Heathrow: Terminal 5

Terminal 5 Heathrow London London Heathrow Terminal 5 Project Scope The plans for this project began as far back as 1982, where there was an on-going debate as to whether the aviation industry in the United Kingdom should expand through Heathrow Airport or Stansted Airport. The objective of the operation was to add a fifth passenger terminal to Heathrow to handle the tourism coming into London, also with the intentions of increasing the capacity of Heathrow Airport from 65 million people per year to 97 million people per year. Plans for the building of Terminal 5 began in 1988.The project was given a budget of under ? 4. 5 billion. The main stakeholders in this operation were Willy Walsh (CEO of British Airways at the time), and Tony Douglas (CEO of BAA at the time). Terminal Five was going to be made using the latest technology in order to make the airport experience much easier for the public, and also to keep up with the leading airports in the world. The public were originally ve ry strongly opposing the plans, with local people and local councils claiming it would cause more noise pollution, air pollution and traffic congestion in their area.The first design milestone for this project came in the late 1980's when architect Richard Rogers of ‘Richard Rogers Partnership Architecture Firm' was appointed with the task of designing the structure. British Airports Authority (BAA) officially announced a proposal to expand through building Terminal 5 at Heathrow in May of 1992. Terminal 5 had to fulfil a number of needs as an airport terminal, such as retail facilities, rail terminal, multi-storey car park, production lines etc. Project PlanThe development of Terminal 5 was an extremely time-consuming journey which started in the late 1980's when Richard Rogers Partnership was appointed with the task of designing the terminal. Planning applications were submitted in 1993, and a public enquiry was held from 1995 to 1999 to examine the every need of this new te rminal, and every aspect of the design of the structure that was about to be introduced. Eight years after the initial planning application, the transport minister had made the decision to grant planning permission on behalf of the British government.It was the longest public enquiry in UK history with legal costs reaching 80m pounds and contained over 700 building conditions. At the time Terminal 5 was the largest construction project in Europe and cost a staggering 4. 2bn. Phase one of the project included many systems of systems; it contains two main terminal satellites, car parks with over 4,000 spaces, major tunnelling and excavations, underground bagging system, road rail extensions, air traffic control tower, a hotel containing 600 bedrooms, 60 aircraft stands, as well as transit systems.The British Airports Authority felt they had to upgrade their airport to keep in competition with other main hub airports. Construction of the project went underway in the Summer of 2002 and was originally a five year plan. Five key stages were identified in the construction of Heathrow Terminal 5: * Site Preparation & Enabling Works * Ground Works * Major Structures * Fit Out Site Preparation and Enabling Works A major archaeology excavation took place on the Terminal 5 site, where there were over 80,000 artefacts found during the excavation.Also operations such as levelling the site, laying foundations, extensive tunnelling to cater for the large underground baggage and railway system that was to be put in place for the airport. Groundworks March 2005 also saw the completion of developed road infrastructure (internal airside roads). A new spur road off the M25 was also completed and opened in April 2008 in order to improve access to the terminal. Underground railroad tunnel connections between Heathrow express and Terminal 5 were finally completed in September 2004 after four and half months of tunnelling.Terminal 5 has six platforms, two of which are used for London Underground Piccadilly extension, two for the Heathrow express and the remaining two for additional extensions. The railway service was completed in March 2008. Major Structures Two satellite terminals were built to cater for 30 million extra passengers per year. Phase 1 of building these structures would account for 27 million passengers then a further 3 million on completion of Phase 2. Phase 2 was the further construction of a second satellite terminal neighbouring to the original Terminal 5 structure and was completed in June 2005.March 2005 was a pivotal point in the construction of Terminal 5; the air traffic control tower was fully erected and stood 87 meters tall, which makes it one of the largest in Europe. Fit Out Key elements of the fit out comprise of specific electronic systems. These electronic systems involve new check-in technology. It uses a face recognition system on arrival to reduce waiting time for boarding passengers. The service also includes the Rapid Transit System, which is a personal people mover carriage which links people from the car park to the main Terminal 5 building.It was completed in April 2011 and then opened to the public in September 2011. The baggage handling system is the largest of its kind in Europe and it has two main integrated systems; fast track and main baggage sorter. The systems were designed to handle more than 70,000 bags per day. Working Breakdown Structure Risks Capital Issues Many factors had to be taken into account upon undertaking the Heathrow Terminal 5 build. This at the time was Europe’s largest construction project in its history and was also the British Airport Authority (BAA) largest and most expensive project undertaken.This project would tie up much of BAA’s working capital (4. 3 Billion). Taking up all off this was a huge risk for BAA as any major cost overruns would severely break the budget and would lead to huge exposure to BAA as a company itself rendering them out of money an d needing extra finance. To overcome this BAA set out a new no blame culture Construction Risks The construction site of the Terminal posed huge risks to the project as it was determined the site would be built on an area of wetlands west of the original airport.The site was previously occupied by a sewage works and these wetlands had two main rivers running through them which would need to be relocated in order for any construction to go ahead. The two rivers – The Longford River and The Duke of Northumberland River. BAA came up with a twin Rivers Diversion Scheme to re route these rivers operating under strict time constraints established from the inquiry. The scheme achieved a Civil Engineering Environmental Quality (CEEQUAL) award for maintaining high environmental standards and quality during design and construction.Constraint Issues Being the largest free standing building ever to be built in Europe coupled with the fact that Heathrow had to be fully operational through out the construction project special cranes had to be custom built in order to erect the building while not interfering with air space and possibly causing havoc amongst the airport. Many constraints were also put on the builders, workers and architects of the project from the lengthy inquiry – one of the main issues being that only one access road would be allowed to service the site.This forced BAA to create and off site set up area where the pre fabrication was done for the project and then brought on site when needed. Costs We as a group believe that this project was extremely good value for money although it came in over budget by over â‚ ¬200. T2 received 3 accolades for its structure and design and scored exceptional high in areas of efficiency, cost, aesthetics and innovation. It has won these awards for its smooth operation’s during construction.Terminal 2 was over budget because it was seen as an investment for decades to come rather than a quick solution for an outdated airport. Terminal 2 was a key infrastructural venture, tourism decimated since the onset of the recession and that has had a significant impact on footfall at Dublin Airport. With its new technologies it lays the path for future prosperity and growth within the Irish tourism sector. We believe that the planning of the budget was the problem here and not enough consideration was taken into account about unforeseen circumstances – leading to the budget being hugely unrealistic.The Enabling works along with site logistics & phasing was originally budgeted at â‚ ¬5,925,000 but final cost turned out to be â‚ ¬9,135,000. The works & logistics involved diversion of utility services and the unplanned extensive reconstruction of Corbalis House a post medieval house dating back to the pre 1700’s. REFERENCE Upon reaching our judgement that T2 was a construction success we referred back to and compared Heathrow’s T5. DAA managed to build and Internatio nal Terminal with a final cost of â‚ ¬609 whereas it took BAA â‚ ¬4. Billion to service only double the amount of yearly passengers as Dublins T2. Below are some other stark comparisons where we believe T2 was a massive success as they managed to spend 7 x times less than BAA’s T5. ————————————————- | ————————————————- BAA T5| ————————————————- DAA T2| ————————————————- FINAL COST| ————————————————- â‚ ¬5. 3 BILLION| ————————————————- â‚ ¬609 MILLION| ———————————————— PASSENGERS PER ANNUM| ————————————————- 30 MILLION| ————————————————- 15 MILLION| ————————————————- SQ METRES| ————————————————- 350,000| ————————————————- 75 ,000| ————————————————- CONSTRUCTION LENGTH| ————————————————- 6 YEARS| ————————————————- 3 YEARS| ———————————————— NO. RETAIL OUTLETS| ————————————————- 112| ————————————————- 40| Terminal 2 Terminal 2 as a project in our group’s opinion was value for money, even though it came in at 200 million over budget it has r eceived 3 accolades for its structure and design and scored exceptional high in areas of efficiency, cost, aesthetics and innovation. It has won these awards for its smooth operation’s during construction. Terminal 2 was over budget because . t was seen as an investment for decades to come rather than a quick solution for an outdated airport. Terminal 2 was a key infrastructural venture, tourism decimated since the onset of the recession and that has had a significant impact on footfall at Dublin Airport. , with its new technologies it lays the path for future prosperity and growth within the Irish tourism sector. Bibliography * http://centrim. mis. brighton. ac. uk/research/projects/t5 * http://www. economist. com/node/4300209 * http://www. hacan. org. uk/resources/briefings/hacan. briefing. heathrow_terminal_5. pdf

Best Tv Show Essay

First I’m going to talk about my favorite TV show. Its name is Prison Break. It all talks about someone whose name is Michel Scofeeld and a very big company in the U.S.A. this company tried to kill his brother by a very dangerous way. The make him seems as the killer of the president brother. They set everything for him to be arrested by this charge. Everybody thought he killed him except his wife and his brother who is our hero. They took him to the prison to set for killing because what he has done or I should say what they think he has done. His brother didn’t stay watching that. He was an engineer. He planed for his brother escape from the prison. He did a very big tattoo in his body which was not just a big tattoo; it was a very big map for one of the biggest prisons in the world in which nobody ever could escape it. The brother tried to steel a bank to get to the prison in which his brother is. He could make it and got to the prison near his brother. He has planned for everything even after they run away. At the end of the first season he could get his brother out of the prison, but the problem was that many people was killed in that operation, not only that the other problem is that ten of the biggest criminal in the U.S.A has escaped with them. The brother (the hero) will never forgive himself about what he has done. A nurse who helped them escape did face so many problems for her and her father, because her father was the governor of that city. He got fired from his job. After a little bit they found him dead in his flat. The company killed him because he knew very dangerous information about them. Any way the hero of our TV show didn’t make it at the end. He died to save his wife from the danger. I think I have to remind you that he got married from the nurse who helped him escape from the prison. The second TV show that I want to talk about is 24. It is very famous series it has eight seasons every one has 24 episodes. It all talks about a very big organization which tries to make the U.S.A falls down by killing the people of it. Our hero for this TV show is Jack Bour. He is a federal agent with a very big organization called C.T.U. In the beginning he worked over there as a normal agent and after that he changed to be the one who saved his own country so many times. In the first attempt for the terrorist to attack the U.S.A they kidnapped his daughter and wife. He did every possible thing for him to save his family. In the end of the season after he has saved his family someone who Jack trusted betrayed him. She was one of the terrorists she tried to run away from C.T.U by killing his wife in the C.T.U building. But Jack felt that very late. It is all make him crazy after losing his wife. He was about to kill that woman who killed his wife and who trusted. The first season ended with the falling of his tear. The fist and the second seasons are the only seasons which didn’t talk about Islam organization. In the beginning I liked it but at the end I really felt so bad in some views. By the way every one who Jack loved has been killed by those people to be eliminated. But the really couldn’t kill Jack because he was very strong in facing people using weapons.

Bloom taxonomy

Bloom’s taxonomy or also known as the revised bloom taxonomy is a great teaching tool to use when teaching patients about their illness. It consists of three categories and then multiple sub-categories. Blooms taxonomy addresses not only the patient’s readiness to learn but it address the appropriate approach to each individual situation. It gives a systematic way of approaching a topic and the audience that will be learning. When this method is applied to nursing it is a great tool. This is due to the fact that each patient has different cognitive factors, different psychomotor factors as well as an affective domain. Bloom’s Cognitive categories have to do with how the mind can process or regenerate the information provided during a teaching session. There are six sub-categories to the cognitive category. The six are remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate and create. A teacher should be able to determine where in this pyramid is the patient. What teaching strategies must be changed and modified to fit the patient lifestyle. The second category is the Affective domain. This is how patients address their emotions to specific problems. This will show what a patient or student values and what motivates them to be who they are. This category has five sub-categories receiving, respecting, valuing, organizing and internalizing. This is the category that will determine if the patient is willing to accept this disease or new lifestyle change into their life. This will tell a teacher where on the scale the patient is willing to rate their disease and how it will affect their life. The Third and final category is psychomotor. This tells the teacher if the patient is physically able to complete the task asked of them. This will allow the teacher to gage if the patient is able to successfully complete what is needed of them to live with their disease process. There are five sub-categories imitation, manipulation, precision, articulation, and naturalization. There is a great example of this category, teaching a patient to use a new nebulizer treatment. The patient will go through reach step of the process till they  can finally reach the goal of naturalization. Conclusion Blooms taxonomy learning tool can break down the heart of teaching and give it meaning to apply to most any professions. Nursing is just one of those professions that teaching is a large part of the job, on a daily basis. Blooms taxonomy should be used each day on a nursing unit from the admission date to the discharge date.

US rising debt level and current economic problems Essay

US rising debt level and current economic problems - Essay Example According to the forecast of the organisation for economic cooperation and development (2011), the budget deficit for US is likely to increase to 10% of the GDP. This projection means that the US government must formulate ways of arresting the looming economic crises as a result of the increasing deficits. The main reason why the public debt in America would increase is the need for the government to increase job opportunities by stimulating demand (Saad 2011). When a government intends to create more jobs, it will increase the level of demand by increasing its public expenditure and reducing the level of taxation. This had made the Obama’s government increase the level of public debt. At the same time, the 2008 economic recession could also be a reason for the increased budget deficit. After a recession, the economy of a country needs to be stimulated to increase the level of demand and to create more economic activities. This made the US government increased their level of b udget deficit to increase the rate of recovery of the domestic economy (Amadeo 2011). The increased expenditure from external borrowing accompanied by a decline in the level of taxation must result in an increase in the level of public debt. If not closely monitored, the increased public expenditure will result in increasing level of inflation making prices of goods soar in the market. The increased cost in recapitalization and acquisition of financial institutions as well made the public deficit soar (Turner 2008). One of the causes of the economic recession was failure by the financial institutions to act decisively to rescue the depreciation in the economy. The failure by the credit rating agencies to give true credit risks made banks increase their mortgage loans that in the long run led to the recession. The US government as a result of this ventured into takeover of some banks which therefore meant increase in government spending making the economy experience a rising level of deficit (Saad 2011). The increases government spending accompanied by the declining tax rates was bound to increase the level of debt and this makes the projections of OCED realistic and important for government formulation. It must also be noted that the increasing deficit has made the democrats and republicans have clashes on the measures that the government should undertake to help reduce the level of deficit and the general debt level (Saad 2011). The two parties have agreed collectively on the short term measures of a cut in the government spending but have failed to agree on which areas that the governments should reduce spending. They also have different thoughts on the long term remedial. To correct the economic problems in the economy, the government can pursue a significant reduction in the deficit level. The US government through such a move would be in a position to reduce their increasing debt level and at the same time solve other economic challenges. A reduction in t he level of budget deficit can be made for various purposes; the first reason for a reduced budget deficit would be to help reduce the level of government debt (International Monetary Fund 2010). For instance, the Obama administration projects that through the reduction in the government deficit for a decade would make the government solve the high level of debt (OECD 2011). Another reason for cutting the level of government deficit would be

Influence of Quality Management on the Overall Performance Research Paper

Influence of Quality Management on the Overall Performance - Research Paper Example TQM is now recognized as a management strategy adopted to constantly improve all the processes and functions of an organisation. This approach helps to minimise the chances of errors in the production system, ensuring meeting of tough deadlines on-time. This is achieved by adopting suitable techniques by which the available resources can be utilized optimally thereby leading to the maximization of outputs. Adoption of TQM has increased as companies strive to strengthen their competitive edge in the industry and carve out their niche in new markets. TQM ensures minimum wastage during production cycle making the production system lean thereby reducing the need of maintaining huge inventory levels. TQM helps in controlling the performance of all the operations, relating each process with the following one, in such a way that it helps in reducing the time taken to perform each operation. This helps in minimisation of idle time and speeds up the total manufacturing process which results i n the production of superior quality products. TQM is achieved with the help of quality control techniques and processes like Kaizen,5S, six sigma and Just in Time(JIT) approaches(to name a few) and quality circles. TQM underlines the philosophy of an organisation-wide integrated approach where each process and function is completed adhering to the standards of quality, outlined by the organisation. TQM follows a proactive approach which helps organisations to identify the expected bottlenecks in a process before their actual occurrence and enables the company to take measures to prevent the actual occurrence of the same. So, TQM has earned a lot of attention over the years because of its positive influence in enhancing the product and service quality of organisations. This is also the reason due to which this has emerged as one of the major areas of research today. Conceptual framework: This research proposal would intend to understand the importance of Kaizen (Continuous improvement) and JIT (Just in  Time) in achieving TQM within an organisation.  

Moral Reasoning Assignment ( Business Ethics) Essay

Moral Reasoning Assignment ( Business Ethics) - Essay Example Drug should be used for intended purpose and therefore withholding some information about the drug on either the side effects or the purpose of drug leads to misinformation or put the life of patients into danger (Lemmens, 2013). It was morally unacceptable. The food and poison board has been established to help regulate the amount of ingredients in drugs because overconsumption of such substance used in making drug is harmful to health. Drug manufacturers should, therefore, provide detailed relevant information to the food and poison board for the regulation of such drugs. The drug manufacturer had it in mind of the failure to provide relevant information then make safety claims about the product. The company could even offer doctors benefits and privileges in order to deceive the public about the safety of the drugs while marketing them. By use of medically trained doctors as sales agents, they were well aware of the safety information they had kept away from the public. The drug manufacturer in this case endangered the life of consumers, and this was morally unaccepted in pharmaceutical regulations. According to my assessment, such activities were out of law and were worth being punishable. There would be much difference according to morally thinking individual if such activities are never punished. Anything that exposes life into risk should be avoided at all cost. However, any attempt by anybody or organization hide vital, relevant information is prosecutable under the law as noted by authors (Mc Donell, Altman, Leitch & ABC TV, 2012). Drugs are poisonous if their content and ingredients are not regulated and therefore relevant information about the chemicals and reagents used in their manufacture is crucial in regulating their consumption. Drug manufacturers, therefore, should adhere to the bylaws set by food and poison board in order easy and efficient regulation to ensure poison free drugs (David,

A judgmental international classification of financial reporting Essay

A judgmental international classification of financial reporting Practices - Essay Example Without conceptual framework there have been many issues and problems that have emerged with the passage of time and different people have different opinions on solving the problem (Hines, 1988). Therefore there has been a need for some guiding principles or some kind of structure on the basis of which different decisions can be taken and reporting of financial statements could become reliable and consistent (Zeff, 1972). With regard to this, conceptual framework is helpful because it provides a guideline and a foundation of anything and it can be referred to by people (Nobes, 2006). Conceptual framework issued by FASB The following image gives an overview of the conceptual framework issued by FASB. In an ideal world accounting reports that are developed using the suggested conceptual framework would be more useful than other accounting reports which are prepared without using of conceptual framework. ... Considering its importance, there are several objectives of accounting department and these objectives are described below: Preparing Reliable and Consistent Financial Statements Accounting has a major role to play in any organisation (Amaratunga , & Baldry, 2003) because accountants prepare financial statements and records the financial transactions of the company (McCarthy, 1982). These reports and financial statements reflect the proper financial information which is helpful for the stakeholders of the company including investors, employees, shareholders, suppliers, government agencies, customers and potential customers as well as competitors (Ball, & Brown, 1968). The main objective of accounting is to provide information which is useful for the users of financial statements like investors, creditors, and other stakeholders (Chua, 1986). Therefore it is integral that the information provided by the organisation is useful, accurate, authentic, consistent and reliable. Inaccurate i nformation can mislead the users of the financial statements and it could also distort the decisions taken by the management on the basis of financial statements therefore it is important for the organisation to prepare financial statements that follow the principles accepted by others as well (Hogarth, 1993). Thus, a conceptual framework would be required which the accountant can use as a guideline while preparing financial statements to make the financial information consistent and reliable. Keeping Records of all the transactions in a systematic way The other major objective of accounting is to keep records of all the transactions that occur in day to day routine processes in a systematic way (Abdel-Khalik, & Ajinka, 1983)

Business Memo (AVID) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Memo (AVID) - Essay Example This report analyzes the strategic position of the company, the external environment and the financial performance of company based on its financial statements during the years 1999 and 2000. The first big strategic decision the company made was in 1993 when the firm launched its initial public offering (IPO) to become a publicly traded company and raised $53 million. His capital was utilized to spur the firm’s future growth. The three markets Avid serves are: Media composer was the initial product helped the company become such a popular firm in the industry. As the company matured it realized it needed help from other firms in order to developed new products. They entered into a series of strategic alliance with different companies. Avid System became a mid-size company. In this industry they were at a competitive disadvantage with larger firms such as Sony which had unlimited resources. Avid as a pioneer in the industry pushed for open standards for the participants in the digital industry. The company with the help of 150 other firms in the industry created the Open Media Framework standard. The creation of an open standard indirectly hurt the company because lost its edge of having a unique product in the industry. Avid in the early 1990’s utilized a Mac platform for its software. The company noticed that Apple was not doing to well in the computer industry and it felt continuing operating under a Mac platform was risky. In 1997 the company entered into a strategic alliance with Intel in order to convert its software into Windows based platform. The company gave up 6.75% of its common stock in exchange for Intel’s expertise. In 1993 the company entered into an alliance with Lucas film in order to develop special effects products. The firm entered into a partnership in 1994 with Tsushnki Company to develop the world first full motion digital camera. A huge transaction for the company was the

Intimate Correlation of Media Art and Manufacturing Industry Dissertation

Intimate Correlation of Media Art and Manufacturing Industry - Dissertation Example Thanks a lot and hope this helps Harvard 8 pages Intimate Correlation of Media Art and Manufacturing Industry Media arts and their influence in the manufacturing industry offer digital revolutions in diverse utilities and with real examples in the form of novel aesthetic and innovative study. Art fused with information technology is about discovering and generating pictures on the basis of communication procedures and about abstract tactics and intellectual techniques. Media art is now at the crossing point between science, technology, culture and economy. Media art is a significant factor for novel philosophy and innovation. Media art shows new understandings of the realm. It exposes how we comprehend what we hear and see (Rosanne Alstatt, 2008). There is an intense correlation between Media arts and manufacturing Industry, especially the electronic industry. Even in today’s fraught economy, one would assume funding for the arts to have taken a severe hit and, in many circums tances, it has. Nevertheless, a recent study gives arts supporters the ammo they need to show local and state front-runners that the media and cultural arts provide an unmatched prospect to deliver real paybacks to the local economy — and with a remarkable profit on investment (Kimberly, 2010). A study, led by the national nonprofit Americans for the Arts, discovered that not-for-profit arts and culture in Leon County produces $7.5 million annually r in revenue, which backs about 2700 around the clock comparable jobs. The report, â€Å"Arts & Economic Prosperity III,† also resolved that the nonprofit arts and culture societies expend about $42.1 million every year and produce $32.4 million in supplementary expenditure by spectators who participate at local hotels, restaurants, retail stores, parking spaces and for local people, may even recompense a babysitter (Kimberly, 2010). According to Peggy Brady, the executive director of Council on Culture and Arts (COCA), the arts is a rare industry in that it has a twice the prospect to produce economic control, not only with the product, such as a musical episode, but it is a dual whammy because it creates an audience, and that audience produces further economic influence. Americans for the Arts, with workplaces in New York City and Washington In directing the economic impact study, the group put a call out for contributing regions to classify their whole universe of nonprofit arts and culture groups. In Leon County, 70 of the 121 total entitled nonprofit arts and culture organizations answered to the thorough survey, which asked for information on finances and expenditure (Kimberly, 2010). Audiences were also gauged, a unique feature of the report that helps paint a vibrant picture of the disbursements behaviors of attendees. In Leon County, 836 audience participants from numerous nonprofit occasions were gauged. The study is rare in this way, because it apprehended data from the audience. Arts influe nces industries and tourism, but it is very expressive to see how much economic influence is produced from local citizens in the media arts. Local and non-local attendees of arts festivals help strengthen markets for various products, which yokes even better economic recompenses. People help reshape the concepts of various artistic projections that are reflected in various products. From these arts festivals,

Book Analysis over Beyond the Learning Organization by Jerry W. Gilley Essay

Book Analysis over Beyond the Learning Organization by Jerry W. Gilley - Essay Example I will furthÐ µr givÐ µ dÐ µtÐ °ilÐ µd rÐ µviÐ µw of his book Ð °nd tÐ °lk Ð °bout somÐ µ Ð µssÐ µntiÐ °l principlÐ µs of orgÐ °nizÐ °tionÐ °l bÐ µhÐ °viour. â€Å"BÐ µyond thÐ µ LÐ µÃ °rning OrgÐ °nizÐ °tion† is thÐ µ book thÐ °t rÐ µfÐ µrs thÐ µ importÐ °nt knowlÐ µdgÐ µ of Ð °n orgÐ °nizÐ °tion Ð °s Ð °n â€Å"institution thÐ °t lÐ µÃ °rns powÐ µrfully Ð °nd collÐ µctivÐ µly, continuÐ °lly trÐ °nsforming itsÐ µlf to bÐ µttÐ µr mÐ °nÐ °gÐ µ Ð °nd usÐ µ knowlÐ µdgÐ µ for corporÐ °tÐ µ succÐ µss, Ð µmpowÐ µring pÐ µoplÐ µ within Ð °nd outsidÐ µ thÐ µ orgÐ °nizÐ °tion to lÐ µÃ °rn Ð °s thÐ µy work Ð °nd to utilizÐ µ tÐ µchnology to mÐ °ximizÐ µ lÐ µÃ °rning Ð °nd production† (p.7). JÐ µrry GillÐ µy providÐ µs Ð ° broÐ °d dÐ µscription of orgÐ °nizÐ °tionÐ °l Ð °ctivitiÐ µs Ð µmphÐ °sis sustÐ °inÐ °blÐ µ dÐ µvÐ µlopmÐ µnt of its opÐ µrÐ °tions Ð °nd pÐ µrformÐ °ncÐ µ. StÐ °rting from thÐ µ discussion of trÐ °ditionÐ °l dÐ µvÐ µlopmÐ µntÐ °l orgÐ °nizÐ °tions, thÐ µ Ð °uthors furthÐ µr trÐ °nsfÐ µrs to thÐ µ foundÐ °tions of dÐ µvÐ µlopmÐ µntÐ °l lÐ µÃ °dÐ µrship, orgÐ °nizÐ °tionÐ °l rÐ µÃ °dinÐ µss, humÐ °n rÐ µsourcÐ µ potÐ µntiÐ °l, cÐ °rÐ µÃ µr dÐ µvÐ µlopmÐ µnt strÐ °tÐ µgiÐ µs, dÐ µvÐ µlopmÐ µntÐ °l compÐ µnsÐ °tions Ð °nd rÐ µwÐ °rds; furthÐ µr goÐ µs on discussing thÐ µ bluÐ µprint in Ð °ction within Ð °n orgÐ °nizÐ °tion, pÐ µrformÐ °ncÐ µ mÐ °nÐ °gÐ µmÐ µnt Ð °nd grÐ °duÐ °lly comÐ µs up with conclusions rÐ µgÐ °rding thÐ µ building of dÐ µvÐ µlopmÐ µntÐ °l orgÐ °nizÐ °tion. ThÐ µ trÐ °nsformÐ °tion from trÐ °ditionÐ °l or lÐ µÃ °rning orgÐ °nizÐ °tion into Ð ° dÐ µvÐ µlopmÐ µntÐ °l orgÐ °nizÐ °tion is Ð °s much philosophicÐ °l Ð °s prÐ °gmÐ °tic. In dÐ µvÐ µlopmÐ µntÐ °l orgÐ °nizÐ °tions, lÐ µÃ °dÐ µrs philosophicÐ °lly rÐ µcognizÐ µ thÐ °t mÐ µmbÐ µrs of thÐ µ Ð µntirÐ µ orgÐ °nizÐ °tion must bÐ µ involvÐ µd in thÐ µ rÐ µÃ °lizÐ °tion of its mission, vision, Ð °nd goÐ °ls for Ð °ll to Ð µnjoy prospÐ µrity. PrÐ °gmÐ °ticÐ °lly, dÐ µvÐ µlopmÐ µntÐ °l orgÐ °nizÐ °tions will not bÐ µ succÐ µssful unlÐ µss lÐ µÃ °dÐ µrs, mÐ °nÐ °gÐ µrs, supÐ µrvisors, Ð °nd Ð µmployÐ µÃ µs collÐ µctivÐ µly blÐ µnd thÐ µir tÐ °lÐ µnts towÐ °rd Ð °chiÐ µvÐ µmÐ µnt of

Human Resources Management - Downsizing Essay Example for Free

Human Resources Management Downsizing Essay I. Introduction In this era of globalisation, where the competition in the market has become drastic, human capital is deemed to be the most important factor to the integration as well as strategy of enterprises among any other factors (Waddel, Cummings, Worley, 2007). Since retaining and sustaining workforce is undeniably crucial to corporate integration, learning the trend and comprehending the will of employees is crucial to any enterprise’s survival. Taking scenario in Australia, the authors’ objective in this article is to emphasize the importance of older workers’ contributions to workplaces and employers are suggested unbiasedly re-adjusting their attitude and policies in order to effectively utilise the productivity of older workers. II. Article Analysis a. Researches Methodology In this article, secondary researches e.g. surveys, researches from others’ studies†¦ were used primarily. In terms of quantitative researches, the article mainly gathered data from Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS); Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR); and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Its data validity can be strongly substantiated as both ABS and DEEWR are under the management of Australian government; and OECD is also a renowned international economic organisation which promotes economy and social well-being of people globally. Hence, its information validity is also confirmed. Noticeably, authors also use their past studies as references, for example, their paper: â€Å"Retaining and Sustaining the Competence of Older Workers: An Australian Perspective†, written in 2009. This raises the question about the credibility of such reference. Moreover, several references seem to be out-dated, for ex ample, â€Å"Sociology† by Giddens in 1997, or the survey’s data of McIntosh’s paper in 2001. b. Significance of the Findings The findings in the article are relatively clear and straightforward, yet what they truly provide to readers are beyond mere facts. It is the broad knowledge that is provided allowing readers to come up with their own judgement about the issue. The article first presents the idea to readers that an increasing wave of older workers will be coming up in the future due to the shortage of young worker and the consequences of the financial crisis in the early 2008. It is true that because of such crisis, people’s superannuation is heavily affected and therefore even elders will very likely try to go back to the labour market and look for works (Bekaert Hodrick, 2009). Nevertheless, what the authors aim to achieve is not only to present the trend to the readers, but to raise the employers’ awareness so that they do not look down to older workers as â€Å"last resorts† as they will very likely become a major workforce in the future. The authors claimed that older workers undoubtedly will become crucial to the Australia economy in the near future. Yet there is proof presented in the article that indicates the existence of the negativity of employers’ attitude toward older workers. This claim is also valid as according to a HR report from Thompson Reuters, a research was conducted and realized that only 25% of the number of employers being asked tried to convince Baby Boomers to stay back when they resigned, compared to 40% for Generation X and Generation Y (HR Report, 2008). On the other hand, the article also provides to readers a completely opposite proof which shows that employers hold no grudge against older workers. Such claim is also substantiated by an article by Forbes, in which, a survey of 500 hiring managers was conducted and resulted that 60% of hiring managers would likely to hire older workers, compared to 20% of those would hire Millenials, who were born just before the millennium, from 1981 through 2000 (Adams, 2012). III. Strength and Weakness/Limitation of the article c. The strength of the article Basically, the article targets readers who are working in Human Resources field. It has done its part by successfully conveying the idea to readers by using sets of well organised evidences and firm hypothesises. The article also proposed a rational strategy that, according to the authors, would not only help employers to not waste human capital, but also support the older employees’ employability by changing the attitude of employers in the workplace. The data and references used in the article were relevant to the discussed area. Each and every statement in the article is backed with credible sources; therefore it makes readers feel confident and safe when they acquire the knowledge from the article. On top of that, not only it provides evidences which support only its hypothesis, but also it provides evidences that are completely contradictory to its hypothesis, for example, the case in the study of McIntosh in 2001 where the attitude of employers toward older workers was n ot negative at all. This helps readers to have broader view and shows that the authors were unbiased when writing this article. d. Weakness and Limitation of the article Since the article was taking the scenario happening in Australia, its world-wide applicability is questionable. Although the article also uses some foreign data, for example, McIntosh’s research which was conducted with the U.S’s labour forces, it is still very limited. As mentioned, authors also used their part studies as references; hence, this raises questions about such sources’ credibility. Furthermore, the year which the article was written was 2011, yet there are a few references that were written a long time ago, â€Å"Sociology† written by Giddens in 1997 is an example. This also raises the question about the sources’ up-to-date applicability. One of its strong points turns out to be its weakness. Each and every statement in the article is backed up with a study; therefore it somewhat gives readers a feeling that very few ideas in the article were original. IV. Conclusion According to (Waddel, Cummings, Worley, 2007), in the process of globalisation, it requires enterprises to constantly adapt and develop in the way that would maximize their intrinsic value. The article has shown readers the proof that older workers is one promising and valuable source of high-quality workforce, yet evidences show that a lot of employers are still age-biased. On that ground, it is recommended that employers should not take this matter lightly anymore. Instead, they are suggested starting to change their attitude toward the older worker, re-adjust the workplace’s policies in order to maximize and sustain the productivity of older workers. Based on the hypothesis and findings of the article above, linking to the case study â€Å"High Flyers†, even though Silvertail is trying to build a newer and younger image, it should not get rid of older cabin crew by persecuting and being harsh on them. Rather than that, Silvertail should approach more positively by looking at their actual performance, including their motivation, and then re-allocate the job for them so that the integration and strategy of the company would be aligned. According to (Adams, 2012), older workers are superior in many fields e.g. positive work ethic, problem solving, leadership, reliability, professionalism, etc†¦ Rather than wasting a good source of human capital, using it wisely is always optimal. Bibliography (n.d.). Retrieved December 20, 2012, from http://deewr.gov.au/ (n.d.). Retrieved December 20, 2012, from http://www.oecd.org/ Australian Bureau of Statistics: About Us. (2012, November 13). Retrieved December 14, 2012, from Australian Bureau of Statistics: http://abs.gov.au/websitedbs/D3310114.nsf/Home/About+Us?opendocument#from-banner=GT Adams, S. (2012, September 9). Older Workers, Theres Hope: Study Finds Employers Like You Better Than Millennials. Retrieved December 13, 2012, from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2012/09/24/older-workers-theres-hope-study-finds-employers-like-you-better-than-millennials/ Bekaert, G., Hodrick, R. (2009). Internation Financial Management. Boston: Peason. HR Report. (2008, September 17). Employers ignoring older workers. Retrieved December 15, 2012, from Thompson Reuters: http://sites.thomsonreuters.com.au/workplace/2008/09/17/employers-ignoring-older-workers/ Manpower Research and Statistics Department. (2007). A Statistical Profile of Older Workers. Singapore: Ministry of Manpower. Waddel, D., Cummings, T. G., Worley, C. G. (2007). Organisation Development and Change. Asia Pacific. (3rd ed.). South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Cengage Learning Australia.

Frankenstein and Blade Runner Essay Example for Free

Frankenstein and Blade Runner Essay Frankenstein and Blade Runner Faced with similar challenges against long held values both Frankenstein and Blade Runner express similar concerns and developed concepts that were almost the same as they tried to stop science and technology from eroding fundamental values. However, given the almost 200 year difference it is inevitable that they express their concerns differently. Both Frankenstein and Blade Runner examine the consequences of Man usurping God’s role as creator and the distancing of humanity from a once harmonious relationship with Nature. Romanticism was a reaction against the scientific values of the Enlightenment which spanned from 1650 to the 1800s. It became a movement seeking to end the rationalisation of the Enlightenment and sought a return to a communion with fellow Man and Nature. Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelley in the wake of the Industrial Revolution and it espouses the values of Romanticism; emotion, spirituality and harmony. It serves as a warning against the unchecked scientific progress that was taking place around Shelley. Shelley develops the concept of Man usurping God’s role as creator through her characterisation of Victor. The heavenly imagery â€Å"It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn† characterises Victor as disrespectful of God’s Laws, his arrogant ambition a symbol of the irreverent scientists of the Enlightenment. Creation once was something biblically pure and reserved for God but Victor ignores this and his work becomes a mockery of purity â€Å"I kept my workshop of filthy creation,† the oxymoron undermining the implied sanctity expressing the depravity of Victor’s ambition. The pervasive use of irony is evident in the juxta positioning of Victor denying his creation friendship and the companionship he seeks with Clerval â€Å"nothing could equal my delight on seeing Clerval,† he hypocritically denies the Monster the very thing he recognises as vital, friendship. This irony is also developed through Victor’s ignorance of his crime against Nature â€Å"the very winds whispered in soothing accents, and maternal nature bade me weep no more,† he recognises the power of Nature yet doesn’t understand that he has broken the ‘immutable laws’ of that which inspires him. Shelley presents a warning against science and technology dominating existence through the cautionary tone of â€Å"greater than his nature will allow,† Victor challenging the bounds of humanity will ultimately lead to destruction. The Monster is contrasted to Victor as someone of depth and emotion, Shelley reveals him to be the embodiment of the Romantic values. It is the Monster who poses the moral questions regarding Victor’s ambitions â€Å"how dare you sport thus with life? † this philosophical questioning of science and technology is further highlighted in â€Å"But where were my friends and relations? What was I? † this essential questioning is not done by the human, Victor but by his creation whose sensitive and philosophical values elevate him above humanity. Once again Shelley’s use of irony highlights the differences between Victor and the Monster â€Å"I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel† the biblical allusion illustrates the ironic treatment of the Monster; it should really be Victor who is abhorred for his challenge to God’s authority. The intertextual reference to â€Å"Paradise Lost† exhibits the lost connection between Man, fellow Man and Nature because of the unbridled advances of science. The Monster is contrasted to Victor because of his capacity for love â€Å"my soul glowed with love and humanity; but am I not alone, miserably alone? it was only because of the callousness and brutality of Victor denying him companionship that he became miserable. Conceptually Blade Runner directed by Ridley Scott 1992 is very similar to Frankenstein; it too explores the consequences of Man overstepping the bounds of his existence and the moral dilemmas that arise because of science and technologies rampant, unhindered developments. However, the film can be seen as the result of the world ignoring the Romantic’s warning, it is the result of science and technology. The 1970s and 80s saw rapid increases in cloning technology, the environment was at threat from pollution and globalisation was taking hold. It was out of this destruction of the Romantic values of emotion and connection with Nature that Blade Runner emerged. The opening scene immediately condemns science and technology, the continuous rain, the erupting fire pits and darkened film noir palate create the impression that the once beautiful Los Angeles, the ‘City of Angels’ has become a hellish scene out of Milton’s Paradise Lost. The towering buildings dwarf Man symbolising the enslavement of humanity to science and technology. This opening validates the Romantic ideology warning against the uncontrolled developments in science and technology; however unlike Frankenstein in which Nature was preserved, the landscape has been completely destroyed. Science and technology are identified as the causes of the erosion of humanity and Nature, Tyrell becomes a symbol of science and thus the cause of the destruction. Like Victor he is characterised as cold and callous, Scott expresses this through Tyrell’s costuming, his clinical white robe and glasses emphasising his sterility and inhumane nature. This lack of human empathy is furthered through his cold language â€Å"commerce is our goal here† which also symbolises the loss of humanity in the human race as a whole as they are dictated by commerce, not morality. This loss of humanity is also represented in the characterisation of J. F Sebastian as weak and lonely, his symbolic statement â€Å"I make friends† represents the lack of empathy, true friendship and community. Tyrell and Sebastian are damning examples of humanity’s loss of the very things that make them human; Replicants can be more human that human because Man has lost its humanity due to science and technology. The replicant’s emotion and passion contrast the lifeless examples of humanity. The death of Zora positions the audience to accept the replicants as human, the use of slow motion accentuates her desperation and in conjunction with the slowing heartbeat, melancholic music, blood and close ups of her face in agony elicits empathy from the audience as they recognise her as human and her killer, Deckard as inhumane. The highly symbolic intertextual reference to Descartes â€Å"I think therefore I am† represents the replicants ability to think, feel and be passionate as what raises them above machines and ironically above humans, who have lost these basic qualities. This harks back to the contrast between Victor and the Monster, Victor’s arrogance destroyed his basic human qualities where as the Monster exemplified these values.

African Slave Trade and West African Underdevelopment

African Slave Trade and West African Underdevelopment This paper looks at whether the Atlantic slave trade contributed to the underdevelopment of West Africa. The paper argues that the issue of African underdevelopment is extremely complex, including many factors, aside from the Atlantic slave trade, that have contributed, and continue to contribute, to the underdevelopment of Africa. The paper begins with a review of the slave trade, in terms of the numbers of people involved in this, and the immediate effects of this trade on local economies. The effects of this trade on importing economies is then reviewed, and it is shown that many importing countries benefited massively from this trade, through increased labour supply and through monetary gains which were then applied to developing industry in the importing countries. The repercussions of this industrial development are then discussed, in terms of its effects on Africa. The paper then moves on to look at the effect of the slave trade on Africa, in terms of the demographic imbalances this caused, and the effects this had on the development of African countries, in terms of social, political and economic development. The paper then moves on to look at the roles, and effects, of the colonial powers on African countries, in terms of exploitation of Africa’s natural resources and the immediate and long-lasting effects this has had on Africa, and the continuing exploitation of Africa, through development loans, for example, which cripple the economies of many African countries, through the massive interest payments required, which leaves little money for investment to develop local industry, or social projects. The paper thus sees African underdevelopment as a holistic problem, involving far more than the slave trade, and having far-reaching implications for future generations of Africans. In addition to looking at the effects of the slave trade on African underdevelopment, the term ‘underdevelopment’ will be discussed in an African context. As will be seen, Rodney (1972) argues, in his book How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, that there is no such thing as ‘underdevelopment’, that underdevelopment is not an absence of development, rather that it can only be understood in the context of comparisons, of ‘more developed’ with ‘less developed’ nations, for example, and that it is best understood in the context of exploitation, as, for Rodney, most currently underdeveloped countries are also the countries that are exploited by others, through capitalist, imperialist or colonialist means (Rodney, 1972; p. 110-112). The paper will conclude that capitalist exploitation of Africa began with the slave trade and continues to the present day and is, as we have see, the major factor that was, and continues to be, responsible for th e comparative underdevelopment of African nations. As we have argued, the slave trade per se did not contribute to the comparative underdevelopment of Africa, rather a complex mixture of exploitation, lack of opportunity, and capitalist interests contributed to the underdevelopment of Africa. It is estimated by Curtin (1969) that 9,566,100 slaves were exported from Africa to the Americas and other parts of the Atlantic basin, from it’s beginning in 1451 to when this trade ended in 1870. Many subsequent researchers have, however, provided evidence which shows that this figure is an under-estimation; for example, Stein (1978) has presented a figure some twenty per cent higher than Curtin’s (1969) estimation and Lovejoy (1982) used new calculations, and new shipping data, to put the figure at some 11,698,000. Whatever the exact figure, however, it is clear that demographically, this trade had a massive impact on West Africa, with Thornton (1980) showing that there are marked differences in economic, demographic, political and social development between slave-depleted areas, slave-importing areas and slave-trading areas. The debate that subsequently surrounded Curtin’s estimation of the number of people involved in the Atlantic slave trade has therefore i nvolved much more than a disagreement about numbers: it rests more, now, on whether the slave trade was actually a contributing factor in the current underdevelopment of West Africa. This paper expands the ideas presented by Curtin (1969), and Thornton (1980), looking at the social, economic and political effects of the slave trade on Africa. Rodney (1972; p9-10) argues very strongly that development is characterised by growth in economic production, equity in the distribution of social product and autonomy in control over social processes, and that, as such, underdevelopment is not a state that can be overcome as ‘backward’ societies move through the same stages of growth as ‘advances’ societies, as, instead, Rodney sees capitalist development and underdevelopment as two sides of the same coin (Legassick, 1976). Rodney argues strongly, throughout his book, for African capability, but argues that deeply rooted, externally imposed structural constraints prevented, and prevents, the further development of African society[1]; for example, he argues that what he terms the ‘determinative power’ of the colonial state was one factor that contributed to the underdevelopment of West Africa, not necessarily, therefore, that it was the slave trade per se that contributed wholly to the underdeve lopment of West Africa; this argument is somewhat supported by Brett (1973), who argues strongly throughout his book that the colonial state presence prevented industrialisation in the East African countries he studied, arguing that resource allocation led to peasant agricultural systems becoming the dominant form of agriculture in these countries, for example. It is interesting, then, that both these authors see colonial rule (i.e., political structure) as being the dominant force shaping underdevelopment in Africa, with Brett (1973) arguing that this was the sole factor important in shaping underdevelopment, and Rodney (1972) arguing that colonial rule was but one factor shaping underdevelopment in Africa, in concert with, for example, the demographic skews caused by the slave trade. As such, as Brett (1973) and Rodney (1972) argue, the presence of a colonial power in Africa prevented the development of political structures which would have been conducive to a coherent and holistic development of an industrialised society in Africa; without a political structure which supported assessments of the international economy, from an African perspective, and without political power with an African interest, Africa was left high and dry, unable to develop on African terms, and left at the mercy of the colonial political power, who made decisions based on their own interests, not decisions that were best, in the short or long term, for Africa. The presence of the colonial power thus, itself, led to the underdevelopment of Africa, politically, which had, and continues to have (as we shall see) massive repercussions for African society, in terms of its economic and social development. This academic argument over the numbers of slaves involved in the slave trade shadows the massive scale of the problem: slaves were preferred to be between the ages of fifteen and thirty five, and more men were taken than women, at a ratio of 2:1, skewing the demographics of the towns and villages from where the slaves were taken (Rodney, 1972). As we have seen, 9,566,100 slaves were exported from Africa to the Americas and other parts of the Atlantic basin, from it’s beginning in 1451 to when this trade ended in 1870. Many subsequent researchers have, however, provided evidence which shows that this figure is an under-estimation; for example, Stein (1978) has presented a figure some twenty per cent higher than Curtin’s (1969) estimation and Lovejoy (1982) used new calculations, and new shipping data, to put the figure at some 11,698,000. Whatever the number of slaves that were exported, however, the slave trade essentially extracted all of the healthy men, of reproductive age from African countries involved in the slave trade: this, essentially, led to a lack of a suitable workforce with which to forge ahead with agricultural, social or technological developments, leading to a lack of internal development within Africa, which, couple with the import of cheap goods in to Africa from industrialising nations (i.e., the colonial powers) led to the death of the African manufacturing industry. This, coupled with the lack of a coherent African political power with a presence, and an influence in the region, led directly to the underdevelopment of African countries. In essence, due to the slave trade and the presence of the colonial power, Africa (African leaders) never had a chance to assess itself and to make decisions as to how to go forward and develop political, economic or social structures that would have led to econo mic success. This alone has contributed to the lag in development of Africa, if, indeed it is a lag, if Africa can ever come out of the underdeveloped state it is in, which is a moot point, and which many argue can never happen. This, in conjunction with the massive exploitation of Africa’s natural resources, such as oil, diamonds, bauxite, copper, by external companies (owned by individuals based within the colonial powers) seeking to make a profit from these resources has, many argue, doomed Africa to perpetual underdevelopment. This, in conjunction with ‘aid’ loans given by the World Bank, for example, which have left the economies of African countries in massive debt, with the interest, alone, crippling the economies of these countries, has, again, left Africa in a situation from which it is difficult to see a recovery, let alone a move towards any form of meaningful economic development. The raping of Africa: it’s people, it’s resources, it’s opportun ities, is therefore something that has been present throughout it’s history and which continues to the present day. Thus, not only did the Atlantic slave trade contribute to the underdevelopment of Africa, through the many routes that have already been discussed, but the colonial presence in Africa which led to the raping of Africa’s natural resources, and the domination of these natural resources by external, foreign, companies, has led directly to underdevelopment. These resources were not available for exploitation by Africans, and so Africans were not able to profit from these resources, and were not able to invest these profits in growing industry or technological developments. As such, many scholars argue, Africa was, by the very fact of the raping of its natural resources, doomed to underdevelopment. This coupled with crippling levels of debt that have been incurred through ‘developmental aid’ loans with unfairly high levels of interest, from previous colonial powers, has led to the continued underdevelopment of many African countries. Current campaigns to ‘drop th e debt’ in many African countries may, it has to be said, have come far too late to have much effect, especially when one considers the other, more deadly, scourge which is altering African demographics today: HIV, which, it is estimated, culls more of the African population in many African countries than was ever taken by the slave trade. This new demographic threat is even more deadly considering that drugs are available to treat the disease caused by this virus, but that the current colonial powers, and the companies that are protected by laws of these colonial powers, do not allow these drugs to be sold at a reasonable cost to Africa, essentially blocking off a route to treatment, and condemning a whole generation of Africans to death, and through this, condemning Africa to decades, if not centuries, of continued underdevelopment. In light of this historic pattern of the raping of Africa, perhaps the question should not be how did the slave trade contribute to Africa’s underdevelopment, but, rather, how did the imported slaves contribute to the rapid development of the host countries. For example, African slaves were used in gold and silver mining in the Americas, and certainly speeded up Europe’s technological development, with, for example, English ports involved in the slave trade, such as Liverpool, growing economically with the importing of slaves, and then this economic growth fuelling development in this region which, ultimately, led to the Industrial Revolution. Other specific examples from an English context include individuals who became wealthy through dealing in the slave trade who then used this money to set up successful firms; the Barclays, for example, used money earned from the slave trade to set up Barclays Bank, and Lloyds coffee house expanded in to Lloyds banking and insuranc e following involvement in the slave trade. James Watt, of steam engine fame, also accepted money from slave traders to fund the development of his steam engine; without the slave trade, therefore, many technological developments in Europe, particularly England, would not have happened, and Europe, the world, would not be so well-developed. Imagine a world without the Industrial Revolution: it would, ironically, perhaps look something like Africa looks today. This simplistic analysis of the effects of the importing of slaves is just that: simplistic, but it shows, in rough terms, how the slave trade contributed to economic development and societal progress in the importing countries. This, then, fuelled the rise, the development, of these societies, at the expense of the exporting countries, fuelling longer and stricter periods of colonial rule in the exporting countries, and causing yet more underdevelopment in these countries. This process, in concert with massive demographic depletions, which left, realistically, no workforce in some regions of West Africa, contributed to the underdevelopment of these societies, economically, socially and politically, as, we have seen, is argued by Brett (1973) and Rodney (1972)[2]. In addition, as many current scholars argue, it was, perhaps is, the inability of African societies to come to terms with the consequences of the slave trade that has also held the development of Africa back in realistic terms. For example, many of the African slaves were actually sold to Europeans by Africans themselves, either African leaders or traders, who often conducted raids to collect (i.e., kidnap) suitable subjects for sale in to slavery. Some of these African slave traders became very rich on the profits of their trade, but, unlike in Europe, as we have seen, these traders did not invest their profits in African society or in technological developments; they simply used the money for personal gain and personal interests. The interests of African slave traders in the slave trade, and their reliance on this trade, was shown to be extremely strong following the discussions to abolish this trade; much of the opposition to abolition was from African slave traders themselves, wh o were worried that they would lose out on a massive source of income. Indeed, many did lose income from the Atlantic slave trade and then turned to internal slave trading as a means of generating income. Thus, the slave trade, whilst lessening in volume, did not cease entirely in many African countries, and continued to contribute to a disruption of local societies and to a lack of holistic development of social, political and economic forces within many African societies, in which the slave traders (often rulers, as we have seen) began to act, to take the role of, the colonial power, forging similar patterns of underdevelopment to those described by Brett (1973) for colonial powers in Africa. In addition, much of the profit from the slave trade made by African slave traders was not invested in infrastructure or social projects, or in planning for development through technological improvements; most of the profits, as we have seen, were invested in arms for warfare or in consumer goods. This flood of consumer goods, produced outside of Africa, in Europe for example, had the effect of destroying the few local industries there were, with the long-term effect of destroying many of the manufacturing industries in Africa and, as such, denying Africans the basic conditions for economic growth. The slave trade did not encourage African societies to enter in to the international economy in a positive way, rather it encouraged Western economic development, through, as we have seen, providing a source of labour and income, and by providing markets for some of the new products that were being produced by the Industrial Revolution. This paper will conclude, therefore, that the Atlantic slave trade did not per se cause underdevelopment in Africa, rather that the slave trade is but one piece of a complicated jigsaw of effects that, as a whole, forced Africa in to underdevelopment. The slave trade did take massive numbers of young males out of Africa, thus causing severe depletions in the African workforce, and meaning that the African population growth was curtailed for many years, through lack of breeding, for example[3]. In addition, the import of a workforce in to Europe caused inflations in the local economies at the importing ports, which had cascade effects on the local areas; the slave trade also meant that many individuals became rich, and were able to fund technological developments, which helped to fuel, in part, the Industrial Revolution, for example. This meant that the colonial powers could govern more effectively and for a more prolonged period; meaning that political and social systems of control w ere not developed internally within the African slave-importing countries, this itself fuelling years of political and social underdevelopment. Thus, many factors, not just the slave trade per se contributed to the underdevelopment of West Africa. A statement such as â€Å"the Atlantic slave trade contributed to the underdevelopment of West Africa† is far too simplistic to describe the whole cascade of effects that were, have been, and continue to be important in the underdevelopment of West Africa. James Baldwin’s statement, â€Å"The past is what makes the present coherent, and the past will remain horribly incoherent for as long as we refuse to assess it honestly† is particularly apt for the current discussion of this issue. Scholars of different persuasions (whites vs. blacks, Marxists vs. non-Marxists etc) all have their own interpretations of this period of African history, but it is the responsibility of all mankind to assess this situation responsibly, to acknowledge the continued underdevelopment of Africa as a global, moral, responsibility of all humankind, and not to distort the past and use it to cause continued repression and underdevelopment of this continent. Recent plans, and recent events, for example, leading to the privatisation of water in many African countries is, for example, nothing more than a repeat of colonialism in Africa, a repeat of the raping of Africa, with foreign firms entering in to African economies and destroying them: water privatisation has been shown, for example, to devastate local economies, through ground-up failures in local businesses who can no longer afford to use water. That this has been allowed to happen is a travesty, an insult to Africa, and to all underdeveloped nations; it is a continuation of the exploitation of Africa, its people and its resources, that began at the time of the inception of the slave trade and which continues until the present day. It should ideally be that governments learn from their mistakes through analysis of historical records, not that these mistakes are hidden and repeated in future. As Brett (1973) and Rodney (1972) argue strongly, however, money talks more than moral resp onsibilities, and capitalism will always have two sides: one side that wins and another that loses, facing underdevelopment and poverty as a consequence of losing this battle. As we have seen, this paper has looked at whether the Atlantic slave trade contributed to the underdevelopment of West Africa. The paper has argued that the issue of African underdevelopment is extremely complex, including many factors, aside from the Atlantic slave trade, that have contributed, and continue to contribute, to the underdevelopment of Africa. The paper began with a review of the slave trade, in terms of the numbers of people involved in this, and the immediate effects of this trade on local economies. The effects of this trade on importing economies was then reviewed, and it was shown that many importing countries benefited massively from this trade, through increased labour supply and through monetary gains which were then applied to developing industry in the importing countries[4]. The repercussions of this industrial development were then discussed, in terms of its effects on Africa, showing that local industry was destroyed as a result of cheap imports of textiles, for example, following the manufacturing of this in England following the Industrial Revolution. The paper then moved on to look at the effect of the slave trade on Africa, in terms of the demographic imbalances this caused, and the effects this had on the development of African countries, in terms of social, political and economic development. It was shown that African economic development was held back directly, due to the lack of a workforce and the decline in population growth in Africa over the period the slave trade was active. The paper then moved on to look at the roles, and effects, of the colonial powers on African countries, in terms of exploitation of Africa’s natural resources and the immediate and long-lasting effects this has had on Africa, and the continuing exploitation of Africa, through development loans, for example, which cripple the economies of many African countries, through the massive interest payments required, which leaves little money for investment to develop local industry, or social projects. The paper thus concludes that African underdevelopment as a holistic problem, involving far more than the slave trade, and having far-reaching implications for future generations of Africans. The future is bleak for Africa, and it should be the responsibility of all mankind to act to improve the chances, the opportunities for, all African children, so that the cycle of underdevelopment is not repeated in future. Whether this will happen, however, is dependent on governments, who are run on capitalist principles, and as history has shown us, capitalist, whilst having its shining glories also has a very dark side, which is, essentially, underdevelopment. As we have seen, in light of this historic pattern of the raping of Africa, perhaps the question should not be how did the slave trade contribute to Africa’s underdevelopment, but, rather, how did the imported slaves contribute to the rapid development of the host countries. African slaves were used in gold and silver mining in the Americas, harvesting gold and silver, which was then used to develop these countries. Slavery also certainly speeded up Europe’s technological development, with, for example, English ports involved in the slave trade, such as Liverpool, growing economically with the importing of slaves, and then this economic growth fuelling development in this region, which, ultimately, led to the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution led the world in to industrialisation, or rather, those sections of the world which had political, economic and social systems in place to realise the implications of the Industrial Revolution and to jump on board of it before they got left behind and exploited. As we have seen, other specific examples from an English context include individuals who became wealthy through dealing in the slave trade who then used this money to set up successful firms; the Barclays, for example, used money earned from the slave trade to set up Barclays Bank, and Lloyds coffee house expanded in to Lloyds banking and insurance following involvement in the slave trade. James Watt, of steam engine fame, also accepted money from slave traders to fund the development of his steam engine; without the slave trade, therefore, many technological developments in Europe, particularly England, would not have happened, and Europe, the world, would not be so well-developed. Thus, there is a direct line linking the slave trade with industrial development in the industrial world. Imagine a world without the Industrial Revolution: it would, ironically, perhaps look something like Africa looks today. That Africa was not part of this development, despite the fact that Africans he lped fuel this development is a cruelly ironic historical fact. This simplistic analysis of the effects of the importing of slaves is just that: simplistic, but it shows, in rough terms, how the slave trade contributed to economic development and societal progress in the importing countries. This, then, fuelled the rise, the development, of these societies, at the expense of the exporting countries, fuelling longer and stricter periods of colonial rule in the exporting countries, and causing yet more underdevelopment in these countries. This process, in concert with massive demographic depletions, which left, realistically, no workforce in some regions of West Africa, contributed to the underdevelopment of these societies, economically, socially and politically, as, we have seen, is argued by Brett (1973) and Rodney (1972). As we have seen, this paper thus concludes that African underdevelopment is a holistic problem, involving far more than the slave trade, and having far-reaching implications for future generations of Africans[5]. The future is bleak for Africa, and it should be the responsibility of all mankind to act to improve the chances, the opportunities for, all African children, so that the cycle of underdevelopment is not repeated in future. Whether this will happen, however, is dependent on governments, who are run on capitalist principles, and as history has shown us, capitalist, whilst having its shining glories also has a very dark side, which is, essentially, underdevelopment. As we have seen, Rodney argues that there is no such thing as ‘underdevelopment’, that underdevelopment is not an absence of development, rather that it can only be understood in the context of comparisons, of ‘more developed’ with ‘less developed’ nations, for example, and that it is best understood in the context of exploitation, as, for Rodney, most currently underdeveloped countries are also the countries that are exploited by others, through capitalist, imperialist or colonialist means (Rodney, 1972; p. 110-112). Capitalist exploitation of Africa began with the slave trade and continues to the present day and is, as we have see, the major factor that was, and continues to be, responsible for the comparative underdevelopment of African nations. As we have argued, the slave trade per se did not contribute to the comparative underdevelopment of Africa, rather a complex mixture of exploitation, lack of opportunity, and capitalist interests contributed to the underdevelopment of Africa. That this can be allowed to continue in to the present day is a blight on the whole of mankind, on everyone who allows this to happen, and on everyone who stands by whilst it happens. In this day and age, when children of eight years old have mobile phones and laptop computers in the ‘developed’ world, it is a travesty that many Africans are having to pay for their water, that many Africans die of AIDS because drug companies refuse to sell drugs to Africa at a reasonable cost, that the legacy of colonialism is still alive in Africa, causing continued suffering, death and exploitation. Africa, romantic, beautiful Africa, of sunsets and safaris, is more than that: it is a rich country, with strong cultures, the birthplace of mankind, and, as such, it deserves more than continued exploitation. Why should an African child’s life be worth less than an English child’s life? In this day and age this modern form of slavery, i.e., lack of opportunity, is as harmful as previous forms of slavery, if not more harmful, and is little more than a repeat of previous forms of slavery, in terms of condemning Africans to a life of misery whilst, all around, everyone else enjoys the benefits of development. Bibliography Brett, E.A., 1973. Colonialism and underdevelopment in East Africa: the politics of economic change. London: Heinemann Educational Books. Curtin, P.D., 1969. The Atlantic slave trade: a census. Madison: Wisconsin. Henige, D., 1986. Measuring the immeasurable: the Atlantic slave trade, West African population and the Pyrrhonian Critic. The Journal of African History 27(2), pp.295-313. Legassick, M., 1976. Review article: perspectives on African development. Journal of African History 17(3), pp.435-440. Lovejoy, P.E., 1982. The volume of the Atlantic slave trade. The Journal of African History 23(4), pp.473-501. Rodney, W., 1972. How Europe Underdeveloped Africa. London: Bogle-L’Ouverture Publications. Stein, R., 1978. Measuring the French slave trade 1713-1792/3. Journal of African history 19(4), pp.515-521. Thornton, J., 1980. The slave trade in eighteenth century Angola: effects on demographic structures. Canadian Journal of African Studies 14(3), pp.417-427. 1 Footnotes [1] In the same vein, Rodney argues that there is no such thing as ‘underdevelopment’, that underdevelopment is not an absence of development, rather that it can only be understood in the context of comparisons, of ‘more developed’ with ‘less developed’ nations, for example, and that it is best understood in the context of exploitation, as, for Rodney, most currently underdeveloped countries are also the countries that are exploited by others, through capitalist, imperialist or colonialist means (Rodney, 1972; p. 110-112). [2] As has been argued, the slave trade essentially extracted all of the healthy men, of reproductive age from African countries involved in the slave trade: this, essentially, led to a lack of a suitable workforce with which to forge ahead with agricultural, social or technological developments, leading to a lack of internal development within Africa, which, couple with the import of cheap goods in to Africa from industrialising nations (i.e., the colonial powers) led to the death of the African manufacturing industry. This, coupled with the lack of a coherent African political power with a presence, and an influence in the region, led directly to the underdevelopment of African countries. In essence, due to the slave trade and the presence of the colonial power, Africa (African leaders) never had a chance to assess itself and to make decisions as to how to go forward and develop political, economic or social structures that would have led to economic success. [3] Rodney, for example, in his book How Europe Underdeveloped Africa shows that whilst the population of Europe quadrupled over the period when the slave trade was functioning, the population of Africa grew by only twenty per cent. [4] For example, we have seen specific examples from an English context, including individuals who became wealthy through dealing in the slave trade who then used this money to set up successful firms; the Barclays, for example, used money earned from the slave trade to set up Barclays Bank, and Lloyds coffee house expanded in to Lloyds banking and insurance following involvement in the slave trade. We have also seen how James Watt, of steam en

Transcendentalism :: American America History

Transcendentalism Transcendentalism was a movement in philosophy, literature, and religion that emerged and was popular in the nineteenth century New England because of a need to redefine man and his place in the world in response to a new and changing society. The industrial revolution, universities, westward expansion, urbanization and immigration all made the life in a city like Boston full of novelty and turbulence. Transcendentalism was a reaction to an impoverishment of religion and mechanization of consciousness of eighteenth century rational doctrines that ceased to be satisfying. After the success of the American Revolution and the Industrial Revolution, an American man emerged confident and energetic. However, with the release of nervous energy, an American was forced to look at a different angle at his place in the world and society. The world of the nineteenth century Boston was that of emergence of new currents of thought in response to the conservative atmosphere. The wealthy upper classes (the aristocracy) were conservative and suspicious of any innovations. They dominated the society and demanded conformity to their social ideals, being suspicious of any new structure of society. The irony was that by their reliance on tradition and old beliefs (such as Puritanism) they acknowledged the harmony with cosmic law. Old values and traditions would serve as a base to Transcendentalism, although a radical movement in itself. In the nineteenth century America plunged into the Industrial Revolution. In the eighteenth century, goods were produced in home system operations. The remarkable development of capitalism in Boston became evident after the French and Indian war of 1812. Two of huge factories privately owned in Boston were Francis Lowell's Boston Manufacturing Company in Waltham and Merrimack Manufacturing Company in Lowell. As the role of women in society became more indiscriminate, young females dominated factory towns such as Lowell. They came from all over New England's farms and small towns, worked for a few years and then returned. Thus the mill populations were transient. With mechanization of textiles, new styles and fashions developed. Thus newness was becoming a virtue rather than peril. Improvement of transportation made urbanization and westward expansion more rapid. Cumberland Turnpike was built in 1811. Erie Canal, finished in 1825, connected Hudson River with the Great Lakes. Baltimore and Ohio Steam Railroad of 1828 linked the country. The first successful steamboat, Clermont, was launched in 1807. Between 1789 and 1850 the total population of the country soared from 4 million to 23 million.

Essay --

The formula for baking soda is NaHCO3 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_bicarbonate_).The chemical formula for vinegar is CH3COOH (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetic_acid). The chemical formula for the reaction is NaHCO3 + CH3COOH => CaCO3 + 2NaCl + H2O + CO2. The calcium atom from the calcium chloride molecule forms a new bond with the carbon trioxide form the sodium bicarbonate. This creates one of the product calcium carbonate, which is a covalent bond (https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070328160450AAVglRs). The two chlorine atoms left from the calcium chloride molecule is bonded with the sodium atom in the sodium bicarbonate to create sodium chloride, an ionic bond (http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/molecule/nacl.html). The left over atoms are two hydrogen atoms, three oxygen atoms, and one carbon atom. The two hydrogens form the water molecule with an oxygen atom, and ionic bond (comp book). Then all that is left is the carbon and the other two oxygen atoms. These three form the CO2 that is released. Below is a picture summarizing most of this paragraph. How would you give models or examples of any reaction? Well, in terms of 3D models, you should make sure that all the atoms in the product are equal to the number atoms in the reactants when they are combined. No atom is lost or created during the reaction. The same requirements go for writing an equation, as shown in the photo above. you can also write a formula for the product. Something that you must remember is that the metal reactant always comes first. The non metal reactant comes in second, and it usually end in -ide. (http://www.deltacollege.edu/emp/preedy/Handouts/Nomenclature%20Handout.pdf) Last, but not least, the easiest way to show a r... ... when a reaction happened and how to make it happen faster, but do you know to identify the reactants and the products, and how did it bonded? in terms of acid or base, you can use a pH meter or even some pH paper. After you use them, compare the color you get to the scale that should be included. You can also look at the formula for the product to find the reactants, telling you what is in it. The elements on the periodic table are organized based on the number of electron rings and valence electrons, which determine if they will bond and with what. The element carbon has biggest number of bonds, which is four. Carbon can be covalently bonded, meaning sharing electrons with another element, like in the calcium carbonate. Carbon can also be an ionically bonded, meaning the opposite charges of non metal ions and metal ions attract, like in sodium chloride. (comp book)

My Trip to the Philippines :: Philippines Vacation Personal Narrative Essays

My Trip to the Philippines In September 1989, when I was 11 year old, I came to Philippines during my short vacation. My father brought the whole family, also my cousin Jimmy. We spent 5 days in the Philippines. During these five days, I realized that there were many differences between Taiwan and the Philippines. The most difference was culture. People's language, behavior and also they are happy go lucky. The first problem I faced was the language problem. Philippine was ruled by Spanish long time ago. Most of Filipino could speak Spanish. I could not speak their language and also English, so what ever they said I just acted like stupid. I still remembered when I went to Cebu, in the hotel, the waiter came in to ask me something about my room. First, I was shock, then I used Chinese to answer her. The waiter was kind too. She started using Spanish, Japanese, French to answer me, but he never used Chinese. If he used Chinese, then that will be the time for me to reply. I run to my father's room, crying, and telling that someone is in my room and I doesn't know why he was there. After my father solved the problem for me. We were all laughing about it. My father said, "In the Philippines, eating with hands are their culture, you will never see this in Taiwan." In Taiwan, everybody use chopsticks to eat. Nobody will use spoon and folk to eat, because that's a kind of hard. Just like my first time used the spoon and folk. I doesn't know either to use my left hand to hold spoon or use my right hand. People have longer weekend than Taiwan. Both Sunday and Saturday are their weekend. In Taiwan, we can only have Sunday and half Saturday. For adults, they even only have Sunday to rest. That's unfair to adults. They should have longer weekend then kids, because they worked so hard. So, adults most be exhausted after hard work. People are happy go lucky. They wouldn't care much money they earn each day. They wanted to have better life than earning more money. Whenever they got a serious problem, like no place to overnight, they were try to find a place to

Full Metal Jacket (1987) Essay

The Film: Pro-War or Anti-War? A question as to the war sentiments of this film can be most accurately answered through an analysis of Private Joker.   As his nickname suggests, the young marine is glib; using his sharp wit, average John Wayne interpretations, sense of irony and his readily apparent above-average intelligence to keep himself detached from the training and the Vietnam War.   It is as if he knows the futility of his actions, covers the meaninglessness of it all by going through the motions and yet uses his humor as a defense mechanism.   His message is clear:   It means nothing to me but I do it anyway. Hence, in answer to the question of whether the film is pro or anti war, I would have to say neither.   It does acknowledge both sides of story.   Its general message is not to preach, merely to tell a story or a situation like it is.   An illustration of this is how Private Joker wears a hat with the message ‘Born to Kill’ on it and at the same time sports a peace sign on his marine uniform.    In fact Private Joker himself put a name to the vacuum of opinion he (or man in general) is in:   the duality of man.   This philosophical concept, while very Jung-ishly technical is another way (at least in the film’s context) of putting confusion and hypocrisy.   It speaks of an inner battle being waged inside a man’s soul; not necessarily about good or evil, right or wrong†¦but more about belief. What is exactly that you believe in? Another illustration of this so-called duality is seen during the hazing of Gomer Pyle.   Once again the inner battle of Private Joker can be used as an anchor of this concept.   Initially, he hesitated in throwing the poor man a blow with his makeshift weapon.   In the end, however, he did land a few good hits.   The inner struggle can be seen later on when Joker covers his ears to drown our Pyle’s cries.   If Joker had been fully comfortable from the beginning with the physical hazing, I doubt that he would have bothered to cover his ears.   This just goes to show how one’s soul gets racked when one does something that half of him disapproves of. Portrayal of War What sets the film apart from other war movies is that it has a lot less drama.   There are no heart-wrenching one-liners.   It painted the circumstances of the war without the usual dramatic coatings that tug at one’s tear ducts.   On the other hand, it did not paint war either as fiercely brutal.   Like what I mentioned earlier, war was painted it like it was.   In that sense, one can say that the portrayal of war in this film is realistic.   It must be said however that if one has not experienced war first-hand, one can never really know what it is like. And even with that, each war is different.   Hence, all I can offer is my perception of the war that was portrayed in the film. War, with its shallow characteristics were equally portrayed along with the intricacies that usually accompany loss, brotherhood, bloodshed and self-realization.   One the one hand, Kubrick masterfully conveyed the message that war, from a soldier’s perspective, is merely about the survival, detached from the political machinations that caused it in the first place. Justifiable War   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In my opinion, the film does not touch upon issues of morality.   It makes no judgment calls.   What it does is bring all the ingredients of war into the mix and calls for the viewers to come up with their own conclusion.   There is, at least in my view, no hard and fast message about the justifiability of war that can be easily gleaned from this film.   Therefore, in answer to this question of whether or not the film viewed war as justifiable, one must look into each character. If one pegs the answer to the character of Animal Mother, war is justifiable—as long as one is the victor.   His character is of the opinion that war is the ultimate means to display one’s superior strength.   On the other hand, the character of Eightball pointed out that the Americans were in Vietnam to help the locals.   He was very miffed about the fact that the supposed beneficiaries of their aid were very ungrateful of it.   Therefore, through this perspective, it can be said that war can be justified if the cause is rooted in good intentions. Relationships among the characters   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Like all war movies, the concept of brotherhood plays a central role.   The ties of brotherhood were bound by the most powerful forces on earth: hardship, pain, loss and bloodshed.   It is amusing to note however, that even in the midst of war there were competitions being waged on the same side.   Although some of the competitions were outright obvious (i.e. Animal Mother and his Alpha-Male swagger towards Private Joker), others were less evident.   This highlighted one more characteristic of war.   While it is essentially about winning over the enemy, it is also about besting the rest of your team.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is also the idea that one person is responsible for the next one.   Like most other responsibilities in life, this may not be a great gift but it must still be done.   Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful) says it all.   It speaks of a responsibility one man to another no matter the cost.   The burden is not always welcomed, like with Private Joker and Rafterman, but it is always there. The enemy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From the viewing of the film, I walked away with two concepts of the ‘Enemy’.   During their training days, I was of the conclusion that the enemy (as a general concept) was on some level respected.   This can be seen in the Marine’s Prayer when they recite that a line about shooting straight and narrow against the enemy.   The general idea is that while the enemy might be good, a Marine is always better.   However, there is still a begrudging respect accorded.   This respect to the potential abilities of the enemy is obvious from how hard the Marines train for combat.   Nothing is left to chance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, during the war portions of the movie, I got the feeling that the soldiers overly relied on the idea that American Marines are the best that they underestimated the enemy.   It was amazing how they still displayed shock over the Tet Offensive.   It was of course masterful on the part of the Vietnamese fighters to lull the Americans into the false sense of security.   However, the Americans should have known better.   They completely underestimated their opponents and paid handsomely for the mistake. Reinforcing stereotypes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In my opinion, the film mainly reinforces the stereotypes of machismo and women.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The stereotypes of the macho man, valued only for his brute strength is to a certain extent unavoidable—Full Metal Jacket is a war movie after all.   The stereotype of the soldier is reinforced as well: the image of an un-thinking, un-feeling killing machine that does not weigh any moral or ethical issues, believing only the sanctity of the command.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The role of women is viewed through a narrow lens as well.   There are only 2 women that make an appearance in the film:   a prostitute and a sniper.   The idea of Ann Margret, although she never made an appearance, can also be considered as a third role of women. The obvious implications of these three roles are far-reaching and will take more than 10 pages to fully discuss in detail.   However, it is quite obvious that the film also reflects the belief of the times that women, despite the many advances for the cause, could be viewed as either a prostitute, a treacherous killer or an object of sexual desire. Meaning to the wartime experience   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first half of the film shows the harsh indoctrination of boys into angry, killing Marines.   The severe methods employed by the group’s drill sergeant left no room for innocence and self-assurance to survive.   These marines, although it was their training that hardened them, one can say that it was the war that wizened, matured them.   This can be clearly seen as we see how the central character (the narrator of sorts), Private Joker progresses during the film.