Task 310.2.1-05

Business ethics can be defined as â€Å"written and unwritten codes of principles and values that govern decisions and actions within a company. † (Love to Know, n. d. )  Behaving ethically is extremely important for businesses in order to cultivate an image of responsibility and grow a loyal customer base. Companies have a moral obligation to help the communities from which they profit to grow and prosper. Company Q, a small local grocery store chain, has recently closed two stores. These stores were located in a high-crime area and the company reported that they consistently lost money. The area’s food bank requested that Company Q donate day-old merchandise, which management denied. The decision was made to throw away the unused food and the reasoning was that revenue might be lost due to stealing or fraud. Customers of Company Q began requesting more health-conscious and organic products years ago. The company decided to offer a limited amount of these high-margin items. Company Q is not acting in a socially responsible way by closing the stores in the high-crime areas. They had created a local brand and employed members of the community. By closing these two stores, Company Q would only be furthering the the decay of the community by creating more empty store fronts. Once the stores close, its employees would be without work. This will also contribute to the decline of the community. The loss of the local stores would be a hardship to residents, because they would have to spend more time and money to travel further to get the essential items they need. This added hardship would most likely have an effect on the community since there would be fewer resources available to help improve the community Company Q could help contribute to the revitalization of the local areas by increasing their presence in the community and expanding programs designed to engage and include community members. One way to help the company deal with the loss of money from these stores would be to create a more visible security presence. The visual deterrent of security guards, cameras and perhaps even increased police presence could help create a safer environment in which the residents could shop. The area food bank’s request for day-old product donations would be an xcellent way for Company Q to prove their commitment to the community. By helping the local food bank, Company Q would simultaneously help the community’s less fortunate citizens and it help improve their own corporate image. Community interaction and support should be intimately associated with the corporate well-being of the company, as good community stewardship is a very important factor in evaluating the value and social â€Å"worth† of the company. Throwing away food instead of donating it to needy food banks conveys the image that the company does not have a commitment to the community and its people. Neighborhood residents see food being thrown away that could help improve their lives and the lives of those around them and have no real incentive to help make sure that Company Q’s stores prosper in their area. The decision by management to not donate food due to fears of employee theft and fraud shows that the company has no faith in the employees that they have hired. By partnering with their employees and leading by example, Company Q could increase employee loyalty and help show the community that the company does care about them. Employees that are loyal to the company could go above and beyond in their pursuit to have their stores thrive. Offering a more robust organic foods and products selection would certainly benefit the community. Since these items are higher-margin items, the company would prosper even more. Acting in a more socially responsible and ethical manner could help Company Q keep the stores open that they are planning to close. It may also allow them to expand. References Love to Know Business (n. d) Retrieved from: http://business. lovetoknow. com/wiki/A_Definition_for_Business_Ethics, on December 8, 2011

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 34. Declared

I heard the music before I was out of the car. Edward hadn't touched his piano since the night Alice left. Now, as I shut the car door, I heard the song morph through a bridge and change into my lullaby. Edward was welcoming me home. I moved slowly as I pulled Renesmee – fast asleep; we'd been gone all day – from the car. We'd left Jacob at Charlie's – he'd said he was going to catch a ride home with Sue. I wondered if he was trying to fill his head with enough trivia to crowd out the image of the way my face had looked when I'd walked through Charlie's door. As I walked slowly to the Cullen house now, I recognized that the hope and uplift that seemed almost a visible aura around the big white house had been mine this morning, too. It felt alien to me now. I wanted to cry again, hearing Edward play for me. But I pulled it together. I didn't want him to be suspicious. I would leave no clues in his mind for Aro if I could help it. Edward turned his head and smiled when I came in the door, but kept playing. â€Å"Welcome home,† he said, as if this was just any normal day. As if there weren't twelve other vampires in the room involved in various pursuits, and a dozen more scattered around somewhere. â€Å"Did you have a good time with Charlie today?† â€Å"Yes. Sorry I was gone so long. I stepped out to do a little Christmas shopping for Renesmee. I know it won't be much of an event, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I shrugged. Edward's lips turned down. He quit playing and spun around on the bench so that his whole body was facing me. He put one hand on my waist and pulled me closer. â€Å"I hadn't thought much about it. If you want to make an event of it – â€Å" â€Å"No,† I interrupted him. I flinched internally at the idea of trying to fake more enthusiasm than the bare minimum. â€Å"I just didn't want to let it pass without giving her something.† â€Å"Do I get to see?† â€Å"If you want. It's only a little thing.† Renesmee was completely unconscious, snoring delicately against my neck. I envied her. It would have been nice to escape reality, even for just a few hours. Carefully, I fished the little velvet jewelry bag from my clutch without opening the purse enough for Edward to see the cash I was still carrying. â€Å"It caught my eye from the window of an antique store while I was driving by.† I shook the little golden locket into his palm. It was round with a slender vine border carved around the outside edge of the circle. Edward popped the tiny catch and looked inside. There was space for a small picture and, on the opposite side, an inscription in French. â€Å"Do you know what this says?† he asked in a different tone, more subdued than before. â€Å"The shopkeeper told me it said something along the lines of ‘more than my own life.' Is that right?† â€Å"Yes, he had it right.† He looked up at me, his topaz eyes probing. I met his gaze for a moment, then pretended to be distracted by the television. â€Å"I hope she likes it,† I muttered. â€Å"Of course she will,† he said lightly, casually, and I was sure in that second that he knew I was keeping something from him. I was also sure that he had no idea of the specifics. â€Å"Let's take her home,† he suggested, standing and putting his arm around my shoulders. I hesitated. â€Å"What?† he demanded. â€Å"I wanted to practice with Emmett a little___† I'd lost the whole day to my vital errand; it made me feel behind. Emmett – on the sofa with Rose and holding the remote, of course – looked up and grinned in anticipation. â€Å"Excellent. The forest needs thinning.† Edward frowned at Emmett and then at me. â€Å"There's plenty of time for that tomorrow,† he said. â€Å"Don't be ridiculous,† I complained. â€Å"There's no such thing as plenty of time anymore. That concept does not exist. I have a lot to learn and – â€Å" He cut me off. â€Å"Tomorrow.† And his expression was such that not even Emmett argued. i was surprised at how hard it was to go back to a routine that was, after all, brand new. But stripping away even that little bit of hope I'd been fostering made everything seem impossible. I tried to focus on the positives. There was a good chance that my daughter was going to survive what was coming, and Jacob, too. If they had a future, then that was a kind of victory, wasn't it? Our little band must be going to hold their own if Jacob and Renesmee were going to have the opportunity to run in the first place. Yes, Alice's strategy only made sense if we were going to put up a really good fight. So, a kind of victory there, too, considering that the Volturi had never been seriously challenged in millennia. It was not going to be the end of the world. Just the end of the Cullens. The end of Edward, the end of me. I preferred it that way – the last part anyway. I would not live without Edward again; if he was leaving this world, then I would be right behind him. I wondered idly now and then if there would be anything for us on the other side. I knew Edward didn't really believe so, but Carlisle did. I couldn't imagine it myself. On the other hand, I couldn't imagine Edward not existing somehow, somewhere. If we could be together in any place, then that was a happy ending. And so the pattern of my days continued, just that much harder than before. We went to see Charlie on Christmas Day, Edward, Renesmee, Jacob, and I. All of Jacob's pack were there, plus Sam, Emily, and Sue. It was a big help to have them there in Charlie's little rooms, their huge, warm bodies wedged into corners around his sparsely decorated tree – you could see exactly where he'd gotten bored and quit – and overflowing his furniture. You could always count on werewolves to be buzzed about a coming fight, no matter how suicidal. The electricity of their excitement provided a nice current that disguised my utter lack of spirit. Edward was, as always, a better actor than I was. Renesmee wore the locket I'd given her at dawn, and in her jacket pocket was the MP3 player Edward had given her – a tiny thing that held five thousand songs, already filled with Edward's favorites. On her wrist was an intricately braided Quileute version of a promise ring. Edward had gritted his teeth over that one, but it didn't bother me. Soon, so soon, I would be giving her to Jacob for safekeeping. How could I be bothered by any symbol of the commitment I was so relying on? Edward had saved the day by ordering a gift for Charlie, too. It had shown up yesterday – priority overnight shipping – and Charlie spent all morning reading the thick instruction manual to his new fishing sonar system. From the way the werewolves ate, Sue's lunch spread must have been good. I wondered how the gathering would have looked to an outsider. Did we play our parts well enough? Would a stranger have thought us a happy circle of friends, enjoying the holiday with casual cheer? I think Edward and Jacob both were as relieved as I was when it was time to go. It felt odd to spend energy on the human fagade when there were so many more important things to be doing. I had a hard time concentrating. At the same time, this was perhaps the last time I would see Charlie. Maybe it was a good thing that I was too numb to really register that. I hadn't seen my mother since the wedding, but I found I could only be glad for the gradual distancing that had begun two years ago. She was too fragile for my world. I didn't want her to have any part of this. Charlie was stronger. Maybe even strong enough for a goodbye now, but I wasn't. It was very quiet in the car; outside, the rain was just a mist, hovering on the edge between liquid and ice. Renesmee sat on my lap, playing with her locket, opening and closing it. I watched her and imagined the things I would say to Jacob right now if I didn't have to keep my words out of Edward's head. If its ever safe again, take her to Charlie. Tell him the whole story someday. Tell him how much I loved him, how I couldn't bear to leave him even when my human life was over. Tell him he was the best father. Tell him to pass my love on to Renee, all my hopes that she will be happy and well†¦. I would have to give Jacob the documents before it was too late. I would give him a note for Charlie, too. And a letter for Renesmee. Something for her to read when I couldn't tell her I loved her anymore. There was nothing unusual about the outside of the Cullen house as we pulled into the meadow, but I could hear some kind of subtle uproar inside. Many low voices murmured and growled. It sounded intense, and it sounded like an argument. I could pick out Carlisle's voice and Amun's more often than the others. Edward parked in front of the house rather than going around to the garage. We exchanged one wary glance before we got out of the car. Jacob's stance changed; his face turned serious and careful. I guessed that he was in Alpha mode now. Obviously, something had happened, and he was going to get the information he and Sam would need. â€Å"Alistair is gone,† Edward murmured as we darted up the steps. Inside the front room, the main confrontation was physically apparent. Lining the walls was a ring of spectators, every vampire who had joined us, except for Alistair and the three involved in the quarrel. Esme, Kebi, and Tia were the closest to the three vampires in the center; in the middle of the room, Amun was hissing at Carlisle and Benjamin. Edward's jaw tightened and he moved quickly to Esme's side, towing me by the hand. I clutched Renesmee tightly to my chest. â€Å"Amun, if you want to go, no one is forcing you to stay,† Carlisle said calmly. â€Å"You're stealing half my coven, Carlisle!† Amun shrieked, stabbing one finger at Benjamin. â€Å"Is that why you called me here? To steal from me?† Carlisle sighed, and Benjamin rolled his eyes. â€Å"Yes, Carlisle picked a fight with the Volturi, endangered his whole family, just to lure me here to my death,† Benjamin said sarcastically. â€Å"Be reasonable, Amun. I'm committed to do the right thing here – I'm not joining any other coven. You can do whatever you want, of course, as Carlisle has pointed out.† â€Å"This won't end well,† Amun growled. â€Å"Alistair was the only sane one here. We should all be running.† â€Å"Think of who you're calling sane,† Tia murmured in a quiet aside. â€Å"We're all going to be slaughtered!† â€Å"It's not going to come to a fight,† Carlisle said in a firm voice. â€Å"You say!† â€Å"If it does, you can always switch sides, Amun. I'm sure the Volturi will appreciate your help.† Amun sneered at him. â€Å"Perhaps that is the answer.† Carlisle's answer was soft and sincere. â€Å"I wouldn't hold that against you, Amun. We have been friends for a long time, but I would never ask you to die for me.† Amun's voice was more controlled, too. â€Å"But you're taking my Benjamin down with you.† Carlisle put his hand on Amun's shoulder; Amun shook it off. â€Å"I'll stay, Carlisle, but it might be to your detriment. I will join them if that's the road to survival. You're all fools to think that you can defy the Volturi.† He scowled, then sighed, glanced at Renesmee and me, and added in an exasperated tone, â€Å"I will witness that the child has grown. That's nothing but the truth. Anyone would see that.† â€Å"That's all we've ever asked.† Amun grimaced, â€Å"But not all that you are getting, it seems.† He turned on Benjamin. â€Å"I gave you life. You're wasting it.† Benjamin's face looked colder than I'd ever seen it; the expression contrasted oddly with his boyish features. â€Å"It's a pity you couldn't replace my will with your own in the process; perhaps then you would have been satisfied with me.† Amun's eyes narrowed. He gestured abruptly to Kebi, and they stalked past us out the front door. â€Å"He's not leaving,† Edward said quietly to me, â€Å"but he'll be keeping his distance even more from now on. He wasn't bluffing when he spoke of joining the Volturi.† â€Å"Why did Alistair go?† I whispered. â€Å"No one can be positive; he didn't leave a note. From his mutters, it's been clear that he thinks a fight is inevitable. Despite his demeanor, he actually does care too much for Carlisle to stand with the Volturi. I suppose he decided the danger was too much.† Edward shrugged. Though our conversation was clearly just between the two of us, of course everyone could hear it. Eleazar answered Edward's comment like it had been meant for all. â€Å"From the sound of his mumblings, it was a bit more than that. We haven't spoken much of the Volturi agenda, but Alistair worried that no matter how decisively we can prove your innocence, the Volturi will not listen. He thinks they will find an excuse to achieve their goals here.† The vampires glanced uneasily at one another. The idea that the Volturi would manipulate their own sacrosanct law for gain was not a popular idea. Only the Romanians were composed, their small half-smiles ironic. They seemed amused at how the others wanted to think well of their ancient enemies. Many low discussions began at the same time, but it was the Romanians I listened to. Maybe because the fair-haired Vladimir kept shooting glances in my direction. â€Å"I do so hope Alistair was right about this,† Stefan murmured to Vladimir. â€Å"No matter the outcome, word will spread. It's time our world saw the Volturi for what they've become. They'll never fall if everyone believes this nonsense about them protecting our way of life.† â€Å"At least when we ruled, we were honest about what we were,† Vladimir replied. Stefan nodded. â€Å"We never put on white hats and called ourselves saints.† Tm thinking the time has come to fight,† Vladimir said. â€Å"How can you imagine well ever find a better force to stand with? Another chance this good?† â€Å"Nothing is impossible. Maybe someday – â€Å" â€Å"We've been waiting for fifteen hundred years, Stefan. And they've only gotten stronger with the years.† Vladimir paused and looked at me again. He showed no surprise when he saw that I was watching him, too. â€Å"If the Volturi win this conflict, they will leave with more power than they came with. With every conquest they add to their strengths. Think of what that newborn alone could give them† – he jerked his chin toward me – â€Å"and she is barely discovering her gifts. And the earth-mover.† Vladimir nodded toward Benjamin, who stiffened. Almost everyone was eavesdropping on the Romanians now, like me. â€Å"With their witch twins they have no need of the illusionist or the fire touch.† His eyes moved to Zafrina, then Kate. Stefan looked at Edward. â€Å"Nor is the mind reader is exactly necessary. But I see your point. Indeed, they will gain much if they win.† â€Å"More than we can afford to have them gain, wouldn't you agree?† Stefan sighed. â€Å"I think i must agree. And that means†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"That we must stand against them while there is still hope.† â€Å"If we can just cripple them, even, expose them †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Then, someday, others will finish the job.† â€Å"And our long vendetta will be repaid. At last.† They locked eyes for a moment and then murmured in unison. â€Å"It seems the only way.† â€Å"So we fight,† Stefan said. Though I could see that they were torn, self-preservation warring with revenge, the smile they exchanged was full of anticipation. â€Å"We fight,† Vladimir agreed. I suppose it was a good thing; like Alistair, I was sure the battle was impossible to avoid. In that case, two more vampires fighting on our side could only help. But the Romanians' decision still made me shudder. â€Å"We will fight, too,† Tia said, her usually grave voice more solemn than ever. â€Å"We believe the Volturi will overstep their authority. We have no wish to belong to them.† Her eyes lingered on her mate. Benjamin grinned and threw an impish glance toward the Romanians. â€Å"Apparently, I'm a hot commodity. It appears I have to win the right to be free.† â€Å"This won't be the first time I've fought to keep myself from a king's rule,† Garrett said in a teasing tone. He walked over and clapped Benjamin on the back. â€Å"Here's to freedom from oppression.† â€Å"We stand with Carlisle,† Tanya said. â€Å"And we fight with him.† The Romanians' pronouncement seemed to have made the others feel the need to declare themselves as well. â€Å"We have not decided/7Peter said. He looked down at his tiny companion; Charlotte's lips were set in dissatisfaction. It looked like she'd made her decision. I wondered what it was. â€Å"The same goes for me,† Randall said. â€Å"And me,† Mary added. â€Å"The packs will fight with the Cullens,† Jacob said suddenly. â€Å"We're not afraid of vampires,† he added with a smirk. â€Å"Children,† Peter muttered. â€Å"Infants,† Randall corrected. Jacob grinned tauntingly. â€Å"Well, I'm in, too,† Maggie said, shrugging out from under Siobhan's restraining hand. â€Å"I know truth is on Carlisle's side. I can't ignore that.† Siobhan stared at the junior member of her coven with worried eyes. â€Å"Carlisle,† she said as if they were alone, ignoring the suddenly formal feel of the gathering, the unexpected outburst of declarations, â€Å"I don't want this to come to a fight.† â€Å"Nor do I, Siobhan. You know that's the last thing I want.† He half-smiled. â€Å"Perhaps you should concentrate on keeping it peaceful.† â€Å"You know that won't help,† she said. I remembered Rose and Carlisle's discussion of the Irish leader; Carlisle believed that Siobhan had some subtle but powerful gift to make things go her way – and yet Siobhan didn't believe it herself. â€Å"It couldn't hurt,† Carlisle said. Siobhan rolled her eyes. â€Å"Shall I visualize the outcome I desire?† she asked sarcastically. Carlisle was openly grinning now. â€Å"If you don't mind.† â€Å"Then there is no need for my coven to declare itself, is there?† she retorted. â€Å"Since there is no possibility of a fight.† She put her hand back on Maggie's shoulder, pulling the girl closer to her. Siobhan's mate, Liam, stood silent and expressionless. Almost everyone else in the room looked mystified by Carlisle and Siobhan's clearly joking exchange, but they didn't explain themselves. That was the end of the dramatic speeches for the night. The group slowly dispersed, some off to hunt, some to while away the time with Carlisle's books or televisions or computers. Edward, Renesmee, and I went to hunt. Jacob tagged along. â€Å"Stupid leeches,† he muttered to himself when we got outside. â€Å"Think they're so superior.† He snorted. â€Å"They'll be shocked when the infants save their superior lives, won't they?† Edward said. Jake smiled and punched his shoulder. â€Å"Hell yeah, they will.† This wasn't our last hunting trip. We all would hunt again nearer to the time we expected the Volturi. As the deadline was not exact, we were planning to stay a few nights out in the big baseball clearing Alice had seen, just in case. All we knew was that they would come the day that the snow stuck to the ground. We didn't want the Volturi too close to town, and Demetri would lead them to wherever we were. I wondered who he would track in, and guessed that it would be Edward since he couldn't track me. I thought about Demetri while I hunted, paying little attention to my prey or the drifting snowflakes that had finally appeared but were melting before they touched the rocky soil. Would Demetri realize that he couldn't track me? What would he make of that? What would Aro? Or was Edward wrong? There were those little exceptions to what I could withstand, those ways around my shield. Everything that was outside my mind was vulnerable – open to the things Jasper, Alice, and Benjamin could do. Maybe Demetri's talent worked a little differently, too. And then I had a thought that brought me up short. The half-drained elk dropped from my hands to the stony ground. Snowflakes vaporized a few inches from the warm body with tiny sizzling sounds. I stared blankly at my bloody hands. Edward saw my reaction and hurried to my side, leaving his own kill undrained. â€Å"What's wrong?† he asked in a low voice, his eyes sweeping the forest around us, looking for whatever had triggered my behavior. â€Å"Renesmee,† I choked. â€Å"She's just through those trees,† he reassured me. â€Å"I can hear both her thoughts and Jacob's. She's fine.† â€Å"That's not what I meant,† I said. â€Å"I was thinking about my shield – you really think it's worth something, that it will help somehow. I know the others are hoping that I'll be able to shield Zafrina and Benjamin, even if I can only keep it up for a few seconds at a time. What if that's a mistake? What if your trust in me is the reason that we fail?† My voice was edging toward hysteria, though I had enough control to keep it low. I didn't want to upset Renesmee. â€Å"Bella, what brought this on? Of course, it s wonderful that you can protect yourself, but you're not responsible for saving anyone. Don't distress yourself needlessly.† â€Å"But what if I can't protect anything?† I whispered in gasps. â€Å"This thing I do, it's faulty, it's erratic! There's no rhyme or reason to it. Maybe it will do nothing against Alec at all.† â€Å"Shh,† he hushed me. â€Å"Don't panic. And don't worry about Alec. What he does is no different than what Jane or Zafrina does. It's just an illusion – he can't get inside your head any more than I can.† â€Å"But Renesmee does!† I hissed frantically through my teeth. â€Å"It seemed so natural, I never questioned it before. It's always been just part of who she is. But she puts her thoughts right into my head just like she does with everyone else. My shield has holes, Edward!† I stared at him desperately, waiting for him to acknowledge my terrible revelation. His lips were pursed, as if he was trying to decide how to phrase something. His expression was perfectly relaxed. â€Å"You thought of this a long time ago, didn't you?† I demanded, feeling like an idiot for my months of overlooking the obvious. He nodded, a faint smile pulling up one corner of his mouth. â€Å"The first time she touched you.† I sighed at my own stupidity, but his calm had mellowed me some. â€Å"And this doesn't bother you? You don't see it as a problem?† â€Å"I have two theories, one more likely than the other.† â€Å"Give me the least likely first.† â€Å"Well, she's your daughter,† he pointed out. â€Å"Genetically half you. I used to tease you about how your mind was on a different frequency than the rest of ours. Perhaps she runs on the same.† This didn't work for me. â€Å"But you hear her mind just fine. Everyone hears her mind. And what if Alec runs on a different frequency? What if – ?† He put a finger to my lips. â€Å"I've considered that. Which is why I think this next theory is much more likely.† I gritted my teeth and waited. â€Å"Do you remember what Carlisle said to me about her, right after she showed you that first memory?† Of course I remembered. â€Å"He said, It's an interesting twist. Like she's doing the exact opposite of what you can.'† â€Å"Yes. And so I wondered. Maybe she took your talent and flipped it, too.† I considered that. â€Å"You keep everyone out,† he began. â€Å"And no one keeps her out?† I finished hesitantly. â€Å"That's my theory,† he said. â€Å"And if she can get into your head, I doubt there's a shield on the planet who could keep her at bay. That will help. From what we've seen, no one can doubt the truth of her thoughts once they've allowed her to show them. And I think no one can keep her from showing them, if she gets close enough. If Aro allows her to explain___† I shuddered to think of Renesmee so close to Aro's greedy, milky eyes. â€Å"Well,† he said, rubbing my tight shoulders. â€Å"At least there's nothing that can stop him from seeing the truth.† â€Å"But is the truth enough to stop him?† I murmured. For that, Edward had no answer.

The level of interest within Generation Y towards social network Essay

The level of interest within Generation Y towards social network marketing - Essay Example This study would further help marketers to understand the tools that would work for both generations and how to effectively target these generations. The research would also be helpful for the developers of SNSs as it would provide them with an insight towards the users and the needs of the market. They would then be able to develop or modify their social network according to the needs of the target market. This may even help in developing a better SNS and its business end. Social Networking has become the greatest trend in the last few decades. People from all generations are linking with their friends and families through social networking. In this respect, social networking provides a great opportunity for marketers to target all kinds of generations and specifically Generation Y. Generation Y is the generation that was born between 1978 and 1991. This generation is also known as the Net Generation on account on their frequent use of the internet. Generation Y has been recorded as the greatest users of social networking with Generation X slowly catching up. Generation X is the generation born between the early 1960s and the early 1980s. Generation Y has been brought up at a time when technology was at its peak and thus this Generation grew up with the Internet. This was a reason that Generation Y was quick to get addicted to social networks. They even developed social networks in the form of Facebook and quickly became every day users. Generation Y saw these sites as a way of presenting them selves and their opinions. They made maximum use of the features of social networks by uploading pictures, videos, comments, tweets, status etc in order to connect with their friends. Generation Y remains connected with their friends through these networks and even relies on these friends to guide them in their purchasing decisions. Generation X, on the other hand, was not the initial users of social networks but being flexible, they quickly adopted the trend. Generation X’s usage of social networks has grown rapidly in the last few years as this generation uses social networks mainly to maintain their connection with their friends and family and also to remain updated with the latest trends. In order to target this generation, marketers have to rely on honesty since honesty sells for this generation. This generation demands respect from their brands and loyalty is earned through consistent performance. 1.2 Significance of the Study The growing popularity of social networking sites (SNSs)

TOYOTA Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

TOYOTA - Research Paper Example Introduction Toyota Motor Corporation was started in 1933 in Japan. It is a business dealer in automobile as well as finance services and housing deals. The company stands as the leader in the automobile industry followed by general motors and other car manufacturing industries (Jeffrey, 2004). The company has its wings spread all over the world supplying cars. It makes about 40% of all vehicles in the world selling half in its domestic market and the rest international. It has 511 subsidiaries and 217 associate companies by the end of March, 2011. It has been argued that the company sells its merchandise at very high cost leading to abnormal profits (Bill, 2011). The credit rating of Toyota has gone down from AA to AA minus accordingly to the scores rates. RATIO ANALYSIS FOR TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATIONS Liquidity Ratios Current Ratio = Total Current Assets/ Total Current Liabilities 1.02 1.03 1.08 Acid Test = Total quick assets/ Total current liabilities 0.89 0.90 0.95 (Total quick ass et = total current assets minus inventory) 9937715.00 9816617.00 10226262.00 Activity Ratios Inventory turnover= cost of goods/ inventory 11.33 11.67 13.34 Day sales outstanding = receivables/ sales/360 109.35 104.12 96.44 Total ASSET Turnover (TAT)= total assets/ inventory 19.62 19.86 21.16 Leveraged ratios Equity ratio = total owners’ equity/ total assets 0.35 0.35 0.35 Debt ratio/Debt to asset Ratio= total liabilities/ total assets 0.65 0.65 0.65 Debt to Equity Ratio = Total Liabilities / Owners Equity or Net Worth 1.87 1.83 1.86 Profit Ratios Gross Profit Margins (GPM) = (Net gross Profit / Net Sales) x 100 12.52 11.96 10.10 Net Profit Margin (NPM)= (Net profit/net sales)*100 2.15 1.11 -2.13 Return on capital invested (ROCI) 0.05 0.03 -0.05 Return on Assets (ROA) = (Net Profit / Total Assets) x 100 1.42 0.74 -1.49 Return on Equity= (Net Profit / Net Worth or Owners Equity) x 100 (Wilbert, 2007) 4.07 2.09 -4.27 Shareholders return ratios Dividend yield = dividend per share / market price 0.62 0.56 2.46 Price earnings ratio= market per share/ earnings per share 0.62 1.21 -0.29 Income statements FOR TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATIONS 2011 2010 2009 Revenue 18993688.00 18950973.00 20529570.00 cost of revenue 16615326.00 16683797.00 18455800.00 Gross profit 2378362.00 2267176.00 2073770.00 Total selling/general/ administrative expenses 1910083.00 2119660.00 2534781.00 other operating expenses 0.00 0.00 0.00 operating income 468279.00 147516.00 -461011.00 less other non-operating expenses 19253.00 30886.00 -189140.00 income before tax 563290.00 291468.00 -560381.00 less income tax 312821.00 92664.00 -56442.00 net income before extra-ordinary items 250469.00 198804.00 -503939.00 MI -57302.00 -34756.00 24278.00 equity in affiliates 215016.00 45408.00 42724.00 net Income 408183.00 209456.00 -436937.00 dividend paid (figures in millions) 156791.00 141120.00 313551.00 number of shares (figure in millions) 3135.91 3135.99 3140.42 dividend per share 50.00 45.00 99.84 earn ings per share 130.17 66.79 -139.13 market price 80.54 80.54 40.51 Balance sheet FOR TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION 2011 2010 2009 total receivables 5,769,135.00 5,481,099.00 5,499,378.00 Total inventory 1465876 1429363 1383782 Total current assets 11403591 11245980 11610044 Total assets 28761679.00 28387556.00 29284861.00 Total current liabilities 11173520.00 10932580.00 10787814.00 total liabilities 18737812.00 18371123.00 19043857.00 total equity 10023867.00 10016433.00

Media, Culture and Identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Media, Culture and Identity - Essay Example The media therefore plays an important role in the formation of a cultural identity because of the vital role that it (the media) plays in the communication process. It is seen that communication is an important part in the formation of a cultural identity as it is the means through which people interact and through the interaction, the culture is transmitted. The media is therefore seen to play a vital role in the formation and in the transmission of cultural identity for different people. The media is important in that it facilitates the process of communication between the different people in a community. By facilitating the process of communication, the media makes a major contribution in the creation and in the spread of culture. The media also has an important role in the evolution of the different cultural practices. The media can be said to extend the human capability to create, spread, and store messages. By extension, the media also enhances the human capability to engage i n activities that are relevant to the different aspects of culture. When the process of communication is facilitated, the cultural practices can be spread. What is seen in the media is also a reflection of the cultural activities that are being engaged in by the people in the society (Gentz and Kramer 2). The increase in the consumption of media has been instrumental in the formation of identity. The introduction of new media and new media technologies has been linked to the formation of new patterns of identification. The cultural orientation of a given group of people and the way that people identify themselves change when they begin to consume the different kinds of new media and new technologies that are available to them. An example of the new media and media technology that has influenced the way people identify themselves and their cultural identity is the increased uptake of satellite television and the increased use of the internet. This is because of the interconnectedness and the high level of interaction that is offered by the new media. Media plays an important role in the formation of culture and identity in that it has increased the level of mobility that the community has access to. The mobility that the media offers is from the increased access to symbolic world that is enabled by the media. The media technology also brings change in cultural identity in that it increases the level of self sufficiency among the members of the given community. The interdependence that is offered by the media has led to a situation in which the global events and happenings have a major impact on the local culture. The local cultures of those who consume the media assimilate the culture of those that they watch and read about from the different media sources. The media is a major source of information as well as a source of cultural information. When it comes to transmitting cultural information the different actors and events in the media are typified into the d ifferent codes. They (actors and events) are also made to generic forms that are in line with the culture of a given society. The media through the different actors and events recreates the codes through which the events and actors are interpreted. The physical and social institutions as well as the cultural spaces have been reconstructed by the media, through the introduction of unlimited access to events and actors that are not physically

Credit Crunch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Credit Crunch - Essay Example But on that modest base, it builds an enormous balance sheet of two huge towers of cash: one of money borrowed, and the other of money lent or invested† (Davis). Banks thought that whatever the money they collected from the public in the savings accounts or term deposits need to be lent for a higher rate in order to make profit. So they tried to give loans to anybody approaching them without analyzing or checking the borrower’s financial capabilities. The high spending American people approached the banks for everything whenever they are in financial requirements and the banks were ready to satisfy them. â€Å"The American subprime mortgage firms, who made a rash of bad loans to people with poor credit, can find little to excuse their behavior† (Who is to Blame for Credit Crunch) Repayment period of loans allotted to the public was also fixed by the banks without any vision or purpose. Long periods were allotted to the borrowers for the repayment of loans. Moreover, the government also did everything to encourage the lending habits of the American public. Government encouraged the banks to reduce the interest rates of the loans they sanctioned and also to increase the repayment periods of the loans. Government miscalculated that the increased economic activities across the country would boost the economy. The main problem associated with the current credit crunch is that banks would force to increase the regulations on loans sanctioned to the public in future which will weaken the economic activities.

Inflation in the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Inflation in the United States - Essay Example Inflation in the United States Inflation affects the lives of all citizens in the US economy yet not everyone has the same purchasing power and income. It is therefore important for us to understand the causes of inflation, its effects and some actions taken by the government to regulate it. There has been a wide range of literature on the causes of inflation in history. There are different schools of thought on the causes of inflation. They are commonly divided into quantity theories of inflation and quality theories of inflation (Cate 96). The quantity theory of inflation is based on the quantity of money equation. On the other hand, the quality theory of is based on the sellers expectations to exchange currency at a later date. Presently, the quantity of the theory money theory is widely accepted as the inflation model in the long- run. This paper shall explore the causes of inflation based on three major theories, the Keynesian view, the rational expectations theory and the monetarist theory. The Keynesian vie w asserts that changes in money supply in the economy do not directly affect the prices of goods and services, inflation results from economic pressures that are manifested in the increases prices of goods and services. According to Robert J. Gordon’s triangle model, there are three main types of inflation: demand- pull inflation, monetary expansion and cost-push inflation. (Cate 141). Demand- pull inflation is the most common and it describes a situation where the demand of goods increases over and above the supply. Sellers increase the prices of goods, as they know that they have the liberty to do so. There are numerous circumstances resulting to demand pull inflation the most important being an expanding economy. This type of inflation could lead to economic growth as long as it is within the right limits. Since people expect increasing inflation rates, they make increasing purchases to avoid price increases in future. Cost-push inflation is caused by a drop in the aggrega te supply. This may have been as a result of an increase in the prices of inputs and natural disasters. Finally, built in inflation is caused by adaptive spirals that are relate to shifts in prices or wages. An important concept in this theory is the relationship between unemployment and inflation that is commonly referred to as the Phillips curve (Cate 141). This concept suggests that there is a tradeoff between the stability of prices and employment. This model was used to describe the status of the US economy in the 1960s however; it failed to explain the connection between economic stagnation and increasing inflation. It can be stated that the Philips curve explains the demand- pull aspect of the triangle model. The rational expectations theory states that economic actors act rationally to maximize their well being in future. They do not act solely depending on opportunity cots and pressures. This view states that future expectations and strategies play a key role in inflation ( Gillman 67). A key assumption in this theory is that economic actors will act to keep up with rising inflation rates. This means that the central bank must play a key role in ensuring that they regulate the insurance rates. The monetarist view is based on the fact that the major factor affecting deflation or inflation is the velocity of money. In other words, inflation is affected by how quick the supply of

E-business system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

E-business system - Essay Example On a broad analysis, the effect of e-commerce in people’s life has not been only in one dimension but through a wide spectrum of use, internet has been widely adopted for use in matters of shopping and transacting almost all bank procedures. Online shopping for various goods as well as services have not left consumer goods and services unattended to and according to the ‘Nielsen Global Consumer Report June 2010’ shopping for goods and services have had great evolution in the onset of online shopping (The Nielsen Company, 2010, p. 2). The advent of online stores through which sellers displays their goods and services and through which consumers shop for their consumer goods characterizes today’s commerce industry. Debates have however shaped the discussions about the topic of e banking; why the modern day banking institutions are adopting the e-commerce practices through adoption of such technologies as the internet for performing the transactions as against the traditional physical banking practices. Supporters of the practice of physical/manual banking procedures (who often are the older generation (Madden, 2010, p. 2), and who are opposed to the electronic banking practices, reasons that banking physically is easy and entails little logistics. It only gives one opportunities to conduct the banking procedures physically/manually where one-one interactions are preferred to the electronic practices. On the other hand, the supporters of the online banking practices affirm that the practice is more convenient than the physical banking in that one would have access to banking services such as withdrawals, transfers as well as transacting other complex banking transactions without physically visiting a banking facility (Hazel and Raphael, 2001, p. 4). The decisions to offer the online banking services by banking institutions may therefore stem from various reasons such as the convenience to customers, the good returns in use of internet fo r the procedures (which reduces the human labor costs incurred) and the general advancement of technology as is widely acknowledged in the current era. However, the evaluation of the advantages as well as associated factors that influence the adoption of online banking methods by different banking institutions takes to cognition that these services adopted vary from one region to another and from one country to another (Diniz, Porto and Adachi, 2004, p. 41-42). Institutional frameworks and culture within countries and the governments may have influence on the choice of methods of banking practices such as the internet banking. For instance, among some cultures, technological advancement is not appreciated and hence the effect to adoption of online practices such as banking would be unfavorable (Tan and Teo, 2000, p. 1-4). 2.0 DISCUSSION There has been noted evolution within the practice as necessitated by the

The Pros and Cons of Commercial Surrogacy Essay

The Pros and Cons of Commercial Surrogacy - Essay Example g is a subject in its own right and hence this essay will only pertain itself to surrogate motherhood in its traditional and modern versions which categorically excludes the concept of cloning. It is believed that nearly one in eight heterosexual couple in the United States cannot have babies due to infertility of one or the other. Reproducing and having a family of one’s own is a basic human objective. In this context, artificial reproduction techniques will prove to be a blessing for these couple, who are perfectly capable of raising a healthy child, if only they can have one. But, there is a catch though, as the following paragraph will show (Annas, 1998). While it is perfectly agreeable to facilitate infertile married couple to have a child of their own, the process gets complicated if the surrogate mother is hired. The passion associated with the act of copulation is an essential ingredient that binds the couple emotionally. When this act is mechanized, as is usually the case with surrogacy, then it is equitable to prostitution. Feminists would argue that this is one more way in which men try to control women and their concern is not unfounded (Callahan, 1999). Another objection that is raised against artificial reproductive techniques is that it will lead to making babies and surrogates mere commodities. There are already certain websites in the Internet that offer these services and it won’t be long before it spawns an industry of its own. It is appalling to think of a commercial enterprise in which price tags are attached to human eggs, ovaries and surrogate mothers. This will undermine the long-standing tradition of family values and relationships. A renowned anthropologist raises questions about unusual relationship dynamics that could unfold in the future, thus: â€Å"A woman can give birth to her own grandchild, for example, by carrying a pregnancy from her daughters egg. Embryos can be frozen and a child brought into the world long after

Quest for Meaning in Hostile and Oppressive Worlds Essay Example for Free

Quest for Meaning in Hostile and Oppressive Worlds Essay Dystopian literature often presents the individual’s quest for meaning in hostile and oppressive worlds.’ To what extent do the writers present their protagonists as successful in this quest in ‘1984’ by George Orwell, ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol’ by Oscar Wilde and ‘Woman at Point Zero’ by Nawal El Saadawi? The assertion that all three writers present their protagonist as having a quest for meaning in a dystopian world cannot be disputed. However, the extent to which these writers present their protagonist as successful in this quest varies greatly. Dystopian literature is merely an extension of the negative attributes of the society and context in which it is written. George Orwell’s dystopian world is a nightmarish conception of a Britain that has adopted the very worst traits of totalitarian regimes such as Nazi Germany and Socialist Russia; regimes which were at their height of power when the novel was written. Robert Evans defines dystopian literature as‘†¦a warning to the reader that something must and, by implication, can be done in the present to avoid the future,’ This didactic reading of ‘1984’ suggests that Orwell’s dystopian novel is a warning to the British public against excessive government intervention in their everyday lives. Dystopian literature thus warns the reader of the potential future of their society if they fail to protect their current freedom. El Saadawi’s ‘Woman at point Zero’ and Wilde’s ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol’ are slightly different from ‘1984’ in this respect as their dystopian worlds are based on real-life experiences. However, they remain didactic in nature by condemning existing oppression. El Saadawi’s semi-fictionalised account of a woman on death row is an artistic interpretation of reality for women in modern-day Egypt. The world remains dystopian in nature due to the oppression of women by men. Likewise, Wilde’s poetic portrayal of Reading Gaol is based on his personal experiences of imprisonment in this dystopian environment. The oppressive nature of the gaol is depicted by the dual-protagonist of the persona and the condemned guardsman. The extent to which the protagonists are successful in their quest for meaning is dependent on their ability to maintain freedom of thought and resist the oppressive nature such dystopian societies. All three writers present religion as an integral part of their protagonist’s quest for meaning in dystopian worlds. Wilde’s structure suggests that the persona undergoes a religious conversion as the ballad progresses and so successfully finds meaning through religion. However, Wilde also highlights the hypocrisy of the Church of England through the actions of the chaplain. Wilde’s persona therefore finds meaning through the underlying teachings of Christianity through Catholicism. Similarly, El Saadawi presents her protagonist Firdaus as a witness to the religious hypocrisy of men in her Islamic society. Unlike Wilde’s persona however, El Saadawi’s protagonist is not able to look past this hypocrisy and find meaning in the underlying messages of the Islamic faith. Like El Saadawi, Orwell presents his protagonist Winston as unsuccessful in his quest to find meaning through the pseudo-religion of Big Brother. However, Orwell’s protagonist does successfully find meaning through his memories of Christianity before the revolution. In the first half of the ballad, Wilde refers to himself and the other prisoners as ‘The Devil’s Own Brigade’; he believes that they are all condemned to hell simply for being criminals. Wilde uses hellish imagery to suggest that the prison itself is hell on earth. ‘I walked, with other souls in pain,/ Within another ring,’ These two lines are a reference to the hell presented in Dante’s Inferno, a hell with nine separate rings located at the centre of the earth, each ring a punishment for worsening sins. Similarly, Wilde locates his hell on earth through the prison itself. However, Wilde later rejects Dante’s gradation of sins by completely identifying himself with the guardsman. ‘A prison wall was round us both, / Two outcast men we were:’ The prison wall has become the single ring of hell which a ll sinners will go to. Dante’s influence on Wilde is also clear from the structure of the ballad as in both poems, ‘there is a dramatic movement toward intensity of horror’. Dante’s inferno builds up to the horror of the inner most circle of hell where the devil is to be found whilst Wilde’s ballad climaxes in the guardsman’s execution. It is clear however, that towards the end of the ballad, the persona has experienced a religious conversion to Catholicism. He now believes that through repentance, God will forgive the guardsman for his sins. Wilde utilises the colours red and white to symbolise sin and forgiveness respectively, ‘Out of his mouth a red, red rose! Out of his heart a white!’ These two lines present the persona’s belief that if the guardsman has confessed his sins to God before death, then he will be forgiven. Wilde’s use of plant imagery suggests that through forgiveness, there can now be new life in heaven. The persona’s conversion is clearly inspired by Wilde’s own time spent in Reading Gaol, where he was imprisoned after being found guilty of having a homosexual relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas. Wilde converted to Catholicism after leaving prison and unsuccessfully attempted to join a monastic order. Andrew McCracken suggests that converting to Catholicism continued Wilde’s life of eccentricity because, ‘Roman Catholicism was to poetic souls a sort of aesthetic temptation, while to many proper Englishmen the Roman Church was still the whore of Babylon, the Anti-Christ.’ However, McCracken also suggests that this was not Wilde’s main motivation in converting to Catholicism because ‘†¦his time in prison brought Wilde †¦ face to face with the Catholic themes of sin and suffering. Now they were purged of any tinge of romanticism – they were facts of daily life.’ This idea that Wilde is attracted more by the themes of the Catholic faith than by the hierarchical structure of either the Catholic Church or the Church of England, is supported in the ballad by the way in which Wilde highlights the religious hypocrisy of the prison chaplain through the persona’s first person narration. Indeed, it may be the experience of an Anglican chaplain in Reading Gaol that led him towards Catholicism. ‘The Chaplain would not kneel to pray By his dishonoured grave: Nor mark it with that blessed Cross That Christ for sinners gave,’ Wilde’s scriptural imagery of the ‘blessed Cross’ highlights how the chaplain fails to practice the fundamental beliefs of the Christian tradition. The chaplain refuses to pray for the executed guardsman even though Jesus died specifically for sinners, so that they might repent and have eternal life. Thus in this sestet Wilde condemns the chaplain’s hypocrisy. The protagonist of the ballad successfully finds meaning in his dystopian world through the underlying themes of the Catholic faith but does not find meaning in the religious authority of the Church of England, personified by the prison chaplain. Similarly, El Saadawi’s protagonist Firdaus recognises the hypocrisy of those who practice the Islamic faith in her society but is unsuccessful in her quest to find meaning through religion because of this hypocrisy. Firdaus recognises religious hypocrisy among men of all social groups in Egyptian society. She first sees it as a child in the actions of her peasant father who knew ‘how to beat his wife and make her bite the dust each night.’ in spite of his discussions with other men that ‘†¦defaming the honour of a woman was a sin †¦ and beating another human being was a sin’ It is clear therefore that her father breaks the commandments of the ‘imam’ and beats his wife even though he knows it is a sinful action. Likewise, her uncle, a middle-class man, also beats his wife. The religious hypocrisy in Egyptian society is so deeply engrained, that even her uncle’s wife accepts being beaten and does not see it as conflicting with the Islamic faith, ‘She replied that it was precisely men well versed in their religion who beat their wives. The precepts of religion permitted such punishment.’ The use of the word ‘punishment’ suggests that women in this society feel that it is justified that they are beaten and that domestic violence cannot be criticised as simply abuse and random cruelty. Finally, Firdaus recognises religious hypocrisy amongst the male leaders of Egyptian society who use Islam as a way of persuading their people that they are respectable and morally sound. Looking at a newspaper picture of such a ruler at Friday morning prayers Firdaus states that, ‘I could see he was trying to deceive Allah in the same way as he deceived the people.’ Firdaus’ rejection of religion mirrors Saadawi’s own views of religion and holy books; that they have little to do with morality. ‘The Old Testament, the New Testament or the Qur’an, are, for her, political books. They speak about war, invasion of other people’s countries, of inheritance, of money, this, as a focus, for Nawal, has little to do with justice, morality, or spirituality.’ A didactic reading of the novel may be that El Saadawi exposes her criticisms of religion and the double standards of men when it comes to the Islamic faith. It is this deeply engrained religious hypocrisy practiced throughout her dystopian world that contributes to the futile nature of Firdaus’ search to find meaning in the Islamic religion of her society. Likewise, Orwell’s protagonist Winston is unsuccessful in finding meaning through the pseudo-religion of Big Brother. The idea of Big Brother being a pseudo-religion is supported by Karl Marx’s view that religion is ‘the opium of the people’ . This sociological reading suggests that, like a drug, the comforting figure of Big Brother oppresses the people by distracting them from their dismal reality. What’s more, the omniscient third-person narration used by Orwell throughout reflects the God-like status of Big Brother as an all-knowing and all-powerful force. Orwell’s protagonist does not find meaning in this pseudo-religion however because Winston views Big Brother as the personification of an oppressive regime, rather than as a comforter. This is demonstrated in the 2-minutes hate because ‘Winston’s hatred was not turned against Goldstein at all, but †¦ against Big Brother, the Party and the Thought Police;’ Having said this, Orwell presents his protagonist as successful in finding meaning through his memories of religion before the Ingsoc revolution. Mr Charrington’s rhyme about old London churches fascinates Orwell’s protagonist because ‘†¦when you said it to yourself you had the illusion of actually hearing bells, the bells of a lost London that still existed somewhere or other, disguised and forgotten.’ One reading of Orwell’s protagonist’s obsession is that the rhyme brings back vague memories of church bells, and thus of Christianity and a more loving and empathetic set of beliefs than that of Big Brother. Another way in which the writers present their protagonists as successful in their quest for meaning in dystopian worlds is through the freedom that comes with death. Death is a form of freedom in a dystopian world because the protagonist is released from the oppression of their environment, society or political regime. The guardsman in Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol’ successfully finds meaning and freedom in death. ‘His soul was resolute, and held No hiding-place for fear; He often said that he was glad The hangman’s hands were near.’ The guardsman has accepted death and does not fear it. The protagonist is glad that death is coming because it means an escape from the monotony of day-to-day prison life and from the relentless surveillance of the warders. Wilde’s use of the word ‘resolute’ to describe the guardsman’s soul suggests that the guardsman has repented his sins and therefore his soul will be saved when he dies. Wilde thus juxtaposes the dystopian and hell-like world that the murderer is leaving with the utopia of heaven where the man will go to once he has died. This eschatological reading gives added gravitas to the ultimate freedom that the guardsman will experience in death. In his letter to Lord Alfred Douglas, De Profundis, Wilde describes how on earth he has ‘found †¦ not merely the beauty of Heaven, but the horror of Hell, also’ , supporting the idea that the condemned man, through death, is escaping a hell-like existence in prison. Similarly, El Saadawi’s protagonist Firdaus also successfully finds meaning through the freedom of death. Like the guardsman, Firdaus is sentenced to death for the crime of murder. However, she is not repentant for this crime but is proud of her actions. The act of killing her pimp, Marzouk, is her final victory over the oppression she has felt her entire life by different men in her society. She realises that she has always been afraid of her oppressor and that, ‘The movement of my hand upwards and then downwards destroyed my fear.’ Thus Firdaus is proud of her punishment as an outward sign of her inner victory over her dystopian world. She embraces death like a martyr for the cause of enslaved and oppressed women. ‘This journey to an unknown destination, to a place unknown to all those who live on this earth, be they king or prince, or ruler, fills me with pride.’ Like Wilde’s condemned man, El Saadawi presents the idea that through death her protagonist will enter a utopian world or ‘an unknown destination’ where she is no longer oppressed by the society of the dystopian world she lived in. In contrast to these two protagonists, Orwell presents his protagonist Winston as unsuccessful in finding freedom through death. As a result of the brainwashing process he undergoes in the Ministry of Love, Winston truly loves Big Brother and the Party. Unlike Firdaus, Winston does not die as a martyr for his cause. Instead, he is completely converted before he is killed. His betrayal of Julia is a dismissal of his greatest rebellion against the Party: loving another person. He knowingly puts himself before Julia and wishes that she should endure his torture in his place because ‘†¦he had suddenly understood that in the whole world there was just one person to whom he could transfer his punishment – one body that he could thrust between himself and the rats.’ This psychological shift means that when Winston is killed by the Party, he truly loves Big Brother, the personification of a political regime ‘not interested in the good of others †¦ interested solely in power.’ Through the nature of his death, Orwell shows that Winston has lost this moral struggle and that the party have succeeded in oppressing him mentally, as well as physically. Typical of Orwell’s literary style, Winston paradoxically believes ‘He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother.’ Winston does not, therefore, die free. In truth, Winston’s reintegration into the Ingsoc regime and ‘the annihilation of Winston’s difference is the restoration of the pure positivity of Big Brother.’ This Marxist reading stresses how the power of a totalitarian state rests on the destruction of any individuals who might rise up against it. The structure of ‘1984’ finishes with Winston’s proclama tion of love for Big Brother and thus highlights the cruel infallibility of the Ingsoc regime. All three writers present love and relationships with others as crucial to their protagonist’s search for meaning. In Wilde’s ballad, the sense of comradeship amongst prisoners that Wilde conveys, suggests that the persona of the ballad finds meaning in the shared nature of the prisoners’ dystopia. ‘We tore the tarry ropes to shreads With blunt and bleeding nails; We rubbed the doors, and scrubbed the floors, And cleaned the shining rails.’ The repetition of the pronoun ‘we’ emphasises the collective nature of the hard labour the men carry out, and how the persona of the ballad feels part of a team of men, going through the same painful and monotonous tasks together. The regular six-line stanza used throughout the ballad with alternate lines of iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter reflects the relentless monotony of the painful physical labour of prison life. This relentless monotony is reinforced by the regular ABCBDB rhyming scheme throughout. The idea of comradeship through collective monotony is built upon further when the persona empathises completely with the condemned man and enters his ring of hell, showing that they are both sinners, ‘A prison wall was round us both,/ Two outcast men we were:’ Later in the ballad, the night before the guardsman’s execution, all the prisoners pray for the condemned man’s soul as the warders, ‘†¦wondered why men knelt to pray/ W ho never prayed before.’ This action shows a sense of solidarity between the men as well as a Christian conscience; they truly believe that the condemned man is capable of salvation. As Carol Rumens comments, ‘the central charge of the Ballad is sympathy, sympathy with the condemned man and his fellow inmates.’ , it is this sympathy that allows Wilde to ‘evoke collective feelings.’ This emotive reading suggests that as well as giving the persona’s life meaning, feelings of comradeship and sympathy for fellow prisoners were a significant catalyst for Wilde’s consequent zeal for penal reform. The ballad itself was published to highlight the injustice of the British penal system and conveys this didactic message throughout. Similarly, Orwell’s protagonist Winston successfully finds meaning through his relationships with others. Winston’s loving and sexual relationship with Julia is the complete antithesis of what the Party stands for because amongst women, ‘Chastity was as deeply ingrained in them as Party loyalty.’ The Party’s enforcement of chastity from a young age has a military function as ‘†¦sexual privation induced hysteria, which was desirable because it could be transformed into war-fever and leader-worship.’ Winston’s relationship with Julia starts simply because Winston wishes to rebel against the oppressive regime, he describes their first sexual encounter as ‘ a battle, the climax a victory. It was a blow struck against the Party. It was a political act.’ However, Winston soon falls in love with Julia and finds a deeper meaning for living in his dystopian world. The fact that ‘She gave the tips of his fingers a quick squeeze that seemed to invite not desire but affection.’ suggests that their relationship has become more than just sexual desire for one another. The isolation of the individual within the Ingsoc regime removes the opportunity or inclination for such loving relationships. This isolation is shown through Winston’s account of ‘Katherine’s white body, frozen for ever by the hypnotic power of the Party.’ The use of the word ‘frozen’ suggests that the Party members are emotionally deadened by the chastity conventions they conform to under Ingsoc. Winston rebels from this emotional death when he successfully falls in love with Julia. Looking at Orwell’s wartime diaries, it is clear he feared that the atrocities which civilians witnessed during the Blitz, and the newspapers’ reports of RAF attacks on Germany, would cause the British public to loose the ability to feel emotion. In July 1942, Orwell wrote, ‘I remember saying to someone during the blitz, when the R.A.F. were hitting back as best they could, In a years time youll see the headlines in the Daily Express: Successful Raid on Berlin Orphanage. Babies Set on Fire. It hasnt come to that yet, but that is the direction we are going in. This historical reading of the dystopian novel suggests that Orwell has extended his contemporary fear to create a society of emotionless party members. Orwell’s protagonist notices how society has lost the ability to feel emotion because of his memories of relationships before the Ingsoc revolution. Orwell thus presents the past as a time when people had the freedom to feel emotion for one another and his protagonist Winston as successful in finding meaning through his memories of love before Ingsoc. Orwell suggests that the Ingsoc regime has removed the ability of individuals to feel unconditional love as the concept of ‘tragedy’, ‘belonged to the ancient time †¦ when the members of a family stood by one another without needing to know the reason.’ This is supported by the fact that Winston perceives the death of his own mother many years previously as, ‘†¦tragic and sorrowful in a way that was no longer possible.’ The emotional death and inability of party members to love unconditionally is brought about by the enforcement of chastity and isolation of the individual, both of which break down the family unit in Oceania. In contrast, El Saadawi’s protagonist Firdaus is unsuccessful in finding meaning through her relationships. Her confused and disjointed memories of her parents suggest that they were not a loving and supportive influence. When describing her childhood in a first person narrative, Firdaus questions, ‘Who was I? Who was my father?’. Her uncle is ultimately a poor guardian as he allows her to marry a much older man and refuses to send her to university because he does not believe that she should learn alongside men. ‘A respected Sheikh and man of religion like myself sending his niece off to mix in the company of men?!’ Firdaus’ life continues in a pattern where every man she becomes close to mistreats her and so she is unsuccessful in finding meaning through love. The repetitive nature of Firdaus’ misfortune in the novel reflects the Arabic oral tradition. Her hatred of men stems from her financial dependence upon them, which enslaves her. Before killing Marzouk she describes how she ‘hated him as only a woman can hate a man, as only a slave can hate his master.’ This hatred of men reaches a climax when she tears up the money given to her by the Arab prince as a rejection of this dependence. ‘It was as though I was destroying all the money I had ever held †¦ and at the same time destroying all the men I had ever known †¦ my uncle, my husband, my father, Marzouk and Bayoumi, Di’aa, Ibrahim,’ This rejection supports the idea that El Saadawi ‘†¦sheds new light on the power of women in resistance – against poverty, racism, fundamentalism, and inequality of all kinds.’ This feminist reading suggests that El Saadawi’s rejection of male financial support advocates the strength and equality of women. To conclude, Orwell and El Saadawi appear to have created protagonists that are completely juxtaposed in their success at finding meaning in dystopian worlds. Winston successfully finds meaning throughout his life and is able to resist the oppression of the Ingsoc regime psychologically through his loving relationship with Julia and memories of relationships and religion before the revolution. However, he is unable to maintain freedom of thought in death and ends his life devoted to Big Brother. Contrastingly, El Saadawi’s protagonist Firdaus fails to find any positive meaning in life due to the treatment she endures from men and the religious hypocrisy practiced by many in her society. El Saadawi does, however, present Firdaus as finding meaning in her death; the punishment is an acknowledgement of her triumph over male domination. Wilde’s dual-protagonist is the most successful at finding meaning in a dystopian world, as the persona of the ballad successfully finds meaning in life through comradeship and Catholic values, whilst the condemned guardsman successfully finds meaning through his acceptance of death and belief in a utopian world in heaven.

Role of Religion in Society Sociology Essay

Role of Religion in Society Sociology Essay Functionalism is the most widely-used theory in modern sociology. In general, functionalism uses a systematical approach to any given object, asserting that each element of this object fulfills a necessary role, which is vital either to keep the balance of the system or for its survival. Any change in the state of any of the elements influences the whole system. Functionalism focuses on society as a unity of individuals and the way they, as part of this whole, are affected by various social institutions. It explores religion at the macro-level, analyzing the effect its practices and symbols have on different aspects of society as a whole as well as the harmony between its elements and/or its endurance. According to the functional approach, religion can fulfill different tasks, for example, establish unity, explain and introduce various norms to society, teach people to deal with probable unpredictable outcomes of certain events; it aims at simplifying the ideas or events that are dif ficult to understand. Extreme modern functionalists even argue that religion is vital for the survival of the human race and that it is the only means to enable the transition from selfishness to altruism. Another outstanding theorist of functionalism, Bronislaw Malinowski, also examined small groups to define the social role of religion (Sociology of Religion, 2003). His studies led him to a conclusion that religion had a calming effect on the people, especially in stressful environment. This result was based on the fact that religion had penetrated into fundamental but extremely tense for humans events, such as marriage or burial, for example. For Malinowski, death had a special significance as it meant that society lost one of its members. Nevertheless, he found religion very useful in this instance, as it proposed consolation in the form of life after death. By conducting a funeral, religion eased pain and stress, preventing possible social outbursts. Among others, Malinowski studied some tribes from the Trobriand Islands, who had a special ceremony performed before going fishing, which was their only occupation. This ritual helped them overcome fear about what might happen (as the sea was an unpredictable environment), and also built solidarity. The researcher came to a conclusion that religion helped people face the unknown future. In general, functionalism sees religion as a positive element of society, as it unites people, helps maintain social balance and prevents disorder. Functionalists accept that it is important as religious institutions fulfill functions that society needs for survival, creating individual models of behavior that are beneficial for the social balance. Religion is also viewed as a reconciling measure between an individual as an element of society and society as a whole. Functional approach allows individuals to have different levels of religious involvement. Contemporary functionalists, like J. Milton Yinger, also note that in modern society religion has expanded its influence from the church surroundings to everyday life, which means that activities previously unrelated to religion suddenly become associated with it in the peoples minds (Blasi, n.d.). Religion helps individuals to define their role in society, giving them the feeling of safety and familiarity with other individuals in a certain group. Machiavelli and Hobbes were the first scientists who introduced the concept of conflict into sociological theories. They applied the term of cynical realism to the description of society: motifs of individual behavior were based solely on self-interest. Each society has a certain ideology, represented in a system of beliefs (religion), which is often used according to the interests of the parties involved. But the core of conflict theory lies in the ideas of Karl Marx (McClelland, 2000). According to Marx, the driving force of social existence is labor, which provides people with means to satisfy their basic needs (e.g. food, shelter). The way this labor is organized from a social point of view determines the essential social characteristics, making those who carry out the production the constructors of society. Marx believed that economy was the basis for creating different social institutions that determined the form of social consciousness of each individual. In order to define the role of religion as it is seen in conflict theory, we need to understand Marxs view on society. He saw capitalism as the dominant structure of contemporary economical interactions, in which capital belonged to a small group of individuals, who employed workers. The latter used capital to produce different goods, but in order for that small group of individuals to receive profit, the workers were paid less than they actually had produced. So there was a conflict: those two classes needed each other, as they provided each other with what the other one did not have, but their interests had different vectors. In order to keep the workers (who outnumbered the bourgeois class) under control, different measures were taken: politics, police institution, religion. Conflict theory sees religion as a tool used to prevent the majority from acting on their own, to make them accept the established way of life in society. Marx believed that eventually the workers would take o ver (through growing consciousness), and a new model of economic relations socialism would be established. Max Weber is considered to be a uniting link between conflict theory and the interactionism. The scientist continued developing Marxs views, and added new levels of conflict to his theory. Weber believed that there were more conflicts than just one-kind-of-property conflict, thus acknowledging that there were more resources to fight for and that society was a multiple-class structure, with each class playing a specific role in material economic interactions. Unlike Marx, Weber moved the focus of conflict to the control of means of violence that served to suppress the opposition. What is more important for us, Weber had clearly showed what role religion played in society. He saw religion as a way to emotionally unite people, and that function of religion was exploited by the state. Religion helped different groups acquire certain statuses or develop into certain communities (based on ethnicity, for example). Religious ceremonies built strong feelings of solidarity within the group, cr eated emotional unity and bonds through application of symbols, techniques and various material aids. According to Weber, religion was not above the conflict or means of resolving it, it was another weapon. If some power incorporated itself into religious beliefs of people, it occupied the dominant position in society. Religion might also be used as a means of finding allies against a common enemy. It could be implemented to create a certain social hierocracy. Through this concept, Weber showed that religion was a manipulation tool, creating background for stratification of society (e.g. stratification in relations and established positions of religious leaders, member of the group and non-followers). In conflict theory, any conflict lies in the desire of one group to dominate the other or others, which can be most effectively achieved through violent constraint. One conflict arises when those who have the authority to coerce provide some groups with certain privileges and strip oth er groups of them. According to conflict theory, every individual acts in his own interests, having the ability to influence self-perception of others, which creates another conflict: different people having different resources available to them create the reality of others, which they use to their advantage. At a personal level, each individuals self-consciousness is developed based on the way this individual comprehends the reality that is through interpersonal communication which brings us to the theory of interactionism. Interactionism (short for symbolic interactionism) is another major theory in sociology, the most recently developed among the ones presented in this work. Some of its ideas were taken from Marx, Weber and further developed by George H. Mead and Herbert Blumer with the contribution of Charles Horton Cooley (McClelland, 2000). This theory concentrates on the subjective side of human behavior and social development. It focuses on individuals rather than society. According to interactionism, each person plays a certain role, being able to change his behavior if the behavior of others changes, too. This is because individuals are able to understand and read into the actions of others, which are perceived as symbols. Moreover, each individual perceives himself and his own actions as symbols as well. Interacting with one another, individuals are constantly in the process of interpreting the symbols that they exchange as well as the world around them. Interactionism recognizes individuals a s active participants of social life and constructors of society. Its focus is on the individual interactions, diminishing the importance of established norms (like in functionalism and conflict theory). According to interactionism, the changeable nature of negotiation process between the societys members forms the constantly changing social reality, which nevertheless stays in the frame of the stable set of rules regulating these interactions. It pays special attention to the roles that individuals play in social relations, believing that they can be either pre-defined or not. It is important to understand that individuals not just react, but evaluate the meaning of counteraction, and then decide on their reation. According to interactionism, religion is a certain ideology (a system of symbols) that helps people understand and relate to things that are above understanding, and in a certain way to track their lives in the wake of this ideology. Religion creates an outline of appropriate behavior and incorporates it into peoples minds. Participation in religious ceremonies is a way to confirm the correctness of ones course and to reinforce ones beliefs, but also a means of imposing certain symbols. Interactionism recognizes religion as a very powerful social institution, because if it succeeds in establishing itself as a symbolic system of some individual, it becomes the only right way for this individual to interpret the world around him. Religious ceremonies are seen by this theory as very important for confirming peoples system of beliefs and reinforcing certain interpretation of the world. In general, interactionism is a very subjective sociological approach. Conclusions The three theories represented in this research paper see religion not as an essential truth but rather an illusion of the truth, as it is immensely influenced by different variables. Functionalists see religion as a uniting force bringing societys members together through the feeling of solidarity. They assert that religious symbols are the representation of the values of people and give special meaning to the religious ceremonies and rituals, as they encourage stronger unity in social groups. Functionalism identifies religion as a positive element of the social system since it introduces another unearthly reality to people helping them forget the stress of everyday life. According to functionalism, religion is beneficial for health and is also an important condition for future survival of society. Conflict theory in a figurative meaning sees religion as a drug for certain social groups. It is one of the ways for the oppressed to feel united, though it is a cruel tool in the hands o f the ruling class. They use it to enforce the difficult way of life, make the working class believe that it is their fate and there cannot be another. Religion refers only to the future, promising reward or better life in the distant future or even after death (in afterlife). For conflict theory, religion is at a stage of change, blocking the idea that the current way of life benefits only a few while the majority of society suffers from injustice. It is interesting to mention that both Durkheim and Marx predicted that religion will vanish from the social life being useless. Symbolic interactionism concentrates on the individuals and their interactions through which the way the society functions and the roles of its institutions are defined. This theory sees society as a constantly changeable symbolic organism. Importance of religion is in the first place defined by the meaning of religion for each separate individual. Being part of religion is a continuous and regular comparison a nd confirmation of ones system of beliefs. The research shows that the role of religion can be explained from different points of view, and there is no right or wrong explanation.

Salvation Essay example -- Langston Hughes Religion Essays

Salvation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Langston Hughes’ essay â€Å"Salvation,† Langston talks about the first time he is going to be saved from sin. Langston is a young boy around the age of thirteen. He is going to church to see Jesus for the first time. In which case, he truly experiences religion for the first time in his life. Throughout this essay Langston uses many narrative techniques such as, imagery, metaphors, and irony to explain his interpretation of that one night when he did not see Jesus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It was the night of the big revival, and Langston, a young boy going on the age of thirteen, was brought to his Aunt Reed’s church to see Jesus and be saved from sin. His aunt told him, â€Å"when you were saved from sin you saw a light, and something happened to you inside† (219). He believed her. When he was brought to church, his aunt directed him to the front row, where he sat calmly and patiently in the heat, waiting for the preacher to begin the service. The Preacher welcomed the â€Å"young lambs† (219) and started his sermon. Towards the end of his speech he invited the young children to the altar to be saved. At this point, Langston was confused because he was not seeing Jesus before him. All the young boys and girls sprang to their feet except Langston and another boy named Westley. They were the only two left on, what the parishioners of the church called, the â€Å"mourners’ bench† (218). Finally, Westley became very restless and decided that he was not going to sit on this bench anymore. Langston was left there all alone until his aunt ran over to him and asked him why he was not going to Jesus. She knelt there and prayed for him. Langston sat there waiting for something to happen, but nothing! He truly wanted to see Jesus but he did not. Finally, he thought to himself and saw that nothing had happened to Westley for lying about not seeing Jesus. Langston then decides that he, too, will go to the altar and lie, hoping that nothing will happen to him for lying to God. Suddenly, loud cries of rejoice were heard throughout the church and everyone was pleased to see that â€Å"all the new young lambs were blessed in the name of God† (220). That night Langston cried because he did not understand why he did not see Jesus. His aunt had heard him and explained to his uncle, â€Å"the Holy Ghost had come into my life† (220). From that point on he did not believe there was a Jesus, since he d... ...fighting his feelings about not seeing Jesus. He feels that he is lying to God and himself by getting up and being saved even though he cannot see Jesus. Even though the reader knows that he truly is being saved from sin. He is doing something good for himself. Therefore, we can see that he truly does not understand the meaning of God. He is a child on the verge of adulthood. He has every right to be confused and misinterpret religion because he is learning. Religion is metaphorical and imaginative; it is what you believe it to be.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Langston Hughes found himself in a world of misunderstanding. His confusion leads him to believe that there is no Jesus. This is part of the growing process. Learning from your own experience is the most important part of life. Conflict and struggle are also important aspects of life. They define each and every part of a human’s living day. Therefore, the narrative techniques used throughout this essay truly help the reader visualize what the author sees, feels, and hears. Work Citied Hughes, Langston. â€Å"Salvation.† Subjects and Strategies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ed. Paul Eschholz and Alfred Rosa.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1999. 218-22.

Essay --

Magic Johnson once stated, â€Å"You can’t get AIDS from a hug or a handshake or a meal with a friend.† AIDS and HIV is not something you can receive by touching someone’s outer skin. AIDS and HIV can only be transmitted when an infected persons; fluids meets with another person. AIDS and HIV is one of the most deadliest disease in the world that already has killed 1.6 million civilians. People need to understand the facts behind AIDS and HIV so people do not treat others who are infected like they are going to kill them. Everyone has possibility of contracting AIDS and HIV; it can change one’s world in a heart beat. 1 HIV/AIDS has become a pandemic virus because of how quickly it has spread throughout the entire world. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, which means that it is a virus that attacks the immune system and it can only infect humans. HIV are like other viruses but there is an important difference, overtime your immune system can clear most viruses out of your body. HIV is different, the human immune system can’t get rid of it and scientist are still trying to figure out why our immune system can’t clear it. HIV hides in your body for long periods and it attacks a key part of our immune system, your CD4 cells or T cells. CD4 cells are a type of white blood cell that circulate around our bodies, scanning for cellular abnormalities and infections (www.tcells.com). Which your body must have to fight the virus. AIDS stands for Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome, which means that AIDS is the cause of a different virus, which is HIV. Over 2.5 million people are infec ted with HIV worldwide. HIV/AIDS can be so deadly to humans because of the viruses capability if attacking our immune system. When HIV replicates itself ... ...ns; it affects us all in every aspect of our lives. Thanks to the efforts made for research , and treatments have been made to control the virus. Most importantly, the HIV/AIDS virus cannot replicate violently in the immune system because of these treatments. I think humans hold the real key to cure, if they would think about there actions before they do them, then we can save a lot more lives from the virus and stop the spread of it. Sharing needles with infected individual is a way of acquiring the disease. If we do this the percentage of people with HIV/AIDS will decrease significantly. If we do the little things to help solve this big health issue, it might help find the cure. So it is important that information about this virus is being shard and education is being taught to people all over the world who are not familiar with the virus to help the spread of it.

Cost of Capital for Marriott Essay -- GCSE Business Marketing Coursewo

Cost of Capital for Marriott Mentioned Tables Not Included Objective: 1) Calculate the divisional and the company cost of capital and explain the calculation. 2) Evaluate Marriott's use of company cost-of-capital rate for the individual divisions. Cost of Capital for Lodging Division can be expressed as CC = We*Ce + Wd*Cd. For the weights of debt and equity (We and Wd), the 1988 target-schedule rates of debt-to-assets and debt-to-equity were used as the only measures available in the case. Cost of Equity (Ce) was calculated based on the CAPM formula. 30-year T-bond was used as a long-term risk-free security to get the risk-free rate, since Marriott used the cost of long-term debt for its lodging cost-of-capital calculations. The market premium 8.47 was the arithmetic-average spread between the S&P 500 returns and the short-term US T-bills between 1926-1987. This market premium is consistent with the current academic suggestions and it was used in all calculations of this exercise. The leveraged Beta (Bl) of the lodging division, needed for CAPM, was derived from the following equation: Bl=Bu(1+D/E), where Bu is the unleveraged Beta. Bu was in turn derived from the weighted-average of the Bu's of the lodging businesses given in the case. The weighted-average method rather than a simple arithmetic-average method was used to allow a more accurate Bu of the overall industry. Cost of Debt (Cd) is defined as (risk-free rate)+the premium (Tab...

Dream Weaver

This act also ensures that nonfinancial contributions to a marriage are considered on the dissolution of the marriage, effectively achieving greater justice for women. However, many criticise this legislation for rendering divorce too easy, with 1/3 marriages ending in divorce A current focus area for law reform has been de facto families. Previously, the law did not allocate them legal recognition, as society perceived these relationships as immoral. Altering societal ethics led to their statutory recognition under the Property (Relationships) Act 1984 (NSW), granting them many of the same rights as married couples. However, whilst one party could claim maintenance upon the breakdown of a DFR, the law does not take into account future needs of the parties upon separation. The law also attempted to regulate the division of property however, less weight was given to non?financial contributions, shown in Turnbull v McGregor where the homemaker’s contribution to the property in a 32 yr relationship was valued at just 16%. This ineffectiveness was addressed with the Family Law Amendment (De Facto Financial Matters and Other Measures) Act 2008 (Cth), through enabling them to resolve their financial and parenting issues in the Family Law Court, using nationally consistent processes An important change in social attitudes has been the increasing acceptance of homosexual relationships. Statute law failed to reflect this shift in societal values, as it was changes to common law that fostered the legal recognition of same?sex couples. Various significant cases created law reform momentum, such as Hope and Brown v NIB Health Funds (1995), in which a same?sex couple successfully argued that their health fund had discriminated against them on the basis of sexual orientation, through denying them a ‘family’ status. Eventually the Property (Relationships) Amendment Act 1999 (NSW) altered the definition of a de facto relationship to non?gender specific, effectively incorporating homosexual couples. This provides protection in property division, maintenance and inheritance  © (2012) All Rights Reserved 1 of 3 For more info, go to www. scintheholidays. com. au Ongoing reform in the new millennium has attempted to eradicate all areas of discrimination, the most significant being the Miscellaneous acts Amendment (Same Sex Relationships) Bill 2008. It enabled equal parenting rights for the female partners of mothers and protected the rights of both parents upon separation. However, the modern definition of ma rriage, â€Å"the voluntary union for life of one man and woman to the exclusion of all others†, established in Hyde v Hyde and Woodmansee (1866), remains exclusive of homosexual marriages. Significantly, it is now the only point of legislative inequality between same?sex couples and other couples. For same sex couples, legal recognition of their marriage signifies the provision of adequate legal protection. Until this barrier has been overcome, justice for same?sex family members will remain unachieved. Justice for children has recently been an area of legislative focus, with an emphasis on parental responsibility. The care and protection of children has been a primary focus of law reform. Children (Equality of Status) Act 1976 (NSW) states that all children, nuptial or ex? nuptial, are treated equally under the law. Parents are prohibited from using physical force on the head or neck of the child as punishment by the Crimes Amendment (Child Protection? Physical Mistreatment) Act 2002 (NSW), which effectively saw a father in Woy Woy sentenced to a one?year good behaviour bond after excessively disciplining his child. Perhaps the most significant reform is the Family Law Amendment (Shared Parental Responsibility) Act 2006 (Cth). This law emphasises the changing nature of parental responsibility, as it enshrined the equal shared responsibility of both parents to care and protect the child as a primary objective. The government is clearly trying to move from the previous situation where over 95% of children are not in shared care Such law reforms justly place emphasis on the ‘best interests of the child’, effectively catering for their vulnerability, as well as reflecting society’s perception of parenting as a moral obligation. However, criticism has been directed at the preference for ‘shared parenting’ as it could more easily expose children to domestic violence. Furthermore, protests by Michael Fox in 2011 about the family law system’s bias against fathers, reflects the failure of the law to achieve justice for fathers. Holding up banners saying â€Å"Kids first†, Fox claimed that DOCS was a failed department. These areas of ineffectiveness highlight how the law’s emphasis on shared parenting is often more idealistic than it is effective. In the past, domestic violence (DV) has been an area where the law has failed to protect family members. Correlating with growing societal concerns, the law recognised DV as a crime under the Crimes (Domestic Violence) Amendment Act 1982 (NSW). Furthermore, the laws just recognition of the effects of DV is noted in the use of ‘battered women’s syndrome’ as a defence for murder. The recent introduction of the Domestic Violence Intervention Court Model improves the response of the criminal justice system to victims of DV, requiring police to immediately begin investigating and apply for an ADVO on hearing a DV report. This has been effective, with BOSCAR evaluating â€Å"victims reported that they were very satisfied with the police response†¦ they felt safe†. Ineffectively however, many are still victim to DV. R v. Aytugral (2009) revealed the law’s inability to protect Ms Bayrak from being murdered by her ex?partner. Furthermore, recent media reports state that DV has increased 3. 3% in Sydney. The use of birth technologies represents a contemporary issue concerning family law. The Artificial conception Act 1984 (NSW) states that the biological mother and her partner are the legal parents, protecting families that choose to undergo these procedures. However, the law has been widely condemned for being too slow in addressing many of the ethical issues in this area, such as the question of ownership of frozen embryos in case of both parent’s deaths. A major concern is the lack of legislation regarding