Marketing Environment and Customer Analysis @Tesla Motors

Question: Examine about the Marketing Mix for Tesla Motors. Answer: Presentation Tesla Motors, Inc is an American organization, which makes vehicles and vitality stockpiling gadgets. The organization additionally makes and sells electronic vehicles and battery items. An open organization works under the image of TSLA. The companys introductory system was to draw in the well-off purchasers who could manage the cost of top of the line costly items. Be that as it may, as the item has arrived at a full grown phase of the item lifecycle, the acknowledgment inside the crowd has expanded, and the organization is pointing towards increasingly serious market keeping their items at a lower cost go (Mangaram 2012). Australia has a colossal interest for autos where the locals are eager about car items. They are likewise getting mindful of the different ecological issues and consider a completely electric worked vehicle set up for a one, which runs on petroleum. In this way propelling Tesla in Australia would create enormous benefits for the organization and fill the interest hole existent in the vehicle business of Australia. By leading a market, client and contender examination of the car business in Australia, an arrangement can be sketched out for a fruitful showcasing and execution technique (Bag and Biswas 2013). Promoting Environment The Australian Automotive Market is a tremendous one and wide running which incorporates retailers, merchants, and makers, transport, overhauling, and coordinations. The makers of vehicles endeavor to construct advances that empower the vehicles to speak with different vehicles and their environmental factors. The Australian Automotive market is a prospering one with the deals of new vehicles advantage the car wholesalers and vehicle vendors and profiting the administration specialists from the rising number of autos being enrolled every day and driving on the Australian streets and avenues (Jain 2013). The yearly profit of the car market of Australia normally surpass to one hundred and sixty billion dollars and makes positive commitments to the Australian economy. The makers of vehicles are very much prepared and have assembled a profoundly gifted workforce creating serious items for the nearby and worldwide markets. The nearby makers of engine vehicles are enduring a misfortune because of the expanding costs of fuel since the most recent five years. This has brought about a drowsy development of the car business at a yearly pace of just 1.1 percent (Stein 2013). The ascent in the cost of energizes has additionally constrained the Australians to settle on eco-friendly imported vehicles instead of petroleum expending indigenous vehicles. Client Analysis Australia has an enormous interest for cars with the deals of vehicles expanding every day. There are at present 15,142,000 car vehicles driving on Australian streets. A lion's share of the drivers (about 80%) think about the factor of eco-friendliness over the superior of a vehicle. The cost of fuel has continually been rising causing the Australians to settle on eco-friendly vehicles than petroleum swallowing ones. It is significant for the producer of vehicles to comprehend the demeanor of the clients with the goal that they can alter their vehicles as per their inclinations (Mangaram 2012). The as of late advanced awareness among the Australians towards ecological issues has additionally driven them picked battery worked vehicles that run absolutely on power and needn't bother with petroleum to run. This will have less considerable effects on the earth and will spare them the whine of topping off their vehicles with petroleum from time to time. Tesla has been making enormous benefits in America with the dispatch of its perfect vehicles that sudden spikes in demand for battery, which can be accused of the assistance of power (Raju 2015). With the demeanor of the individuals changing decidedly towards nature, the dispatch of Tesla vehicles can end up being effective and gainful for the organization. Contender Analysis Teslas serious adversaries incorporate the huge name German vehicle makers like BMW, Porsche, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz in the battery created vehicles class. In spite of the fact that Mercedez may be the last to join, the gathering however its procedures are the most eager. The organization has been working determinedly on a scope of new power created vehicle models. Passing by the reports, Mercedes will spend in excess of three billion dollars to create and plan its new vehicle models. Audi and BMW are likewise in the alliance contributing gigantic capitals on the improvement of power produced models that are seen as immediate rivalry to TESLA (Cherubini et al. 2015). Porsche is likewise trying its best to configuration models, which have high voltage battery putting away innovation and two or three electric engines that are imaginative in style and are planned for giving the American Company, Tesla an extreme rivalry. The organization has as of late declared that it intends to plan a model variant of its Mission E impression. Yet, such degree of rivalry doesn't appear to tense the organization by any stretch of the imagination. Its proprietor, Elon Musk, is of the feeling that the idea of a battery-worked vehicles duty is to rouse the effectively settled makers (Huang and Sarigll 2012). Teslas essential objective is to advance the improvement of a practical vehicle framework. Distinguishing proof of issues, Positioning, and setting of Marketing destinations The Tesla vehicles are extravagant focusing on their items to for the most part the well-off clients who can manage the cost of a very good quality car vehicle. The innovation expected to fabricate these vehicles is costly which clarifies the explanation for them being evaluated at such a high range. This restrains the client base of Tesla, which ca exclude the normal pay winning gatherings of the general public. Since the idea of battery-produced car vehicles is moderately new in the territory, the issue with their charging to run for significant distances regularly emerges. An industry investigator as of late called attention to that until the cost of Tesla vehicles falls definitely and a system of vehicle charging stations are introduced in the nation; Tesla will keep on being a vehicle that goes under the Niche classification (Cherubini et al. 2015). The Tesla vehicles are situated as a Battery worked vehicle-producing organization that intends to contend with vehicles that convey significant level extravagance experience to the clients (Hanssesns et al. 2014).The organization needs to give a chance to ecological cognizant drivers, bringing about zero outflows as they drive along the streets of Australia. The promoting goals of Tesla don't include spending gigantic sums on the publicizing of its vehicles like different rivals in the market. It puts stock in going through that sort of cash in the innovative work on its vehicles, and the clients will be consequently pulled in to them. The retail system is additionally a segment of the showcasing targets of TESLA. The attractiveness of the fellow benefactor of Tesla, Elon Musk is likewise a creative segment of Tesla's one of a kind showcasing procedure (Fifield 2012). Detailing of Marketing Strategy and execution Item: Teslas vehicles are worked flawlessly. They are battery worked electric vehicles, which have an awe inspiring driving experience, and is manufactured deliberately to be streamlined in nature. The Sedan offered by the organization is roomy, with two or three seats behind the driving front. The speed of the vehicles can go up to 140 to 1560 mph, contingent upon the battery, which is utilized. The vehicles are exceptionally best in class with the insides having an eighteen-inch contact screen show (Huang and Sarigll 2012). The vehicles offer a scope of bundles from which a client can pick as per their inclination. The organization additionally permits its clients to tweak their vehicles, allowing them a chance to structure their vehicles as per their own utilization and purposes. Value: The estimating technique of Tesla vehicles is wide-extended. The clients can look over various value choices as indicated by their inclination and reasonableness. The decision of battery hugy affects the value scope of the vehicles. The main concern models with 50Wh batteries cost around $75,560 and the top notch models with 70p battery costs around $94,459. The most significant expense of the vehicles can go up to $123,789 (Hanssesns et al. 2014). Spot: Tesla sells their vehicles either through their own stores or on the web. There are various stores, which show their extravagant vehicles. The clients can picked and modify them as per their own inclination. The vehicles are additionally sold online through the official site of Tesla Motors, Inc. The organization doesn't include sellers as a go between the vehicles and its clients, thusly removing the delegates all together. In light of the companys novel disposition towards its showcasing methodologies, it is frequently contrasted with Apple (Irfan et al. 2014). The companys strategy to sell its vehicles straightforwardly to the clients has regularly placed the organization into a great deal of discussions. All things considered, Tesla has adhered to its retailing showcasing system. Advancement: Tesla has a novel advancement system, which is totally different from its rivals. It doesn't spend a heavenly measure of capital on the distribution of its promoting financial plan. This stands in enormous difference to the Nissan Motors, which burns through twenty-5,000,000 dollars for promoting their completely battery driven vehicle Leaf, in the year 2012. Be that as it may, the Companys C-originator Elon Musk has an alternate advertising technique at the top of the priority list. He accepts that going through the publicizing cash in the advancement of the item is a greatly improved other option (Fifield 2012). He is of the feeling that if the items are very good quality and acceptable, the clients will naturally be pulled in towards them. The retail technique is additionally a part of the advertising system of Tesla. They have novel showrooms found not on expressways however inside shopping centers found near the showrooms of premium brands like Apple and Michael Kors. The last and the most noticeable segment of the m

Phantom Menace Essays - Fiction, Film, Entertainment, Battle Droid

Ghost Menace Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace Walkthru v1.4 (C) Copyright 1999 Marilyn J. Caylor Email: [emailprotected] This walkthru might be republished on other walkthru sites without consent so long as the first substance stays unedited and unblemished, and appropriate credit is given to the creator. In the event that you have this walkthru on your site, it would be ideal if you inform the creator so she can send you refreshes when essential. For any utilization other than a walkthru site, you should get in touch with her for reproduce consent. This walkthru isn't open area. It may not be exchanged or disseminated in any gathering without consent. Some other use is carefully denied. - - - - - The content rendition of this walkthru can be handily recognized in light of the fact that it is one long, HUGE record and it has an adaptation number. The html variant is separated into parts, making it simpler for perusing, printing, and discovering explicit arrangements that you need. The most forward-thinking html adaptation must be ensured at http://www.mindspring.com/~xinh/phantom.htm or the Spoiler Center at http://www.the-spoiler.com/ACTION/Lucas.arts/the.phantom.menace.1/phantom.htm. In the event that you were sufficiently benevolent to get in touch with me through email before putting this walkthru on your site (so I know where the walkthru is winding up), at that point I will consistently e- mail you the latest form when it opens up. - - - - - Presentation, Tips, Character Moves, Cheats, And Other Resources - - - - - - - - - - Presentation - - - - - The Phantom Menace is an awesome activity/experience game (substantial on the activity). It takes a piece becoming acclimated to the odd, overhead view (yet that can be changed with a cheat). The starting levels are genuinely simple, and permit you to become accustomed to moving your character around. This walkthru is for the PC adaptation of the game. As of this composition, the PSX adaptation has not been discharged and it is not known whether it will differ from the PC rendition. Be that as it may, since the authority system manage says it covers both the PC and PSX variants, I don't think they will vary. All things required to finish the game is incorporated here. The procedures one can use to battle supervisor beasts, murder fight droids, and complete different activities are interminable. The strategy where you take on your conflicts will fluctuate somewhat on account of who you've conversed with, what you discussed, how you've moved into hostile area, what weapons you have left, or any number of factors. Everybody should finish certain normal activities to get past a level. In any case, the AI of foes implies that the battleground might be marginally unique. It would be ideal if you recollect that the techniques given in this walkthru are unpleasant aides as whatever you can do. From that point, you can build up your own. I have attempted to be as exact as conceivable recorded as a hard copy this walkthru. Nonetheless, if I have coincidentally caused a blunder, to please tell me. - - - - - Tips - - - - - There are a few abilities you should figure out how to turn out to be acceptable at. You have to gain proficiency with the running twofold bounce (run, hop, and hop again in mid-air). This aptitude is indispensable to getting onto overhead vines and ropes, and bouncing onto stages also, columns. You can't overcome the game without learning this aptitude. Practice it at whatever point you find the opportunity. You will likewise need to turn out to be acceptable with your saber. There are times when customary weapons won't do. Gain proficiency with the overhead saber move, the whirling saber move, and the bounce and slice procedure. Peruse your manual for more data. You can additionally reflect foe blaster shots off your saber and back toward them. Qui-Gon what's more, Obi-Wan move somewhat diversely with their saber moves. Obi-Wan, being the more youthful of the two, has progressively athletic pizazz. - - - - - Character Moves - - - - - Here are some exceptional character moves. At the point when you TAP, you are rapidly tapping the key. At the point when you PRESS a key, this is depicting how you would ordinarily press a key on the console. At the point when you HOLD a key, you are constantly holding down the key and not discharging it. The Jumping turn assault and whirling saber combo are truly fun. At the point when you are caught in a corner and being gangbanged by a gathering of droids (they are encompassing you) the Circle Jerk move is beautiful successful. It's a cut and turn move like the whirling saber combo, but you are fixed. Here are some character moves that Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon can utilize: Typical cut

Peek Over Our Shoulders What Rioters Are Reading On July 10, 2014

Peek Over Our Shoulders What Rioters Are Reading On July 10, 2014 This is a new feature at Book Riot. We tell you our favorite books of the month. We tell you what weve read during the week. So now every other week we will give you a glimpse of what we are reading this very moment. You know, just in case youre as nosy as we are and one of the first questions you ask people is what are you reading right now? Here is what the Rioters are reading today (as in literally today). This is whats on their bedside table (or the floor, work bag, desk, whatevskis). See a Rioter who is reading your favorite book? Ive included the link that will take you to their author archives (meaning, that magical place that organizes what theyve written for the site). Gird your loins this list combined with all of those archived posts will make your TBR list EXPLODE. Then again, that might be just what the doctor ordered for summer weekend plans. Enjoy! Weve shown you ours, now show us yours; let us know what youre reading (right this very moment) in the comment section below! Rincey Abraham The Likeness by Tana French (Paperback): I read In The Woods last fall and have been meaning to pick up The Likeness for a while now. I was in the mood for something really engrossing and I knew this would fit that bill. Nikki Steele The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch (Hardcover): I just finished the other two in the series based on a friends recommendation and am loving the world-building and fun of these books. Amanda Nelson Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay (e-galley): Love Roxanes blog and Twitter presence and I am, myself, a bad feminist. A History of the English Speaking Peoples: Vol 2, The New World by Winston Churchill (Audiobook): Because I am obsessed with Churchill for reasons I can’t articulate Swapna Krishna The Magician King by Lev Grossman (paperback galley:) catching up before the 3rd book comes out Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami (egalley): never read a Murakami so wanted to try his new one Beloved Strangers: A Memoir by Maria Chaudhuri, because I love me some South Asian authors Death Masks by Jim Butcher (audio): re-reading the series on audio Rachel Manwill California by Edan Lepucki (paperback galley): picked it up at BEA because the publicist hand sold it to me like a champ, and after all the buzz because of Colbert, I decided to pick it up Brutal Youth by Anthony Breznican (audio): I saw the cover on Audible, and loved the premise. This Is The Water by Yannick Murphy (egalley): Its a murder mystery within the world of high school swimming. Since I was a hardcore swimmer most of my life, the description hooked me. Cassandra Neace Blood Work by Holly Tucker (hardcover): Its part of my non-fiction experiment. The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness (hardcover): finally finishing out the A Discovery of Witches series! Derek Attig The Burning Dark by Adam Christopher (Library hardback): The serendipity of library browsing: saw it on my local library’s new book shelf and grabbed it. Essays of E.B. White  (paperback): I read “Here is New York” a million years ago in college and am giving his other essays a go. Greg Zimmerman O, Democracy!! by Kathleen Rooney (Library hardcover): Im reading it because its a political satire set in Chicago, which hits two of my genre kryptonites, and it came very highly recommended by Jonathan Evison. Thunderstruck Other Stories by Elizabeth McCracken (Library ebook):  Im reading it because I live to impress Liberty (to steal her line when she reads a recommendation) EH Kern The Paris Review no. 209:  I buy every issue because of the great short stories and the author interviews that are thought-provoking and eye-opening. Amanda Diehl The Professional by Kresley Cole (Paperback): Im a huge fan and Ive read every book in her Immortals After  Dark series: so Im tempted to see what she does with contemporary erotica. Stiff by Mary Roach (Paperback): Ive been on a pop science kick lately and Mary Roach is practically the Queen of Pop Sci. Not for the squeamish, by the way. Josh Corman The Sandman by Neil Gaiman (soft cover): This has been the summer of catching up on great comics, and The Sandman is one of the most celebrated ever. Plus I like Gaiman a good deal anyway. Margret Aldrich Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck (paperback): My Twitter feed told me that this darkly beautiful German translation wasnt to be missed, and it seemed like a good contrast to the brightness of summer. Rebecca Schinsky Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty (ebook): Fellow Rioters Liberty and Kim both raved about it, and I cant resist a good book about the funeral industry. Books and Islands in Ojibwe County by Louise Erdrich (ebook): Fellow Rioter and dear friend Jenn said it was possibly her favorite book EVER. We have tattoos together, and Im pretty sure that reading each others beloved books is part of the deal. Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes (ebook): The internet will not stop talking about this book, and it doesnt come out for MONTHS. So I caved. An Astronauts Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield (audio): Amanda said it was great, filled with space and smart self-help stuff, and I like both of those things. Kelly Jensen Blind by Rachel DeWoskin (print ARC): I talked with a Penguin rep at the Public Library Association conference this year about diverse titles and she handed me this one, since its about a teen girl who loses her sight after a firecracker lands in her eyes. Kim Ukura World of Trouble by Ben H. Winters (Paperback): Ive loved both of the previous books in this trilogy and am obsessed with finishing series. Kate Scott Father Brown: The Essential Tales by G.K. Chesterton  (Paperback): Summer seems like an excellent time for some fun, witty detective stories. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (Library Hardcover): Its been seven years since I first read the series, and now seemed like the perfect time for a reread. Personality Type: An Owners Manual by Lenore Thomson (Library Paperback): This was a random library find. Its an older book on Myers-Briggs/Jungian typology that holds true to the original spirit of the theory, unlike the stereotyping tumblrized version floating around the interwebs. Brenna Gray Omega Flight #1-5 by Oening and Kollins (eBook Marvel Unlimited app): I’m working on a larger project about Marvel Civil War and post-9/11 geopolitics, and unsurprisingly I am fascinated by the way Canadian superheroes got the biggest shaft ever. Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor (Hardcover): I loved the rest of the trilogy and was eager to read this (but I dunno, it’s been majorly majorly slow going for me). Aram Mrjoian A Severed Head by Iris Murdoch (paperback): I read Under the Net a while back and fell in love with Murdoch’s writing. Don’t Start Me Talkin’ by Tom Williams (Paperback): Dzanc books published this book and I used to intern for them, plus I love supporting a Michigan publisher. Dzanc does a ton of cool writing programs too. The subject matter also really caught my attention. The Strangler Vine by M.J. Carter (hardcover): My parents bought it for me for my birthday last month because they thought Id like it.A Wizard Abroad by Diane Duane (ebook): A friend I met on Tumblr is a huge fan of the Young Wizards series (which I hadnt previously heard of) and sent me the whole series so I could join her in enjoying it. Complete Sonnets by William Shakespeare (Oxford Student Texts) (paperback): Im trying to get into reading the poetry books Ive accumulated, and Shakespeare is one of the more enjoyable poets. The Art Of Neil Gaiman by Hayley Campbell (hardcover): Was being sold at the Neil Gaiman event I was at last week. And the book is beautiful. Liberty Hardy   The Haunted Vagina by Carlton Mellick III (paperback): Because WHUT. How could I not?!?? Invisible Streets by Toby Ball (galley): I loved the first two books in this trilogy, and Im excited for the conclusion! Alison Peters Washington Square by Henry James (Rooster app): Because its lovely to get back to James in a non-academic capacity. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (hardback): Because my boss (also a vet ) has been trying to get me to read it for months and I just discovered that its written by the author of Seabiscuit AND because Id like to honor the memory of Louis Zamperini AND I need to read it before the movie comes out. As for  me The Silkworm  by Robert Gailbraith (hardcover) because  saw it at the store, and remembered that fellow Rioter, Rincey, was reading it, so decided to give it a try. Broken Monsters  by Lauren Beukes (egalley):  Because of what Rebecca said. And because then Rebecca jumped on that bandwagon and I had that panicked, Dont leave me behind! feeling. Save Sign up to The Stack to receive  Book Riot Comic's best posts, picked for you. Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox.

Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon Hero Essay - 691 Words

According to the definition, a hero is one who embodies the values of their society. In the epic Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf, written by an anonymous author, the character Beowulf is used to convey the value that Anglo-Saxons placed on courage, strength, and loyalty. Courage is certainly a trait which every hero must possess, particularly because no one wants a hero who is a coward. Thankfully, Beowulf is no coward. When Beowulf hears of Grendel’s exploits in Denmark, he travels to the â€Å"distant† land, without hesitation, to rid the Danes of that â€Å"demon†¦conceived by a pair of those monsters born of Cain, murderous creatures banished by God†. Beowulf’s courage is displayed even more when he chooses not to fight with weapons, despite knowing†¦show more content†¦Beowulf’s last test of courage comes in his old age when his people are threatened by a â€Å"mighty† dragon. Beowulf felt as if something he had done had caused th e irascible beast to wreck havoc on his people, â€Å"killing and destroying† them and their homes with its â€Å"molten† breath. Knowing what had to be done, Beowulf bravely faced the dragon, while all of his people, except for one, fled in fear. His last battle, which ended in death, displayed Beowulf’s unwavering courage, the type that every hero should possess. Strength is without a doubt one of the most important traits which a hero should possess and the Anglo-Saxon’s felt the same way. Beowulf’s strength can be compared to that of the American comic book heroes, Superman and Batman, for he is deemed the â€Å"strongest and greatest of the Geats†. The first time that his strength is witnessed, not just spoken of, is when he kills Grendel by ripping the monstrous villain’s arm off. But his most notable display of strength occurs when he enters into combat with Grendel’s mother. When everything seems to be going all wrong f or Beowulf, he spies a â€Å"heavy† sword hanging on the wall of her lair. With all his power and might, Beowulf drew the sword, â€Å"hammered by giants...and†¦.so massive that no ordinary man could life it†, from its scabbard. He â€Å"lifts it high over his head†, the sword claspedShow MoreRelatedBeowulf : An Anglo Saxon Hero1825 Words   |  8 PagesBeowulf: An Anglo-Saxon Hero The Anglo-Saxons’ cultures and traditions are rooted in their beliefs of the perfect hero. Their ideal hero has many key characteristics influenced by their culture including courage, strength, bravery, thick skin, loyalty, humbleness, and the ability to create strong trustworthy friendships. Beowulf is an epic poem that exhibits the ideal Anglo-Saxon hero. The Anglo-Saxon traditions illustrated in Beowulf accurately represent the Anglo-Saxon traditions of the time periodRead MoreBeowulf the Anglo Saxon Hero Essay498 Words   |  2 PagesThe epic poem Beowulf describes the most heroic man of the Anglo-Saxon times. The hero, Beowulf, is a seemingly invincible person with all the extraordinary traits required of an Anglo Saxon hero. He is able to use his super-human physical strength and courage to put his people before himself. He encounters many monsters and horrible beasts, but he never fears the threat of death. His leadership skills are outstanding and he is even able to boast about all his achievements. Beowulf is the ultimateRead MoreBeowulf : An Anglo Saxon Epic Hero957 Words   |  4 Pages Beowulf possessed the character of an Anglo-Saxon epic hero for many reasons. Not only was he the central character in the epic Beowulf, but he was a larger-than-life figure. He proved that by the way he fought and put his courage, skill, and virtue against his enemies. Beowulf was brave beyond compare, had superhuman strength, and a desire to find success in what he did. He was a young warrior with a good reputation who battled against an evil demon, Grendel, and later his mother, for the DanesRead MoreEssay Beowulf: The Ideal Anglo-Saxon Hero858 Words   |  4 PagesOriginating in the Anglo-Saxon period, the epic poem Beowulf portrays a legendary hero. Beowulf established the earlier form of heroism, and was then later introduced in to the English culture. Praised and admired by many people, Beowulf possesses several distinct traits that allow him to be defined perfectly as an ideal Anglo-Saxon hero; his eagerness to seek glory and fame, rather than richness and treasures, his lo yalty and graceful attitude not only to his rulers but also to his followers, andRead MoreEssay on Beowulf - The Achetype of an Anglo-Saxon Hero575 Words   |  3 Pagespresent days society a hero can be seen as someone who risk their own safety or well-being to help someone else either individually or to help the community. Todays requirement to be a hero can be anyone as long as they make sacrifices for others, in which they can be seen as selfless and caring. Many traits that are portrayed of heroes currently were once used to determine a hero in Anglo-Saxon times. In the epic poem Beowulf, by an unknown author, the protagonist Beowulf is visioned to be the Read MoreComparing Beowulf, An Anglo Saxon Epic Hero1292 Words   |  6 PagesIn life the courageous hero has forever stood as a standard of whom we should be and who we wish to be. In the story of Beowulf, an Anglo-Saxon epic the hero is one that is easy to understand, Beowulf fights monsters he is loyal to his Lord and sh ows very strong and powerful leadership skills. Beowulf is the perfect Anglo-Saxon epic hero who displays courage, bravery, and strength during his battles against evil. Beowulf can be viewed as the standard courageous hero. In this story courage is viewedRead MoreBeowulf, An Adventurous And Bold Account Of The Trials And Tribulations Of An Anglo Saxon Hero1210 Words   |  5 PagesThe epic-poem, Beowulf is an adventurous and bold account of the trials and tribulations of an Anglo-Saxon hero. The main character in the poem, Beowulf, encounters three monsters throughout the poem that are enraged for three different reasons, which cause them to wreak havoc on society. First, he faces Grendel who is an angered social outcast of the Heorot community. Next, he defeats Grendel’s mother who is out to avenge her son’s death. And lastly, he faces his death when he fights the DragonRead MoreComparing Beowulf, The Wanderer, And The 13th Warrior1731 Words   |  7 Pagesalways r eappears is What is an epic hero? Or better yet an epic hero in Anglo Saxon culture. I believe there is more to being a hero than just being strong or intelligent. An epic hero in my eyes is oneself who comes to portray the beliefs of the society in which the tale/story is depicted. A few great examples of the Anglo Saxon epic hero are the literary characters in Beowulf, The Wanderer, and The 13th Warrior. These are all outstanding examples of Anglo-Saxon epic heroes because they all cameRead MoreModern Hero vs. Anglo Saxon Hero Essay814 Words   |  4 Pagesday hero has similarities and differences than the Anglo-Saxon hero. The two heroes each have different values they believe in. Also, they are motivated to fight for different reasons. An Anglo-Saxon hero also fights differently than a modern day hero. An example of this comparison is Bono from the band U2 and Beowulf. Both modern day heroes, like Bono and Anglo-Saxon heroes, like Beowulf, try to improve their societies, but d o it in different ways and for different reasons. Anglo-Saxon heroesRead MoreAnglo Saxon Culture as Reflected in Beowulf Essay943 Words   |  4 PagesAnglo Saxon Culture as reflected in Beowulf Every culture has its own set of beliefs values and customs. Cultural beliefs, values, and assumptions are directly and indirectly acquired throughout a lifetime. A culture is the sum of a group’s way of life and this is no different with the ancient Anglo Saxon culture. Cultures usually have distinct figures that reflect their culture as a whole. The importance of religion, values, and heroes are reflected a great deal in the epic poem of Beowulf

Gender Roles And Oppression In Afghanistan - 1884 Words

Although it isn’t as apparent in America as Americans tend to reject these connotations, gender roles exist all throughout human culture, causing things other than genitalia to be associated with the terms man and women. While gender roles vary with culture, typically these associations consist of men are expected to be strong, dominant and opinionated, while women are expected to be more reserved, submissive, and dedicate. These expectations leak into our views of people, causing people to judge others based off their gender first, instead of simply judging everyone as an individual from the get-go. while these generalizations can’t be helped as generalizing things is what people inherently do, the Taliban took it to another level. when†¦show more content†¦With this in mind one can see how maintaining family connection in Afghanistan is the best way to reach success. Men and women have different roles within these households as well. Ultimately their actions bring honor or shame onto their family based off of these roles, for instance while men work to provide income, women receive great honor through being a good wife and mother (Fluri, 2011). These methods gaining honor or shame often stem from their Muslim religion which carries over into their social lives. Afghan women typically wore long baggy clothing such as burqas as they are modest and provided them with a sense of spatial privacy (Fluri, 2011). They also wore their clothing such as a hijab is seen necessary as a sign of respect to their god as the people around them (Fluri, 2011). They also also hold power within the household through social networking for her family, giving her the responsibility to extend the family contacts through this manner and control who the family is associated with (Fluri, 2011). Women would traditionally gather in places void of men forming their own social sphere to better themselves and their families(Schà ¼tte,2014). Women even sometimes marr y for the sake of creating a permanent connection to another family. All of these concepts are completely foreign to westerners as we don’t socialize in this manner, but even if we don’t except their social norms, that doesn’t give us a right to critique it. In America the termShow MoreRelatedFeminism : A Feminist Organization Essay1695 Words   |  7 PagesAssociation of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) is a feminist organization that focuses on liberating the women of Afghanistan who suffer agonizing oppression and disadvantages (37). In addition, RAWA is responsible for being the â€Å"voice of the voiceless† by showing the world the plight of Afghan women, in a country that is ruled by the Taliban (Farrell and McDermott 37). 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Of Mice and Men A Novel by John Steinbeck Free Essays

In the novel of mice and men,Steinbeck never gives Curley’s Wife a name. This is done to show that she does not have any identity or position on the ranch. As Curley’s Wife is a representation of all women in the 1930s I feel Steinbeck uses her to show that she does not have any identity or position on the ranch. We will write a custom essay sample on Of Mice and Men: A Novel by John Steinbeck or any similar topic only for you Order Now As Curley’s Wife is a representation of all women in the 1930s I feel Steinbeck uses her to show that most women back then had no identity or position in the working world. No characters in the novella care for Curley’s Wife and very little attention is given to her. However many of the men only see her as an object. I think Steinbeck conveys that idea by his description of her. When we and George and Lennie are first introduced to her, Steinbeck takes a long time to describe her. ‘She had full rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her finger nails were red. Her hair hung in little clusters, like sausages†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This I feel Steinbeck uses to present Curley’s Wife as an object to the men and society. It is to show that Curley’s wife is worth as much as she is wearing. But Steinbeck doesn’t only use the description of what she is wearing, he also fully describes her actions. This is to show the physical awareness the men have towards her. ‘She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward’ Steinbeck’s description of Curley’s Wife’s actions, I think, is to not only describe the men’s physical awareness, but to show the desperation of Curley’s Wife and the women in the 1930s. Steinbeck presents the men’s reactions towards her as hostile through the use of language. When George first meets her he responds to her ‘brusquely’. I think this is to show the hesitance men have towards Curley’s Wife. I feel Steinbeck not only does this to make us feel sympathy towards Curley’s Wife and women in the 1930s, but also towards men in the 1930s as they have to be extremely careful and hostile so they can keep their jobs. This I think is the contrast Steinbeck is trying to make towards Lennie’s reaction. As Lennie does not understand normal social behaviour he is in awe of Curley’s Wife. I think Steinbeck does this to show that two people who don’t fit into society are maybe the ones that do. John Steinbeck uses different methods to present Curley’s Wife and women in the 1930s. I fell Steinbeck uses Curley’s Wife as a representation of injustice in the 1930s. Steinbeck presents the character of Curley’s Wife as manipulative; however I feel he only does this to make us feel sympathy to Curley’s Wife and women in the 1930s. The fact that Curley’s wife has to be manipulative to get attention which she is so starved for does not kill any sympathy that the reader could have for her but drives it so that the reader is more sympathetic. I also feel that Steinbeck uses Curley’s wife as a reflection on men in the 1930s as they are manipulative yet despise Curley’s wife because she is manipulative; they do not realise that it is them that made her so in the first place. I feel that ‘Of Mice and Men’ is a perfect representation of the treatment of human beings in the 1920s. How to cite Of Mice and Men: A Novel by John Steinbeck, Papers

Essay for Mandatory Metadata Retention - myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Write about theEssay for Mandatory Metadata Retention. Answer: Introduction: In the present essay, an attempt has been made to examine the effectiveness of the mandatory metadata retention program of Australia. The data retention scheme of the federal government has been officially in effect for some time now. This means that the metadata of the mobile and online communication in Australia is starting to be collected. Such data will be stored for at least two years. The data can be used for scrutiny by the national security agencies. The data retention legislation has been passed way back in 2015. As a result, the Federal Government can require the Internet service providers and telecommunication companies to retain consistent and reliable data of their customers for a period of two years. Describe the crime problem: Metadata can be described as the background technical information related with a communication. It includes the time and date of a call, how long the call lasted and what were the IP address of the webpage and also the e-mail addresses. However it does not include the recording of actual contents of the call or the website that was visited by the user. In this regard, controversial legislation has been passed on the government in 2015. As a result of these laws, it became compulsory for the telecommunication service providers to retain metadata from the users for at least two years. In a famous statement, Atty. Gen. George Brandis has compared metadata with a letter in the post. Therefore, he said that metadata can be described as the name and address data as you mention on the envelope, but it does not include the contents of the letter (Brandis, 2015). As a result of these changes, now the telecommunication companies in Australia will have to fulfill their legal requirement according to which they will have to retain six types of metadata from the usage and information of their customers.. This data can be scrutinized by the national security and law enforcement agencies. The area of data that need to be stored and made available to the government includes any identifying information that is linked with the subscribers of accounts (Brown et al., 2015). This means the names, phone numbers, addresses, e-mail and IP addresses of the persons according to the billing details that are available with the telecommunication companies. It also includes the source of any communication which means user names, telephone numbers, e-mail and IP addresses of persons or the account establishing an SMS message, phone call, voice message or e-mail. Similarly, it also includes the definition of communications. However, it excludes the Internet browsin g history of an individual. The companies will be required to provide date, time and the duration of communication, along with the details that can be used for identifying a collection. The companies will be required to store the types of communication and Internet services used. Hence, the government will be in a position to know if a particular SMS message, e-mail, voice messages or any social media usage has been made by a person using services like ADSL connection or WiFi. In the same way, the physical location of the place where the communication has been made, as well as the geographic location of any mobile device and the physical address that is related with the fixed Internet connection (Commonwealth of Australia, 2015). Overview: Before the enactment of the new legislation, the law enforcement agencies are allowed to use targeted data preservation notices to make a request to Internet service providers and telecommunication companies to store communications related with suspected criminals. On the other hand, according to the news scheme, there are lesser agencies that can access metadata. But many of these agencies have been allowed warrantless access to the private details related with the users of Internet service providers and telecommunication companies. This list of agencies that have the access to metadata can be added by the Attorney General. After 2015, there has been a review of access to retained metadata by the government in case of civil law cases. It has been confirmed by the government that it is not going to allow access to metadata concerning civil cases like proceedings under the family law, which involves violence or the cases involving international child abduction after conducti ng the recent review. Under the new legislation, the telecommunication companies that use infrastructure in Australia for the purpose of operating any of their services in the country can be subject to the obligations of data retention (Crowe, 2014). Among these service providers are the carriage service providers, licensed carriers and Internet service providers. At the same time, there are certain services that have not been included under the data retention obligations. According to the obligations related with data retention, there are certain telecommunication service providers that will have to retain particular telecommunications data related with the services that have been offered by them. This data needs to be encrypted and protected from any unauthorized access or intrusion. There is certain information of the subscribers that need to be retained for the life of the account and for two years more after the closure of the account. On the basis of the type of service offered by the company, the service providers may not have to retain all the gay big arrays of data. In this regard, guidelines have been bewildered by the department to support industry in understanding their obligations related with data retention. Detail the crime prevention principles: Regarding the data retention obligations, that that can be described as the information concerning the communication instead of being the content on these instances of the communication. For example, in case of phone calls, such data includes the phone numbers of persons that are talking to each other and or how long they have talked but not for they have said. Similarly, in case of e-mails, the data includes the information like the relevant e-mail address and when it has been sent but not the content of the e-mail. It is not required under the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act, 1979 that the companies should retain data that may include the web browsing history of an individual. At the same time, nearly in case of every serious national security a criminal investigation, data is used (Donohue, 2014). This includes the investigation related with counter-espionage, counter-terrorism, kidnapping, murder, sexual assault etc. in thi s regard, data is used by the agencies warn quickly ruling out innocent individuals from suspicion and to conduct further investigation. It is also used to identify suspects and discover the network of criminals. Data is used to support applications for warrants for using overinclusive and complex tools like interception. Similarly, data is also used by the agencies as evidence for supporting prosecution. In this regard, there are several safeguards present related with the existing telecommunications data under the Act. Particularly these include the fact that the existing data has been restricted to a list of national security and law enforcement agencies. The agencies that have been providing access to data have to undergo independent oversight by the Commonwealth ombudsman or by Inspector General of Intelligence and Security when the Australian Security Intelligence Organization is involved (Greenwald, 2014). The Atty. Gen. also has the responsibility to give a report to the par liament raid with the operations of data retention scheme each year. Where the enforcement agencies or the ASIO need to access the data of a journalist for identifying a source, the law requires that these agencies will obtain a warrant. Similarly, these agencies are also required to report all the requests to the independent respective oversight body (Guy, 2016). Similarly it also needs to be mentioned that for the purpose of Privacy Act, 1988, the data that has been retained by the individual companies on Internet service providers under the Act needs to be considered as personal information. In such cases, the Privacy Commissioner can evaluate the compliance by the telecommunication companies with the Australian Privacy Principles in context of the data maintained by them. The commissioner also monitors the nondisclosure obligations of the telecom industry under the Telecommunications Act, 1997. Analysis: There are different opinions present regarding the way in which the metadata retention scheme can comply with the requirements of privacy and freedom of expression rights. While on one hand, the strongest statements like "necessary and proportionate" principles have been proposed by a coalition of academics, civil rights societies, and technology and privacy experts. In these principles, a complete prohibition has been proposed on indiscriminate collecting of meta-data (Taylor, 2016). A warning is also being given by the United Nations and the Inter-American Special Rapporteurs (2013) have also given a warning that access to metadata should be allowed only in very exceptional circumstances. In the same way, it has been mentioned by the European Court of Justice that in discriminate retention of data obligation goes beyond what is necessary and of course made for the purpose of achieving the objective of fighting serious crime. Therefore, such obligation was not compatible w ith the fundamental right to privacy and to protect the data. This was held in Digital Rights Ireland v Minister for Communications, 2014. As is the case with the Australian scheme, it is also required by the European Directive 2006/24/EC that the providers of publicly available communication services or the public communication networks have an obligation of retaining the traffic and location data, although they are not required to retain the contents of the communication, for the period of six months to two years. The objective behind such obligation is to make sure that the data is available for investigation, detection and also can be used in prosecution of serious crime which includes the cases of terrorism. But in view of the interference of these obligations, which can be termed as serious and wide-ranging, with the right to privacy, it is likely that the people may start to feel as if there private life is constantly under surveillance. Hence there is a need that the data re tention should be proportional, and it should be strictly necessary for achieving the objective. Under these circumstances, it can be said that as a result of the wide scope of the data retention regime in Australia, there can be a conflict with the human right to privacy. While under the data retention regime it is required that they should be indiscriminate retention of extensive information that can reveal significant details related with private communication, the information that in itself is private. In view of the wide obligations to retain the data, the issue of access to this data becomes important. Under the earlier law, they were a wide range of government agencies that have been allowed to access the data available with the telecommunications providers while enforcing a criminal law or to impose a fine. On the other hand, a new list of criminal law enforcement agencies has been introduced by the Data Retention Act. Then the rest is significantly narrower than the diverse agencies that were earlier allowed to access data. Conclusion: it can be stated in the end that new data retention law of the government has to face criticism due to several reasons. For instance, the new regime provides warrantless access to the government agencies regarding personal data. Even if these agencies are not strictly the law enforcement agencies. At the same time, still, there is some confusion present regarding the new regime. The reason is that the legislation is still unclear and similarly it does not cover overseas webmail services as well as a number of messaging apps. Similarly, consumer protections like mandatory data breach legislation were missing at the time of the enactment of the law. This significant safeguards should been present in the data retention regime. References Brandis, G. (2015) One more anti-terror tool. The Australian, Retrieved from https://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/one-more-antiterror-tool/news-story/b9f48192069443268dec2dfcb04870c5 Brown, I., Halperin, M. H., Hayes, B., Scott, B., Vermeulen, M. (2015). Towards Multilateral Standards for Surveillance Reform. Oxford Internet Institute Discussion Paper. Retrieved from https://papers.ssrn.com/abstract=2551164 Commonwealth of Australia (2015), Martin Place Siege: Joint Commonwealth-New South Wales review, Canberra, January 2015 Crowe, D. (2014) Tough terror laws target jihadis. The Australian. Retrieved from https://at.theaustralian.com.au/link/b7eb7c0de853829d9a475d0ec62f6154?domain=theaustraliancom.au Donohue, L. K. (2014). Bulk Metadata Collection: Statutory and Constitutional Considerations. Harvard Journal of Law Public Policy, 37 (3), 757 Greenwald, G. (2014). No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State. New York: Henry Holt. Guy, G. (2016) Requests for Access to Telecommunications Metadata under 176A of the TIA, Right to Know, https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/requests_for_access_to_telecommu https://www.crikey.com.au/2016/01/18/over-60-agencies-apply-to-snoop-into-your-metadata/ Taylor, J. (2016) Over 60 agencies apply to snoop into your metadata. Crikey. Retrieved from Digital Rights Ireland Ltd v Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources [2014] All ER

Capitalism Essays (935 words) - Economic Ideologies,

Capitalism The free market economy is a system devised to resolve the basic economic problem (resources having to be allocated to many competing users that have infinite wants) through the market mechanism. The centrally planned economy is an economic system where government go through detailed planning procedures to allocate resources in society. The Free Market Economy: The government provides public goods and services, but in order to pay for these the government need to raise some funds this is done through taxation. The government is also responsible for the issuing of money, it's value and keeping stable prices. The government are also responsible for ?free goods' (a good or service available in quantities larger than desired for zero price) if this is not regulated the free goods may be misused or abused. In a free market economy the government also has the right to eliminate any monopolies, so a fair competitive market can be maintained. The government can also control the activities of trade unions, this is because particular firms or trade unions may seek to gain control over individual markets. In the market economy the government should intervene as little as possible. Government regulation should be the minimum required to protect the orderly working of the market economy. The free market sees government spending confined to the spending of public goods. In a free market economy almost all factors of production (FOPs) are owned privately. The government have the responsibility to uphold the rights of the citizens to own a property; this is generally done through the legal system. Free enterprise exists in free market economies these are when the owner of FOPs and producers of goods and services have the right to buy and sell what the own or produce through market mechanisms. The government have little restrictions on what is brought and sold, and workers can work for whom the wish, no restrictions exist. Homeowners can sell their home as and when they wish and no one can say no as the choice is entirely theirs. Businessperson's and entrepreneurs can commence firms to their discretion. Consumers can purchase whatever they wish and no one can be told to buy one brand over another. Producers can produce whatever they want although it should be noted that they must produce a product that matches the consumers specification otherwise it will not sell. Competition between producers is permitted and it is this that leads to better quality products. In a wealthy free market economy, consumers are faced with many options and ?trade offs' (sacrificing on economic good for an other), firms compete with one an other on similar goods. The consumers with high income have more choice than others in the free market economic as they can afford the more high-end goods, such as luxury cars. Society is dealt with differently in each economy, in the free market economy price, disposable income (spending money) and utility determine whether a good or service is purchased. Centrally Planned Economy: This is quite different from the free market economy; actually it is almost the complete opposite. The centrally planned economy has resources allocated by the government through a planning process. In this economy, consumers are issued with a limited amount of money, which they can spend on a limited assortment of goods or services. At some stage a centrally planned economy's government could freeze prices so that goods and services are available to the consumers even though their budgets are restricted. However, this is likely to lead to everyone purchasing that product that has been priced low, and therefore demand would rise, which in turn would cause supply to fall. There are 3 types of actors in the planned economy, the planners (usually the government), consumers and workers. These actors are all working together in cooperation for the common good, not for self-righteousness. In the command economy all FOPs are owned by the state with the exception of labour (however labour services can be re-directed to the state). Also the command economy contains no private property. As resources are given to the consumer, sometimes this can lead to the state directing labour into jobs as well as telling consumers what to consume, however it is more likely that the government will go to the producers and tell them what to produce, this in turn determines the product available to the consumer. In the command economy there is little or often no competition and this causes substandard build quality of products, as consumer have to put up with what they are given. In a command

Harriet Martineauâ€Biography and Works

Harriet Martineau- Biography and Works Born in 1802 in England, Harriet Martineau is considered to be one of the earliest sociologists, a self-taught expert in political economic theory  who wrote prolifically throughout her career about the relationship between politics, economics, morals, and social life. Her intellectual work was grounded in a staunchly moral perspective that was influenced by her Unitarian faith (although she would later become an atheist). She spoke out against slavery and was fiercely critical as well of the inequality and injustice faced by girls, women, and the working poor. As one of the first women journalists of the era, she also worked as a translator, speechwriter, and novelist. Her acclaimed fiction invited readers to consider the pressing social issues of the day.  She was known for her keen ability to explain complicated ideas in an easy-to-understand manner, presenting many of her theories about politics, economics, and society in the form of appealing and accessible stories. Early Life   Harriet Martineau was born in 1802 in Norwich, England. She was the sixth of eight children born to Elizabeth Rankin and Thomas Martineau. Thomas owned a textile mill, and Elizabeth was the daughter of a sugar refiner and grocer, making the family economically stable and wealthier than most British families at the time. The Martineaus were descendants of French Huguenots who fled Catholic France for Protestant England. They were practicing  Unitarians  and instilled the importance of education and critical thinking in all of their children. However, Elizabeth was also a strict believer  in traditional gender roles, so while the Martineau boys went to college, the girls did not and were expected to learn domestic work instead. This would prove to be a formative life experience for Harriet, who bucked all traditional gender expectations and wrote extensively about gender inequality. Self-Education, Intellectual Development, and Work Martineau was a voracious reader from a young age,  was well read in  Thomas Malthus  by the time she was 15, and had already become a political economist at that age, by her own recollection. She wrote and published her first written work, â€Å"On Female Education,† in 1821 as an anonymous author. This piece was a critique of her own educational experience  and how it was formally stopped when she reached adulthood. When her father’s business failed in 1829, she decided to earn a living for her family  and became a working writer. She wrote for the  Monthly Repository, a Unitarian publication, and published her first commissioned volume,  Illustrations of Political Economy, funded by publisher Charles Fox, in 1832. These illustrations were a monthly series that ran for two years, in which Martineau critiqued the politics and economic practices of the day by presenting illustrated tellings of the ideas of Malthus,  John Stuart Mill,  David Ricardo, and  Adam Smith. The series was designed as a tutorial for the general reading audience. Martineau won prizes for some of her essays, and the series sold more copies than did the work of Dickens at the time. Martineau argued that tariffs in early American society only benefited the rich and hurt the working classes both in the U.S. and in Britain. She also advocated for the Whig Poor Law reforms, which shifted assistance to the British poor from cash donations to the workhouse model. In her early years as a writer, she advocated for free market economic principles in keeping with the philosophy of Adam Smith. Later in her career, however, she advocated for government action to stem inequality and injustice, and is remembered by some as a social reformer due to her belief in the progressive evolution of society. Martineau broke with Unitarianism in 1831 and adopted the philosophical position of freethinking, whose adherents seek truth based on reason, logic, and empiricism, rather the dictates of authority figures, tradition, or religious dogma. This shift resonates with her reverence for  August Comtes positivistic sociology and her belief in progress. In 1832 Martineau moved to London, where she circulated among leading British intellectuals and writers, including Malthus, Mill,  George Eliot,  Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and Thomas Carlyle. From there she continued to write her political economy series until 1834. Travels Within the United States When the series was completed,  Martineau traveled to the U.S. to study the young nation’s political  economy and moral structure, much as  Alexis de Tocqueville  had done. While there, she became acquainted with  Transcendentalists  and abolitionists, and with those involved in education for girls and woman. She later published  Society in America,  Retrospect of Western Travel,  and  How to Observe Morals and Manners- considered her first publication based on sociological research- in which she not only criticized the state of education for women but also expressed her support for the abolition of slavery due to its immorality and economic inefficiency as well as its impact on the working classes in the U.S. and in Britain. As an abolitionist, Martineau sold embroidery in order to donate to the cause and also worked as the English correspondent for the  American Anti-Slavery Standard  through the end of the American Civil War. Contributions to Sociology Martineau’s key contribution to the field of sociology was her assertion that when studying society, one must focus on all aspects of it. She emphasized the importance of examining political, religious, and social institutions. By studying society in this way, she felt, one could deduce why inequality existed, particularly that faced by girls and women. In her writings, she brought an early feminist perspective to bear on issues such as race relations, religious life, marriage, children, and home (she herself never married or had children). Her social theoretical perspective was often focused on the moral stance of a populace and how it did or did not correspond to the social, economic, and political relations of its society. Martineau measured progress in society by three standards: the status of those who hold the least power in society, popular views of authority and autonomy, and access to resources that allow the realization of autonomy and moral action. She won numerous awards for her writing  and though controversial, was a rare example of a successful and popular working woman writer of the Victorian era. She published over 50 books and over 2,000 articles in her lifetime. Her translation into English and revision of  Auguste Comte’s  foundational sociological text,  Cours de Philosophie Positive, was received so well by readers and by Comte himself that he had Martineau’s English version translated back to French. Period of Illness and Impact on Her Work Between 1839 and 1845, Martineau became housebound due to a uterine tumor. She moved out of London to a more peaceful location for the duration of her illness. She continued to write extensively during this time but due to her recent experiences shifted her focus to medical topics. She published Life in the Sickroom, which challenged the domination/submission relationship between doctors and their patients- and was viciously criticized by the medical establishment for doing so. Travels in North Africa and the Middle East In 1846, her health restored, Martineau embarked on a tour of Egypt, Palestine, and Syria. She focused her analytic lens on religious ideas and customs and observed that religious doctrine was increasingly vague as it evolved. This led her to conclude, in her written work based on this trip- Eastern Life, Present and Past- that humanity was evolving toward atheism, which she framed as rational, positivist progress. The atheistic nature of her later writing, as well as her advocacy for mesmerism, which she believed cured her tumor and the other ailments she had suffered, caused deep divisions between her and some of her friends. Later Years and Death In her later years, Martineau contributed to the Daily News and the radical leftist Westminster Review. She remained politically active, advocating for women’s rights during the 1850s and 60s. She supported the Married Women’s Property Bill, the licensing of prostitution and legal regulation of customers, and women’s suffrage. She died in 1876 near Ambleside, Westmorland, in England, and her autobiography was published posthumously in 1877. Martineaus Legacy Martineau’s sweeping contributions to social thought are more often than not overlooked within the canon of classical sociological theory, though her work was widely lauded in its day, and preceded that of  Ãƒâ€°mile Durkheim  and  Max Weber. Founded in 1994 by Unitarians in Norwich and with support from Manchester College, Oxford, The Martineau Society in England holds an annual conference in her honor. Much of her written work is in the public domain and available for free at the Online Library of Liberty, and many of her letters are available  to the public via the British National Archives. Selected Bibliography Illustrations of Taxation, 5 volumes, published by Charles Fox, 1832-4Illustrations of Political Economy, 9 volumes, published by Charles Fox, 1832-4Society in America, 3 volumes, Saunders and Otley, 1837Retrospect of Western Travel, Saunders and Otley, 1838How to Observe Morals and Manners, Charles Knights and Co., 1838Deerbrook, London, 1839Life in the Sickroom, 1844Eastern Life, Present and Past, 3 volumes, Edward Moxon, 1848Household Education, 1848The Positive Philosophy of Auguste Comte, 2 volumes, 1853Harriet Martineau’s Autobiography, 2 volumes, posthumous publication, 1877

Baroque and Classical and the modern song Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Baroque and Classical and the modern song - Essay Example â€Å"Black Star shows off the many facets of Yngwie’s singular style† (Walster 95). Yngwie writes following the musical theory’s rules and the Baroque counterpoint. A very good example of his style of writing is the song â€Å"Black Star† from his debut LP Rising Force, that reflected many examples of Baroque and classical writing. â€Å"Black Star† has a form that adjusts into the A B A C A B A, though the ending of the song is improvised in that the song does not get back to A after the second B section. Instead, the song reaches the end with the improvisation of C section. Numerous facets of Yngwie’s guitar playing reflect in the song â€Å"Black Star†. The song starts with a prelude that, in a way, is suggestive of Bouree of Bach in the E minor. The harmony becomes reminiscent of the standard chamber music when it comes in with guitars, though the fact that the song is played with the electric guitars brings in the difference. At the end of the passage, there is an exposition which employs the use of volume swelling along with an echo effect and volume knob that releases the sound like spiccato that is a technique of classical violin. The theme melody of the song â€Å"Black Star† is based upon a mode of E harmonic. The song proceeds toward the B key that is the dominant, and provides an example of yet another gesture of the Baroque-classical harmonic used by Yngwie. Yngwie plays the piece quite symmetrically that makes him mimic the classical violin. In addition to that, Yngwie played bass line in â€Å"Black Star†.

MPH522 - Public Health Law and Policy, Mod 2 Case Assignment Essay

MPH522 - Public Health Law and Policy, Mod 2 Case Assignment - Essay Example More than two-thirds of the elderly live independently in a family setting. Twenty-seven percent live in modified but not institutional setting, including senior citizens housing, group homes, and apartments, or with family members. Elderly individuals will often try to keep their homes despite the physical or economic difficulties in doing so. A house is more than just a physical shelter; it represents independence and security to most. For some elderly people, keeping the family home is not a sensible option for several reasons. However, some elderly remain in their homes and refuse to give them up and they find themselves facing several challenges such as living expenses, chronic or acute medical conditions, social isolation and limited mobility. Most of the elderly find themselves living on a fixed income therefore neglecting their lifestyles such as eating healthy and seeking medical care. This is one of the areas that needs more attention for public health policy. It has been accepted that these elderly people should leave their homes and go to nursing homes at the expense of Medicare and Medicaid (Fielding, Marks, Myers, 2002). This is the last thing they want and Public Health policy should be developed making them more able to stay in their homes until they die. It is hard to imagine that it is not cheaper and healthier, as well as better quality care for them to be in their own houses. Another issue is emergency preparedness. Most people think the government means for them to have a couple of bottles of water and some dried foods available in case the lights go out. There should be some greater public policies on what should be prepared and for whom and how much for what sized family. The public will never understand this thoroughly if there is not better education and interventions along with policy to help them. This could make a huge difference if there is another major disaster

Self Reflection Analysis In The Social Work Sector Social Work Essay

Self Reflection Analysis In The Social Work Sector Social Work Essay Social work practice can be seen as a very complex process as it seeks to promote social change, social justice, equality, anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practices and also social inclusion. It is therefore significant that as social workers, we reflect and evaluate our practice in order that the values we stand for are promoted and adhered to. Reflective practice is therefore a way of making social work professionals more accountable through an ongoing scrutiny of the principles upon which the profession is based (Fook, 2002). However, Ixer (1999) criticizes that reflective practice has simply become uncritical and orthodox mainly because it can be applied in many ways and across many professions. None the less, Donald Schà ¶n (1983) a key theorist of reflective practice, saw reflective practice as a way forward for professionals to bridge the gap between the theoretical and practical aspect of their work by unearthing the actual theory which is embedded in what they do, r ather than what they say they do. He made it clear that by being reflect practitioner, one is aware of the theories or assumptions underlining your practice and what actions to take in improving your practice or providing better services for the service user. To me reflective practice is therefore like a looking glass or mirror where you as a practitioner have the opportunity to correct or redirect your course of action. For the purpose of this assignment, I am going to use a case study from my previous practice placement to illustrate my reflection and evaluation of my own practice, how the use of self, my beliefs and values might have influenced my actions, how I have developed new meaning and understanding through peer supervision/feedback and the unit lectures and how theories underpinning reflective practice may help in improving my practice as a social worker. Case study I e-mailed the learning mentor at N. Middle School concerning a boy named J (for confidentiality purposes). A 12-year old, of White- British background, who was referred to my previous placement agency for having behavioural problems (such as fighting with his peers, being disruptive during lessons, disrespecting his teacher and general misconduct) at school. J from an early age of about 6 had witnessed Domestic Violence in his family. My concern was that J had revealed very confidential information to me regarding his mum and her ex-boyfriend (his mums ex-boyfriend was violent toward his mum and he witness it as well). J was worried that this might happen again since his mums ex-boyfriend was back into his mums life and sleeps over sometimes at the family home. I informed the school about this revelation since it was a school referral and also because J had mentioned that any time his mums ex sleeps over it affects him and his behaviour at school becomes disruptive due to the worrie s he has. When I passed this information to the school authorities, the school also informed Js mum about it which I felt was not appropriate due to the fact that Js mum had been very wary as to what information or issues J would reveal to professionals. In my email I also pointed out the fact that the trust and confidence J had towards me could be undermined since his mum got informed about this although it was suppose to be confidential among professionals. Reflection and Evaluation of my practice In this case study, I felt that the school authorities should have acted more professionally. They should have contacted me first before informing Js mum but this was not the case. I only got to know that they had informed Js mum when she asked me questions or tried to clarify the issues that J had revealed to me. Although, this situation didnt mar my professional relationship with the school authorities at the time, it has made me wary of how much information I can share with other professionals and how that particular information should be treated (if very confidential). I felt that I had eroded the trust and confidence between J and I because his mum got to know about what J had revealed to me although he did not want her knowing. Order to maintain the trust and confidence we had, I should have sought Js consent first. Also the school should have contacted me first before informing Js mum so that my trust and confidence in the school could be maintained as well. I also felt that this broken trust and confidence might extend to other professions who might be working with J in future. This experience could therefore distance J from other professionals (including myself). He might view all professionals as untrustworthy and as enemies rather helpers. This therefore meant that I did uphold public trust and confidence in social care services as enshrined in the code of practice for social workers (TOPPS, 2004) I felt that J was very opened and honest to me. He had trust and confidence in me as well. I listened to him as a friend in a professional capacity which I feel he needed. However, I felt I let him down in this situation because he was not made aware that his mum would be informed (issue of consent). This issue of confidentiality posed as a big ethical dilemma for me, in that I questioned myself whether it was right for the school to have informed Js mum about his revelation? Have I broken Js trust and confidence by informing the school about this? And am I right to question the school authorities why they shared the information with Js mum even though the referral was made by the school. These were ethical dilemmas I was faced with before emailing the Learning mentor. I was therefore aware of these ethical dilemmas and conflict of interest and the implication to my practice (social work value A). However, not sharing the information could also mean that I would be held responsible for my actions if something went wrong. Furthermore, I felt this could have been an issue of potential discrimination, in that the school had overlooked the effect on J, and also the relationship between mother and son, this could have potentially estranged Js relationship with his mum, the school and even me. If this happened, he would be reluctant in dealing with professionals and this may pose as a barrier to him accessing the needed support he may require. Theories used in case study In this case study, the gathering and use of information was the main focus. Establishing service user confidentiality is as important as providing the need/service for him/her. However, though the issue of confidentiality is usually negotiated and established during the agreement meeting with the service user, there are lots of ethical dilemmas surrounding this (as to whom you can share the information with and how much of that information can be shared. Seden (2005) mentioned clearly that in working with Children services it is particularly difficult to have total confidentiality because a child may reveal something or an issue in confidence which may be a child protection issue. And as a professional you would have to share this information with others so that prompt action can be taken. It highlights the fact that in child protection issues, safeguarding and promoting the childs welfare is paramount (Children Act 1989) rather than confidentiality. Yet the Data protection Act 1998 and my previous placement agencys policy on confidentiality also informed me of my practice. In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998, it entreats all agencies that have access to peoples personal information to keep it safe and must only use the information solely for the purpose for which the information was sought. It also means that if personal information about people fall into the wrong hands it can be used maliciously and our right to private and family life (Human Rights Act 1998) could be contravened. Personal data can further be use to enforce discriminatory and oppressive practice by using it to categorise people in terms of service delivery. Another important theory in this case study was multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working. The Working together document (DOH, 2006) highlights the importance of multidisciplinary and inter agency working in children work force. This document was put together by Department Of Health, Department for Education and Employment and the Home Office. It serves as a guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children as well. In my first placement setting, it was good practice to liaise with the lead professional/organisation that carried out the assessment and referred the case to my agency. All relevant information and process of the intervention were shared with the other agencies involved. In this way I was working according to my agency policy of liaising with other agencies, following the legal requirement of the working together document and meeting unit 17 of the National Occupational Standards (TOPPS 2004). In doing so I was able to communicate effective ly with other professionals and this also facilitated information sharing between professionals. Theories of Reflection Using the case study as a reference point, I realised that most of the reflection I did took place after the event. This is what Schà ¶n (1998) referred to as reflection-on-action. According to Schà ¶n (1998), reflection-on-action therefore means that as a professional, I only sit back after I have undertaken the intervention to think about what I did, how I did and whether there were any ethical considerations I took for granted. In doing so I am able to analyse and critical evaluate my actions and practice and improve on my shortcoming. For example, in the case study scenario, I realised that the trust and confidence J had in me was eroded once his mum was informed about his revelation to me. Had I reflected before the event or during my meeting with J (reflection-in-action), I would have made him aware that his mum would hear about it and hence J and I could have come to an amicable agreement as to how to inform his mum. This might have provided a more positive outcome rather th an the presented outcome in the case study. This same model of reflection-on-action can be related to Gibbs model of reflection. In Gibbs (1988) model, he identified six key stages of reflection; Stage 1: Description of the event A detailed description of the event you are reflecting on. Stage 2: Feelings and Thoughts (Self awareness) Recalling and exploring those things that were going on inside your head. Stage 3: Evaluation- making a judgment about what has happened. Consider what was good about the experience and what was bad about the experience or what did or didnt go so well Stage 4: Analysis- Breaking the event down into its component parts so they can be explored separately. Stage 5: Conclusion (Synthesis) -Here you have explored the issue from different angles and have a lot of information to base your judgement. It is here that you are likely to develop insight into you own and other peoples behaviour in terms of how they contributed to the outcome of the event. The purpose of reflection at this stage is to learn from the experience. Stage 6: Action Plan-During this stage you should think forward into encountering the event again and to plan what you would do would you act differently or would you likely to do the same? These six stages of Gibbs model serve as aiding tools to help professionals critically reflect on their experiences. For instance, through detail description in my case study I am able reflect on my feelings and thoughts towards the school authorities and how my actions may have affected the welfare of J. I have also been able to identify that I did not promote the social work code of practice (upholding public trust and confidence in social services). When faced with a similar situation like this in future or in practice, I believe I would think critically and reflect critically before passing information to other professionals with the view that the information will be used solely for the intended purpose. However, another reflective model is that developed by David Kolb (1984) on experiential learning. Kolb (1984) created his famous model out of four elements: concrete experience, observation and reflection, the formation of abstract concepts and testing in new situations. These entire four elements are connected in a circular way. Kolb (1984) argued that the experiential learning cycle can begin at any one of the four points and that it should really be consider as a continuous and unending process. Meaning, the learning process often begins with a person carrying out a particular action and then seeing the effect of the action in the given event or intervention. Following this, the second stage is reached in which the professional/learner understands these effects in the event or intervention so that if the same action was taken in the same circumstances it would be possible to anticipate what would follow from the action. With this understanding, the third stage is to understand th e general principle under which the particular instance happens. Generalising may involve actions over a range of situations/events for the professional or learner to gain experience beyond the particular instance and suggest the general principle. Understanding the general principle does not imply, in this sequence, an ability to express the principle in a symbolic medium but rather implies only the ability to see a connection between the actions and effects over a range of circumstances. When the general principle is understood, the last stage is the application through action in a new circumstance within the range of generalisations. Thus the action is taking place in a different set of circumstances and the learner is now able to anticipate the possible effects of the action. Two aspects can be seen as especially noteworthy: the use of concrete, here-and-now experience to test ideas; and use of feedback to change practices and theories (Kolb 1984: 21-22). Relating Kolb model to my case study, I felt that by emailing my concerns to the school mentor about how the information was treated seemed a more professional way of dealing with the issue. As the school authorities later apologised to me about their actions. I do believe that if I am faced with a similar situation with other professionals I would elegantly challenge their actions in a similar manner as I have done before and if it works I might generalise that this approach works well. This would therefore give me new meaning and a new perspective as to how to work with other professional collaborative in achieving the desired outcomes for service users. Feedback from my peers. During the learning sets meetings, I presented his case study to my peers and one the learning points from them was that I had assumed that the school authorities would not inform Js mum about the revelation and because of that I hadnt insisted on them keeping the information as confidential as possible until such a time when consent had been sought from J. I in my view this is what Brookfield (1988) called assumption analysis in critical reflection. To him, Assumption analysis describes the activity adults engage in to bring to awareness beliefs, values, cultural practices, and social structures regulating behaviour and to assess their impact on our dad to day activities. Assumptions may therefore be paradigmatic, prescriptive, or causal (Brookfield 1995). He stresses that assumptions structure our way of seeing reality, govern our behavior, and describe how relationships should be ordered. Assumption analysis as a first step in the critical reflection process makes explicit our tak enà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœforà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœgranted notions of reality. Members of the learning set also raised my awareness to the fact that the underlying assumption I had about the case could possibly being derived from my own beliefs, value base, cultural and social background, agency policies, my gender and race. Brookfield (1995) highlighted this by noting that a contextual awareness is achieved when adult learners come to realise that their assumptions are socially and personally created in a specific historical and cultural context. I should therefore have been self aware of the influences my personal, cultural and social (Thompson, 2006) may have had in the given case study. Also, the learning sets helped me to unearthing or understand more about the power imbalances that exist between service users and professionals. One of my group members made it clear that possibly the school authorities acted the way they did because they had the power to do so and as a way of proving to his mum that the boys problem was generated from home rather at school because the mum blames the school authorities constantly for her sons behaviour. According to Mandell (2008), power affects the experience and behaviour of both the practitioner and service user and so the practitioner needs to ask, or be asked, where does power lie in his/her relationship, how does it operate and who is defining the character and direction of whats taking place. Therefore, to be a critical reflective practitioner I need to acknowledge the power imbalances in my practice before making decisions or embarking on a course of action. Its also important for me to consider all the angles and checks out all the details before taking the plunge (Payne, 2002, p124) so that a more opened, honest, fair, just, anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice can be achieved in my service delivery. The case study analysis with my peers provided me yet with another very important learning point. Thus, in sharing the information with the school authorities, I was focusing more on the theory (the Every Child Matters and working together agenda) for off the peg solution (Thompson, 2005, p146) or what Schà ¶n (1998) calls technical rationality, the belief that well developed theory can provide solutions for professionals. Rather, I should have used both my theoretical background and past experiences to help inform me of my practice. This would have had a more balancing effect or less impact on J. With this now, I am confident that my decisions and actions in future placements would be drawn from my theoretical or formal knowledge and that of my past experiences or informal knowledge. Conclusion Summing up, I feel that this unit has provided me with greater insight about how my actions or decisions are influenced by my belief system, culture, values, gender, religion, assumptions, political and social orientation. It have also learnt that drawing from the views of others, I would be able to see the issue or problem from a different perspective and this might help me develop a new meaning of the event. Mezirow (2000) called the process of developing this new meaning of the event as perspective transformation. I now also understand that as a social worker, t would have draw on knowledge from all sources (theoretical and non-theoretical) in order to address the messy complexities of real-life situations and to consider each individual situation or event unique (Yelloly Henkel, 1995). Therefore, the way forward for me as a social worker is to critical reflect on the use of self, the awareness of power imbalances (deconstruction) and the development of new meaning/ perspective( re-construction) illustrated by Howe (2008).

Water Imagery in the Works of Eudora Welty, Teresa de la Parra, Kate Ch

Water Imagery in the Works of Eudora Welty, Teresa de la Parra, Kate Chopin, and Marà ­a Luisa Bombal â€Å"’The pouring-down rain, the pouring down rain’ –was that what she was saying over and over, like a song?†. Eudora Welty, â€Å"A Piece of News† â€Å" Usually I prefer to stay at the pool because there the river holds a serene and mysterious charm for me†. (Por regla general yo prefiero quedarme en la toma, porque es alla en donde el rio tiene para mi aquel encanto sereno y misterioso). Teresa de la Parra, Iphigenia (The Diary of a Young Lady Who Wrote Because She Was Bored) (Ifigenia (Diario de una seà ±orita que se escribà ³ porque se fastidiaba)) â€Å" The voice of the sea speaks to the soul†. Kate Chopin, The Awakening â€Å" And like this, naked and golden, I dive into the water† (Y asi, desnuda y dorada, me sumerjo en el estanque). Marà ­a Luisa Bombal, The Final Mist (La à ºltima niebla) Water imagery occurs repeatedly in the works of Eudora Welty, Teresa de la Parra, Kate Chopin, and Marà ­a Luisa Bombal suggesting that it is intimately connected with the inner worlds of the female protagonists in these stories. The storm dramatizes Ruby’s death fantasy in â€Å"A Piece of News† by Eudora Welty. The river provides a place for Marà ­a Eugenia to express herself in Iphigenia (The Diary of a Young Lady Who Wrote Because She Was Bored) (Ifigenia (Diario de una senorita que se escribo porque se fastidiaba)) by Teresa de la Parra. The sea elicits Edna’s deepest desires in The Awakening by Kate Chopin, and the mist triumphs over the nameless narrator’s attempt to escape death in The Final Mist (La à ºltima niebla) by Marà ­a Luisa Bombal. According to Carl Gustav Jung, water is the commonest symbol for the unco... ...h. Furthermore, Jung’s explanation of water as â€Å"carnality heavy with passion† is linked with life, or the conception of children. However passion is also linked with death, because extreme passion is traditionally linked with sinfulness, which leads us to death rather than to eternal life in the Christian tradition (Archetypes 19). Jung also writes of â€Å"the longing to attain rebirth through the return to the mother’s womb† and the idea that the mother’s womb is described using water imagery (207). Water thus links death, passion, birth, and life. But for the protagonists in these stories, these forces are somewhat out of sync. Failures of individuation, and the completion of transformational journeys which lead to madness, resignation, and death point to an inability of the characters to reconcile their wants and needs with their actual lives.

AT&T Case Study Essay

1. Introduction In this report we will identify business risk that AT&T experienced due to their divestiture in 1982. We will conduct our analysis based on financial concepts, and finally recommend necessary actions that should have been conducted when the company formulated its financial policy in 1983. 2. AT&T Background AT&T was founded in 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell. Prior to the divestiture AT&T had been a force to be reckoned with for over a century within the telephone service industry. Before the divestiture the company served over 80% of the US telecommunications users. The sale of these services took place at their 22 local subsidiaries. AT&T was the largest enterprise in the world with total assets of $137.8 billion and revenue of $58.1 billion. Given the size of the company they had hired a total of 1,060,378 workers. With a total number of 3,055,495 shareholders, where 95.3% held less than 600 shares each. Ever since 1885 AT&T had continued to pay its dividend to the shareholders, they never lowered the payment. The divestiture that AT&T experienced was a result of an agreement of the Justice Department’s antitrust suit against the company in 1982, which required a major rearrangement of AT&T’s capital structure. The agreement lead to several changes in the structure of the company, and one major change that had a significant impact on the company was how they managed their distribution channels. Prior to the divestiture they sold their services through their 22 local telephone subsidiaries, the company would now be spun off into seven independent regional corporations; NYNEX, (N.Y. Telephone and New England Telephone), Bell Atlantic (N.J. Bell, Bell of Pennsylvania, Diamond State Telephone and four Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Companies), Bell South (South Central Bell and Southern Bell), Ameritech (Indiana Bell, Michigan Bell, Illinois Bell, Wisconsin Bell and Ohio Bell), U.S. West (Mountain Bell, Pacific Northwest Bell and Northwestern Bell), Southwestern Bell (Southwestern Bell) and Pacific Telesis (Pacific Telephone, Nevada Bell). 3. Historical Financial Policy AT&T’s overall financial policy, including target debt ratio and interest coverage, was designed to maintain an AAA bond rating, which allowed them to reduce borrowing cost and in addition make sure that funds were available in periods of severe financial dislocation. The dividend policy was relatively conservative for a utility with a target payout ratio of 60% and an actual payout of 58-67%. Their low payout ratio was determined by AT&T’s large capital requirements and the desire to provide some protection for maintaining the stability of dividends. Stockholders reinvested approximately one third of the dividends. Due to the increased competition and the volatile regulatory climate, AT&T returned to a more conservative financial policy. Between late 1970 and 1980 the managers were reluctant to issue more equity through sales of stocks because the company’s market value was below its book value per share. However, the financial history shows that AT&T allowed in vestors to purchase new stocks using their current dividends at 95% of current market price. 4. Principal Problem AT&T’s principal problem was not the need to raise funds to finance investments, but whether the debt and equity ratios were appropriate for the â€Å"new† AT&T. This needs to correspond with the company’s financial and strategic goals, and be adapted to the market and uncertainties that the company is facing. AT&T’s strategic goal has been to please the potential stockholders categorized as widows and orphans. Widows and orphans are used to describe stocks with a relatively high degree of safety and a stable dividend income. Due to changes in the market and uncertainties that the company was facing, their strategic goals needed to be changed. The change  was however not reflected in their balance sheet. We will further discuss what led to this situation, and give a recommendation on the changes that should have been made prior to the divestiture in 1984. 5. Pre Divestiture Business Risk As a consequence of the governments intervention, the AT&T lawsuit settlement, as well as the shift in the telecommunication industry, it was clear that AT&Ts local telecommunication business was slowly moving away from a monopoly franchise environment. It was moving towards a more competitive environment characterized with more consumer choice and greater competition. Companies such as IBM saw the divestiture of AT&T as an opportunity to provide new telecommunication equipment and services, which would allow them to gain a higher market share. AT&T’s stock had up till then been regarded as a stable utility-type stock because of its steady growth and consistent dividend yield. However, AT&T should have kept in mind that they would not have as much market control in the future as they did prior the divestiture, much due to the intensifying competition and regulatory environment changes. Firstly, the antitrust lawsuit followed by a sudden divestiture could cause uncertainties to wards the company’s future and might change the shareholders perception of AT&T in an unfortunate way. Second, the seven new corporations would be highly independent, and therefore a major rearrangement of the capital structure would be vital. It is likely that every corporation would differ in terms of e.g. management style and financial performance. These changes could mean that AT&Ts reputation of being a safe and profitable investment could shift to become more volatile and riskier for its shareholders. Finally, AT&T had relied for a long time on their old and out-dated patents, which included old machinery, equipment and plants in order to create profit. As more and more competitors emerged with new technologies and services, AT&T needed to keep up with all changes in the market. As a result of the divestiture the R&D was reduced at Bell Laboratories and the development-part was eventually intergraded into the Western Electric division. After these changes many concerns arose relating to the future profitability of Western Electric (WE). Firstly, they were concerned that WE might not be able to attain marketing and product development skills that were vital in operating in the  newly competitive markets. The main reason for this is that the workforce was used to working in a captive market, where competitors were almost non-existent. Secondly, WE’s manufacturing labor force had become unionized at the same time, as their plants were old. This meant that WE would have to invest in R&D to make sure that their competitors did not exceed them. Their unionized workforce would lead to a considerable increase in salary and WE would have to follow the regulations that were set by the labor union. As a consequence these factors would most likely affect both the firm’s market share and eventually the stock price in a negative way. 6. Analysis and Recommendation 6.1 The New Capital Structure Spin-offs often provide a unique setting to assess various capital structures, because one observes the initial capital structure of a mature firm. In a spin-off, a subsidiary is fully divested from a parent and becomes a stand-alone entity. Before this happens, the subsidiary is not able to issue new equity, and is dependent on the parent to finance its capital investments. When the divestiture has occurred, the firm’s assets are divided between the subsidiaries followed by a new capital structure of the independent firms. The total outstanding debt would be assumed divided between the seven regional operating companies, hence the sharply reduced total debt that is projected in the 1984 balance sheet. There is also reason to believe that AT&T chose to reduce $725 million of their total outstanding debt in 1982, which lead to the reduction in the debt ratio the same year. When looking at the projected balance sheet one can see that the total debt would be stable at the sum of $9.3 billion from 1983 to 1988, which equals a decrease of $37.8 billon from 1982. However, due to tax deduction the cost of issuing new debt is lower than using equity. This would mean that AT&T should issue new debt in order to create a balance when financing the investment in R&D, and rather use more of the company’s equity to set up an account with emergency funds that will function as a safety net given the unpredictable times ahead. 6.2 The New Distribution Policy When establishing a distribution policy, one size does not fit all. Some  firms produce a lot of cash but have limited investment opportunities. This applies for firms in profitable and mature industries where few opportunities for growth exist. Such firms typically distribute a large percentage of their cash to shareholders, thereby attracting investment clienteles that prefer high dividends. AT&T was in such an industry, but after the removal of the monopoly, the market became more volatile. During periods of market volatility, there are investment opportunities if you know where to look. In such markets the firms generally distribute little or no cash but enjoy rising earnings and stock prices, and thereby attracting investors who prefer capital gains. AT&T should have adapted to the changes in the market, which required more financial flexibility and a stronger balance sheet. A ‘strong’ balance sheet should consist of liabilities that are considerably outweighed by assets. If a company is having problems, the balance sheet (together with the cash flow statement) will tell you whether it can stand the strain. 6.2.1 Dividend Pay-out As mentioned above, AT&T has had a steady increase in dividends payout until the announcement of the divestiture in 1982. The company decided to reevaluate the amount of dividends and keep it steady at $5.40 per share. AT&T had been a market leader in this industry for a long time, yet their equipment and patents were old, as they had not invested in R&D development. In order for AT&T to have a stronger balance sheet and become more financial flexible in the face of the divestiture, AT&T should have cut their dividend payout much earlier. The company might have been afraid to cut the dividend since this often gives a signaling effect that the firm does not expect high earnings in the future. However, given that AT&T was forced into this divestiture, changes had to be made. An alternative measure could therefore have been to make a change in the dividend policy. This could be seen as a risky move, yet if communicated in an appropriate and thoughtful way the shareholders might understa nd that this was necessary for the company’s future growth. Another supporting factor is that approximately one third of the dividends payout were reinvested by AT&Ts stockholders, which shows that the current dividend payout was not very essential to some of the shareholders. 6.2.2 Repurchase of Stock The firm should also have repurchased stock some years after the dividend cut, to bolster the share price. Repurchase have a tax advantage over dividends as a way to distribute income to stockholders. Repurchase provides cash to stockholders who want cash while allowing those who do not need current cash. Moreover, repurchase announcements are viewed as positive signals by investors because the repurchase is often motivated by management’s belief that the firms shares are undervalued. Finally, repurchases is a effective way to produce large-scale changes in capital structures. 6.3 New Investment Plan The company should at the same time start looking for new possibilities and investments in order to overcome these volatile times. An alternative could have been to invest in R&D e.g. by acquiring a small company with the knowledge and expertise that were required in order to compete and be sustainable in the industry. By doing so they would expand their workforce with people who had more knowledge about the newer technology and therefore been better equipped when facing the challenges ahead. Not only would this allow AT&T to gain more human capital, but they would also gain newer equipment. It is also said that more good investments will most likely lead to a lower dividend payout, which supports our recommendation of changing the dividend policy. 6.4 Maintaining a Top-Level Credit Rating AT&T’s overall financial policy, including target debt ratio and interest coverage, was designed to maintain an AAA bond rating, which allowed them to reduce borrowing cost and in addition make sure that funds were available in periods of severe financial dislocation. As mentioned earlier AT&T worked hard to maintain the AAA rating, both through debt ratio and interest coverage. Although it should be noted that AT&T’s debt ratio of 43% was close to fall under the AA ratings. This would have resulted in an increase in average interest cost of 0.7% equal an expenditure of $335.3 million in borrowing cost. Based on this one can conclude that this was a wise decision given the circumstances, and the company should therefore keep their focus on this in the future. A top-level credit ranking will not only give AT&T better conditions when issuing new debt, but also allow them to emerge as a more attractive investment to current and potential new shareholders. Conclusion Due to the antitrust lawsuit and the shift in the telecommunication industry, AT&T needed to adjust their financial and organizational strategy in order to adapt to the changing environment. The main purpose of this report has been to identify the risk involved with the divestiture, and find ways to face the challenges ahead. The report recommends a new capital structure policy, where AT&T should issue new debt for further investments rather than using equity. For the distribution policy, dividends should be cut and thereafter consider repurchasing stocks. Furthermore, the company should invest in a R&D through an acquisition of a small high-technology firm that will enable them to gain knowledge and be more innovative. Finally, AT&T should seek to maintain a top-level credit rating to reduce borrowing costs, to assure better conditions when issuing debt and last but not least to be a preferred firm for investors.