Socratic Justice And The Trial And Death Of Socrates

Socratic Justice is defined as the argumentative reasoning that relies on fairness and justice and ultimately doing what is best for your country. In this paper I will explain how Socratic Justice plays a big role in The Trial and Death of Socrates. I will also go into detail about the differences between Machiavelli’s views of government as opposed to Socrates’s. Socrates and Machiavelli are two the greatest philosophers known today. Both had an effective way of showing and standing up for what they believe in. While both men were very intelligent, Socrates and Machiavelli differ with their views on justice. Socrates defines justice as doing what is best for the wellbeing of his country. Socrates shows this when given the chance to flee the country he refuses because he feels it will affect the wellbeing of his people. â€Å"See what follows from this: if we leave here without the city’s permission, are we harming the people whom we should least do harm to? Are we sticking to a just agreement, or not?† (Plato, Crito, 50a) Whereas Machiavelli believes that justice doesn’t just happen like Socrates did. Machiavelli believes that justice must be fought for and believes the fighter makes the definition of justice. â€Å"A prince should therefore have no other aim or thought, nor take up any other thing for his study but war and it organization and discipline, for that is the only art that is necessary to one who commands† (Machiavelli, ch14) One main difference between Socrates andShow MoreRelatedThe Complicated Life of Socrates1183 Words   |  5 PagesSocrates was a classical Greek philosopher that was born in Athens, Greece around 470/469 BC. He served in the Athenian army and fought in many battles. When Socrates retired from fighting in the army, he began focusing on expressing his beliefs. 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Hybrid Fuzzy Pid Control For Bldc Motor †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Hybrid Fuzzy Pid Control For Bldc Motor? Answer: Introducation Motor stands as a very basic part from very small electronic device to a huge electronic device and for the larger and high powered electronic devices, high performance of the motor becomes vital, especially, in the industrial applications, like electric trains, steel rolling mills and robotics, where the basic functionality of the device would be majorly dependent on the performance and reliability of the motor. Eventually, a decent motor drive system with higher performance demand the vital features, such as load regulating response, command tracking with good dynamics speed, to achieve the reliable and expected performance, for longer period of time. DC drives act as the best and ideal solution for these industrial requirements, for their ease of application, favourable cost, high reliabilities and flexibilities and so are considered as the backbone of the home appliances, robot manipulators and industrial applications. The matching in all these applications by DC drives is becaus e of the requirements of control of position and speed of the motor. The complexity of the DC drives is lesser than that of the AC drives, because the characteristic of speed torque of them, is much more than AC drives. In addition to that, DC motors have tremendous speed control for deceleration and acceleration and are available at less expensive cost, for even higher ratings of horsepower. All it needs is just a single system for conversion of power to DC from AC. DC drives has become a tradition in the industrial applications and home appliances, because of the machines that are adjustable with speed and various features. The logic for the match of the applications is that DC drives allows the designers and developers of the existing and new electronic applications, for the precise control of the speed of the motor, for the desired performance. The speed controllers have been the key to performance, of the motors, because of DC motor speed control can execute numerous varied tas ks, from conventional controller types and numeric controller types. These speed controllers in application are usually of FLC (Fuzzy Logic Controller), PID (Proportional Integral Derivative) and PI (Proportional Integral) and combination of these controllers, such as Fuzzy Genetics Algorithm, Fuzzy=Neural Networks, Fuzzy Swarm[1]. The majority of the control system in the electronic industry in the world is operated by the PID (Proportional Integral Derivative), over 95% of the industrial process control applications. The dominated use of the PID in these applications is because of the unmatchable simplicity, applicability and clear functionality and ease of use, compared to the other controllers[2]. Hence, the PID controllers provide reliable performance and robust performance, for the electronic systems, when apt usage of the parameters and tuning of the PID is set. However, there are certain major issues associated with the control algorithm, used conventionally, such as PID, PD, PI, for the DC motors, is non-linearity effects. The conventional controllers performance can be degraded by the DC motors non-linear characteristics, like fictions and saturation, etc.[3]. It is generally, difficult find the actual DC motors non-linear model and only approximated values can be obtained for the parameters, from systems identification. Background Fuzzy Logic Control Fuzzy Logic Control has been introduced and developed in 1973, by L.A. Zadeh and started its application, in 1974, by Mamdani, as an attempt to control system, which have difficulty in modelling structurally. And FLC has become one of the significant fuzzy set theory applications and has been spreading in recent years, with rapid progress. The progress of the FLC has become fruitful and extremely active area of research, having numerous industrial applications. Hence, the FLC has been evolved as a complementary and best alternative to the control strategies used conventionally, in different areas of engineering. The best part is thwat the theory of fuzzy control provides non-linear controllers, having the capability to perform various non-linear complex control action, also for nonlinear systems that are uncertain. FLC design demands no precise system model knowledge, like systems zero and poles of transfer functions, unlike the conventional control. Fuzzy control system have the two critical inputs, in its design, that are rate change of the error and tracking error, in the way of human learning imitation[4]. Advantages FLC provide the advantages, as the following. Faster system response Simplicity in the design Provides hint of intelligence of human to the controller Needs no mathematical modelling, related to the system Cost effective Increased reliability of the system Increased precision degree Easy handling of the non-linearity of the system Makes use of linguistic variables, in place of numerical ones Having all the above advantages, fuzzy controllers are allowed in the systems, where the process parameters identification with parameters and process description are highly difficult. Thus, control mechanism can be obtained by the fuzzy characteristics [13]. Challenges Of Fuzzy Techniques Fuzzy logic has been experiencing continued success in wider range of applications and so gaining acceptance, in the community of the control engineering, but, there are certain inherent difficulties of the fuzzy techniques, in terms of approaching difficulties, that have been restricting them to grow. The difficulties of the fuzzy techniques are as the following that face the difficultness in the development of the applications. Difficulties to select appropriate function shapes of membership Difficulties to fuzzy rules development, by hand, when larger systems are considered Difficulties, in terms of fuzzy solutions fine tuning, when certain degree and levels of accuracy are specified, and when the robustness or reliability has to be guaranteed, of the solutions. The method of trial and error, still stands to be the basic method, towards expert knowledge improvement, for stable and tuned fuzzy controller development. Fuzzy Logic Applications Subway train Enhances the accuracy of stop and increases the stable drive with evaluation of conditions of passenger traffic. Gives a better and smoother stop and smoother start Video camcorder Determination of the best lighting and focusing, during the picture movement Television Higher precision of adjustment of colour, brightness and contrast, related to the picture, to the please viewers Motor control Enhances and improves the motion control range and accuracy, when unexpected conditions are occurred Washing machine Making adjustment of the washing cycle, through fabric type, load size and dirt judgement Objective The project has the following objectives. To model the existed BLDC DC motor, separately To control of the speed of BLDC DC motor through typical conventional methods of controlling To control the speed of the BLDC DC motor, with the controller of FUZZY-PID To analyze the MFs sensitivity, evaluation and comparison, considering difference kinds of them, in the speed control of the fuzzy PID BLDC DC motor To compare the various techniques of the speed controlling Problem Statement When the typical control techniques are considered, the usage of the PID controller was to use as a structure of standard control. Because of this external disturbances and variation of parameters, in this process, the industrial machinery performance would be distorted greatly and it results in the reduction of the efficiency. When the new control technique is considered, with the fuzzy and PID controllers, using as a conventional technique extension, as it preserves the PID controller linear structure. The fuzzy and PID controllers have been designed, with the fuzzy logic control basic principle, towards gaining a new controller, similar to the controllers of the digital PID, possessing analytical formulas. The fuzzy PID controllers possess control gains varied, in linear structure of them. Varied error signal rages and errors nonlinear functions are some of the variable gains and eventually helps in overall performance improvement, because of characteristics features of them, such as, mechanism of self-tuning that can be adaptable towards rapid error changes and error rate of change, by effects of time delays, uncertainties and nonlinearities, related to the process[5]. A remarkable disadvantage possessed by these fuzzy logic based methods is the appropriate tools lacking, for the analysis of performance of the controllers, like robustness, optimality, stability, etc. One of the significant things is to have the right choice of the rule based and membership functions parameters, due to the fact that the control of the fuzzy logic, stands similar to the control algorithm, stands on the strategy of linguistic control, deriving from the knowledge of expert, into the strategy of automatic control. The FLC operation is according to the qualitative knowledge, regarding the controlling system. It needs the application of the adequate experience and knowledge, to ensure good response, obtained by the system. The application of PID controller cannot be with the system, having faster parameters change, as it demands PID contrast change, in terms of time. Hence, further study of the Fuzzy controllers and PID controller possible combinations. It indicates that the system has to be controlled well, by PID that is in turn supervised by the system of fuzzy[6]. There are various kinds of MF (Membership Functions) proposed for the system of fuzzy control. The provision of MFs custom design is possible, in certain software of the fuzzy control. The fuzzy control literature gives indication of various kinds of MFs applications[7]. References Zhoa Jin and K. Bose, Bimal Evaluation Of Membership Function For Fuzzy Logic Controlled Induction Motor. Varun Varuneet, Bhargavi G. and Suneet Nayak, Speed Control Of Induction Motor UsingFuzzy Logic Approach. Malhotra Rahul and Kaur Tejbeer, Dc Motor Control Using Fuzzy Logic Controller, (Ijaest) International Journal Of Advanced Engineering Sciences And Technologies Vol No. 8, Issue No. 2, 291 296. Alloua Bomediene and Abderrahamani ABdessalam, Neuro-Fuzzy DC Motor speed Control Using Particle Swarm Optimization, Leonaro Electronic Journal of Practices and Technologies ISSN,1583-1078. Pattaradej Thana, Chen Guanrong and Sooraksa Pitikhate, Design and Implementation of Fuzzy PID Control of a bicycle robot, (Integrated computer-aided engineering, (2002) Vol.9, No.4, Zhang, N. Wang and S. Wang, A developed method of tuning PID controllers with fuzzy rules for integrating process, ( 2004) Proceedings of the American Control Conference, Boston, pp. 1109-1114. J. Chalmers, Influence of saturation in brushless permanent magnet drives, (IEE proc. B, 1992), Electr.Power Appl, vol.139, no.1. H. Ang, G. Chong and Y. Li, PID control system analysis, design and technology, (IEEE transaction on Control System Technology, 2005), Vol.13, No.4, pp. 559-576. Tushir Meena, Srivastava Smriti, Design And Simulation Of A Novel Clustering Based Fuzzy Controller For DC Motor Speed Control,( Innovative Systems Design And Engineering, 2011) ISSN 2222-1727 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2871 (Online) Vol 2, No 7, Chow and A. Menozzi, On The Comparison Of Emerging And Conventional Techniques For DC Motor Control (proc.IECON, 1992) PP.1008- 1013,. Essam Natsheh, Khalid A. Buragga, Comparison between Conventional and Fuzzy Logic PID Controllers for Controlling DC Motors, (2010) IJCSI International Journal of Computer Science Issues, Vol. 7, Issue 5. Haytham M. Fayek, I. Elamvazuthi, Type-2 Fuzzy Logic PI (T2FLPI) Based DC Servomotor Control, (2012) Journal of Applied Sciences Research, 8(5):2564- 2574. Dr. R. Arulmozhiyal,R. Kandiban, An Intelligent Speed Controller for Brushless DC Motor, 978-1-4577-2119-9/12,2012,IEEE. Malkeet Saini,Neeraj Sharma, Speed Control of Separately excited D.C Motor Using Computional Method, (2012) Vol 1 Issue 7. [1] BomedieneAlloua and ABdessalamAbderrahamani, Neuro-Fuzzy DC Motor speed Control Using Particle Swarm Optimization, Leonaro Electronic Journal of Practices and Technologies ISSN,1583-1078. [2] J. Zhang, N. Wang and S. Wang, A developed method of tuning PID controllers with fuzzy rules for integrating process, ( 2004) Proceedings of the American Control Conference, Boston, , pp. 1109-1114 [3] B.J. Chalmers, Influence of saturation in brushless permanent magnet drives, ( 1992) IEE proc. B, Electr.Power Appl, vol.139, no.1. [4] Thana Pattaradej, Guanrong Chen and PitikhateSooraksa, "Design and Implementation of Fuzzy PID Control of a bicycle robot", (2002) Integrated computer-aided engineering, Vol.9, No.4. [5] Rahul Malhotra,Tejbeer Kaur, Dc Motor Control Using Fuzzy Logic Controller, (Ijaest) International Journal Of Advanced Engineering Sciences And Technologies Vol No. 8, Issue No. 2, 291 296. [6] Varuneet Varun, G. Bhargavi, Suneet Nayak, Speed Control Of Induction Motor UsingFuzzy Logic Approach. [7] Tushir Meena, Srivastava Smriti, Design And Simulation Of A Novel Clustering Based Fuzzy Controller For DC Motor Speed Control, (2011) Innovative Systems Design And Engineering, ISSN 2222-1727 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2871 (Online) Vol 2, No 7.

Smartphones and Social Media Essay Example

Smartphones and Social Media Essay Advances in technology have changed the way humans think and act. Some people will say new technology makes life easier and other people will agree life was simpler before all of this new age technology. A few advances that are very common nowadays are smartphones and social media. These two modern day inventions have a major effect on society and are major influences on human learning today. Most important and popular news are broadcasted on social media such as breaking news, music, celebrities and these smartphones make life easier and you can access these social networks, also the internet itself; where you can virtually find anything. So, you can say these two inventions complement each other. Smartphones Effect on Society and Human Learning The Good and the Bad Smartphones are arguably one of the biggest and most used technologies of this day and age. Smartphones effect on human learning is major since they are so popular. These devices allow you to surf the internet fast and contact people faster; not to mention interact with people in different ways by text, video messages and video chats. Smartphones opens everyone to a new whole world filled with helpful apps but also dangers like an addiction. The use of smartphones can be seen as addicting to the younger generation that’s growing more and more every day. People addicted to smartphones push toward instant satisfaction rather than long-term satisfaction. Their impulsive nature from addiction slows self-regulated learning and also shows a decrease in learning flow compared to non-addicts (Kim, 2014). We will write a custom essay sample on Smartphones and Social Media specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Smartphones and Social Media specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Smartphones and Social Media specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Many of the people who use smartphones are a part of the younger generation around the age of a college student. College students use them for several different things; some follow trends, search for information, communicate with friends or use smartphones to pass the time. These devices can be addicting, but smartphones can also preserve social ties. Individuals that use these

Colloid Examples in Chemistry

Colloid Examples in Chemistry Colloids are uniform mixtures that dont separate or settle out. While colloidal mixtures are generally considered to be homogeneous mixtures, they often display heterogeneous quality when viewed on the microscopic scale. There are two parts to every colloid mixture: the particles and the dispersing medium. The colloid particles are solids or liquids that are suspended in the medium. These particles are larger than molecules, distinguishing a colloid from a solution. However, the particles in a colloid are smaller than those found in a suspension.  In smoke, for examples, solid particles from combustion  are suspended in a gas. Here are several other examples of colloids: Aerosols foginsecticide spraycloudssmokedust Foams whipped creamshaving cream Solid Foams marshmallowsStyrofoam Emulsions milkmayonnaiselotion Gels gelatinbutterjelly Sols inkrubberliquid detergentshampoo Solid Sols pearlgemstonessome colored glasssome alloys How to Tell a Colloid From a Solution or Suspension At first glance, it may seem difficult to distinguish between a colloid, solution, and suspension, since you cant usually tell the size of the particles simply by looking at the mixture. However, there are two easy ways to identify a colloid: Components of a suspension separate over time. Solutions and colloids dont separate.If you shine a beam of light into a colloid, it displays the Tyndall effect, which makes the beam of light visible in the colloid because light is scattered by the particles. An example of the Tyndall effect is the visibility of light from car headlamps through fog. How Colloids Are Formed Colloids usually form one of two ways: Droplets of particles may be dispersed into another medium by spraying, milling, high-speed mixing, or shaking.Small dissolved particles may be condensed into colloidal particles by redox reactions, precipitation, or condensation.

Ufos exist Essays - Ufology, Unidentified Flying Object, Free Essays

Ufos exist Essays - Ufology, Unidentified Flying Object, Free Essays Ufos exist The Existence of UFOs is Real? Was that merely a shooting star streaking across the night sky, or was it a glimpse of some sort of alien aircraft? I believe that we are not the only intelligent life forms that exist in this vast universe, and it is my opinion that the earth has been visited by extraterrestrial beings. Sightings of unusual aerial phenomena date back to ancient times, but only after 1947, have UFOs been widely discussed because of publication worldwide. Moreover, many things support this concept of UFOs existence such as sightings, crop circles, encounters, and abductions. Furthermore, Area 51, which is a top-secret military facility that the government would not discuss about to the public, has been at the center of the UFO existence controversy for many years. The government denies its existence, but how do you explain the 240 or more white Jeep Cherokees patrolling an area that does not exist? This and many other factors are what contribute to the mystique of the highly restricted place called Ar ea 51 and the existence of flying saucers known as UFOs. Although, there is no official data or record about the UFO sighting, according to folk tales, it can be said that people does observed such flying objects since historic times. The first sighting of UFOs is marked since the late 1800 by most of the researchers. Private pilot Kenneth Arnold made the most famous and prominent UFO sighting in the year 1947. In addition, he claimed to observe nine circular objects in the skies over the state of Washington and described these objects like saucers skipping over water. There the term Flying Saucer was born. This event led to the reporting of similar reports in different parts of the world at different times. Moreover, according to a rough estimate, about 60% of such reports are hoax or due to some other reasons. While, some of the objects noticed in the sky were definitely Nguyen 2 astronomical in nature like comets and asteroids. However, some UFOs reporting were also a result of disillusion like clouds. There are certain natural phenomenons that give rise to various hypothetical shapes formation on the astronomical horizons. Most of these halos are also perceived by naked eyes and are called as UFOs by populace. Since 1947 there have been UFO sightings in almost every country sometimes there is something called a UFO wave, which for a short time UFO sighting increases rapidly in one certain area. For instance, UFO waves occurred in Italy in 1954 and in the United States in 1947. Furthermore, nobody can explain anything about these waves and attempts to link them with hysteria, mentality and stress have all failed. However, a good amount of 40% cases are still left to be researched. There are enough evidences that rule out all the possible human errors, psychological aspect and hallucinations. In addition, the reports do claim the presence of extra terrestrial components in the earth's atmosphere on scientific analysis. There are also people that often report the marks that are supposedly left by an alien spaceship at grounds, known as trace case. Such incidents are reported mainly by the inhabitants of remote and rural areas. Furthermore, similar evidence to support the reality of abduction events has been lacking or relatively uncompelling but the physical evidence events such as trace case has been more successful. For instance, a trace case that occurred near Trans-en-Provence, France, on January 8, 1981. The witness was working in his garden when he heard a low whistling sound. Upon turning around, he saw an ovoid object in the sky that approached the terrace at the bottom of the garden an d landed. The witness moved forward cautiously to observe the strange phenomenon but, within a minute, the object rose and moved away in the same direction from which it had arrived. It continued to emit a low whistle. The witness approached the scene of the apparent landing and observed circular depressions, separated by a crown, on the ground. Scientists and researchers are working extensively to mark the presence of life on other planets and their possible intervention in earth's atmosphere. However, no significant milestone has yet been reached by any of the

What insights, if any, can the writings of Michael Foucault provide Outline

What insights, if any, can the writings of Michael Foucault provide for the student of medieval 'outsiders' - Outline Example Perhaps one of the main contributors to the body of knowledge includes Michel Foucault. Indeed, his exploration of science, philosophy, history and a host of other fields generated useful insights that inform current decisions in the academic sphere. It is against this background that this paper underscores contributions of Michel Foucault that are informative to the student of medieval ‘outsider’. Foucault posits that the disappearance of the social problem of leprosy paved way to insanity2. Initially during the 1500s, mad people were secluded from the society and sent away in ‘ship of fools’3. According to Foucault, leprosy was a complex phenomenon whose occurrence was beyond the physical incapacitation6. From a medical point of view, the populations that were affected by it suffered immensely. The then societies feared the disease because of the medical implications that were associated with it. Just like mad people, lepers were secluded form the society The resultant gap made it possible for populations to carry on with the practice of seclusion. Gradually, mad people started being given a similar treatment. In essence, they were considered social outcasts and were exposed to brutal treatment9. Foucault believes that discipline and punishment gives the persons in authority power over an individual who is punished10. Power in this regard is defined by professional knowledge thus judges, parole officers and the police are powerful. The degree and length of the disciplinary measure is depended on the decisions that are made by individuals in power11. These also determine the type of punishment that need to be reflective of the type of wrong that is committed by the prisoner. Discipline and punishment play distinct social and political roles of: Human sexuality has a direct influence on social as well as political power structuring16. The procedures and

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Are the united nations peace operations an appropriate tool for preventing the abuse of human rights during violent internal conflicts - Essay Example What is the meaning of people who are not combatants? which kind of protection is available in times of civil wars?. To answer these questions, it is wise if one understood why United Nations Peace Operations were put into place. The first step towards this is to understand the term peace operations. As such, it is a broad term in regard to its scope. It covers operations associated with peacekeeping as well as operations designed purposely to enforce peace. Such operations are usually conducted such that they support the efforts of the diplomats aimed towards peace maintenance. To be precise, the term is constituted of; peace building, peacemaking and peace enforcement (Solis 2010). The following discussion thereby, will critical evaluate the role that the law plays in situations of armed conflicts and further, it will illustrate how law gives guidelines on the conducts associated with hostility as well how it mitigates the fatal ends following the armed conflicts. Moreover, it will demonstrate how the law provide protection to civilians not only in international conflicts but also to non-international conflicts. In most cases, the main organization mandated to establish and implement peace operations is the United Nations. In regards to the last six years, the UN peace operations has gone through evolvement and thus lately integrated to the most important and main tool by which the international community uses to manage those crises that can be said to be complex and which pose as a threat to global security as well as peace (Solis 2010). The beginning of the new millennium saw the number of police, military and the civilian recruited in the peace keeping operation of the United Nations across the world adding up to the existing ones to exceptional levels. United Nations is a vital and efficient organization in dealing with the contemporary issues. It deals with issues such as; cease-fires, where they are called upon to monitor; Political

Good and Bad Discrimination Essay Example for Free

Good and Bad Discrimination Essay When the word discrimination is brought up there is an automatic negative response, due to the fact that most have this idea that there is only bad discrimination. This comes from people using stereotypes and being prejudice which creates detrimental situations. However, when a person discriminates it does not mean they are trying to be harmful. Discrimination is when one distinctively favors or is against certain groups, categories, people, and classes and or things that may come from them. Discrimination its self is not bad, but the things that can stem from it, are actually what makes people look at it negatively. People discriminate for many reasons such as religion, race, and even for business and employment. It is one thing to have a preference over something else but to actually deny a person over what race, or religion they are is perverse. Now there are some positives when decisions are made about things depending on an individual’s race or religion. There are people who only want to date or marry to the same race, religion, culture, category, class, and things like that. And that does not always mean that they are being racist, stereotypical, prejudice or anything of that nature but that they simple are particular. There are even laws that require for workplaces to accommodate for their employees religion just along their religious practices will not bring problems to the employer. However, in the eyes of the employer they may feel as though if they indeed hire someone with certain beliefs that conflict may arise even if they are unintentional, and a decision maybe made to avoid that. Which is a decent argument but it still is a form of discrimination. One of the biggest reasons people discriminate is that they are actually afraid of what they may or may not understand. â€Å"The fear of that which is different, that which we do not understand, could have been an adaptive strategy early on in our history† (Why Does Discrimination Occur?. Ehow. com ). Instead of learning how to live with something and become more educated about it they cast it out. Especially if it is something that it out of the norm, or different. Such as homosexuality, a lot of people are homophobic. They have an unreasonable fear of homosexuals and which they may have their reasons as to why. Some people take it past the limits to make people are attracted to the same sex feel different, unaccepted, or unwanted all because they are ignorant of that culture. They have no idea what it is like and instead of trying to comprehend, they use negativity. Now there is nothing wrong with not being gay, and disagreeing with it but an opinion does not have to be expressed in a way that may be harmful. Just because a person is not apart of a certain group does not excuse the act of disrespecting another group or category. A lot of individuals will argue that it is simply wrong, and that it should not be permitted due to religious reasoning. Yes, that does make a lot of since, but I am very sure that many people do things that go against their religion all the time, they just happen to be discrete. Some people are afraid or have been brought up to not over step the boundaries so when others do not abide by the same rules they are automatically looked down upon. Society assigns everyone a certain social identity. Which ever category a person is placed they tend to accept others who are from the same group as they are. Prejudice is derived from our tendency to divide world into ‘us’ and ‘them†( Musa, Prejudice Discrimination and Stereotype). This causes great division between people which is one of the reasons why a lot of people categorize other individuals. Being that prejudice, discrimination, and stereotype are in society there are social aspects and effects. â€Å"Exposure to derogatory ethnic labels can elicit conformity pressures with people wanting to fit-in† ( Musa, Prejudice Discrimination and Stereotype). Generally people fear to be outcast so they go with the crowd. Afraid that if they choose not to agree then they might become socially unexpected. â€Å"People can reduce their reliance on stereotypes by consciously saying no to association between stereotypes and specific social groups† ( Musa, Prejudice Discrimination and Stereotype). It would make a lot of since for people to simply not discriminate sadly that simply will not happen. Either way it may go it is up to the person on what they will choose to do, but social impact has a lot to do with the decisions people make. â€Å"Social influence plays a role in both maintenance and reduction discrimination, prejudice, and stereotypes. Evidence suggesting that members of their group hold less prejudiced views are out of line with most people of their group, they may change their views. † ( Musa, Prejudice Discrimination and Stereotype). â€Å"It may be conceived that because someone is guilty of discrimination that she is mean, angry and hateful, which very well may be the case. However, when we understand that within us all lies some form of discrimination, whether passive or aggressive, it should once again lead us to the conclusion that, of course, it is very easy to discriminate. (Why Is It So Easy To Discriminate? , eHow. com). Every person has their preferences, how they choose to go about them is completely their discretion. There are those who are prejudice, stereotypical, and who discriminate negatively acknowledge it and own up to it. â€Å"Each and every one of us stereotype and have a prejudice of something. Every single one of us. I stereotype fat people. I make fun of them, I call them lazy. Is it right? No. Should people suffering from obesity be kept from living their lives because of my prejudice and stereotypes of them? Absolutely not. † (Kriss 2010). Those who do discriminate have a point of view and some respectively explain them. Kriss discriminates against fat people, does she have that right? Yes, she knows that she should not do it, but she still stands by her opinion no matter what anyone else thinks. Everyone discriminates to a center extent because everyone has their own opinions, and make their own decision with different dependents. Yet and still there things that are wrong which happen to be connected to discriminating and even misconceptions. The way a person behaves is by far their own choice. People are raised differently, have different life experiences, and choose to surround themselves with certain crowds that may differ from others. There are exceptions and there are non exceptions, but being close minded will bring nothing but ignorance. There will always be discrimination because everyone will always have a preference. and there is really nothing that can be done about it. Also prejudice and stereotypes that comes with life. Everything has a positive and a negative.

Comparing Themes in The Return of the Native and Great Expectations :: comparison compare contrast essays

Themes in The Return of the Native and Great Expectations      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Classic novels usually share in the aspect of universal themes which touch people through out the ages. All types of audiences can relate to and understand these underlying ideas. Victorian novels such as Thomas Hardy's The Return of the Native and Charles Dickens' Great Expectations are examples of literary classics that have universal themes. Hardy's tale illustrates the role of chance in his characters lives. Through the story we encounter events of pure coincidence and their effects. Dickens, considered to be more of a reformer (Literature Online), tries to portray a social theme in his novel. The basic theme of Great Expectations is that good does not come from ones social standing but rather comes from their inner value. These novels are considered classics because of their timeless themes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thomas Hardy's The Return of the Native displays a theme of chance. Book First, chapter 8 contains a perfect example. Eustacia persuades young Johnny Nunsuch into helping her feed a fire. She dismisses him and begins to walk home. Before reaching home, he is frightened by the light coming from the heath and returns to discover Wildeve meeting with Eustacia. By pure chance, Venn discovers the boy and quizzes him.    "Then I came down here, and I was afeard, and   I went back; but I didn't like to speak to her, because of the gentleman, and I came on here again" [Johnny Nunsuch]    " A gentleman--ah! What did she say to him, my man?"  Ã‚   [Diggory Venn]    "Told him she supposed he had not married the other woman because he liked his old sweetheart best; and things like that"  Ã‚   [Johnny Nunsuch]    [Book First, chapter 8, pp. 82]    This chance exchange reveals that Wildeve is meeting with Eustacia. Venn uses this to his advance by announcing himself to Mrs. Yeobright as a suitor for Thomasin. This backfires because Mrs. Yeobright tries to use the second suitor to force Wildeve to marry Thomasin. These events all occur from the chance meeting between Venn and Johnny Nunsuch. Another example of chance and coincidence can be seen in the famous gambling scene of Book Third, chapter VII. This is perhaps one of the most critically examined parts of the book.    " "Very well," said Wildeve, rising.

IOS 7 vs. IOS 6

IOS 7 vs. IOS 6 When Apple announced it's new OS back in March, many people were very excited at a change to the old IOS 6. As beta testing for the OS began and bugs began to intoxicate the new OS many consumers were left wondering if the need to switch at the final release was the best move and if so, what were the advantages or changes to the new OS. IOS 7 has changed many of the features of IOS 6, but many of the core elements of IOS 6 are ever-present.The First and most noticeable difference in IOS 7 is its new color scheme and lock screen. IOS 6 had a round design and color scheme that was reminiscent of factory gears, and its lock screen was a simple picture with a slider at the bottom. But in the new OS, the color scheme is neon and bright colors, flat design in the sense that none of the home screen apps seem 3d, but also the lock screen is a full screen picture with the date, time, and also a slide to unlock slider.Those few improvements o the overall OS were nice, but the s lide to unlock from the original OS 6 was still there and so were the large digital clock at the top. Another difference is the addition of Control Center. Control Center is a slider at the bottom of the screen that you slide up to use specific features of IOS 7, that in the older OS 6 you would have had to go to the settings menu. The features of Control Center include a slider for brightness, Wi-Fi control, Bluetooth control, and also one of IOS 7's new features, Airdrop.Once again, the new features are great, even though many of the uses of them were in IOS 6. All in all IOS 7 is a step forward in features and still stays true to its predecessor. The new color scheme and lock screen got a complete overhaul, while keeping the same features and core elements of OS 6. Also the addition of Control Center now uses the toggles that could have been found in the settings menu of 10s 6. So once again, apple has made a step up in its Operating System while still staying true to its predece asing one.

Karl Marx Essay

Karl Marx is one of the most reputed philosophers of the 19th Century. Born in 1818 in a middle class family, Marx studied law in Bonn and Berlin and later plunged deeper into the ideas of Hegel and Feurbach (Wheen, 2007). It is after receiving his doctorate in philosophy in 1841 from the University of Jena that he moved with his family to Paris where he became a radical revolutionary communist and teamed up with Friedrich Engels, another radical philosopher of his time. They collectively authored the pamphlet â€Å"The Communist Manifesto† which was later published in 1848. In this pamphlet, Marx passionately asserted that all human history was dominated by class struggles. Furthermore, he predicted that they would culminate into the fall of capitalism and rise of communism (Wheen, 2007). Karl Marx later moved to London in 1849 where he broke his political and religious isolation to author Das Kapital, sometimes referred to as the â€Å"Bible of the working class† (Wheen, 2007). In this book, Marx developed very philosophical ideas related to the crises of the working class and the implicit struggles between laborers and owners of industries. The works and ideas of Karl Marx in his book Das Kapital were later edited by Engels after his death in 1833 in London (Wheen, 2007). The ideas of Karl Marx established a school of thought known as Marxism, or what later came to be popularly known as the Marxist doctrine. His writings consummated the main ideological currents of 19th century. These included the classical English political economy, French socialism and the French revolutionary doctrines of the time. Marx, throughout his writing, had envisaged a social revolution that would see the fall of capitalism and the rise of socialism as a dominant ideology. These predictions later became evident after the death of Karl Marx in what was considered to be a process of socialization of labor. Wheen (2007) contends that this transformation would be possible to accomplish by the proletariat in sustained struggles with the bourgeoisie. This led to the development of ideas evident in Marxism and the conflict theory that form the bedrock of Marx’s works. Karl Marx’s Conflict Theory. Conflict theory is a Marxist perspective and  conceptualization of the way in which society is structured. This perspective depicts society as characteristically dominated by conflicts (Collins & Sanderson, 2008). Conflict is the determinant of how resources are allocated and who benefits the most from such allocations. Power is also acquired through conflict, and once such power is acquired, it is used to dominate the less-powerful and to benefit a few people. Collins and Sanderson (2008) cited that the basic form of interaction in the human society is not consensus but competition, which culminates into persistent conflicts. Each party or individual competes against perceived rivals with the goal of gaining advantage and dominating the other. The theory presented by Karl Marx underscores the fact that conflict, and not consensus, dominates designed mechanisms through different classes in the stratified society, interacts and relates to each other (Collins & Sanderson, 2008). The rich and the powerful use conflict to threaten their poor subjects and to maintain the status-quo. The poor on the other hand, organize and use conflicts to push for a revolution that will overthrow the powerful that are enjoying the privileges of capitalist structures. These tensions are thus sustained by the need of each group to have its interests dominate the structures and operations of the society. Karl Marx contends that the society is stratified into two main social groups. These are the proletariat and the bourgeoisies. The conflict between these two large social groups results in what Marx considered as revolutionary change. The probable source of conflict between the proletariat and the bourgeoisies are the desire of the proletariat to have ownership of means of production, such as factories, power, land and other valuable resources (Collins & Sanderson, 2008). The bourgeoisies, on the other hand, are not willing to relinquish these resources and give up their privileged positions of power and overwhelming riches and investments. Karl Marx on Class and Class Conflict. According to Karl Marx, society is stratified into classes. The classes comprise the bourgeoisies, land-owners and the proletariat. The propertied-upper-class is the minority, while the proletariats are the majority. Wood (2004) notes Marx’s dissection of the  dominant features of each of these classes in most of his works. For example, the bourgeoisies own the means of production. This is due to the huge investments they have made into factories and machines in the industries. The land owners have rent as their primary source of income. The proletariats are owners of cheap labor which they offer in exchange for wages that they use for their basic subsistence (Collins & Sanderson, 2008). Investment gives the bourgeoisies a lot of profit. Marx conceptualized the structure of the society in relation to the two major classes. He is focused on the inherent struggles between the proletariat and bourgeoisies which is the engine that pushes the occurrence of social change through revolutionary movements. In the understanding of Marxists, class is defined by the level of wealth and power that one possesses (Wood, 2004). This power is used to sideline other classes from property and positions of power. Bourgeoisies use their power to serve their personal interests and amass more wealth at the expense of the proletariat. These three different classes, in the understanding of Karl Marx, have different interests which pit them against each other (Wood, 2004). For example, the bourgeoisie are interested in safeguarding their investment in the industries, maximizing profits and minimizing costs. This makes them engage the proletariats as laborers in the farms to achieve this objec tive at relatively minimal wages. The proletariats on the other hand, organize and mobilize themselves to collectively push for better wages, conditions of work and strive to overcome the repressive and exploitative forces of their masters in the industries and factories. Thus, they struggle to join hands and, through revolutionary movements, overthrow the bourgeoisies and control the industries and factories (Wood, 2004). These conflicting interests are what pit the social classes against each other. Conflicts, and not consensus, therefore, characterize the society as noted by Marx who had envisaged such a society founded on constant conflicts. The struggle between the classes is likely to widen with time as the conditions of the laborers deteriorate further. This is likely leads to disintegration of the social structure. Collins and Sanderson (2008)  asserted that conflicts between proletariats and bourgeoisies would translate into an industrial revolution. This would mark the triumph of the proletariats over the bourgeoisies, leading to increased access to capital and means of production by proletariats. This, according to Marxists, would mark the end of capitalism and the onset of socialism characterized by public ownership of the means of production. The fall of capitalism and bourgeoisies will, therefore, create a classless society as political power withers away due to industrial revolution led by the proletariat (Wood, 2004). Thus, according to Marxists, class and class conflict are the forces behind societal transformation and not any other evolutionary processes. Radical revolutionary movements are likely to create a new social order in the society in which capitalism gives way to socialism as witnessed by the industrial revolutions that altered the social order in Russia in the 19th century. Karl Marx on Alienation. The philosophical ideas of Karl Marx on alienation were relevant in his radical reformation periods that saw the fall of capitalism (Otteson, 2011). Although these ideas were mainly considered to be philosophical in the 19th century, alienation, as was espoused by Marx, since then has become a real social phenomenon in the 21st century discourses that are propagated by contemporary social science scholars. The most outstanding aspect that Marx wrote about was economic alienation or alienated labor. According to the writings of Karl Marx, one of the front forces behind conflict between bourgeoisies and proletariat is the fact laborers felt separated from the products of their own labor (Me%u0301sza%u0301ros, 2006). Marx asserted that in a capitalist society, workers were forced to remain on the job and work extra hard in order to earn and sustain themselves (Me%u0301sza%u0301ros, 2006). He was against alienation which is caused by strong forces of capitalism and predicted the rise of communism in which laborers will no longer work to live but live to work. With the fall of capitalism and alienation, wage earning slaves will be free men who will work and enjoy the value of their labor. In a capitalist society dominated  by bourgeoisies, the production capacity of an employee is 100%. However, the employee does not benefit directly from these products. He only earns 10% of the proceeds of his work, which he only uses for daily subsistence. In communism, one would directly benefit from 90% of the proceeds of his labor and only lose 10% which will be spent in other production processes. Marx contended that in a capitalist society, workers are alienated even from the products that they produce (Me%u0301sza%u0301ros, 2006). A laborer working in an industry that manufactures oil becomes so much alienated from the product that he or she produces to an extent that even in his or her own household he cannot afford the oil, yet he needs it and contributes significantly to its production. The ideas of Karl Marx on alienation were very accurate considering that many labor union movements advocated for the welfare of workers in the modern society (Otteson, 2011). There are employees who work in a milk processing plant, when ironically back at home they do not take the milk, not because they do not need it but because they cannot afford the milk. Alienation as presented by Karl Marx in his conflict theory is an explanation of a situation in which man is separated from valued resources, opportunities, processes and decisions in which his input ought to be reflected (Me%u0301sza%u0301ros, 2006). The laborers at the time of Marx’s life did not have opportunity to say a word on the amount of wages they earned as compensation for their work. Yet, their role in the industrial production processes was very significant. The masters determined the wages, number of hours worked, when to grant leaves for recuperation and so on. In fact, Marx was very concerned with how the surplus value of products processed in the industries manned by workers benefited the workers themselves. Marx asserted that in a capitalist society, the surplus value only makes the rich richer as the workers become more impoverished. So worked up were the laborers that they were even alienated from their own families and private lives. They did not have time for recreation, family sessions or other community forums. Marx sadly puts it in his writings of Das Kapital that  leave or absence to workers in a capitalist system was hard to come by (Me%u0301sza%u0301ros, 2006). But when such leaves were finally granted, they were only meant to help the workers recuperate and get extra strength not to benefit themselves but their masters who would then register a rise in surplus value in the industrial production. Alienation, according to the writings of Karl Marx, can be seen to occur in four different ways. Me%u0301sza%u0301ros (2006) contends that workers are alienated against the products that they produce; they do not benefit from them much, the production process especially through specialized division of labor, from the community and from himself. In a capitalist industrialized society, specialized division of labor is used to promote alienation under the disguise of enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in production. Marx argues that an employee, concerned purely with the repair of broken down machines in industry producing oil, may not have enough experience with other production processes in the industry. The owners of the industry alienate them from this knowledge out of fear that such knowledge might empower workers to compete against the factory owners. Karl Marx on Consciousness. Consciousness as defined by philosophers refers to how people or a person defines and understands himself (Wood, 2004). The concept of consciousness as presented in the writings of Karl Marx was basically bent towards understanding and identification with one’s class. It is this consciousness that would push the workers (proletariats) to join other proletariats and put forward a united battle against one common social group, the bourgeoisies. Wood (2004) asserts that consciousness would enable workers gain awareness that they all had shared experiences with other laborers, the bitter experience of alienation, exploitation and oppression by capitalist bourgeoisies (Wood, 2004). This consciousness would push the workers to rise against the bourgeoisies and launch protest and revolutionary movements that would lead to the fall of capitalism and the onset of communist’s ideologies. Marx used the term â€Å"class consciousness† to illustrat e this level of awareness on the part of the workers. There are scholars of Marxism who have argued that the concept of consciousness was used by Karl Marx to depict class as a very subjective dimension in a  capitalist society. The concept of consciousnerss forms the skeleton of Marx conflict theory. The proletariat will only rise to confront the bourgeoisies after realization that all workers had common problems, all originating from the bourgeoisies. Such awareness by itself is inspiring enough to stir up revolution and protests against the bourgeoisies (Wood, 2004). Marx argued that it was false class consciousness that continued to sustain the forces and the influence of capitalist ideologies. The proletariat had misrepresented their identity, position in society and resigned to fate, preferring to remain in subordinate positions as the bourgeoisies took advantage of this and used their positions to exploit and dominate the economy (Wood, 2004). Members of subordinate classes, such as workers and peasants continued to suffer in the hands of the dominant bourgeoisies as a result of false-class-consciousness. The upper class, on the other hand, has their consciousness right as they believe they should remain dominant owners of the means of production. Conclusion Karl Marx’s works have influenced and continue to influence sociological academia and studies in the field of economics. Although some of his ideas, like conflict theory have been criticized by scholars since then in the contemporary sociological theory, conflict perspective remain to be a very popular sociological perspective, while Marx remains in academic records as one of the great scholars that contributed to the growth of sociology and its relevance in understanding human interactions and relationships in the society. Contemporary scholars, including critics of Marxism, continue to draw on his works to develop new concepts and ideas aimed at offering more accurate explanations of various phenomena in the society.

Sweeney Tod Essays - Sweeney Todd, Fiction, Musical Theatre

Sweeney Tod Essays - Sweeney Todd, Fiction, Musical Theatre Sweeney Tod Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Sweeney Todd is based on the 19th century melodrama about a London criminal. Todd is sort of portrayed as a noble figure driven to crime when Judge Turpin takes his wife and child from him. He is unjustly imprisoned and vows revenge not only to the judge, but also to all the people of London. The theater production began with an awesome staging of eeriness to further the mood of the title itself. My attention was captured as soon as the play began. The thick mist gives way to an entire underworld of Londoners. They come out with their gutter costumes and worn-looking faces. In cut-off laconic phrases they sing verses of the Sweeney Todd ballad. The ballad is important to the play. Every time I heard it, it just reminded me of the evil that was on stage. I think this was the purpose of the songto keep the audiences attention focused on the insanity surrounding Sweeneys killing spree. The band of beggars and street people advance toward the audience in rags and in anger. They are very important in showing Sweeneys personality early in the show. To complete the actors purpose, Sweeney Todd himself rises from the pits below. His face has evil and revenge written all over it. Sweeney Todd was very convincing with his role. He has one of the most inspired roles, yet it is filled with dark humor. In on scene where he is proceeding to slit throat after throat, a customer comes in with his family. Sweeney just looks on in irritation and frustration. It is hilarious. Sweeney allows the audience to experience several emotionsfrom horror and disbelief to sympathy and compassion. Although Sweeney is committing murderous acts, he is acting out of the love of his family. His daughter has been stolen from him and his wifes life has been ruined (although he thinks she is dead). Sweeney makes his rage more frightening with the baritone voice, especially in My Friends. This song is a twisted ode to his razors. His pleasure of being reunited with his razors is sort of a weird experience. It is almost as if he is in love with them. Sweeney was very accurate in taking the audience on a thrill ride all the way to the end where he gained the last bit of sympathy in discover ing that he had in deed killed his own wife. Mrs. Lovett was quite the character. She is absolutely wonderful as the cheerful yet lonely bar mistress. She displays her desire to feel wanted and loved bit by bit. However, her plans come to an end when Sweeney discovers her dishonesty about his wife. Susan Boyle plays Mrs. Lovett with a combination of optimism, crafty self-interest, and wit. With the flexibility of the actor-character role, you almost forget about the hideous conduct in which she is involved. Mrs. Lovetts idea is to turn Todds victims into meat pies. It is laughable, but also spine tingling. She has all the qualities of performing a successful Mrs. Lovett. She has the operatic quality and superb comic timing. Boyle pulls off a terrific performance in transforming such an inhumane act into pure comedy. At the end of the first act, as she and Todd sing A Little Priest, Boyle uses her wit to hint at the usefulness of Sweeneys victims. In Act II when Mrs. Lovett sings By the Sea (a song that indicates her longing to be with Sweeney Todd, while he rants on about Judge Turpin) she is very expressive in both manner and voice. You find yourself caring about what happens to Mrs. Lovett in spite of her immoral deeds. Susan Boyle (Mrs. Lovett) has a wonderful voice; and having to sing while doing five or ten other things at once is quite difficult. Nevertheless, she pulls them off remarkably. Her voice is a noticeable one and you can follow it through any confusion. With all honesty I think the play would have been missing comedy, harmony, and wholeness without her. She was definitely the more memorable character. Judge Turpin was more like the shadow of darkness over the play. He was instantly written off as a man of

40 Twitter Hashtags for Writers

40 Twitter Hashtags for Writers 40 Twitter Hashtags for Writers 40 Twitter Hashtags for Writers By Simon Kewin If you use Twitter, you’re probably already familiar with the idea of hashtags. These are simply a way of categorizing particular tweets by including within them a keyword prefixed with the hash or â€Å"pound† (#) symbol. So, for example, tweets containing writing advice will often contain the â€Å"#writetip† tag. The point of this is to make it easier to find all tweets containing writing advice : you just search for â€Å"#writetip†. Similarly, you could find a stream of publication tips by keeping an eye on tweets with â€Å"#pubtip† in them.   Using relevant hashtags in your own tweets also increases the likelihood of others seeing your post and becoming a follower. They’re a great way to engage with a particular community of Twitter users.   The following is a list of some of the hashtags that will be of interest to writers. The list can never be exhaustive because anyone can invent a new tag at any time. Most are self-explanatory, although some need explanation :  Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Ã‚   #amediting  Ã‚  posts from people who are editing #amwriting  Ã‚  posts from people who are writing #askagent  Ã‚  agent questions and answers #author #authors #editing #fictionfriday #fridayflash  Ã‚  flash fiction on a Friday #nanowrimo  Ã‚  national novel writing month #novels #novelists #poem #poet #poets #poetry #pubtip  Ã‚  publication tips #publishing #scifi #selfpublishing #vss  Ã‚  Ã‚  very short story #webfic  Ã‚  web fiction #weblit  Ã‚  Ã‚  web literature #wip  Ã‚  Ã‚  work in progress #wordcount #writegoal #writequote #writer #writers #writetip  Ã‚  writing advice #writing #writingtips  Ã‚  writing advice #wrotetoday  Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Ã‚   Some hashtags are specifically â€Å"chats† – which means they work in the same way as all tags, but are mainly used at certain agreed times :  Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Ã‚   #journchat #kidlitchat #litchat #scifichat #scribechat #storycraft #writechat #yalitchat   Ã‚  young adult literature chat  Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Ã‚   The following spreadsheet is a good place to keep track of the schedules for these Twitter chats if you’re interested in joining in :   http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=ruaz3GZveOsoXUOOt86B3AQ Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Idioms About NumbersBroadcast vs Broadcasted as Past Formâ€Å"Least,† â€Å"Less,† â€Å"More,† and â€Å"Most†

The Guest by HwangSukYong, the significance historically, politically Essay

The Guest by HwangSukYong, the significance historically, politically and cutullay - Essay Example Notably, the same time saw the arrival of the American military that expressed its resilient support for the staged anti-communist efforts. Sin-chon was the center of all the horror that transpired, and is a historically significant place as signified by the museum erected in the same place as a memory of the past. The book ‘The Guest’ offers vivid descriptions of the 1950 events, presented through dreams of some characters who witnessed the atrocities. The context of the book thus exhibits a cultural, historical, and political relevance. This paper will highlight the relevance of its context in the three aspects. The author of the book ‘The Guest’ focused on one of the most sensitive subjects to both the south and northern Korea. In his introductory note, the author presents the contextual justification of the title selected for his work. A weighty analogy appears between the issues discussed in the book and small pox. Evidently, when the smallpox pandemic was of critical concern in Korea, the people regarded it as a ‘foreign disease’ and coined the term ‘sonnim’ that translates to guest in its reference. With the novel focusing on the adverse effects of Christianity and communism, the analogy to small pox becomes relevant. The fact that both of these ideologies were not concepts that had not emanated from the Korean people, but rather from foreigners justified them to bear the reference as guests. Moreover, the American army that has received immense criticism as the principal cause of the massacre, was a guest among the Korean (Lee 195). The book offers a salient criticism of the issues that transpired. Contrary to the common belief that the American army bears the ultimate blame for the atrocities that happened, the book offers an expose of the real perpetrators of the extreme violence that was carried out against the people in 50 days that those who witnessed the events would

Iconic building, building underground Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Iconic building, building underground - Essay Example The debates mainly covered topics such as: One of the proposed solutions to future attacks is the underground construction of buildings. For example, there have been proposals to expand the city of Amsterdam with a futuristic and massive underground network of activities. This paper seeks to examine the construction lessons learned from the WTC attacks and the possibility of considering underground construction as a way of avoiding attacks situations similar to the one of the WTC. The twin towers were designed and constructed five decades ago as new way of building skyscrapers in which they were to be very light in weight and involved modular methods of construction meant to reduce costs and accelerate the building schedule. They were constructed using an egg-crate design having extra columns that would hold the building standing in case one or two columns were to be lost (Eager & Musso, 2001). This design made the towers to be some of the most resilient buildings ever constructed and it is no wonder their collapse was that astonishing and generated so much speculations and debates among knowledgeable structural engineers (FEMA, 2002; National Institute of Science and Technology, 2008)). Prior to the WTC attacks, security in design was not all that an important concern to engineers, architects or builders (Bazant and Cedolin, 1991). Security was normally only considered a design priority when designing and constructing specific types of projects such as consulates, government facilities and prisons and State Department embassies. Following the attacks, security has become of absolute importance in virtually all types of construction including educational, healthcare, commercial, residential and institutional. The drastic change in the construction environment, which occurred virtually overnight, makes it important that all suitable technology and security safeguards are incorporated into the initial

Tourist art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tourist art - Essay Example tourist art can also serve as the means to preserve and to revive aboriginal art, as well as to negotiate new cultural meanings with locals and visitors in the modern world (Markwick, 2001). This essay will analyze two tourist art items from Hilo Hattie and ABC Store catalogues: the plastic floral lei and the petroglyph pottery. These tourist art objects serve different purposes and targets different audiences, but they both serve economic and symbolic functions that may stereotype native cultures, and they may also help promote local history and culture to locals and visitors. The first to be analyzed is the plastic floral lei. It is a product that seems to be intended for visitors and not the locals, because locals can use their natural resources to create their own floral lei. The locals also already know enough of the culture to demand authentic or natural floral lei, unlike visitors (Graburn, 1984, p.400). Visitors may not know or are not interested in authentic materials (Graburn, 1984, p.400), especially when they want a preserved souvenir. Furthermore, the plastic floral lei is produced as a souvenir for tourists. It is not part of traditional art, because it is used as an accessory by native women. The native tribe that uses natural lei has no â€Å"cultural stake† in creating plastic floral lei (Graburn, 1984, p.400). Traditional art is part of the cultural heritage and history of the aborigines. Though floral lei can be seen as a cultural symbol, it does not have deep cultural meaning as a form of art. It is not even prepared with high cr aftsmanship in mind. This item is also a souvenir because it is evidently a â€Å"new form† of the natural lei; it is made from plastic, a modern external resource that can produce inexpensive souvenirs (Graburn, 1984, p.400). Plastic is also related to mass production of cultural items. This modern material further commoditizes the idea of flower lei, which is far from its original use, where it is â€Å"made† for

Altruism Is Ultimately Selfish Essay Example for Free

Altruism Is Ultimately Selfish Essay Discuss the proposal that pure selfless altruism does not exist. Bartel (1976) defines prosocial behaviour as ‘behaviour that intentionally helps or benefits another person’. Batson (1987) defines altruism as ‘helping another person for no reward, and even at some cost to oneself.’ This definition of altruism seemingly depicts the behaviour as selfless, however there is a wealth of research which suggests that this is not the case. Dawkins (1976) also provides evidence that altruism is ultimately selfish. He separated individuals into three categories in regards to prosocial behaviour displayed. These were grudgers, cheats and suckers. Grudgers were deemed to be the most evolutionary stable category, as they could control and ‘punish’ cheats (who seek out and accept the help of others without returning the help) and could coexist with suckers (who indiscriminately provide others with help). This therefore provides support for the sociobiological view of prosocial behaviour, that it is ultimately selfish as its aim is to promote gene survival. However, this theory can only work if we know one’s altruistic or egoistic behaviour, and so Many studies have shown that we will only help others if we believe they would also help us. Clutton-Brock and Palmer (1995) found altruism to be conditional, which suggests that it therefore cannot be selfless. However, this can only work if we know one’s altruistic or egoistic behaviour, and so cannot benefit evolution if we do not (Mifune et al. 2010) This view is supported by the Social Norm approach. The Social Norm approach argues that altruism is based on reciprocity and equity. Equity theory states that we consider interactions to be fair if the outcomes are equally proportionate to the inputs (Wagstaff, 2001). A limitation of this theory is that Buunk et al (2012) found it difficult to apply to intimate relationships. A further limitation is that positive inputs could yield negative results, which is not fair or just (Wagstaff, 2001). An amendment to this theory by Wagstaff and Perfect (1993, 2001) ensured that good inputs can only be returned with rewards, and negative inputs can only be returned with punishments. There is evidence to suggest that people do operate by this model (Wagstaff, 2001) which implies that decisions of whether to display prosocial behaviour are weighted in fairness, meaning that altruistic acts may only be displayed if the individual perceives it to be fair to others. Cialdini and Kendrick (1976) devised the Negative state relief model to offer a possible explanation of altruism. This suggests that we help others to relieve negative feelings. This has been supported by Piliavin (1981) who argued in his Arousal: Cost reward model that negative feelings, such as guilt, instigate negative arousal and therefore people may provide others with help to alleviate this negative emotion. Both of these models suggest that we are helping others to help ourselves, which supports the claim that true, s elfless altruism does not exist. However, other research has found that helping behaviour increases in correlation with positive mood states (Isen, 1999). Even so, Carlson (1988) argues that this could be due to an individuals drive to prolong their good mood state by helping others. One limitation of this view is that it assumes that helping is a rewarding behaviour. Another norm in respect to prosocial behaviour is social responsibility, which can be defined as helping those in need. Altruistic or prosocial acts tend to be more frequent towards ingroup (such as friends and family) than outgroup members (Cohen, 1978; Mifune et al, 2010.) Burnstein (2005) found that identical twins are more likely to help (94%) than fraternal twins (46%) which supports this hypothesis. There is also evidence to suggest that kidney donors are three times more likely to donate to relatives than nonrelatives (Borgida et al, 1992; Axelrod et al 2010). These findings suggest that altruistic acts are not purely selfless; seeing our friends and families in pain increases our own personal negative affect, and so we are more motivated to help them than we would be strangers. However evidence suggests that social responsibility can be diffused. This reduces helping behaviour within groups. Latane and Darley (1970) coined the terms pluralistic ignorance (not helping because it appears that no one else is concerned) and diffusion of responsibility (the tendency to believe that someone else must be dealing with the situation). This lack of helping behaviour in group situations shows that prosocial behaviour cannot be explained by social responsibility alone and so do individuals who help despite the above effects show more selflessly altruistic tendencies? Further evidence against selfless altruism comes from the evidence that individual attributes appear to effect prosocial and altruistic behaviour being displayed. Ruggiero et al (1981) found that taller, heavier and physically stronger people are more likely to put themselves in harm’s way to help others in an emergency. This would suggest that an individual has first considered the cost to themselves of helping, meaning their act would not be selflessly altruistic. One contrast to this theory is that this body type closely resembles Sheldon’s (1942) mesomorph body type; who was claimed to be more likely to have tendencies towards violent crime. Pantin and carver (1982) found that participants were more likely to help a choking confederate after three weeks first aid training than without it. Also, Eisenberg-Berg (1979) found that prosocial behaviour increases if a person believes their fate to be within their own control, and if the person has mature moral judgement. This again implies that an individual tends to consider their own competency and implications of helping others prior to doing so, again raising doubts over the existence of selfless altruism. However Batson et al (1987; 2003) claim that true, selfless altruism does exist; and that it is motivated by empathy. Batson claims that if helping is motivated by relieving personal distress, an individual could simply flee the scene., yet true empathic concern for another cannot be alleviated by escaping. In his study, Batson assigned participants to high and low empathy conditions, and easy or difficult to escape conditions; to leave after two trials or ten trials respectively. He also gave participants the option of changing places with the victim after two trials. When escape was easy, individuals with low empathic concern escaped the situation. However those with high empathic concern stayed and changed places with the victim. Batson claimed this to be true altruism. Traits such as aggression and dominance are associated with reduced empathy , and individuals with these traits have been shown to show less prosocial behaviour than those without them (Eisenberg et al, 2010). However empathy can be perceived as creating a negative affect such as guilt if help was not offered, and this negative state would be beneficial for an individual to relieve; therefore helping another individual with whom you have empathy for can relieve negative emotion in oneself, and can even instigate positive affect and/ or mood. This supports Pilliavin’s (1981) Arousal: Cost reward model and Cialdini and Kendrick’s (1976) Negative state relief model and therefore provides evidence that selfless altruism does not exist. In contrast, Batson (1989) found that people were not more likely to help others when informed that doing so would gi ve them access to a mood enhancing procedure. The finding that reciprocal altruism can be learned (Rachlin, 2003) raises an interesting question of whether it can be unlearned. Warnekin and Tomasello (2008) found 36 20 month old toddlers who consistently helped by picking up an object. Some were rewarded after showing this behaviour. They found that the children who were rewarded decreased this behaviour unless they were rewarded for it again; whereas the toddlers who were given no reward were more likely to continue helping. In support of this, Knafo, Schwartz and Levine (2009) found that in countries were individuals are raised to be helpful, there was a reduced tendency to help out group members. As helping in group members is more likely to relieve negative affect than helping outgroup members, this could be viewed as a reduced tendency to display altruistic behaviour. These studies raise the question as to whether it is possible that true altruism does exist, and whether theories such as social learning theory may play a role on its nurturance or demise within a culture or group. Sabini (1995) stated that if true altruism exists, it excludes any rational reasons for helping others, be it extrinsic or intrinsic rewards. In fact according to the sociobiological principle, it would be evolutionarily weak to be selflessly altruistic, as we may become like Dawkin’s ‘suckers’ helping cheats to prosper. This provides further evidence that selfless altruism does not exist; as we would not be able to grow and prosper as a society. In conclusion, the majority of evidence suggests that true altruism does not exist.

The British Colonies in the New World Essays -- United States History

The British Colonies in the New World Several historians often examine significant points in history in attempt to discover the reasons the events occurred. The aforementioned statement applies to the American Revolution as countless number of books has been written concerning the American colonies decision to declare independence from England. Woody Holton and Bernard Bailyn are two historians who have probed the subject and reached two separate decisions about the revolution. Focusing on the fears and threats the colonists felt, Bailyn identifies England as the threatening force against the colonists, while Holton gears towards those within the colonies. Before examining the two authors’ views, exploring the terms liberty and power are essential in comprehending the colonists’ fe...

Albinism Essay

Albinism Background Information Albinism is a genetic disorder which affects the amount of melanin produced, in a person’s skin, hair, or eyes. Oculocutaneous albinism, Ocular albinism, and Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome are other names for this genetic disorder. The disorder affects mostly men, because it is a recessive gene. Females are usually carriers. Albinism does not affect any specific ethnic or religious group. Symptoms/ Effects This Genetic Disorder affects the eyes, skin, or hair’s pigmentation. If an organism has albinism, it has little or no color in a specific part of its body. Albinistic skin burns easily. People with this disorder have to take special precautions to avoid sunburns and diseases such as skin cancer. Most types of Albinism also affect the eyes. Symptoms affecting the eyes include Crossed eyes, Light sensitivity, Rapid eye movements, Vision problems, and functional blindness. Albinistic people may have to limit their outdoor activities to avoid too much exposure to the sun. This disorder itself is not life threatening. However albinism affects many animals’ camouflage, and makes them easy prey. A human’s life span can be shortened by lung disease or bleeding problems from a form of Albinism, Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome. Testing/ Diagnostics This disorder can be detected simply by looking for pale or unnatural colored eyes, hair, or skin. To make sure, scientists use genetic tests to affirm that a person has albinism. Ophthalmologists also conduct electroretinograms to detect any optical problems. Causes Albinism is a recessive gene that can only be inherited. It is not sex-linked. Treatments Albinism cannot be cured, but it a person with albinism can wear colored contacts or sunglasses to comfort and protect their eyes. They can wear sun block and stay indoors to protect their skin. Name: Vivian Ray (Vivia)? Age: 17? Gender: F? Appearance: There, you see her first thing you notice when you see Vivia, is her grace. From her delicate structure to her fluid motions, she is elegant and nimble. Vivia has dark black/brown hair pulled into a messy bun with an ornate pen sticking out of it. She has overgrown bangs, that fall into her face. She has an odd way of talking, she looks at you straight in the eyes with her bright grey irises, while speaking with long embellished sentences in a melodic voice. Vivia does not appear to be intimidating or weak. But at the same time, both. She holds herself tall and her eyes seem be a portal to her her inner depths.? Abilities/Talents: Vivia once ice-skated and did ballet. She is moderately athletic. Vivia’s main talent is writing. She often walks around in the park trying to find the perfect word to decribe the leaves slowly falling down, or the prints in the snow. She has her own column in the Elwood High newspaper called â€Å"On the Bright Side†? Basic Likes/Dislikes:? Likes: Vivia like things that are well though out, poems, artwork, and anything else. She loves sour things, and is often sucking a lemon head. When asked her favorite color she thinks of her late mother’s grey eyes (the only trait she inherited from her mother) and replies without hesitation, grey. She loves fruit and would pick it over any other dessert, likes listening to instrumental music . She also likes to reread her dog-eared copies of Shakespeare in her free time.? Dislike: The number one thing Vivia dislikes is being wrong. She does not like the uncertainty and indecisiveness she often suffers from. She also does not like people who stereotype and make assumptions about her. She tends to not work as hard if she is forced to do something instead of herself choosing to do something. Vivia also absolutely hates suspense, and has yet to read a full mystery without skipping to the end.? Personality: Vivia, is usually not the loudest person, and often simply listens in the background. However, her writing truly shows who she is, and wants to be. She is often caught dreaming about what would happen if her life were different. She has a temper if you annoy her enough to find it. She can be stubborn, and is very fair.? Background Information: As a senior at Aberle High, Vivia is being pressured into making the big decision as to what career path she should choose. Her father is pushing her toward a doctorate, while she would rather become an author.? Relationships: Vivia’s mother was a journalist and died in a car accident while driving to the scene of er next story. She lives with her father and little brother. She loves her father and wants to make him proud. There, you see her, leaning against a tree

Vestas in Russia

Vestas in Russia Introduction For my exam project in International Business Environment I have chosen to write about the Danish cooperate Vestas Wind Systems A/S (referred to as Vestas throughout the paper). Vestas is the world’s largest producer of wind turbines and in addition to this it is also the leading company when it comes to green technology regarding wind energy . Vestas not only serves the Danish domestic market, but the company is also present on several foreign markets in other parts of Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and North and South America. With over 22. 00 employees spread over 35 countries Vestas is categorized as being a multinational cooperation. As for the market of entry I have chosen The Russian Federation (referred to as Russia throughout the paper). Vestas has not yet entered the Russian market so my exam project will be a hypothetical one. One could question why a global actor like Vestas not already has entered a market with so big opportunities a s Russia, but along with visions for great profit comes the reality of great risks and challenges as well. Russia is a vast market for windmills taking the size of the country and the climate debate into perspective.The country is the fourth largest consumer of electricity in the world , but lack of technology hinder Russia to produce it in a climate friendly way. The relevance of a successor to the Kyoto Protocol is at its highest and Russia has expressed great will to find sustainable solutions for its large electricity consumption. Companies capable of exploiting such market are in position for massive gains. This is however easier said than done. Denmark and Russia differ on several aspects of their countries’ structures and Danish companies planning on doing business in Russia hence carefully have to consider these differences.In this paper I will first describe and motivate the entry strategy of Vestas by using John Dunning’s OLI-framework . In this context I wil l argue why more advanced forms of FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) are appropriate for Vestas when entering Russia. Furthermore I will analyze the differences between Vestas’ home market conditions in Denmark, and the conditions of the target market, Russia, regarding adjustments in the marketing mix. To illuminate this section I will use E. Jerome McCarthy’s principle of the four P’s .Lastly I will summarize the above mentioned and discuss the best internationalization strategy for Vestas. Vestas’ competitiveness In order to describe and motivate the entry strategy of Vestas I will outline the advantages based on John H. Dunning’s OLI-framework. Although Vestas already has expanded into many different countries with regards to different culture, political systems and business systems it is not always suitable to use the same entry strategy although the firm is the same in every case. O – Ownership advantage: Vestas’ competitive advan tageThe O in Dunning’s OLI-framework of specific advantages deals with the Ownership advantage. To expand into new markets Vestas has to be in possession of something that gives the company an advantage compared to its competitors. Vestas has a clear ownership advantage first and foremost in form of its technology and know-how. Denmark has exploited wind energy since 1850s with the purpose of making agriculture more efficient. In the beginning of the 1970s the oil crisis influenced Denmark as well, and to avoid another economic breakdown the Danish government searched for an alternative energy industry.Vestas had already done R&D (Research and development) and tried out the construction of windmills since 1971. However they first entered the market in 1979 with a licensed windmill. In the development of the required technology, subsidy from the government and research on RISO (The National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy) has had a vast significance for Vestas, enabling it to play the leading role it does today. Besides the support from the government, Denmark has a highly skilled labor force, which of course also adds to Vests’ ownership advantage.Nevertheless as Lars Andersen (Managing Director of Vestas’ Sales) mentions, it is not only the technology and the skilled employees that give Vestas an ownership advantage: â€Å"However, it also has to do with our ability to deliver on time, the fact that things work from day one, and, in particular, the fact that we fulfill customers’ expectations for a good, reliable return on their investment. In other words, we are not simply selling a wind turbine†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Vestas does not only manufacture and sell the wind turbines, it also provides installation and subsequent after-sales-service, which not many Russian competitors can match.Vestas is, in addition to the above mentioned, a multinational company with more than 30 years of experience and is therefore in a greater position tha n later emerged firms. Vestas is on top of this a world-known and respected brand with focus on quality and is represented in 35 countries spread out all over the world. The company has the largest market share, 24,8% , of the global market, which again places Vestas in a favorable situation when it comes to taking advantage of for instance the experience curve. L – Location advantageThe L in Dunning’s OLI-framework deals with the location advantage. Saying there should be an advantage for Vestas for doing business in Russia as a location for export or more advanced forms of FDI. Russia is geographically an enormous country (covers over 17 million square miles) and includes areas with a very low population density. These areas have great potential for windmill parks and the coastal areas of the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, the vast steppes and the mountains are the areas of highest potential.On the other hand it would also be favorable to place the wind energy system in regions where there is an existing power infrastructure and major industrial consumers. Areas, which fulfill these requirements, are the steppes along the Volga River, the northern Caucasus Mountains and various locations in Siberia including the Chukotka Peninsula in the Magadan region . Chukotka Peninsula is especially to prefer, because of its already existing hydropower stations, which could be used to compensate for the possible intermittent wind power.Another location advantage for Vestas is the fact that the Russian population is the fourth largest consumer of electricity in the world. Hence there is a demand for Vestas’ products and in particular when taking the Russian will to reduce greenhouse emission into consideration. Russia is willing to play an active role regarding the improvement of the global heating problem. The country has already reached its commitment stated in the Kyoto-protocol, but the Russian president Dmitri Medvedev declares that Russia â€Å"wou ld try to reduce greenhouse emissions by 25% by 2020. † The quotation signals a will from the government o find more sustainable solutions for production in Russia, and because Vestas does â€Å"business to business† and â€Å"business to government† commerce, it is of great importance with prospect for government interest and support. In this setting it is worth mentioning that The Ministry of The Russian Federation has published â€Å"The 2020 Energy Strategy†, which describes how to reach the new goal by prioritizing, among other things, ecological energy security through energy policy. In addition to the above-mentioned advantages of Russia as a location for Vestas’ expansion come the possibilities of reducing the overall production costs.As it is with most emerging markets, like Russia, wages are lower than in more developed markets like Denmark. Hence by moving production to Russia Vestas would be able to compete on both quality and price, alt hough their main focus most likely would be on quality . The location advantage is even greater when taking into consideration that there are no real national or international competitive competitors settled in the market yet, hence there is a possibility of a first mover advantage for Vestas as well.Notable is nevertheless also the risk for a first-mover disadvantage in terms of costs and risks when preparing the market for the ‘new’ product. I – Internationalization advantage If Vestas expanded into Russia it would strengthen its position of being â€Å"No. 1 in Modern Energy†, which was Vestas’ slogan before the recent switch to: †Wind. It means the world to us†. Furthermore if Vestas gained the first mover advantage it would give the company control over one of the worlds biggest markets. The internationalization advantage is gained in form of a proper entry mode.The chosen entry mode is of great advantage if it is selected in accord ance to Vestas’ now described ownership advantage and Russia’s location advantages. Vestas’ main ownership advantage is their know-how and technology while the location advantage of Russia primarily are the huge market possibilities and the government’s positive attitude towards renewable energy sources. What remains is, which type of entry mode that exploits both Vestas’ ownership advantage and Russia’s location advantage?Would licensing or exporting be the best-suited entry mode or should Vestas take greater risks and do more advanced FDI? Vestas wants to keep their know-how, but by pursuing a licensing entry mode, spillovers will occur. Vestas would have little control over production, giving possibilities for competitors to emerge and quickly become as efficient as Vestas. Exporting is neither a favorable entry for Vestas. The transportation costs are extremely high, when it comes to the final products. Each piece of the windmill weights approximately 250 tons and thus not suited for export.Other obstacles for the export as an entry mode are the protectionist policies and Russian trade barriers as for instance high tariffs. Vestas would have to pay up to 20% tariff + an additional charge (Value Added Tax) of another 18%, making a total of 38% for exporting its products into Russia. Russia ranks 162 out of 183 countries on the list of ease to do cross border trading with. To compare, Denmark ranks 6 which means that the products produced expensively in Denmark becomes more expensive by being exported to Russia.This situation will of course change if Russia gets its membership in the WTO, but this is not yet achieved. To sum up Vestas needs to move in with plants in Russia and with more advanced FDI to protect its know-how asset and to stay competitive. There are two options for this being either a joint venture or a wholly owned subsidiary. The most obvious solution would be the wholly owned subsidiary, where Vestas could protect its know-how by owning 100 % of the stocks. On the other hand there is a time perspective to consider as well.Siemens, one of Vestas German competitors, have recently announced plans on moving into the Russian market on a large scale . Setting up a wholly owned subsidiary as a green field venture takes a lot of time and the alternative of an acquisition is not an option since Vestas has core values and does not want to take over existing operating routines and enterprise culture. Another aspect, which is important to these considerations, is the fact that corruption and bureaucracy, which makes connections and personal relations very important for success, mark Russian business.Setting up a joint venture with a local firm solves this problem for Vestas, since Vestas would benefit from the partner’s country specific knowledge of culture, language, political systems, business systems and local connections. A joint venture is at the same time a less risky (capital vise) and less time-demanding entry mode, than a wholly owned entry mode, which Vestas needs to take into considerations in order to prevent falling behind Siemens. The major disadvantage of choosing a joint venture is of course the risk of spillover, eading to future competitors. On the other hand it is possible to construct the joint venture to minimize this risk. Vestas needs to engage in a joint venture where it owns the majority of the cooperation and thus is able to remain control. One might argue that it would be difficult to find a company, which would accept to own minority of the joint venture, but taken the undeveloped market into consideration, it should not be a huge problem. There are only a few local firms in the windmill industry in Russia.All of these would most likely be interested in boosting their profit (value creation) and it is not an unattractive offer to join the world leading windmill cooperate in a first mover attempt with prospect of a significant future market share in the Russian market. The joint venture and expansion of Vestas would also have to be on a large scale to be able to capture demand, establish a strong brand name and realize economies of scale. This would no matter what be an ideal opportunity for any local producer in Russia, although they would have to accept Vestas owning the majority of the joint venture.Differences and adjustments There are several aspects where the Russian market conditions differ from the Danish market conditions. These are necessary to look at in order to outline the needed adjustments for Vestas’ marketing mix. Differences in market conditions When comparing Russia and Denmark regarding the ease to do business in, it is very clear that there is a vast gap between the two. According to a survey by The World Bank, Denmark ranks 6 whereas Russia ranks 120 out of 183 countries (1 being the easiest country to do business in).I could therefore point at several diverging market conditions, b ut because of limitations of this paper I have chosen to focus on the following four: Infrastructure, climate, GDP per capita and the level of corruption. One might argue that ‘climate’ is not of great importance when speaking of market conditions, but in my opinion it is a very significance factor in this case concerning the marketing mix, which I will elaborate on in the following section. Infrastructure is important for Vestas when it comes to distribution of the company’s products.When looking at infrastructure in Russia and Denmark the most noteworthy factor is distances and terrain. Russia is the largest country in the world covering 11 time zones and it does not entail deep analysis to conclude that it requires great coordinated logistic to create a well functional infrastructure. This has for several of reasons not yet succeeded for Russia and the country’s infrastructure is hence very fragmented. An uneven terrain with low population density and n ature impediments as rivers and mountains has hindered buildings of proper roads and connections, which have a great influence on Vestas’ ease of doing business.Because of the enormous extent of Russia, the climate varies a lot from the coasts to the mid-country and from the west (Europe side) to the east (Asian side). The temperature fluctuates between the extremes of -65  °C in the winters and +40 °C in the summers. The wind is an important factor to look at in this case as well, because Russia possesses areas with all degrees (categorized as: Low, medium and high) of wind power. The climate differences is thus of great importance regarding Vestas’ product differentiation. Moving focus to the more economic orientated difference in market conditions is the GDP per capita (PPP).Russia’s GDP per capita is low compared to Denmark’s. According to the ranking done by International Monetary Fond, Russia ranks 51 in contrast to Denmark’s ranking as 1 7th . This means that Russian consumers, including the government and large enterprises, have less purchasing power compared to the Danish consumers. Little purchasing power could be an obstacle for Vestas. If consumers don’t have much money to spend, they would most likely not have the mental surplus to think of the environmental dimension by burning fossil fuels.If generating electricity the cheapest and easiest means exploiting fossil fuels, this is what they will do. However higher purchasing power (higher GDP per capita) results in the means to be able to prioritize such things as future global environment. Looking at the energy produced in Russia, over 60% of the electricity generated is based on gas- and coal power whereas less than 1% of the electricity generated is based on renewable energy production . In contrast stands Denmark, where wind power alone in 2008 generated 18,9% of the Danish electricity demand .The growth in GDP per capita in Russia was before the eco nomic crisis, around 7-8% . This is promising for Vestas as a continuous high growth in GDP per capita means a more developed economy, higher purchasing power and therefore increased interest in products like the ones Vestas offers. The fourth difference I have chosen to outline is the high level of corruption in Russia. Russia ranks number 146, whereas Denmark ranks number 2 (1 being the less corrupt) in the Corruption Perceptions Index (2009) made by Transparency International.Vestas has no power to end corruption by itself, so instead it should focus on how to deal with it in business situations. Adjustments in marketing mix: The four P’s I will use E. Jerome McCarthy’s principle of the four P’s: Place, Product, Price and Promotion to analyze the needed adjustments for Vestas’ marketing mix. The four differences (infrastructure, climate, energy production and level of corruption) described in the previous section are all differences that affect these a djustments. The †p† concerning the place (distribution) deals with how to get the product to the consumer.It would be obvious to discuss adjustments to retail concentration, channel length, channel exclusivity and channel quality, but selling Vestas’ products is not like selling jeans or other regular consumer goods. There is no distribution channel, or at least it is very short, because Vestas sells directly to the customer, being government or large enterprises. However the undeveloped infrastructure, as outlined as a big difference between the Danish market conditions and the Russian market conditions, is of great importance for Vestas’ delivery to its customers.Vestas’ products require stable roads (due to heavy weight and size) and connections to the best set-up areas. The infrastructure is best around Moscow and St. Petersburg, due to big business, but this is not necessarily the best location for Vestas’ production. As mentioned before the best set-up areas are the vast steppes along the Volga River, the Caucasus Mountains and locations in Siberia. In Denmark Vestas can easily get around to all parts of the country, but Russia’s huge distances and the uneven terrain in many areas do acquire adjustments.Vestas carefully have to reconsider where to place the facilities of production to minimize transportation costs, and not to forget, maximize availability. This might require compromises in form of set-ups in optimal and less optimal wind areas. To do this Vestas has to deliver wind turbines that also are able to exploit the low winds and Vestas thus has to adjust its products to the Russian climate conditions. Other adjustments are necessary for the turbines to manage the before mentioned freezing winters with temperatures down to -65  °C and the hot summers with temperatures up to +40 °C.The turbines should be able to function all year round to be attractive to customers. Vestas has to differentiate the turbines to match these standards compared to the standards in Denmark, where weather conditions don’t differ as much. In other words, Vestas’ product differentiation is necessary to encounter pressure for local responsiveness and thus reach its customers. The customer segment that Vestas tries to reach is a narrow segment consisting of the government and maybe a few other large enterprises, which would be interested in promoting a green profile.The government and the large businesses would, as most customers, be concerned about price. To match Russia’s rank regarding the low GDP per capita, Vestas would have to make an adjustment in form of lower prices. Price is however not the main focus for Vestas . Quality and safety is their top priority, but of course they would be able to take advantage of the lower labor costs in Russia and thus lower the overall production costs. Vestas could however use strategic pricing in form of experience curve pricing to gain ma rket share and relations to the large customers before competitors emerge.This could be rewarding because of the promising growth in Russia’s GDP per capita, which presents better future market conditions for Vestas’ products. Vestas should at the same time stress that setting up windmills is an investment that might require lots of capital as a starting point, but in the long-term perspective it would be worth it. Today Russia is self-sufficient in terms of energy . However the supply of fossil fuels is diminishing and the demand for it is increasing. Investing in wind power would be a possible way for Russia to stay self-sufficient in the future.Left remains the question of how to communicate all this to Vestas’ customers? When choosing a promotion strategy Vestas has to adjust its approach to the above described high level of corruption. One way of doing this is by having the right connections; knowing the right people. As previous mentioned I would suggest V estas to pursue an entry mode of a joint venture and thereby gain the advantage of local relationships, which could help Vestas to get around the bureaucracy. On the other hand it is of paramount importance that Vestas ‘stay clean’.If Vestas in any way gets associated with any form for corruption, it will have tremendous consequences not only for the domestic market, but also for the global market that Vestas operates in. In accordance to the entry mode I would suggest Vestas to practice a push strategy. It would be a waste of resources to communicate through mass media to vast private consumer segments, to which Vestas’ products have no interest. Vestas’ communication should be directly orientated at the small customer segment, previous outlined.Personal selling, exploiting the local partner’s ability to speak the local language, perhaps supported by additional informative products to be handed out and an enlightening webpage is the best way for Ve stas to reach its potential customers. Vestas’ internationalization strategy In the last part of this paper I will sum up and describe the best internationalization strategy for Vestas when entering the Russian market. Throughout the paper I have concluded that now is a good time for Vestas to enter the Russian market, because of prospects for government interest and support and no real competitors settled in the market yet.Hence Vestas has an opportunity for a first-mover advantage, but only if they enter the market on a large scale. Entering on a large scale is associated with greater risks and costs, but taken the growth in GDP per capita and the decreasing amount of fossil fuels into considerations, it is most likely that Vestas in the long-term perspective will secure massive gains from having established the contacts and its own brand in an early phase.I have already argued that I find a joint venture the most appropriate form of entry mode for Vestas. Forming a joint v enture with the right partner, a partner that has agreed to Vestas’ way of doing business e. g. no corruption, is the best way to remain in control, but still benefit from local knowledge, which is of great value because of the different market conditions compared to Denmark. Due to these different market conditions, Vestas also has to adjust its marketing mix.The most important adjustments would be: Reconsideration of production locations concerning infrastructure impediments, product differentiation and the use of a push communication strategy with help from the chosen partner’s local advantages. There is no doubt about the difficulties a global actor faces. A company like Vestas carefully needs to consider every aspect of a business opportunity to prepare for an expansion into a new market.Vestas operates all over the world where it has to respond to pressures for local responsiveness and pressures for cost reductions. There is a pressure for local responsiveness in Russia due to the geography and the political system. The question is, if this pressure is low or high? I would categorize it as being in between. The pressure is not low since the expansion requires considerable adjustments in the marketing mix, but the pressure is on the other hand neither as high as pressure for local responsiveness for e. g. lothes or cars. Concerning the pressure for cost reduction it is necessary to take a look at Vestas competitors in the Russian market. At the time being, there are not many, but as mentioned before Siemens is planning on moving in. In addition to this, many Asian competitors have emerged in China as well and might constitute future competition. I would therefore say that pressure for cost reduction in Russia at the time being is low, but in the near future this pressure will definitely increase due to the above explained.Vestas could enter with a location strategy or an international strategy, in accordance to the low pressure for local res ponsiveness, but if the company wants to prepare itself to face upcoming aggressive competitors it might be strategic wise to enter with a transnational strategy already at this point. Pursuing such strategy will as well benefit the information flow between Vestas subsidiaries and between the subsidiaries and the home country, which is necessary for sharing one of Vestas’ core competences: know-how.If Vestas not only is able to take advantage of the outlined possibilities but at the same time adjust and respond to the described impediments, it has great opportunities to grasp large profits and at the same time remain competitive in perspective of the Russian market as well as the global market. References The paper is based on classes in International Business Environment plus the beneath listed Book: Hill Charles WL, International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace, 8th edition