Is social media eroding our sense of ommunity

The claim â€Å"social media is eroding our sense of community' is as complex and ambiguous as the term community itself, in both its understanding of the notion and its fluidity as a concept. Social media has the both the potential to perpetuate the erosion of our sense of community, and equally to influence and extend a less secular sense of community. The local and traditional sense of community is diminishing through our ever-increasing interaction with social media that now shapes how we now interact and communicate with others – but has it forever changed the traditional sense of ‘help thy neighbor?Logic suggests that, in this context, to erode is not solely to diminish but rather to change. With the proliferation of positive social movements, community engagement tools and online access to education, social media also gives us scope to increase the sphere of our influence. It would be dogmatic to state that social media does not have the capacity to provide a pos itive and more global context to our sense and understanding of community. While this concept is changing; social media is simply a symptom of this, not the cause.There is the potential for it to perpetuate the short-comings of a more isolated ND globalizes society but it also has the power to enhance our connectedness and ignite a better understanding of humanity and equality. Which way it goes will be determined by how we, as a society, use it. Community is a fluid, every changing concept that has a perpetual relationship with society and its values as a whole. As society changes, so the concept of community is also changing.In an ever turning world, society evolves through changing values and views that flow through into how we interact and are influenced by norms and ideas (Turner B S (deed) 2011: 83). For the repose of this paper one finds it imperative, not only to define a traditional place centered definition of community, but also to consider how this definition has evolved to now be centered around the meaning that human beings have inter-twined with community rather than simply the functional structure of community.The debate about the balance between individual interest and the common good for all is well documented in literature about community through the ages. Before the sass's social theorists such as Mercer (1956) and others discussed the concept of a community as group of citizens residing in a region or location, for a particular era and who share a common set of social structures and cultural behaviors. Neal, (1981) went further and described the concept as those attributes combined that ‘show an awareness of their uniqueness and separate identity as a group' (Neal, S.Deed. 1981 : 27). Perhaps with changes in glance of autonomy and the collective in modern society, more importance is moving toward that of the individual. Recognition of these tensions by scholars has, in part, led to the discourse on community studies that encompasses ore than a functionalist or formalist concept of community as a physical locality. Like any other social construct, community has a symbolic dimension as well (Cohen 1985: 8). For the purposes of describing and examining social media as online communities this distinction is of paramount importance.Western culture, which is mainly seen as individualist (Vaughan G & Hog M 2010: 320), recognizes a concept of community that is the sum of more than its social function or formalist nature. The environment, the terrain, the industry of a community all define or frame the notion of a community. The human element imparts the meaning to our communities. Cohen (1985) outlines that a constructional view of community ‘is symbolically constructed as a conglomerate of normative codes and values that provide members with a sense of identity (Cohen, 1985 p 8).This definition emphasizes meaning over structure and highlights that the underpinning constant in our idea of community is the meaning both individuals and society in general perceive it to be – and not its physical state. As Cohen (1985) states it is ‘not whether it's structural limits have withstood the onslaught of social change, but whether its members are able to infuse TTS culture with validity and to construct a symbolic community which provides meaning and identity (Cohen, 1985: 9)'.Community as a concept is determined by the perspective of society and its culture at a certain point on the time and space continuum. Community like love is where you find it, and most importantly, it has many forms, one Just as vital the last or the next, erosion is inept in describing it's continuously changing and manifold nature. Traditional communities have always evolved through cycles of development as new technologies and services that have been introduced.The arrival of electricity, the railways and the telephone have all impacted on the way we perceive community and the way we as individuals interact wit hin it. It is interesting to note that studies on community and social change, particularly those articulated by Ferdinand Townies (1887) and George Simmer (1887), during the height of European modernity, outlined that while an understanding of community was still mainly bound in locale they also commented on the degree to which the forms of the 19th century social existence reflected those changing notions of the value of the collective social experience'.At the time communities become more connected and urban, peasant societies were declining and city life was seen as exemplifying the decay of oral culture, traditional morality and family ties but not necessarily as causing it Cones, S. Deed. 1999: 277). Social media as both a by-product of and an accelerator of social change must logically be seen as more than eroding our sense of community but rather changing with it and helping it to evolve.In western culture, a more individualist and autonomous drive is emerging and social med ia is perpetuating this drive. Whether this change in itself is erosion is to be left o the philosophers and ethicists of the social sciences to debate, the facts are that with change comes some sort of diminishing of some factors but not without the enhancement or even creation of others. In the modern age, the necessity for physical involvement with those geographically close to you is clearly diminished.An evolutionary process where the space and distance between those you converse with and interact with socially has decreased, especially in the 21st century where demands on an individual's time have increased with seemingly less and less time that isn't occupied by work or ‘life maintenance'. This has led to a tension between lost opportunities for face-to-face communication and the ever broadening horizons accessible through social media.Clearly one can see this has the potential to challenge society's views about the impact of social media on our traditional understandin g of community. It is likely that Sociologist will seek to measure the ways it could change our construct of community rather than examining how it has changed our notions in the hopes of minimizing the negative impacts of how we are using social media (Keen, A. 2012: 99) Furthermore it has been evidenced that it is wrought face to face interacting that we learn how to treat others, read others and interact peacefully with others, particularly as children. Vaughan G & Hog M 2010: 333-334) Any decline in face-to-face communication and interaction will mean there is a risk that a general lack of empathy and understanding will evolve in western society, but only if our culture continues to have a secular rather than a global push. (Christensen & Elevation, 2001: 477) Also maintaining some level of face to face interaction and learning, especially in young children could mitigate the risk of such an outcome.In addition pursuing an understanding and interaction with differing others, a s trong and aslant ideal within our culture, while still giving prevalence to our face to face interaction will have a balanced outcome on society. The amplification of the scope of our interaction is possibly the most amazing element of change that social media has exemplified and perpetuated. Through our ability to connect globally in real time, we now have not only a greater scope of influence and access to information and education but also increased connection with boundless numbers of individuals in similar circumstances (CГartГrescue, L. 10). Clearly these are all huge enhancements to our sense of community, not only does it enhance our connectedness with others it also enhances the potential for direct action by citizens – either for political reasons or to marshal support for local and international issues of importance – environmental, human rights and economic development. Recent movements such as the world wide action to stop the destruction of palm o il forests in Malaysia, that were organized through online channels (anon, 2010), or the use of mobile phones to stream videos of violence against citizens in the uprising of theArab Spring show the power of modern communications in a connected world. (Fuchs C. 2012: 109) These causes have achieved increased international reach and therefore greater support through social media. Moreover, traditional locale oriented communities were somewhat limited in their capacity for inclusion of every individual, because it implied uniformity of a citizen – the values and behaviors expected by the majority marginal's the lives of those who were, or felt, different. People were ostracizes and made to feel less worthy or deviant if they didn't meet the communities ‘expectations'.Christensen, K. & Elevation, D. 2001: 41 5) Communities online allow for freedom of the individual, particularly giving power for those that don't fit the standard model in their current locale to connect wit h like- minded people across the globe, in a way that encourages variety and allows creativity to flourish and people to access ideas and norms from many, varied societies. Access to so much has been amplified through our increased connectedness that has emerged through social media, from access to other individuals and their ideas to more varied social groupings and formal education.Greater access to information, education and ideas increases the opportunity for many and it is through this lens that it can be seen that social media has the ability to enhance social equality. Individuals no longer need to be so isolated – there are kindred spirits actively seeking connection through social media channels -feelings of helplessness or futility in trying to fit or change the way things are can be moderated and sometimes eliminated. Social media channels open up the possibility of free and uncensored discussion about thoughts and feelings. Social Edie can also enable new alliance s and support networks to emerge and flourish.We don't have to feel helpless about how to change things any more, now we can share our feelings and thoughts on any subject, freely and openly. Our capacity to connect to like-mind others, especially as counter to those who would suppress the truth, and provide a voice citizens to speak the truth openly and marshal support for difference – in thinking and believing is enormous (anon, 2010). The pressing questions for current researchers in the social sciences will include how to further remote the enhancement of connectedness and sharing of ideas and views while still maintaining a level of face to face communication and learning.Western society must embrace social media as a way to enhance a changed sense of community – both its values and the styles of community involvement – getting left behind is the only sure fire way to segregate, as opposed to mesh these two forms of community(Froth, M. Deed. 2011: 304). Wes tern societies sense of community has changed this is undeniable, it has not however simply eroded nor has social media been the instigator or catalyst of this. It has contributed to both the disintegration of he traditional, locale orientated and quite secular communities and the enhancement of a more global and connected community.It has in its own way extended current communities and given access to arrange of empowering tools for the individual and the group, it has the ability to broaden the horizons for all with access to it and to enforce empathy and equality. But only if we as intelligent, complex and power wielding human beings integrate and impart meaning and importance on both our locale and online communities. While embracing its empowering ability we must be aware of its complexity and effect on traditional incepts and learning.We have the power to use social media for good and not for evil.

How Do Humans Reproduce?

The reproduction in human beings differs from other living things because we are complex organisms. Unlike bacteria, the simplest living things, our reproduction involves a male and female to mate. For bacteria, normally it is asexual, meaning there is no need for a male and female partner to mate. A single bacterium, which is single one celled organism, can divide into two new one celled organism. This process of cell division is called mitosis for most one celled organism or binary fission for prokaryotic cells.As female and male human being mate, the egg of a female becomes fertilized by the sperm of the male. Although arthropods like grasshoppers also mate, the egg of a grasshopper contains a little yolk to support the egg cell when it develops after fertilization. Since the yolk is small, several germ cells contained in a single egg support the primary germ cell providing nourishment after fertilization. Human eggs do not have yolk, after fertilization the developing baby is nou rish by the mother through the umbilical cord.Another group of animals living in the water also differ from human egg. Unlike land dwelling animals, aquatic animals like fish have their eggs in water were the exchange of nutrients and waste is easy to achieve. Therefore some fish eggs do not have much yolk to support the embryo during development. Although unlike human egg, they normally have gelatinous materials that cover the egg and provide additional nourishment. To humans this is the reason why we have amniotic fluids to allow nutrients to enter our body and waste to come out.Even our closest relatives, the bear which is a mammal, still differ from our reproduction. In female human beings, normally only one egg can be fertilized at one time. This is because only one egg is released by the ovary during the ovulation period. For bear one or more eggs can be fertilized at a time producing typically 4 to 5 cubs. When the human egg is fertilized it forms a zygote that undergoes a 9 month gestation period before coming out as a young baby. References Materials provided by student.

International Business Environment in Ireland Case Study - 1

International Business Environment in Ireland - Case Study Example Within the combination of various factors that influence development, the government of Ireland embraces peace and socio-cultural integration so that the country is able to recognize business partners as part of their economic development stakeholders hence handling business partners with the diligent they require. Cut in government spending is also a factor which boosted the performance of the economy of Ireland. Tax reduction was meant to reduce the cost of investment and attract foreign investors in the country. That is why Microsoft was attracted to invest in information technology business in Ireland which generated a lot of economic activities and contributed positively towards the gross domestic product. With control over the inflation, the country is able to gain from Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) increasing the number of the business transaction between traders and intergovernmental organization to the benefit of the country. However, with the peaceful transition in government, the economic state of the country has withstood the tough global economic challenges that face many countries in the global market resulting into heavy losses in business and trade as a whole (Gordon Bigelow, 2003, p. 45). The overall ability of a country to attract foreign investment also depends on membership of an economic trading block. In case of Ireland membership of European economic commission not only provided the market to the country but also enabled it to diversify its export products. Initially, Ireland depended on the markets of the united kingdom alone which relied mostly on agricultural products only. Through membership of the economic block Ireland was able to open up to competition for its products as well (Philip, 2000, p. 17).

Character research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Character - Research Paper Example His Serious Moral Lapse in the Past When Krogstad was having an interview with Helmer, Doctor Rank expressed a most unfavorable opinion about the man to Nora and Mrs. Christine Linde to whom Doctor Rank has just been introduced. Doctor Rank had said that Krogstad was a case of â€Å"moral affliction† and that the man was â€Å"rotten to the core†. The Doctor said so because Krogstad had at one time been guilty of a serious moral lapse. In that context Mrs. Christine Lind also told Nora that Krogstad had at one time been a solicitor’s clerk in her native town and that he was most probably a widower now. Nora had confirmed that he was a widower with a large number of children. Krogstad’s Past Friendship with Helmer and his Past Love Affair with Christine Krogstad had been a boyhood friend of Helmer’s. When, therefore, Helmer is appointed the manager of the bank where Krogstad is working, Krogstad speaks to him in a familiar manner. Krogstad had though t that Helmer would show due regard for their past friendship. However, he feels disappointed when he finds Helmer to be quiet indifferent to him. Also, Krogstad and Christine were lovers in the past and expected to get married. However, Christine had been compelled by circumstances to marry somebody else. Krogstad had than been bitterly disappointed and disturbed. The two meet later on when Krogstad is a widower and Mrs. Lind a widow. A Letter Dropped by him into Helmer’s Letter-Box When Krogstad, contrary to his hope receives from Helmer the order of dismissal, from his post in the bank, he feels furious and meets Nora to make her intervene on his behalf with Helmer. He then tells her that he had been leading an upright life in order to make amends for his moral lapse in the past and his efforts to rebuild a good image of himself would receive a setback if her husband was to persist in his order of dismissal. He had therefore written a letter to Helmer informing him of Nora ’s guilt of forging her father’s signatures, and telling him to withdraw his order of dismissal or face a public exposure of her wife’s guilt. Krogstad then drops that letter into Helmer’s letter-box. Ready to Accept Mrs. Linde’s Offer of Marriage When Mrs. Linde goes to meet Krogstad in order to persuade him to withdraw his incriminating letter which still lies in Helmer’s letter-box, the talk between them naturally turns to their past love affair. Mrs. Linde explains why she married a rich man and gave up Krogstad. Mrs. Lind then proposes marriage to him. Her offer to marry Krogstad turns out to be a windfall for him, an unexpected piece of good fortune, and he is overjoyed. However, he makes it a point to certify that Mrs. Linde genuinely want to marry him, irrespective of being aware of his questionable past, not merely to save her friend. His Repentance and his Second Letter When Mrs. Linde has assured him that she wishes to marry him f or his sake, and even more for her sake, he offers to withdraw his letter containing his threat to Helmer to make a public disclosure of his wife’s criminal act of forgery. Thus there is a change of heart in Krogstad as soon as a piece of good fortune befalls him. Subsequently under the influence of the generous impulses which have risen in his heart on account of Mrs.

Unit2 -- IT3318 Systems Administration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Unit2 -- IT3318 Systems Administration - Essay Example Deciding which particular process must be continued and choosing to delete a particular program against the other chosen ones also makes up for the tasks completed during the process management. These include the input and output enabling commands and components. The sole purpose of the I/Os is the enabling function of converting a machine interfaced language to the user understandable language. There are other important functions that are assigned to the I/O components. These include providing the computer programmers with the relevant information about the source code only and protecting any other information that may not support the programmers purpose of tackling the operating system. Resource allocation process consists of the function of allocating the work load and the programs load according to the capacity of the operating system and the kernel. It is associated with the function of stacking up the information and ensuring that the operating system does not suffer from delay and wait. Allocating resources along the cache and preventing any deadlocks in the operating system activities make up for the allocation process. The purpose is to get a smooth flow of the operating system and overall performance altogether. RAM is used for this purpose which ensures providing the secondary data and storage for processes execution. Allocating the memory to the right kind of registers and addresses is the function fulfilled in this part of the program. Ensuring that the data so used is in use by the authentic users is also the main memory management function. Memory spaces adjustment on the hard disk and the Ram is another function performed during the main memory management process. Operating systems tools provide various functionary support and assistance in the case of patches and new versions of the operating systems introduced. The following are few of the commonly used and commonly

Managerial Support Systems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Managerial Support Systems - Assignment Example e process of classifying people into groups that have some set of characteristics, resulting in the ability to be studied and targeted† (Xtremeimpark, 2009). Multinational corporations utilize consumer segmentation to determine the demand of its products by dividing consumer markets by geographical location. One of the reasons for geographical segmentation is because people from different cultures have different purchasing behaviors. McDonalds is the largest fast food chain in the world. Its hamburgers are a product that sells well in most parts of the world. Despite this fact the company has found it hard to penetrate the India marketplace because the majority of its population visualizes the cow as a sacred animal. Another variable that is often used for consumer segmentation is income. Marketplaces with populations that have higher income are attractive due to the fact that higher income means the customers have greater purchasing

Multiple questions to answer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Multiple questions to answer - Essay Example Damages may also be limited by the doctrine of avoidability, which provides that damages which could have been avoided without undue risk, burden, or humiliation are not recoverable'. (John, 2006) 2) 'The Uniform Commercial Code is the dominant source of American commercial law. All 50 States have enacted all or most of the UCC. It is written and maintained under the auspices of NCCUSL and ALI, rather than by a government body. The private, non-partisan drafting and review process for updating or rewriting a Uniform Law (such as the UCC) stretches over several years. Hearings are open. Competing viewpoints can be heard and considered calmly'. (Cem, 1996) '(44) "Goods" means all things that are movable when a security interest attaches. The term includes (i) fixtures, (ii) standing timber that is to be cut and removed under a conveyance or contract for sale, (iii) the unborn young of animals, (iv) crops grown, growing, or to be grown, even if the crops are produced on trees, vines, or bushes, and (v) manufactured homes. The term also includes a computer program embedded in goods and any supporting information provided in connection with a transaction relating to the program if (i) the program is associated with the goods in such a manner that it customarily is considered part of the goods, or (ii) by becoming the owner of the goods, a person acquires a right to use the program in connection with the goods. The term does not include a computer program embedded in goods that consist solely of the medium in which the program is embedded. The term also does not include accounts, chattel paper, commercial tort claims, deposit accounts, documents, general intangibles, instruments, investment property, letter-of-credit rights, letters of credit, money, or oil, gas, or other minerals before extraction. "The term (goods) does not include a computer program embedded in goods that consist solely of the medium in which the program is embedded." Please also notice also in the excerpt above that what is excluded is "SW shipped as SW itself", so the electronic distribution of patches and the like are not Goods... likewise putting an application on a Disk, CD, or DVD doesn't classify that SW as a "Goods item" although the physical media it comes on would be. And while the listing of 'other General Intangibles (outside of those specified as 'embedded programs' or as defined in the 'part of the package' definition) are excluded, SW as defined in the two key cases is. "The term also does not include accounts, chattel paper, commercial tort claims, deposit accounts, documents, general intangibles, instruments, investment propert

Policy Theory - Disparities and access to healthy food in the United Essay

Policy Theory - Disparities and access to healthy food in the United States - Essay Example also another assumption that political systems in any society are stratified into different groups with some people being the decision makers who directly make the laws and policies. There are others who are influential and play a part in advising the decision makers based on their interests and opinions. Lastly there are the rest of the people who are combined in one large group with minority power and influence despite their numbers. The role of the large group is to implement the decisions made by the decision makers as well as to vote for them otherwise they highly remain to be seen and not heard. In order for the disparity in access to healthy food in the country to be addressed properly and changed, those with the power have to be aware of the issue and should be influenced to use their power to make and amend policies surrounding the issue. In order for this to have, advocacy based on strategy is necessary to ensure that the elite use their power and wealth to target the issue directly. The first of these strategies is to develop relationship with the decision makers or the influential. The influential are bound to raise the issue to the decision makers making them take notice and pass policies (Barker, 2008). It is also important to form alliances with other important partners and especially in the economic sector. They can assist in decision making with the political elite or use their economic power to make the decisions happen in case of any resistance. This may not be easy and the population may need to shift their social norms and accommodate the elite if they are to win them over. In case the decision makers are the political leaders, they may be needed to increase political will towards the leader and strengthen their base of support. This is likely to meet their approval and they may readily make the policy changes. Lastly is to ensure to have evidence in form of research lined up to back the claim for a need for policy change or new policy

Exam Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Exam Final - Essay Example The Bacchants’ rituals were described as wild, rapturous group encounters, drunken ecstatic cavorting, driving them wild so they do not recognize their own children – these all apply to the drug culture of the present day, and in a sprawling and progressive metropolis such as New York City the spread of such a culture is indeed menacing. Thebes, like New York now, was a premier city, prime target from external influences both beneficial and harmful. Pentheus, like New York City’s authorities, was watchful of harmful coercive forces that could threaten the lives of his subjects (citizens), and thus would do anything to resist them and preserve the peace and security of their jurisdiction. The most exciting moment in Oedipus was that point when the first shepherd was summoned to divulge what he knows about the infant he was tasked to expose to die. He haltingly and fearfully admits he did not kill it, and suspensefully tells Oedipus that the child was none other than him, the son the Laius. This is the high point on which the play turns. This is the most exciting moment because, as in a detective story, it solves the mystery and from that point on, everything falls into place. Before this point, Oedipus’ life is pleasant, prosperous and righteous because he is oblivious of any wrongdoing. After this point, he becomes stained, polluted, deserving of being blinded, exiled, and detested – all because of something done in the past and beyond his control. The tragic dramas have a basic structure and formula. The tragic hero is one who is not entirely morally superior to the average man, to whom the audience can identify. He is subjected to the irrational and sometimes oppressive whims of the gods, which he cannot avoid. He suffers punishment, despite his innocence, and herein the drama revolves. However, despite his tribulations he emerges nobler and

Week 2 Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Week 2 Assignment - Essay Example At the time of entering into the contract, I gave him $100, which was to serve as the consideration. There was a legal objective to the contract since my friend legally owned the furniture. In the end, we set the terms for both of us and signed the contract in writing, making two copies that. I retained one copy while my friend went with the other. The furniture needed to be delivered to my house two weeks after the signing of the contract and this cost was to be borne by the seller. After delivery, I was to pay the full amount in cash. However, two weeks after, my friend had still not delivered the furniture. I called him to inquire why he had not obeyed the terms we had agreed on. He replied that he could not deliver the furniture because he had not found a place to buy new furniture to replace what he was selling. This was not among the conditions we had put in our contract. In the meantime, I had already sold my old furniture for $400 and I had withdrawn $600 from my bank account in readiness for payment. The contract I had entered into was not successfully fulfilled, which shows there was a breach in the terms of the contract. Therefore, I took the necessary steps to sue my friend for damages in a court of law for breach. There were a number of remedies available for breach of contract. They included awarding of damages, rescission of the contract and specific performance of the contract. I was entitled to damages being the innocent party as far as the breach was concerned. Damages in this case were supposed to be nominal since I incurred no loss from the breach of contract. If I had suffered any loss in terms of monetary value, I would have qualified for substantial damages that would have been determined based on the remoteness of the loss. As opposed to the equitable remedies of injunction and specific damages are available as a right (Miller, 2012). Punitive damages would also have served to punish the party in breach

Economic cooperation Essay Example for Free

Economic cooperation Essay Talks on economic cooperation between China and the US ended with a â€Å"broad agreement on separate strategies† to help their economies recover. The US agreed on inducing fiscal discipline from the personal until the federal level and China, to bolster domestic spending. The talks also resolved to cooperate in combating climate change by shifting to low-carbon economies as they progress and reinforce their current economic standing. The talks will make the political process focus on the economic strain and fiscal constraints as a new strategy to revive the economy for the US, and increasing government spending and relying less on foreign demand for China. Of course, these strategies could go under fire from some political opposition and criticism, but the backing of a foreign agreement could bolster support for both agreed positions for economic recovery both from the government and the grassroots. Policies and ordinances could be prompted to be enacted to follow through with the agreement with China and vice versa. Campaigns on the tightening of belts from the organizational to the individual level can be expected from the government. NGOs and other organizations can strongly advocate for these policies or criticize them either way. This agreement can make the government and the citizens work hand in hand to create a political environment where cooperation is paramount to dig the countries out of their financial pothole. The general direction of the talks, however is geared more toward the affirmation that a change in spending habits by the government, by the individual and by the organization should be limited and focus more on saving. Many would go toward this direction as the difficulties of the economic meltdown touch many people, forcing them to go for bargains if they can’t afford not to spend. China, on the other hand can be seen to use the same approach the US used during the financial difficulties in the 1950’s. http://edition. cnn. com/2009/POLITICS/07/28/china. stimulus/index. html? iref=newssearch U. S. , China agree on economic strategies [July 29, 2009 Updated 1017 GMT (1817 HKT)]

Diseconomies of Scale, and the Law of Diminishing Return

Diseconomies of Scale, and the Law of Diminishing Return Compared to other markets, why do economists consider perfect competition to be the most efficient market structure? Perfect competition is the most efficient market structure because, in the long run, each firm in the market will be producing at its minimum average cost, or per-unit. This means that consumers get desired goods and services at the lowest possible prices, and also that the firms are economizing on societys scarce resources to the greatest extent possible. What is the difference between the concepts of diseconomies of scale, and the law of diminishing return? (4 marks) Law of diminishing return occurs in the short-run when one factor is fixed. If the variable factor of production is increased, there comes a point where it will become less productive and therefore there will eventually be a decreasing marginal and then average product. When long-run average total cost rises as output increases, there are said to be diseconomies of scale. a. Sally owns a ceiling fan company. Last year, she sold 1000 ceiling fans at $50 each, and each fan cost her $20. Before going into the ceiling fan business, she worked as a fan-dancer at $25,000 a year. She used her own money to buy the fans by withdrawing the money from her savings account where it was earning five percent annual interest. Calculate Sallys economic profit and her accounting profit. Should Sally continue with her ceiling fan business? Explain. (6 marks) If her economic profit is at least zero, Sally should stay in business. Her TR = $50,000 and her total accounting cost is $20,000, for an accounting profit of $30,000. She forgoes interest on savings of $20,000 (.05) = $1,000 as well as forgone earnings of $25,000. This leaves $4,000 in economic profit, so she should stay in business. Bob Edwards owns a bagel shop. Bob hires an economist who assesses the shape of the bagel shops average total cost (ATC) curve as a function of the number of bagels produced. The results indicate a U-shaped average total cost curve. Bobs economist explains that ATC is U-shaped for two reasons. The first reason is the existence of diminishing marginal product, which causes it to rise. What is the second reason? Explain your answer. Assume that the marginal cost curve is linear. (4 marks) Average fixed cost always declines as output rises because fixed cost is being spread over a larger number of units, thus causing the average total cost curve to fall. a. Provide two circumstances in which monopoly may offer efficiency advantages over competition. (4 marks) A monopolist might be better positioned to exploit economies of scale leasing to an equilibrium which gives a higher output and a lower price than under competitive conditions. As firms are able to earn abnormal profits in the long run there may be a faster rate of technological development that will reduce costs and produce better quality products for consumers. This is because the monopolist will invest profits into research and development to promote dynamic efficiency. Explain the practice of tying and discuss why it is controversial. (5 marks) Tying is the practice of bundling goods for sale. It is controversial because it is perceived as a tool for expanding the market power of firms by forcing consumers to purchase additional products. However, economists are skeptical that a buyers willingness to pay increases just because to products are bundled together. In other words, simply bundling two products together doesnt necessarily add any value. It is more accurately believed to be a form of price discrimination. Describe the source of tension between cooperation and self-interest in a market characterized by oligopoly. Use an example of an actual cartel arrangement to demonstrate why this tension creates instability in cartels. (5 marks) The source of the tension exists because total profits are maximized when oligopolists cooperate on price and quantity by operating as a monopolist. However, individual profits can be gained by individuals cheating on their cooperative agreement. This is why cooperative agreements among members of a cartel are inherently unstable. a. If the average total cost curve is falling, what is necessarily true of the marginal cost curve? If the average total cost curve is rising, what is necessarily true of the marginal cost curve? (5 marks) When average total cost curve is falling it is necessarily above the marginal cost curve. If the average total cost curve is rising, it is necessarily below the marginal cost curve. Describe the difference between average revenue and marginal revenue. Why are both of these revenue measures important to a profit-maximizing firm? (5 marks) Average revenue is total revenue divided by the amount of output. Marginal revenue is the change in total revenue from the sale of each additional unit of output. Marginal revenue is used to determine the profit-maximizing level of production and average revenue is used to help determine the level of profits. Describe the process by which the market for capital and the market for land reach equilibrium. As part of your description, elaborate on the role of the stock of the resource versus the flow of services from the resource. (6 marks) Equilibrium in the markets for land and capital are governed by the value of marginal product for these factors relative to their supply. One difference between these markets and the market for labor is the distinction between rental value (flow) and purchase price (stock). This difference is reconciled by noting that in efficient markets, the purchase price should reflect the value of the stream of services provided by the land or capital (or the sum of rental values appropriately discounted). a. List and explain two conditions necessary for firms to be able to successfully practice price discrimination. (2 marks) Differences in price elasticity of demand between markets: There must be a different price elasticity of demand from each group of consumers. The firm is then able to charge a higher price to the group with a more price inelastic demand and a relatively lower price to the group with a more elastic demand. By adopting such a strategy, the firm can increase its total revenue and profits. To profit maximize, the firm will seek to set marginal revenue = to marginal cost in each separate (segmented) market. Barriers to prevent consumers switching from one supplier to another: The firm must be able to prevent market seepage or consumer switching defined as a process whereby consumers who have purchased a good or service at a lower price are able to re-sell it to those consumers who would have normally paid the expensive price. This can be done in a number of ways, and is probably easier to achieve with the provision of a unique service such as a haircut rather than with the exchange of tangible goods. Seepage might be prevented by selling a product to consumers at unique and different points in time for example with the use of time specific airline tickets that cannot be resold under any circumstances. Explain how each of the following industries practices price discrimination: (6 marks) restaurant Restaurants sometimes have childrens menus. It can be profitable if adults who come to restaurants with children are, on the average, more sensitive to prices on menus than adults who come to restaurants without children. Children often do not value restaurant food and service, and often waste a large part of their food. Parents know this and do not want to pay a lot for their childs meal. If restaurants treat children like adults, the restaurants may lose customers as families switch to fast-food restaurants. If this explanation is correct, then restaurants price discriminate. airline Airlines charge different prices for seats on the same plane, depending on when the ticket was purchased, how long the traveler will be staying at the destination, etc. Of course, the cost of operating the plane is independent of these variables. Hairdresser A hairdresser may charge a lower price to children than to adults. The reason they do this is that they believe children to have a differing elasticity of demand to adults. In other words, the price needed to maximize revenue from children is not the same as the price needed to maximize revenue from adults. By charging different prices they will maximize revenue from both groups Calculate the total revenue without price discrimination as well as with price discrimination, and complete the table with your calculations. (4 marks) Price Qd TR TR (with perfect price discrimination) 30 0 22 10 220 220 14 16 224 304 10 24 240 464 7 38 266 562 Briefly describe the characteristics of each of the following market types. Give an example of each market type. (8 marks) pure competition The goods being offered for sale must all be the same. The buyers and sellers must be so numerous that no single buyer or seller influences the market price. Buyers and sellers are price takers. An example would be the wheat market. Monopoly A monopoly is a market in which there is only one seller and the seller sets the price of the product, given the demand curve for that product. An example would be a local cable television company. Oligopoly An oligopoly is a market in which there are only a few sellers, and the sellers do not always compete aggressively. An example would be airline routes. monopolistic competition Monopolistic competition is a market containing many sellers offering slightly different products. Because the products are not the same, sellers have some ability to set price. An example would be the software industry. Use the graph below to explain why a profit-maximizing monopolistically competitive firm must operate at excess capacity. Why is a perfectly competitive firm not subject to the same constraint? (6 marks) Competitive firms do not face downward-sloping demand. The graph shows the firm choosing a level of production in which the intersection of marginal revenue and marginal cost occurs at an output level where average total cost is decreasing. This profit-maximizing output level is less than the efficient scale (minimum of average total cost) and therefore the firm is said to be operating at excess capacity. If the monopolist depicted in the graph below sets a price of $10 and sells 100 units, the corresponding marginal revenue is $5 and marginal cost $3. What recommendation regarding price and quantity would you give this monopolist? Explain your answer. (6 marks) Since MR exceeds MC, recommend an increase in output. Greater sales will require a price reduction. So reduce P below $10 and increase Q above 100. The marketing division of a firm has measured demand for its product and reports that it is Q = 24 P, where Q is units and P is price per unit in dollars. The cost is given in the table below. Complete the table and determine the profit-maximizing level of output for this firm. (6 marks) As indicated in the table below, the optimal output is Q = 5, where MR = MC = 5.80. Output Total Cost Price Revenue Profit 0 10 24 0 -10 1 18 22 22 4 2 20 20 40 20 3 22 18 54 32 4 25 16 64 30 5 29 14 70 41 6 34 12 72 38 7 40 10 70 30 8 48 8 64 16 Define the following terms and explain their importance to the study of economics. (9 marks) barriers to entry Barriers to entry make it difficult or impossible for other firms to enter an industry, thus allowing monopoly to continue to exist. Some examples of barriers include legal restriction on entry, patents, control of scarce resources, large sunk costs, technical superiority, and economies of scale. Patent A patent is a government-granted legal monopoly given to the inventor of a new product or process. During the life of the patent, the firm has a protected monopoly position. Thus, it serves as a barrier to entry. natural monopoly A natural monopoly is an industry in which advantages of large-scale production make it possible for a single firm to produce the entire output of the market at lower average cost than a number of firms each producing a smaller quantity. Most natural monopolies are regulated utilities.

Critical Analysis: Js Mills Defense Of Free Speech

Critical Analysis: Js Mills Defense Of Free Speech Reading J.S. Mills Defense of free Speech was a great deal of interest, education and increment of knowledge to me. I was so thrilled by his choice of words and his mechanism of analyses. It is of a great pleasure and of a great honor to me to have this opportunity to analyze and asses critically this very write up. According to J.S. Mill we see that freedom means: a) the freedom of thought, religion, speech, b) the freedom of tastes, and the freedom to plan the life in own way, and c) the freedom of assembly. Thus, Mills ideal is a possible freedom of every person for the purpose of the whole society prosperity. Mill even stated that the state should take care of own people and dont try to increase the value of own citizens with the purpose of making them obedient instruments of own projects implementation. Mill defends the right of individuals to live as he pleases. According to Mill we see that each of us is self-sufficient with respect to own health, as bodily, mental and spiritual. Social growth is the result of all the various individual initiatives. Clearly, everyones freedom finds its limits in the freedom of another. Individual shall not infringe upon the interests of others or a certain group interests, which by law or acquiescence should read as legal. He was forced to accept their re sponsibilities and the necessary sacrifices for the protection of society and its members from any sabotage and unrest. Freedom in Mills mind is the public good. Because a free person is more productive than not free person and has a better chance of happiness, advocated by the time Mill in his work. Now we have a reason to suspect that the freedom is the condition for further evolution of the individual and, more importantly, the collectivity development, i.e. culture-and sociogenesis. Survival of the human species depends on how human can think, and on his ability to modify the form of collective existence. It is possible to say without exaggeration that Mill first felt in what direction the further process of universal evolution goes or even where it should be directed for the purpose of its future continuation. It cannot be overemphasized the importance and necessity of freedom in life. It is our right to exercise our freedom. The freedom of speech in consideration here most especially is definitely needful, useful and should be unutilized or underutilized by individuals in recent times. This is one of the bases of civilization. Thinking about the liberty of thought and discussion on the governmental level we see that Mill was worried by the state censorship of individuals behavior more as a danger rather than the topic of the day. In old Europe the state interference in individuals life and the freedom of expression has not been true until Mills times. It had a place not because of big governments sympathy to personal freedom, but because of the so-called technical problems; it means that the government was still focused on other prerogatives. No one was aware of how widely it may be areas of potential individual freedom, because life was a meager content, and finally the prerogative of th e regulation of morals then belonged to the church and community in those times. First of all, I would like to have a short look at the prehistory of the book On Liberty, because it will help me to be more professional in further analysis of Mills thoughts. The book On Liberty Mill co-wrote with his wife in 1859. The author has predicted a long life to this his work by himself and thought that exactly On Liberty will survive the rest of his creations. Mill does not get tired to stress the importance for man and society as a whole in maximum diversity of characters and full freedom of human nature in a myriad of contrasting directions. Freedom does not only protect from the tyranny of power, it insures also against such kind of tyranny as the tyranny of prevailing opinion and feeling of general social trends, ideas and habits It seems to me that the freedom limits the penetration of legitimate collective wisdom of individual independence. On my opinion, treatise On Liberty is one of the fundamental works of liberal thought, as it provides the rationale unit of society, where the freedom of speech, the freedom of thought, the freedom of private life (including economic freedom) and the freedom of social and political associations were discussed. According to Mill the above numerated freedoms would become a reality in democratic governance. However, in a representative board (it is assumed in a democracy) are possible the tyranny of fashion and the tyranny of the majority. Mill considered that in a society the law and public opinion should compel people to perform certain behavioral rules. In this case the most important question is about the true essence of these rules. In every era and in every country the dominate rules and laws are perceived as unquestionable and self-evident by people. Meanwhile, this almost universal illusion is one example of the magic influence of habit. In all societies, wrote Mill, there are several principles that play an important role in the formation of behavioral rules that are imposed by the law or public opinion in the first and the foremost rate it is the interest of the ruling class. The majority of public morality is conditioned to the interests of the ruling class where one class dominates the other. The second principle, which plays an important role in the formation of the behavioral rules, lies in cringing and in desire to please masters or gods. In addition, the moral concepts were also affected by the public interest. The fact that there are in accordance to our views the presence of good government and bad government might not be one without error. This was critically emphasized in Mills write up. Mill (1859) stated that The best government has no more title to it than the worst. It is as noxious, or more noxious, when exerted in accordance with public opinion, than when in opposition to it. If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were. The opinions we bear always make us who we are. When we see the government as a bad one, it makes us a people who are led by a bad government. An opinion held by a majority or by people in power or even any individual could be erroneous. The same very opinion held by a group of people as truth and correct might be total held by the other group as completely false statement and completely incorrect. The presence of change cannot be overemphasized and does not change as different generation passes by. It is a true saying that as new generation comes, there comes a new way of life, way of thinking and many other improvements or non-improvements in processes. There have been many reformations and changes in the system of governance of any country of the world from the year 1678 to 2010. What does this point to? This means that for a rational critic to rationally criticize any government there should be detailed consideration of the time, setting and location of the criticized government. Nevertheless I still want to stipulate that there still holds some general view on the basic things expected of a government to offer its citizens and this is the freedom of speech. According to Van Belle (2000) we see that For the most part, efforts to defend press freedom have been equal to the task. In fact, if the gradual growth of press freedom around the world is any indicator, the defense an d pursuit of press freedom might even be considered to be slightly more robust overall than the effort to censor. If you mark the beginning of the fight for press freedom with the arguments for unlicensed printing put forth in John Miltons Areopagitica, scholars, philosophers, and politicians have been fighting for the freedom to publish free of government control for three and a half centuries. To make our points approved is an enviable feature and character worthy of emulation which establishes our opinion as a statement of truth. I will not but also comment on this point as it evokes the feeling and awareness to each of us and most especially the government to allow great room for criticism and evaluation of the views and beliefs held. Mill holds the view that our views and opinions despite the fact that they are value statements should have enough safe grounds of defense to it. We should always weigh our statements, opinions and views in order that they should be worthy enough for anyone to rely on. In the issue with misunderstand with a great man once lived-Socrates by the law givers in his time, was of course an act of intimidation, non-civilization and inhumanity. There is a great disharmony between the then existent way of things, judgments and opinion which nowadays is considered as a terrible one. According to Mill (1859) we read that Mankind can hardly be too often reminded, that there was once a man named Socrates, between whom and the legal authorities and public opinion of his time, there took place a memorable collision. There has been in history the execution of great men who made great differences in life only because of disagreement with what they believe by the then governing authority. It is of course not an act of justice, not an act that depicts the presence of freedom and grants full power to the government without a full rational basis. Holding of opinion is not just enough but being able to defend it to some degree is the importance of this opinion thereof. Mill (1859) wrote in accordance to previous statement that There is a class of persons (happily not quite so numerous as formerly) who think it enough if a person assents doubtingly to what they think true, though he has no knowledge whatever of the grounds of the opinion, and could not make a tenable defense of it against the most superficial objections.. In existence are yet individuals who think one should only listen to them and believe all they say. Any argument with them evokes annoyance and possibly some punishments on the arguer in a case when they are the governing body of the very societal setting. There is great truth in this in that for civilized people the weapons of battle are words; well-constructed, that portrays opinion and substantiates it and able to prove and defend it beyond all reasonable thoughts, but not to involve any physical battles. T he battle of words is a constructive civilized way of life aimed at confirming how strong a value statement could be and should even not involve any sort of punishment. The freedom of expressing ones belief is good but more especially there should also be concomitant knowledge of the opposing belief in order to rationally express the basis of this belief. The greatness you have as a propagator of a certain belief lies in your knowledge of an opposing beliefs facts and knowing and expressing a rational assertion of superiority over the opposing belief. It is political as well as rationally worthy to discuss opinions for the complete exposure of its foundational basis and meaning. Analyzing Mills position we see that Mill opposed to individual self-restraint, to restriction of individuals freedom from the societys side, and also he opposed to restrictions on freedom of the individual and society from the states side. It is obvious that Mill was well aware that the joint lives of individuals cannot exist without any restrictions of freedom. Mill said that the freedom of one ends where the freedom of another begins. The boundary of the previous Mills statement, of course, is mobile and conventional and, incidentally, is supported in the free discussion. Mill in his treatise On Liberty provides some clarification, as this border should be determined. But wherever it took place, Mill insists that the freedom is the norm, and its limitations are rationally justifiable exceptions or pathology. An individual is entitled to any vices and f ollies, if it will not cause harm to anyone except himself. Moreover, the scope of conduct, harmless to others, in Mills explanations is much extended. If the individuals behavior provokes a moral outrage and aesthetic revulsion at the neighbors, then shrugs Mill, let them leave their feelings with themselves: the freedom of public interest and public good is more important than their feelings. It could be named Mills rationalization of tolerance. One can easily agree with him that many who profess the Christian fate lack the deep knowledge of its foundation. Mill (1859) was interested To what an extent doctrines intrinsically fitted to make the deepest impression upon the mind may remain in it as dead beliefs, without being ever realized in the imagination, the feelings, or the understanding, is exemplified by the manner in which the majority of believers hold the doctrines of Christianity. To what end will it then be in general to profess something you have no full understanding concerning. It pertains not only to Christianity but other spheres of life. The concept of the whole truth is one that is farfetched especially when considering the extent of truth in the opposing doctrines. Man is not an island and his existence knowingly or unknowingly is influenced by the existence of other people, their thoughts, activities and their way of life. It of course also freely given to man, his existence here on earth and much more especially important is also his freedom to influence his surroundings. He influences all components of his surroundings and this includes the people in it, the animals that exists in it and even the climate. If our notions will actually influence others, it will do so only when it is well grounded such that the erroneous nature of it will be near zero. In the society where the lives of men and women are being led by other men and women, there should be presence of quality and capability in these leaders. It is of course worthy and respectable the fact that leaders act, make decisions, enact laws and even enforce punishments on those they believe defaulted the law, there should also be a justifiable explanation for their actions and steps. Adequacy and competency in leadership and politics therefore not only includes actions which of course should be appropriate ones but also should include their ability to communicate their decisions, intention and even their actions to those they lead. Conclusion I agree to a great degree on the write up because of expressive power portrayed concerning the fact that truth is a complex concept that takes almost eternity to completely rationally evaluated. It is worthy of understanding then that since governing powers, humans and group of individuals are bound to be erroneous, there is only a major demand on rationally expressing the reasons of actions, views, decisions and doctrines beyond all reasonable doubts that could arise against it. Lets remember that Darwin showed the man that he was an animal in some way. Mill explained how this animal is different from all others. Unlike other animals, man is able to manipulate by himself choose the lifestyle and create own character. But the person needs freedom of thought and action for the purpose of this natural human ability has been realized and it means that this freedom must be provided to the person as soon as possible. Thus, connecting Darwins and Mills works we see that their two fundamental books were published almost at one time and they were two remarkable documents of emancipation of the human person, deeply connected with each other by a common theme, as is clearly seen in our time. Darwin explained individuals retrospection on the evolution stage, and John Stuart Mills traced prospects of human further development. Machizukuri in Japan: Overview and Analysis Machizukuri in Japan: Overview and Analysis Planning in Japan has existed more than a hundred years ago (Evans, 2010) and Machizukuri is one type of planning in Japan. By the beginning of 1980s, the term Machizukuri has been extensively used (Evans, 201), but its concept is claimed, to be changing from time to time and its term is often ambiguous as it is usually used base on peoples own understanding in many different situation (Watanabe, n.d). Therefore, the origins of Machizukuri need to be explored in order to be able to determine how the concept of Machizukuri is shaped and indirectly determining the characteristics of Machizukuri that vary it from the other types of planning in Japan. Machizukuri is a type of planning which is closely related to peoples desire in creating a livable and sustainable city (Evans, 2014). It is a type of planning where the local residents work together or in cooperation with the government by doing variety of activities to make their place attractive and appropriate to live in (Evans, 2014). Machizukuri is a collaboration of two different terms Machi and Zukuri where Machi can be defined as community, but also often means small area rather than large area and Zukuri is defined as making or planning (Watanabe, 2007). In general, Machizukuri can be understood as an attempt to improve or sustain the city with the involvement of the local residents in the planning. The activities of Machizukuri include from meeting, involvement of the resident in policy making and so forth (Watanabe, 2006). The terms Machizukuri is claimed by many to be vague and ambiguous because many have used it as a catchword. However, it is not until the early of 1960s, this term started to be adopted in the field of urban planning (Evans, 2010). As an example, the term was used in Kobes municipal and ward social councils in 1965 as a slogan (Evans, 2010). However, it is very difficult to determine when and where actually Machizukuri originated, as in the past it was used often as a catchword. Watanabe (n.d) agreed with this and he pointed out that Mr. Kan Hideshima had discovered Dr Naoto Nakajima used the term Machizukuri without accompanying the actual activities in 1947, and Dr Naoto can be one example where the term Machizukuri was used as a catchword. On the contrary, Professor Shiro Masuda had used the term Machizukuri in his journal in 1952 (Watanabe, n.d). This is believed to be the earliest work that had used the term in relation its actually activity. Although he did not describe the term precisely, he used the term in relation to peoples movement. The term Machizukuri was used in his journal about Kunitachi, where at that time, was in the middle of peoples movement due to the turning of quiet and decent college town into unpleasant place for residents to live in. Some activist called their movement Machizukuri. (Watanabe, n.d) This is believed to be the birth of the term Machizukuri with refers to the activity. However, the concept of Machizukuri itself was ambiguous. In between 1960s to the end of 1970s, several factors had taken place and indirectly had helped in shaping the concept of Machizukuri (Evans, 2010). These factors are not just favor the establishment of Machizukuri but also help to develop Machizukuris concept. The first factor is the influence of the citizens movement. Citizens movement shows that the citizens are concerned and conscious about the city they lived in. This consciousness may leads to their involvement on the planning of the city, hence, resulted in Machizukuri as citizens participation is the key factor of Machizukuri (Evans, 2010). To further elaborate, in 1950s to 1960s, Japan was focusing towards the development of its economy and industries which had resulted in a dreadful pollution. This had triggered a wide environmental protest throughout Japan over the 1960s due to house shortages, traffic congestion and environmental arose that threaten residential life of the local citizen (Watanabe, 2006). The environmental movement by the local resident has indirectly led to the popularization in local participation. This movement had given way for the awareness of citizens right and growth in citizen consciousness. The second factor is the decentralization of planning powers resulted from the 1968 New City Planning Act. The replacement of 1919 city planning act with 1968 new city planning act can be considered as step towards Machizukuri. This is because the new act did mark an important step for public involvement in the planning process (Ishida cited in Evans, 2010). As stated by Evans (2010) that other important features of the 1968 New City Planning Act include the introduction of public participation. By encouraging public participation, this will provide opportunity for Machizukuri to grow and take place. Thirdly is the slowing down of urbanization also leads to Machizukuri. This can be seen from the slowdown of urbanization due to the oil crisis in 1973, which resulted in transition of a high-growth to low-growth economy in Japan (Evans, 2010). Many changes happened after the worldwide oil crisis, this caused people to stop migrating to the city, and some went back to where they came from. According to Alden and Abe (cited in Evans, 2010), net migration to metropolitan regions of Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya was almost zero during 1975 to 1980. However, the central government introduced urban system where the local areas within a city prepare its own plan (Evans, 2010). By giving the role this give the local to are more involve in the planning of the local area, hence may lead to Machizukuri, as its not only the government will be handling the planning the city but also the locals. These factors are mostly had given the opportunity for the participation of the citizens and by opening opportunity for citizens participation in planning, this will give chance for the Machizukuri to take place. Therefore, these kinds of events can be considered to be the main driving forces for the establishment of Machizukuri. Although Machizukuri is often seen as the involvement of citizens in the planning, it has other distinctive characteristics, which identify the actual Machizukuri. Consequently, these characteristics vary Machizukuri from other types of planning. The term machi in Japanese term according to Watanabe often opposes the large area. Furthermore, Vogt (n.d.) described Machizukuri to normally restricted to smaller scale projects such as a park, residential neighborhood and so forth. For example in Mano district with population of only 4,739 people (Evans,2010). and also Machizukuri in Aneya lane which is a narrow 700m long street in the centre of Kyoto (Hein, 2008). This is unlike other types of planning which usually cover large scale such as Toshi Keikaku where according to Vogt (n.d) it deals with the improvement of city or larger parts of it. This can be said to be one of Machizukuris characteristics where it is focusing normally on a small-scale area. The change resulted from Machizukuri is often claimed to be slow and gradual. This can be demonstrates in a district called Mano. This district suffered from pollution and associate health problem in 1960s which led to formation of residents anti-pollution campaign. As a result from this Machizukuri school took place in 1970s where this school consists of lectures and workshops on topics related to residents campaign. In addition, Manos residents had drew up a machizukuri plan where it is a whole plan for Mano and consist of their vision, and ways to achieve this. Twenty years since, the appearance of Mano changed significantly. (Evans, 2010). This can also be seen on Sanjo Machizukuri, it took over 20 years for the Machizukuri to transform a declining wholesale area to an attractive place for shopping or dining and so forth (Hein, 2008). This is another characteristic of Machizukuri, where the change is rather slow, this is due to revitalizing a local area without uprooting the loca l population, therefore, it is incremental. Machizukuri is also seen as a method that focusing on the soft aspects of planning unlike the traditional town planning which is more towards the hard aspect such as roads and other phyical infrastructure (Evans, 2010). Machizukuri may include the hard aspect as well but it emphasis more on soft aspect such as upgrading an area. This can be seen in Sanjos Machizukuri, Kyoto, where the centre of its commerce has an unpleasant appearance. Therefore, in this case, it focused on the economic and social renewal of Sanjo Street, and this indirectly had dealt with the environmental problem (Hein, 2008). In conclusion, Machizukuri is a concept which did not understand very well by many in the previous years. Determining the origins and identifying its characteristics helped in understanding and shaped the actual concept of Machizukuri. Although, it is difficult to really determine the actual origin of Machizukuri, but the term itself has been used since the 1940s and its concept have been shaped by several events between 1960s to 1970s. Furthermore, Machizukuri has its own characteristics, which represent its peculiarities from other planning. References: Evans, N. (2010). Machi-zukuri as a new paradigm in Japanese urban planning: reality or myth?. Japan Forum. [Online] 14:3 (2002). p. 443-464. Available from: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/0955580022000008745 [Accessed: 8th March 2014] Evans, N. (2014), Community Planning lecture notes distributed in Urban Japan at Kings College London, London. on 6th March 2014 Hein, C. (2008) Machi: Neighborhood and Small Town The Foundation for Urban Transformation in Japan. Journal of Urban History. [Online]. Available from http://juh.sagepub.com/content/35/1/75 [Accessed: 8th March 2014]. Vogt, S. (n.d.) From Toshikeikaku To Machizukuri Urban Planning In Tokyo With Special Reference To The Participation Of The Residents. [Online]. Available from http://www.linkclub.or.jp/~erisa-25/kosakuin/warehouse/silke01.htm [Accessed: 18th April 2014] Watanabe, S. J. (n.d.) The Historical Analysis of the Kunitachi Machizukuri Movement: Its Nature and the Role of Professor Shiro Masuda. 15th International Planning History Society Conference. [Online]. Available from: http://www.fau.usp.br/iphs/abstractsAndPapersFiles/Sessions/36/WATANABE.pdf [Accessed: 8th March 2014] Watanabe, S.J. (2006) ‘Machizukuri in Japan: a historical perspective on participatory community-building initiatives’, in Hein, C. and Pelletier, P. (eds) Cities, Autonomy, and Decentralization in Japan,[Online] London: Routledge, pp.128-138. A vailable from: http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/bm[emailprotected]sessionmgr4001vid=1format=EBrid=1 [Accessed: 12th March 2014] Watanabe, S.J. (2007) ‘Toshi keikaku vs machizukuri’, in Sorensen, A. and Funck, C. (eds) Living Cities in Japan: Citizens’ Movements, Machizukuri and Local Environments, [Online] London: Routledge, pp.39-55. Available from: http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/bm[emailprotected]sessionmgr4001vid=1format=EBrid=1 [Accessed: 12th March 2014]

Romeo And Juliet- Is The Story :: essays research papers

Love is the biggest thing that can happen in human life. It can make your life incredible or forgettable. In the case of Romeo and Juliet, it was both. They had something between them that would never be destroyed. Their determination to stay together through the tough times was incredible. Even when they knew that their relationship would never be normal, they never gave up. It was a case of love at first sight when their eyes locked on each other. The story of Romeo and Juliet is more to do with love than hate. Nearly every scene of the text has love conveyed in some way in them. From the pain Romeo suffered from the rejection of Rosalyn, to the first scene where the two meet. The only scene in the whole story where love isn’t conveyed is the very first scene where we see the first conflict between the Capulets and the Montagues. That just shows how much of an impact love has in Shakespeare’s story about two star-crossed lovers. Romeo and Juliet had such a strong love that they would die for each other. This is what Shakespeare is trying to show us what love is all about and this is why he chose to write this story, not to show hate, but to show love. The love in the story is not only shown between Romeo and Juliet. It is also shown in the form of filial love between Romeo and Mercutio. Romeo ‘loved’ Mercutio as a friend so much that he would vow revenge on the person that brought upon his death. The friendship was everlasting and would always be treasured by Romeo, even after Mercutio’s death. Other love was shown between Juliet and the Nurse. Juliet grew up with the nurse by her side all the time. The nurse was more of a mother to Juliet than Lady Capulet ever was. Romeo’s parents cared for him much deeper than Juliet’s did for her. His mother was always worried or concerned about where he was and what he was doing, hoping he wouldn’t get caught up in any trouble. Shakespeare also shows paternal love to go along with the others in the text. I guess that you could say that their was a bit of love from Juliet’s parents towards her in that they only wanted what they thought was best for her as well as getting what they want at the same time.

Little Foxes Analytical Essay -- essays research papers

Every play written uses dramatic elements. The main dramatic elements are plot, character, theme, and language. Lillian Hellman, who wrote the Little Foxes, incorporates these elements beautifully in her play. The play is set during the spring of 1900 and takes place in the Deep South part of the United States of America. Just as every other play, the Little Foxes has included the dramatic elements in her play, particularly the plot, character, and language that all incorporate an underlying theme of greed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The character, which includes the physiological and psychological makeup of each person in the play, properly incorporated the greed and oppression of the time. Ben and Oscar are brothers who are possessive, scheming, and greedy individuals. These two characters make the play very interesting. Both brothers’ physiological makeup fit the play perfectly. This is because Ben tires to look like a nice guy on the outside but has only one motive that drives his character. This motive is money. He will do anything to get his cotton mill deal to go through. Then there is Oscar. He is also a lot like Ben, but on the surface not as nice. Because of these two characters, the rest of the characters feed of their hatred and ulterior motives. Another character is Leo who is a weak unprincipled son of Oscar and Birdie. This character is not emotionally strong compared to Ben or Oscar, but still has a very well written part. Birdie is then obviously Oscar’s wife. Bi rdie has one of the most complex characters in the whole play. Her psychological make up is very complex. Her character has very quick mood changes and subsequently does not seem like she has much power in the physiological makeup of the whole group. Next, there is Regina, who is married to Horace and a sister of Oscar and Ben. She undoubtedly has the most devious psychological makeup of all the other characters put together. She has a very cold heart towards her husband. This was the most thoroughly created character in the whole play although it was also the most troubled character. Every line that she said was written for a specific purpose and was usually only to help herself. Married to Regina is Horace. Horace’s character was a very weak and sick old man. Although his part was written beautifully, he should have been a bit wiser to what Regina was planing. He was almos... ...ay. The spoken language was written with a southern accent which was also very well done. All the characters also speak in their different social class styles. For example, the servants speak with very poor grammar and then on the other hand, Ben or Mr. Marshall speak in a very dignified manner. Besides the spoken language, the play has many written stage direction which almost all highlight the characters’ ideas. Since though there are so many stage directions though, one has to be careful to make sure that they all further and enhance the plot of the play. The intentions and meanings of the language also came through exceptionally clear. From the very beginning of the play, the reader knows exactly what every character’s ulterior motive is and almost every character has one. Because of the very clear character makeup, this enhances all themes, meanings, and intentions of the play and characters. Lillian Hellman, who wrote The Little Foxes, does a brilliant job of using the main dramatic elements in her play. Although there are a few weaknesses in the dramatic elements, there are not nearly enough to hinder the brilliance of the character, plot, theme, and language of the play.

Antigone Conflicts Essay -- essays research papers

Conflicts in Antigone   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There were three basic conflicts that caused Antigone and Creon to clash as violently as they did. First, was the conflict of the individual versus the state, in which Antigone represented the individual and Creon the king, the state. The second conflict can be described as following ones conscience and ideals versus following the law strictly. In this conflict Antigone makes decisions based on her conscience and ideals while Creon is the strict law abiding king. Finally, the main and most important discord, which is similar to the second conflict, is the debate of moral and divine law versus human law. In this most important contention Creon strictly observes human laws and Antigone follows the divine or moral laws. Creon’s beliefs and his unwillingness to change ultimately cause the downfall of Creon and everyone that he cares about.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Through the three roughly related conflicts we are given a picture of why and for what causes Creon and Antigone combat. Creon represents the laws of the world, while Antigone represents the laws of the soul. This creates obvious conflicts in the course of life. There are certain human laws that are for one reason or another unfair under certain circumstances. One such circumstance presented itself after Polyneices Eteocles, brothers to Antigone, are killed in the Thebes’ civil war. In the eyes of Creon Eteocles chose the noble and correct side in the war while ...

Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant” Essay

In the excerpt from Orwell’s â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†, the author uses similes, syllepsis, and connotation to appeal to the readers sense of pathos in order to convey his attitude of remorse and fluster in regards to shooting the elephant so as to comment on imperialism. Orwell uses Similes to convey his remorse and fluster towards shooting the elephant. He compares the elephant to â€Å"†¦a huge rock toppling†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and paints the scene by saying â€Å"The thick blood welled out of him like red velvet†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He clearly shows his fluster when he couldn’t stand â€Å"The tortured gasps†¦Ã¢â‚¬  that â€Å"†¦continued as steadily as the ticking of a clock.† The use of these similes effectively shows how he is upset and feels guilty about shooting the elephant by using toppling rocks to suggest something monumental was ending. The tortured gasps show that he realizes the elephant is in pain and he feels remorse because he is not able to put it out of its misery. His fluster is shown when he mentions pouring shot after shot down his throat in an attempt to kill the elephant. Throughout the Excerpt Orwell uses a variety of words to appeal to the reader’s sense of pathos in order to convey his fluster and regret. When he shoots the elephant he notices a â€Å"†¦mysterious, terrible change†¦Ã¢â‚¬  come upon it and the elephant seems to him as if it became â€Å"†¦stricken, shrunken, immensely old†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His agitation is shown when he hears the â€Å"†¦long rattling gasps†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and â€Å"†¦dreadful noise.† The use of these words appeals to the sense of pathos by creating empathy in the reader. By seeing these strong, descriptive words the reader can feel his regret and dismay at shooting such a magnificent creature. In paragraph 12 Orwell uses syllepsis to show his contrition. He describes the elephant as â€Å"†¦powerless to move and yet powerless to die†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This syllepsis shows how Orwell feels regret because it is his fault the elephant is in this state but he nor, the elephant, can do anything about it and has to see the elephant suffering. The author Orwell uses a variety of stylistic and rhetoric devices such as similes, syllepsis, and connotation to appeal to a sense of pathos in his piece â€Å"Shooting an Elephant† in order to convey his feelings of remorse and fluster in a larger attempt to comment on imperialism. The elephant represents imperialism and shows how natives will put up a good fight, even when the odds are not in their favor, before backing down and giving up.

Family Business-Cadbury (Chocolate) Essay

The Cadbury company is known for its chocolate-covered Cadbury Crà ©me Eggs, one of its many confectionary products.   Cadbury Chocolates hold a formidale 10% of the total market share of confectionary industry, making it the second-largest candy maker in the world next only to   Mars. Other candy brands produced by Cadbury are Dairy Milk, Flake, Trebor and Bassett, and Green & Black’s (Answers, 2009). I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Organisational Structure Cadbury is a leading global confectionery company with an outstanding portfolio of chocolate, gum and candy brands. The company employs around 45,000 people and operate directly in more than 60 countries. Cadbury dates back to 1824, or 185 years and counting.   John Cadbury, the original owner, first opened shop in Birmingham, UK.   The first products sold were tea and cocoa. In 1831, Cadbury produced drinking chocolate and cocoa. In 1969, Cadbury merged with Schweppes and became Cadbury Schweppes. In 2003, Cadbury acquired Adams Confectionery which owned the Trident and Halls brands. On 7 May 2008, a demerging of Cadbury Schweppes occurred. Dr. Pepper Snapple Group Inc takes care of American beverages business and Cadbury takes care of the chocolate and confectionary business. The type of organisational structure being implemented in Cadbury is hierarchical structure. In a hierarchical structure, the chain of command starts from Managing director down to the Clerical Support assistants.   The top management makes the decision for the company.   These decisions are passed down to its staffs.   In this kind of organisational structure, the procedures and roles are clearly delineated.   This way the accountabilities are openly identified (Coursework Info, 2003). Cadbury organisation is being run based on the principles of democracy. Decisions are arrived at by conferring with several members of the company giving them a chance to voice their opinions before decisions are finalized (Coursework Info, 2003). Ideas are being discussed and given much thought as a group. The entire Cadbury organisation is built on Democratic structure because Cadbury wants all members to know and understand the importance of roles they are assuming.   Individuals are also given the chance to demonstrate their initiative, at the same time, and they are required to work as a team (Coursework Info, 2003). Cadbury remained a family business all throughout its operation.   Even when it merged wtih the Schweppes, Cadbury chairman must be a direct descendant of original owner John Cadbury and majority of its shares of stock are owned by family members or trusts. The Schweppes Limited however is never family-oriented.   For almost 200 years since its inception, the top management does not belong to a Schweppe (Answers, 2009). Current Cadbury Top Management Roger Carr, Chairman He became the Chairman in July 2008 replacing Sir John Sunderland. He became part of the Board of Directors in January 2001 and assumed the role Deputy Chairman and Senior Independent Non-executive Director in May 2003. He is also the Chairman of Centrica plc (Cadbury, 2009). Todd Stitzer, Chief Executive Officer He became part of the Board in March 2000 and CEO in May 2003. He was Chief Strategy Officer between March 2000 and May 2003. Prior to this he was President & CEO of Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc. between 1997 and 2000 (Cadbury, 2009). Andrew Bonfield, Chief Financial Officer Designate Became CFO Designate in February 2009 and CFO in April 2009. II.   Four Non-Core Elements a. Production United Kingdom Cadbury UK owns Trebor Bassett, Fry’s, Maynard’s and Halls. The confectionery company in the UK is Cadbury Trebor Bassett.   In August 2004, Cadbury UK had eight factories and 3,000 staff. Biscuits under Cadbury brand, such as Cadbury Fingers, are using the licence of Burton’s Foods. Ice cream using Cadbury products, is made by Frederick’s Dairies. Cadbury’s cakes and chocolate spread are made by Premier Foods. United States Cadbury plc’s in the United States owns confectionery unit Cadbury Adams, which produces gum and mints not chocolates. Hershey’s bought the chocolate business from Cadbury’s in 1988. The chocolate products may bear the Cadbury name but the chocolates are actually manufactured by Hershey’s and are being sold in Hershey’s chocolate stores. This has led to a marked distinct taste of the Cadbury products such as Whole Nut sold in the United States.   The chocolate is less sweet compared to those sold in the United Kingdom (Hersheys, 2009). In line with the production of Cadbury chocolates using cocoa for its main ingredients, the company forged ties with government bodies to promote the welfare of its cocoa farmers.   In January 2008, Cadbury formed the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, local governments, farmers and communities (Cadbury, 2009). This aims to promote sustainability of cocoa-producing areas such as the farmers in Ghana, India, Indonesia and in the Caribbean.   Cadbury intends to put up  £45 million to finance activities that would (Cadbury, 2009): †¢ increase incomes of the cocoa farmer †¢ find alternative sources of rural income †¢ invest in programs that promote the community †¢ to create partnerships Production activities of Cadbury have been aimed at producing the best chocolates at reasonable prices. By taking care of the welfare of the farmers, they are assured that they qualities of the main ingredient in their chocolates – cocoa – are not compromised. By making the farmers happy, they in turn, reaped benefits from it.

Whitman’s I Sing the Body Electric

Was it doubted that those who corrupt their own bodies conceal themselves;† Whitman's use of an interrogative tone here shows that he believes any corruption of the body is to cover up a deeper issue. Eating disorders are about deeper issues, not actually having much to do with food or weight; those things are merely a distraction from the issues buried under disordered behaviors. Other types of corruption during Whitman's time might have been premarital sex leading to pregnancy, sexual encounters with the same sex, and alcoholism. All of these are ways to have a â€Å"voice† without actually speaking.I believe that Whitman recognized using the body as an instrument of communication was a popular technique utilized by many, including himself. Whitman had a long term affair with a man, and to some he thus corrupted his body. As shown by the letters during a presentation in class, he concealed this relationship to anyone who inquired about his sexuality. The following line s speak just as strongly as the first. In my treatment center we learned that without proper care of the body, all other parts of one's being cease to exist entirely.Indeed â€Å"if the body [is] not the soul, what is the soul? † is a question I asked myself in many forms, many times. The body is the temple in which the soul, chakras, mind, intelligence, emotions, and lifeblood reside. No soul is unattached to the body. I believe that as a writer Whitman connected with his soul on a different level through his words. I have felt this connection myself when writing poetry regarding my eating disorder. Whitman's ability to write allowed him to see his body as neither male nor female , thus allowing him to see what the body is truly capable of.The body is simply a vessel that moves, breathes, eats, and sleeps. However, in Whitman's words, the body is the soul; it is something that can be corrupted or worshiped. â€Å"All things please the soul, but [the contact and odor of men and women] please the soul well. † The treatment ot a body as neither male nor temale is what is g tor the soul, according to Whitman. A body is not worthy of treating well because it has the anatomy of a male or the anatomy of a female; if the body is the soul, as Whitman says, then the body is deserving of being treated well, period.The treatment of the ody is something that is holistic, not Just a matter of treating the body with food or treating the soul with meditation. My recovery is not Just about eating the proper amount of fruits, vegetables, starches, proteins, and fats. It is also about doing what is good for my soul, and that is what Whitman means by that line. Any corruption of the body, whether it malnourishment, sexual exploitation, or anything else capable of corrupting the vessel itself, must be cured holistically. Overall, Whitman makes a claim about the body that is indeed pertinent to the present.The body is â€Å"electric† in all that it contains. T he body is more than Just skin and bone. In the words of Whitman, â€Å"O I these are not the parts and poems of the body only, but of the soul,] O I say now these are the soul! † He concludes with his notion that the body is the soul. I believe that I agree wholeheartedly with that sentiment; without acknowledging my soul, the recovery of my body would have never been possible to discontinue corrupting my body, thus discontinuing concealing myself. Recognizing my soul as intertwined with the body helped me have the most holistic recovery possible.

M3 Interpret the contents of a trading and profit and loss account performance of the organisation Essay

Interpret the contents of a trading and profit and loss account and balance sheet for a selected company explaining how accounting ratios can be used to monitor the financial performance of the organisation . Profit and Loss account. The P&L will not tell you about the underlying health of the business, such as how much money it owes or is owed and what the value of its assets are. It shows how much money did business made in a year. It records two things sales and cost/turnover. The trading account shows the income from sales and the direct costs of making those sales. It includes the balance of stocks at the start and end of the year. There are different sections of P&L which include: 1. Sales- it is the total value of what you’ve sold during the period of time. The formula for it is price time’s quantity. 2. Cost of sales- these are the costs that are directly related to the sales you have made. It includes raw materials or stock you have purchased to resell. It may also include the cost of creating the items that you sold, including the cost of staff time if you are selling service. 3. Gross Profit – This is the sum of sales revenue minus cost of sales. It tells you how much profit you are making directly from your sales. 4. Operating Costs – These are all the other costs associated with running a business, such as the rent and rates on your premises, accountancy and legal fees, and depreciation. These costs cannot be directly linked to your sales and may not change very much even if your sales figures were to change significantly. 5. Net Profit – This is the gross profit minus the operating costs. This is almost the true profit of your business because it’s made up of all the income and all the costs. The net profit is transferred over to balance sheet. Balance sheet A balance sheet shows the value of a business on a particular date. A balance sheet shows what the business owns and owes. It is also used as a guide for solvency of the company. Anything in your business that has financial value is included in the balance sheet. Everything is split into four groups. 1. In first group is included everything that can be liquidated (sold for cash) including stock, cash, and money owed by customers, are current assets. These are usually short term. 2. Second group is more long-term; including property, machinery, patents and long-term investments these are called fixed assets, which are long term liquidation. 3. Third part of balance sheet is current liabilities and they are what the business owes in the short-term: money owed to suppliers, taxes due, short-term loans and overdrafts. 4. The last group is long-term liabilities they are what the business owes in the long-term – to be paid after one year, as well as capital and reserves. Gross Profit Margin This ratio examines the relation between the gross profit and sales revenue. It also measures the % of gross profit that is made from a given amount of sales. It shows how efficiently a business is using its materials and labours in the production process and gives an indication of the pricing, cost structure, and production efficiency of your business. The higher the gross profit margin ratio the better it is for business. The higher the percentage, the more the business retains of each pound of sales, which means more money is left over for other operating expenses and net profit. A low gross profit margin ratio means that the business generates a low level of revenue to pay for operating expenses and net profit. It indicates that either the business is unable to control production or inventory costs or  those prices are set too low. Acid Test Ratio This method excludes stock as stock is not a very liquid asset. Acid-Test ratio provides a more rigorous assessment of a company’s ability to pay its current liabilities. A higher acid-test ratio indicates greater short-term financial health. The acid-test ratio is more conservative than the current ratio, which measures much the same thing, because the current ratio excludes the value of inventory. Net Profit Margin Net profit margin measures how much of each pound earned from sales of good and service the company is translated into profits. It also provides clues to the company’s pricing, cost structure and production efficiency. Net profit is used to pay for interest, tax and distribution to the owners. The higher the net profit margin ratio the better it is for the business. It indicates whether a firm has enough short-term assets to cover its immediate liabilities without selling inventory. A low net profit margin ratio may mean that you are not generating enough sales, the gross profit margin is too low, or that you are not keeping your operating expenses under control to leave an acceptable profit. A business with a low ratio might need to take on debt to pay its expenses. Return On Capital Employed It shows the return for money that is spent and it also says how well you do with the money. ROCE should always be higher than the rate at which the company borrows otherwise any increase in borrowing will reduce shareholders’ earnings and it indicates that the company is not employing its capital effectively and is not generating shareholder value. For a company, the ROCE trend over the years is also an important indicator of performance. In general, investors tend to favour companies with stable and rising ROCE numbers over companies where ROCE is volatile and bounces around from one year to the next. Debtors Days It shows how long it takes debtors to pay you money back. Increases in debtor days may be a sign that the quality of a company’s debtors is decreasing. This could also mean a greater risk of defaults. It could similarly be an indicator that cash flow is likely to weaken or that more working capital will be required. Investors should be aware of why changes in debtor days are happening, especially if there is a very large increase or a clear long term increasing trend. It may reflect a change in how the business operates, or its environment. This is not necessarily bad, but it can be an indication of a potentially serious problem.

A Research Project for the Hotel Industry Essay

A Research Project for the Hotel Industry - Essay Example For example, the book included the research undertaken by Pegg and Suh, which examined the activities involved in service recovery, planning, responsibilities, outcomes and evaluation. (p. 31-34) What Prideaux, Moscardo and Laws provided for this study was a general framework that contextualized the subject within the hotel industry. There was a clear link between service, recovery and the hospitality business. In line with this resource is another important work, which is that by Young and Burgess (2010). Their research investigated and described service recovery as a form of marketing technology. It provided several empirical evidences that demonstrate how service recovery can address service aberrations. Furthermore, the researchers were also able to describe the relationship between service recovery and positive customer attitude. An understanding of the theoretical paradigm behind the importance of service recovery is critical in making sense of its relations to customer satisfa ction or profitability for hotels. In this respect, Bitner, Booms and Mohr (1994) designed a model based on the interaction between an organization and its customers. The investigated almost 800 critical service encounters as reported by employees in several hospitality enterprises such as hotels, restaurants and airline companies. The research revealed how service-related variables such as service recovery collectively dominate the factors that create a high quality interaction, which eventually leads to customer satisfaction. This theme was also the subject of study by Bolton as she investigated how organizations have embraced relationship marketing. This research found that organizations need to address the issues in different stages of their relationship with their customers and that once the customer experiences are not satisfactory; the relationship is likely to be very short. A fundamental element in Bolton’s finding is that the incidence and quality of service encount ers are critical indicators of whether an organization’s relationship with the customers will flourish. Literature specific to actual experiences on service recovery include Zeithaml, Berry and Parasuraman’s work on service delivery. This study identified the factors that affect the magnitude and directions of what they called as the â€Å"four gaps† on the marketer’s side of their service quality model. (p. 35) In the investigation, the role of service recovery was highlighted. It was found that this component is one of the service-related factors crucial in correcting service-related failures connected with: 1) the difference between consumer expectations and management perceptions; 2) difference between management perceptions of consumer expectations and service quality specifications; and, 4) difference between service quality specifications and the service quality delivered. (p. 35-36) For instance, consumers develop a set of perspectives and expecta tions based on word of mouth communications, personal needs and past experiences. They collectively underscore the importance of service recovery, especially in instances when service quality or service initiatives fail. Humphrey (2010) cited some actual examples to service recovery at work, which offered invaluable insights for this study. For instance, there is the case study of the Ritz-Carlton’