It seems that there is no conclusion set in stone on the dividend irrelevancy controversy. Since the formulation of the MM proposition in 1961, financial economists have been arguing about whether dividends have any effect on the long-term market value of the firm. The irrelevant dividend theory based on the works of M and M, states that the value of the firm is not affected by its dividend policy and is therefore irrelevant in the determination of ordinary share price.The relevant dividend theory is based on behavioural dividend models and states that under real life market conditions, the value of the firm is affect. The relevant dividend theory is based on behavioural dividend models and states that under real life market conditions, the value of the firm is affected by its dividend policy and is therefore relevant in the determination of ordinary share price. Under market imperfections such as taxes, transaction cost and imperfect information, firms tend to adopt a stable and consistent dividend policy because firms perceive a dividend policy to be important to shareholders . This chapter dealt with analysing responses based on managements’ views on dividend payments and the effect on firm value. Because the dividend policy is a natural consequence of dividend theory being applied, the conclusions to the study are categorised under the dividend policies, namely,the managed dividend policy, a consequence of the relevant dividend theory and the residual dividend policy, a consequence of the irrelevant dividend theory. BIBLOGRAPHY: Miller, M. and Modigliani, F. (1961). Dividend policy, growth, and the valuation of shares. Journal of Business, 34, 411?433. ADAMS, P.D., WYATT, S.B., WALKER, M.C. (2007). Dividends, Dividend Policy and Option Valuation: A New Perspective. Journal of Business Finance and Accounting, Vol 21, No 7, September. Baker, H.K. (1999), â€Å"Dividend Policy issues in regulated and unregulated firms: a managerial perspective†, Managerial Finance, Vol.25 No.6, pp.1-19. Frankfurter, M, George and Wood Bob ,G ( 2003), â€Å"Dividend Policy Theory and Practice†, Academic Press. Lease, C,.Ronald John Kose (August 2001),†Dividend Policy: Its Impact on Firm Value†, Financial management Association Survey and synthesis series, Harvard Business School Press. Miller, M.H. and Modigliani, F. (1961), ‘‘Dividend policy, growth, and the valuation of shares’’,Journal of Business, Vol. 34, pp. 411-33 Anand Manoj(2001), â€Å"Factors influencing dividend policy decisions of Corporate India†, ICFAI Journal Of Applied Finance,2004 ,Vol.X ,No.2 Watson Denzil ( 2004), â€Å"Dividend policy’’, Corporate Finance – principles and practice. How to cite Should Managements’ primary goal is shareholders’ wealth maximization?, Essay examples

Music History Through the Middle Ages free essay sample

Music has evolved too many different forms that we recognize today. We trace this development throughout time. Beginning in the middle ages, we have seen advancement from the Gregorian chant all the way to the Jazz of the 20th century. The current events, politics, religion, technology and composers can shape musical eras during time. Here I will look at the middle ages, renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic and twentieth century periods. I hope that a better understanding can be reached to why, when, where and who are the reasons for musical evolution. Middle Ages Beginning with fall of Rome In AAA. The flirts half of this millennium Is referred to as the dark ages. In society, all power flowed from the king with the approval of the Roman Catholic Church and its bishops. This is what we know as church and state. The dark ages or an encompassed of the middle ages by history, gave to many early development In western music. Polyphony. Which combines two or more simultaneous melodic lines, is a perfect example of this. Because polyphony required to be written to indicate precise rhythm and pitch, a new notational system was designed. Lifestyle In the middle Ages centered on the church.All levels of society choose religious life. This was not easy for patrons, some orders required vows of poverty. Discipline was evident among the church. A typical day began at 2:00 or 3:00 a. M. With the celebration of daily services, reading of lessons, and the singing of psalms. Probably one of the most notable themes of the middle ages was sacred music, shaped In part by Greek, Hebrew, and Syrian Influences. Religious pieces known as a Gregorian chant were popular. These consist of a single-line melody and monophonic texture lacking harmony and counterpoint.The Mass, a enactment of the sacrifice of Christ, is the most solemn ritual of the Roman Catholic Church. Hake dies, from the Mass for Easter Day, serves as a fine example of Gregorian chant used during this period. Minstrels now began to emerge as a class of musicians who wandered among the courts and towns. Some of these minstrels juggled, showed tricks, and introduced animals, along with the normal singing and dancing. This type of music that accompanied dinner and after-dinner entertainment Is secular. Secular music became an Integral part of medieval court life. Renaissance The renaissance began in 1450 and lasted to 1600.It marks the passing of European society too more secular one. The Renaissance is dated to onset the fall of Constantinople to the Turks In 1453. In the world, the age saw many explorers In search of a faster trade route to china, which led to the discovery of North America. Musicians in the Renaissance society are now professionals and were supported by the church, city and state as well as the royal and aristocratic courts. The rise of the merchant class brought new fans to music professionals. With the advent of cheaper printing, music books became available and affordable making musical literacy paraded dramatically.The musical style of the renaissance can be noted in the vocal 1 OFF chapel style, which is music without instrumental accompaniment. Polyphony in renaissance style was based on continuous imitation. This offered many possibilities such as scants firms. Sacred music played a prominent part in ritual of the church. Motets and hymns became a part of Mass. The motet became a sacred form with a single Latin text. Motets in praise of the Virgin Mary were extremely popular because of the many religious groups devoted to Marina worship.Joaquin Desired, a popular aster of the motet and influencer of many composers, composed more than a hundred motets and numerous secular pieces. Baroque rhea Baroque period stretched across half of European history. It began shortly before 1600 and ended with the death of Bach in 1750. During this time, there were Change and adventure. Conquest in the New World gave the middle class wealth and power and increased the struggle with the aristocracy. Absolute monarch dominated this era. Louis XIV is a prime of example of taking money from the people and using it to build a marvelous palace while commoners starved to death.Despite this poverty, Keeper, Galileo Copernicus and Descartes emerged as prominent contributors to the world in physics, astronomy and mathematics. Protestants were centered in England, Scandinavia, and Holland and north German cities. Catholic held two dynasties, the French Bourbons and the Austrian- Spanish Hapsburg who fought each other as much as they fought the Protestants. Eventfully the Hapsburg Empire was broken in the sasss. The Baroque introduced new harmonic structures. The system none as Basso continuo required two instruments for the accompaniment.Major-minor tonality came the most powerful force in music. Each chord assumed in function to the key center. Composers used this with equal temperament to increase the range of harmonic possibilities. Music style during the Baroque era had a rhythmic freedom that became more desirous. Continuous melody was now a part of music and incorporated the use of dissonance. Composers used these for emotional intensity and color. They also used a contrast between a soft passage and a loud one to show terraced-dynamics. A virtuoso musician was needed now more than ever because of composers rutting music that is more complicated.Opera utilized a virtuoso know as the castrato to sing in soprano or alto because he was castrated. Part of being a virtuoso required improvisation. Singers and players added their own embellishments to hat was written to show off. This gave many creative contributions to the work. The practice became very widespread throughout Baroque music. During this period, many prominent performers emerged. Johann Sebastian Bach, probably the most prominent was born in Germany. Bach wrote two hundred or so church cantatas. These cantatas typically have five to eight movements and the first, sat and middle, are usually choral numbers.George Frederic Handel took part in this period composing many oratorios or choral dramas. Handel is probably best known for his piece Messiah which premiered in 1742. Classical rhea classical era began in the middle of the sasss and followed up by the Romantic period. During this time rulers like Louis XV and Frederick the Great controlled regions In the west. Before the end of the eighteenth century, the French Revolution philanthropically alignment in Europe. The industrial revolution aided to many advances in science and brought forth more money for countries. The American Revolution broke out in the east at this time.The Viennese School was a place where composers like Haydn, Mozart and thieving practiced. They brought many elements to classical style like diatonic harmony that is based on the seven tones of the major and minor scale. These masters used this harmony for its directness and feeling of being rooted in the key. Strong rhythms that move at a steady tempo gave a rhythmic regularity and signature to the Classical spirit and were all seen through the school. Several styles aroused popularity to the classical period. Chamber music or music or a small ensemble was essential to the Classical era.The masters established a true chamber music style, which came across friendly. The string quartet became the most influential chamber music genre of the period. String quartet has a four- line texture that was ideal for composers. In general structures, it follows the same movement scheme of the sonata cycle. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an outstanding pianists and composer of the time. His symphonies had a richness of orchestration, a freedom in part writing and a depth of emotion. Mozart also enjoyed opera. He wrote in three styles: opera buffo, pear series, and single. Mozart had many famous pieces including Nine Klein Machinists.Joseph Haydn, another prominent composer of the period, can best be associated Ninth the symphony. He had angular themes that promoted mitotic development. He expanded the orchestras size and resource through greater emphasis on the brass, clarinets, and percussion instruments. Ludwig van Beethoven introduced compositions that fell into three periods. His nine symphonies have universal appeal. He enjoyed the concertos to combine touristy with symphonic structure. Despite the loss of hearing later in life, Beethoven made many contributions and will be know for pieces like his Fifth symphony, and Pathetic.Romantic rhea Romantic era began fully in the second quarter of the nineteenth century. The after affects of the French Revolution and American Revolution shaped new society. Free enterprise and liberty were prominent influences on a new movement. The music of this period reflected the profound changes that were taking place. The Industrial Revolution brought with it many new instruments that enable changes. Composers like Wagner and Tchaikovsky wrote melodies for the horns that had been unplayable before. More instruments gave to the development of the orchestra Inch increased in size.This gave more off range and increased expressiveness of all composers. The romantic style let loose to a sing-able melody, expressive harmony, and expanded forms. The sing-able melody gave pieces a lyrical quality, which made compositions transferable into popular songs. High emotions and expression was made relevant in the harmony. Symphonies were now more drawn out which gave them more time to play out. Several composers brought together many pieces of the Romantic period. Franz soother to form a song cycle. Schubert shows this in Reeling which was a through- composed lied. Robert Schumann can better be associated the song cycle. His composition A Poets Love, No. 8 was arguably his most famous song cycle. Giuseppe Verdi brought even more to choral and dramatic music of the nineteenth century. His early works middle and final works were mostly operas, totaling twenty- eight. Twentieth Century rhea Twentieth century began with new nationalism thinking. The music scene finally began to catch up in America. Charles Ivies and Aaron Copeland set a musical radiation that was part of campground revival meetings, minstrel shows, old-time band concerts, and western frontiers.With our nationalistic thinking, we put a focus on the U. S. Marine Band conducted by John Philip Souse. Blues and Jazz with ragtime began to become popular. Composers like Scott Joplin became known as the king of ragtime Joplin was one of the first black Americans to gain importance as a composer. His ragtime rhythm was originally a piano style with marked syncopated melodies. Louis Armstrong became to represent the blues. During the sasss musicians like Armstrong traveled the country spreading their new sound. Armstrong became an important person in the development of early Jazz styles.Improvisation was his thing and he was very good at it. Armstrong also introduced scat singing to the Jazz world by accident during a recording. Musical theater became an important development to the 20th century. This type of comic opera depended on romantic plots, appealing melodies, choruses and comedy. Composers like George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, and Stephen Shoeshine brought the genre to new level of sophistication. They composed masterpieces like Porgy and Bess, South Pacific, and Sweeney Todd respectively. Leonard Bernstein was a famous conductor, educator, and pianist of this time.

The Idea of Orientalism Portrayed in James Camerons Avatar Essay Example

The Idea of Orientalism Portrayed in James Camerons Avatar Essay The Idea of Orientalism Portrayed in James Cameron’s Avatar Abstract In brief, this study discusses about the representation of orientalism idea which is portrayed in the film Avatar. The film tells about the conflict between human and native people in Planet Pandora, where human exploits the land and oppresses the native. This study explores in what way the idea of orientalism is represented and how both narrative and non-narrative aspects of the film helped in delivering that representation. Indeed, to explore the focus of analysis, the study will be completed by applying orientalism criticism proposed by Edward Said. Thereby, this research will be a qualitative research where the data is taken from the film Avatar, library research, journals, and other resources which appropriate in conducting the analysis. This study discovers that Avatar shows the idea of orientalism in three different pursuits: an academic discipline, a style of thought and a corporate institution for dealing with the Orient. Thus, hopefully this will be completed as expected and may give contribution in literary research focusing on film analysis. Key words: Orientalism, Oppression, Narrative, Non-Narrative, Orient. Introduction The European colonialism towards almost the whole Eastern regions has caused the cultural dominance of Western. The European tends to see that they are more civilized and advanced than the colonized people. Tyson states that the colonizers saw themselves at the center of the world; the colonized were at the margins. Furthermore, he also states that the colonizers also saw themselves as the embodiment of what a human being should be, the proper â€Å"self†; native peoples were considered â€Å"other,† and different (419). We will write a custom essay sample on The Idea of Orientalism Portrayed in James Camerons Avatar specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Idea of Orientalism Portrayed in James Camerons Avatar specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Idea of Orientalism Portrayed in James Camerons Avatar specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The colonial discourse of â€Å"self† and â€Å"other† thus leads to the practice of othering, which is the practice of judging the different as less than fully human (Tyson 420). This practice of othering can be seen not only in the written text such as literature but also in the narrative of the performed human culture. The â€Å"other† that is created through narratives is imaginary, stereotypical, and biased. But the details of the narratives lend crucial insight into the identity formation of the â€Å"self† as differentiated from the exaggerated â€Å"other† (Roberts 4). There is another specific form of othering called Orientalism. The term of Orientalism appears in the book with the same title Orientalism written by Edward Said, a preeminent scholar and an important figure in postcolonial studies who is also known as an activist n Middle Eastern politics. Orientalism purpose is to produce a positive national self-definition for Western nations by contrast with Eastern nations on which the West projects all the negative characteristics it doesn’t want to believe exist among its own people (Tyson 420). Said’s Orientalism is a study of ‘the West’s’ representation of ‘the East’ and, in particular, how they underpinned imperialist political ambitions and administrations (Baldwin et al. 169). As an academic discipline, Orientalism emerged in the late eighteenth century and has since assembled an archive of knowledge that has served to perpetuate and reinforce Western representations of ‘the East’ which is also known to be ‘the Orient’ (Ashcroft 57). The idea of Orientalism in recent days can be found in current Western depictions of Arab culture and the discussion of politics in Middle East which is closely associated with terrorism. However, the idea of Orientalism does not merely exist only in either the current affair of Western and Middle East or the literature works which represent the distinctive identity between ‘the West’ and ‘the East’, but also in the recent movie production. In 2009 there is one movie production titled Avatar which has a strong depiction of Orientalism. Avatar is directed by James Cameron. This is an adventure sci-fi movie which is delivered in a 3D format. This movie got 56 nominations and won 3 Oscars and 25 other awards. The film reached the second highest blockbuster movie gross in its first month release date and also became the first movie that delivers truly photo-real CG technology. Besides all the awards and the technology this movie has presented, the clear depiction of Orientalism idea in this movie becomes the main reason Avatar is chosen to be the subject of this study. The plot of this movie tells about the exploitation done by human towards Planet Pandora, the place in which the valuable mineral can be obtained. In that place, human has to face and overcome the struggle of the native called Na’vi who opposes the land exploitation. Human scientists invent the avatar program which enables human to drive their avatar body, a genetically-bred human-Na’vi hybrid, and therefore human can freely observes and persuades the native to surrender their land. Here, the idea of Orientalism clearly depicted in the way human represents the native as primitive and uncivilized and how human tries to educate and build the native in the way human believes to be the best way. There are several critics towards Avatar which states that this movie contains racist themes in which the white hero once again saving the primitive natives. The editor in chief sci-fi magazines Jesse Washington writes that Avatar reminds her of Pocahontas story which also tells about how the main white characters realize that they are complicit in a system which is destroying aliens or people of color, and then go beyond assimilation and become leaders of the people they once oppressed. Furthermore, she criticizes the way Avatar is picturing the native incapability to save their selves (The Huffington Post, 2009). This review also supports the idea of orientalism since being white man wan an idea and reality which involved a reasoned position towards both the white and non-white world. Said further suggests that being a White Man, in short, was a very concrete manner of being in the world, a way of taking hold of reality, language, and thought (226). However, Avatar is the new film production which contains the idea of orientalism. This film represents the story in a more advanced technology. Also, during the process of this research, there is no publication of other researches which is using this film and the idea of orientalism as their main subject. Thus, Avatar is worth to be analyzed in this study. From the previous explanation about the issue which will be analyzed, this study will mainly focuses in analyzing how the idea of orientalism represented in the movie through the depiction of the human and the native relation and also how the narrative and non-narrative aspects of the film build that idea. Orientalism by Edward Said is believed to be the most appropriate theory approach of the study. The theory of narrative and non-narrative of film also will be used in this study since the subject of this study is a film, thus the analysis cannot just rely on the story or narrative of the film, but also the non-narrative aspect which plays the same important role in shaping the film. The Idea of Orientalism Represented in Avatar The analysis will be focuses on the representation of the idea of orientalism portrayed in the film Avatar. The film tells about the conflict between human and the native of Planet Pandora called Na’vi which is caused by the oppression and land exploitation done by human. A valuable mineral called unobtanium which only exists in Pandora is the main motive why human try to conquer the place. Pandora, which has the different geographical condition from earth, becomes the object of learning and discovery by human. Thus, Pandora represents the Orient and human represents the Occident. A. Orientalism in the Narrative of Film One way of approaching films is to see them as stories. It involves analyzing the various ways in which some common recurring features of storytelling and plot structures are developed. The term narrative is really quite simply used as another term for story. But it can also be seen as a more technical term relating to attempts to theorize the principles by which stories are structured (Benyahia et al. 50). Narrative cinema’s function is storytelling not description. Furthermore, narrative refers to the strategies, codes and conventions employed to organize the story (Hayward 256). The story of Avatar is brought by one narrator who is also become the main character, Jake Sully. Through his narration, the story of the film is delivered in his perspective and emotional attachment. From the paralyzed marine, he becomes the hero of Na’vi people. The narrative of the film clearly shows the superiority of human. Jake Sully comes as the chosen hero character which in the end of the story saves Na’vi people from human ambition to conquer the Orient. The appearance of Jake Sully as the narrator of the story also initiates that this character has the power to represents the Orient and the Oriental. Thus, human still represented as the superior one since the Na’vi people cannot save themselves. They are saved and helped by the coming of Jake Sully. Even the spirit of Eywa, the native’s goddess, gives the message that places Jake Sully as the important character in the first place. The idea of Orientalism is portrayed in the way human defining the Orient as a dangerous place and its people as irrational and uncivilized. Baldwin et al. suggests that Orientalism is not simply a process of description, but a relation of power and domination whereby one group gets to define identities for all by defining the ‘Orient’ and ‘Orientals’ in certain ways (172). Part of the pervasive power of Orientalism is that it refers to at least three different pursuits, all of which are interdependent: an academic discipline, a style of thought and a corporate institution for dealing with the Orient (Ashcroft and Ahluwalia 57). Those three different pursuits of Orientalism appear in Avatar and will be explored specifically. 1. A style of thought Said argues that Orientalism is a style of thought based upon an ontological and epistemological distinction made between the Orient and the Occident (3). Mostly covered by forest, Pandora is seen as the dangerous and mystical place. The place is dominated by giant plants and wild animals. With all its exotic and challenging condition, human tends to see Pandora as the place which is waiting to be conquered. This representation is clearly stated in the beginning of the movie when Colonel gives a speech to the newcomer marines. Conversation 1 (scene 0:06:15) Colonel: You’re not in Kansas anymore. You are on Pandora, ladies and gentlemen. .. Behind that fence, every living thing that crawls, flies or squat in the mud wants to kill you f you wish to survive, you must obey the rule†¦ As for the native people, human places them in the inferior side. Na’vi is determined to be irrational and uncivilized. Na’vi lives in group and they settle in one big tree deep in the forest. They find their food by hunting. They believe in the spirit named Eywa and the flow of energy that lives through all the living things in the planet. Besides their custom, their biological appearance is also different from human. They are two times higher from human and they have blue skin, a tail and a long braid hair which is functioned as their bond device. From all those differences, both appearance and custom, human places themselves in the contrary position of Na’vi. Thus, human are rational and civilized. 2. An Academic Discipline Said suggests that Orientalism is the discipline by which the Orient was – and is approached systematically, as a topic of learning, discovery and practice (73). In the film Avatar, both Pandora and Na’vi people becomes the object of the study of human. The Avatar program itself is the scientist project in combining the DNA of Na’vi and the DNA of human which will become the driver of the avatar body. As described in the film, Pandora has become the specific field of study. Some books have been written by the scientist and those books have been the sorts of knowledge in order to get a description of Pandora, especially for human who never set foot on that place. Conversation 2 (0:10:20) Norm: Grace Augustine is a legend. She’s the head of Avatar Program. She wrote the book. I mean literary wrote the book on Pandoran botany. Conversation 3 (1:11:54) Grace: There is something really interesting going on there biologically. I would die to get samples. Both conversations above clearly show that Pandora has become the topic of learning for human. The knowledge of Pandora is built through the human’s understanding. Thus, the scientists speak for Pandora and Na’vi people. None of the Orient and Oriental can speak for themselves. 3. A corporate institution for dealing with the Orient The third definition of Orientalism as a corporate institution is demonstrative of its amorphous capacity as a structure used to dominate and to authorize the Orient. Hence, Orientalism necessarily is viewed as being linked inextricably to colonialism (Ashcroft and Ahluwalia 57). In the film clearly describes that human try to give Na’vi people education, transportation and health-care through the company policy. Human wants to build Na’vi based on their agenda so that they can dominate and authorize the native. Conversation 4 (0:12:38) Parker: Look, look, you’re supposed to be winning the hearts and the mind of the natives. Isn’t that the whole point of your little puppet show? If you look like them, talk like them, they’ll start trusting us. We build them a school, we teach them English †¦ Na’vi people are taught to speak in English and they are also invited to attend the school which is built for them. Human needs to educate Na’vi people to think like human so that human can freely explores the richness of the land. Furthermore, the main reason the Avatar Program is created is to become the diplomatic solution between human and Na’vi people. Appears in the same biological body with the natives, human intends to persuade Na’vi people to give away their land. Thus, all the corporate institution that is built to Na’vi people in the film Avatar clarifies the intention of the Occident represented by human to dominate and authorize the native. The idea of Orientalism in the film then portrayed hrough the human dominance in the power of knowledge. Human tends to see Pandora as the subject of the study and the place to be conquered of. This idea can be seen in the three different pursuit of Orientalism: a style of thought, an academic discipline and a corporate institution for dealing with the Orient. B. The Supporting Non-Narrative of Film Non-narrative aspect of the film is functioned as the supporting elements in strengthen the idea and meaning proposed by the narrative aspect. Non-narrative contains of cinematography technique which is separated from narration such as setting, costume and make up, and character appearances. In analyzing this study, several non-narrative aspects mentioned above will be analyzed briefly 1. Setting The setting of the film only takes place in the Planet Pandora, the place where human exploits the land to obtain a valuable mineral. The distinction geographical condition between the Orient and the Occident does not appear in the film since Pandora is the only setting of the film. Pandora is located in six years travel time from earth. The planet is mostly covered by wild forest. There is hardly human building since the native lives inside the forest. The setting is dominated by green and giant plants. There are also flying mountains which significantly differs the geographical condition of Pandora and the Earth. The setting of the Orient represents the dangerous and untamed nature in which the Occident try to conquer. Wild and large forest, flying mountains and steep cliff are the dominant setting of the film. Those setting represent the dangerous and challenging nature. Although the setting in which the Occident is represented is the same as the Orient, but there is a clear distinction between the two places. While the Orient is represented in the wild and dangerous environment, the Occident is represented in an advanced technology environment. Human build the headquarters which filled with high technology equipments. There are no green or giant plants in the setting of the Occident. Thus, from the distinction of the setting the message of superiority is clearly shown. Human rules the native through the power of knowledge and technology. 2. Character Appearance The Occident characters are represented through several human characters portrayed in the film. First is Jake Sully, the main character and the hero. He happens to be unexpected person; invalid and not fulfill the requirement to drive the Avatar body, which surprisingly overcome the task by which he is given to. Second is the Colonel character, the man who sees the military force is the best solution on every problem. Third is Grace, a scientist which creates the Avatar program who sees Pandora as the place of learning and discovery. The Orient character is best described by Neytiri and Tsu-tey. Both of them have a great ability to fight and hunt. It is their belief and dependency towards the spirit that clearly shows their weakness. However strong they might be, they still cannot save their people by their own power. 3. Costume and Make Up The distinction between human and Na’vi is clearly shown since Na’vi has a different biological appearance. Na’vi appears in the blue skin and twice height of human. Bellantoni states that many films use an intense turquoise blue as an exotic presence that, because it’s combined with green, visually warms the conservative forces in a tiny village (131). Here clearly stated that the skin color of the Na’vi signifies the exotic presence which always associated with the Orient. The Na’vi barely wears any clothes and there is only some fabric and beads which covers their vital organ. The distinction then does not appear in the costume wear by human compares to Na’vi people, instead it appears on the Avatar body which is driven by human. Although they have the exact same biological body, Avatar body wears the proper clothes according to human custom. Thus, from the distinction of costume it can be clearly seen that Na’vi represents the uncivilized part while human, although becomes the driver of the Avatar body, represents the civilized one . Conclusion Based on the analysis, it can be concluded that Avatar contains the strong idea of Orientalism. Through the distinction power between the Orient which is represented by Planet Pandora and the Occident which is represented by human, the idea of Orientalism is delivered in three interdependent pursuits proposed by Said. First is Orientalism as a style of thought. Pandora is seen as the dangerous and mystical place. Since it has a different geographical condition with earth where human comes from, human tends to see the Orient as the other, the different and contrary identity from them. With all its exotic and challenging condition, human sees Pandora as the place which is waiting to be conquered. Second is Orientalism as an academic discipline. Pandora has been the object of the scientific study by human. Several books and science projects are created in order to give the broad examination of the Orient. Thus, human has the whole knowledge about the Orient. Human speaks for the Orient according to their understanding and none of the Orient able to represent themselves. Third is Orientalism as a corporate institution for dealing with the Orient. In the film clearly describes that human try to give Na’vi people education, transportation and health-care through the company policy. Human wants to build Na’vi based on their agenda so that they can dominate and authorize the native. The idea of Orientalism which is portrayed in Avatar is supported in both narrative and non-narrative aspect of film. Narrative is the story of the film which contains the plot structure which forms the sequence performed in the film. Avatar is narrated by the main character Jake Sully, which then initiates the emotional and perspective attachment towards the problem. The appearance of Jake Sully as the hero who saves Na’vi people from the destruction of human shows that human indeed still has the superiority towards the Orient and Oriental. Na’vi is described to be incapable to save themselves and thus it places them on the weak and inferior side. The film shows that Jake Sully is the chosen one, the character which will be the savior for Na’vi people. The non-narrative aspects of the film also becomes the important part in giving the supportive power in strengthen the idea which is presented in the narrative aspect. The non-narrative aspects analyzed in this study are setting, character appearance, costume and make-up. All four elements in non-narrative aspects give the supportive power in strengthen the idea of Orientalism and the clear distinction between the Orient and the Occident. To conclude, Avatar is one film which contains the issue of Orientalism. Although it is not rely on the specific Western and Eastern region as proposed by Said, but the role of the power of knowledge which defines human as the superior clearly shows the main idea of Orientalism. Moreover, this ilm has achieved three Oscars and has listed in 53 nominations throughout the world. Then it is undeniable that this film gives a great impression towards the film critics. Works Cited Ashcroft, Bill, and Pal Ahluwalia. Edward Said. London: Routledge, 2001. Avatar. Dir. James Cameron. Perf. Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Sigourney Weaver. Twentieth Century-Fox, 2009. Baldwin, et al. Introducing Cultural Studies. London: Pearson Education Limited, 1998. Bellantoni, Patti. If It’s Purple, Someone’s Gonna Die. Focal Press, 2005. Benyahia, Sarah, Freddie Gaffney, and John White. As Film Studies: The Essential Introduction. Routledge, 2006. Hayward, Susan. Cinema Studies: The Key Concept. London: Routledge, 2000. Loomba, Ania. Colonialism / Postcolonialism. London: Routledge, 1998. Purdue OWL. â€Å"MLA Formatting and Style Guide. † The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 2009. Roberts, Kathleen G. Alterity and Narrative: Stories and Negotiation of Western Identities. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2007. Said, Edward W. Orientalism. London: Penguin Books, 2003. Tyson, Louis. Critical Theory Today. New York: Garland Publishi ng Inc. , 1999. Washington, Jesse. ‘Avatar’ Critics See Racist Theme. The Huffington Post, 2009.

Critical Description of J.S. Bachs Prelude no. 12 essays

Critical Description of J.S. Bach's Prelude no. 12 essays This piece is taken from Book 2 of J.S. Bachs Forty-Eight Preludes and Fugues (also known as The Well-Tempered Clavier). A prelude could take almost any form, the only conditions being that it should be in the same key as the fugue and form a suitable preparation of the listeners ear and mind for what is to follow, although Bachs preludes were usually a clearly defined musical personality, of which the fugues were logical developments and projections. Prelude no XII is in F minor. Pieces in a minor key are often less cheerful and perhaps darker than those in a major key, and while this prelude is not at all gloomy or dismal, it is somehow quite reflective. The listener does not simply a receive a happy four-minute ditty that is forgotten the moment after the recording finishes (as could be said for some classical pieces that I have heard); it is much more thought-provoking than that. The prelude, and indeed the entire work from which it originates, was designed for a keyboard soloist and from the recording I can well imagine the soloist, even Bach himself playing with great feeling and emotion. This is typically what the audience likes to hear from solo performances, unlike huge orchestras where an individuals efforts can be drowned out by a mass of horns and strings. That is probably why the piece is best suited to the piano rather than any other instrument, such as a violin. Often when I hear violins I expect them to be part of a larger string section, or at least supported by a section. I imagine, perhaps somewhat ignorantly that violins are great for playing fast and furiously, or slowly and serenely, but not for the mid-tempo, middle ground. The piano, however, can achieve this. The performer is instructed to play this piece allegretto espressivo. The listener wants to be able to envisage the pianist playing from the heart, and I think that this performer achieves that. ...

The Availability of Digital Machines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Availability of Digital Machines - Essay Example It is not wrong to argue that current newspapers and magazines are filled with subtle and clever tricks that are used to deceive the public. It is, therefore, advisable to examine images and photographs featured in widely respected magazine and newspaper articles critically, and possibly identify how it has been used to deceive the public. For instance, on April 1 2011, Brian Walski, a staff photographer for the Los Angeles Times Working in Iraq, was fired after his editors identified that he had used two of his Iraqi photographs into one, to improve its composition. This paper, therefore, describes how photographs can be manipulated to change the whole meaning of the original information to lose its credibility, by using Brian Walski controversial Iraqi photographs. In Walski’s photograph, there is an armed British soldier and Iraqi citizens in Basra. The soldier is gesturing at the Iraqi civilians, apparently urging them to take cover, while a standing man carrying a young child in his arms appears to look at the soldier astonishingly. This controversial photograph featured in page one of some leading newspapers such as Hartford Courant, Times, and the LA Times, has met many critics from the public (Lester 258). This photograph is believed to be bogus: a computer-generated amalgam of two separate images combined into one image. In one photograph (un-manipulated) image, the soldier is not featured gesturing and looking at the standing man holding a child (Lester 258). In the second photograph, also un-manipulated, the soldier appears to gesture dramatically, and the standing man holding a child is much less visible (Lester 261). Therefore, it is not wrong to conclude that Walski generated amalgam of two separate images into one superb il legitimate one.

Construction and Purpose of Chumash Tomol Coursework

Construction and Purpose of Chumash Tomol - Coursework Example The dimensions of the Chumash Indians’ canoe aimed at depth and speed with a minimum of materials. The resulting vessel was fully sea-worthy and it impressed even the early Spanish explorers. It could be used for fishing, transportation, and commerce around the islands. It was so efficient that some of the mission padres ordered construction to continue.The Chumash were a North American maritime culture, originally based on the mainland and Channel Islands on both sides of the Santa Barbara Channel in California. Even though the culture of Chumash living in the area today is not fully defined by maritime activities, the area is particularly rich in marine resources, and the Chumash used at least three kinds of boats to exploit them.At the time, cultural devastation was so rapid that canoe building was a dying art by the mid-nineteenth century. Fortunately, Fernando Librado, a Ventureno Chumash and one of the last members of the Brotherhood-of-the-Canoe, lived to the age of 111 , and even more fortunately, that ubiquitous ethnographer, J.P. Harrington2, discovered him. The two collaborated in constructing a replica of the plank canoe, which was exhibited for the first time during the Panama-California Exposition in San Diego on January 1, 1915.If Harrington had not taken detailed notes at the time, the elaborate art of canoe building would have been lost forever. As it was, it was moribund for fifty years until the vast collection of Harrington material became available. The editors sifted through box loads of Harrington's data in compiling the present volume, only those who have worked with these multilingual, cryptic and digressive notes can fully appreciate such a task.The book begins with a synoptic introduction. Precise instructions on plank canoe building follow, augmented by chapters on the tule balsa and the dugout canoe. There is an additional section on the uses of the canoe, one on myths and stories concerning the canoe, and another on the above mentioned Brotherhood-of-the-Canoe, the editors modestly attribute authorship of these chapters to Fernando or Harrington and Fernando. They conclude with an extensive bibliography and a set of photographs.The data on the construction of the canoe was tested by an actual construction of an actual canoe from driftwood under the sponsorship of the American Revolution Bicentennial Committee of Santa Barbara. The canoe builders were Chumash descendants, and the resulting craft, named the Helek, has been to see many times.

Artist Perception - Art and You Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Artist Perception - Art and You - Essay Example For this reason, we cannot base our arts education on photographs and reproductions of works of art. Photographs only give two-dimensional view of an object or person resulting in omission of important aspects. Reproduction of photographs is subject to bias as the painter may decide to include what they deem fit. As a result we can never completely understand the importance of art in any given era or culture (Marmor, 1997). In order for one to gain a deeper understanding of most of the art works, they have to see the object. As was mentioned earlier, photographs and their reproductions are subject to bias. Photographers choose views and angles that they think are most appropriate, beautiful and appealing to the eyes. As a result, some very crucial information is left out. When detailed understanding of human culture is to be obtained, a researcher has to be at the site (in person) so as to gain step-by-step analysis of the object. Art is one of the most interesting things that are appreciated worldwide. Personally I love paintings since they portray human talent at work. Given a chance to visit some of the ancient paintings, I would visit Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of Monalissa. This is because da Vinci was one of the finest painters in human history. He took his time perfecting the paint every time. It is said that it took him three years to complete the master piece. I would love to find out more about the painting and da Vinci himself (Marmor, 1997) Every time a person decides to do something, they do it for a reason. The same way artists have their own reasons for doing for doing specific art works. Therefore knowing artists at personal level creates a better understanding of art works. Interaction with artists can help us understand their perspective and reasons for creating given art works (Marmor, 1997). A good

United States Cuba Relations And The Economies Politics Essay

United States Cuba Relations And The Economies Politics Essay Economic sanctions can be and are a valuable tool for enforcing international norms and protecting our national interests. The U.S. Policy of applying economic pressure in Cuba originated soon after Fidel Castro came into power in 1959. The United States first imposed a full trade embargo on Cuba on February 3, 1962, after the Kennedy Administration became convinced that Castro was moving rapidly toward the establishment of a totalitarian regime in alliance with the Soviet Union. Castro had not only confiscated U.S. and other Cuban and foreign-owned properties on the island, but had been providing indiscriminate support for violent revolution throughout the Americas as part of his efforts to carry on the continental struggle against the Yankees, which he considers to be his true destiny. The embargo was formally begun by President, John F. Kennedy, and has been supported by all successive Presidents. The U.S. embargo has had a major impact on the Cuban economy involving trade, wages, and jobs; and in addition, it has affected many United States businesses both directly and indirectly. The Helms-Burton Act is one of the major bills regarding trade with Cuba, and it has encountered much opposition and controversy both in the United States and abroad. Only recently was the news media ban in Cuba lifted allowing American journalists to get news from within Cuba. Health care in Cuba is also a major concern and is strongly affected by the Cuban Embargo. Our policy on Cuba is illustrative of one of the principal goals of economic sanctions-to encourage our friends and allies to adopt policies that can advance our common interests. Our allies and trading partners disagree with our embargo and have urged us to alter the provisions of the Libertad Act, also known as the Helms-Burton Act named after its principal sponsors. Cubas economy is in complete disarray as a direct result of Castros insistence on adhering to a discredited economic model-that of communism. The impact of the U.S. embargo was offset during the Cold War years by five to six billion dollars in subsidies a year from Russia. The economic problems in Cuba were exacerbated by the demise of the Soviet Union. The U.S.S.R. annually gave nearly five billion dollars in subsidies to the Castro government. However, the communist regime dedicated a bulk of these funds to maintaining an over-sized military machine and to a massive internal security apparatus. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba suffered a 35% decline in its gross domestic product between 1989 and 1993 (see chart), revealing an inherently dysfunctional economy. Food shortages and failure to provide basic public services incited disturbances that began to threaten the regime. In order for the communist government to survive, they had to undertake certain limited economic reforms because of these problems coupled with the continuing embargo. In the mid-1990s, the Cuban government began to allow private citizens to offer certain services under strict government scrutiny. Then in 1997, they introduced heavy taxes that forced many of these people out of business. In this sector, employment peaked at 206,000 in 1996, and then fell to 170,000 in 1997. The Cuban government has actively encouraged foreign investment, but forbids private investment by Cuban citizens, leaving it hostile to private enterprise. Not until 1993, did the Cuban government make it legal for Cubans to possess U.S. dollars. Since then, it has become the major currency. Failure by the communists to launch major economic reforms has fostered the development of a large black market and vividly growing corruption. Those with access to dollars can purchase imported goods at government-run dollar stores. To earn dollar tips, many skilled persons, such as doctors, teachers, engineers, and scientists are working in more remedial jobs in restaurants or as taxi drivers. Nevertheless, the Cuban government has not employed any credible effort to adopt market-based policies and continues to keep tight control over the highly centralized economy. Over 80% of the work force are employed by the state. To encourage a democratic transition in Cuba, Congress passed the Cuban Democracy Act (CDA) in 1992, which tightened the embargo by prohibiting American owned or controlled subsidiaries located abroad from doing business with Cuba. The sanctions will also have an unanticipated indirect effect on the American economy too. In addition to the immediate impact of sanctions on trade with the target, Cuba, many American businesses will suffer. American businessmen claim that the effects of even limited unilateral trade sanctions will go well beyond the targeted sectors. They also argue that the effects of such action will tend to linger long after the embargo is lifted because U.S. forms will come to be regarded as unreliable suppliers. Exports lost today may mean lower exports after the sanctions are lifted because U.S. firms will not be able to supply complementary parts, replacement parts, or related technologies. These indirect effects may extend beyond the sanctioned products and even beyond the time period in which the sanctions are imposed. Jobs in the export sector of the economy tend to pay better than the average wages. Thus even in the full employment economy that the U.S. is enjoying now, the loss of exports still means a loss in wages-the export wage sector premium. The export sector wage premium is about 12 to 15 percent, taking into account both direct and indirect employment. In 1995, the average salary in the manufacturing sector was about $34,020, so the premium paid by the export sector was about $4080 per worker (12% of $34,020). What these figures mean is that, as a consequence of U.S. sanctions, workers probably lost between $800 million and $1 billion in export sector wage premiums in 1995. In some periods in the last two decades, when the U.S. economy was not flourishing with full employment, and when jobs were not readily available, the loss of these exports may have added to the unemployment rolls. But even if the loss of exports had a zero effect on unemployment, it certainly reduced the number of good paying jobs. If the next twenty years see similar applications of sanctions in the United States, the cumulative loss of wage premiums could be around $20 billion (20 years times roughly $1billion a year). This is a heavy cost for us, and does not even take into account less tangible costs like making U.S. companies seem unreliable as suppliers and handing over business to foreign competitors. U.S. businesses are alarmed by the proliferation of trade sanctions by federal, state, and local governments and are pushing for legislation making it harder to use commerce as a weapon in international disputes. USA*Engage and its 632 businesses and organization members argue that unilateral trade sanctions rarely work, and often, they do backfire and have a bad affect ion American interests. Most of the analysis of the effectiveness of economic sanctions suggests they have limited utility for changing the behavior or governments of target countries. Previous research at the Institute for International Economics concluded that US sanctions had positive outcomes in fewer than one in five cases in the 1970s and 1980s. Much less is known about the costs of economic sanctions for the U.S. economy. Foreign investment in Cuba has failed abysmally to meet the regimes own expectations. Many of the countries that had committed investment hardly reached what they had actually promised (see chart below). Originally targeted at $500 million per year when new measures to attract foreign investment were introduced in 1990, the three-year investment total (FY 90-91 to 92-93) barely reached $500 million. For thirty years, the United States had a media ban restricting the media from having outposts in Cuba. American news bureaus were closed down in Cuba in 1969 when Castros government expelled the last members of the Associated Press who had been operating in the country. Almost thirty years later, in February 1997, President Clinton stated that ten news organizations would receive licenses allowing them to resume operations in Cuba. The decision to lift the news media restrictions came at a time when questions concerning relations with Cuba began to cause policy rifts between the United States and our European allies. Despite this minor concession made by the White House concerning the media networks, the policies of the Clinton Administration remained avidly anti-Castro. Clintons main intentions concerning Cuba are to promulgate democratic reforms in the government and bring an end to four decades of communism in Cuba. During Clintons first term in office, he signed into law, a bill that imposed sanctions on any country that chose to do business with the Castro government, the Helms-Burton Act. Our European allies argued that the law was an attempt by the United States to control the foreign policies of other countries. And they vowed to challenge the law before the newly formed World Trade Organization (WTO). After Cuban fighter jets shot down two passenger planes without warning in February 1996, President Clinton showed no hesitation in signing this bill into law. Part of his intentions were to send Cuba a powerful message that the United States will not tolerate further loss of American life, as Clinton stated himself. The bill targets companies doing business in Cuba in an attempt to block crucial international investment sought by the Cuban government. It allows Americans to sue companies that profit from the property the Cuban government has confiscated in the past 35 years, a stipulation many U.S. allies have shown opposition for. One of the major reasons for the imposition of the embargo was the Cuban Governments failure to compensate thousands of U.S. companies and individuals whose properties, large and small, were confiscated after the revolution. They specifically targeted and took property owned by U.S. nationals. Under the Cuba claims programs in the 1960s, the U.S. Foreign Claims Settlement Commission certified 5,911 valid claims by U.S. nationals against the Government of Cuba. The Castro government also took property from thousands of Cubans, some of whom have since become U.S. citizens. Under the law, any person who makes use of property confiscated from Americans by Castros government can be denied entry into the United States. Cuban-American Representative Ileana Ros-Lechtin, R-Florida, said the bill will penalize those who have become Castros new patron saints: the foreign investors who callously traffic in American confiscated property in Cuba to profit from the misery of the Cuban worker. The bill also urges the president to seek an international embargo against Cuba, but currently, no other economic power observes an embargo. Cuba doesnt seem very concerned though. The main victim of this law will be the United States itself, said Paul Taladrid, Cubas deputy minister for foreign investment, because it will have to face the opposition of the r est of the world, or its closest allies. Although many U.S. allies oppose parts of the policy, they have said that they agree with us on the key goal of encouraging democracy and human rights in Cuba. Even when supporting Cubas resolution at the UN General Assembly against the U.S. embargo of Cuba, The European Union made clear its opposition to Cubas human rights policies. The best known and most controversial parts of the Act are Title III and Title IV which created a private cause of action in U.S. Courts and prohibits visas and entry into the United States to those who traffic in confiscated property claimed by a U.S. national. The provisions extend well beyond Americas legal reach. These provisions prompted the European Union to initiate a complaint against the U.S. in the World Trade Organization (WTO). Canada and Mexico called for consultations under the provisions of NAFTA. Many think that the Act is a misguided principle; critics claim that it attempts to undermine the regime of Castro by depriving him of hard currency. This is futile, not only because the U.S. finds itself alone in its policy of isolating Cuba; although sometimes a lonely policy may be the right one. Both Canada, the biggest investor in the island country, and the European Union are still poised to retaliate against the United States. American allies reject the idea of making foreign policy under threat of lawsuit. Although the United States has such a problem with other countries not backing the embargo, an embarrassing example is still extant. After the foundation of the state of Israel, an Arab boycott penalized foreign firms for doing business with the new state. America rightly opposed this policy; now it must prepare to reverse itself. U.S. allies in Europe and Latin-America are livid over Helms-Burton; by what right, they ask, do U.S. Courts presume to impose sanctions against foreigners doing their own business in Cuba? Several of these countries have passed counteracting laws allowing their citizens to sue in their courts if Helms-Burton cases are brought against them in the United States. All this does is leave a potential legal rats nest benefiting nobody but the lawyers. Helms-Burton in section 306(b) gives the President authority to suspend the provisions allowing lawsuits against traffickers for successive periods of six months if he finds that such a step is necessary to the national interests of the United States and will expedite the transition to democracy in Cuba. President Clinton has already exercised this option several times to appease the dissention from our allies. We have been able to manage this serious disagreement with our close allies and trading partners and advance the promotion of democracy in Cuba. Under Secretary Eizenstat reached an Understanding with the EU in April 1997 under which the EU agreed to suspend its WTO case and step up its efforts to promote democracy in Cuba. The parties also agreed to negotiate disciplines on property confiscated in contravention of international law, including property in Cuba, and principles on conflicting jurisdictions. These discussions are in a crucial phase and, if an agreement is reached, the Administration will discuss with Congress the possibility of obtaining authority to waive Title IV of the Act. There is a large body of misconceptions about the present state of health care in Cuba, including the false accusation that it is the U.S. policy to deny medicine or medical supplies and equipment to the Cuban people. The end of Soviet subsidies forced Cuba to face the real costs of its health care system. Unwilling to adopt the economic changes necessary to reform its dysfunctional economy, the Castro government quickly faced a large budget deficit. In response, the Cuban Government made a deliberate decision to continue to spend money to maintain its military and internal security apparatus at the expense of other priorities including health care. In 1995, Cubas imports totaled $2.8 billion dollars, yet only $46 million dollars only 1.5% of overall foreign purchaseson medical imports for its 11 million people. By comparison, Cubas neighbor, the Dominican Republic, spent $208 million dollars on medical imports for its 7.5 million citizens in 1995. The US embargo does NOT deny medicines and medical supplies to the Cuban people. As stipulated in Section 1705 of the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992, the U.S. Government routinely issues licenses for the sale of medicine and medical supplies to Cuba. The only requirement for obtaining a license is to arrange for end-use monitoring to ensure that there is no reasonable likelihood that these items could be diverted to the Cuban military, used in acts of torture or other human rights abuses, or re-exported or used in the production of biotechnological products. Independent non-governmental organizations, international organizations, or foreign diplomats can perform monitoring of sales. Since 1992, 36 of 38 license requests have been approved to U.S. companies and their subsidiaries to sell medicine and medical equipment to Cuba. Sales have included such items as thalamonal, depo-provera, pediatric solutions, syringes, and other items. The Department of Commerce declined the other two requests for licenses it received for failure to meet legal standards. Both of these exceptions to the general policy of approving commercial medical sales occurred in 1994. Moreover, the U.S. embargo on Cuba affects only U.S. companies and their subsidiaries. Other nations and companies are free to trade with Cuba. Should Cuba choose not to purchase from the U.S., it can purchase any medicine or medical equipment it needs from other countries. Such third-country transactions only cost an estimated 2%-3% more than purchases from the U.S. as a result of higher shipping costs. In closing, the essential element of the tragedy of the Cuban people is not the United States-Cuba conflict; rather, it is the struggle of eleven million people who seek to assert their human dignity and reclaim the inalienable political, economic and civil rights that were taken away from them by the Castro regime. The Cuban people have been victims of one of the most oppressive regimes of the twentieth century. The systematic violation in Cuba of each and every human right recognized in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been faithfully documented in recent years at the UN Human Rights Commission and by respected human rights organizations throughout the world. The truth is there for all that wish to see. Impervious to the deplorable living conditions of the people, the asphyxiating lack of liberty, and to repeated international calls for democratic change, Castro staunchly clings onto the reins of absolute power. Yet, despite the regimes relentless repres sion, those on the island are courageously demonstrating their commitment to change with increasing resolve. The U.S. economic embargo against the Castro regime has weakened its capability to repress this universal desire for freedom and is an expression of moral support that strengthens the will of those who seek to wrestle from the hands of a dictator the destiny of a whole nation.

Information Age :: essays research papers

Discussion Board Activity Question Activity Based Costing in the Information Age Activity based costing systems provide a much more accurate picture of product costs than do traditional product costing systems. This exercise focuses on an article presented on the Web site of the ACA Group, an alliance of highly trained and experienced consultants and instructors. The ACA Group provides in-house training, management consulting, and systems installation. You may recognize the names of some of the Group's clients including General Motors, Nissan Motor Company, Hughes Aircraft Company, Dole Packaged Foods, Gillette, Xerox, Gateway, and Anheiser Busch. The title of the article used for this exercise is entitled "Activity based Costing in the Information Age." (http://www.theacagroup.com/activitybasedcosting.htm). It was written by Jim Tarr, president of J.D. Tarr Associates. Mr. Tarr has over 25 years experience in consulting, senior management, and in industrial and manufacturing engineering. You have been asked by your manager to read the article and prepa re a brief for other managers in the organization. The brief must answer the following questions. 1. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of traditional product costing systems? There are many advantages and disadvantages, in traditional product costing systems. As, listed in Mr. Tarr ¡Ã‚ ¦s article you can see first that the advantages are apparent and clear. The purpose for this system is what is was intended for. And that is standard cost accounting, Companies where designed to do the following for success.1) homogeneous products, 2) large direct costs compared to indirect costs, 3) limited ability to collect data and 4) low "below the line" costs. (Tarr, James D. N.d.) So, with changing time ¡Ã‚ ¦s and the system being build over 70years ago. This has been cause for change because of the disadvantages the system brings to the table due in part to the  ¡Ã‚ §advent of certified financial statements, accounting systems became more structured to comply with the demands of external stakeholders ¡Ã‚ ¨ (Tarr, James D. N.d.) So, the primary purpose and focus of cost accounting today is to value inventory for financial statements. The negative t rend continues due in part to the floes that the "leveraging effect" of direct labor overhead application as cause as many other applications have given cost accounting negative effects as well. 2. For what type of business case were traditional costing systems designed? Why isn't a traditional costing system appropriate for today's companies? Traditional costing systems were designed for a company with large direct costs in comparison to indirect costs, a limited ability to collect data, homogeneous products and low  ¡Ã‚ §below the line ¡Ã‚ ¨ costs.