The Economic And Philosophic Manuscripts Of 1844 - 1592 Words

The Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 was not published in Karl Marx’s lifetime. It is a series of fragmentary notes. Part of these notes is a piece called â€Å"Estranged Labor†. In this piece Marx rarely disputes the alienation of the bourgeoisie and focuses on the alienation of the proletariat relating to the hard work in factories in a capitalist society. I believe Marx is correct on his point of workers during his time and even so, it’s still relatable to today; there is alienation of the worker and of the owner till this day. I see his ideas and find it is relatable to my job currently and he has developed evidence to prove it to be true. Karl Marx uses two German terms known as â€Å"Entà ¤ussern† and â€Å"Entfremden† [Grimwade, R. (2014, September). Lecture presented through PowerPoint. St. John’s University, Queens, NY.] . The latter meaning estrangement, while Entaussem meaning alienation. Both have a similar meaning and can be taken as synonyms but Karl Marx uses them differently to emphasis his points. The definition of alienation, â€Å"a withdrawing or separation of a person or a person s affections from an object or position of former attachment† (Alienation. Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2014.), similar Marx states a definition of his own; â€Å"Labor s realization is its objectification. In the conditions dealt with by political economy this realization of labor appears as loss of reality for the workers;Show MoreRelatedThe Economic And Philosophic Manuscripts Of 1844 Essay2437 Words   |  10 PagesIn the Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844, Ka rl Marx identifies a dichotomy that is created and bolstered by the capitalist mode of production. In this mode of production, the dichotomy presents itself in a division of labor that forms of two kinds of people: capitalists, the owners of the means of production, and laborers, those who work under the domain of the capitalist. Marx harshly criticizes this mode of production, arguing that it exploits the laborer and estranges him from himselfRead MoreMarx first discussed his alienation theory in the Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844[1],700 Words   |  3 PagesMarx first discussed his alienation theory in the Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844[1], mainly talking about the types of human relations that are not controlled by their participants and the consequent results. This theory represents his research findings of bourgeois economics theory, which is central to all of Marx’s earlier philosophical writings and as a social phenomenon still informs his later work. Alienation means separation of people from things that naturally belong to themRead MoreAccording to Marx, How Does Capitalism Alienate Workers? How Did Marx Feel That Workers Could Overcome Their Alienation?1904 Words   |  8 Pagesthat he produces. Therefore, capitalism can gain the domination over the production as well as the workers and trigger alienation. In Marx’s vision, there are four aspects in his theory of alienation. According to his writing, Economic amp; Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844, alienation means that workers are alienated from the process of production, the products they produced, species being and other workers. a) In the first aspect, alienation of workers and process of production, workers areRead MoreAccording to Marx, How Does Capitalism Alienate Workers? How Did Marx Feel That Workers Could Overcome Their Alienation?1918 Words   |  8 Pagesthat he produces. Therefore, capitalism can gain the domination over the production as well as the workers and trigger alienation. In Marx’s vision, there are four aspects in his theory of alienation. According to his writing, Economic amp; Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844, alienation means that workers are alienated from the process of production, the products they produced, species being and other workers. a) In the first aspect, alienation of workers and process of production, workers areRead MoreThe Marxist Concept Of Communism1735 Words   |  7 Pagesmore than labor, dehumanizing and devaluing himself with every product he creates. According to Marx this causes the worker to lose all individual character and become nothing more than an appendage of the machine (Marx, 18). In Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844, Marx further explains the concept of alienation, describing three main types: alienation from the product of labour, alienation from the act of production, and finally alienation from one’s own humanity. Marx begins by discussingRead MoreMarx, Weber And Durkheim s Views On The Social1385 Words   |  6 Pagesdifferent perspective about â€Å"the social† and how that perspective presented it through society. Marx’s view on â€Å"the social† was focused on production relations and how the classes interacted with one another through t hat type of relationship (Marx 1844). Weber’s view on â€Å"the social† was focused on meaningful relationships and he brought the aspect of religion and rank into his view (Weber 1925). Lastly Durkheim’s view on â€Å"the social† was focused on the moral relationships and how the individualRead MoreAdolf Marx : A Central Concern For The Young Karl Marx Essay1729 Words   |  7 Pagesclaimed that the Proletariats would become so great that they would overturn the Bourgeoisie hence provoking social disarray. Marx never gave a specific definition as to what alienation is, although many of his writings, including Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts, which I will refer to throughout the essay, were dedicated to the concept. Alienation in its most general sense may be considered as a distancing from something or ones own world. Marx’s theory of alienation sees human culture, civilisationRead MoreComparing Marx And Engels s The Manifesto Of The Communist Party Essay957 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Bourgeoisie and the Proletariat. The bourgeoisie, with roots in the Middle Ages, rose when the economic market opened up due to the discovery of America. The bourgeoisie owns the means of production. That means, they own the financial capital and material resources needed to control production. They are also the ones receiving profit created by industries. As the bourgeoisie advanced in an economic setting, they advanced politically. With more free trade agreements, they could make their power Read MoreMarx s Theory Of The Social Economy Essay1435 Words   |  6 Pagesco-authored â€Å"The Communist Manifesto† to â€Å"Capital: Critique of Political Economy†. This paper, however, will concentrate on one of his lesser known works. In 1844 Marx wrote the â€Å"Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844†, this was not published during his lifetime and first appeared in 1927,an astounding forty-four years after his death. The manuscripts themselves explore a wide range of topics, this paper will be looking at Marx’s theory of the â€Å"alienation of labour†. For Marx, the product of your labourRead MoreMarx and the Bourgeoisie Essay1908 Words   |  8 Pageswould logically lead to an increase in wages and therefore and increased standard of living. Marxs analysis is too narrow-minded and does not take into consideration capitalism as it relates to the entire country. Included in the Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844, Marx addr esses the issue of an increase in wages, An enforced increase of wages (disregarding all other difficulties, including the fact that it would only be by force, too, that the higher wages, being an anomaly, could be maintained)

Essay on Creative Capitalism - 923 Words

For this extra credit assignment, we were assigned an article by Bill Gates about â€Å"creative† capitalism. Bill Gates is one of the most well-known and wealthy men on Earth, earning his fortune from software like Microsoft Office and Windows. At the time this article was written, neither was sold at prices below $100. But this article is not about the capitalism that Bill Gates’ company has used and which he gained his fortune from. No, today Bill Gates is telling us about his idea of creative capitalism. The thesis of the article is that we need to change our economy to become a more creative capitalistic system. (As an aside, what makes this idea creative? Welfare capitalism would be much more descriptive. A company’s creativity has†¦show more content†¦I think that Walmart is a great example of creative capitalism, and I wonder why Gates didn’t include it in his article? The Walmart effect will always be a significant side effect of creative capitalism. In Gates’ world, firms will be producing much more of a product, to compensate for the huge drop in prices. They will have to cut prices, leading to a huge growth in low wage labor like sweat shops. This will certainly create jobs, but at the price of worker health. A worst case scenario is that we end up with massive amounts of workers working to produce the products that they will all share. A system that looks a lot like a communist system, with power held by major companies (like Bill Gates’). Cleary there are things that Bill Gates did not think about in his creative capitalism system, like labor, and how much it costs to produce a physical product (which a software company like Microsoft does very little of). Bill Gates proposes that many companies will want to help people purely from the benefits they will get from helping them. I think that this is another flawed argument. There is a reason that now, almost 2 years since this article was written, n othing has changed, and has probably only gotten worse. Large companies have little incentive to undertake the changes that creative capitalism demands. Stockholders demand profits, which companies can barely makeShow MoreRelatedUnderstanding Creative Capitalism And The Free Market2100 Words   |  9 PagesModule 5 Understanding Creative Capitalism According to http://financial-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Free-market+capitalism, free market capitalism is a system of economics that minimizes government intervention and maximizes the role of the market. According to the theory of the free market, rational economic actors acting in their own self-interest deal with information and price goods and services the most efficiently. Government regulations, trade barriers, and labor laws areRead MoreToday s Relationship Of Education And Economy880 Words   |  4 PagesToday’s relationship of education and economy can be best described by one of the most influential people in history, Albert Einstein, who said â€Å"Capitalism has brought with it progress, not merely in production but also in knowledge.† One of the most fundamental building blocks of technological advancements in today’s society is the dependence on education. Creative Destruction, in simpler terms, is the persistent renewal of technology that c onstantly supersedes the previous forerunner. Many universitiesRead MoreComparative Critique Of Comparative Capitalism1214 Words   |  5 PagesCOMPARATIVE CAPITALISM Case Study #4: Comparative Capitalism Florence F. Messi St Thomas University Miami Gardens, Florida Abstract The Merriam-Wester dictionary defines capitalism as an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market. (2015). However for an ideal capitalism to fully operateRead MoreOutline and discuss Marxs theory of Alienation Essay1585 Words   |  7 PagesCapitalist industrial practices, the worker will experience a series of feelings of disconnection from integral parts of the labour process and ultimately, from humanity itself. I will argue that this theory will be relevant as long as the reign of Capitalism dominates modern society. Marx advocates that the only way alienation can be alleviated is through the destruction of the current economic base which he predicts is an inevitable gravitation towards a classless, stateless society known as socialismRead MoreDisadvantages Of Capitalis m1594 Words   |  7 Pagesinto action. The concept of capitalism is a very important concept to the United States and many other countries whose citizens value freedom and independency. Capitalism has many different aspects to it. First, capitalism is a social system. The trade and industry of a capitalist country is based off of private owners and not the government. Capitalism is centered around the rights of the individuals. It allows the individual to make his or her own decisions. Capitalism is usually open to new ideasRead MoreIs Marx Or Weber More Useful?1524 Words   |  7 Pagesuseful to analysing capitalism today? Capitalism is â€Å"a system of economic enterprise based on market exchange† (Giddens, 2009). Almost all industrial societies today are capitalistic in nature since their economic structures are based on free enterprise and market competition. However, capitalism first became the dominant mode of production over two centuries ago in Western society. Over this period, there have been some major theorists who have attempted to analyse capitalism and among these theoristsRead MoreHayek s Individual Freedom Is Best Secured Through A Free Market1660 Words   |  7 Pagesstandards. 2. Joseph Schumpeter argues that capitalism is a kind of â€Å"evolutionary system† that creates and destroys society. Explain Schumpeter’s notion of â€Å"creative destruction† and his overall argument. I believe to thoroughly delve into the argument that Schumpeter constructed we would have to get some fundamental definitions established such as capitalism, creative destruction and evolutionary system and understand how they comingle. What does capitalism mean? An economic and political system inRead MoreKarl Marx, Alienation of Labor784 Words   |  4 Pagessaid that in the product of labor the worker is alienated from the object he produces because it is bought, owned and disposed of by someone else, the capitalist. In all societies people use their creative abilities to produce items which they use to exchange or sell. Marx believes that under capitalism this becomes an alienated activity because the worker cant use the things that he produces to engage in further productive activity. Marx argued that the alienation of the worker from what he producesRead MoreStratification And Inequality Essay1497 Words   |  6 Pagesthemes of immigration, work and occupations in the Unit ed States. I am particularly interested in examining these processes in the urban context. Stratification and Inequality Growing up in China during the economic transformation toward capitalism, my personal experience inspired me to understand the structures, dynamics, and mechanisms that underlie inequalities in transitional China. Although there has been a surge in research in transitional China over the past 20 years and those studiesRead MoreCharles Darwin s Theory Of Evolution1420 Words   |  6 PagesJoseph Schumpeter is well known in the area of economics. He ingeniously coined the term creative destruction which he used in his argument about Capitalism and its effects on society and the economy (Vesterman, 2008). This paper will discuss Charles Darwin â€Å"Natural Selection† from On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, and Joseph Schumpeter â€Å"The process of Creative Destruction from Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy†. Charles Darwin came from a background that consisted of scientifically

Baroque Art Free Essays

Challenge II Baroque Art: What is it and why do we care about it? The Baroque is often thought of as a period of artistic style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, architecture, and music. The style began around 1600 in Rome, Italy and spread to most of Europe. It’s defined as â€Å"a style of European architecture, music, and art of the 17th and 18th centuries that followed mannerism and is characterized by ornate detail. We will write a custom essay sample on Baroque Art or any similar topic only for you Order Now In architecture the period is exemplified by the palace of Versailles and by the work of Bernie in Italy. Major composers include Vivaldi, Bach, and Handel; Carving and Rueben are important baroque artists. † (Being Dictionary) However, the word â€Å"baroque† seems to have a slight negative connotation-the original translations of this word include Italian for â€Å"tortuous medieval pedantry’ and Portuguese for â€Å"deformed pearl. In other accounts, Baroque is associated with strange, bizarre, and spectacle. This is probably because of the art side of the baroque period: controversial artists such as Peter Paul Rueben captured voluptuous women on canvas in The Rape of Lucrative and The Rape of the Daughters of Leucosis, and Giant Lorenz Bernie in The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa. So why is all this this important to us? Well, despite being a bit provoking and over-extravagant, the baroque period was also beneficial. In addition to producing the earliest European music familiar to most of us, including Bachelor’s Canon and Vivaldi The Four Seasons, the baroque era also greatly expanded our horizons. The acceptance of Copernicus 16th century theory that the planets didn’t evolve around the earth made the universe a much larger place, while Galileo work helped us get better acquainted with the cosmos. The philosophical aspect of the baroque makes it important; and the vestiges of the era are still heard today in music- some of the most influential and beloved compositions are regularly performed in concert halls, and snippets of Bach and Vivaldi frequently appear in the solos of heavy metal guitarists. Having long since shed its derogatory connotations, â€Å"baroque† is now simply a convenient catch-all for one of the richest and most diverse periods in music and art history. Baroque Art By perpendicular How to cite Baroque Art, Papers

Cambridge Companion To Virtue Ethics Press -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Cambridge Companion To Virtue Ethics Press? Answer: Introduction The report focuses on whether or not ASX companies need to pay no more than 20 times the average salary of employees. In the modern world, this is an important aspect of the business organisations as in the public organisations, the remuneration paid to the executives have been met with many criticisms (Crane Matten, 2016). The compensation provided all the employee benefits that are required for the satisfaction of the employees and ensure a healthy working atmosphere. However, it is to be kept in mind that the finances of a company are high in order to provide sufficient compensation benefits. Certain Government laws also exist that encourages in the payment of compensation to the employees as per the work was done by them. The essay takes into account the need of the ASX companies in providing compensations that are higher than the average salary. According to Trevino Nelson (2016), the companies need to keep in mind that employee satisfaction at the cost of financial stability may hamper the growth of the organisations in future. In order to conduct the report in a successful manner, the example of Amcor Limited is considered. Amcor Limited is a multinational packing company situated in Australia. It is a public company that aids in flexible as well as rigid packaging for food companies, beverage and tobacco companies. The aim of the company is to protect food items, beverage and pharmaceuticals from any type of contagious diseases. The company is located in Melbourne and was established in 1986. The headquarters of the company is located in Zurich, big due to the fact that it is registered with the Australian Security Exchange (ASX), the company conducts its operations from Australia. Over the years the company have grown and have managed to earn revenue of $9.1 billion in the year 2016. The company owns over 35,000 employees (Amcor.com, 2017). Based on the analysis of the company, it can be said that the increased compensation of the employees can hinder the progress of Amcor. This is because the financial position of the company can be compromised given the increased rate of compensation of the employees. In this regard, a certain analysis is made that form an integral part of the analysis of business ethics. The analysis is done in the Utilitarian approach, Kantian approach and the virtue ethics that are involved in understanding business ethics. Theoretical implication and extension of the concepts in terms of use in Amcor are also analysed. Utilitarian analysis Weiss (2014) stated that Utilitarianism determines the right approach from the wrong approach. It is an essential ethical theory that focuses on the outcomes in the form of consequentialism. Utilitarianism contributes to the analysis that results in determining the outcomes of an action. The implications of such outcomes are also important in order to provide benefits for people. According to Hoffman, Frederick Schwartz (2014), utilitarianism considers the ethical choices that produce the greatest results for the betterment of the people. It is a common aspect to use modern reasoning in the field of decision-making and providing benefits to the employees. Hence, a clear distinction is made that determines the good from the bad. A pragmatic approach is followed in order to avoid performing acts based on principles. Despite this, it can be said that due to the unpredictable future, it is difficult to understand whether the actions taken can cause any good consequence. DesJardins McCall (2014) criticised the concept stating that utilitarianism fails to provide values such as justice and individual rights. For example, using the service of an experienced person at a time when the mass people without experience can be considered as the greatest good during the time. However, actions taken during such instances are considered as unacceptable as well as unethical. Chell et al., (2016) observed that the utilitarianism have two major consequences that are essential for evaluation. The first consequence includes taking decisions that are normally deemed to be illegal. The actions taken in an instant manner may cause temporary solve of a problem. However, it can have a bad influence in the future as the consequence can lead to the hampering of the situation. The second consequence is the non-fulfilment of goals or objectives (Oakley Cocking, 2011). This can also be considered as a loss for any company or people as the taking an ethical decision at the ti me of crisis can also have a negative consequence. Hence, it can be said that utilitarianism has certain limitations in determining the right and wrong approach based on the reasoning of the people. Hartman, DesJardins MacDonald (2014) observed that utilitarianism tends to offer an easier method to determine the course of an action. The right approach, decision and choice are determined based on the actions that are performed by an individual. In order to understand the current choice of action, it is necessary to analyse every possible choice of actions that are required. One of the challenging tasks that are faced in the modern era is to determine the maximum benefit that can be received while evaluating the quantity and quality of the benefit. Apart from these, the consequences that may arise while determining a current course of action can be considered as a challenging factor in the modern era. Barry (2016) stated that despite a current approach taken by individuals while applying the concept it can have certain problems. These problems arise due to them as the concept requires assigning values for benefits and costs. These require being calculated in an abstract manner in order to determine the results of the choice of actions. Another problem is the fact that during the time of justice based on moral decisions, individuals cannot apply the concept of utilitarianism. Hence, in this regard, it can be said that utilitarianism considers the policies, decisions and actions that are taken in order to determine the right course of action. In a company such as Amcor, the application of the concept is required in order to determine the worth of the increased compensation. In the modern era, the concept has been described as putting the need of self before that of others (Donaldson Dunfee, 2014). It has also been pointed out that the use of Kantian theory can help in determining the right choice of ethical action that is required in the modern world. Kantian analysis Kantian ethics can also be considered as the ethical theory dealing with the deontological approach. It provides the fact that an action can be considered good if the willingness to perform the action is for the greater good (Bowie, 2012). This can be applied in organisational context as well since most companies owe certain duties to the customers. An ethical law can be established from the concept of performing a duty. It has been argued that the feelings of people engaged in the goodwill of others can be considered as a proper good deed. Deeds that align itself with self-centric approach cannot be considered as a proper means to help build ethical awareness among people. Beauchamp, Bowie Arnold (2014) stated that the unethical force to the individuals cannot be considered as an ethical approach because it can be considered as unauthorised agreement. The ethical duties arise due to the failure to fulfil certain works that needed to be done in an ethical manner. In this regard, two perspective or approaches can be considered in order to determine the application of the Kantian analysis. Reynolds Bowie (2014) observed that the characteristics of the ethical programs are based on the hypothetical imperative and categorical imperative. These two provide an overview of the manner in which the perspective of individuals can be taken into consideration. The hypothetical imperative defines the fact that individuals are sometimes asked to perform tasks by providing proper encouragement. Individuals take up social activities or any activity assigned at the workplace and complete it any manner (Bowie, 2010). The encouragement received by the individuals can be either in the form of self-satisfaction or from the interest of the people. On the other hand, the categorical imperative is when individuals are forced to perform tasks. These approaches can be differentiated in a manner in which the responses of the individuals take place. Hence, Baron Baron (2013) observed that individuals need to act upon certain rules that produce no consequences and are accepted in a universal manner. The imperatives are based on the reasons that are applicable in the ethical context rather than based on the contingent facts about the individuals. The biggest differences between the hypothetical as well as the classical imperative are the obligation and the binding of the individuals based on the duties and the ethical considerations that are undertaken by the individuals. Goodpaster (2013) opined that the actions of an individual need to be based on the communication that exists between two or more individuals. The interests and intentions of the individuals need to be discussed in order to determine any ethical consequences that may exist in the lives of the people. Based on the influences of the Kantian theory, other theories have come up that highlight the ethics of an individual. These theorists have been able to redefine the concept and ensured that the Kantian theory forms the base and highlight of the theories (Henschke, 2017). However, there have been criticisms regarding the application of Kantian theory in the modern world. One of the criticisms is the fact that the theory provides no or less information about the actions of the people. This is mainly because of the fact that the theory is based on the principle of non-contradiction. The theory lacked the proper content required for the construction of principle morality. Jarvis (2017) further added the fact that the ethics need to be followed based on the explanation and interpretation of the things that are required to be done by an individual. However, Kantian theory presents the ideas of what is required to be done in order to maintain proper ethical consent in the society. Hence, the application of Kantian theory can also be justified in Amcor in order to understand the requirement of the employees. Virtue ethics analysis According to Spiegel (2017), virtue ethics is based upon the approaches that focus on the development of characters among an individual and motivates them in order to maintain the ethical considerations. Virtue ethics can be related to the moral philosophies and principles that do not hold any guidelines or rules in terms of ethical considerations. It is important for an individual to find a proper balance in order to make ethical decisions. The agents involved in practising virtue ethics does not engage in any rules that require individuals to carry out ethical decisions. Virtue ethics is considered as one of the modern and major approaches in the normative ethics. The self-interest of the people is a major benefit in terms of achieving the goals set for maintaining the ethical considerations. Businesses can also use the approach in order to earn maximum profits. Van Hooft (2014) identifies this ethical approach as a manner in which moral character of an individual can be developed. The manner in which individuals opting virtue ethics perceives the world is different from those that are observed by followers of other ethical contexts. It has been established that utilitarianism approach points to the facts that the consequences of emphasising on moral duties and rights can help in maximising the well-being among an individual. The followers of Kantian approach have a different view stating that moral rights and duties will be conducted based on the moral rules that are developed. The followers of virtue ethics will counter these statements stating that the moral ethics and duties need to be considered as charitable events and the benevolence of it is required in order to attend virtue (Elliot, 2016). Virtue ethics defines concepts that are more fundamental in the society. Most often virtues are observed from a point of view of the characteristic of an individual. The behaviour of the individuals in the society, as well as the actions performed by the people, determine the virtue ethics of the individuals (Russell, 2013). The application of virtue ethics assimilate in society can be done by formulating two types of approaches. These include the action approach and agent-based approach. The action-based approach focuses more on the guidelines that need to be followed in order to maintain ethnic context. The agent-based approach is mainly about achieving the personal goals set by the individuals in terms of maintaining ethics in the society. Bright, Winn Kanov (2014) stated that virtue can be used in two meanings that define the actions corresponding to the quality of character and disposition. It defines the necessary things that need to be done in order to understand and perform one or more universal duties that are required for maintaining ethical considerations. Thus, it can be said that virtue ethics form an essential part of the ethical theories that define the moral duties of individuals. The three theories that have been conceptualised above can be applied in organisational contexts (Fernando Moore, 2015). In the case of Amcor, the ethical theories can be used in order to ensure that the company can manage the compensation that it provides to the employees. The following point analysis the extension of the theories in the organisational context in order to provide a clear idea about the application of the concepts. Theory extension Based on the analysis of the theories, it can be said that Amcor Limited need to apply ethics in the organisation based on the philosophies stated in the theories. This can help the company as well as the employees to develop self-consciousness about the ways by which they need to maintain the decorum of the organisation. The focus of the study is to understand whether or not compensation should be more than the fixed salary of an employee. Hence, the theoretical implications can help managers as well as employees to understand the pros and cons of providing more compensation. Application of Utilitarianism: As stated by Hursthouse (2016), utilitarianism helps people to understand the rights from the wrong. The determination of the actions is identified after the analysis of outcomes. Hence, ethical choices need to be considered in order to improve the actions of the people. In this regard, it can be said that Amcor Limited need to ensure that unethical means are not adopted by the company in terms of maintaining the finances of the organisation. The goals and objectives of the organisation need to be maintained in order to keep the employees satisfied. The fact that the employees are drawing a high compensation needs to reflect in the work that is being performed. Solomon (2017) observed that the employees need to ensure that the benefits that are being provided to them are not beyond the compensation practice of the organisation. The consequences that may bring due to the increased compensation need to be communicated with the stakeholders. It may be diff icult for the company to involve the stakeholders in order to ensure that the consequences of increased benefits are helping the company. Hence, based on this theory, it can be said that the increase of 20 times the averse salary is not applicable in a company like Amcor. Application of Kantian theory: The application of Kantian theory, needs to be based on the fact that the employees can be categorised based on the imperatives that are associated with the theory. In the context of Amcor, the hypothetical imperative needs to encourage and motivate the employees in terms of performing the work. Based on the work performed by the employees the compensations can be provided (Hursthouse, 2017). On the other hand, the application of categorical imperative can force the employees to behave as professionals and carry out the objectives of the organisation. Despite the application of either of the imperatives, the fact that the compensation is more than the average salary is not justified (Koehn, 2015). This is because the average salary of the employees is the basic amount that is needed to be paid to the employees. However, the compensations are provided after completing a certain period in the organisation and based on the position of the employees. Hence, the increased level of compensation cannot justify the salary of the employees. The ethical consent in this context needs to come from the fact that the employees need to work hard in order to earn a minimum compensation from the managers (Annas, 2017). Application of virtue ethics theory: According to Trianosky (2010), virtue ethics refer to the ways by which character of an individual is developed. Based on the behaviours and attitudes of the employees, Amcor can generate compensation. The rules and regulations of the company need to provide the morality at which the managers treat the employees. However, the fact that ethical considerations are considered as donations can be a huge factor in the application of this ethical theory. Nevertheless, Annas (2017) observed that the behaviour and actions of the employees can result in the earning of compensation. This can be a motivational factor as the employees can gain the benefits that are useful for motivating them and enhancing the quality of work performed by them. According to Hursthouse (2016), virtue ethics judge people based on the behaviours and ideas provided by the people. However, the employees of Amcor are not judged based on the factors that are needed for gaining compen sation. Hence, the excess amounts of compensation provided by the managers can herm the financial status of Amcor. Suggestions regarding the ways to improve the current situation or reduce the compensation amount can be provided in order to avoid the excess of finance in the company. Conclusion In order to improve the reputation of the organisation and ensure that the ethics are maintained it is necessary for the mangers of Amcor to ensure that the compensation level of the company is reduced. This is required in order to maintain the financial level of the organisation. The application of the theoretical concept developed by Kant can be used in this case. The employees need to be encouraged to work properly in order to attain the goals and objectives of the organisation. The fact that the compensation level is higher than the salary is motivation enough to perform work in an effective manner. Apart from this, it is also needed that the employees manage to comply with the reduced compensation in an organisation. This can be considered as the application of virtue ethics theory in the organisation. The fact that this theory idealises the idea of self-awareness can be used to convince the employees about the necessity of reducing compensation. Thus, it can be concluded that in order to conduct a successful business it is necessary that companies manage to maintain the necessary ethics required for successful completion. In this regard, the application of ethical concepts and theories are important in order to implement the theories in a successful manner. In the case of Amcor Limited, the company can apply the theories in order to convince employees about the reduction of compensation. The fact that the compensation rate is higher than the average salary cannot be justified due to the financial loss that a company can suffer. Hence, the adoption of the theories is important to understand the required ethical behaviour in an organisation. Reference Amcor.com. (2017).Amcor.com. Retrieved 1 November 2017, from https://www.amcor.com/ Annas, J. (2017). Which Variety of Virtue Ethics?. InVarieties of Virtue Ethics(pp. 35-51). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Baron, D. P., Baron, D. P. (2013).Business and its environment(p. 2). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Barry, N. (2016).Business ethics. Springer. Beauchamp, T. L., Bowie, N. E., Arnold, D. G. (Eds.). (2014). Ethical theory and business. Bowie, N. E. (2010). Business ethics, philosophy, and the next 25 years.Business Ethics Quarterly,10(1), 7-20. Bowie, N. E. (2012). A Kantian approach to business ethics.A companion to business ethics, 3-16. Bright, D. S., Winn, B. A., Kanov, J. (2014). Reconsidering virtue: Differences of perspective in virtue ethics and the positive social sciences.Journal of Business Ethics,119(4), 445-460. Chell, E., Spence, L. J., Perrini, F., Harris, J. D. (2016). Social entrepreneurship and business ethics: does social equal ethical?.Journal of Business Ethics,133(4), 619-625. Crane, A., Matten, D. (2016).Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in the age of globalization. Oxford University Press. DesJardins, J. R., McCall, J. J. (2014).Contemporary issues in business ethics. Cengage Learning. Donaldson, T., Dunfee, T. W. (2014). Toward a unified conception of business ethics: Integrative social contracts theory.Academy of management review,19(2), 252-284. Elliot, D. (2016). The Turn to Classification in Virtue Ethics: A Review Essay. Fernando, M., Moore, G. (2015). MacIntyrean virtue ethics in business: A cross-cultural comparison.Journal of Business Ethics,132(1), 185-202. Goodpaster, K. E. (2013). Business ethics.Wiley Encyclopedia of Management. Hartman, L. P., DesJardins, J. R., MacDonald, C. (2014).Business ethics: Decision making for personal integrity and social responsibility. New York: McGraw-Hill. Henschke, A. (2017).Ethics in an Age of Surveillance: Personal Information and Virtual Identities. Cambridge University Press. Hoffman, W. M., Frederick, R. E., Schwartz, M. S. (Eds.). (2014).Business ethics: Readings and cases in corporate morality. John Wiley Sons. Hursthouse, R. (2016). Normative virtue ethics.How should one live,1, 19-37. Hursthouse, R. (2016).On virtue ethics. OUP Oxford. Hursthouse, R. (2017). ON VIRTUE ETHICS.Applied Ethics: A Multicultural Approach, 29. Jarvis, L. (2017). The Ethics of Mislocalized Selfhood: Proprioceptive drifting towards the virtual other.Performance Research,22(3), 30-37. Koehn, D. (2015). A role for virtue ethics in the analysis of business practice.Business Ethics Quarterly,5(3), 533-539. Oakley, J., Cocking, D. (2011).Virtue ethics and professional roles. Cambridge University Press. Reynolds, S. J., Bowie, N. E. (2014). A Kantian perspective on the characteristics of ethics programs.Business Ethics Quarterly,14(2), 275-292. Russell, D. C. (Ed.). (2013).The Cambridge companion to virtue ethics. Cambridge University Press. Solomon, R. C. (2017). Business ethics and virtue.A companion to business ethics, 30-37. Spiegel, J. S. (2017). The Ethics of Virtual Reality Technology: Social Hazards and Public Policy Recommendations.Science and Engineering Ethics, 1-14. Trevino, L. K., Nelson, K. A. (2016).Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right. John Wiley Sons. Trianosky, G. (2010). What is virtue ethics all about?.American Philosophical Quarterly,27(4), 335-344. Van Hooft, S. (2014).Understanding virtue ethics. Routledge. Weiss, J. W. (2014).Business ethics: A stakeholder and issues management approach. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

Sexual images in Christina Rossettis Goblin Market Essay Example

Sexual images in Christina Rossettis Goblin Market Paper In reading Christina Rossettis Goblin Market, I was first impressed by the colourful imagery and exciting events that take place in Rossettis fantastic and mysterious creation. The adventures of Lizzie and Laura, and Lizzies ultimate act of heroism at saving her sister from becoming another victim of evil goblin men, was fun to skim through quickly and enjoy on a surface level. But when I read the poem again, I noticed some serious sexual undertones throughout the piece. The goblin men and what they represented, their dealings with the sisters, and the sacrifices their victims must ake all carry very sexual meanings and messages. In fact, I think many of the images in Goblin Market could be construed, in todays world, as a form of pornography. Ill go through various elements of the poem and explain how the representation of men the bonds of women can be interpreted as pornographic. Christina Rossetti invented the characters of the goblin men in order to explore many of the issues associated with feminism and gender roles in society. The goblin men directly represent what men want from women. Men want sexual innocence from women, the typical male fantasy of the willing virgin is laid out quite clearly. We will write a custom essay sample on Sexual images in Christina Rossettis Goblin Market specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sexual images in Christina Rossettis Goblin Market specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sexual images in Christina Rossettis Goblin Market specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In contemporary society men gawk over young looking pop icons such as Brittany Spears, and pornographic movies reenact school detention scenarios with women dressed as schoolgirls offering themselves to guidance counselors. The same is true in Goblin Market the men only want virginal young women, and once the fantasy has been lived out for them, they have no more use for the poor female victim, and throw her away. Laura no longer hears the cries of the goblins therefore she is no longer worthy of mens attention. Consequently after premarital loss of virginity, women, like Laura in the oem, feels stripped of her dignity and self-worth, and can no longer go on living the same way again. Other examples of Rossettis portrayal of the goblin men as sexual predators abound throughout the poem. One had a cats face/One whisked a tail/One tramped at a rats pace/One crawled like a snail. Such variety in describing each goblin seems to assert that such devious sexual predators can come in all shapes and sizes, and can easily fool their unsuspecting victims. Rossetti does the same late in the poem when describing the goblins courting of Lizzie: Snail-paced and in a hurry/Parrot-voiced and whistler This demonstrates that sexual predators can use many different methods in seducing a victim. The goblin men also seem to possess biblical qualities as well. Such as when Eve tempts Adam in the Garden of Eden, so do the goblin men try to tempt the virgin maidens with their own forbidden fruit. The men first seem perfectly nice and genuine, but when they are rebuffed they become violent and angry. This too can be said for many sexual predators. The rape scene with Lizzie later in the poem could be looked upon in a contemporary light as the violent outbursts of a scorned man bent on wicked and ainful revenge. Whether Rossetti intentionally depicted the goblin men as such chilling and horrible sexual predators is uncertain. However, it is clear that in Goblin Market, they are most definitely the villains. When the goblin men deal with the sisters, there are some very sexual ideas demonstrated. The objects of desire in the poem, the fruits, are described in an overtly sexual manner, by both the goblin men, and later the sisters themselves. Strong sexual suggestions are used in describing Lauras indulgence in the fruit, in her first encounter with the goblin men. Such sentences as She sucked and sucked and sucked the more. And, She sucked until her lips were sore. Of course like I have mentioned previously, the goblin men have use only for virgins and as part of the same stanza as the fruit sucking, They flung the emptied rinds away. The throwing away of the female victim is also tied into the fruit as the rinds describe the women who have lost their virginity. The fruit is described to be fresh and beautiful and unpecked the women are tempted with the fruit that is supposed to be a joy to eat. It sounds tempting and once had, Laura ants more, she searches for it but is non-existent to the goblins. It sounds much like the age-old story of young men coaxing women into sleeping with them with promises of being around the next day. Laura describes the fruit to her sister, What peaches with a velvet nap. Pellucid grapes without one seed. Which as I would decipher would refer to sex that is not in the intention of procreation. Although the poem has not been given a solid place or time, the activities of the sisters strike me as rural and pre-industrial which might refer to a time when in many cultures sex was strictly an activity to procreate. Like men offer love and passion, the goblin men offer incredible fruit the price however is virginity and the result is being unwanted. As shown in the poem, first by Jeanie and then by Laura, consequences of dealing with the goblin men are very grave, and also bear some very sexual connotations. Jeanie encountered the goblin men and then ached for them until her death. I believe Jeanies death to not be the important part of her story, although it may represent misogynistic genocide, as premarital sex can lead to death in some cultures. What I do believe to be mportant is Jeanies aging and her gravesite. Jeanie was described to have dwindled and grew gray. She became old and unwanted after a single act with the goblins. Age is definitely an important issue to discuss in the realm of women and therefore is mentioned in womens literature. Age used to be of importance for child bearing endurance, today it signifies beauty and the media attacks the self esteem of every women the minute she looks a day over sixteen, refer to any Calvin Klein advertisement. Even more interestingly there is a reference to Jeanies fertility, While to this day no grass will row, where she lies now. It is not hard to understand where this reference is coming from as much of the reason men demanded to marry virgins was to carry a blood line and a women who is not a virgin before marriage would be considered infertile or ruined. The goblins traded fruit for virginity, today virginity is sold as an idea in primetime television, movies, pornography and white wedding dresses. Sexual references come to a peak near the end of the poem during Lauras redemption. It has been read as a lesbian love scene, and acts as the pivotal point of Laura regaining her virginity. They way this part of the poem is written makes it the most erotic but this was where I had to stop and back track rereading very carefully. I reassured myself that these two characters Laura and Lizzie were in fact sisters. They had the sister bond, the female bond, which is reinforced at the very end, and now the bond of lovers. I think Rossetti ignored the incestual side of this love making and used it purely to empower women and display the strengthening of the female bond as well as the absence of men. The three bonds between women are now displayed sisters, friends nd lovers however I cannot ignore the crossover of the sister and lover bond as Rossetti surely must have considered this new addition, the topic of incest. Is the incestual relationship an awakening for both of the women, a chance to experiment and exercise sexual explorations in a harmless way before moving on to marry and have children? It may be just a metaphor that the bond between women is so strong as we read that Lizzie helps Laura regain her virginity. I cant help but see that this eroticism is also representing a male fantasy. Two sisters in the act of lovemaking can very well be read s pornographic if not taboo. Hue Hefner is dating twins, and many movies particularly those that have themes of sex refer to such scenarios. Christina Rossettis Goblin Market a childrens poem, tells a tale of exploration, loss of innocence and redemption through the story of goblin men who sell forbidden fruit. The imagery of the goblin men and their fruit has many sexual and biblical undertones. The story raises issues of the premarital loss of virginity, bonds between women including lesbian relationships and sexual exploration under the thumb f societys view of womens sexuality. The goblin men represent what men want, they offer forbidden fruit which is sweet yet devastating and the price is virginity. The consequence of encountering the goblin men is the loss of control and becoming unwanted. The story touches on many taboos, clearly portraying what men want and what bonds should exist between women. The eroticism of the poem produces images that can be construed as pornographic yet I will concluded that these images are issues that exist even today in our society between men and women, and relationships.

Lab Report for n-Butyl Bromide Preparation Essay Example

Lab Report for n Lab Report for n-Butyl Bromide Preparation Paper Lab Report for n-Butyl Bromide Preparation Paper Add drop of water to aqueous solution that you plan to discard. Make SUre water dissolves then discard. Add ml MM HOSTS to remaining solution and shake. Again, remove the aqueous layer on bottom and discard. Add ml of water to solution and shake. Organic layer on bottom, transfer bottom layer to clean ml vial. Add saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate a little at a time while stirring. Shake and allow layers to separate. Transfer lower alkyl halide layer in ml conical vial using pipette. Dry solution over anhydrous sodium sulfate. Distill dry solution using Hickman still. When distillation complete, weigh the vial and calculate percent yield. Determine the infrared spectrum of product using salt plate. Day 1: First I weighed an empty ml flask with lid = 15. Egg. Then I added the n-butyl alcohol into the flask and weighed that weight = 17. Egg. I can subtract the two values to determine the exact weight of n-butyl alcohol added 17. Egg-15. Egg = 1. Egg n-butyl alcohol. I then added 2. Ml of water and about 2. Egg of sodium bromide to the flask and put it in an ice bath. I slowly added sulfuric acid drop by drop to the solution. Then I removed the flask from the ice bath and placed it in the assembled reflux apparatus and began the heating process for 60 min. After the heating process was complete, I observed that the organic layer of the mixture turned bright red. I extracted the organic layer by removing and discarding the aqueous bottom layer using a pipette. To make sure I had no organic solution in the aqueous extract, I added a drop of water and it dissolved proving that my aqueous extract was just aqueous. I put the remaining solution in a clean ml vial and put it in the freezer. Day 2: After freezing the solution overnight, the organic layer turned a copper/brown color. I added ml of HOSTS to the vial and the two layers formed with the organic layer on top. Removed and discarded the aqueous solution using a pipette. I then added ml of H2O and two layers formed with the organic layer on the bottom. Using a pipette I transferred the bottom layer too clean ml vial. Then added ml of sodium bicarbonate a little at a time, shaking and venting frequently. After the layers separated I transferred the lower alkyl halide layer to dry ml vial and dried this solution with granular anhydrous sodium sulfate. Id not have enough alkyl halide layer left to distill, so I weighed it and then performed the IR spectrum with it. Mechanism of Product Synthesis: Results: As previously stated, I did not have enough ending product to perform the distillation so this is the mass of my product without distillation involved. Mass of final product: Mass of product + vial = 21. Egg Mass o f vial only = 20. Egg Mass of product, alkyl layer = 21. Egg-20. Egg The appearance of my product was clear Percent Yield = actual/theoretical x 100 Conclusion: = 0. Egg During this experiment, there were many chances for mistakes. With every extraction of one layer from another, product could have easily been left behind and discarded in the aqueous solution. The opposite could have occurred too. Some of the aqueous solution could have ended up in the ending product, which would have prevented accuracy in the weights. Both of these errors could explain why my percent yield is so low. Every time you transfer the product into another container you risk losing some of it behind in the process.

Obama being presidentelect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Obama being presidentelect - Essay Example The answer is twofold. Obama was elected because of a) changing times and attitudes and b) his position on Iraq war. We have to admit that our younger generation is not as biased as our older generations were when it comes to race. The youth especially in urban areas and big metropolitan cities have come in contact with people from so many countries that they do not even know if there could ever be just one skin color. They know very well that nationals of different countries have been contributing to the growth of the country and hence consider them as much an American citizen as any. This has had a major impact on Obama's campaign that was all about "change". Obama said from the very beginning that all he wanted was "change". And he as an African American was the very symbol of "Change". A white man in his place talking of change could never have been as effective as him. This is simply because to talk about change, it was important to also represent change and be a symbol of change. That is what people found in Barack Obama's racial background. Another very important thing was Obama's stand on war. ... We need to understand that most countries can fight their own wars and if they cannot, then USA must learn to choose its battles carefully. This is because over the last many years, we have lost hundreds of thousands of our men to senseless wars- to wars that were not even ours. Being a military person, I know how much our country means to us. But when a young person joins the army, he is doing that to protect the country and defend its interests. However over the past 20 years, we have fought wars that had little or nothing to do with United States directly. As the result of this, resentment has grown in people's minds and hearts. They may respect the military but they do not want to see their young boys die in battles that were not even their own. In other words, if a boy dies while fighting to defend his country, it is seen as an honor. But when the same person dies on foreign land, fighting a battle between two countries that he doesn't even belong to, people naturally resent it. This doesn't make them any less patriotic. They only want to see battles chosen carefully so their boys can fight for their own country and not lose their lives in a futile war. This is exactly what has happened during Iraq war. We have lost tens of hundreds of precious lives both in Afghanistan and Iraq. And these wars have been going for a long time now. People are tired of senseless killing and want to see their children come back home. Obama touched people's hearts and souls when he said he would end the war in Iraq and bring those young boys back. Imagine the relief so many mothers and families must have felt upon hearing this. Do you think that with such a claim, anyone else had even a remote chance of

Financial markets and institutions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial markets and institutions - Essay Example Any commodity market might be considered to be financial market if trader’s intention is not the immediate consumption of the commodity but as a means of delaying or accelerating consumption over time. Markets work by placing many interested sellers in one place, thus making them easier to find for potential buyers. An economy which relies primarily on connections between buyers and sellers to allot capital is known as a market economy. Financial markets are affected by forces of supply and demand, and allot capital over time through a price device such as the interest rate. Financial market could mean: organizations that facilitate the transaction in financial products, (for example, Stock exchanges facilitate the trade in stocks, bonds and warrants) and the coming together of buyers and sellers to trade financial products such as stocks and shares including: the use of stock exchanges; directly between buyers and sellers. There are different types of financial markets: capital market which provide finance through issuance of shares and bonds, commodity market which facilitate the trading of commodities, money market which arrange short term debt financing and investment, derivatives markets that provide instruments for the management of financial risk, insurance markets, which facilitate to cover of various risks and foreign exchange market which facilitate the trading of foreign exchange (Wikipedia, 2006). When looking at a financial institution it might seem to be a mediator between investors and customers. A financial institution might be considered as an agent that provides financial services for its customers. Financial institutions generally fall under financial rule from a government authority. The types of financial institutions include banks, building societies, credit unions, stock brokerages, and similar businesses. Financial institutions give service

Importance of Community Engagement for Children in the State of Assignment

Importance of Community Engagement for Children in the State of Indiana - Assignment Example This paper is a presentation of a journal of an activity I undertook on environmental protection in the State of Indiana. The journal will seek to explain what I did in the activity, the organization I worked with in the activity, how the activity is related with the course, specifically ethics and social responsibility as they relate to environmental issues, and how I feel about the activity. The activity involved planting trees in an activity dubbed â€Å"A tree for a child.† My participation in the initiative was in two phases. First, I participated in raising funds. In doing this, I involved my family members and friends to assist me to raise funds towards supporting the venture. I managed to collect $ 850 that went towards purchasing some trees and some went to the support kitty that supports these children to vocational school or university. Second, I took part in tree planting. Being in America, I had to travel to Indonesia to participate in tree planting. I managed to plant 10 trees, which translates to helping 10 children go to school and assured of food security. A Tree for A Child is a social and environmental initiative whose aim is to alleviate poverty by protecting the environment, which in turn provides food security to the underprivileged children in the society. The program, which is coordinated by ATFAC, an Indonesian, based organization aims at creating awareness to students, corporate and the community at large on the importance of the environmental protection and the education of the underprivileged children. (ATFAC, n.d). The organization welcomes participation from all over the world since, through the initiative, talented underprivileged children get scholarships, food, and medical attention. Environmental degradation is one of the major threats facing humankind in this error. According to Murray (2006), environmental degradation can be understood as depletion or destruction of potentially renewable resources like soil forests of wildlife. Its effects are felt more through carbon emissions and food shortage in the entire world.

The Suggestibility of Child Witnesses

The Suggestibility of Child Witnesses Karpinski and Scullins (2009) study tests whether theory of mind and executive functioning affects childrens inclination to adopt the view asserted by misleading questions under pressured interviews. In addition, effects of age ranging from three to five as a factor of suggestibility was investigated. The procedures required 80 preschoolers, over four sessions, to witness a video and live show prior to a theory of mind test, performance on executive function tasks and a Video Suggestibility Scale for Children (VSSC) to rank them based on assents to misleading questions (Yield), changing of answer after feedback (Shift) and total affirmative answers given after feedback in Shift (Yield 2). The results showed that children performed better in theory of mind and executive tasks functions with increasing age, making them less suggestible. This suggests that older children, by understanding the theory of mind, comprehending that the interviewer might have an existing false belief, and thu s avoids assenting. Through the VSSC, lower Yield 2 scores correlated with poorer executive functioning, which was observed in younger children. Additionally, pressure from the interviewer has shown a higher suggestibility in children. However, the study only studied children from ages three to five, limiting the age group to a smaller range and did not include older children into the study. Moreover, executive functions and theory of mind are not the sole factors of individual differences in children that play a part in suggestibility. Allwood, C. M., Granhag, P. A., Jonsson, A. (2006). Child witnesses metamemory realism. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 47(6), 461-470. The study conducted was to determine the degree of acceptance of confidence judgments to childrens answers regarding a video about a kidnapping event. This was investigated using a sample of 80 children, from 11 to 12 years old. Four confidence scales, the numeric scale, picture scale, line scale and written scale were used. Frequency judgments of the children were also acquired. Prior training was provided to ensure that the children understood the probability scale. Results were that participants show overconfidence over all four confidence scales after calibration. No significant effect was found whether any of the confidence scales had affected the confidence judgment. However, a significant difference was found by comparing genders, with girls being better calibrated that boys to confidence scales, and the girls had a significantly lower frequency judgment than boys. However, both genders had a higher frequency judgment than the number of questions they actually had answered cor rectly. Lastly, by comparing the results obtained from adults who watched the same video in another study by Allwood et al. (2003), it showed that children were more overconfident than adults. However, this comparison to another study cannot promise that the conditions undertook were exactly the same. The study should extend its age range of children to younger children, who are still developing, though it is not known whether they would comprehend the different confidence scales to render it effective to children that age. Warren, A. R., McGough, L. S. (1996). Research on childrens suggestibility: Implications for the investigative interview. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 23(2), 269-303. This review contains consolidated result from various researches to report the best conditions under which childrens recount of experiences would be reliable to use in court. This targets eliminating the possibility of childrens suggestibility. By using the role of the interviewer, the timing of the interview and the process, it emphasizes on points which interviewers should take note of. Specifically, interviewers should not hold any bias, nor ask misleading questions. This should also be coupled with a non-biased response and building ground rules such as the acceptance of unsure as a response. Repetition of questions are not encouraged, though it may require several sessions before details are noted. As for interviews, delays would result in more errors in recalling, especially in children. Video recorded interviews are welcomed, serving as evidence in court for reliability and a source for children to remember previous interviews. For the interview process, guidelines do include the necessity of building rapport with the child and allow free-recall of events, as they give higher accuracy of memory. One method widely encouraged is the cognitive interview. Though anatomically correct dolls are not endorsed, age-appropriate language can be used to encourage the child to indicate abused body parts. Lastly, the interview should be done in stress free environment. Though these information would greatly help interviewers, the best formula is to allow states to train specialists in interviewing children or building specific protocol for other interviewers to follow. 4. Quas, J. A., Goodman, G. S., Ghetti, S. Redlich, A. D. (2000). Questioning the child witness: What can we conclude from the research thus far? Trauma, Violence and Abuse, 1(3), 223-249. The study review conducted a summary of researches and their association to investigating child witnesses. First, the articles reported differences in development between younger and older children. It was found that younger children are more suggestible due to poorer recall. However, preschoolers are proficient in script memory, although it is limited to repeated events. Also, though children can recall memory, they have difficulty putting the memory into a logical structure. This is limited by their source memory. The relationship between stress and memory has not been significantly proven, but children who are more distressed may have a lower recall due to a third factor, such as attention. Trauma, especially repeated ones, are not found to hinder memory. Another idea to factor in is general knowledge, where knowledge consistent to what the child knows is encoded in memory easily. Next, suggestibility was discussed. It was revealed that free-recall allows children to give accurate memories, given that no false information was given prior to recall. However, when false information was given repeatedly, childrens suggestibility increased. Thirdly, individual differences in children was reviewed. It concluded that other than age, internal characteristics of the child can affect the quality of the information elicited. Suggestibility has been related to dual representation, source memory and imaginativeness of the child. Though much has been concluded from previous studies, there are certain areas which have not been researched or little research have been done on those areas. 5. Lyon, T. D., Saywitz, K. J. (2006). From post-mortem to preventive medicine: Next steps for research on child witness. Journal of Social Issues, 62(4), 833-861. The current paper looks into future researches that can be done regarding the suggestibility of child witnesses. It proposes to researchers not to only keep abreast of current researches but also develop new models. The study agrees source monitoring training can be conducted to decrease suggestibility in younger children. Due to reluctance of some children to admit to abuse, research can look into factors affecting such victims and methods to allay the symptoms. Also, researches should encompass older children, other than preschoolers. Moreover, laboratory results should be brought out into the field to test its validity. Through combination of field and laboratory work, methods can be refined to bring about better policies. Additionally, recantation, an important topic in child witnesses, is a subject yet to be researched. Similarly, sequencing of recall in children and the extent of display or description of emotions when interviewed can be researched. A lucrative area can be to d iscover methods to allow both therapy and legal proceedings to coexist simultaneously without increasing suggestibility. Lastly, the paper suggests that instead of looking to sexual abuse cases, researchers should acknowledge that there are large proportions of non-sexual cases that can be looked into. However, authors should note that these researches must be applied to the field in order to be rendered effective. It requires policymakers and researchers to come together to allow such cooperation. Through such partnerships, interview processes can be improved to reduce suggestibility.

Dinosaur Extinction Essay examples -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A number of different theories have been assessed throughout the course of this research to attempt to reach a conclusion as to the reason behind the extinction of the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Although all arguments are credible, and supportive with educated information and data, the most conclusive theory of all is The Alvarez Asteroid Impact theory.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alvarez, a researcher at the University of California, discovered a pencil thin layer of Iridium around the rocks in Gubbio, Italy. (New Scientist, 1) Iridium is an element found in meteorites and asteroids. In 1980 it was proven that the layer if Iridium was evidence of a huge comet or meteorite that crashed into the earth sixty five million years ago. The normal amount of Iridium an area is to have is 0.001 on an average. The layer of Iridium found in Gubbio Italy was 0.003. Thirty times the average amount in parts per million. (New Scientist, 1) The theory of the Alvarez Asteroid states that the strength of this comet is at 10,000 times the explosive power of the global nuclear arsenal. The Alvarez Asteroid theory is the leading explanation as to why the amazing dinosaur creatures died millions of years ago, along with many other animals of the Earth's Crustaceous Period.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The extinction of the Tyrannosaurus Rex was obviously due to the same reason. Every other living species was killed sixty five million years ago. Although it is believed that the asteroid theory is the cause of extinction of the Crustaceous Period, we cannot be positive. The environmental effects of this problem were that the dinosaurs living during this period perished from the earth and their extinction remains a mystery to us to this day. All we can do to reenact what happened is use the technology we have in the twenty first century to find more evidence to see what went wrong so long ago. By discovering things like what happened to the Tyrannosaurus Rex we can use this information to prevent an event such as a mass extinction from happening a second time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although it is impossible to rewrite history, we still have to be careful to prevent a catastrophe like the asteroid said to have hit the earth sixty five million years ago. If there is ever a scare of an asteroid as big as the Alvarez Asteroid, one way of preventin... ...d at least seven tons and were over forty feet long. The T-Rex was the largest meat-eating dinosaur. The teeth of the T-Rex are thick and sharp for the killing of its prey. The T-Rex was also very fast; in fact it could outrun any species of dinosaur if it was hungry enough. Scientists have also found that the Tyrannosaurus was also very smart, it would outwit any prey if it needed a snack, even the Gigantosaurus the only dinosaur that is bigger than the T-Rex wasn't smarter than the king. (Highlights, 22)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Tyrannosaurus Rex was a very smart and interesting dinosaur and it is unfortunate that we will never be able to see one. The extinction of dinosaurs was brought on by the Alvarez Theory. It is great to know what actually happened to them now, and also know how to prevent such an occurrence from happening again. If our country uses the technology it has available it will be possible to find out more about the mass extinction of the Crustaceous Period. As the years pass technology becomes more advanced and we will eventually know everything there is to know about what happened sixty five million years ago.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

EU economic relation with MERCOSUR Essay

Introduction MERCOSUR (Southern Common Market) was established in 1991 as a customs union and common market between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Chile and Bolivia later joined as associate Mercosur members. Since mid-2000, they have been engaged in negotiations with the EU to establish a free trade area covering both regions. History in the Making On May 28, 2004, EU and MERCOSUR trade representatives convened in Guadalajara, Mexico to continue an ongoing negotiation process. MERCOSUR holds a comparative advantage in a wide range of agricultural produce, which composes more than half of its total exports, while Europe is particularly strong in industrial and capital markets, such as automobiles, telecommunications and banking. Their complementary economies seem ideally suited for engaging in free trade, with each component of the bloc specializing in their specific fields of strength. However, import quotas and tariffs, intended to protect MERCOSUR members’ infant industries as well as high cost European farmers, present mountainous obstacles to the realization of any free trade agreement. At the May 28 summit, both sides tentatively agreed to open their markets to foreign competition. The EU and MERCOSUR have each shown a willingness to make difficult concessions in order to see their negotiations come to fruition. The Border is Closed The European Union’s protectionist agriculture regulations insulate locally grown produce from foreign competition. Cultivatable land, a precious and scarce commodity on the continent, is extraordinarily expensive. Hence the European Parliament instituted subsidies, import quotas and tariffs to keep the region†s relatively inefficient agro-industry afloat by regulating prices on the European market. These policies have effectively kept MERCOSUR products out of the European market as the EU refused to negotiate on opening its markets up to foreign competition by the raising of its quotas and the lowering of its tariffs. However, European negotiations have recently made important concessions aimed at expediting the process. The EU Common Agricultural Policy of 2003, which significantly reduced Europe’s farm subsidies, coupled with an increase in import quotas and a lowering of tariffs, have strengthened MERCOSUR’s confidence in the positive outcome of trade talks. Europe’s reluctant acquiescence to MERCOSUR’s demands is an attempt to pursue a strategy aimed at obtaining greater access to South American markets where European industries and sectors (such as automobile, telecommunication, banking and computer production) have excelled in the past and appear to have an even more prosperous future. Like its European counterpart, MERCOSUR has traditionally been averse to granting greater access to these markets, defending its protectionist policies with an infant industry argument. These industries are too small, it maintains, to compete in the world market, and therefore opening its borders at this time could destroy domestic firms. However, the South American Common Market has recognized the significance of Europe’s offer, and in return, has allowed for ever greater access to its telecommunication and banking industries. Partners in Decay There is a downside to the growing ties between Europe and MERCOSUR. Europe’s courting of MERCOSUR is at best undermining the fabric that binds the fragile G20 together. G20 members fear that the EU-MERCOSUR agreement could provide unfair access to markets, which would be illegal according to the World Trade Organization (WTO) standards. According to these, Most Favored Nation Status (MFN) cannot be reserved for specific countries, but must be shared among all applicable WTO members. According to some G20 members, including China, India, South Africa and Brazil, the European Union’s decision to engage in trade talks with MERCOSUR is a stratagem to undermine the G20, an organization that could potentially cause serious problems for both the EU and the United States. Restructuring the Map An accord between the two giant trading blocs has the potential to upset and shift the balance of power in the global trade arena, not only affecting the G20 but also challenging US economic hegemony in the Western Hemisphere. A â€Å"leading light in the Cairns group of agricultural exporters† and a founding member of the G20, Brazil’s political clout in the international community is growing exponentially. Its ability to command greater respect in political and economic agreements has persuaded the EU to offer greater concessions to MERCOSUR and is forcing the United States to reformulate its position on the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). There is no doubt that Brazil is using the EU-MERCOSUR trade agreement, and the commercial bonanza it should bring, as a weapon to increase its bargaining power in forthcoming FTAA talks with Washington concerning farm subsidies. The election of two left-leaning presidents in Brazil and Argentina, as well as a shift away from a Western Hemisphere trade pact toward a more amicable courtship with Europe, reflects a fundamental change in Brazilian and Argentine politics as well as in their strategy in dealing with the US. Neither government wants to be considered, as Brazilian President Lula stated during his presidential campaign, an â€Å"annexation† of the United States. In 2004, worries over progress in negotiations deepened as the co-chairmanship of the FTAA rotated to the United States and Brazil. Unfortunately, the inability to compromise by the proposed trading bloc’s two major powers has stalled progress on the realization of such an agreement. It also has persuaded a newly confirmed pessimist MERCOSUR to look across the Atlantic for an opportunity to further its global thrust and self-interests. The United States’s reluctance to discuss any reductions in farm subsidies during recent FTAA trade rounds has hindered the chances of signing a Free Trade Area of the Americas agreement by 2005, the projected year for it to be announced. Meanwhile, Europe has slipped into the foreground, prepared to equal or even replace the United States as the dominant trading power on the South American continent. The United States’s hegemonic status in the Americas is in peril. To maintain a semblance of the status-quo, Washington will have to concede to demands for a slash in farm subsidies if it wishes to reignite the negotiation process, or at least keep it alive, and to maintain itself as the predominant regional superpower, the US will be forced to compromise. The EU-MERCOSUR free trade agreement without a question is a threat to the United States’s dominance in the region. Europe’s belated decision to open its agricultural markets to foreign competition leaves Washington in a precarious position at the negotiating table with its Latin American counterparts. Previously, the EU and the US held the same line regarding agricultural subsidies; both argued that the subject should be addressed at future WTO trade rounds rather than through bilateral trade agreements. If it now wishes to remain competitive with Europe in the South American market, Washington will have to address the issue of the subsidies and import quotas that up to now have plagued many of the Latin American countries. With the EU now retreating from its long held protectionist position, the US can no longer expect to walk away from negotiations with a victory in hand which places Latin America in a dependent position in the FTAA. Scraping Bottom: US-Latin American Relations There is no question that US-Latin America relations are at their lowest point in a generation. Clearly, when it has come to leadership and a strong moral stance regarding US policy initiatives towards Cuba, Venezuela and Haiti, Secretary of State Powell has provided no leadership and certainly no vision. By default, such leadership fell into the hands of Otto Reich and a small band of venomous rightwing ideologies headed by Otto Reich, Roger Noriega and Dan Fisk, who held their places because Powell allowed them to be imposed on him. As a career propagandist and huckster-ideologue, Otto Reich built his professional existence on disseminating public disinformation along with a capacity for extremist politics that have done incalculable damage to the maintenance of a balanced and responsible regional policy. Almost single-handedly, he has bent and distorted US-Latin American relations and has produced a level of odium that cannot be easily recalled in the recent chapters of the bilateral relationship between the two hemispheres. His legacy hardly serves that word, filled as it has been with vulgar rhetoric, meretricious analysis, Rasputin-like conspiracies, and an inability to distinguish responsible behavior from that of a low quality goon. He, together with his fellow alumni from former Senator Helms’s tawdry regional policy-making workshop at the Senate’s foreign relations committee, the State of Department’s Roger Noriega and Dan Fisk, have gone a long way to pollute US hemispheric ties so fundamentally that it will take a generation to undo. From a Caribbean, Andean or South American standpoint, the EU-MERCOSUR pact strengthens their respective chances for a fairer and freer FTAA agreement. The United States can no longer treat its hemispheric partners as subsidiaries of a holding company which it controls now that Europe has presented itself as a viable second option for a binding trade relationship. Living in an era of increasingly free global trade, the EU-MERCOSUR pact could be a refreshing change from a history of largely self-serving and US-dominated agreements. The trade agreement between the European Union and MERCOSUR could come to rival the Free Trade Area of the Americas as a major hemispheric economic force, even if both are achieved. As the United States’s soft power continues to decline in the region, Europe’s global stock looks increasingly more appealing. If the US wishes to maintain its traditional position astride the Western Hemisphere, it must learn from its European counterparts how to stop talking down and start talking to Latin America. Internet References: REDES / Friends of the Earth Uruguay: http://www.redes.org.uy/ L`Observatori de las Transnacionales (LO’T), research group focusing on Spanish TNCs in Latin-America. Contact: David Llistar david.llistar@debtwatch.org Red Mexicana de Accion Frente al Libre Comercio (RMALC): http://www.rmalc.org.mx/ Transnational Institute (TNI): http://www.tni.org/altreg/index.htm Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO): http://www.corporateeurope.org/ Alianza Chilena Por Un Comercio Justo y Responsable (ACJR): http://www.comerciojusto.cl/index.htm Asociacion Latinoamercana de Organizaciones de Promocion (ALOP): http://www.alop.or.cr/

Why Was the Irish Revolution of 1919-21?

On December 6 1921 the Anglo-Irish treaty was drafted and signed by representatives of both the Irish and British Governments. After centuries of bitter feuding involving both sides the British Government was for the first time to offer the Irish independence. In this essay I seek to outline how the Irish revolution of 1919 and 1921 was successful in achieving Irish independence. Richard English says, â€Å"There had never been any chance of a formal military victory†¦ nor in practice of the British recognising an Irish republic. [1] If English is right to say this then how did the Irish manage to gain independence when the odds were stacked against them both militarily and politically? I believe that independence was reached for a number of reasons to be discussed in more detail later. These factors can be divided into the two crucial areas of political and military. Politically, there was a list of British failures including the negative publicity attracted by the revolution at home, pressure from America and the Government of Ireland Act. Failures only exacerbated by political achievements on the Irish side.Such as De Valera’s trip to the U. S to canvass American support for the revolution plus the establishment of Dail Eireann and its de facto courts. The next section of the essay will be based on the military issues. Was the revolution’s success down to Britain’s failures or Ireland’s triumph of military tactics? Military mistakes were made on the British side which nullified the fact that they had a vastly superior army. The harsh reprisals in nationalist territories for example stoked tensions unnecessarily. A large part of the revolutions success could be attributed to the military strengths of the IRA.With Michael Collins at the head the IRA was extremely strong tactically and used guerrilla warfare to great effect. The also had a mass intelligence system to rival any according to figures like Thomas Bowden for instanc e. Although some historians such as Peter Hart try to unravel the legend of Michael Collins and believe he did not have quite as big a role in the war as many would later claim. Political In order for the revolution to work the IRA had to defeat Britain politically and in a propaganda war as well as militarily.It has to be noted that as far back as 1916 the Irish public had no interest in a revolting. The men who took part in the Easter Rising were looked upon as villains in the immediate aftermath not heroes. It was political failure that allowed such a dramatic swing in public opinion to take place. The harsh treatment of the rebels was the turning point in Irish popular opinion. It formed the motivation for many who joined the IRA during the revolution becoming a superb propaganda tool for the republican cause. With each execution of the men who took part in Ireland the fury grew.A student in the University College of Dublin Barry once studied remarked, â€Å"I never experienced anything like this surging fury with the news produced in everyone. †[2] Later in the interview the student claims that there was notable rejoice when three Englishmen were shot for every Irishman hung. Primary quotes like this go some way to showing the feelings of resentment caused through Britain’s political own goals that multiplied the supporters of an armed revolution in a matter of days. It was not only public opinion in Ireland that was affected by the mistakes of the British administration.Public opinion in Britain throughout the revolution had reached a low. Many normal British citizens were horrified by what they saw as atrocities going on in their name. A sketch of opinion at the time can be viewed in a report of the Labour commission to Ireland in 1921. The report claims that the results of a government policy of reprisals on the people manifests in three main ways they are health economic and spirit. The report states, â€Å"months of oppression, coercio n, and physical violence cannot but have far reaching effects upon the people who suffer under them. The Labour party believed at the time that British Government policy was to the detriment of the economy both in Ireland and in Britain. While the armed forces â€Å"provocative behaviour† was only creating â€Å"a new bitterness of spirit† among the people. Perhaps a concluding line from the document may sum up the thoughts and fears of many in Britain. â€Å"Things are being done in the name of Britain which must make her name stink in the nostrils of the whole world†[3] A crucial failure of British policy was the Government of Ireland Act passed in 1920.The Act was to create two subordinate parliaments one in Belfast and one in Dublin. The Belfast Parliament comprised of the same six counties that would later make up Northern Ireland. The Act was ignored in the twenty six counties but the Dail was powerless to prevent its operation in the North. Ronan Fanning believes that the Act later caused the British to give away more independence than previously hoped by the very fact it had Ireland divided into separate legislative bodies never an intention of the Act. Britain continually faced U. S pressure to solve the Irish question.Lloyd George faced constant pressure from U. S president Woodrow Wilson. It is said in Hopkinson’s book that Wilson told him until the Irish question was resolved it was bound to not only affect the relations between England and the U. S but inevitably effect the relationship of England with her colonies as well. [4] It would be wrong for one to say the Irish revolution of 1919-1921 in achieving Irish independence was all down to Britain’s failure politically. For one to do claim would do a great injustice to many strengths the Irish displayed politically before independence was achieved.Three factors to be considered here are the rise of Sinn Fein, De Valera’s canvassing of U. S support and the creation of the Dail parliament and Courts. The rise of Sinn Fein led to a radicalisation of the masses which had previously not existed in Ireland before this the majority were happy with Home Rule now it was all or nothing. When discussing this many historians would say that the rise Sinn Fein was as much if not more a consequence of Britain’s failings more than any great genius on behalf of Sinn Fein. A school of thought shared by historians including Hopkinson and Dangerfield.Dangerfield was of the belief that by not implementing Home Rule the rise of a more radical politics was unavoidable. â€Å"The point is that when the concept of Home Rule vanished†¦ Nationalist Ireland drifted into a position were only republican and revolutionary leadership became possible. †[5] Once this process had begun it was simply irreversible. Whereas Hopkinson would state that the British Government had a misplaced optimism involving Sinn Fein. They tried to suppress them by ma king many arrests which all led to propaganda victories for the party.Who could now claim they were unjustly victimised. â€Å"Like many other British politician both before and since, they believed that a few extremists were the problem and that usual order would be restored once they were dealt with. †[6] By trying to introduce conscription in Ireland Britain only managed to give Sinn Fein another boost. Townshend asserts, â€Å"In resistance to conscription, the Sinn Fein leadership found for the first time a national political issue which could mobilise the mass of the people. †[7] Not all of Sinn Fein’s rise can be blamed on the British according to Peter Hart.The party he argued was strengthened by female involvement and the support of first time female voters. De Valera’s visit to the Treaty of Versailles may not have laid to the American backed independence hoped but was beneficial in other areas. Yet despite this there was support for his cause i n America. According to Ferriter, De Valera managed to raise something in the region of $6 million between January 1920 and October 1921 a figure higher than that raised in Ireland. Ferriter asserts that to call Irish Nationalism a mass movement in the U. S by 1920 was no exaggeration.Perhaps the central political success by Ireland before eventually achieving independence was the creation of Dail Eireann on January 21 1919. An illegal parliament based in Dublin separate from British control. The Dail followed the path of which Ronan Fanning called â€Å"Sinn Fein’s unilateral solution to the age old problem of the constitutional relationship between Britain and Ireland was to deny that there was any legitimate connection. †[8] Thus it made sense that the Dail’s first law was to break with Britain. Townshend was complimentary in speaking of the decision to set up Dail Eireann. Their (nationalists) action in assembling on 21 January 1919 as Dail Eireann, the Parl iament of Ireland was in itself revolutionary. †[9] At the beginning Britain simply ignored this new parliament. They shared the same beliefs Stephen Gwynn echoed in 1921. â€Å"When the decision was taken to constitute the Irish members into an Irish parliament people were inclined to laugh. †[10] Gwynn later claimed that the fact the British Government did not initially interfere merely added unreality to the whole proceedings. Yet many believe that when Britain did interfere in 1919 in banning the Dail more harm than good came as a consequence.Arthur Mitchell says the banning of the Dail was not its end but really its making driving it underground was generally to its advantage. The fact that Dail Eireann created its own judicial system greatly undermined British rule. Ferriter points out positives and negatives of these courts. It was said, â€Å"The promptness and efficiency of the courts impressed even most unionists. †[11] Although at times reality bit as Ferriter tells us how figures such as Cathal Brugha the minister of defence had little time for courts they were a distraction from war.Military Despite all the ramifications of each side’s political manoeuvres it is highly unlikely of course the Irish revolution would ever have taken place were it not for what happened militarily. Similar to political, military could also be divided into both Britain’s failures and Irish success. How did the IRA gain a truce when they were fighting the military might of the British Empire? If English’s point earlier in the essay is to be considered the IRA could never have gained a formal military victory.Could it be a case that the British overestimated the IRA’s staying power? For the IRA’s key leader Michael Collins himself believed the IRA was close to breaking point. The British policy of reprisals was in itself a military disaster. Augustein puts the point across that, â€Å"The actual and alleged bad behav iour of the crown forces was an extremely persuasive force which caused and justified a violent response by the IRA in the eyes of men and women on all sides. †[12] Thomas Bowden is of the view that reprisals were advocated at the very top level of British intelligence.Sir Henry Wilson, chief of the Imperial General Staff was a known sponsor of these methods declaring â€Å"shoot all Irish leaders by roster. †[13] On May 21 1921, General McCready sent a memo stating, â€Å"Defeat the IRA by the summer or pullout† It is possible the general did not want to get bogged down in a guerrilla conflict in unfamiliar terrain. Though historians like Townshend believe McCready was giving too much credit to the IRA who would soon fall. While others including Hart have the view that the IRA’s organisation was such McCready was right to issue the memo.In order to achieve independence the IRA had to have been strong militarily. Much of this is put at the door of historia ns to Michael Collins held by many as a master of tactician and great exponent of guerrilla warfare. Collins is chiefly judged in history as the main man behind the revolution. One such historian is Dangerfield who complements Collins highly. â€Å"Neither Richard Mulcahy, the volunteers chief of staff, nor the Minister of defence come close to Collins, with his administrative genius, his enormous energy, his warm blooded presence, his cold and concerted purpose. [14] Strong praise for a man Peter Hart claims never held a gun post 1916. For Collins was based in Dublin mainly undertaking intelligence duties. ———————– [1] English, p29 [2] Augustein [3] Labour, pp54-56 [4] Hopkinson, p33 [5] Dangerfield, p246 [6] Hopkinson, p31 [7] Townshend, p318 [8] Fanning pp1-2 [9] Townshend, p328 [10] Gwynn, p62 [11] Ferriter, p202 [12] Augustein, ‘Motivation’ [13] Bowden, p119 [14] Dangerfield, p313

The History and Business of Making Lump Charcoal

The History and Business of Making Lump Charcoal Charcoal is a formless mass of carbon and can be made from most carbonaceous materials. It is one of the oldest of man-made fuels and has been prepared under the ground for a thousand years. Charcoal in lump form is still a major source of energy throughout the world and unfortunately, is one of the main causes of deforestation in the World. Historical Charcoal Production Wood charcoal production dates back to ancient human prehistory when  stacks of wood logs on their ends were formed into a pyramidal pile. Openings were created at the bottom of the pile and attached to a central flue for circulating air. The whole woodpile was either constructed in an earth covered pit or covered with clay above ground. A wood fire was started at the flue base and gradually smoldered and spread up and out. Ancient charcoal pits, under average conditions, yielded about 60 percent of the total wood by volume, but only 25% by weight, of charcoal product. Even by the seventeenth century, advances in technology yielded nearly 90 percent efficiency and was a skill that took years to learn and a major investment in kilns and retorts which had long replaced the pit method. Current Charcoal Production Much like the old process, the modern commercial charcoal process is to heat wood with little or no air present which takes special but simple equipment. In the United States, wood is the primary material used for charcoal and is generally procured in the form of residue from sawmills - slabs and edgings. Sawmills love to find users of this material because of environmental problems with burning and disposal of mill wastes. Where there are sawmills, there is an available raw product. The United States Forest Service has estimated that there are nearly 2,000 charcoal-producing units in the United States, including brick kilns, concrete and masonry block kilns, sheet steel kilns, and retorts (a steel metal building). The state of Missouri produces a significant portion of this national charcoal product (they have until recently had less stringent environmental regulations) and 98 percent of all charcoal is produced in the eastern United States. While charcoal can be made from any number of natural materials, hardwoods such as hickory, oak, maple, and fruit-woods are favored. They have unique aromas and tend to produce a better grade of charcoal. Better grades of charcoal come from raw materials with low sulfur content. The uses of charcoal may surprise you. Besides being the fuel that cooks steaks, hot dogs, and hamburgers on a Sunday picnic, charcoal is used in many other processes. It is used in certain metallurgical purifying treatments and as a filter to remove organic compounds such as chlorine, gasoline, pesticides, and other toxic chemicals from water and air. Activated charcoal, which has a super absorptive surface, is growing in use as a purifier. It is used in purifying and refining metals and in the gas masks that were used during the Gulf War. NutraSweet  uses activated charcoal to transform their product into a powder. Activated charcoal is used as an antidote for many types of poisons and is touted as an effective anti-flatulent. Lump Charcoal as a Business Most charcoal manufacturers sell their product as a briquette. This market has been dominated by several companies to include Kingsford, Royal Oak, and major grocery market brands. These companies may or may not make lump charcoal which is an alternate product that has some advantages and has potential as a small start-up business. Some new and exciting grill technologies actually require charcoal in lump form. An entrepreneur hoping to survive in the charcoal industry will require originality and very good and aggressive marketing. Many small companies have survived but most have not made it big. Theyve found that their potential in the niche charcoal market is by making natural hardwood lump charcoal. Innovative ideas like developing a product in a bag that has a fuse, which when lit will ignite the charcoal. This quick light product combined with an easy-to-use paraffin coated container filled with natural charcoal has been a modest success in some local markets. A major hurdle is creating an appealing package. Technical problems with storage make for unappealing packages and can affect sales. You may find your bag on the bottom shelf in the back of the store because of a plain package. You may also have a problem finding distributors that handle small volumes. There is also the potential for other products. Wood charcoal has a low sulfur content, unlike coal or petroleum products. This wood charcoal can be used where other forms of carbon cannot. Developing a specialty activated charcoal for filtration of consumables like air and water is possible. This low sulfur charcoal product would be sold to a large manufacturer of activated carbon like Calgon Carbon of Pittsburgh, PA. Starting a Charcoal Business In addition to the raw material, you will have to have an area suitable for heating the material while allowing only a minimal amount of air circulation. This may be a brick kiln or you may opt for a type of metal building called a retort. You can expect to pay up to several hundred thousand dollars for one of these. You also must develop a sorting and crushing operation. The wood that has been cooked is smaller than its original size by about one-third. It must be broken down into marketable pieces. This would have to be done by a customized piece of equipment made by a made-to-order machine shop. There is no reasonable cost estimate here - youve got to do a lot of leg work. Then you have to bag or package the carbon. Bagging machines are readily available from bagging equipment supply companies. Charcoal presents somewhat of a bagging problem due to a large variance in the sizes of the piece. These problems are not impossible to correct and a bagging line could cost you as much as $100 thousand. You can get less expensive ones. The best strategy for making a business success in lump charcoal is to keep the market local or regional. You might link up with a grill or outdoor oven company and combine your marketing efforts. Advertise the product as superior, natural charcoal that has advantages over briquettes. Many people are not aware that charcoal is available in this all-natural form. Advantages of Lump Charcoal Lump charcoal is an all-natural, 100 percent hardwood product with no additives.Natural charcoal heats faster than briquettes, so food can be cooked over natural charcoal within 5 to 7 minutes after lighting.Lump charcoal can be lit without lighter fluid and with just a match and some newspaper - this means no off-flavors.One pound of hardwood charcoal produces the equivalent heat of two pounds of briquette charcoal. Disadvantages of Lump Charcoal Although lump charcoal is growing in popularity, consumer demand still lags behind formed charcoal briquettes.Even though lump charcoal is a more efficient heat producer, its current price is nearly twice that of briquettes.Lump charcoal is bulkier, has odd shapes, and crushes more easily. It tends to become dusty and flakes off.