Sunday, December 29, 2019

The Adult Offender Essay - 615 Words

1. What has been the primary factor in the growth in the number of individuals under correctional supervision over the past twenty years? The primary factor in the growth of individuals under correctional supervision in the past twenty years has been due to tougher laws, correctional supervision also has a broader scope of people under supervision and there are more offenders that are sentenced with drug and property offences. Correctional supervision also includes people out on bond, probation and parole. 2. Compare the increase in females versus males in terms of the number under correctional supervision. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of females under supervision on 1999, 21% were on probation and 11% in local†¦show more content†¦7. What is the general overall goal of a prison classification system? The overall goal of a prison classification system is to maintain homogeneneity of inmates by risk of violence and escape and therefore places in prisons that are physically designed to meet theses risks. 8. Why are women now sentenced similarly to male offenders? Women are now sentenced similar to males because of sentencing guidelines and mandatory sentencing. Judges now have less discretion when sentencing. 9. How does the recidivism rate for women offenders compare to that for men? Females had less recidivism rates than the rates of men within three years after release 17.3% returned to prison for a new offense compared to 26.2% of males. and 39.4% returned without a new offense competed to 53% of males. 10. What percentage of the prison population is female? 6.8% of the prison population is female. 11. List some of the special problems faced by female inmates. Healthcare, vocational training and work opportunity, pentagonal of sexual abuse from staff, alcohol and drug use and problems relating to their children. 12. What programs do prisons have to deal with the parenting needs of female prisoners? They have child visitation, parent education, and other parenting programs. 13. How do female inmate classification systems differ from those for men? The older classification systemShow MoreRelatedShould Adult Offenders Be Allowed?933 Words   |  4 Pageshave been sentenced as adults and sent to adult prisons. Without the possibility of parole, nearly 3000 kids nationwide have been sentence to life in prison. Children as young as 13 years old have been tried as adults and sentenced to die in prison, usually without any consideration of their age or facts or conditions that surround the offense. Trying teens as adults gives way to many opinions. The researcher believes minors should be up-held to the same possibility as adults of punishment dependingRead MoreJuvenile Offenders And Adult Court1502 Words   |  7 PagesThe dilemma of whether or not to transfer juveniles to adult court has been a major topic, for many years, in the United States. Since 1899, judges have had the option to transfer juveniles to adult court. The major factor for transferring j uveniles to adult court since then has been the seriousness of the offense. That being said, juveniles only make up a small portion of violent crimes in the United States. Only 16 percent of juvenile offenders in 2008 were arrested for violent crimes (Champion,2008)Read MoreThe Juvenile Court : An Adult Offender991 Words   |  4 Pagesmentally competent, and they are more likely to be rehabilitated than an adult offender. However, in the past years juvenile are committing more violent crimes that suggest they should be tried in criminal courts rather than juvenile courts. It is my belief that if a child under the age of 18 commits a violent crime they should be charged as an adult offender. Certain criteria should be established when charging a juvenile as an adult; at what age should a child know right from wrong, the type of crimeRead MoreJuvenile Offenders And The Adult Courts For Trial1102 Words   |  5 Pages Tennessee, like many other states, has provisions, provided fo r in the state laws, for the transfer of juvenile offenders to the adult courts for trial. The youth court has to follow the procedures, which are outlined in the statute, to include the minimum age of a juvenile, who is to be transferred to the adult courts, and the specific crimes for which such a transfer may take place. While I recognize, as the United States Supreme Court did in Roper v. Simmons, (2005), that children are immatureRead MoreAdult Punishment On Recidivism For Juvenile Offenders2369 Words   |  10 PagesAdult Punishment Impacts on Recidivism for Juvenile Offenders INTRODUCTION Recidivism is a crucial aspect in criminology and its occurrence threatens peace, dunning the offender as a criminal. It is important that punishment aims at minimizing the repetitiveness of committing crimes among individuals despite their age. A criminal activity among the young population, precisely children, has been on the rise and thus the need for a deterrent. The introduction of adult punishment for juvenile offendersRead MoreThe Effects Of Sexual Offending On Adult Offenders1202 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Most research on sexual offending focuses on adult offenders, however, juveniles also engage in such behaviors. Official records indicate that juveniles are responsible for 17 to 20 percent of all sexual crimes, except prostitution, and victim reports, as well as, youth self-reports suggest even higher rates of juvenile sexual offending (Letourneau Borduin, 2008). Although it remains clear that there is no specific â€Å"cure† for sex offenders, various treatment programs and punishments have beenRead MoreSystem For Minor Offenders With Adult Charges1849 Words   |  8 PagesSystem for Minor Offenders with Adult Charges The expression is if you can t do the time, don t do the crime, but what happens when the criminal can t legally do the time? When a minor commits a crime, it is a unanimous decision that punishment is necessary to what extent should they be punished. That is where the Juvenile justice system comes into place; providing alternatives to minors committing adult crimes. Sentences such as; community service, probation, and detention centers are all differentRead MoreTreatment For Adult Male Sex Offenders7321 Words   |  30 PagesUniversity Social Work Applied Research I Treatment for Adult Male Sex Offenders October 27, 2014 Dr. Chacha †¨ Abstract Introduction The reason for this study is to explain the different types of treatment for adult male sex offenders. The reason for conducting this research is the interest in getting these offenders effective treatment. Literature Review History of Sex Offender Treatment Until the mid-1980s the treatment of sex offenders was conducted primarily in civil commitment programsRead MoreEssay about Convictions of Adult Offenders in Canada739 Words   |  3 PagesConvictions of Adult Offenders in Canada On Sept. 16, 1995, after fatally stabbing her husband as he slept, 19-year-old Jamie Tanis Gladue shrieked: I got you...bastard. In addition to getting her husband, however, Mr. Gladue disregarded the rule of law. In the course of confirming Ms. Gladues sentence of three years for manslaughter -- only six months of which wereRead MoreEssay on Dont Treat Juvenile Offenders As Adults1915 Words   |  8 PagesUnited States, child offenders over the age of seven were imprisoned in the same facilities as adult offenders. As a result of political and social reformers, society’s views on juvenile justice began to shift to a more sympathetic view. Beginning in 1899, individual states began to address the youth incarceration problem by establishing youth reform homes, the predecessor to juvenile dentition centers. The objective of these homes was the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders for their re-entry into

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Animal Farm Character Analysis - 938 Words

George Orwell is a celebrated novelist well known for his political satire in the fairy tale, Animal Farm. The theme of power in the book is recurring and greatly present throughout the piece. Through the use of characterization, conflict, and irony, Orwell shows that those in the position of power can become like its predecessor. Orwell demonstrates that those in power can become like their predecessor through characterization. One example comes from page 107: At about half past nine Napoleon, wearing an old bowler hat of Mr. Joness, was distinctly seen to emerge from the back-door, gallop rapidly round the yard, and disappear indoors again. The quote above shows the effects of alcohol on Napoleon, whom not†¦show more content†¦From page 84 of chapter seven, when Napoleon begins to execute traitors: When they had finished their confession, the dogs promptly tore their throats out, and in a terrible voice, Napoleon demanded whether any other animal had anything to confess. This captures the external conflict when Napoleon punishes other animals for an alliance with Snowball. The punishment is nothing but cruel, the equivalent of a laryngectomy performed by unqualified surgeons; Using unsanitized teeth as their medical instrument, without anesthetics. The brutal killings reflect the sad deaths animals during Jones reign. That similarity shows how those in power can become like their predecessors. Another quote detailing conflict comes from page 128: He said that Comrade Napoleon had learned with the deepest distress of this misfortune to one of the most loyal workers on the farm, and was already making arrangements to send Boxer to be treated in the hospital at Willingdon. This quote captures the external conflict when Boxer fell ill and weak after over exertion. However, Squealers words of reassurance are all farce, for in actuality Boxer is being sent to be executed. Napoleon, after-seeing Boxers usefulness wane, proceeded to sell him off to a butche r, an action foretold by Old Major, only it was supposed to be at the hands of Jones. This is the epitome of Napoleons degeneration to aShow MoreRelatedAnimal Farm Character Analysis735 Words   |  3 PagesIn the novel, Animal Farm, by George Orwell, there is one very particular character whose pride and selfishness creates problems. This character had just merely good ideas in the beginning. However, as time went on, his true self-interest began to shine through. This character started a free republic of animals and turned it into a plantation that used animals as slaves. He never did have enough and always wanted more, regardless of the price that others had to pay. This character whose pride andRead MoreAnimal Farm Character Analysis713 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS† (Orwell 134). In George Orwell’s allegorical fable, Animal Farm, a group of animals lived with their master, Jones. Jones was an unfair man who didn’t care too much about the animals. One day Jones forgot to feed the animals, so they revolted. The animals wanted a perfect place without the corruption of man. The currently animal controlled land of Animal Farm, the smartest of all animals, the pigs take control. To prevent a human-likeRead MoreAnalysis of Main Character in Animal Farm1018 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis of Major Characters Napoleon From the very beginning of the novella, Napoleon emerges as an utterly corrupt opportunist. Though always present at the early meetings of the new state, Napoleon never makes a single contribution to the revolution—not to the formulation of its ideology, not to the bloody struggle that it necessitates, not to the new society’s initial attempts to establish itself. He never shows interest in the strength of Animal Farm itself, only in the strength of his powerRead MoreAnalysis of Main Character in Animal Farm1025 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis of Major Characters Napoleon From the very beginning of the novella, Napoleon emerges as an utterly corrupt opportunist. Though always present at the early meetings of the new state, Napoleon never makes a single contribution to the revolution—not to the formulation of its ideology, not to the bloody struggle that it necessitates, not to the new society’s initial attempts to establish itself. He never shows interest in the strength of Animal Farm itself, only in the strength of hisRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of George Orwells Animal Farm923 Words   |  4 PagesAnimal Farm Character Analysis Essay â€Å"Old major†¦ was so highly regarded on the farm that everyone was quite ready to lose an hour’s sleep in order to hear what he had to say† (Orwell 1). The author, George Orwell, portrayed Old Major as the wisest of all the animals on the farm, and without being said, Major was a big part of Animal Farm. In fact, he influenced the lives of all the animals with just one speech. On the day of this speech, Major taught all the animals his wise ideas in a kind supportingRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of George Orwells Animal Farm748 Words   |  3 PagesFight me! Animals have grown to understand humans and be like humans, until they learn to fight back, and keep the idea that they’re free, and then slowly morph back into the ways it used to be when humans were in charge. Analogies about animal farm can range from, the students connecting the book to the bible, government today, passed wars, or even more, because this book was different for everyone. Animal farm is a very simple book at first, but once a person starts to talk about it, itRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Napoleon In Animal Farm1887 Words   |  8 Pagesis his tool to his own personal gain. There really is no main character in Animal Farm, but Napoleon is the closest to one. Napoleon is important to the story because he is the one who starts all of the problems on Animal Farm. If it were not for him then the animals could all live equally in harmony. The next character is Snowball. Snowball is another pig. He is for the people and wants to improve Animal Farm. Napoleon views the animals around him as comrades. He does benefit from them because heRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Animal Farm By George Orwell717 Words   |  3 PagesAlthough Animal Farm does not have any heroic characters, in the story there is a death of a supporting character. The death of a supporting character neither glorifies nor diminishes the supporting character to anything more or less significant. All characters, whether they are the major characters or even a minor, supporting character, they all do not have a complete story. There are no completely round characters in literature. Characters die; characters exist, simply for the sake of the plotRead MoreAnimal Farm - Character Analysis- Boxer the Horse Essay1282 Words   |  6 Pagesoneself mentally and emotionally with a person or object’. When reading novels, we are able to relate to some chara cters through similar experiences and emotions and so these characters often invite our understanding and empathy. In George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm, Boxer the horse invites our empathy. We empathise with Boxer and the way in which the pig Napoleon, the leader of Animal Farm, takes advantage of his good-natured personality and manipulates him into following all orders. Boxer is unawareRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of Animal Farm By George Orwell1310 Words   |  6 PagesLiterary Analysis of Animal Farm Although they claimed the farm to be a utopia, the pigs secretly were deceiving their fellow animals and turning the farm into a dystopia. In George Orwell s Animal Farm all of the animals are mistreated by Farmer Jones, but they wish to be treated as equals and live in a utopia so they rebel and take over the farm. The animals first write commandments to avoid chaos, but the leader pigs selfishly modify the commandments in their favor. In the end, the farm is worse

Friday, December 13, 2019

Interracial Marriage Free Essays

Interracial Marriage Interracial marriages have been a growing issue in our society. Some think that interracial marriages and relationships are socially wrong. Some believe that it harms children of mixed races because of the stares, discrimination, and being criticized. We will write a custom essay sample on Interracial Marriage or any similar topic only for you Order Now One should not have to feel the pain from being stared at or criticized, or discriminated against because of the color of skin or being with the one they love of a different race. The marriages and relationships that are interracial have multiplied within the past century. It is hard to believe that there used to be laws that banned interracial marriages. In years to come, interracial marriages and relationships will probably only become accepted in the world. Although laws have changed, interracial dating and marriages are still a controversial issue. In the past, fear and mistrust of such unions were more openly criticized, but in today’s culture where political correctness is more of a concern, people tend to hide their discrimination. Interracial marriages have become more socially accepted. However, some think it is completely wrong and that one should marry within their own race. Interracial marriages were illegal until the Supreme Court made them legal on June 12, 1967(Head). One could have been imprisoned for mating outside of white race. Laws against interracial marriages were overturned because they were ruled unconstitutional. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, black and white marriages increased from 65,000 in 1970 to 422,000 in 2005(U. S Census Bureau). In America today 35 percent of Americans have a family member or close relatives in a different race relationship (Talbot). Interracial marriages have become more common as the years have gone by, but there are still plenty of problems that people have with interracial marriages. Religious beliefs make some people think that interracial marriage is sinful and unbiblical. Black men marry outside their race at a far higher rate than black women. The opposite is true of Asians; women marry outside the race at a higher rate than Asian men. Hispanics and Asians are the top ranking intermarriages. Blacks and Hispanics who marry outside of their race are most likely to receive college degrees, and make the most income out of diverse groups of marriage (Maxwell). Many interracial marriages face problems of racism. Couples in interracial relationships tend to face stares, criticism, and discrimination in housing. They also have a harder time when trying to find a job. People against interracial marriages believe that they corrupt cultures and ethics. Numerous people still believe that interracial marriages are unacceptable and should be made illegal again. Based on The Huffington Post an online reading site, many mixed-raced couples in the South are still struggling to feel safe and be accepted in their communities (Lai). There are potential pitfalls in any marriage whether the couple is interracial or not but there have been some common trouble spots that interracial couples have identified in their marriages. Some of the common trouble spots include: values, eating habits, sex, gender roles, friends, in-laws, and raising children. Some of these issues overlap, but there are some specific distinctions between each. Although these are potential trouble spots for any type of marriage, the degree to which they affect interracial marriages is greater. Mixed race children are at risk for identity crisis such as, not knowing who is accepting of their race or what crowd to hang out with is a struggle for many mixed-race children in today’s society. Mixed-race children face not being accepted by both races that they are but instead a stranger in both worlds. For instance, if a child is mixed with White and Hispanic they may not speak Spanish so they do not fit in with many Hispanics. This could be the case with other races as well. There is still too much racism in the world! For a mixed-race child this can be more difficult because they want to be accepted by each race they are a part of, and yet in many situations they stand apart from both. Depending on the location this could be more of an issue than other places. If the location is in an area where there is not a lot of diversity it would be much harder than big cities where there is a huge diverse population. Children normally do not know how to handle racism so it is much worse on them than it is on the adults that deal with it, because children do not get to choose their race. Racial identity, a product of racial prejudice, is something these kids have to deal with. Everyone is equal and should have the same rights; however this is not the case in today’s world. One benefit being in an interracial marriage is the opportunity to explore another culture. Mixed-race children tend to be healthier due to an increase in genetic diversity. The children have an opportunity to learn about two entirely different cultures, which in turn can make a difference in their everyday knowledge. According to The New York Times interracial couples are more likely to live in the West because concentration of immigrant minority groups there (Saulny). The fear and prejudices of the older generations have given way and have made young people believe that they has the right to marry anyone if they’re in love with each other. Some people have not accepted the fact that race should not be an issue in marriages or relationships. In today’s society there are always going to be people who don’t agree with the things that people do in their everyday lives. In the world today the younger generation tends to have more friends of different ethnic or racial groups. They are also more willing to be in relationship with a different race. Television has a big effect on the younger generation, with movies that make interracial interaction seem to be normal and not something wrong to do. Acceptance is not only difficult in our families but many members of our own cultures tend to offer some of the most damaging opinions. The main problem among interracial marriages is not: their history, their race, their marriage, or their children, the problem is society. Having difficulties in interracial marriages makes the marriage hard, but a strong willed couple who has faith in their love for each other can overcome many of the obstacles they face. Not fitting in because of the person one plans to spend the rest of their life with can be hard, but also knowing how certain people or establishments are, are a definite eye opener to seeing how many small minded people there are in the world. Nobody should have to be worried about if the person they choose to fall in love with or laws that could separate them. The children of interracial marriages will eventually blend with the other children of mono-racial families. Works Cited Head, Tom. â€Å"Interracial Marriage Laws History. About. com. N. p. , n. d. Web. 19 Feb. 2013. http://www. civilliberty. about. com/od/raceequalopportunity/tp/interracial-marriage-laws-history-timeline. html. â€Å"Interracial Tables. † U. S Census Bureau. N. p. , n. d. Web. 18 Feb. 2013. Lai, Jennifer. â€Å"Interracial Marriage. † Huffington Post 3 Nov. 2012: n. pag. Print. Maxwell, Lesli A. â€Å"Marriages across Racial Ethnic Lines on Rise. † Education Week 16 Feb. 2012: n. pag. Print. Saulny, Susan. â€Å"Interracial Marriage Seen Gaining Wide Acceptance. † New York How to cite Interracial Marriage, Papers

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Effects Of Different Teaching Approaches In Introductory Financial Acc

Question: Describe about The Effects of Different Teaching Approaches in Introductory Financial Accounting? Answer: Preparation of Cash Flow forecast for Wonderpump Metric Year 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Revenue 487500.00 650000.00 650000.00 650000.00 650000.00 650000.00 650000.00 650000.00 profit margin 40% -195000.00 -260000.00 -260000.00 -260000.00 -260000.00 -260000.00 -260000.00 -260000.00 Gross Profit 292500.00 390000.00 390000.00 390000.00 390000.00 390000.00 390000.00 390000.00 cost of material 60% 3000.00 3000.00 3000.00 3000.00 3000.00 3000.00 3000.00 3000.00 Cost of labour 40.00% 2000.00 2000.00 2000.00 2000.00 2000.00 2000.00 2000.00 2000.00 Annual Fixed Costs -160000.00 -160000.00 -160000.00 -160000.00 -160000.00 -160000.00 Delayed payment 1000.00 -1500.00 Disposal -650000.00 650000.00 Lost disposal -5000.00 Working Capital -21937.50 -4875.00 26812.50 Tax 87750.00 117000.00 117000.00 117000.00 117000.00 117000.00 117000.00 117000.00 Net CF -675937.50 -73625.00 -38000.00 -38000.00 -38000.00 -38000.00 -38000.00 122000.00 798812.50 Cum CF -675937.50 -749562.50 -787562.50 -825562.50 -863562.50 -901562.50 -939562.50 -817562.50 -18750.00 Assumptions: It is assumed that rate of return increases with the investment done by the company. Tax is paid after the income is calculated in the income statement . The rate of increment in the income of the company is 40% with the rate of investment 283% as given in the data. Cost of capital and cost of labour is divided in the ratio of 60:40 Analyzing the Cash flow and assessing the investment using the investment appraisal techniques in Wonderpump Discounted factor 12.00% 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 PV 117000 117000 117000 117000 117000 117000 117000 NPV (11,10,014) IRR 17% Payback period 15.8 16.2 PV sales 12000 2% 12,54,965.45 -1% Gross profit 3,90,000 3% Fixed cost 1054984.25 2% The different techniques analysis the rate of return derived from the company after investing in the business and analyzing the investment (Berkovitch and Israel, 2013). In the case of payback period, it shows the returns derived from the business and the duration required deriving the profit and revenue. In addition, the other instrument of investment appraisal shows the accounting rate of return that shows the rate of return from the business in the accounting period rather than the investment period (Chiang, Nouri and Samanta, 2013). On the other hand, the net present value states the present financial condition of the business. Therefore, Gunther can analyze the condition of the current business and can analyze the forecasted value of the company by going through the activities carried out currently. In the current case study, the assumption has been made with 283% rate of return from the investment of 650,000 Euros (Collins, 2015). Furthermore, it is also seen that the present value of the company can also show the different cost incurred by the company in order to carry out with the business operation. The internal rate of return is the rate of return from the business received from the internal sources. Therefore, in the current case study it is assumed that the internal rate of return is 283% of the total revenue of the company (Damodaran, 2015). It can be said that these techniques differ from each other because these different techniques shows different analysis of the financial position of the company. As per the evaluation of the data, it is seen that Gunther must forecast 45days as the period for yielding the rate of return from the business rather than 60 days and offer the payment to the suppliers in 20 days rather than 30, in order to speed up the process of the business (Haas and Haas, 2015). Critically analyzing the Investment Analysis Techniques of Wonderpump PV NPV (11,10,014) IRR 17% Payback period 15.8 16.2 As per the table of NPV, IRR and payback period of the data derived from Wonderpumps Exhibit 1 and from the case mentioned, the value for NPV, IRR and payback is shown above. As seen in the case, that Gunther have inaugurated new pump with the technology that evolved and re-engineered in the new generation (International Monetary Fund, 2014). The IRR ratio of 17% shows that company is having good rate of return from the internal and external source of returns therefore, making the ROI forecasted as 283%. Furthermore, it is also assumed that the inflation rate is also not that high that it will affect the unit production cost of the product and depreciation shall be carried out over 8 years. Analysis of the assumptions made in the calculations Metric Year 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Metric Year 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Revenue 487500.00 650000.00 650000.00 650000.00 650000.00 650000.00 650000.00 650000.00 profit margin 40% -195000.00 -260000.00 -260000.00 -260000.00 -260000.00 -260000.00 -260000.00 -260000.00 Gross Profit 292500.00 390000.00 390000.00 390000.00 390000.00 390000.00 390000.00 390000.00 cost of material 60% 3000.00 3000.00 3000.00 3000.00 3000.00 3000.00 3000.00 3000.00 Cost of labour 40.00% 2000.00 2000.00 2000.00 2000.00 2000.00 2000.00 2000.00 2000.00 Annual Fixed Costs -160000.00 -160000.00 -160000.00 -160000.00 -160000.00 -160000.00 Delayed payment 1000.00 -1500.00 Disposal -650000.00 650000.00 Lost disposal -5000.00 Working Capital -21937.50 -4875.00 26812.50 EBITDA (6,75,938) (1,61,375) (1,55,000) (1,55,000) (1,55,000) (1,55,000) (1,55,000) Interest Tax 30% 202781.25 48412.50 46500.00 46500.00 46500.00 46500.00 46500.00 Depreciation 80,000 80000.00 80000.00 80000.00 80000.00 80000.00 80000.00 PAT -473156.25 -32962.50 -28500.00 -28500.00 -28500.00 -28500.00 -28500.00 Op Profit -675937.50 -81375.00 -75000.00 -75000.00 -75000.00 -75000.00 -75000.00 Assumptions: The profit margin is assumed as 40% of the total revenue of the business in the economy. Furthermore, the lost disposal is ascertained a 5000 Euros as per the investment in the production is concerned (Ito and Nakano, 2015). Furthermore, the assumptions are made in the tax rate to be 30% of the gross profit of Wonderpump. The depreciations are calculated in the straight line method therefore, making the value of the machinery dissolved in the above case. Reassessing the investment of the Wonderpump The readdressing the value of investment carried out in Wonderpump is shown in the below table with necessary changes made in the investment value and increment revenues ascertained here: Metric Year 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Metric Year 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Revenue 487500.00 650000.00 650000.00 650000.00 650000.00 650000.00 650000.00 650000.00 profit margin 40% -195000.00 -260000.00 -260000.00 -260000.00 -260000.00 -260000.00 -260000.00 -260000.00 Gross Profit 292500.00 390000.00 390000.00 390000.00 390000.00 390000.00 390000.00 390000.00 cost of material 60% 3000.00 3000.00 3000.00 3000.00 3000.00 3000.00 3000.00 3000.00 Cost of labour 40.00% 2000.00 2000.00 2000.00 2000.00 2000.00 2000.00 2000.00 2000.00 Annual Fixed Costs -160000.00 -160000.00 -160000.00 -160000.00 -160000.00 -160000.00 Delayed payment 1000.00 -1500.00 Disposal -650000.00 650000.00 Lost disposal -5000.00 Working Capital -21937.50 -4875.00 26812.50 EBITDA (6,75,938) (1,61,375) (1,55,000) (1,55,000) (1,55,000) (1,55,000) (1,55,000) The re-financing criterion of the company is ascertained in the assuming the changes to be 8 to 10% in the increase in the capital invested and in the returns yield (Kieso, Weygandt and Warfield, 2012). Furthermore, the EBITDA of the company need to be assumed in the above case while calculating the forecasted values of the companys liabilities and assets including the investment made. Furthermore, it is also seen that most of the value have changed due to refinancing of the structure of the capital. Gunther and Jacques ascertainment for the future financing status of the company need to assume the changes in the rate of with the changes made in the investment and the revenue derived from the business. Sensitivity analysis Sales -10% 0% 10% 585000.00 650000.00 715000.00 34% 845.00 126470.00 254170.00 36% 35124.00 54748.00 187514.00 38% 59874.00 32147.00 132414.00 40% 84251.00 31254.00 121547.00 42% 114574.00 40547.00 74158.00 44% 124565.00 65214.00 39470.00 As per the sensitivity analysis, the value provided by Gunther and Jacques conversation is applied in the calculation and the changes in the value is ascertained. Therefore, in such cases, the valuation of the machinery and the assets of the company shall vary (Maali and Jaara, 2014). Feature of debt and equity financing and AGTs capital structure There are several features of debt and equity financing and its comparison to AGTs capital structure. It can be elaborated as: Equity Financing of AGT capitals Structure Having a budgetary authority consider you a check may show up like the perfect answer in case you have to expand your business yet would lean toward not to handle commitment (Nuryanah and Islam, 2015). In light of present circumstances, it's money without the trouble of repayment or premium. In any case, the dollars go with tremendous strings annexed: You must give the advantages to the budgetary examiner or favoured delivery person monetary authority. It's less unsafe than a credit in light of the way that you don't have to pay it back, and it's a not too bad decision if you can't remain to handle commitment. You exploit the theorist's framework, which may add more legitimacy to your business. Monetary authorities take a whole deal point of view, and most don't expect an entry on their theory immediately. The company have to channel advantages into credit repayment. Wonderpump will have more cash close by for developing the business (Palmer, Barber and Zhou, 2015). There's no need to pay back the endeavour if the business misfires. It may oblige gives back that could be more than the rate you would pay for a bank advance. The theorist will oblige some obligation regarding association and a rate of the advantages. You might not have any longing to surrender this kind of control (Ross, Westerfield and Jordan, 2014). You should counsel with theorists before making tremendous (or even timetable) decisions - and you may vary with your budgetary experts. Because of antagonistic clashes with budgetary experts, you may need to exchange for chilly hard coin your section of the business and grant the theorists to run the association without you. It obliges a few genuine vitality and push to find the privilege money related pro for your association. Debt financing of Wonderpump The business relationship with a bank that credits you money is out and out not the same as a development from a budgetary expert - and obliges no convincing motivation to surrender a bit of your association. In any case, if you handle an overabundance of commitment, it's a move that can cover advancement (Velez-Pareja, 2015). The bank or advancing establishment, (for instance, the Small Business Administration) has nothing to do with the way you run your association and does not have any proprietorship in your business. The business relationship closes once the money is paid back as per the situation in the current case of AGT and Wonderpumps. The energy on the development is obligation deductible. Advances can be transient or whole deal. Primary and pastime are known figures you can orchestrate in a budgetary arrangement (gave that you don't assume a variable rate acknowledgment). Money must pay back within a changed measure of time (Warren, Reeve and Duchac, 2013). If the company emphasizes upon a ton on commitment and have salary issues, you will encounter trouble paying the development back of AGT. If Gunther pass on an unreasonable measure of commitment you will be seen as "high peril" by potential theorists which will bind your ability to raise capital by quality financing later on. Commitment financing can leave the business frail in the midst of cruel times when arrangements take a dive. Commitment can make it troublesome for a business to create as a consequence of the high cost of repaying the credit (Osborne, 2015). Assets of the business can be held as insurance to the bank. Likewise, the proprietor of the association is frequently expected to before long surety repayment of the development. Most associations settle on a blend of both quality and commitment financing to address their issues when growing a business (Nuryanah and Islam, 2015). The two sorts of financing together can work honourably to reduce the disadvantages of each. The right extent will vacillate as showed by your kind of business, pay, advantages and the measure of money you need to broaden your business of AGT. References List Berk, J. and DeMarzo, P. (2015). Corporate finance. Berkovitch, E. and Israel, R. (2013). Why the NPV Criterion does not Maximize NPV. Rev. Financ. Stud., 17(1), pp.239-255. Brealey, R., Myers, S. and Allen, F. (2014). Principles of corporate finance. New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Chiang, B., Nouri, H. and Samanta, S. (2013). The Effects of Different Teaching Approaches in Introductory Financial Accounting. Accounting Education, 23(1), pp.42-53. Collins, D. (2015). Advanced financial corporate accounting. Damodaran, A. (2015). Applied corporate finance. Haas, J. and Haas, J. (2015). Corporate finance. International Monetary Fund, (2014). Finance and Development, June 2014. Finance Development, 51(2), p.1. Ito, K. and Nakano, M. (2015). International perspectives on accounting and corporate behavior. Kieso, D., Weygandt, J. and Warfield, T. (2012). Intermediate accounting. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Maali, B. and Jaara, O. (2014). Reality and Accounting: The Case for Interpretive Accounting Research. ijafr, 4(1). Nuryanah, S. and Islam, S. (2015). Corporate governance and financial management. Osborne, M. (2015). A Resolution to the NPV - IRR Debate?. SSRN Electronic Journal. Palmer, D., Barber, B. and Zhou, X. (2015). The Finance Conception of Control--"The Theory That Ate New York?" Reply to Fligstein. American Sociological Review, 60(4), p.504. Ross, S., Westerfield, R. and Jordan, B. (2014). Essentials of corporate finance. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Velez-Pareja, I. (2015). 3 Decision Methods: Npv, Irr and Others. SSRN Electronic Journal. Warren, C., Reeve, J. and Duchac, J. (2013). Corporate financial accounting. Mason, Ohio: South-Western Cenage Learning.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Briefing paper on rural housing free essay sample

Britain has experienced a series of affordable housing crisis in the early 1980s and early 1990s (Bramley, 1994). As Andrew Stonell (2010) stated â€Å"Localism works-all over the country there are villages very keen to have low-cost housing for local people and they are prevented by the planning system from having it.† This briefing paper refutes Stonell’s claim and is written to the North Eastern Farming and Rural Advisory Network, which is one of new Rural and Farming Networks. The purpose of this paper is indicating the scale and causes of the rural housing crisis, and demonstrating how the planning system enable the process of affordable rural housing, then some recommendations on solve the delivery problems in rural areas. Background According to Milbourne (2006), rural housing associates complex economic with socio-cultural processes in countryside areas. Housing in Britain is distributed through the market mechanism, the Labour Administration launched â€Å"communities plan† in 2003, focusing on ‘stable housing markets’ to create encompassing, vibrant and sustainable communities (Gallent et al . We will write a custom essay sample on Briefing paper on rural housing or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page , 2008). However, the housing price has been increasing over the years, the stock growing 185,000 per annum. Planning Policy Statement 3 (DCLG, 2006) provide information about the scale of housing crisis. Few areas had high house cost in the early decade, such as London and the South East, but currently there are lots of areas are facing high housing price problem. First time buyers find it quite difficult to buy a house in the market, and this circumstance occurs in most rural areas and smaller settlements. Moreover, the Countryside Agency (2003) reported that almost half of the rural people would have to undertake over 50% of their income in order to afford a home with a mean cost in their district. An estimation has been made by Countryside Agency, in the prospective 10 years period, a demand of 1000 new units of rural affordable housing are need (Countryside Agency, 2003). The  particular causes of rural housing crisis mainly include the following issues: Changes in demography: from 1981 to 2000, rural districts increased by 11.65%, while urban areas had a growth of 4.2%. Unequal income distribution among rural people.  Lack of housing supply and tenure accompanying increasing housing need Financial deregulation.  Uneven and inadequate forms of access to rural housing .  A failure of land-use planning: policy priority on landscape preservation Urban people settle down in rural areas: improvements in transport have made it easier for urban people’s commuting and retirement to the countryside â€Å"Right to buy† has decreased the number of affordable rented housing for low-income people by local councils. During 1985 to 1990, 91.000 houses were sold in rural areas. Analysis of how the planning system affect affordable housing delivery In the past 10 years plenty of new policies and legislations have been implemented to concentrate on the role of local government, and the manipulation of planning system, focusing on housing quality and the delivery of affordable rural housing (Gallent et al., 2008). Affordability connects the price of housing with the cost that households afford to pay. Housing affordability refers to a ratio of average housing cost and mean income per month (Gallent et al., 2008). Low housing affordability is might caused by the priority of planning system, which works against the market demands. It tends to preserve rural landscape rather than deliver land for housing, but the planning system has been changing with the demands of rural people. It can be seen from figure 1, low affordable housing is a common phenomenon in urban and rural areas. During 2006 to 2007, the ratio of housing prices to income reaches to the peak. Since then, the housing affordability has become higher from 2008. Housing planning system played a positive role in delivering affordable rural housing (DEFRA, 2012). Figure Currently, Planning Policy Statement on June 2011 made plenty of improvements to provide affordable housing. Instead of â€Å"Right to buy† regulation,  affordable rented housing will be provided to tenants with a maximum of 80% of the total market rent, and available on both fixed term and regular lease (PPS3, 2011). Affordable rent houses will be let by registered providers and the increase of low cost rent houses would provide decent homes to low-income residents and rural people from other villages. To meet the demand of sustainable development in rural areas, PPS7 required government should follow the planning objectives and regulations set out in PPG3, and the purpose is to provide rural people a decent home. It also indicated that housing requirements and assessment of local affordable housing need should be recognized by local planning authorities. Make sufficient land available and strictly control new house building will promote the construction of low cost houses and make good use of the land. Milbourne (2008) also highlighted that tracing the cooperation with new partnership will lead a wider series of agencies to afford suitable housing in the countryside. PPS3 (2006) indicated that local authorities are not supposed to formulate affordable housing providers in planning conditions and obligations, a discussion will be needed on how to provide affordable housing and long term arrangement. This planning system will control the housing prices and conditions, in order to prevent the malpractice in housing delivery. Case studies In this section, various case studies are used to demonstrate how planning system enable delivery process. In order to underpin the delivery of Community Led Affordable Housing, some criteria were set out in the Local Development Framework, supported by local communities. One piece of criteria is good design, affordable rural housing must be designed to fit local context (Taylor, 2008). Village design statements implemented by the local community are adopted by local councils as Supplementary Planning Guidance to fit into the local landscape. One exemplify of good design enabling housing delivery is Kettlewell. In 2000, four affordable houses were built in Kettlewell, a sensitive site in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. They were constructed by special materials using a mixture of traditional and modern techniques. The match to landscape and appropriate prices attracted local residents. Home Housing Group owns these five affordable houses. The whole cost were about  £380,000 and local Kettle residents have priority of  these homes (Countryside Agency, 2003). The local government in Lake District has realized, the affordable housing shortage is a national problem, and the demand of housing is much more serious in the Lake District National Park. To find out the needs of local residents and viable land to develop, a survey called Windermere Housing Needs were conducted on parishes. And consulting work to housing control staffs were carried out. In accordance with PPS3 (2011), local government formulated strict Core Strategy and Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) on Housing Provision. According to the amended version of SPD on Housing Provision (2011), local government aims to facilitate 900 housing delivery from 2010 to 2025. Furthermore, the Lake District will only allow new houses that commit them to meet the identified local demand or community affordability. The priority is to promote the local affordable housing delivery and Policy CS18 clarifies how to give this priority through the National Park. Conclusion and recommendations Overall, the housing crisis is a national issue, especially severe in rural areas. Demographic changes, lack of housing supply, policy priority, and other significant factors would lead to rural housing problem. Despite there are some defects exist in the affordable housing delivery process, the housing planning system enable the affordable housing provision. Local Development Frameworks including PPS3 and PPS7 formulate efficient planning policy on providing affordable housing, such as rented houses, making sufficient land available and controlling the power of local authorities. Some examples on Kettlewell and Lake District were used to demonstrate how planning policies encourage the affordable housing delivery process. To enable more affordable housing in rural areas, some suggestions will be discussed. Firstly, landowners should takes the lead on affordable housing scheme, the property size and prices should follow the policy provision, and the housing market should be controlled by local government. Secondly, local authorities should cooperate with other landowners, providing more lands for housing. The ownership of land can be shared and a joint-stock system can be built, thus the shortage of housing supply will be solved without losing landowners’ benefit. Thirdly, empty property such as living places above shops can be converted to provide housing for local people. The government  should concentrate on the landuse and avoid emerging brownfield. If more low cost housing was provided, the affordable housing crisis will be relieved and rural residents could own decent homes.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Childbirth, Childhood and Adolescence in the Middle Ages

Childbirth, Childhood and Adolescence in the Middle Ages What do you really know about medieval children? Perhaps no other period of history has more misconceptions associated with it than the Middle Ages. The history of childhood is also full of misconceptions. Recent scholarship has illuminated the lives of medieval children as never before, dispelling many of these misconceptions and replacing them with verifiable facts about life for the medieval child. In this multi-part feature, we explore various facets of medieval childhood, from childbirth through the teen years. Well see that, though the world they lived in was very different, medieval children were in some ways very like the children of today. Introduction to Medieval Childhood In this article, we dissect the concept of childhood in the middle ages and how that influenced the importance of children in medieval society.   Medieval Childbirth and Baptism Discover what childbirth was like in the middle ages for women of all stations and classes and the importance of religious ceremonies like baptism in the Christian world. Surviving Infancy in the Middle Ages The death rate and average lifespan in the middle ages were drastically different from what we see today. Discover what like was like for an infant as well as the realities of child mortality rate and infanticide. The Playful Years of Childhood in the Middle Ages A common misconception about medieval children is that they were treated like adults and expected to behave like adults. Children were expected to do their share of household chores, but play was also a prominent part of medieval childhood.   The Learning Years of Medieval Childhood The teenage years were the time to concentrate more intensely on learning in preparation for adulthood. While not all adolescents had schooling options, in some ways education was the archetypal experience of adolescence. Work and Adolescence in the Middle Ages While medieval teens might have been preparing for adulthood, their lives may have been full of both work and play. Discover the typical life of a teen in the middle ages.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Film Analysis Paper Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Film Analysis Paper - Movie Review Example Some of the key characters of the film are Maximus the gladiator or warrior, portrayed by Russell Crowe. Commodus the young Roman Emperor is well played by Joaquin Phoenix. Apart from them, Connie Nielson did the role of Lucilla a capable daughter of the Emperor. And Oliver Reed and Richard Harris are the other significant actors in the film. The film Gladiator is interconnected with the Roman power and ruling strategies and the life style of the people placed and different categories. Marcus Aurelius who an aged emperor of Rome decides to entrust the power of his kingdom to Maximus who is an efficient and respected General of Rome. But Commodus kills his father Marcus with a suffocating hug and further wants to execute Maximus. Whereas, Commodus fails to kill Maximus who flees from the land while latter’s wife and child are mercilessly killed. While escaping Maximus is captured and taken into slavery where he is trained as gladiator and finally moves to Rome with the motive of defeating all even the emperor. In spite of difficulties and hurdles he accomplishes his dream and dies after becoming victorious. This adventures movie is the fruit and result of the Excellency acting too. The actors remarkably contributed, especially Maximus while portraying the character of general undertook many adventures fights. While on the other end, marvelous performance of Commodus playing a negative role also gained the attention of the viewers. Lucilla and Aurelius and the little kid too demonstrated their talent in making the film a unique in every sense. Movie is widely appreciated for its filming techniques. The remarkable areas of this technique go to the image or camera techniques and the sound effects. Shots from different angles and positions made the film eye catching such as close up, medium, long, parallel, high angle, ground and reverse shots. According to Barsam and Monahan, ‘editing juxtaposes individual shots, orders them into scenes, and

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Carrefour Company Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Carrefour Company Analysis - Assignment Example Cost leadership strategy focuses on the supply side of an enterprise and comprises of an integrated set of actions taken to produce goods or services with features that are acceptable to customers at the lowest possible cost in the market. Product differentiation alternatively creates a perception in customers’ minds that specific brands are unique and have superior qualities with respect to the image, reputation, reliability, designs, and quality compared to the similar other products in the market (Baroto et al., 2012). Niche markets are the narrow market segments having specific demands that are isolated due to geographic location or socio-economic factors. The principal risk factors in the retail industry are categorized as follows; 1) business environment: Political and social environment, Economic environment and market volatility, Environment, pressure and regulatory changes, Changes in the sector and the competitive Environment, Natural disasters and climate change, Terrorism and crime 2) strategy and governance: Strategy definition, adjustment and implementation, Compliance and fair practices, Corporate responsibility, Environment, Disputes/Litigation 3) operations: Relevance and performance of economic and business models, Operational and financial control of growth and expansion, Partnerships and franchising, Control of the supply chain, Product quality, compliance and safety, Safety of people and property, Human resource management, Continuity, integrity and confidentiality of information systems and Control and valuation of assets and 4) financial: Market risk, Liquidity risk, Interest-rate risk, Foreign-exchange risk, Equity risk, Quality of financial management, budgets and reporting and Credit risk. Specific business strategies have been articulated and designed to remain the long-term profitability of the company while successfully managing these risk factors.

Monday, November 18, 2019

The Process of Procurement of Materials in the Implementation of a Research Paper

The Process of Procurement of Materials in the Implementation of a Project - Research Paper Example Depending on the type of the project to be worked on, the process of procurement may be considered for direct goods, or indirect goods, or tangible or intangible items. For example, in relation to the production and manufacturing industries, the procurement process occurs for direct or indirect goods, direct goods referring to the materials required directly in the manufacturing process, while indirect goods might not have a direct need, yet have an indirect influence on the process as a whole. An example of a tangible item that might be needed for procurement is the software for a computer. In the cases of other services, the procurement is needed for designing a project, the manufacturing process, the installation techniques as well as the maintenance of the work done. Thus projects that are based on contracts generally involve the procurement strategies and techniques (Kovacs, 2004, pp.7-8). Project procurement is considered as an intricate and difficult process of making a purcha se of the necessary equipment for different needs in different industries. Thus suitable personnel are required for the achievement of this work. The management of the project involves setting up appropriate measures to distribute the roles and responsibilities of the staff in the different parts of the procurement process for a particular project. The items for procurements would vary with different industries. While the selection of the materials to be procured is considered, it is of utmost significance that the materials are essential and match with the requirements of the respective projects (Kovacs, 2004, pp.8-28).

Friday, November 15, 2019

Understanding The Term Of Agenda Setting Media Essay

Understanding The Term Of Agenda Setting Media Essay Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw first coined the term agenda-setting in their article The Agenda Setting Function of the Mass Media (McCombs and Shaw, 1972). However the McCombs credits Walter Lippmann as the intellectual father of agenda setting (McCombs, 2004: 3). Walter Lippmanns thesis Public Opinion  [1]  described the concept of a pseudo- environment; an imagined reality of the world constructed from the media we consume. Lippmann suggested that man lives in a fictitious world, hence whatever we believe to be true picture, we treat as if it were the environment itself (Lippmann, 2007: 7-10). Walter Lippmann speculation that the Mass Media played an important role in the publics understanding of the world they inhabited. The influence that he implied suggested the mass media agenda played an important role in influencing/shaping the public opinion or public agenda. Hansen writing 88 years later reaffirmed this relationship theorised by Lippmann, suggesting the media play a role in educating the public: While the roles of formal education in acquainting us with the public word and image vocabulary of the environment should not be overlooked, much, maybe most, of what we learn and know about the environment we know from the media. Hansen utilises the Habermasian concept of a public sphere, suggesting that the mass media provide a public arena for national and transnational debate of environmental issues: Since the emergence and rise of the modern environmental movement in the 1960s, the mass media have been a central public arena for publicising environmental issues and for contesting claims, arguments and opinions about our use and/or protection of the environment. (Hansen, 2010:6) The issues discussed within this public arena, can be described as the media agenda. However as much as the mass media provides a forum for discussion, it is not all inclusive. Environmental issues have to compete against each other for widespread coverage. As the environmental agenda, isnt always at the forefront of the public agenda, often multiple environmental issues are fighting for limited coverage from the press: While many issues compete for public attention, only a few are successful in doing so, and news media exert significant influence on our perceptions of what are the most important issues of the day. (McCombs, 2004:2) McCombs, Lippmann and Hansen all suggest that the media dictate to some level, what are the most important issues of the day. The conundrum becomes; how do the cultural gatekeepers decide which issue is the most important on the media agenda, and thus deserves media coverage? What influences the Media on environmental issues? To understand these questions it is necessary to address the fundamental obstacle for environmental issues to overcome to become newsworthy. Visual media utilises imagery as a source of legitimacy. However as environmental problems develop over a long period of time they often appear invisible: a large proportion of the processes associated with the most difficult environmental problems tend to be inaccessible to the senses, invisible until they materialise as symptoms (Adam, 1998:12; Hansen, 2000: 56). Hence although some environmental issues may be more serious in the long-term, they are not always deemed newsworthy as they have no iconography attached to their cause. Pressure groups utilize the issue of invisibility by creating spectacles and press stunts in order to make the invisible issues visible. Greenpeace in particular are hugely successful at utilizing iconography  [2]  . Iconic images of icebergs, crashing into the sea or Fathers for Justice scaling the Houses of Parliament can define an issue, and penetrate public consciousness, much easier than text based media. However Hansen argues that the effects of visual spectacles are short term; they only allow the issue to gain visibility as a trigger to create wider media interest for the issue: The newsworthiness of environmental pressure groups would soon wear off it had to rely solely on their creation of spectacular protest performances[they] are of course eminently newsworthy and visually striking, but they are not sufficient for remaining on the media agenda or for maintaining media visibility in the long term. (Hansen, 2010: 53) Hansen argues that successful pressure groups are able to maintain visibility of the issue in the media by targeting issues that are already being discussed in the forums which the media regularly report on (i.e. Political forums, e.g. Parliament) (Hansen, 2010:53). This would suggest that the media agenda is directly and indirectly influenced by policy agenda, suggesting a symbiotic relationship as the media influence the public agenda, which in turn influences the policy agenda by terms of voting. James Dearing and Everett Rogers (Dearing and Rogers: 1996, Rogers and Dearing: 1988) visualised this concept [see figure 1] suggesting that all three agendas are interlinked: exposure through the mass media allows a social problem to be transformed into a public issue (Dearing and Rogers, 1996:4). When something becomes a public issue it is propelled into policy agenda through the government; who represent the majoritys best interests. However the mass media commentate on the policy agenda so pressure groups are able to exploit this cycle, by elevating topics they deem to be of most importance higher on the media agenda and in turn policy agenda via public pressure: The agenda-setting process is an ongoing competition among the proponents of a set of issues to gain the attention of media professionals, the public, and policy elites (Dearing and Rogers, 1996:6). Figure However the relationship between the three agendas is not without its flaws; For environmental issues to be addressed by the press, they must propel themselves as the most important issue on the agenda to the media. However this does not correspond to levels of importance or seriousness to the public: The relative prominence of a social issue is not in any way a simple reflection of levels of public concern; it is heavily influenced by the activities of issue sponsors such as politicians, or successful interest or pressure groups (Anderson, 1997:30). The notion that issues that appear in the media agenda are not necessarily the most important suggests other actors play a role in setting the agenda. So whilst we rely on the news to dictate what picture of the world we consume, the news agenda can be influenced by amongst other factors, celebrity endorsements. Dan Brockington (2008) suggests industrial society has only a fleeting interest in the environment: their rare glimpse of the environment is often through highly romanticized representations of the environment rather than their own experiences. Hence celebrity endorsements of environmentalism help to replace the lack of experience in society: celebrity support for conservation fulfils a modern social need. The alienation from nature that characterizes capitalist urban living drives the demand for celebrity involvement in conservation (Brockington, 2008:558). Criticisms of the agenda setting model Agenda setting theory is based on long term effects. In order for an issue to become central in terms of public opinion, McCombs argued that the frequency or prominence of a given issue in the mass media, placed significant influence on how important the issues was perceived by the public: Those issues emphasized in the news come to be regarded over time as important by the public (McCombs, 2004:4-5). However McCombs analysis of the prominence of a given issue doesnt take into consideration how the issue is framed within the mass media: Social movements have increasingly focused on the media since it plays such an influential role in assigning importance to issues facing the public. But gaining attention alone is not what a social movement wants; the real battle is over whose interpretation, whose framing of reality, gets the floor. (Ryan, 1991:53) Issues are at the mercy of the press, when they are pushed into the media forum. Different papers frame the issues within their ideological constraints. What becomes essential for claimsmakers and pressure groups, is the ability to manipulate the mass media, so the issue at hand remains at the focus within the different ideological representations. The quantitative approach also only looks how many times an article was published, not how many times the article was read. Obviously circulation figures are a rough guide that an article is being read by a high percentage of that readership. However this is no guarantee that the article is digested. This becomes a bigger problem when considering new mediums such as the internet, is that the quantity of articles on environmental issues is so vast that it would be inconceivable to assume that prominence related to prevalence to the public. Robert Burnett and P. David Marshall suggested that the problem readers have is filtering the vast amounts of information they have access to, to find the right news stories (Burnett and Marshall, 2003: 153). Since then digital news has grown significantly in popularity; the problem thus becomes how can the media influence public opinion when the public have become their own filters, so can solely digest stories based on their interests rather than only being able to choose from a limited set of stories in a newspaper based on an editors choices. Another criticism of the quantitative analysis model favoured by McCombs is that it doesnt take into consideration how something gets adopted by the media. Anderson argued that agenda-setting theorists such as McCombs do not look at the initial triggers that cause issues to be included into the media agenda: Agenda-setting studies have tended to ignore the whole process through which social issues are taken up by the media (Anderson, 1997:25). Within Dearing and Rogers Model, the public are not deemed to be pivotal for the agenda setting process. However when considering the trigger that propels an issue into the media and policy forums (specifically on environmental issues) it can sometimes be attributed to a small group of public individuals who insight direct action, to spark wider interest. Brian Doherty et al. describe direct action as: Protest action where protesters engage in forms of action designed not only or necessarily to change government policy or to shift the climate of public opinion through the media, but to change environmental actions around them directly. (Doherty, Paterson and Seel, 2000:1) The term public is contestable itself; how do differentiate between ordinary members of environmental non-governmental organisations and members of a concerned community? Within different contexts we can all be described as the public. Protesters can be seen as belonging to the public, so the direct action that often provides the trigger for the uptake of issues into the media agenda could be described as coming from a small proportion of the public. The key component of agenda setting research should then be considered minority influence. The minority groups or opinion leaders disseminate their concerns on certain issues by influencing others by empowering their causes by form of protests, publicity stunts and media performances. Environmental Agenda Setting Looking specifically at the Kingsnorth Six case study and applying the Agenda Setting theory to it, we can expose the complexities involved in the agenda setting process and how they may or may not be relevant when looking at it through the perspective of a non-governmental organisation, deciphering whether they are successful in utilising the media to fulfil their aims. The Kingsnorth Six direct action protest involved the David Pepper claims that environmentalism is less a coherent movement and more of a turn in late-twentieth-century thought arguing that in its simplest definition an environmentalist; is one who is concerned with the environment. Thus the majority of the West can be described as environmentalists (Pepper, 2000:445-6). Whilst openly sharing oppositional views is widely acknowledged as a social taboo, the amount of active environmentalists are less popular. Hence by gathering attention to the Kingsnorth case, Greenpeace could turn a minority cause and propel it to the masses, thus gaining the issue serious political significance by bringing it to the environmental sympathisers domain; as nobody wants to be seen as actively damaging the environment, for fear of commercial and political repercussions from the sympathizing majority. Hutchins and Lester argue that journalists have an environmentalist bias as it is in their readers interest: Journalists acknowledge the saliency of environmental issues to readers and audiences because of the threats posed to natural environments and peoples wellbeing by degradation and the unchecked activities of capital. (Hutchins and Lester, 2006:434) Environmental issues have been of particular relevance since global warming was posed as a theory, ever since it has been at the forefront of media and science agenda, seeing with it the rise in popularity of political parties such as the Green Party in the United Kingdom yet also a rise in green policies. Environmental concerns transcend all classes so are useful for the media in targeting large concerned audiences. This scaremongering tactic validates the work of pressure groups and non-governmental organisations and disguises the profit motives of the media reporting it. However Hutchins and Lester ignore two key oppositional concepts: the influence of corporations as advertisers and journalistic objectivity. The first point can be dismissed as only one corporation is being targeted the money lost from attacking E.ON can be easily filled by other businesses from other sectors. The second point journalistic objectivity, allows a platform for debate, whereby environmental sceptics are allowed an equal platform to discuss their opinions. This creates a dilemma similar to the religion versus science debate; influential sceptics are allowed to pollute the influence of pressure groups with little grounding in scientific fact or common sense. The media is more than a site for environmental action; it plays a significant role in shaping debate and influencing outcomes. It is here that representations are determined, images softened or distorted, and power granted or denied. (Hutchins and Lester, 2006: 438) Hutchins and Lester bring up a fundamental point of the nature of the media in influencing outcomes of protests. Whereas the media validated Greenpeaces protests, specifically broadsheets such as The Guardian, projecting the Kingsnorth Six onto hero status; even premiering the Nick Broomfields short documentary A Time Comes: The Story of the Kingsnorth Six (Broomfield, 2009). This presented the Kingsnorth Six as ordinary members of the public with no activist history, whom simply wanted to right a wrong. Dieter Rucht describes how in some rare instances the mass media can potentially be considered an ally for the social movements such as The Guardian in this case. However he warns that social movements would be wrong to rely on this as the mass media carry their own agenda different from the aims of the social movement (Rucht, 2004: 55). The protest/publicity stunt clearly intended to insight media interest. Nick Broomfields short documentary (Broomfield, 2009) highlights the directness of Greenpeaces tactics to achieve press coverage. The activists assumptions of the media reaction were highlighted by a quote from Ben Stewart one of the Kingsnorth Six: because my parents live near there (Kingsnorth Power Station), I gave them a ring and said you might see on the news that I am on top of this power station (Stewart in Broomfield, 2009). This arrogance becomes justified when noting the previous newsworthiness of Greenpeace protests in gaining media attention (Carroll and Hackett, 2006:87). Stewart then goes on to state Greenpeaces exact intentions, emphasizing the performance aspect of the protest by having what is implied as press conferences on top of the chimney: I got up and did the interviews with the media and tried to justify it (the protest) to the public when we were up there, and of cause this thing is always a bit controversial (Stewart in Broomfield, 2009). Then implying that it would disseminate the issue into public discourse/forums: you get lots of public ringing into the talk radio stations saying were nothing (Stewart in Broomfield, 2009). The whole direct action performance comes across as merely being a platform to receive media coverage to then disseminate their issue into the agenda. However Greenpeaces performance tactics resonate well with the medias agenda as they provide the media with pre-packaged news stories: Greenpeace has always been inherently fascinating and newsworthy as far as the media are concerned. It presented them with totally pre-packaged, simplistic but very powerful images of confrontation that were very new and exciting (Gallie cited in Anderson, 1997:35) The Kingsnorth Six protest certainly did this; providing photographs, videos and interviews to the various interested media. Allowing Greenpeace to remain in control of how their imagery was framed and represented. On an interview with ITV Meridian Tonight Stewart justified their actions by highlighting Greenpeaces agenda on E.ONs proposed plans: Gordon Brown wants to build a new one of those carbon dinosaurs and thats why were up here, were trying to stop that happening (Stewart in Broomfield, 2009). The telephone interview from the top of the tower to new stations emphasises the link between performance and agenda setting. Whereas the protest may give the guise of trying to shut down the Kingsnorth plant in order to stop the polluting power station, the primary objective of the press stunt prevails: securing communication with the media, thus allowing Greenpeace to dictate the news agenda. However their story only reached local level on television news coverage, receiving coverage from ITV Meridian Tonight and BBC South-East Today. Contrary to the regionalised coverage of the initial protest the subsequent trial received national attention on the respective channels. This would imply that the Kingsnorth Six protest functioned as a trigger to greater media coverage rather than gaining the substantial media coverage needed for an issue to become adopted into the national media and public agenda. It would be easy to assume that Greenpeace had expected more coverage than they received initially. However the issue was already in the political forum, with the Governmental body The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform due to release a white paper on the carbon capture and storage regulations. This reflects Hansens sentiments (mentioned earlier), suggesting it is a deliberate tactic to target issues already in political forums (Hansen, 2010:53). Critiques of Greenpeace reaffirm Hansens observations. Chris Ross writing for Greenpeace highlighted some of myths surrounding the Brent Spar case study; that Greenpeace had the potential to act on issues that they themselves stood to gain positive framing, in other words easy battles: Greenpeace had given little though to the issue it was going to tackle, or its consequences. In short, the Brent Spar was a good photo opportunity for an organisation faced (in some countries) with a decline of its membership and visibility. (Ross, 1998:40) This could be said of the Kingsnorth Case, Greenpeace knew that the proposed plans were controversial within the economical and political climate, so had predicted an easy win which would create a good photo opportunity. This is not to say that Greenpeace was not interested in the issue beforehand, but simply chose a strategic target out of the many environmental criminals in the world. Greenpeace should not be solely attributed with pushing the Kingsnorth case into the media, public and policy agenda after all other non-governmental organisations were also active such as Climate Camp and Friends of the Earth. This poses the dilemma; did Greenpeace activate this protest network by projecting the struggle into the agenda? However it is evident from the polaric media representation of the protests that the Greenpeace protest yielded a greater media influence (than the Climate Camp protests) due to its previous validation within the media because of previous successes in gaining media attention (Carroll and Hackett, 2006:87). Whereas Climate Camp was undermined by their history of negative encounters with the police. The Kingsnorth Six Coverage/ Analysis On October 8th 2007 six Greenpeace representatives climbed the 200 metre high smokestack at the Kingsnorth power station in Medway, Kent, attempting to paint the words Gordon bin it on it. Whilst another 20 activists chained themselves to the stations conveyor belt, immobilising it from burning coal. The Kingsnorth Six as the media labelled them (see fig.2 ), successfully managed to draw significant media attention from October 2007 till September 2008 when the activists were acquitted of the charges of causing  £30,000 of criminal damage to the smokestack on the defence that they were acting to prevent climate change, a landmark case in legal history  [3]  . Figure : 5 members of the Kingsnorth 6 Greenpeace activists. Greenpeace aspired to highlight the plans of the government and the German energy corporation E.ONs proposed plans to build a new coal powered power station at Kingsnorth which was proposed to be operational by 2012; the first of its kind in Britain since 1986. Greenpeace claimed itself that the ensuing direct action led to the postponement of E.ONs plans. Much like the Brent Spar case in 1995, as Hansen described: Greenpeace succeeded in stiring up sufficient media, political and public interest (Hansen, 2000:57) to force E.ON to reconsider its position. The question is how much responsibility can Greenpeace claim? Did the subsequent media coverage really have the effect that Greenpeace claimed? Hansen (Hansen, 2010) repeatedly coins the term claims-maker in reference to pressure groups suggesting that groups such as Greenpeace take a conservative option in their choice of issues to propel into the spotlight. He suggests that claims-makers choose topics which are already involved in policy agenda or Legislator: Most of the issues on which successful pressure groups campaign and successfully gain media coverage are issues which already have an institutional forum rather than completely new issues which have not been problematised in some form or other before. (Hansen, 2010:53) This would suggest that Policy Agenda influences the pressure groups choice in agenda: as they are more likely to have success in influencing the three agenda setting processes if they are able to frame and elaborate existing issues that are already in the public domain (Hansen, 2010:54). Hansen suggests that Greenpeaces spectacular protest performances are great at creating a visual spectacle; however they are not sufficient at maintaining media visibility in the long term (Hansen, 2010:53). In other words apart from the newsworthiness of the Kingsnorth-Six stunt, the more important factor in agenda setting, was the subsequent trial that kept the Kingsnorth issue visible. Hansen suggests that it is not as simple as just setting the agenda as McCombs suggested, the quantity is not of coverage is irrelevant if the coverage is framed in the wrong way: While an environmental pressure group such as Greenpeace has the ability to secure media coverage for its claims its capacity to influence or control the way its claims are framed and inflected by individual newspapers is more questionable. (Hansen, 2000:71) Hansen looked at a selection of the three traditional types of newspapers from the British press: Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph and Daily Mirror and their respective Sunday editions (Hansen, 2000: 58). Analysing each newspapers output over the period following the Brent Spar protests to determine how the coverage was framed; looking specifically at the gulf between commanding attention for an issue and securing legitimacy (Hansen, 2000:56). He found that individual media exert ideological work upon their differential accessing of sources and their differential choice and promotion of particular lexical terms (e.g. Greenpeace as terrorists, a nuisance, undemocratic) (Hansen, 2010: 57). Hansen implied that Greenpeace media coverage was at the mercy and scrutiny of each outlets ideological allegiance. Although the initial protest is the most visible in terms of photos and iconic moments, in its initial aftermath the majority of press coverage was localised. A search of the Nexis newspaper database shows none of the national newspapers covered the protest in the week following the incident, with the majority of coverage remaing on local television broadcasts and regional newspapers. Between October 15th 2007 and September 10th 2008 there were 42 articles containing the keywords Kingsnorth and Greenpeace. Of these 19 were from The Guardian and The Observer and 10 were from The Independent (both of which could be described as having an environmental bias), hence only 13 were from other UK national newspapers. Applying McCombs quantitative methodology of agenda setting stating that the most prominent public issues are synonymous with the most important public issues (McCombs, 2004:5) One could conclude that Greenpeaces publicity stunt had failed to garner notable national coverage of the Kingsnorth plight compared to its previous successes of gaining the presss attention (e.g. Brent Spa). However out of the mediocre coverage 76% was from UK national newspapers with a history of environmental concern; echoing once again Ruchts notion that the media can potential act as an ally for social movements (Rucht, 2004:55). The Observer notably, exclusively broadcasted Nick Broomfields documentary, which utilised, among others David Gilmour on the soundtrack. Whereas there was a total of 21 national newspaper articles covering the Kingsnorth-Six trial verdict between the 11th and 15th of September 2008; suggesting the mainstream coverage was more interested in the verdict of the court on the Kingsnorth Six; as the result could set a precedent for future environmental policy agenda. Therefore in this case the Kingsnorth-Six stunt was more successful in becoming part of the media agenda in its aftermath. In Hansens Claims-Making in the Brent Star Controversy (2000) He suggests that the Telegraph utilised a negative overlexicalisation of descriptors to describe Greenpeaces actions (Hansen, 2000:62). Throughout the Kingsnorth coverage The Daily Mail, The Mirror and The Express conformed to this convention, often sensationalising the news with doom-mongering extrapolations. The Daily Mail framed the verdict of the case with a negative sensationalist set of descriptors, being highly critical of the ramifications that the case may have for the future of civil order. Whilst being highly critical of Greenpeaces actions the focus was shifted from the agenda of climate change, towards the unlawful nature by which the activists disseminated their message; framing the Greenpeace activists as potential threatening to the public: Green Light to Anarchy; Greenpeace Verdict will Encourage Lawbreakers, Warns Widdecombe (Sears, 2008:12). Hansen observed a similar instance/tactic in the Brent Spar case whilst analysing the framing of civil protest suggesting that The article served a functionlinking together and interpreting a series of vaguely related events or activities as symptoms of a deeper problem or social malaise (Hansen, 2000:61) Emily Highmore: What Greenpeace did was hugely irresponsible (Cited in Sears, 2008:12) So is it OK Now to Kill Gary Glitter? (Littlejohn, 2008:17). So next time some self righteous vegan in cycling shorts is caught smashing up a Range Rover in the name of the polar bears, dont be surprised when they try to use this not guilty verdict as their Get Out Of Jail Free card (Littlejohn, 2008:17). The Mirror NOT LAWFUL.. JUST AWFUL. (Routledge, 2008:29) This is judicial lunacy. It opens the way to all sorts of violence by flat-Earth nutters bent on halting the construction of vital new generating capacity. (Routledge, 2008:29) The Express Judge is an Ass for this Ruling. (Hamilton, 2008:31). The judges direction clearly encourages politically motivated acts of mayhem and is a threat to public order (Hamilton, 2008:31). In all of the above examples the verdict is framed as being giving anarchic powers to Green protesters, sensationalising the potential ramifications. The Greenpeace activists are seen as the Villains disturbing the peace and creating disharmony in the legal system. The Judge and Jury are thus portrayed as the Anti-Heroes being too easily swayed by the glamour of the environmental celebrities paraded by Greenpeace in defence. The Independent For the jury that acquitted the six activists may have done more to frustrate the Governments plans to build coal-fired powered stations than the pressure group has achieved in years. (Lean, 2008:54) The People are Ahead of the Game on Climate Change. (Lean, 2008:54) The Daily Telegraph severe embarrassment to the Government (Clover, 2008:33). So the Greens are Right About Coal (Clover, 2008:33). The Guardian Climb Every Chimney . . .: The Kingsnorth Six Admitted Causing  £30,000 Worth of Damage to a Coal-Fired Power Station Yet a Jury Still Refused to Find Them Guilty. The Verdict Has Left the Governments Energy Plans in the Balance, Says John Vidal, and Given a Huge Boost to Climate Change Protesters. (Vidal, 2008:4). The Maidstone verdict has changed all that and could prove a turning point both for the protest movement and industrial policy (Vidal, 2008:4). If I was E.ON or Owned an Airport, Id be Very, Very Worried: Activists from Other Groups Hail the Kingsnorth Victory. (Van Der Zee, 2008:7) Mel Evans a Climate Camp activist: When you take the arguments to a jury, then they respond in this way because they can see what the reality is. (cited in Van Der Zee, 2008:7) Goldsmith accused the government of a profound lack of imagination when it came to examining alternative energy solutions (Henley, 2008: 6) Beyond all Reasonable Doubt: How Four Witnesses Put the Government in the Dock. (Henley, 2008: 6) The above examples utilise the David versus Goliath analogy or as Vladimir Propp would suggest the Hero character type, suggesting that the case stood as a shift in the

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Manipulation of Perception in Shakespeares Othello :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

The Manipulation of Perception in Othello This paper contains 237 words of teacher’s comments. What one perceives is influenced by one’s environment. The setting and commentary surrounding events changes our perception of them. Any innocent gesture can be perceived in the wrong way with enough persuading from someone else. Even if someone has total faith in another person's innocence, they can be persuaded to doubt them through the twisting of events. Once just a small amount of doubt has been planted, it influences the way everything else is seen. This occurs throughout the play, Othello. In this play, Iago influences Othello's perception of events through speeches and lies, making him doubt Desdemona's fidelity. Iago uses his talent of manipulating events to exact his revenge on Othello. Iago's twisting of events in Othello's mind leads to the downfall of Othello as planned, but because he fails to twist Emilia's perception as well, he facilitates his own eventual downfall. When Iago first sets out to deceive Othello, he tells him, "look at your wife; observe her well with Cassio" (3.3.196). He knows that if he can plant enough doubt and jealousy in Othello's mind, Othello only needs to look at Desdemona being friendly with Cassio to suspect infidelity. After this, when Desdemona asks for Cassio's reinstatement, it looks as though she is trying to get something better for her lover, as opposed to just helping a friend. Iago talks about jealousy and deception in this same scene, but never gives any proof or direct descriptions of Desdemona's betrayal. Yet we know that Othello's perception has been sufficiently influenced to make him angry and sick by the end of this conversation. He tells Desdemona he has a headache, but he refuses any help from her. When she puts her handkerchief to his head, he pushes it away saying, "your napkin is too little" (3.3.285). This takes on more significance later on in the play when we find out that this handkerchief is the first token of love Othello ever gave to Desdemona. Also in this scene, we see how much Othello had trusted, loved, and believed in Desdemona. He says, "I do not think but Desdemona's honest" and "If she be false, O then heaven mocks itself! I'll not believe't"(3.3.223, 275-6). But he does suspect her, and it seems these statements are only there to convince himself that she really is true. The Manipulation of Perception in Shakespeare's Othello :: GCSE English Literature Coursework The Manipulation of Perception in Othello This paper contains 237 words of teacher’s comments. What one perceives is influenced by one’s environment. The setting and commentary surrounding events changes our perception of them. Any innocent gesture can be perceived in the wrong way with enough persuading from someone else. Even if someone has total faith in another person's innocence, they can be persuaded to doubt them through the twisting of events. Once just a small amount of doubt has been planted, it influences the way everything else is seen. This occurs throughout the play, Othello. In this play, Iago influences Othello's perception of events through speeches and lies, making him doubt Desdemona's fidelity. Iago uses his talent of manipulating events to exact his revenge on Othello. Iago's twisting of events in Othello's mind leads to the downfall of Othello as planned, but because he fails to twist Emilia's perception as well, he facilitates his own eventual downfall. When Iago first sets out to deceive Othello, he tells him, "look at your wife; observe her well with Cassio" (3.3.196). He knows that if he can plant enough doubt and jealousy in Othello's mind, Othello only needs to look at Desdemona being friendly with Cassio to suspect infidelity. After this, when Desdemona asks for Cassio's reinstatement, it looks as though she is trying to get something better for her lover, as opposed to just helping a friend. Iago talks about jealousy and deception in this same scene, but never gives any proof or direct descriptions of Desdemona's betrayal. Yet we know that Othello's perception has been sufficiently influenced to make him angry and sick by the end of this conversation. He tells Desdemona he has a headache, but he refuses any help from her. When she puts her handkerchief to his head, he pushes it away saying, "your napkin is too little" (3.3.285). This takes on more significance later on in the play when we find out that this handkerchief is the first token of love Othello ever gave to Desdemona. Also in this scene, we see how much Othello had trusted, loved, and believed in Desdemona. He says, "I do not think but Desdemona's honest" and "If she be false, O then heaven mocks itself! I'll not believe't"(3.3.223, 275-6). But he does suspect her, and it seems these statements are only there to convince himself that she really is true.