Notes: Meaning of Life and Distinguished Indian Writer

R. K. Narayan (1906-2001) is one of the most famous and distinguished Indian writer in English. He had a fine insight into various aspects on the lives of the poor and the middle class people, particularly in South India. He makes the dull and common place events more interesting and this essay is one such essay. In a writing career that spanned over sixty years, Narayan received many awards and honours. His writings are full of humour. In this essay he explains the advantages of headache.A blessing for Mankind: R. K. Narayan explains how headache conferred on mankind as a blessing by a benign providence and also talks about the usefulness of headache to avoid difficult situations. He later narrates an incident in his school life about the letter writing exercise, where his teacher used headache as a cause in the specimen letter. He always wondered what made his teacher to select for headache as a cause even in a specimen letter.Later he talks about the drill class during his school days and how students usually mentioned ‘headache’ as an excuse for avoiding the drill class after the school hours. One day the instructor asked all the students suffering from headache to hold their arms. For many students it raised large hope. The instructor also added that he was going to give them some special exercise to cure their splitting headache. Not even a boy raised his arms. Thus the instructor put an end to that problem. Touch of Importance:Headache gives the sufferer a touch of importance because it can be mentioned in any social gathering and is well taken. No other pain can be so openly mentioned with freedom from punishment. Other aches sound crude and bad which cannot be mentioned in publish and thus headache helps us to avoid many embarrassing situation. What is indisposition? Indisposition is a superior expression; it can be used only by eminent people. R. K. Narayan was really concerned about finding the real meaning of the word indisposition sinc e it is very vague and confusing.He feels that he was not able to understand the meaning of the word indisposition except that it sounds very well in press notes or health bulletins or in messages from eminent men to gatherings to which they have been invited. It cannot be written directly and it will sound better in the third person. A gentlemen is an eminent one, has a secretary or a deputy who can speak for him. For example a gentleman regrets his inability to attend the meeting today owing to indisposition (sickness or unwillingness).People will understand and accept the statement and will not question the concerned person. R. K. Narayan wants to know the perfect meaning of indisposition. Is the concerned person down with flu or malaria or cold or rheumatism (pain in joints and muscles)? He feels that the word indisposition could be used only at a particular level, not by all and if a school boy says â€Å"As I am indisposed, I want to be let off†, he will have his ears t wisted for his intelligence beyond his age. Headache as an excuse:If we openly say that we want to avoid the situation or an important meeting, people will get angry. No one has really got courage to tell that he/she is not willing to attend a meeting or a social gathering. The world is not yet ripe for such outspokenness and frankness. So we safely use headache as an excuse. At home, headache is used as an excuse to avoid many uncomfortable situations. The mother-in-law, who is angry with the daughter-in-law, uses it to avoid food. The son, who does not want to take his wife out, gives headache as an excuse.The boy, who has skipped his homework, claims headache in order to avoid his tutor and to send him back away. The cultured existence is not to interfere too deeply, but to accept the face value as expressed by the speaker. Conclusion: Headache has become a confirmed habit. Lots of medicines have been produced to cure headache, which people always carry with them and feels uneasy without them. Opticians give glasses to cure and relieve headache. All these things prove that mankind easily begins to believe in myths.

Explorer Persuasive Research Essay Essay

The world is full of many explorers, much of many who honestly are unqualified and are worthless, as explorers. In contrast, once they do a single thing that is miraculous and they change the entire perspective of who they are and what they are really capable of. Out of any explorer out there my explorer is beyond the best explorer, not only for what he has done, but for his very own name. My explorers name is Alvar Nunez Cabeza De Vaca, which in contrast from every other explorer has the coolest and weirdest name out there. For many of you who don’t necessarily know what Cabeza de Vaca means, it means Cow head. Although his name was weird and funny catching, he also was the first to do much of many things, like being the first European to describe America from Florida through Arizona. His writing is the oldest out of any other about history we have of the Native Americans, and he set out the stage for the conquest of this continent. Many people wonder how come he got the name of Cabeza de Vaca, or Head of a Cow. It’s strange to have a name like that because there is no reflection and there is no moral behind it, and no one can ever imagine having a name like that. The way he got his name, just shows how much of a cool explorer he really was. He was born in 1490 into Spanish nobility. His ancestors had long been warriors, which continued for generations. One of his ancestors got that name after he was victorious in a battle after following a trail marked with cow skulls. This name stuck with him and continued on to Alvar Nunez. This name distinguished him as a fine officer in battles. He was immune to suffering. This gave him his popularity and a name to be known as, which unlike any other explorer is something not many others have thus making him the best. Cow Head, was the first European to describe America from Florida through Arizona. In June 17, 1527: He leaves Spain with 299 other men and his captain, where he was appointed crown treasurer of the expedition, which was an important position. During this exploration, Vaca lived various events, which led to the description of it in its own. He described villages he saw, how he survived and what America’s Natives told him at various places along his way. This description influenced Coronado and DeSoto: two men who changed this continent forever. An explorer who lives extreme adventures, describes and influences men who changed this continent, is one amazing thing that not all explorers did, which further more proves that this Cow Head guy is the best without doubt. If he hadn’t influenced anyone, these changes on the continent wouldn’t have happened, and whether that could have been a good thing or not, it changed our way of life now. His writings were the oldest, but had the most meaningful information on the Indians. These were people who the Spanish had to defeat or make peace with to conquer this new world of the Americas. Vaca’s writing gave new explorers detailed information, about who the Indians were and how to live among them. This gave a great advantage to the Spanish, because Vaca set the stage or mood to conquer these people. His explorations and discoveries led to the defeat and birth of a new world that wasn’t yet known. Other people may have discovered the Americas, but they didn’t conquer it, and although Vaca didn’t do it physically, he did it through the course of his time there, because he analyzed, composed, and delivered. Cabeza de Vaca, the man who inherited the name of Head of a Cow, was the best explorer. He made possible everything that is today, for his adventure changed the continent through his writing and the people who he influenced. He experienced many triumphs and amazing occasions, in which he is well known to this day for. So the next time you think of a great explorer, don’t think about someone who just got lucky, but think of Vaca and all of the great, historical achievements he still leads on to this day.

John Keats “On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer” Essay

â€Å"On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer† by John Keats is a poem widely recognised by critics as a pivotal moment in his development as a poet; this work is evidence of his complete mastery of the sonnet form (of which he wrote 64 in total). This poem was a key evolutionary process which would help him construct the development of his own poetic legacy: the Great Odes. Keats was enthralled by the sonnet form because it presented a challenge: to concentrate thought provoking philosophy concisely enough to fit into fourteen lines. He restlessly experimented with both verse and meter, and though he worked with Petrarchan structures he found them to be unsuitable for the English tongue, and began to favour the Shakespearian form instead. Never the less, Keats achieves technical perfection in this Petrarchan structured poem. The first part of a Petrarchan sonnet, the Octet (eight lines), usually serves as a question or presents a problem to be then followed by an answer or a solution in the Sestet (six lines). However, Keats subverts this traditional structure to instead aid a before and after response; in this case the Octet ponders his travels and knowledge before Chapman’s Homer, while the Sestet then contrasts his enlightening experience of finally reading it. This poem is a brilliant testimony of the profound effect of poetry on Keats – it was composed in a vivid, ephemeral moment of crucial inspiration during the ardent elation he experienced straight after reading Chapman’s Homer, and so powerful was this stimulation that the whole poem was finished in day. Keats establishes his utter admiration for Chapman and Homer in the opening lines; Much have I travell’d in the realms of gold, And many goodly states and kingdoms seen; Round many western islands have I been The initial exclamatory statement asserts gallantly that he is a scholar of high art and literature. He immediately introduces the central and recurring metaphors of exploration and discovery – the idea of travelling and cluster  of locations: travell’d, realms, states, kingdoms, islands all emphasise the diversity of experiences brought by the power of art and imagination. The phrase â€Å"Realms of Gold† symbolises the world of imagination. Keats believes that art can open the mind to new worlds and experiences. The word choice of â€Å"gold† shows just how rich and rare these experiences are, and also alludes to the search for gold of the Spanish conquistadors, linking to his reference to Cortez in the Sestet. This also reflects his hunger to be exposed to more and greater works. The repetition of the â€Å"l† sounds in â€Å"travelled†, â€Å"realms†, and â€Å"gold† emphasises the idea and ties the words together. The frequent and insistent use of first person narrative also reinforces the extent of Keats own personal knowledge; how well travelled and widely versed he is, and therefore we understand his epiphany upon reading Chapman’s Homer is well informed and trustworthy. The fourth line moves away from those who enjoy art, to those who actually create it; â€Å"Which bards in fealty to Apollo hold.† The high, even sacred function that poets fulfil is indicated by their being the servants of a god, Apollo, and having sworn to follow him (with the suggestion that they have consecrated their lives to him). â€Å"Fealty† indicates their dedication to Apollo and consequently their calling – the creation of poetry. Keats continues on to expand on those who create art rather than those who appreciate it, narrowing down to one particular poet who rules the realm of poetry, and who was his main inspiration to rise above other dedicated poets; â€Å"Oft of one wide expanse had I been told That deep-brow’d Homer ruled his demesne; Yet never did I breathe its pure serene† Again, the metaphor of travel and discovery is expanded. Keats is reinforcing the vastness of Homer’s legacy and his admiration – not only was it rich, but prolific, a trait which he very much wanted to emulate. To emphasise the extent of Homers genius and his literary accomplishments, Keats modifies â€Å"expanse† (which means extensive) with an adjective which also means  Ã¢â‚¬Å"extensive†, â€Å"wide†, to reinforce how limitless his intellect was. â€Å"Deep-browed† also refers to Homers intellect – we still use â€Å"deep† as a colloquialism today e.g. â€Å"deep thoughts† â€Å"deep thinker†. To Keats, Homer is majestic as he â€Å"rules† with complete authority over the world of literature. By breathing in the â€Å"pure serene† he shows that art, to him, is a necessity, an essential part of his life that he cannot live without, like oxygen. He also makes it part of himself; absorbing it shows the extent to which he is devoted to art – he literally lives and breathes it. His use of an adjective in place of a noun â€Å"pure serene† is evidence that he struggled within the restrictions of our language, which would eventually prompt him to move onto Shakespearian formed sonnets. The line â€Å"Yet never did I breathe its pure serene† also contrasts with following and last line of the Octet; â€Å"Till I heard Chapman speak out loud and bold:† These lines contrast Keats’s knowledge of Homer’s reputation with his experience of the genius of Homers poetry in Chapman’s translation. â€Å"Out loud and bold† reinforces the vitality of the epiphany achieved and is contradictory to the previous calm â€Å"serene† mood that Keats was previously in. We associate the words â€Å"pure† and â€Å"serene† with something neutral, peaceful and relaxing – these words apply both to the original poetry of Homer and the translation by Chapman. â€Å"Serene† also conveys Keats spiritual fulfilment, as previously he was in emotional turmoil and distress. This last line of the Octet â€Å"Till I heard†¦Ã¢â‚¬  prepares us for the Volta and brings the Octet to a swelling crescendo; until this moment, he has felt excluded from entry to a new world of enlightenment and truth. The Sestet begins with â€Å"Then†, seamlessly transitioning from the Volta and preparing us for the impact of reading Chapman’s Homer. There is also particular emphasis in all things visual in this section; â€Å"Then I felt like some watcher of the skies When a new planet swims into his ken; Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes He star’d at the Pacific – and all his men The emphasis on all things visual – â€Å"watcher†, â€Å"eagle eyes†, â€Å"star’d† – reinforces the power and strength of Keats’s imagination and devotion to his poetry; he is easily able to relate his epiphany to the experience of discovering uncharted waters, or being the first to spy a new planet. The relentless excitement and pure awe-inspiring experience that Keats is undergoing is only comparable to discovering something fresh, new, and undiscovered, just as he feels he has discovered a whole new world of knowledge so vast that it includes the heavens – â€Å"new planet†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The use of the two separate metaphors is interesting, as Keats appears to favour the explorer metaphor over the astronomy metaphor. â€Å"†¦ I felt like some watcher of the skies When a new plant swims into his ken†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This metaphor alludes to the fairly recent discovery of the planet Uranus, which is a wholly visual experience and seemingly perfect for the elation Keats is trying to convey. â€Å"Swims† alludes to the upcoming ocean metaphor. However, to Keats, this outer space knowledge has not been acquired actively enough, and he quickly abandons the astronomy metaphor in favour of the explorer metaphor. This is more satisfying, as this discovery was made actively and on earth rather than in space: the discovery of a new planet will never be truly satisfying as it will always be out of reach and therefore we will only ever have basic, rudimentary knowledge. â€Å"†¦ like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes He star’d at the Pacific†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This is also a very visual experience, and Keats emphasises Cortez’s eyes by calling them â€Å"eagle eyes†. This suggests that Cortez’s eyes are keen, observing strongly and are paying close attention to detail, just as Keats thoroughly observed all of Chapman’s Homer, so much so that he felt as though he was breathing it in and literally surviving though it. The fact that Cortez is said to â€Å"Stare† also reinforces how entrancing and enthralling the sight of the ocean was for him, just as Keats was hypnotised  by Chapman’s Homer. By deliberately choosing the discovery of an ocean over a planet, Keats emphases his view point that we only have access to a finite, limited bank of knowledge. The sea is also a method of transportation, just as Chapman’s Homer is the vehicle for Keats’s own discovery. The last two lines reflect the shock and awe of Cortez and his men upon discovering the ocean, similar to Keats’s current amazement; â€Å"Look’d at each other with a wild surmise Silent, upon a peak in Darien.† The discovery of the ocean is so surprising and unexpected that Cortez’s men, as well as himself, as shocked into silence and dumb-stuck speechless. â€Å"Surmise† implies that they were confused, unsure, but alongside â€Å"wild† Keats word choice conveys that their shock was excitement induced, their reactions are feral, natural and almost untamed in nature. The imagery of Cortez and his men standing â€Å"silent† and in awe is a stark contrast to the previous booming, â€Å"loud and bold voice† in the Volta which prompted Keats’s epiphany. This represents the come down from the white hot excitement upon first reading Chapman’s Homer, to the quiet, pensive, yet still dumb-stuck speechlessness Keats would later on experience. Again, Keats is conveying that the English language is limiting and reluctant to allow you to fully express and communicate the impact of profound moments such as this. This shows frustration with Keats medium of choice. Keats has created an uplifting and thought provoking sonnet which encourages and inspires us to seek beyond the knowledge we have already gained, and to always aspire for more. This sonnet is so technically praised because not only is the content inspiring, but his appreciation of verse form and meter have been demonstrated faultlessly through out to create a satisfying piece of art in a mere fourteen lines. The error Keats made in mentioning Cortez as the discoverer of the Pacific Ocean indeed does not detract from the overall meaning of the poem – names are almost irrelevant, it is the actions and accomplishments that are so potent in his work. What is important is  human truth, not historical accuracy, and Keats has once again created a work of enormous ambition that reflects the importance of knowledge and discovery, no matter how big or small.

Strategy of Resisting Unfair Competitor Speech or Presentation

Strategy of Resisting Unfair Competitor - Speech or Presentation Example In addition to the functions which we provide in the I Phone, XYZ has also added a few new functions such as Wi-Fi technology and GPRS system which can attract potential customers. They have also added dedicated keys to music player which would be appealing to the market of customers of the age group between 16 and 22, the segment which is the largest purchaser of our product. A similar product to I phone with additional features and a lower price can be a big threat to the sales of I Phone as we can lose a large market share once this product is launched. Therefore, we need to take considerable steps to maintain the market share of our product and to attract new customers. I brought this issue in the knowledge of our marketing director and asked him to present me a detailed report on the steps which our marketing division can take to cope up with the situation and maintain the market share of I Phone. Yesterday, he presented me with a detailed report with all the proposed marketing strategies which Apple Co. can take to handle the new competition.   In the following section, I am presenting the marketing strategies which the marketing director has proposed taking into consideration the 4 Ps of marketing: Marketing director’s proposal: I phone is a cell phone designed for the market segment of age group between 16 and 22, that is, high school and college students and belonging to the upper middle and high-income group. This segment is found in locations such as schools, colleges, malls, concerts, and clubs. The segment also uses media such as the internet on daily basis for long hours and spends time on social networking websites. People in this age group highly rely on peers and social groups before making any buying decisions. Moreover, people in this age group are considered as Generation Y and gather a lot of information before making any purchase such as a cell phone as they seek value for money. In order to market the product to this segment, both ATL and BTL marketing activities play an equally important role. This segment, which is known as Generation Y, are very different from the other market segments as they are well informed and look for value for money. They are not influenced a lot by the brand name. X phone, which is a replica of I phone with additional features and a lower price would be able to gather a large market share if we do not take immediate steps to counter their marketing activities. Following is the proposed marketing mix which Apple Co. can use to market I phone under the new conditions. Product: Although I phone contains many innovative features and functions when it was launched, but now that a similar product is coming in the market, we need to make some product improvements in our existing model in order to make it more appealing to teenagers and young adults, who are our main market. By adding new innovative functions to our product, which are better than what X phone is offering, we can still manage to keep or even increase our market share.   In order to find new and attractive functions, we would need to make some extensive research and development.

Handling the Different Creative Thinking Obstacles in Life Personal Statement

Handling the Different Creative Thinking Obstacles in Life Successfully - Personal Statement Example I realized this particular matter when I joined several group activities that required me to utilize creative thinking as a major skill that would display the fact that I am indeed learning from all the lessons that I receive from school. Being in an educational group, the author of this paper particularly felt the need to be a major contributor to the progress of the major discussions of the class as well as to the success of every activity that is being managed by the educator. It could be observed that through this grouping, the author learns how to improve the way that he listens, how he observes and how he interacts as well as participate within the group discussions. It could be noted that it is through this that the author learns how to establish camaraderie with his group mates and thus be able to be of good use and contributor to the progress of the entire class. Learning has been a great part of this particular progress on the part of the author. It is undeniable that being a part of this group made the author a more reliable individual in terms of group project implementations. Aside from this, it is undeniable that the author too has understood the importance of team work. Humans are significantly made with personal and innate characteristics in them that are completely different and apart from the others. This idea is mainly because of the certain fact that human beings have their own characteristics of uniqueness and individuality. Thus, human beings become existent in their own personal sense with their own identity differing them from others at some point in their innate qualities. In same manner, cultures and social values are also created and develop with likeness to the concept of individuality and uniqueness since they are created by human beings themselves. Social groups of relative similarities functioned and develop them own system of values and accordance making them united in their own concept and apart from the other social groups. Thus with this concept, cultural diversity has predominantly existed as how society themselves strive and develop to the point of their current state. However, this innate and basically natural concept in the society has been always a massive hindrance for the establishment of social unity and uniformity especially on the principal level of a team. Since the team-building concept's main agenda is the establishment of a uniting factor and bond among its members, their own personal and cultural diversity has always been a challenge for the said aim. Common problems and challenges such as uniqueness in the dominant language, dissimilarities with social norms and acceptable principles, differences concerning perception and opinions, and others often become a problem in the team-building aspect. In general, diversity produces stratification and division thus unification is being hindered. Indeed, cultural diversity in the aspect of team building is one of its main weaknesses. However, cultural diversity in a certain team can also serves as its potential strength producing advantages apart from its common

SWOT Analysis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

SWOT Analysis - Term Paper Example At that time the start of the company was poor and it managed to manufacture a car which was known as Toyopet. However, Toyota Company came back strongly into the market in 1965. At that time they manufactured the 90-horsepower Corona sedan which became popular in the market. Since then, the company has been able to manufacture different brands which include; the Corolla, Camry, Toyota trucks, the Lexus luxury brand, Scion and the first gas and electric hybrid Prius (Hino, 2006). Prius was the first worldwide and was manufactured purposely for the 21st century. Among the many consumers of the company, Americans have remained supportive to the company. According to Kurtz, (2008), they have been attracted by the company car’s quality, dependability and its reliability. The company’s mission statement is to be able to sustain growth which is profitable through the provision of perfect customer experience and support in dealership. Toyota Company has several strengths and w eaknesses. The strengths include; Company’s High financial strength; the investment of the company in several factories located in the US and china resulted in increased profits in 2005. This was unique from the well known worldwide trend in the motor industry. The net profits of the company rose rapidly and higher sales were also witnessed. This outstanding performance of the company resulted from Toyota’s right mix of products for all the markets served by the company. The company’s segmentation, targeting and positioning is well focused in several countries worldwide (McCraw, 1997). The second strength of Toyota Company is its popularity as an Industry leader in manufacturing and production. In 2003, Toyota Company became the second largest carmaker in the world with a total of 6.78 million units. The company surpassed its top rivals like Ford which was in the third position. Toyota Company came second after the General Motors’ which had a total of 8.5 9 million units during that period. According to Bohm, (2009), several factors have contributed greatly to the company’s strong position in the industry. These include the range of the company’s product which has remained diversified; the company’s marketing which is well targeted and the continuous commitment of the company to remain lean in its manufacturing business and observation of quality. The company specialty is to make different vehicles of a wider range both for the private customers and other different commercial organizations. Its products include Yaris which consists of both the small and the large trucks. The company is also able to identify and meet different needs of customers through utilization of different marketing techniques. The brand of the company is considered to be a household brand. In addition, different manufacturing approaches which are efficient such as Total Quality Management (TQM) has enable the company to fully maximize its pr ofits. Toyota Company also has certain weaknesses which include; Just in time system, Even though the company’s JIT system is among Toyota’s competitive advantage it can also be classified as a weakness. The JIT depends largely on other systems and this requires all the suppliers to follow what company wants. In case a given supplier fails to meet the quality standards of the company, the whole production process will be interfered with. The company’

Why executive compensation is out of control Essay

Why executive compensation is out of control - Essay Example Many investors in the stock market all over the world believe that executive pay is running out of control. There is worrying trend especially in the United States where the annual salary of an average worker is the amount of money an executive receives in a day. Critics believe that executive bosses are not worth the amount of compensation they receive. Despite falling stock shares in the market, executives still receive large amounts of compensation. Stock market investors believe this should not be happening since their performance does not correspond to earnings. At a moment where recession and unemployment is high in many countries, it does not make economic sense to have executive bosses receive such a large amount of compensation. The excess pay awarded to them should instead be invested in the public sector and this consequently shows how executive bosses have little concern about their countries and the citizens. Economists believe that in order to clear the economic instability being experienced in the world currently, it is important that the pay of executives be tied to performance (Bebchuck, 2010). Most executive bosses control their board of directors hence they still manage to earn exaggerated compensation. The board of directors should however be able to control the compensation got by this executives and their compensation should be tied to performance instead of the power an executive has in the board. This shows how corporate governance is continuously being under rated with a show of little economic sense when just a few people are left to joke around with investor’s interests. The fact that executive compensation is determined by market demand, most executives are continuously receiving an exaggerated compensation in comparison to an average worker. Critics believe that the market forces such as demand and supply should not entirely determine their compensation and it should however

Software Lifecycle Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Software Lifecycle - Research Paper Example The nature of the desired system in terms of system user requirements and its complexity will determine the choice of the SDLC model to be adopted. Generally, the success of system development is more dependent on how closely the plan and steps in the chosen model are followed (Alan, Edward, & Edward, 1988). For this scenario, the most suitable model for developing the system is the Spiral model. The spiral model of software development life cycle is one of the models that have been designed to improve the software development life cycle. After several years of research and development, spiral model offers a greater risk –driven approach of system development process as compared to the other models that are more document driven or code driven (Barry, 1988). The choice for this approach is based on the nature of the project; the project is described as being volatile and dynamic. It is also prone to the exit of the development team members and incoming of new staff to help in the development of the system. Essentially, the project faces a lot of risks during its development cycle and also requires integration to a more complex system upon completion. Consequently, a risk oriented approach is ideally the best model to be used in the project. Spiral model is a risk oriented approach that has been designed to incorporate the risk analysis aspect of the project. It is also one of the best approaches since it has been designed to incorporate many of the strengths of the other SDLC models and eliminate their weaknesses (Alan, Edward, & Edward, 1988). The spiral model has advantages that are unique to its approach of system development. It has a high amount of risk analysis compared to other models. The model is also ideal for projects that are complex in nature and are mission critical. The software is also produced at the early stages of the software lifecycle (Barry, 1988). The spiral model carries more similarities to the incremental model,

Critically evaluate the claim that adolescents and young people both Essay

Critically evaluate the claim that adolescents and young people both today and in earlier time periods have always been demonise - Essay Example When an understanding of an adolescent/young people has been established, examples will be shown of how and why they have been/ are seen by adults in ways that demonise them and represent them negatively. The writer will then explore the ramifications of the adults' perception and the impact they have on young people. As a conclusion this perception leads to how and why adults might perceive young people and adolescents to be unruly and/or a threat to social stability. The need to analyse the different stages of age is contributed to society's concept of age. Some societies in history considered the transition from childhood to adulthood without passing through adolescence. Childhood is defined as the stage in life from birth to 12 years of age. Childhood is not considered as having a natural transition point but it is a continual process of development. Aries (1960:128) â€Å"In medieval society the idea of childhood did not exist; this is not to suggest that children were neglecte d, forsaken or despised. The idea of childhood is not to be confused with affection for children: it corresponds to an awareness of the particular nature of childhood, which distinguishes the child from the young adult. In medieval society there was a lack of awareness. Emile Durkheim (as cited in Jenks, 1982:147) goes on to describe the child as â€Å"the purist of beings, a small body that the merest blow can break, that the slightest illness imperils, a collection of muscles, nerves and organs which are, so to speak, made of milk and which only form, develop and increase in strength by their beings placed in a wonderful environment of careful attention, of consideration, of favourable circumstances and protective influences†. ... rest blow can break, that the slightest illness imperils, a collection of muscles, nerves and organs which are, so to speak, made of milk and which only form, develop and increase in strength by their beings placed in a wonderful environment of careful attention, of consideration, of favourable circumstances and protective influences†. In Romeo and Juliet, a maiden was a young woman who was ready for marriage, having obviously reached puberty implicitly implying "menses" but still having her nurse. Shakespeare portrays young people/children as wilily or in need of protection because of the adults perception of having a family grudge. Biologically speaking , a child is defined not having sexual hormones in other words not having reached puberty. He/she is not an adolescent, no having reached Erikson's stage of identity and role confusion. (Erikson, 1959) Saraga (1998 and Macionis & Plummer, 2005) points out that historically children have been seen either as innocent (Montgomery , 2003) , vulnerable and in need of protection; or they have been seen as asocial, inherently evil and in need of firm control and discipline. In early Christianity both concepts are present suggesting that the child is innocent (Pollock, 1983) or that the child is born in a state of original sin (Powell , 1917; Schucking, 1969). The child, who was born wicked and full of sin, needed to have the wickedness removed through punishment or strong discipline. (Pollock, 1983) Rituals such as Baptism or Christening continue today to symbolize the purification of babies and small children. Demonising or representing children or young people negatively in a religious context, was used as a form of control and a reasoning for punishment. In art work, representing adolescents and young people in a less

Resistance to change Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Resistance to change - Research Paper Example ). They usually have three shifts a week and many nurses are pleased with such schedule, because they have much time to have a rest and devote to their families. Nurses have four free days after three working days and are able to get acquainted with all their patients and learn about their problems. However, last time this schedule was widely discussed as there are a lot of doubts appeared around it (Reid, and Dawson, 2000). The question is if a person is biologically capable of working uninterruptedly during 12 hours and if this work can bring positive results (Are 12-hour shifts safe?). The trouble is that 12 consecutive hours of work make a person physically and emotionally exhausted (Reid, and Dawson, 2000). At the end of the working period a nurse inevitably becomes less attentive, slow and loses the ability to take fast decisions that is extremely important in nursing profession. Moreover, some nurses prefer not to waste time even for a break to have some meal. Many nurses cons ider this to be unnecessary. Now many scholars who study this issue call such way of life â€Å"a way to disaster† (Are 12-hour shifts safe?). According to Reid and Dawson, â€Å"Notable reductions in neurobehavioural performance during shift work and particularly night work have long been recognized. These reductions in performance are thought to be the result of both the sleep disruption associated with shift work3  and the circadian rhythm of performance† (Reid, and Dawson, 2000). In order to maintain physical ability to work, nurses often drink coffee. The profession of a nurse is included in top ten professions, which consume coffee excessively (Are 12-hour shifts safe?). However, excessive coffee consumption can lead to very bad consequences such as increased excitability and dream abnormality. If to remember that nurses usually do not have much time to sleep, these abnormalities may result in more serious diseases. Thus, 12 hours shifts schedule is harmful not only for patients but for nurses itself (What are 12-hour shifts good for?). Despite all these factors, many nurses become irritable, when they are told that it would be better to change their schedule from 12 hours shift to 8 hours shift (Are 12-hour shifts safe?). They like their 12 hours shifts schedule and want to have many consecutive free days to devote them to their families. â€Å""I prefer 12-hour shifts because I am forced to be diligent about my sleep. Very early in my career, I worked 8-hour night shifts -- it was way too easy to keep postponing my bedtime." Another nurse believes that "8-hour shifts are harder because you have stay up 5 nights a week rather than just 3 nights." (cited in Stokowski, 2013). 8 hours shift five times a week seems unsuitable for nurses, thus many of them are against such change in their schedule (Are 12-hour shifts safe?). Those nurses who are over 55 years old are not against the change in schedule. It is difficult for them to work for 12 consecutive hours because of their age (Reid, and Dawson, 2000). Thus they want to have fewer working hours a day. Reid and Dawson state: â€Å"The combined effect of 12 hour shifts and age may result in greater reductions in performance of older than younger workers. If this is the case then there may be serious implications for worker productivity and safety. Considering the increase in the number of older shift workers currently employed and the prediction that this will continue to increase in the future,

The guiding aim and abiding concern of Corporate culture Essay

The guiding aim and abiding concern of Corporate culture - Essay Example Corporate culture has an influence on how the members of an organization conduct themselves in almost every aspect of their lives, in respect to their work, to create a good image. It is this behavior which comes to affect how employees interact with their fellow employees, all their clients (whether large or small), and those people who have an interest in the organization (whether they are shareholders or stakeholders). The corporate culture of an organization can also be defined as the values that contribute to the creation of an environment that is conducive both psychologically and socially and enable employees to work effectively without worrying about any conflict related to their work procedure. These values are based on the knowledge that has been gained in the history of the organization from its founding as well as the existing knowledge of the organization, which form the philosophies that hold the organization together. There are certain instances, however, where there m ay be many, different conflicting, cultures within an organization, and this usually occurs especially in the large organizations, because of the different paths that are pursued by the various management teams in achieving the goals that have been set for the organization. Corporate culture is an extremely complex phenomenon within an organization, and it affects those who are employed by it in their work lives in various ways. When one considers corporate culture, one will realize that it may have both positive and negative effects on the individuals involved. It is these effects, among others, which will be discussed in this paper. While, in most cases, it is the management of an organization or corporation which plays a crucial role in the creation of the corporate culture of the organizatio

Why Austen bores the modern audience Essay Example for Free

Why Austen bores the modern audience Essay But the scenario with Darcy and his two proposals counters this philosophy, and makes an extremely discreet statement. Alternatively There must be something that makes the novel a universally acknowledged classic. Here are some of the ways Jane Austen attempts to quell boredom In contemplating this, it must be taken in mind that social attitudes were at a peak of mildness and placidity in the Victorian period (table legs = table unmentionables); much less was required to imply passion to the reader (this rather paradoxically Victorians must have needed much dirtier minds). In the complete book I dont think there is one romantic physical gesture cited; even the language goes little further than expressing how cheerful the speaker is (I was utterly delighted); but when Austen does want to construct specific atmospheres she demonstrates a range of artistic techniques to achieve this: inside the first chapter of the third volume there is a scene possessing an excitement foreign to the rest of the book. Austen introduces Darcy back into the story without any real preceding apprehension: while the former was conjecturing as to the date of the building, the owner of it suddenly came forward from the road, which led behind it to the stables. This remark is so subtle that it takes a few seconds to contemplate what has actually happened in that respect we share exactly the feelings that Elizabeth must be experiencing. Various dialogues in the preceding volume give the impression that there is no danger of Darcys materializing; and the consistent tepidity of the novel assure us that Austen wouldnt stoop so low as to fabricate a coincidence like this that when it does happen it seems ingenious. There are some attractive and imaginative narrative techniques inside the book which momentarily quench the monotony, and when I read the fourth chapter of the third volume, I have to confess that I was intrigued. The chapter is narrated on the behalf of a character other than the main focus of the story (Elizabeth), in the standard form of a letter. But interestingly, there are two correspondences making up the chapter, one composed a day after the other; which is a rational way to break up the continuity of the story and thus generate some much required tension. The form of the novel three separate volumes could have several motives: printing restraints, a desire to make more money, writers block (more time to keep the publishers happy)* or genuine artistic consideration. Indeed, the events fit pretty tidily into three sections, with cliff-hangers at the end of the preceding two (will they stay in London oh, they will; what will happen when they get to Mr. Darcys house Theyll theyll meet Mr. Darcy). The book has a standard relationships-problems-weddings structure. Jane Austens choice of language is pretty limited to the rigid and self-important vocabulary necessitated by the presence of upper-class Victorian females (vexed, delighted, utterly ); she employs this to great effect though, probably owing to her own circumstances. Aside from the abovementioned portentous dispatch there are some instances of words employed for a specific effect: Darcys letter in chapter twelve of the second volume is a good example Austen writing on behalf of an apologetic and mildly arrogant rejectee. Darcy pleads her justice in perusing his countenance, and he offends her out of necessity. The previous example especially is both humble and superior: he only insults her because he is forced to; nevertheless he is taking a liberty by considering a necessity to affront. (I resisted an urge here to cross reference Jane Austen with Catherine Tate. Its obvious who the real genius is ) Patterns of words are exploited throughout; recurrently the phrase structure of the adverb most followed by an adjective in creating speech for the fairer sex: most displeased, most agitated, etc. The effect achieved is much the same as the abovementioned an upper-class verbalization. The spectrum of emotional effects throughout the whole book is small. From the depiction of mild anticipatory discomfort to the fairly strong sense of awkwardness portrayed in Elizabeths meetings with Darcy subsequent to the receiving of the explanatory letter, there is no contrast harsh enough for us to relate in any significant way to the characters happiness at the end of the story. In conclusion, despite my judgment of this book as an uneventful, upper-class, pretentious, boring novel so distant from todays morals as to be almost surreal; which only approaches the mildly amusing in the half-hearted humour directed at the un-funny comments by Mr. Bennet above; I can go as far to say that when compared with the two greatest writers of her era, Austen has a comfortable top-three placement. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Miscellaneous section.

Aphras Behns Oroonoko | Analysis

Aphras Behns Oroonoko | Analysis Aphras Behns Oroonoko tends to focus on the treatment of slavery and race, particularly Behns granting of heroic stature to an African prince (Pacheco 1). This highlights the notion of kinship, and reference to a legitimate monarch. Behns novella of an African slave who was once a king was published in 1688, the year that saw the bloodless deposition of King James II in England. This essay will try and explore and analyse the connections between matters of race and kingship in the novella. In his article George Guffey challenged such readings by asserting that the significance of Behns hero resides not in his African origins but in his royal blood, his enslavement, (Lore Metzger 3) according to Guffey, this presents a mirror image of the imminent deposition of the legitimate monarch, James II. One could interpret this as Behn, representing hierarchical principles, creating a royalist ideology; this is shown in Behns series of references to the execution of Charles I, this creates linkages to Oroonokos linear as a prince executed by racist men, inferior in hierarchy. The nostalgic imprint of the old order demonstrates the split in English culture caused by the civil wars aftermath; this notion of kingship is shown in Oroonoko when captors name him Caesar. The narrator and Oroonoko- Caesar have both received European educations, as Todd suggests accorded to privileged white men; both are victims and beneficiaries of socioeconomic systems that discriminate kings from commoners supporting the privileges of the nobility with profits of the slave- trade. Oroonoko is described as having captured and sold black slaves in African wars before he was himself enslaved by a Christian. The narrator not only belongs to a slave owning class but clearly supports the nationalistic colonising enterprise which fuelled and depended on the African Slave trade (Todd, 218). Behn uses lush description of gold-prospecting (45) to suggest desirability- in 1688, on the eve of William of Oranges accession to the British throne- Behn suggests tis bemoaned what his majesty lost by losing that part of America'(59). The narrator and a hero who are both victims of the slave trade, and by comparing both characters at different moments, to the Indians, Behn provides a perspective on the Conquest of America ( Todd 219) showing notions of imperialism and kingship. The renaming of slaves can be seen as destroying identity, slaves were renamed as soon as they arrived in foreign lands, removing identity and thus Oroonokos kingship, however one could argue the name Caesar given to the character still denotes kinship and creates a certain amount of respect. Throughout the narrative a kind of royalist discourse pervades Behns story of a prince who is beloved like a Deity (29). After Oroonoko is sold into slavery in Surinam, Behn foregrounds the royalist myth (Anita Dacheco). Trefy, who buys Oroonoko, knows he is no ordinary slave, he is at first richly dressed, according to his social position, he cannot hide the: Graces of his looks and Mein The Royal Youth appeard in spight of the slave, even by those who yet knew not that he was a prince ( p.39) Even though disguised, authority shines through, this is clearly shown when Oroonoko reaches the plantation, the response of the slaves to his presence make significance of his royal status clear: Live, O king, Long live, O king! And kissing his feet, paid him Divine Homage (41) The slaves worship Oroonoko as a god, as Pacheo emphasises It would be hard to imagine a more radical vindication, of the royal prerogative meaning the slaves serve as a function, a literary function, to solidify the rightness and sanctity of royal power. Trefry even reflects happily that Oroonokos Grandeur is confirmed by the Adoration of all the slaves (41). The royalist discourse essentially portrays royal power as a natural law, with divine purpose, residing the blood of the royal line. The text seeks to reinforce its royalist ideology with ruling class values, this can be seen by Oroonokos education, the emphasise on training as Pacheo mentions Oroonoko as a European aristocrat, with privileges European upper class-culture, the men who contribute to Oroonokos education are gentlemen such as Trefry, a person of great wit, and fine learning (38). The novella written at a time of great intense upheaval in social power relations, endorses the elitist values of the ruling class, va lidating the authority not only for the monarchy, but also of the upper classes that clutter around the throne, allied to it through a shared interest in preserving the distinction of hereditary power (496), SOMETHING SHOULD GO HERE. The matters of race are questioned in Oroonokos beloved, whom the English rename Clemene. As Todd suggests Imoinda is doubly enslaved- to the whites, male and female'(219) one could suggest even to her black husband. In contrast to the narrator, who stands in relation Oroonoko, as queen or Petraarchan lady-lord to a vassal- a Great mistress (46). As Todd states Imoinda is an uncanny amalgam of European ideals of European fantasties about wives of Oriental despots, she is therefore an image of ideal that race cannot challenge. Race is shown Behns portrait of her African prince, of both his physical appearance and his character, is profoundly Eurocentric: His face was not of that brown rusty Black, His nose was rising and roman, instead of African and flat, His mouth the finest shaped that could be seen: far from those great turned lips, which are so natural to the rest of the negroes ( p 8) The text is clearly eager to distinguish its hero from other blacks: his beauty generally and his individual features distance Oroonoko from what the narrator calls his gloomy Race (6) and identify him with European ideas of beauty. The phrase bating his colour makes his us feel Oroonokos African origins as a liability, a flaw in his race. When the novella comes to consider the heros equally extraordinary virtue. The account of Oroonokos upbringing stresses his natural inclination to Arms'( 6), his tutelage in Morals, language and Science (7). One could interpret this nature belonging not to primitivism but to royalism, for it is inseparable from exalted birth. We are told of Oroonokos native beauty and struck with an awe and reverence, even those that knew not his Quality (6), the word quality combines connotations of virtue and high birth, in this novella a royal birth, which reflects the prince beauty. Individual value is associated with birth, virtue with an inherited rank which is shown as a natural order. This is a concept of basic hierarchy, virtue as Pacheco states virtue is supposedly transmitted from one generation to the next'( 4), meaning power and Kingship is legitimised on the notion of worthiness, authority is presented as hereditary. Kingship is explored even further when onlookers are fortunate to witness royalty it inspires Awe and reverence, these choices of words establishes as deeply right a relationship between the prince and the rest of humanity. As Pacheco points out there is no mention here of the Doctrine of the divine right of kings this vitally important to the Stuart monarchs, but the sanctity of Kingship is implied as Oroonoko himself is invested with something akin to divine power.

Vodafone India Evaluation and Entry Strategy

Vodafone India Evaluation and Entry Strategy The Indian telecom industry is the worlds fastest growing telecommunications industry. The total number of subscribers was 225.21 Million with a teledensity of 19.86 %. It was expected that the mobile subscriber base will grow to 500 Million by 2010 i.e. more than one mobile phone per household and 1.159 Billion mobile subscribers exceeding total subscriber count in China by 2013. The average addition of new subscribers per month was 7.34 Million and it was increasing. The annual growth rate (2006-2007) of the new mobile subscribers was 46.82%.The average revenue per user (ARPU) for GSM was US$ 6.6 per month. There were more number of mobile users than fixed line subscribers.The Indian telecom industry witnessed a CAGR of approximately 22 per cent from 2002-03 to 2006-07. The CAGR from 2006-07 to 2009-10 is expected to stabilise at 21 per cent. In addition, the telecom equipment market had grown to US$ 17,100 Million and the handset market had gone up to US$ 4,750 Million. In 2006-2007, Indian telecom industry generated revenues of approximately US $ 20 Billion. The market witnessed a CAGR of 22% in the period 2002-2003 to 2006-2007 with last years growth rate of 33%. The high growth rate resulted in doubling the revenues of the Indian telecom industry in the past 3 years. The industrys revenue is expected to grow up to $ 43 Billion by 2009-2010. The Indian telecom industry can be divided broadly into Basic, Mobile and Internet services. Basic services cover Fixed Wire Line and Wireless in Local Loop (WLL-fixed) services. This segment is dominated by BSNL and MTNL. MTNL operates in Delhi and Mumbai, whereas BSNL dominates the rest of the country. A few private service providers like Bharati and Reliance have done well lately in this segment but government owned BSNL and MTNL continue to dominate in terms of number of subscribers. In 2006, the total number of basic service subscribers exceeded 50 million. Fixed wire line users made up a large share of this, with a contribution of 83 per cent. Mobile Services The prime reason of the spectacular growth in the Indian telecom industry is the rise of Mobile Services. The total number of mobile services subscribers has increased to 185.13 Million with an addition of more than 6 Million subscribers every month. India is one of the few countries where there are more number of subscribers than the number of fixed line users. GSM dominate this segment with a share of 73% whereas CDMA has a share on only 27%. Currently there are 12 active players in this segment. All the service providers provide services predominantly under two categories Voice Service and Value Added Services (VAS). Voice service comprise of only basic calling services whereas Value Added Services comprise of SMS, mobile internet services, email, chatting, conferencing, video conferencing, GPRS services etc. The revenues from Value Added Services are growing by 30-40% annually. This growth is laying foundations for the introduction of 3G services in India. All the service providers have constantly indulged in price wars which have led to a reduction in the ARPU constantly. However, the reduction in ARPU has been backed by the increasing number of subscribers. The ARPU of GSM service in India has been much higher as compared to CDMA. In spite of a constant decline in ARPU and with the help of constant tariff reduction, the mobile usage in India has been increasing constantly. Currently, India stands at 2nd position in the world after China in terms of Minutes of Usage (MoU). Another inference of reduced tariffs, reduced ARPU and increasing number of subscribers is that the service providers is successfully tapping the bottom of the pyramid by increasing affordability, which has a huge market potential. Internet Services In 2002, the government of India opened internet telephony and issued licences in this domain. In 2004, the government of India implemented the Broadband Policy which sent out signals of governments positive intent of increasing the penetration of internet in India. Currently, there are 2.25 Million internet connections in India. There are nearly 400 Internet Service providers which are operating in India currently. Though the penetration rate is low, but this segment holds a huge growth potential in India. Government owned BSNL is the largest player in this segment. The total number of Internet subscribers increased at a CAGR of approximately 60 per cent from 1997-98 to 2006-07. An emergence of private players and superior technologies, internet broadband segments have shown impressive potential for growth. With the significant undergoing improvement in telecom infrastructure, the quality and penetration of internet broadband services have undergone significant improvements. Though the private ISPs are catching up fast, the government owned ISPs BSNL and MTNL still hold nearly two third share of the total internet services market India. Telecom Subscriber Base and Tele-density Due to the phenomenal growth rate in the Indian telecom industry, India is likely to reach second position in the global telecommunications market by 2010. The total subscriber base in India is likely to reach 500 Million by 2010. The telecom subscriber base is expanding phenomenally and the soaring industry revenues are a clear proof of it. The additions in subscriber base in 2007 registered a growth of approximately 47 per cent over the previous year. The CAGR witnessed by the subscriber base for the period 2002-03 to 2006-07 stood at 40.4 per cent. The superbly increasingly subscriber base has also played its part in increasing the tele-density in the country. Currently, the tele-density is India is low as compared to other markets, which is an Indication of a huge untapped market and a huge business opportunity. In 2006-07, India had a tele-density of 18.31%, depicting a growth of 43%. From 2002-03 to 2006-07, the tele-density in India registered a CAGR at 40.4 per cent and 37.6%. Telecom Service Providers The Wireless Industry crossed 165.11 million-subscribers mark in 2007 comprising of 120.47 million GSM and 44.64 million CDMA subscribers registering an annual growth of 83.17%. Bharati leads the Indian telecom market with a total share of 22.49% followed by BSNL, Reliance and Hutch. Despite stiff competition, Bharti has been successful in retaining its position of leadership. 75% of the total GSM segment is occupied by the private players, Bharti and Hutch being the top two players. Reliance and Tata Teleservices dominate the CDMA segment with a combined market share of 91%. Vodafone Vodafone Group is the worlds leading mobile telecommunications company. It is a British multinational  mobile network operator  headquartered in  Newbury, England. It has a significant presence in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and the United States. It currently has operations in 31 countries and partner networks in a further 40 countries. The company has made its presence felt through the Companys global strategies of subsidiary undertakings, joint ventures, associated undertakings and investments. Based on subscribers, it is the  worlds second largest mobile phone operator  behind  China Mobile  and over  Telefà ³nica. The name Vodafone comes from  voice  data  fone, chosen by the company to reflect the provision of voice and data services over mobile phones Vodafone was formed in 1984 as a subsidiary of Racal Electronics Plc. Then known as Racal Telecom Limited, approximately 20% of the companys capital was offered to the public in October 1988. It was fully demerged from Racal Electronics Plc and became an independent company in September 1991, at which time it changed its name to Vodafone Group Plc. Following its merger with AirTouch Communications, Inc. (AirTouch), the company changed its name to Vodafone AirTouchPlc on 29 June 1999 and, following approval by the shareholders in General Meeting, reverted to  its former name, Vodafone Group Plc, on 28 July 2000. Country evaluation We evaluate India from the perspective of Vodafone during the period before its entry into India. We look at the various opportunities it could have foreseen in terms of sales revenue, ease of entry and operations and also look at some of the hurdles it could have predicted. Country opportunities We begin with an analysis of the opportunities it could have seen in a large country like India. Market size With the second largest population in the world (Fig 1), the Indian market looked very promising. But one hurdle it faced was low mobile penetration (Fig 2) and low tariff (Fig 3) which kept profit margins low. But the penetration was expected to increase over 40% in the next 5 years  [1]  (Fig 4). The population growth and the GDP growth both were in the positive indicating larger future potential( As shown below).  ­ Economic Environment Since 1991 when the Indian economy opened up, the gradual economic reforms have delivered major cumulative change. These have greatly been in favour of a foreign party entering and doing business in India. The ease of operations has greatly increased. As the bureaucracy has been reduced and the state influence over business decision also reduced, it is easier for companies to quickly formulate and implement business policies. The government has been promoting competition and de-licensing key sectors giving great boost to positive market dynamics. Foreign investment is also being encouraged into many sectors of the economy. Various capital market reforms have been undertaken and the foreign exchange rules have been relaxed. Overall the economy growth rate increased, the balance of payments is stabilized and the economy overall looked very promising. Regulatory status TRAI The regulatory institutions were very well developed among emerging market peers. The following is the mission of TRAI which is very encouraging for a foreign entrant: TRAIs mission is to create and nurture conditions for the growth of telecommunications including broadcasting and cable services in the country in a manner and at a pace which will enable India to play a leading role in the emerging global information society. The goals and objectives, as taken from its annual report 2006-07, clearly indicated the creation of a booming market for telecom operators. Following are some goals of TRIA particularly favourable to a foreign mobile operator entering India: Increasing tele-density and access to telecommunications in the country at affordable prices, Providing a fair and transparent policy environment which promotes a level playing field and facilitates fair competition Re-balancing tariffs so that the objectives of affordability and operator viability are met in a consistent manner Preparing the grounds for smooth transition to an era of convergence of services and technologies, Various recent dynamic consultations were done on 3G licensing, roaming and infrastructure sharing. The government had clear targets for teledensity such as: 500m telecoms connections by 2010 (implies significant rural coverage) 20m broadband subscribers by 2010 The high levels of fees and taxes had been reduced to promote affordability and increase teledensity further increasing scope for higher revenue. The sharing of passive infrastructure (sites, towers) was permitted and encouraged by the government of India. TRAI was evaluating active network infrastructure sharing to underpin teledensity targets. Other factors India has a very well developed and written legal system in place making the legal aspects easy to comprehend and therefore easier for a foreign company to enter. With the IT boom in place, there was a large educated workforce available for a foreign company to exploit. Although language barriers existed, they could be overcome in a phased manner. Major Competitors We can classify players in telecom industry in three major category: Government: MTNL, BSNL Indian Owned companies: Reliance Infocomm, Tata Teleservices Foreign Invested companies: Escotel, Idea Cellular, BPL Mobile, Spice Communication, Bharti Tele-Venture, Hutchinson-Essar Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) BSNL is a one of the biggest player in telecommunication industry throughout the globe. It was established in year 2000. It stands 7th in the world in term of its size. It provides diverse range of tele-services which encompasses wired phone, GSM Mobile, CDMA, Internet, VoIP, broadband, VPN etc. It is one of the largest Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) in India. It has a turnover of $ 8 billion. It covers 45 million lines covering 35 million connections across 5000 towns in India. It is a Government of India Undertaking. It plans to increase its customer base up to threefold to 125 million and invest Rs. 733 crores in coming three years. Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) MTNL is a Government of India undertaking. It has about 13% market share and covers 5.92 million consumers. GoI holds 56.25% stake in the company. It has revenue about $ 2.47 Billion. Recently it has formed a JV with Telecom Consultants India Limited (TCIL) under name of United Telecom Ltd in Nepal. It has also setup its subsidiary in Mauritius. It has also formed two joint ventures with Software Technology Park of India and BSNL. With estimation of growth in telecom sector it is try to enter M-commerce. Bharti It was formed in 1985 and was incorporated with name of Bharti Tele-Venture Limited on July 7, 1995. It has mainly two groups: Mobility Group and Infotel Group which handles operation. It has turnover of $ 1.37 billion. It provides fixed and wireless telecommunication services across India, also offering broadband services across 94 cities. It has formed a joint venture with British Telecom for Internet services, in 1998. It is trying to found join venture for various sector like, submarine cable landing station in Chennai, infrastructure projects. It is ready to focus on semi-urban and rural areas and to do this is has aggressively to setup more than 3000 towers. Reliance Communication It was established in 1999 and is available in more than 340 towns across eight telecom circle. It has been offering first of its kind mobile data service in India. It is present in CDMA 1X network. It offers complete package of services ranging from fixed telephones to broadband, long distance call and also data services. It has revenue of $ 767 million. It has very strong infrastructure of about 150 thousand kilometres of optic fibre spanning India, Middle East, Asia Pacific as well as Europe. It is also a wholesale service provider for various tele-services across the world. It has a strategy to give more focus on mobile content provider rather than it voice services. It also plans to double its coverage area in next three years. Tata Teleservices It was established in 1996 and is a part of Tata Group. The range of tele-services it provides are mobile services, public booth, wireless desktop phones, wireline etc. It also has services spanning internet, Wi-Fi, USB modem, calling cards, and enterprise services. It has it presence in 19 telecom circles. It has also acquired Tele.com in Maharashtra in 2002. It has very aggressive and has paid DoT for 11 new licenses. Idea It was founded in 1995 as a part of Aditya Birla Group which is Indias first multinational corporation. Stakes of Idea are distributed among various sister companies of Aditya Birla Group. It has a sales turnover of Rs 24,005.50 million. It has a customer base of over 17 million which are present in 12 telecom circles. It has merged or acquired various players in the different circles to become a service provider. It plans to enter rural and less developed cities to gain subscriber form first mover advantage. It also plays a pro-active CSR role Mode of Entry There are basically five major different modes of entry for a company to enter a foreign market. They are: Exporting Licensing Franchising Strategic Alliance or Joint Venture Wholly owned subsidiary Choice of entry for a company depends and varies from company to company and also on county of investment. We can see from the figure risk associated with various modes of entries. We can also compare various pro and cons of different entry modes in the table. Level of Control High Low Low High Level of Risk Mode Description Advantages Disadvantages Exporting Transfer of goods or services across national boundaries Ability to realize location and experience-curve economies Avoids the cost of establishing manufacturing operations Low risk High transport costs Unpredictability of trade barriers Problems with local marketing agents Licensing Foreign licensee buys the rights to produce a companys product in the licensees country Low developmental cost Quick growth possible Difficult to have control over technology Franchising Selling of limited rights to its brand name and business model Low costs of development and risk Quick growth possible Difficult to engage in global strategic coordination Difficult to control quality Strategic alliance/ Joint Venture Sharing of ownership and control by parent companies Access to partners knowledge Shared development cost and risk Transfer of complementary skills Difficult to engage in global strategic Risk of knowledge sharing Wholly owned subsidiary Parent company owns 100% of the subsidiarys stock Protection of technology Ability to engage in global strategic coordination High costs and risks Mode of Entry Acquisition of Hutchison Essar In February 2007, Vodafone Group, one of the leading global telecommunication companies entered into Indian market by acquiring the 67% stakes in Hutchison Essar, one of the leading telecom operators in India, which provided its services under the brand name, Hutch. When Vodafone acquired Hutch the later had already earned a huge brand success in Indian mobile communication sector. Rational Behind the Acquisition Below sections will describe about the rational of why Vodafone chose acquisition as its mode of entry in India rather than going alone or other mode of entries. Leveraged up-on existing infrastructure built by Hutch One of the objectives of Vodafone was to bring the product and services at the lowest possible cost for the Indian consumers. Existing infrastructure such as, towers, power supply, distribution channels etc. could help Vodafone to reduce its operating costs and investment requirements. After five years of acquisition Vodafone was able to save more than one billion dollar by leveraging upon the ready-made and shared infrastructure. Quick entry to the new market- Acquisition also helped Vodafone to make a quick entry to the Indian market. Other mode of entry could have been time consuming or at least could take years to build the communications channels and network if Vodafone decided to enter by own. Also taking the approval/license from the government could have been the time consuming. Minimizing the risk due to cultural differences- Since Hutch was already operating in Indian market before the Vodafone came; it had a good understanding of consumers behavior towards selecting a product or services. Also Indian consumers are diversified in term of product choices, likes and dislikes, social and cultural influences, so managing the risk arises out of this divers consumers could have been difficult if Vodafone entered alone. Growth opportunity India is the worlds 2nd most populated country and the fastest growing mobile market in the world. So entering to India could help Vodafone to accelerate its business growth Building a Strong Brand Acquisition would result in forming a strong brand name Vodafone Essar in India, enabling them to make nationwide presence with strong financial position. Better competition to competitors One notable point regarding the Indian telecom market is that, this sector is highly competitive as there are many strong players, like Airtel, Reliance and BSNL operating in the market. So, it could have been difficult for Vodafone to counter the threat posed by those competitors. However, Vodafone along with Hutch could give them better competition. This further support the Vodafones strategy to acquire Hutch. Win- Win situation for both Vodafone and Hutch-Vodafone-Hutch acquisition was an strategic movement for both the companies. Although Hutch had done well in the Indian market, its penetration of total Indian population was only 40%. So, in order to expand its business to other parts of the country, Hutch needed money for investment. At the same time Vodafone was ready to make the investment in India market. So, Hutch decided to sell its 67% stake to Vodafone to meet its financial needs. Other motive toward acquisitions was that through the acquisition, Hutch would get the global platform for its business as Vodafone was an international player in telecommunication. According to Vodafone Essar director as saying that the objective is to leverage Vodafone Groups global scale in bringing millions of low-cost handsets from across-the-world into India. Sound economic environment After the economic reform Indian foreign policy has been very friendly to the foreign companies who want to come to Indian market. There is relaxation in taxation and foreign exchange rules. Also there is least intervention by the bureaucracy in the management of the foreign companies in India. Tax Purposes The corporate effective tax rate in India is 33.22% for a local company and 42.23 % for a foreign company. However joint venture companies are taxed same as domestic companies with some minor differences. According to Indian FDI policy, Foreign companies are free to open branch offices in India. However, a branch of a foreign company attracts a higher rate of tax than a subsidiary or a joint venture company. The liability of the parent company is also greater in case of a branch office. Implementation After the acquisition, Vodafone brought many improvements to the existing business model of Hutch. It also made a huge investment to expand its network and distribution channels. The story doesnt stop here; it also made a substantial spending in the branding and advertisement. Its zoo-zoo ad was one of the most successful ads ever made for Indian market. Due to its eye-catching design and features, the ad contributed a lot in branding the Vodafone products- especially value added products and services. Over all Vodafone adopted an aggressive strategy towards expanding its business in Indian market. Below is the elaborated view of the Implementation strategies adopted by Vodafone India Re-branding Before acquisition, Company was named as Hutchison Essar, which was the name of the previous owner, Hutchison. However brand was marketed as Hutch, just because its simple to remember After the government approval to Vodafone Group to acquire majority of stake, the company name was changed to Vodafone Essar. The marketing brand was again changed to Vodafone on September, 2007 Escalating the Distribution Channels Investment to increase the number of exclusive showrooms and retail outlets -Hutch management was such that it relied on no subsidy (Only SIM) and low cost strategy. Vodafone continued with the same strategy. However it made a huge investment to increase the current level of exclusive shops and retail outlets. Then there were around 1800 exclusive shops and more than 300,000 retail outlets across India. Accelerate distribution roll-out in-line the network roll-out plans Vodafone took a holistic approach for improving its supply-chain network. Vodafone had correctly realized the escalation of the channels for of product delivery is as important as developing its network channels. Escalating the Network Coverage MOU with BharatiAirtel on extensive level of sites s Adding up more mobile circles India is divided into 23 license territories, also called Circles for the purpose of mobile services. Out of 23 circles, Hutch was operating into only 16 circles, which covers only 40% of the Indian total population. After the acquisition Vodafone expanded it coverage and now captures all 23 circles in India. Sharing of active infrastructure- MOU with Airtel In order to achieve its long term strategy to become the cheapest mobile operator in India, Vodafone actively shared its infrastructures with other telecommunication operators in India Currently about 2/3 of Vodafone sites are shared with other mobile operators. haring including, sharing of towers, shelters, civil works and power supply Easily penetration to rural segments Achieved low cost services Significant capital expenditure and operating expenses savings for the Vodafone-more than one billion dollarsavings was achieved due to infrastructure sharing Developing consumer and business propositions More consumer focused strategy One of the most important drivers who contributed towards the success of Vodafone in India is that its more consumers centric. It offers a blend of product and services that suits to individuals needs. Consumers can choose the kind of products that they think best cater to their individual needs. Following are the major steps taken in order to make Vodafone the most preferred mobile service provider: Introduced low cost handsets Brought Vodafone live to India Payments through Mobile A range of product schemes targeted towards the customers with different needs First mover advantage to become the only operator in India integrated into an International mobile company International voice and data roaming Strong brand presence improved the credibility of the company and hence made the consumers to become more dependent on the Vodafone Strong Management team Vodafone took the control of management from Hutch. It formed a hierarchy of management team to ensure that the business objective is achieved at each and every level of the business Strong and efficient customer care services Emphasized on providing 247 customers care services Efficient customer feed-back mechanism- It also brought a customer feedback mechanism at place

Siddhartha :: Hesse Siddhartha Essays

Siddhartha    Siddhartha is extremely proud of his ability to think, fast, and wait.   These qualities also allow him to get a job with Kamaswami as a merchant. These are basically Siddhartha's life achievements.   Being able to do these things shows he is intelligent and more than able to do most tasks.   This is probably why he flaunts it, and is proud of these abilities so much.   In this essay I will discuss each of these abilities individually, and show how they apply to his life, what they do to teach him, or show him, and also show how they help him or hinder him in various situations.      Ã‚  Ã‚   The ability to think obviously is something to be proud of.   When a man can think on any topic, give feedback, and reflect on it, they are considered very valuable in any situation or job.   When Kamaswami first meets Siddhartha, he is instantly impressed with his ability to read and write.   We see how this ability to think can gain a man instant respect.   All Siddhartha's life he has been reading, writing, meditating, and studying.   It is quite evident tat if you or I worked that hard, we would feel the same achievement he has, and try to apply our abilities to anything we do.   Aside from thinking though, Kamaswami is also very impressed with waiting as we see when he says, "Writing is good, thinking is better.   Cleverness is good, patience is better."      Ã‚  Ã‚   As much as Siddhartha thinks, his ability to wait is something that really defines his character even better.   This is also incorporates with fasting, as well as thinking, but by itself waiting is extremely important. I have found, in all my years, myself to be quite impatient.   This will probably harm me later in my life.   The ability to wait also spurs the ability to think, and fast.   Throughout all his studies, Siddhartha had to wait out the array of different teachings he went through to know truly in his heart, that they didn't apply to him.   To wait on something shows wisdom, and maturity.   These are traits that no good businessman can ignore, as Kamaswami realizes.   That is a major reason Siddhartha was hired.      Ã‚  Ã‚   Lastly, fasting is something that once again requires patience, and deep

Sweden :: essays research papers

History, Science and Technology, Justice, and Environmental Issues of Sweden During the seventh and eighth centuries, the Swedes were merchant seamen well known for their trade. In the ninth century, Nordic Vikings raided and ravaged the European Continent as far as the Black and Caspian Seas. During the 11th and 12th centuries, Sweden slowly became a united Christian kingdom that later included Finland. Queen Margaret of Denmark united all the Nordic lands in the "Kalmar Union" in 1397. Frequent tension within the countries and within the union gradually led to open conflict between the Swedes and the Danes in the 15th century. The union's final disintegration in the early 16th century resulted in a long-lived rivalry between Norway and Denmark on one side and Sweden and Finland on the other. During and after World War I, in which Sweden remained neutral, the nation benefited from the worldwide demand for Swedish steel, ball bearings, wood pulp, and matches. Postwar achievement provided the basis for the social welfare policies characteristic of modern Sweden. Sweden followed a policy of armed impartiality during World War II and currently remains independent. Sweden became a member of the European Union in 1995. Many of Sweden’s science and technology activities are carried out by the Embassy of Sweden’s Science and Technology office. The main mission of the Science and Technology Office is to help cooperation in research and development and other exchange of knowledge between Sweden and Japan. This is done by telling decision-makers in Sweden about developments in Japan, and by arranging study visits, workshops and other events. The office preserves widespread contact networks in Sweden and Japan, mainly with key persons and organizations involved in research and innovation in government, academia, and industry. Most of the activities of the Science and Technology Office are carried out within the framework of â€Å"programs† operated in close partnership with, and financed by, Swedish government agencies and other organizations with responsibilities in the particular area covered by a program. Current programs cover the following areas: (1) Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), (2) Life Sciences and Bio-industry, (3) Sustainable Development, and (4) Overall Development of Japanese Science and Technology Policy and Innovation System. Sweden is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary form of government. According to the Swedish Constitution, all public power derives from the people. Sweden's head of state, the King, has only ceremonial functions. The top branch of the national government is the Parliament, which has 349 members in one chamber.

Foreign Language Requirement

In the persuasive argument All Students Should be Required to Study a Foreign Language, posted on 123helpme. com the writer makes the argument that all Americans should have some type of formal education in a foreign language. The writer gives a few good reasons supporting his claim. The benefits given are better race relations for the country as well as an improved foreign interest. The writer is basing his claim on the solid assumption that language is the most fundamental aspect of a culture and when doing business abroad language barriers can be a burden.The argument even goes on to say that incorporating foreign language into the American society will create a more well-rounded society. â€Å"Foreign language skills can have a positive impact on race relations in America. † stated in the second paragraph of the argument. It is a known fact that the number of minorities in America are continually increasing. American students that study a foreign language of the predominat e minority group in their region of the county have a better insight to the minority’s culture.Understanding a minority’s language can help natives understand their neighbors culturally and on a personal level. â€Å"If we take these bits of insight and understanding and couple them with compassion, fertile ground for multicultural harmony in America will be sown. † says the writer. Foreign language skill can definitely improve domestic affairs. America is a part of the global economy which involves American and foreign interaction. Having language barriers can be a burden when it comes to foreign interest.Most foreign businessmen speak English for the benefit of making money in American businesses. It is assumed that if American businessmen had foreign language skills they should be more successful at the bargaining table. Foreign language skill can also improve foreign relations. â€Å"If American ambassadors, envoys, diplomats and representatives were able t o speak the language of their counterparts, conflicts could be resolved more easily. † the writer states. Foreign language can surely prove useful for foreign interest.All American students should be required to study a foreign language. This argument is valid and convincing due to its sufficient facts on the matter. The author gives 2 very reasonable claims towards the argument. Each point happens to be logical. The author evens points out counter arguments, which seem a bit closed minded and a bit unreasonable. Therefore the argument has certainly been made. . â€Å"All Students Should be Required to Sudy a Foreign Language. † 123HelpMe. com. 11 Oct. 2012 http://www. 123HelpMe. com/view. asp? id=20601. Foreign Language Requirement Foreign Language High School Requirement A survey done by the Center for Applied Linguistics in 2008 found that â€Å"The findings indicate a serious disconnect between the national call to educate world citizens with high-level language skills and the current state of foreign language instruction in schools across the country†(Cal:Research). This is concerning as all of the competition for the U. S. is gaining a step and we're doing nothing . If the U. S. expects to continue to be competitive in the global market we need to have bilingual citizens.In order to ensure this, we must require a foreign language be learned in high school. To fully master a language by the end of high school, a student's education of it needs to begin in Kindergarten. Studies have shown that the best time frame to learn a foreign language is from Kindergarten to 3rd Grade. It would be better, though, to start in Kindergarten so there is a consistent education throughout elementary school. The brain learns better at a young age so the language will be learned faster and more easily in lower grades. Not only this, but extended exposure is need to become fluent in a language (Porter).By the time the students reached high school they could speak the language outside of class to become even more fluent. By the end of high school these students would be bilingual. If the U. S. requires a foreign language be learned in high school, it's education should start in Kindergarten. Bilingual students receive additional benefits outside of simply knowing another language. Bilinguals, superior to their monolingual peers, are better at critical thinking, pattern recognition, divergent thinking, and creativity (â€Å"Foreign Language A Must†¦ â€Å").These advanced cognitive abilities are shown on tests as after 3-4 years of taking a language students show improved standardized test scores (Porter). This means that students will have better math and English test scores without even taki ng the classes. Also, bilingual students are more sensitive to other cultures. They can compare and contrast languages and know how what certain words mean in different contexts (â€Å"Make Foreign Language a High School Requirement†). This is something that is sorely needed in the U. S. because the majority of our citizens are unknowledgeable of different cultures.It would serve as a wake-up call. New bilingual citizens would bring new perspectives to problems that face our society today. Another benefit to learning a foreign language the brain â€Å"ages† slower and neurologists say learning a foreign language delays the onset of Dementia (Porter). In learning a foreign language, one enjoys many indirect benefits. Just knowing English isn't enough for exchanges in diplomatic, military, professional, or commercial contexts with other countries. When in a different country, monolinguals are at a disadvantage compared to bilinguals because they have to hire an interpret er.Monolinguals have trouble picking up both verbal and non-verbal clues of a different language (Porter). They could violate social taboo and can't follow side conversations. This is a huge risk as one could be thrown out of a country and by violating the unwritten rules. This could set an unwanted reputation for Americans. Having been bilingual, students have cultural knowledge and understanding. This helps with the daily interactions required in living in another country (â€Å"Make Foreign Language A High School Requirement†). Clearly having more bilingual citizens would help America in communication and interactions with other countries.Having many bilingual citizens also helps in diplomatic and economic interactions with a foreign nation as it establishes a good relationship by knowing their culture. â€Å"Thomas L. Friedman cited a businessman, Todd Martin, who said that ‘our education failure is the largest contributing factor to the decline of the American wor kers' global effectiveness† (Porter). By requiring a foreign language be learned in high school, the U. S. will increase its workers ability to compete in the global market and their ability to interact with foreign workers.With society becoming more and more global, it will become a necessity to know a foreign language. Export business's are growing in double digits every year and foreign business's are expanding at a rapid rate (Porter). Obviously there is a growing need for bilinguals(Porter). At this point, there are more internet users in Asia than in North America (â€Å"Foreign Language a Must for High School Graduation†). The global economy is diversifying and if the U. S. expects to dominate the market we must follow the trend of our competition. In countries like Japan knowing two languages is the standard(â€Å"Make Foreign Language a High School Requirement†).How can we expect to compete with Japan if their workers have a big advantage over U. S. work ers in knowing multiple languages. In terms of foreign language, the U. S. is lagging behind its competition and to keep up we need to follow the trend of requiring a foreign language. The opposition to requiring a foreign language in High School argue that it violates the right of students to choose some classes. They say it restricts the number of electives a student can take but a foreign language is far more important than some elective.A foreign language class is something that will benefit the student for the rest of their life. Students already have required classes for math, science, English, history, and a fine art, but a language is a fine art. In a foreign language class a student learns about the art of a different culture. For example, on Day of the Dead in Spanish class I learned about Hispanic culture. In creating art similar to what is used in Spain and Mexico on Day of the Dead, I expressed my creativity which is the purpose of an art class. Clearly, foreign languag e is a fine art, and therefore should be required.The opponents to requiring a foreign language in High School say that everyone else is learning English so why should we learn foreign languages. This is ignorant because we can't expect everyone to learn English. By not knowing a different countries language, we have no insight into their culture and could never fully understand them. It makes sense to require a foreign language to understand foreign countries and to compete with them. Learning a foreign language needs to be a requirement in High School. The education of foreign language should begin in kindergarten because that is when a child learns best.By learning another language that child benefits through better test scores and improved cognitive abilities. Americans going to other countries would benefit through better understanding that countries culture and not needing an interpreter everywhere they go. The U. S. needs bilingual citizens to interact with other nations (Por ter). If we want to be more marketable and compete on a global-scale we must become bilingual. By requiring a foreign language be learned in High School, we are creating a brighter and more prosperous future for the United States of America.

Christian beliefs about marriage and divorce Essay

How might Christian beliefs about marriage and divorce be applied to a Christian living. In your answer consider one or more situation in which Christian belief would â€Å"make a difference†. Consider whether all Christian couples would respond in the same way. Christian beliefs are to be applied to everyday life. The teaching affects couples and guides them to a content marriage. Every couple should strive to live up to their vows to successfully live-out their vocation. It’s a full time vocation and for the marriage to work, there needs to be constant effort and work. Overtime people mature and develop; this may lead to the couple becoming closer or further apart. Action and alteration then needs to be applied and the marriage should grow and change accordingly. Christians have to truly commit to their vows and have to promise love and fidelity and apply it to their daily lives. Some Christians may ignore God’s intentions for them by dismissing the Christian beliefs. By disregarding these beliefs, couples will not only gradually disconnect from eachother, they will disconnect from God as they’re rejecting his vocation for them. Some may say that the Christian beliefs are not being applied to life as much anymore, which is proven by the increase in divorce rate. However, The religious beliefs are lived out by the vast majority of couples. Those who do not fully apply the beliefs to their marriage but realise the beliefs importance, have something to aspire to and the beliefs can guide them to a successful Christian marriage with God. This is why the beliefs of permanence and exclusiveness of marriage are important and people still try to live to values outlined in the Gospel. I can only aspire to living in a joyful, stable marriage. I’ve been brought up in a fortunate atmosphere as my parents have been married for 30 years and hopefully will grow old blissfully together. They’ve followed the Christian beliefs closely, except for a few dents to the relationship but managed to pass through them, which can only inspire me to follow in their guidance. I’ve seen how beliefs are still present in their marriage and how the church teaching is certainly not out of date. As outlined in AO1, the beliefs of the life-giving potential of marriage are central and when couples enter marriage they must realise the affects their behaviour has on children. As I’ve been brought up in a successful co-operative marriage, I’m inspired to do the same as I realise the importance of Christian beliefs, so if one is brought-up in a unstable marriage this can affect the relations the children subsequently have. The grace given in the sacrament gives couples strength which can furnish couples concentration towards the Christian beliefs. Someone who takes their faith seriously is more likely to live up to the vows more rather than one who just simply goes through the marital service as tradition, without really regarding the ceremony for it’s deep meaning. These Christian beliefs taught to them can then encourage them to leave divorce as a last resort rather than take the easiest way out. Catechism teaches that â€Å"The remarriage of persons divorced from a living, lawful spouse contravenes the plan and law of God as taught by Christ. They are not separated from the Church, but they cannot receive Eucharistic communion. They will lead Christian lives especially by educating their children in the faith – Catechism 1665† Although they will not accept divorce; the Roman Catholic Church will accept an annulment which is a way of saying that the marriage was void Different Christians approach marital breakdown and divorce in different ways. A Roman Catholic would have immense difficulties if their marriage broke down and ended in divorce, yet they are unable to get an annulment from the Church They feel that they have disowned the church by divorcing. Also, if that person remarries, in the eyes of the Roman Catholic Church it would be classed as adultery. This situation may involve them being asked to refrain from taking the Eucharist. This can result in real hurt and a feeling of isolation from the Church as the Eucharist is at the very heart of Catholic belief.. Whereas, someone belonging to the free church in the same position would have no such problem with remarriage in their church. Other Catholics may choose not to remarry and live life alone because their first marriage did not work and they do not want to go against their beliefs. Although some marriages conclude in divorce, marital help services such as Marriage Care and Relate offer support to couples so they understand the full responsibility they’re undertaking. Couples who haven’t got the deeper understanding of marriage may break the exclusive aspect of marriage and not consider preventing adultery as much as a couple who follow the Christian beliefs. Different Christians have various responses to contraception. Catholic teaching does not permit the use of artificial contraception. Pope Paul VI’s encyclical letter Humanae Vitae (1968) expressed it this way; â€Å"It is absolutely required that any use whatsoever of marriage must retain its natural potential to procreate human life.† This means that sex in marriage should be natural and always open to the possibility of creating new human life. All artificial chemical and physical methods of contraception are rejected by the teaching authority of the Catholic Church. In conclusion, I think the church does have a positive role in supporting couples through the sacrament; it blesses the couple with married life. With Christian belief and practice, the couple gain strength, while guiding the couple through the sacrament of marriage.