What advice would you give the actors Essay Example For Students

What advice would you give the actors? Essay Look at the way Shakespeare presents conflict in a scene from Romeo and Juliet. Imagine you are directing this scene. What advice would you give the actors? This essay is about the presentation of conflict in scene one of act three in Romeo and Juliet. By the end of this piece of work I intend to be able to direct the scene. I will therefore have to include descriptions of dramatic devices and language. I will discuss character motivation, along with social and historical context. This scene is about the conflict between Tybalt and Mercutio and later the fight between Romeo and Tybalt. The scene is dominated by the deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt. The scene starts calm, heating quickly to boiling point, and then returns to a melancholy anti-climax as Benvolio tells of his Montague cousins crime against the Capulets, and the Capulet Tybalts crime against Prince Escalus cousin. We will write a custom essay on What advice would you give the actors? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now This scene is greatly influenced by the actions of the characters in earlier scenes, which also reflects character motivation. Tybalt wants revenge for the Montague invasion of his uncles party, reflecting his antagonist character, and his fierce hatred for all Montagues. Romeo refuses to fight with Tybalt to start with, as he is married to Juliet- Tybalts cousin- but after Mercutio, Romeos close friend is killed by Tybalt; he acts quickly and in hot blood, killing Tybalt in a fit of grievous passion. The language that Mercutio and Benvolio use at the start of the scene is filled with similes and comparisons. The two men joke with each other, using examples to show how one is more willing to argue than the other. Thou wilt quarrel with a man for cracking nuts, for no other reason than thou hast hazel eyes This quote states obviously that the person in question has an antagonist character. Benvolio says how the mad blood is stirring meaning that the feud has made everyone go mad and seek fights where there need be none, and ominously predicts Mercutios death by saying that he could buy legal ownership of his life, but only for an hour and a half. Later as the feelings turn to anger, Mercutio stirs things up and deliberately picks a fight with Tybalt. Benvolio asks the men calmly to either depart, go into a private place to show their anger, or to calmly talk out their problems, because he knows that their Prince will execute them if they start a brawl again. This language is unusua lly calm in a scene filled with anger, pride and hatred. The social context of the scene is the fact that the two families are feuding, along with the disapproval of their Prince and society as a whole. It would be very difficult to change this without changing the plot of the scene or the major details of the entire play. For example, if you were to change the disapproval of Prince Escalus then he would not have exiled Romeo from Verona, Juliet would run away with him; not take the potion making her seem dead and their premature deaths along with Paris could have been averted. The historical context of the scene is its original setting in Verona during the renaissance period. This was a period of artistic revolution, and ideas about the surrounding world were changing. It was a time when the gap between the extravagant rich upper class and the poverty stricken poor was huge. Shakespeare will have seen both classes, performing for the Queen at court and playing at the theatres in London, and these must have influenced him greatly. It is infinitely possible that Shakespeare assumed that Verona was largely like London and so emphasised this difference as he saw it in London. The context that the scene could be played in (NOT WRITTEN IN) means that the language used and the actions made by the actors would have to be changed. .u427addd4aa288916170f58ba3bb729ac , .u427addd4aa288916170f58ba3bb729ac .postImageUrl , .u427addd4aa288916170f58ba3bb729ac .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u427addd4aa288916170f58ba3bb729ac , .u427addd4aa288916170f58ba3bb729ac:hover , .u427addd4aa288916170f58ba3bb729ac:visited , .u427addd4aa288916170f58ba3bb729ac:active { border:0!important; } .u427addd4aa288916170f58ba3bb729ac .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u427addd4aa288916170f58ba3bb729ac { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u427addd4aa288916170f58ba3bb729ac:active , .u427addd4aa288916170f58ba3bb729ac:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u427addd4aa288916170f58ba3bb729ac .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u427addd4aa288916170f58ba3bb729ac .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u427addd4aa288916170f58ba3bb729ac .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u427addd4aa288916170f58ba3bb729ac .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u427addd4aa288916170f58ba3bb729ac:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u427addd4aa288916170f58ba3bb729ac .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u427addd4aa288916170f58ba3bb729ac .u427addd4aa288916170f58ba3bb729ac-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u427addd4aa288916170f58ba3bb729ac:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Realistic drama EssayHaving said that changing the historical context would mean changing several elements- costume, scenery, and in some cases language- it would not be difficult to change the setting whilst retaining the original language used. It is tempting to change everything in the scene including the language. If I was directing the scene for a modern audience I would be sorely tried to do so; however I feel that some of the poetic beauty of the scene would be lost if it was translated from Shakespearean to Modern English. For this reason I would make the costumes and settings twentieth century versions, and would set the play in gangland Chicago. I would not howev er cut anything from the scene, or otherwise change the vocal parts of any of the characters.

The road to World War II essays

The road to World War II essays In the early days of the First World War, the United States was desperate to stay out of the European war and institute a neutrality policy. However, the two sides fought for U.S. support, often even at a danger to the U.S. The passive stand that America took in involvement in World War I only prolonged the inevitable and came at a price to the U.S. The American public didnt want to be involved in World War I, and Wilson and the democrats knew it, although neutrality was a difficult stand to take. The British, who wanted the Americans to back their side in the war, refused to back U.S. peace drives. The Germans, who wanted the U.S. on their side, against Britain, violated pledges for the waters when it began U-boat attacks. This campaign was extended over many years. The two countries of Germany and England were desperate for the western giants support that would threaten American neutrality. The American people, however, would rather stay of war, and lose their right to the seas. Both sides became increasingly angry with the American position of neutrality. England publicly declared, Anyone who talked of peace was a friend of Germany. This created only hostility towards the British, but continued diplomacy with Germany. The underlying cause of this friendly nature was not to remain neutral. Wilson thought that if the Americans werent going to stand up for their rights to the seas, that this would be the way to reduce the submarine warfare. Wilson promoted peace at every turn, but both sides disliked the idea, in fact the Chancellor of Germany predicted that peace talks would be unsuccessful. Wilson wanted to demand an end to the war, but at this point in the war, it would have ruined the Allies. If that were to ensue, the U.S. would risk war with France or England. Then there was a breaking point. The German government deported 300,000 Belgians, which fired up anger in the ...

Business plan (entrepreneurship) Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Business plan (entrepreneurship) - Thesis Example GetLaunched! offers the following propositions to its users: 1. Seamless and uncomplicated participation, with most of the technical aspects, such as compliance, ironed out by the company; 2. All-or-nothing scheme where collected money is returned to supporters if the proposal fails to achieve its goal within the given time; 3. No hidden or initial fees as the company implements a flat rate fee only on successful proposals; 4. By special arrangement, the company has access to the proponent’s account for 5 years for the sole of purpose of taking out and delivering the shares of profits of supporters, which are given in proportion to the latter’s investment. 5. Sharing of profits with supporters will be limited to 5 years and structured in such a way as not to unduly burden the proponent because the spirit of crowdfunding is not strict investment but more towards philanthropy. The Opportunity There are more than 2 billion internet users, which can be harnessed to realize the aims and goals of GetLaunched!. According to statistics, internet users number 2,095, 006,005 in 2011 up by about 480.4% from the 360,985,482 users in 2000. Facebook alone has more than 500,000 million users as of 2011 statistics. There is in every person a need for charity because it gives them self-actualization. Fundraising expert and author of â€Å"Grassroots Fundraising† Kim Klein states that every person has an urge to give because it makes them feel powerful and good-like and not merely an onlooker. GetLaunched! will tap into this need and use it to turn somebody’s life around. The gap between economic classes is widening and people on the lower social strata are getting more and more marginalized. The gap between social classes are growing bigger and bigger, and there is a need to try to level the playing field, and crowdfunding is one of the more acceptable means. Business Concept Online crowdfunding is getting popular in social networking sites, but at p resent there are only a handful operating. GetLaunched! is capitalizing on the growing popularity of crowdfunding, not only as a business endeavor, but as a means of helping people from both sides of the spectrum: for proponents to realize their dreams of materializing their business dreams, and; for supporters to channel their inner philanthropic urges. Industry Overview Crowdfunding had its origin in 1997, when American fans raised $60,000, through internet campaign, so that the British Rock band Marillion could do a US tour. French filmmakers Guillaume Colboc and Benjamin Pommeraud used the same strategy in 2004 to fund a film, raising a total of $50,000 within three weeks over the internet. Their counterparts in America Spanner Films raised ?900,000 the same way to finance a documentary film about climate change. Fig. 1 The Crowdfunding Mechanism Today, several crowdfunding societies offer themselves as platforms to raise funds for various ends - to support talent in the arts, t o market original inventions, to initiate charitable events and start small businesses. The present market has still room to grow dramatically because of the millions of internet users, which are ready to invest or donate money for causes that they can emotionally connect to. Figure 1 illustrates how crowdfunding can snowball from a small close circle of family and friends to a number of supporters that can donate and/or investments the right amount needed to launch a project. Target Market GetLaunched! targets two types of users: the proponents, and; the

Is Microsoft really a Monopoly Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Is Microsoft really a Monopoly - Term Paper Example Monopoly refers to a market where a particular individual or enterprise has sufficient control over a product or service and has the controlling power where it can decide the others who can have access to the product. In short, it is a market where one firm makes up for the entire market and it is the price setter for the price in that particular market. In these types of markets, the competition for the goods and services is normally less and the numbers of competitors within these markets are less. Substitute good and services are generally not available in these markets. These markets generally are comprised of a firm which takes up a greater share of the market when compared to others like in the case of perfect competition. A Monopoly is different from a monopsony where there is normally just one buyer of the products and services. This normally categorizes as an imperfect market. Also, the monopoly should be differentiated from a cartel, where a number of providers act together to coordinate the services and prices of the goods. Â  The word monopoly was firstly used in Aristotle’s politics (Baker, 2001). After understanding what a monopoly refers to it is also essential to understand a monopolistic market. This is different from monopoly and is useful to understand to check if the company falls into this category (Baker, 2001). Monopolistic markets are very common and can be considered in various aspects. There are a number of different sectors that fall into these markets. These markets are typically where there are a number of producers and many consumers in a given market, and the consumers feel that there are no price differences among the prices of the various competitors. Also, the barrier to entry and exit is very less within these markets and the producers have control over the prices. These markets in certain aspects are similar to perfect competition markets with the difference of not having heterogeneous products. Also in these types of competition, the product differentiation is very low. Here firms making profits in the short run normally break even in the long run as the demand will decrease and average cost normally increases (Baker, 2001). Â  

Hate Crimes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hate Crimes - Essay Example These prejudices are not inborn but rather they are a result of the prejudices which children are exposed to through their families, friends, teachers and the media. This prejudices and biases lead to various stereotypes of different groups. Even the parenting style and personality factors were found to have an effect on the offenders of hate crimes. Creating a stereotype image of a certain group often lead to bad judgments. Hate crimes can be prevented if even at an early age, children are taught that not all people are alike, that each one is a unique person. As such, individuals must learn to respect and accept the diversity of people in communities. Bias and prejudices may not be totally eradicated but they should be kept at a level which does not develop into hate so as not to lead to violent crimes. Tolerance of other people’s differences must be instilled in children at an early age. The government has led the way in preventing hate crimes by making policies and regulations which prevent racial discrimination and promote equality especially in the workplace. Government should provide economic opportunities to minority groups since it is believed that there is a link between economics and hate crimes. Local community leaders must be more aware of the presence of extremist groups who are tremendously prejudiced against certain groups. Reading the chapter makes one think whether hate crimes can be prevented or at the very least, be minimized. Another question is whether there is a way of detecting a person who will most likely commit a hate crime and if detected, can he be swayed into doing otherwise? Is there a way of controlling or limiting one’s prejudices and biases so as not to move one from committing a hate

Corporate Social Responsibility of Oil and Gas industry in Nigeria

Corporate Social Responsibility of Oil and Gas industry in Nigeria The main objective of this literature review is to attempt answering the research questions posed in our proposal because it is the focus of this research. In doing that, we shall review definitions, recapitulate and employs insights to the studies of previous prominent researchers on the topic particularly as it concerns MNOC in Nigeria. The work shall mainly consult books, journals and articles amongst others. With the general growth of CSR in many multinational companies, it is hardly surprising that CSR attracted considerable attention in recent years. In an attempt to digest CSR, studies have focused on the meaning, drivers and scope of CSR. While some researchers say it should not exist, others said it should be philanthropic, some said it is to enhance business, and others even think it regulatory compliance. Much of the earlier work emphasized two prominent definitions: philanthropy or business enhancement. Ojala (1994) said it has three major facets: complying with the law; setting and abiding by moral and ethical standards; and philanthropic giving. The first popular/acceptable definition of CSR is by Bowen (1953, p.6) He defined CSR as the obligations of businessmen to pursue those policies, to make those decisions, or to follow those lines of action which are desirable in terms of the objectives and values of our society. Since then, many definitions followed ranging from Carroll (1979), McWilliams and Siegel (2001), Whetten et al (2002), Maignan and Ferrell (2004) and Sriramesh et al. (2009) EUs Green paper on CSR defined it as a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development defines CSR as the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of its workers. . .as well as the local community and society at large. These definitions are important to this work as they see CSR as voluntary. To CSR advocates it is giving back to the land/people from whom it has taken so much, else poverty, unemployment, lop-sided development would continue to haunt Companies. Shankar Venkateswaran (2000) said that Islands of prosperity cannot survive in a sea of poverty the sea will ultimately engulf the islands. On the contrary, critics believe that CSR are used to distract public from asking questions posed by MNC operations. To them, CSR is not committed to sustainable development as claimed because activities of MNCs are contrary CSR. Example is Shells CSR led to pioneering in triple bottom line reporting, still there was a scandal of its misreporting of oil reserves in 2004. REVIEW OF THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS People view CSR differently, some advocate while others criticize. Peter Drucker (2004) is of the view that CSR should not exist at all. He said corporate social responsibility is a dangerous distortion from business principles. If you find an executive who wants to take on social responsibility, fire him. Fast. Others said that the organizations pay taxes to ensure that society and the environment are not adversely affected by business activities. This leads us to the first research question. What could be the main drivers of Corporate Social Responsibility by multinational companies? Is it to promote corporate image and benefit business or do they have positive responsibilities that add value to the communities they do business in? Motivations to engage in CSR are varies. Some are response to market forces, globalization, consumer and civil society pressures, etc. Some see it as a higher incentive to protect brands and investments (NEEDS). CSR drivers will be reviewed in three categories: economic, institutional and social drivers Economic Drivers There has been a lot of literature supporting that CSR is to enhance business. This proposition was clearly supported by Milton Friedman (1970). To him, a corporations purpose is to maximize returns to its shareholders and not to society as a whole. He said When I hear businessmen speak eloquently about the social responsibilities of business in a free-enterprise system, I am reminded of the wonderful line about the Frenchman who discovered at the age of 70 that he had been speaking prose all his life. The businessmen believe that they are defending free enterprise when they declaim that business is not concerned merely with profit but also with promoting desirable social ends; that business has a social conscience and takes seriously its responsibilities for providing employment, eliminating discrimination, avoiding pollution and whatever else may be the catchwords of the contemporary crop of reformers. In the same vein, McKibben Bill (2006) suggests that corporations which exist solely to maximize profits are unable to advance the interests of society as a whole. Also, Lord Justices Pill, May and Keane (1997) in proving that McDonalds business contradicts its social responsibility principles ruled that eating enough McDonalds food may make ones diet high in fat therefore increase the risk heart disease in McDonaldHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonalds_Restaurants_v_Morris__SteelHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonalds_Restaurants_v_Morris__Steels Restaurants v Steel HYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonalds_Restaurants_v_Morris__SteelHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonalds_Restaurants_v_Morris__Steel Morris. For Johnson (1971p.54 cited in Vrabic, 2010) Social responsibility states that business carry out social programs to add profits to their organizations. He perceives CSR as long-run profit maximization not just activity to demonstrate ethical s tandards. Orlitzky, Schmidt, and Rynes (2004) in their study found a correlation between social/environmental performance and financial performance. Kurucz (2008, p.86), in his study identified four general types of business cases to support that CSR enhances business: cost and risk reduction, profit maximization and competitive advantage, reputation and legitimacy, and synergistic value creation. Cost and risk Reduction: Firm engage in CSR to reduce costs and risks to the firm, since stakeholders demands can present a potential threat to corporate financial goals (Kurucz, 2008, p. 88). Competitive Advantage: CSR can be used to gain competitive advantage over industry rivals (Kurucz, 2008, p. 89). It is also used as a lobbying strategy for tighter regulations that leads to higher market values especially in oil companies with heavy polluting activities. (Porter 1991, cited in Vrabic, 2010) Reputation and Legitimacy: CSR is made for strategic reasons and are designed to extend legitimacy and enhance corporate reputation, to maintain its legitimacy, repair or defend its lost or threatened legitimacy (Kurucz, 2008, p. 91). Miles and Covin (2000 cited in Vrabic, 2010) opined that environmental stewardship creates reputational advantage that enhances marketing and financial performance. To Brown and Dacin (1997), negative social reputation can have detrimental effect on product evaluations and positive social reputation can enhance product evaluations. This could be seen from the boycott of Shell gas station by European consumers due to Shells attempt to dispose Brent Spar oil platform in the Atlantic Ocean and the consequent 50% decline sales (Neuger, 1995 cited in Vrabic, 2010). Synergistic Value Creation Approaches advocating synergistic value creation are focused seeking opportunities to reveal, relate, and synthesize the interests of diverse set of stakeholders. Some studies, however, have taken a different approach. Lerner and Fryxell, (1988 cited in Vrabic, 2010)) argue that firms incur unnecessary costs that does not add value and reduce profitability by increasing social performance. Institutional Much as there may be economic drivers of CSR, to serve long term national interests, Governments have a strong interest in promoting CSR initiatives mostly through regulation to complement their environmental and social programs (Mazurkiewicz, 2004a). Prominent CSR researchers consider regulation as a natural adjunct to improving the social performance of business, contingent only on the correct design of market incentives (Porter and van der Linde 2000, p. 156, cited in Vrabic, 2010). In Europe, many countries have introduced legislation to mandate environmental reporting for corporations (Haigh and Jones, 2006). Also, Inter-governmental organizations like EU, UN and OECD promote CSR through various policies that encourage companies to voluntarily engage in more sustainable and socially responsible conduct of business. In the oil sector, (Frynas, 2009, p.50 52) argue that decisions are becoming politicized especially with joint venture agreements. With joint venture, Government owns shares, oil, grants licenses, provides regulatory framework, and defines respective rights and responsibilities of investors. Social Factors Moon and Vogel, (2008, cited in Vrabic, 2010) argue that in the global market, MNCs often appeared to be as powerful as states, yet unaccountable as Governments and international institutions most times create regulatory vacuum to control their actions. This vacuum the NGOs normally fill by questioning MNCs actions (Held and McGrew, 2002, cited in Vrabic, 2010). NGOs demand that companies follow the conventions and agreements signed within UN, respect basic environmental regulations adopted by western governments or regional organizations (Bandell, 2004). The second question is Why are there proliferations of youth militancy and movement, protests, invasion of oil facilities and abduction of oil workers, intense dispute and conflicts against the MNOCs in the Niger Delta despite the CSR? The problems between the oil companies and host communities are best described by Watts, (2004:198) as the story of development and counter development working with and against one another in complex and contradictory ways. The crises and hostility according to Eweje (2007) arise sometimes because indigenes feel they dont get enough social and economic infrastructures/assistance from the MNOCs. The CSR seem to escalate the crisis. This is because either by omission or commission, CSR activities and processes impact negatively on local communities, often outweighing the positive benefits CSR brings (Watts, 2004). Christian Aid (2004) says that despite Shells claims about honesty, integrity and respect for people, the oil company has failed to bring about change in the delta. It also confirmed that some of the acclaimed schools, hospitals and other social amenities have been abandoned or did not meet the needs of the communities they were meant to support. It found evidence that Shells clean-up of oil spills and repair of pipelines in Nigeria is scandalously inadequate and would never be tolerated in Europe and North America. This failure of CSR added to the bad feeling between the local community and Shell (Andrew Pendleton Christian aid report). Sometimes oil companies carry propaganda by way of CSR. Example is the CSR that followed Ogoni crisis to redeem Shells image especially with several publications and propogandas.58 Oil companies sometimes connive with the state to be violent, using private security and state agents who are often overactive in their tasks of protecting oil installations and workers. This leads to harassment, intimidation and suppression of environmental development and rights activities. Sometimes crises arise because of oil spills. Nembe indigene 3 (cited in Tuodolo 2007) said Oil activities cause serious environmental problem. Oil spills; discharge of drilling and production waste; and gas flaringà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. The negative impact of these on the peoples health and livelihood is enormous: All of us in this community are fishermen à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ there is always spillage à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ have destroyed our marine life and our occupationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. To show Shells negligence and non-sustainability, it spilled 14,000 tons of oil into the Niger Delta in 2009 while that of 2008 is between 2,200-8,000 and a daily flaring of about 604 million per day (SPDC, 2009). On their part, Shell CEO Peter Voser(2010, reported in Guardian newspapers) said that Nigeria, especially the Niger Delta, remains a very challenging place in which to operate. Security issues and sabotage are constant threats to our people, assets and the environment. Even when the crises arise, oil companies respond when and how they like. They sometimes pay compensation and initiate community projects, but do not enhance their social responsibility credentials (Omotala 2010). He said One, the oil companies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ are known for paying compensations that are far lower than international minimum standards. They are also reputed for the avoidance of payments of compensation on frivolous grounds such as attributing oil spills to sabotage for which they may not be culpable. In some instances, they only pay compensation after protracted court cases that are usually very costly to the host community. Sometimes the development does not worth it even when they are implemented. Idemudia (2009) said CSR developments must protect, preserve and conserve the environments upon which the livelihood of rural inhabitants depends to be meaningful and sustainable. MNOCs are being accused of living by their words. Example, a community leader asserts that most of these developments are only reflected on their books, not on the ground and even then it is not based on the priorities set by the communities but what suits their public relation image of the company ( Eweje, 2007). All this culminated together causes the rising violence, militancy, protests, invasion of oil facilities, pipeline vandalization and abduction of oil workers in the region which sometimes swings both the oil companies and Government to actions. Eweje (2007) concludes that no matter how laudable the CSR initiatives are if the host communities do not feel that the projects will create a sustainable economic, social and environmental development the conflict and unrest in the Niger Delta will continue. There have been questions of whether CSR differ in developing and developed countries. Amaeshi et al. (2006) in their work asked if there is a Nigerian brand of CSR or is it an imitation of western CSR practices. NEEDS XV argue that socio-culturally framed and that the socio-cultural characteristics of Nigeria are unique and as such, the practice of CSR would mainly be shaped by the socio-economic conditions in which these firms operate. To NEEDS, CSR in Nigeria would be aimed towards poverty alleviation, health care provision, infrastructure development, education, etc, not necessarily reflection of popular western standard like consumer protection, fair trade, green marketing, climate change, social responsible investments, etc. Oil spills are more in Nigeria and even where there is, prompt actions are not taken (Christian Aid 2004). Considering this point, Frynas, (2005) said that where government fails to effectively make and enforce environmental regulation, MNOC only voluntarily care to avoid oil spills and may be label it CSR. CSR today looks more of regulatory compliance in developed countries with more effective government. In Nigeria, Shell admitted that its approach to CSR causes community disorder (SPDC, 2005:28), yet Shell has not changed the practices despites its claims to CSR. While the more popular opinion like (Frynas, Christian Aid) is that there is double standard, sometimes MNOCs act the same way in both developing and developed countries. This can be justified by signing of collaborative agreements with Colombian with the Colombian Defence Ministry to provide $2.2 million on top of the mandatory war tax in 1995 by BP (Muttitt and Marriott, 2002). BP was accused of forming its own army and hiring security people with histories of human rights abuses and even murder (Beder, 2002, cited in Vrabic, 2010). Investigations revealed that BPs security firm, trained the Colombian police in counterinsurgency and intelligence techniques used against local communities, and also provided weapons to the 16th Battalion of the Colombian army, which then conducted a massacre (Gillard, 1999 cited in Vrabic, 2010). There was fierce stakeholder pressure on BP and BP evaluated its social and environmental strategies (Frynas, 2009, p. 22-23). Some years after, a senior BP manager admitted: Weve learned from our mistakesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. In Colombia we were accused of getting too close to the army and police in order to protect our operations. We listened, approached the Human Rights Watch for advice, and then organized new security arrangements (Rice, 2002, p. 135). Could it be safe to say CSR in developing countries are not at its best and if so is overlap, ineffective coordination and communication, absence of regulatory framework, partnership with Government/local communities major problems hindering the effective implementation of CSR projects? In Nigeria, Rauscher (1992, cited in Frynas 1998) says that Governments sought to attract foreign investors by permitting ecological dumping, for the sake of economic development. Ite (2004) also argued that the government has continued to renegade on its commitment that it becomes almost impossible for the CSR investments by the oil firms to contribute positively to their host communities. Oil companies blame oil pollution on political instability like sabotage because there is no comprehensive legislation on compensation payments to communities in Nigeria (Frynas 1998). But Walter and Ugelow (1979) in their work said that Nigerias environmental policy is been tolerant to corporate polluters for a long time compare to international standard. Frynas argues that there is a direct relationship between state welfare provision and the need for CSR initiatives. To him, greater social and environmental responsibilities should be taken in countries where the government does not have effective mechanisms of regulation and provision of public goods. He cited Nigeria as his example. Patricia Werhane (2007) on her own part cited corruption as a serious problem hindering CSR implementation in developing countries. She said A big challenge facing multinational corporations is how they should respond to local corruption. Both Shell Oil and Exxon/Mobile sought to carry out drilling operations at sites plagued by corrupt local and national governmentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. (Patricia Werhane 2007) This is also Watts view when he said What passes as development is usually contracts and bribes-so-called cash payments-with influential traditional elites, orchestrated through ineffective or corrupt community liason officers (Watts, 2004). CSR ineffective coordination manifests in commercialized conflicts between individuals and groups who always fight over the benefits; community funds for development are mismanaged, misappropriated, and embezzled or shared by community leaders or clique (Watts, 2004). Social disorders like arms possession, increasing illiteracy, criminality, lawlessness and the disintegration of tradition and culture now became order of the day. CSR should be considered more as a corporate moral responsibility, and limit the reach of CSR by focusing more on direct impacts of the organization (Patricia Werhane 2007). It is suggested that for CSR to worth its onion, there should be better governmental and international regulation and enforcement, rather than voluntary measures. This is EU approach. For example, Denmark on 16 December 2008, adopted a bill making it mandatory for the 1100 largest Danish companies, investors and state-owned companies to include information on CSR in their annual financial reports. In Nigeria, FEC approved CSR policy on 21st May 2008. Also, Akwa Ibom state enacted oil and gas law stipulating social responsibility of oil companies. To Christian Aid (2004:2) the only way to instill honesty and integrity into business practice is to strip CSR of its voluntarism and enact laws that spell out minimum social and environmental standards that companies must meet. Jettison corporate social responsibility: make it corporate social accountability, because for too long CSR has served as merely a branch of PR and in some cases as the only spurts of development activity by large companies. CONCLUSION This work had defined CSR and explored the fundamental drivers of CSR. The observation is that today CSR is a consequence of various factors together interactions of various social groups and NGOs, state institutions and self promoting economic motives. Three main drivers were seen as the main promoters of CSR, and one could conclude that CSR is more of business strategy than social. In the Niger Delta the continued crises could be attributed to the fact that MNOSs do their things in their own way without actually touching indigenes lives. They employ any means to protect their business interest As regards the standard, MNOC adopt different standard for different stroke that is why this work is of the view that there should be laws guiding CSR not just MNOCs doing what they think is suitable to them. This work also found out that there are structural factors, systemic failures, absence of enabling environment hinder positive impact of CSR. Although the popular view from this review is that MNOCs engage in CSR to enhance business therefore there should be CSR regulations, it cannot be ruled out that regulations especially stringent ones and host communities problems will discourage the MNOC who may decide to move their investment to a more friendly business environment. This clearly gives room for more research.

Socrates :: essays research papers fc

Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The wise and inquisitive Socrates was both a philosopher and a martyr, not just in his words but in his actions as well. Socrates was so adamant about his principles that he wouldn’t deny them to save his own life. A lesser man left in his shoes would have done anything to stop the fate that he faced. Socrates practiced what he preached through and through and for the most part only taught good morals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next four pages consist of the life of Socrates, his contributions to the world, his family life, appearance, events leading to his death and his death. You should see how strict the Greek government was. Most of all this paper should teach you what kind of a person Socrates was and what kind of a person you are. 2 Socrates   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is known about Socrates stems from the works of his pupil Plato and the historian Xenophon. Since both men were about 45 years younger than Socrates, the only first hand knowledge they had of him was from the last 10 to 12 years of his life. Some believe that since Xenophon and Socrates weren’t close, the information that he had of Socrates was drawn from Plato. Since Socrates never wrote anything down and didn’t leave anything behind, the accuracy of his history is questionable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Socrates was born in Athens, Greece in 469 B.C. where he lived all of his life. His father was a wealthy sculptor named Sophroniscus and friend to the family of Aristides, the founder of the Delian League from which the empire arose. His mother was said to be a â€Å"midwife† (which implies nothing about her place in society) named Phaenarete.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although Socrates was known as a great fighting man, his appearance wasn’t pretty. He was short and stout, big nostrils on a small stubby nose, and prominent eyes. Despite his appearance, those who knew him were aware that his true beauty was on the 3 inside. It was said, that he had great self-control and endurance, along with unparalleled intelligence, and sophistication.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As a youth Socrates was the pupil of Archelaus and studied scientific theories of Anaxagoras. Later in life Socrates abandoned physical studies and focused on the building of moral character. He believed that to do wrong is to damage the soul and that it is worse to do wrong than to be wronged, so you should never do wrong to right a wrong.

American History before the Revolution

The discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus in 1492 led to the colonial expansion of the nations of Western Europe. These colonies were created to push trade forwards in the form of new imports, primarily raw materials as a base for trade and creations of new products. This topic will focus on the history of North America before the American Revolution in 1776. The first successful English colony was established by the London Virginia Company in 1607 and was known as Jamestown. It was primarily created for the purpose of looking for gold.It was not successful in its venture but eventually found money in growing tobacco which eventually bloomed into plantations with settlers coming in with servants and slaves to create their own. The colony depended on the trade of these crops and most of them were shipped straight back to Britain. The formation of this colony was followed by the settlement of the Pilgrims, a protestant sect based in England and the Netherlands in Massachuse tts. They were escaping religious persecution aboard the Mayflower and they drew themselves the Mayflower compact after landing which gave them power of self governance.This was followed by the establishment of the Massachusetts Bay colony in 1629 by the Puritans. They wished to create a religious nation that would serve the true religion. The banishment of Roger Williams from the colony for preaching the separation of church and state led the creation of Rhode Island Colony. From an economic standpoint they were also self-sustaining. Their economy worked on every farmer sustaining himself and having to trade for any goods they could not provide for themselves. The three of these colonies formed the Cheapsake bay area.The middle colonies consisted of what are presently New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. These colonies were characterized by much diversity in their religious, economic, political and ethnic practices. Connecticut was also formed. The colonization of the l ower south started in Carolina in 1670 by the English Lords Proprietors. It was mainly set up as a trading colony especially in South Carolina. They eventually cultivated rice in 1690 through the aid of the African slaves they brought with them.The political differences between the settlers in this colony created much conflict and eventually war which lead to the Proprietors selling it back to the British Crown. A member of parliament known as James Oglethorpe established Georgia Colony in 1733 as a way to form a base against Florida which was occupied by Spain at the time. It was established with strict moral laws which forbade slavery and alcohol along with other forms of immortal acts. Once these laws were rescinded the country went from poverty to prosperity. It consisted of people from varied religious backgrounds.Great Britain eventually won East and West Florida from the Spaniards in 1763 and returned it in 1783 when they left. By 1700 most of the regions were divided in two halves. Their origins brought about the creation of two very different societies. The colonies of New England were much more individualistic as compared to the Southern colonies. The northern colonies touted freedom of religion and of the political process. They formed their society around an orthodox method in order to set an example for all other societies. In contrast the southerners were developed around the bases of economics.Their society was more geared towards mercantilism. The vast quantities of cheap land available to them allowed them to pursue this interest. In order to facilitate their economy they also formed a government which was based according to the Virginia Charter. The increasing demand for English goods grew rapidly in the 1700s and with the possession of the cotton industry in the south the colonies soon outpace England in terms of exports. This was mainly due to the fact that the colonies made use of slaves for labor purposes which brought them great prosperi ty.In the 1600 the English passed a series of laws known as the Navigation Acts which restricted the use of foreign shipping to trade between England and its colonies. This was mainly done to limit Dutch merchants from trading with its colonies and allowed England to be the main hub for all colonial products. These acts though bringing Britain great wealth caused great resentment in the colonies. This was so because the laws restricted the ability of the colonies to trade with anyone but the English, with these in effect it decreased their power to be independent of the Royal Court.Thus these Mercantilist policies were refused by the colonies as they saw it as a control over their economies and their government. In order to avoid heavy taxes and regulations the colonies resorted to smuggling their goods. The loss of much wealth led the British to enact the writ of assistance which enabled officers to freely search citizens and homes which were suspected of smuggling. The colonists f ound this to be a violation of their civil rights as citizens of the crown. One of the main ways that smugglers from the colonies operated was the selling tea to the American colonies.Originally the tea came from England through the East India Company, however when Benjamin Franklin suggested that the company bypass England and deal with the colonists directly, the smugglers lost their source of income. In rebellion they tossed 342 crates of tea into the Boston Harbor. This led to the Boston Port Act through which Britain closed down Boston harbor until the tea was paid for. The mercantilism system had a draconian effect on the colonies. Following the Seven years war in 1765 the British Parliament imposed a stamp tax on the American colonies requiring by law that all printed materials carry it.This was to pay for the military funds from the war of which the colonists were considered benefactors. This was also considered violations of their rights as colonial citizens to decide their own tax laws and led to many protests from New England to Georgia. Other British colonies also rebelled against the tax as they saw it as a threat to their economy and it was eventually repealed in 1766. This added further fuel to the colonist resentment and concerns of the British parliament. The last straw was that of the Boston Massacre where the deaths of five civilians in 1770 and sparked the fire which led to the American Revolution.In the end it was all of the reasons above along with the need of the colonies to establish their own government free from the religious, economic and governmental persecution of the English that led to the creation and subsequently fight for the freedom of the colonies and as we know in the end they succeeded. References Internet History Sourcebooks Project. (2007, June 4). Colonial North America. Retrieved May 24, 2009, from Internet Modern History Sourcebook : http://www. fordham. edu/halsall/mod/modsbook07. html

Deviant Behavior essays

Deviant Behavior essays A person would be considered to be acting deviantly in society if they are violating what the significant social norm in that particular culture is. What causes humans to act certain ways is a disputed topic among researchers for some time now. There are three types of researchers that have tried to answer this question. There is the psychological answer, biological answer, and the sociological answer. With all of the studies that have been performed, no one group has come up with an exact reason to why people behave deviantly. Although, sociologists theories have not been disproved as often as the psychologists and biologists theories because their experiments are too hard to define and no one definition for deviance is agreed upon by all experimenters (Pfuhl, 40). My own curiosity to find out what the influences are behind deviant behavior is the purpose for this paper. We have already discussed this topic during class in part two, chapter four of the textbook which explains deviance and crime. This section talks more about deviance being a learned behavior. I wanted to find out more information to see if biological factors are also behind this kind of behavior. The most knowledge acquired for why people act deviantly is from the sociological perspective. There is need for more research, if possible, in the psychological and biological perspectives, but there is a lot more known in the sociological viewpoint. The reality that the definition of deviant behavior is considered different by everyone makes it complicated and unknown if a truly accurate answer can ever be found (Pfuhl 18). This is why this topic is important to the study of sociology. Sociologists have more information, and therefore may be closer to finding the cause. For this reason, my main focus in this paper is at the sociological stand point of deviance with some explanations from psychologists and biologists. The family is the l...

The role of neural mechanisms in the role of hunger and satiety Essays

The role of neural mechanisms in the role of hunger and satiety Essays The role of neural mechanisms in the role of hunger and satiety Neural structures plays a key role in eating behaviour. Among humans, glucose levels probably play the most important role in producing feelings of hunger. Hunger increases as glucose levels decrease. A decline in glucose levels in the blood and an increase in ghrelin (a hormone released by the stomach when it is empty) activates a part of the brain called the lateral hypothalamus, resulting in feelings of hunger. The lateral hypothalamus (or LH), is also known as the start eating switch. This causes the individual to search for and consume food. The ventro-medial hypothalamus (or VMH), is also very important also known as the stop switch. A rise in glucose levels and a decrease in ghrelin (hormone that is released from the stomach when there is no food in it) activates the ventromedial hypothalamus, which leads to feelings of satiation, which in turn inhibits further feeding. There has been considerable research evidence to indicate support for the role that neural mechanisms play in hunger and satiety. The role that the hypothalamus plays has been supported by studies looking at lessoning regions of this structure. Research has illustrated the crucial roles played by the hypothalamus Hetherington and Rammington (1942) published a famous study on the control of eating behaviour. They showed that lesioning (i.e. destroying) tiny areas in the LH in rats, led to a loss of interest in food and eating, the animals seemingly unaware that they were starving themselves. Whereas the opposite happened with lesions to the VMH as this led to the rats eating so much they became obese. The importance of the role of the hypothalamus has been replicated in further studies where the role of neurochemicals (neuropeptide Y) has also been supported. Lutter (2008) has found supporting evidence for the role of ghrelin as being crucial in boosting appetite. He concluded that ex tra levels of ghrelin were produced in stressed individuals which caused them to overeat. However, it may be possible that other psychological processes were overlooked in this study (e.g. psychological impact of mood) A great deal of the research done on neural mechanisms has been done using rats which means that it is difficult to generalize. Rats do not have a functioning prefrontal cortex like humans do, and this is what helps humans make judgements so how far can we say the studies using animals supports the role of neural mechanisms in humans. However, Research studies have looked at fMRI of cases of individuals with Prader-willi (who have a compulsion to eat) syndrome in comparison to controls (when eating) and have found a deactivation in the hypothalamus of PWS patients. This is a good study as it has been done on humans and uses scientific objective measures (FMRI scans) which means that it is a valid study that shows the importance of the role of the hypothalamus in humans. Moreover another factor is hormones such as insulin and leptin are also involved in eating behavior. Low levels of leptin will increase hunger and eating behavior, as it does not stop neuropeptide Y (a neurochemical that stimulates hunger). Elevated levels of leptin, stops neuropeptide and decreases eating behaviour. The neural mechanisms explanations (biological approach) can be seen as an example of Biological determinism: it focuses exclusively on the role of nature and no space left to choice and cultural and social influences. There is substantial and convincing evidence that social, cultural and psychological factors affect our eating behaviours as is evident from psychological explanations of eating disorders. For example research into mood has shown that when we are in a bad mood we are more likely to crave carbohydrates. This suggests that there are other reasons that govern what we eat and that is not just down to neural control. To take the biological explanations only would be a reductionist account, though when coupled with the psychological explanation it covers both the nature and nurture side in the nature/nurture debate, thus being a more complete explanation of eating behaviours.

Analysis essay about 'After Death' Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis about 'After Death' - Essay Example Eagleman also corrected the notion of God’s gender and this translates to the ambivalence of the universe. Eagleman however is optimistic that the afterlife will be generous because we will be given a choice of who we would like to be. The book begun with the phrase â€Å"In the afterlife you relive all your experiences, but this time with the events reshuffled into a new order: all the moments share a quality are grouped together (3)†. This is a sort of cataloguing our life and to make us realize how we lived our life. This is an intriguing opening for a book that talked about after life because it makes the reader think and examined their own lives. It is like telling the living that someday how we should live our life today because it will be played before you us when we die so we better make it a good thing to watch. This opening also opens a lot of possibilities of how the afterlife should be. Of course Eagleman’s book are only analysis and wanderings and we will never know its validity until we go to the afterlife. It may be just an existential â€Å"what if† or an excursion of how will it be like in the afterlife. And if there is any consolation to David Eagleman’s dissertation in his work â€Å"Sum: forty tales from the afterlives†, is that it affirms that there is life after our existence here on earth removing the fearful idea that everything ceases when we die. Thus this begs the questions of what are going to do with our lives having known that indeed after life exists. One of these existential excursion of Eagleman’s work is the negation of what we are thinking along – that we are the center of the universe and that all creation revolves around us. Eagleman however did not think so. We are in fact just a byproduct of the bigger scheme of things and not even at the center of it. Our reaction may

Art peried Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Art peried - Assignment Example o flourished during the period between the two great wars, when the west face steep industrialization that had an outstanding impact on their culture, and it was unique style as it did embrace technology, in fact, this is the major distinguishable factor from the early organic motifs and the much-loved earlier style, the Art Nouveau. Sheumaker and Wajda (2008), Art Deco rejected excessive historicism, and instead relied on a style that suited the modern times, ad traversed very many field which included architecture, fashion, transportation, graphic design, furniture and amongst others. During this period, Art Deco was a symbol of opulence, mystique, and energy. Historical analysis of the style points to an architect Le Corbusier as the one who coined the term in 1925 to refer to arts expo during the same year. In the United States, the Empire State Building in New York architectural style had a heavy influence from the Art Deco style. The Art Deco has achieved a certain level of renaissance as more people opt to incorporate it bold and lavish colours to the comfort of their homes. In fact, the Art Deco is some of the latest trending ideas that could potentially be available throughout human existence on earth. The Art Deco provides an allowance for a creation of a genuinely unique home interiors and shows to the world creativity and sense of style. Art lovers do love to portray accents in Art Deco and turn rooms to spectacular pieces of arts. In decorate an interior, it is important to add the French chic into the present interior art, to match with the Room furniture and featuring straight lines or curvy shapes, monochromatic and contrasting color combinations. Further, exuberant finishes and lavish fabrics are added plus decoration outlines that have zigzags, stripes, chevrons. Finally to the living room, spare some prominent wallpaper patterns add drama and glamour  so that the modern interior design and hom e decorating achieves the style of the great Art