An Introduction to Macroeconomics

Homework #1 Problem #1 Q: Use the supply and demand framework in the labor market to explain why employment has grown rapidly in the United States in recent decades while at the same time there has been a slowdown in real-wage growth. A: With the growth of both supply and demand in the US, we can see that the quantity of labor needed has increased. In the same time the wages have not increased that much, because if we have an increase in both supply and demand we will have a shift to the right of the equilibrium, which basically shows an increase in quantity of labor but not wages paid.Problem #2 Q: In a small town of 100 people, there are 10 children under 16, 10 retired people, 60 people with full-time jobs, 3 people with part-time jobs, 3 full-time students over 16, and 4 full-time homemakers. The remaining people did not have jobs, but wanted jobs. All but one of these had actively looked for a job in the previous four weeks. What is the unemployment rate in this town? Show your work.A: 100 (total number of people) – 10 (children under 16) – 10 (retired) – 4 (homemakers who are not part of the labor force) – 3 (fulltime students) – 1 (not searching for job) = 72 people labor force 72 (labor force) – 60 (full time jobs) – 3 (part-time jobs) = 9 (unemployed but seeking jobs) Employment rate = employed/labor force = (labor force – unemployed)/ labor force = 63/72 = 0. 875 = 87. 5% Unemployment rate = unemployed/labor force = 9/72 = 0. 125 = 12. 5% Problem #3 Q: High Tech, Inc. produces plastic chairs that sell for $12 each. The following table provides information about how many plastic chairs can be produced per hour.Assume that apart from labor there are additional production cost of $2 per chair. How many workers will be hired if the hourly wage for workers is $70? A: # of Workers| Chairs Produced| Income| Prod. Cost| Wage| Net Income| 1| 10| 120| 20| 70| 30| 2| 18| 216| 36| 140| 40| 3| 24| 288| 48| 21 0| 30| 4| 28| 336| 56| 280| 0| 5| 30| 360| 60| 350| -50| There will be hired only 2 workers, because after one hour of production and paying for the work, with 2 workers the company will have the highest net income equal to $40. Problem #4 Q: A report indicated that the average real wage in manufacturing declined by 2% between 1990 and 2000.If the CPI equaled 1. 30 in 1990, 1. 69 in 2000, and the average nominal wage in manufacturing was $35 in 2000, what was the average nominal wage in manufacturing in 1990? A: Year| CPI| Nominal Salary| Real Salary| 1990| 1. 30| $x| $(y+2%)| 2000| 1. 69| $35| $y| Y=35/1. 69=20. 71 (Real Salary for 2000) Y+2%= 20. 71 + 20. 71*0. 02=21. 1242 (Real Salary for 1990) X= 21. 1242*1. 30=27. 4614 (Nominal Salary for 1990) Problem #5 Q: A labor contract provides for a first-year wage of $10 per hour, and specifies that the real wage will rise by 3 percent in the second year of the contract and by another 3 percent in the third year.The CPI is 1. 00 in the first year, 1. 07 in the second year, and 1. 15 in the third year. What dollar wage must be paid in the third year? A: Year| CPI| Nominal Salary| Real Salary| 1| 1. 00| 10| Y1=10| 2| 1. 07| X1| Y2=(Y1+3%)| 3| 1. 15| X2| Y3=(Y2+3%)| Y2 = 10+10*0. 03 = 10. 3 (Real Salary Second Year) Y3 = 10. 3 + 10. 3*0. 03 = 10. 609 (Real Salary Third Year) X1 = 10. 3*1. 07 = 11. 021 (Nominal Salary Second Year) X2 = 10. 609*1. 15 = 12. 20 (Nominal Salary Third Year)

Parents Are the Primary Cause of Disturbed and Disturbing Behaviour in Their Children Essay

‘Parents are the primary cause of disturbed and disturbing behaviour in their children’ this essay will look at evidence for and against this claim. It will start by explaining the meaning of the phrase ‘disturbed and ‘disturbing behaviour’ and then move on to explain the role that parents play in the cause of ‘disturbed’ or ‘disturbing’ behaviour within their children. In the past theorists would have agreed with this phrase, having good evidence to support their theories. Nevertheless this is now considered by many to be a naive view of a child’s development. The essay will look at three different models, the medical model, the social environment model and the transactional model. It will conclude by looking at the role of the child in the process and looking at whether there is conclusive evidence to support this claim. There is a large minority of children who find certain circumstances difficult to adjust to and because of this; their behaviour is considered by others to be difficult, withdrawn, disturbed or even bizarre. Parents of these children may describe them as being ‘hard to manage’, ‘demanding’, and ‘aggressive’. People who work with these children for example teachers or health care workers could consider them to have ‘behavioural problems’. The expression ‘disturbed’ and ‘disturbing behaviour’ is very unclear, it can have several meanings at one time. One suggestion could be that the child is the victim of incompetent or abusive parenting. Then another suggestion is that the child is the cause of the problem with behaviour that needs to be contained. What is meant by a ‘problem’? ‘Childhood signs of psychological abnormality are, by and large, manifestations of behavioural, cognitive and emotional responses common to all children. Their quality of being dysfunctional lies in their inappropriate intensity, frequency and persistence (Herbert, 1991, p. 13). Children are said to present problems when their behaviour falls out of the range of tolerance and age-appropriateness. That range maybe more or less wide depending both on the context and the attitudes of those making such judgments. To put it bluntly, many children are only seen as having problems when they become a problem to others. So, whose problem is it? Where does the problem reside (Chapter, 2, p. 63)? Individuals have different perspectives of the ‘problem’. From the medical view the problem might be described in terms of ‘disorders’ which locates the problem firmly within the child as part of their psychological make-up. The approach to treatment was to prescribe medication or psychotherapy. This model was very prevalent during the 40’s and 50’s which came under much criticism. Emotional and behavioural difficulties were not considered within the medical model. The social environment model was careful not to put labels like ‘disturbed’ on to the child. As the medical model focuses the problem within the child the social environment model sees the problem as being outside the child for example a poor home situation, incompetent or abusive parental care or inadequate discipline at school. Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation is a good illustration of this perspective, which was highly influential in the 1950’s in the construction of post-war social policy on the functions of the family and especially the role of women, as mothers, in promoting children’s mental health (Chapter, 2, p. 8). Referring to children and their behaviour there is a very common phrase used in everyday life ‘I blame it on the parents’. This spanned many generations believing that the explanation for children’s bad or disruptive behaviour lay firmly within the home environment and the quality of parenting. Believing this removed the attention from the child themselves and the role that they might play in their behaviour and it also removed the attention from society and its responsibility for the welfare of the child. Most importantly, this belief is not just a feature of a particular ideology; it has become a foundation stone for some psychological theories about the processes of typical and disturbed development (Chapter 2 Pg 69). Kessen (1979) alerts us to the fact that some ideologies masquerade as psychological knowledge, information which is extremely important when taking into account research links between mother and child relationships and the development of disturbed behaviour. Many studies have suggested that disturbed/disturbing behaviour in children can be related to difficulties in the relationships with their mothers, which may reflect the mothers’ mental states (Murray and Stein, 1991; Garver, 1997; Wakschlag and Hans, 1999; Halligan et al. , 2004). Maternal responsiveness is important to an infant as is a mothers’ mind-mindedness (the ability to know what is going on in their infants mind) but this sensitive response can be affected by different factors. One example would be postnatal depression. A study done by Murray (1992) found that 18-month-old infants whose mothers had suffered from postnatal depression were more likely to be assessed as ‘insecurely attached’ in the ‘strange situation’. This was more prevalent in boys. Insecure attachment has been consistently linked with psychological difficulties (Greenberg et al. , 1993; Sund and Wichstrom, 2002). Murray also found that children of depressed mothers were more likely to have difficulties such as temper tantrums, eating problems, have trouble sleeping and be over clinging. This could suggest that infant temperament may also be causing problems. However not all depressed mothers develop difficulties in their relationships with their offspring (Cox et al. , 1987). Although maternal depression is one pathway to behavioural difficulties there is another; research has been carried out which traces the origins of antisocial behaviour to harsh and inconsistent discipline and ineffective parental control strategies which unwittingly reinforce the child’s negative, coercive behaviour (chapter, 2, P. 73). In disturbed relationships the people involved not only behave towards each other but they also think about each other. They both have an internal working model of the relationship which means that the cognitive as well as the social and emotional dimensions of the relationship need to be taken into account. In an Australian large-scale longitudinal study they found that mothers who had negative attitudes towards their infants at 6 months old were more likely to report behaviour problems when their children were 5 years old, especially for boys (Bor et al. 2003). The fathers also have a role in care giving. A father’s child-rearing beliefs, working hours, personality and age predicted fathers’ care giving activities. Fathers were more likely to assume care giving responsibilities if they had more positive personalities and were younger. They also assumed more care giving responsibilities when they contributed lower proportions of family income and were employed for fewer hours. Also marital intimacy predicted fathers’ care giving activities with fathers more involved when mothers reported more imitate marriages (Research summary 3, chapter, 2, p. 6). Much of the research which has explored fathers’ roles in shaping children’s behaviour has focused on the relationship between antisocial behaviour in fathers and children’s development. There is now strong evidence that there is a significant relationship between the two (Deklyen et al. 1998; Margolin and Gordis, 2000; Jaffee et al. 2003). Absence or low involvement of the father has been shown to be associated with poor outcomes for children (Scott, 1998; Carlson and Corcoran, 2001). Research shows that a father’s involvement at age 7 protected against psychological maladjustment in adolescents from disrupted families. For boys, early father involvement protected against later delinquency as measured by the child’s history of trouble with the police (Flouri and Buchanan, 2002) and for girls, father involvement at aged 16 protected against subsequent psychological distress (Flouri and Buchanan, 2003). Many studies have focused only on the amount of father involvement, neglecting the quality of the relationship (Research summary 4 pg 77). Although it is important to acknowledge the role of the parent’s involvement in their children’s adjustment we need to recognise that the child also has a role in the process. Attitudes about some styles of parenting as being the cause of atypical child behaviour, reflects a ‘social environment’ perception seeing the child as a passive victim of circumstances. Traditional questioning of the effects of environmental variables on children’s development and adjustment has been challenged through various researches. In a report from a study carried out by Sears et al. they offered a ‘social environment’ interpretation, arguing that it was the combination of parent’s permissiveness and punitiveness that caused their children to become aggressive. A highly permissive style means that children do not have clear guidance on appropriate behaviour, where as a highly punitive style means that, at the same time, they may have been frustrated by bouts of severe punishment (chapter, 2, p. 79). Bell (1968) argued persuasively for changing the direction of effect. He maintained that it was the child’s temperamental characteristics that determined how aggressive he or she was and that it is the parental disciplinary approach that attempts to adapt the child’s behaviour. Johnston et al. ’s research illustrates the dangers of presuming particular directions of causality. It would be wrong to assume that environmental risk factors would be in some sense causing children’s problems. There could be some circumstances where the characteristics of the child could add to family stress, changing parental attitudes and influencing maternal behaviour. The relative influence of parenting behaviour versus child behaviour will vary, according to the characteristics of the child and of the parent and the circumstances affecting both (chapter, 2, p. 80). It is clear that children can have both direct and indirect influences on their environment. Children and environments can also share transactional relationships. Consider a child who is easily upset and also hard to soothe, the so called ‘difficult’ temperament. Such a child with a parent who has a good social support network an a well-provided home and is relatively easily able to ‘contain’ the child’s distress and minimise upsetting experiences, may end up experiencing only brief and infrequent periods of upset and evoking a lot of supportive, sensitive care giving from ‘the environment’. The same child, however, might evoke a very different kind of care giving in a more stressed household with a parent who is less able to behave sensitively and protectively and reacts to the child’s distress in overly emotional ways. Thus environments can differ in their reactivity to children’s behaviour (Method and Skills Handbook pg 41). Chess and Thomson introduced the concept of ‘goodness of fit’ to describe the transactional relationship between child and environment. As they state, ‘goodness-of-fit results when the child’s capacities, motivations and temperament are adequate to master the demands, expectations and opportunities of the environment’ (Chess and Thomas, 1984, p. 80). Looking at the evidence presented above it is inconclusive that parents are the primary cause of disturbed and disturbing behaviour in their children; it is important to reaffirm that there are multiple pathways to disturbed behaviour and that maternal and paternal behaviour represent just two among a constellation of social context, family and parental risk factors that have been found to be associated with childhood difficulties (chapter, 2, p. 77). The evidence presented by Murray and Stein, 1991; Garver, 1997; Wakschlag and Hans, 1999; Halligan et al. , 2004 stating that disturbed/disturbing behaviour in children can be related to difficulties in the relationships with their mothers, is refuted by Cox et al. saying, not all depressed mothers develop difficulties in their relationships with their offspring. The issue is not about whether the direction of effect runs from child to mother or from mother to child; it is about their mutual influence as partners in a relationship. Children as well as parents play an active role in the process of development (chapter, 2, p. 80). In summary any particular ‘problems’ that a child might present need to be understood in terms of the demands of the context, the history of similar experiences faced by the child and the history of the adult who finds the child’s behaviour disturbing (chapter, 2, p. 64).

How Does the Bfg Function?

The BFG is a book about a little girl from an orphanage named Sophie who is lying awake in bed one night and sees a giant walking the streets. She tries to hide once she has seen him but it is too late. He takes her out of her room and runs back to his cave. At first she is worried that he is going to eat her but he is not that type of giant. He is known as the Big Friendly Giant and eats disgusting vegetables that taste like rotting frogs. His main idea of fun is catching dreams and blowing the happy ones into children’s bedrooms at night.The other nine giants however are man eating giants and they go to different countries every night to eat people. They take them from their homes while they are sleeping and eat them. Sophie thinks these other giants need to be stopped but they are a lot bigger and meaner than the BFG. In the end she does come up with a plan to mix up a dream to tell the queen of England what is going on with these giants. Sophie and the BFG create a dream t hat tells the queen all about the bad giants and what they do at night and about her and the good giant.When the queen awakes Sophie is on her windowsill to confirm the dream and to help create a plan of action. After a very interesting breakfast during which the BFG is sitting on a piano piled with other things for his chair and a ping pong table on top of four grandfather clocks for his table then the queen invites the heads of the military in to create a plan. They decide to catch the giants while they are sleeping and carry them off with helicopters.In the end the bad giants are forced to stay in a huge pit and they are fed the disgusting vegetables that the BFG was forced to eat before. The BFG gets a nice huge house next to the castle and Sophie gets a little cottage next to him and the BFG writes a book about his experiences, which as we find out in the end is the BFG, the book we just read. Personal Notes: This is a really fun and quick book. Easy to read and grabs the reade r’s attention. I really liked the parts where Dahl makes up new words for things.I think it creates a sense of wonder in the children. I remember when I used to read his books and they included words that weren’t really words that this was fun. I never mistook them for real words or used them in school, that might make me look funny, but I loved the way he used them just the same. I think that is very applicable in a book about things that don’t really exist, man eating giants, it helps the reader appreciate that these things aren’t real and adds imagination to it.

Check instructions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Check instructions - Essay Example They will substantiate our dedication to quality, time, service, and cooperation. Purpose: This proposal is aimed at offering a description of the technical approach to be implemented by the firm in order to establish the best practices that will benefit all of the stakeholders by cutting down on cost, when the construction process is underway (Rees, 2011). Our engineers will carry out tests and experiments at the site of construction to investigate the quality of the soil, the topography, drainage and see if or how it is possible to set up the proposed project at the place. The company advances the Construction Management concept of teamwork, which entails the joint and synchronized efforts of the various personnel like the manager in charge of the construction, the architect, subcontracting companies, and project owner. The manager will offer the project owner with a proficient pool of employees who can predict and establish the costs involved in his chosen design. The Owner, the Construction Manager, and the Architect comprise of the team that is charged with the responsibility of pursuing the same goal (Holland, Roxburgh, Johnson, Topping, Watson, Lauder, & Porter, 2010). This technique essentially has the stakeholders in the construction team dedicating their services in a synergized manner, from the time the project is started through its conclusion. As the technical force in the project, the Architect’s main objective is to offer guidance on theory, design, and precise space planning. The Construction Manager offers advice on expenditure, construction techniques, and oversees and manages the real construction operations. SBT Constructions Ltd has the necessary qualifications and experience in executing the organization, development, design and building process: from theory and drawing of the plan to the procurement and installation of the facilities of an ideal fitness course (Golde, 2012). We have able

Comparative legal culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Comparative legal culture - Essay Example pecially the blacks and human rights activists who claim that the city has been tainted with flagrant racism, police impunity and or the systematic quashing of free speech. In this paper, we shall discuss the Ferguson situation in light of the Natural law, Karl Marx and legal formalism theories of law. In advancing the Natural Law Aquinas states that it is in the human nature to act freely so as to achieve their proper end through reason and free will. The proper end in this concept was to live, be sustained and to reproduce. It thus followed that any law that did not see this end achieved was unjust and thus no law. Hobbes in advancing the need of humans to achieve the proper end cited above, he summarizes nine laws that are aimed to achieve the applicability of the natural law by stating that one should not do to another that which one will not want done to thyself, as this was the best way of preserving human life, sustenance and reproduction. John Locke states that where a ruler goes against natural law and fails to preserve life, liberty and property then the people would be justified to overthrow the existing state and create a new one. He further echoes the biblical concept of equality that is largely borrowed by Thomas Jefferson in the declaration of Independence and the u ltimate U.S Constitution. It is on this note that the Social Contractual theory by Jean Rousseau will come in handy in advancing the natural law. That at the state of nature humans would not have defended themselves enough and therefore they gave all the power to the sovereign hold in trust and in return protect them. Rousseau presents that in a democracy, the government ought to be focused on representing the general will of the sovereign, the sovereign in this context being the people. The natural law is theory seeks to protect morality in a state and what is immoral and inhuman would be short of law and hence unenforceable. To put the natural law into the Ferguson conflict, the

Marketing Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Marketing Research - Essay Example Also, the uses of these normally depend on factors such as the research methods used to perform the search. The procedure for selecting an appropriate research method normally depends on factors such as the problem at hand, training and skills that a researcher has nature and amount of available resources and also the audience that will be used during the research. Despite the fact that many of these methodologies used may have components of both qualitative and quantitative techniques, there are certain assumptions that differentiate the approaches given. Qualitative and quantitative methods can be reviewed in the following manner1. Quantitative research This is always regarded as making inquiry over certain problem that has been identified depending on a testing theory. The figures that have been found under this research are normally analyzed further using other statistical means like graphs and charts2. Quantitative research often involves respondents of a large number, and norma lly it has always been predetermined. The measurements used during quantitative research options need to be quantitative, statistically valid, and objective in nature. During this research process, the size of the sample under examination is always calculated with the help of formulas to establish the parameters of the ample that will be required for the research. Most qualitative researchers are always designed 3to produce very low error margins thus even if the exercise is conducted over and over, the results attained will be more or less equal. The aim of qualitative method is always to prove whether prognostic generalization given to a theory may be holding any true or relevant meaning4. During quantitative research, the main question revolves around numbers for instance â€Å"†¦how many people watch football.† During this research, the researcher normally distances him/ herself from the phenomenon under study. And the values attained from the research do not form pa rt of the research. For instance, a research seeking to establish the number of people watching football will not concentrate on the numbers among the research value. Rather, the used sample will represent an entire population that is under study. Most researchers using quantitative resources apply deductive theories, logic and formulate hypothesis that are tested in the area. After all these analyses, the researcher often seek to come up with generalizations that support the underlying theory or hypotheses and will help them understand and explain the behavior pattern of a certain phenomenon. In this way they can even predict the future outcomes of these. There are also certain approaches that have been put in place to help come up with effective quantitative research questions. One of the most recommended means of approaching this is through following certain steps. First, one must establish the nature of quantitative research to be performed. For instance it can be based on relat ionship, comparative or descriptive factors. The next step involves spotting out the various variables that you want to study5. After which a fitting structure is identified depending on the prospect variables. Then finally stating the issues you intend or are trying to address as research questions. Below is an example of a quantitative research question. â€Å"What issues influence the professional choices of American college students?† When do organizations use the quantitative techniques? The quantitative rese

Practice & Communication In Social Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Practice & Communication In Social Work - Essay Example Many of the groups that a person is a member of can impact greatly on their lives – either positively or negatively. Throughout the ages, writers and researchers have been interested in the dynamics of groups. How a group forms, how it changes over time, how it comes to an end, and how a group structures itself, has been investigated by numerous researchers (Adams, 1990). What I have come to learn from this course is that to understand others, I need to understand group processes. For this semester’s social work course, a reflective journal assignment was set, focusing on my working within a group. I was in group D and our task was to raise money or provide Service User support for a local charity of our choice. I was at this stage of the course aware that our group would go through a process of stages, and so I chose Tuckman’s model (1965), that he later revised in 1977. The aim of this report is to evaluate the effectiveness of the group and my contribution to the group over the semester. Tuckman’s (1951) model of group dynamics states that all groups go through four stages: forming, storming, norming and performing. Tuckman contends that groups usually form when people test the boundaries of others. We had ample opportunity to do this, I think to our advantage, as we all knew each other from this class. I was fortunate to have mostly teamed up with people who had similar motivation levels to me. However, on reflection I can see how being placed into a group, instead of choosing one myself to be in, would represent many group formations in the professional world. In the workforce, people are often put into teams without having a choice.

What can be done to improve the college graduation rate Essay - 1

What can be done to improve the college graduation rate - Essay Example There are many colleges and universities that have tried to improve their graduation rates and have succeeded in doing so (Davis, 2010). Graduation rate of any country is a reflection of far more than what may seem. The number of college students graduating from a college shows an insight to its accountability and transparency. The graduation rates show a great deal about the college itself and a low number of graduating students may indicate an unsatisfactory performance by the college or it may point towards something faulty within the organization (Sealey-Morris, 2015). The constant increment in the wage given to the students in order to increase the college graduation rate has been unsuccessful in tackling the situation and the increased amount of students enrolled in college courses are not directly proportional to the amount of students graduating from these colleges. The most probable reason behind this decrease in the degree attainment rate may be due to the inappropriate balance within the student body or alterations within this student body. Other possible reasons behind the decrease in graduation rate is t he increased segregation within the education system of the country and the lack of helpful resources for the students within an organization hence, it can be said that the overcrowded college institutions have a lower rate of graduation. Another important reason behind the decrease in the degree attainment rates may be due to the lack of financial resources available for the students, this is because a large number of students are employed in part time jobs while they are enrolled in college and this is to make up with the tuitions and study costs of their study courses (Bound, Lovenheim & Turner, 2010). The first step that can be ensued in order to increase the graduation rate is to increase the equality among

The Legacy of Pierre Trudeau on National Unity Essay

The Legacy of Pierre Trudeau on National Unity - Essay Example Trudeau, who was appointed as the prime minister of Canada in 1968, was asked to resolve the above problem. The abilities of Trudeau as a prime minister have been strongly doubted; for certain people, Trudeau has been a unique leader establishing the national unity of Canada. For others, Trudeau had a key role in the elimination of the rights of Francophone communities to keep and promote their culture. The involvement of Trudeau in the promotion of national unity in Canada is explored in this paper. Reference is also made to the level at which the political choices of Trudeau were aligned or not with the rules of Canada’s constitution, a fact that is used in order to evaluate the success of Trudeau in promoting national unity in Canada. 2. Trudeau and National Unity The views of Trudeau in regard to national unity have been strongly affected by the social and political beliefs of his era. However, these beliefs are not necessarily identical, meaning that they can set differen t priorities in regard to the policies introduced in a particular country. In other words, political decisions can be often opposed to local social frameworks and concepts, such as ethnicity. The specific issue, which is highlighted in the study of Di Sciullo (2011) helps to understand the political choices of Trudeau, especially at the point that these choices affected Canada’s national unity. Trudeau used his position, as Canada’s prime minister in order to promote national unity. However, communities did not welcome his views due to the fact that they were opposed to local culture, as differentiated in English-speaking and French – speaking regions. The critical point where the conflict between Trudeau and the communities made clear was the following: in 1969, after a relevant initiative of Trudeau, Canada established the Official Languages Act 1969 (Di Sciullo 2011, p.30). In the context of the above Act equal rights were given to Francophones and Anglophone s in Canada. Still, the position of people belonging to these communities was not similar. English had a series of privileges, mostly because of their financial potentials, as for example: they could easier enter ‘high-paid managerial positions’ (Di Sciullo 2011, p.30) compared to Francophones. Trudeau believed that by promoting the 1969 Act he could enhance unity in Canada but his initiative had opposite results. Francophones, especially those living in the area of Quebec considered this Act as an effort of the government to secure the rights of English across Canada (Di Sciullo 2011, p.30). It should be noted that the reaction of Francophones to the 1969 varied according to the following term: the unilingual population of Quebec was quite opposing towards the new law (Di Sciullo 2011, p.30) but the minorities groups within the Francophone communities welcomed the law. Indeed, the 1969 Act offered to people across Canada the potential to access easier public services ( Di Sciullo 2011, p.30). In other words, the efforts of Trudeau to promote unity through initiating the establishment of the 1969 Act rather did not resulted to the expected outcome. Instead of promoting unity this Act increased conflicts between Francophone and Anglophone communities. Emphasis should be also given to the following fact: the 1969 Act was not aligned with the Constitution of Canada (Di Sciullo 2011). Many of this Act’

Significance of Objects in the Dolls House Essay Example for Free

Significance of Objects in the Dolls House Essay Macaroons: nora ! Nora! Please don’t leave me and go†¦ why did she leave me half eaten? what is going to happen of me now!! Torvald detests me, he was always against Nora eating me†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦why did it have to be me? Dress: everybody adored and praised Nora when she wore me†¦ but alas! What was the use of all my beauty and finery when in the end she left me all alone. Why was I given so much importance if she was to choose her ordinary clothes over me at the end? Letter: exactly! Were we just ornaments to adorn the surroundings? Christmas tree: hmm†¦ now even im wondering if my purpose in the house was of mere decoration. Even in this festive season will I be left alone in this bedraggled state to wither away in few days? Lamp: yes! Yes! Were we just used to enhance the beauty of this household? I thought I heard some voices but I didn’t know it would be all of you. If you all are thinking that you’ll have no role in the play let me tell you my views on why you objects of the doll’s house were of prime importance in giving a deeper meaning behind the actions of the characters. I am going to do this presentation based on the Henrik Ibsen’s The Doll’s House. As per the lines of the story, the playwright has emphasized greatly on the many objects that surround the characters in the play. I am going to elaborate on the symbolism of the significance of the objects mentioned in the play. The objects denote various emotions but mostly, Ibsen uses objects to indicate Noras depression caused by her unmerited marriage; ironically, the objectification of Nora by her husband and her victimization in society. he writer allows the readers the freedom to interpret the household objects subjectively which challenges the reader to question the extent to which the household objects relate to the theme of marriage. Initially, Ibsen places immense significance on different objects in the household, and stresses the directions for the setting of the stage. Ibsen makes his stage sets come alive and take part in the action. Just as Nora evolves from the mini-Nora of act one to the super-Nora of act three, similarly the set of the play goes through a drastic evolution, from light to darkness, from paradise to prison until, by the end of the play, it has been ethically demolished. One could imagine the doll house set, when Nora slams the door, collapsing like a house of cards, to the collective gasp of relief from the audience. Looking at the set we see, that Ibsen makes use of a triad, a room . two doors in the rear wall, the door on the left leads to Torvald’s study, and is opened and closed only when he chooses. It represents the sanctum sanctorum of male dominance and decision-making authority and security and his invisible presence behind that door is felt god like. Whenever he emerges from this door, it is always on his own terms, to direct and control events. The door to the right in the rear wall leads to the outside world. Only damaged people come through this door: Christine, Rank, Krogstad, all of whom have been variously hurt by the world outside. So this door represents the menacing reality of the outside world, its power to hurt but also, its power to force- to force one to grow up, to stop being a doll. There is another door, which leads to the nursery and bedroom. This is the world of sexual fantasy, of Nora performing childish roles of squirrel, lark and others to keep Torvald infatuated with her innocence. Here, one can clearly see that Ibsen draws a visible line between the kinds of objects he chooses. As the tones of the play become more serious, the settings become bolder and so do the shades of Nora’s personality. On the surface level, the play does not show these nuances but it is only when the reader delves deeper does he understand the immense symbolism of it all. Nora however is hardly innocent. This can be seen when Nora lies about the packet of macaroons twice, once to Helmer and the second time to Dr Rank. The macaroons denote Noras dishonesty and deception, which also alludes to her act of committing objectionable, underhanded deeds. Nora resorts to lying about eating the macaroons because she feels she is at fault for disobeying her husband. This small incident also shows the strains in their marital relationship. Also the macaroons show us the first glimpse of Nora’s desire for independence. To an extent the Christmas tree with which the play begins is a representation of Nora’s character. Just like the tree is an object of decoration possessed by somebody in order to beautify a place similarly Nora was the prized possession of Helmer. She was no less than a mere object, a show piece meant to be admired and praised. It is interesting to note that Nora orders the nurse, Hide the Christmas Tree carefully, Helen. Be sure the children do not see it till this evening, when it is dressed†, she similarly tells Torvald, Yes, nobody is to have a chance to of admiring me n my dress until tomorrow†. These lines show the similarity between Nora and the Christmas tree. Both are not revealed until each look perfect. In addition, as the play proceeds it becomes obvious that the tree and Nora are one in the same. When the second act opens the Christmas tree is described to be, stripped of its ornaments and with burnt-down candle-ends on its disheveled branches. This corresponds to Nora’s condition at that point in the play. Like the tree Nora too was in a disheveled state of mind. She was anxious and confused. â€Å"Corrupt me children†¦poison my home? It’s not true! It could never be true! And â€Å"somebody’s coming! No, it’s nobody. † Support my claim that Nora’s psychological state was in comparison to the Christmas tree similar. Also the tousled state of the tree could be symbolic of the disintegration of Nora’s web of lies. The pretty, innocent, childlike ways, in which Nora used to mask her fraudulence, her deceit would soon be uncovered in front of Helmer and the ugly truth would emerge. he fancy dress that Nora would wear for the fancy dress completion in many ways symbolizes the character she plays in her marriage to Helmer. The torn and messed up condition of her fancy dress is parallel to her disgruntled condition. Also her marriage is on the rocks and her thoughts are all aligned on how she could prevent Helmer from knowing the truth because she knows very well that Helmer will never accept what she had done. Thus the torn condition of the dress could be symbolic of the flawed condition of their marriage. Also it is interesting to note that Nora says that Torvald dislikes seeing dressmaking, suggesting that Torvald enjoys the false character that Nora has adopted. â€Å"oh only if I could rip them up into a thousand pieces. † exclaims Nora, on seeing the condition of the dress. This is another sign showing Nora’s desire for independence-Independence from the clutches of her husband and from the norms and conditions of the society. Also the dress highlights another point. Mrs linde who unlike Nora who thinks just like the dress her marriage is beyond repair,is more mature suggests the repairing of the dress which is symbolic of the fact that later in the play it is Mrs Linde who decides that Torvald should learn of Nora’s secrets and that it would be beneficial for their marriage. Also at the end of act 3 when Nora removes her fancy dress and changes into her casuals and she says â€Å"yes torvald ive changed† this change she meant was not of merely her clothes but also a change in her personality. The removal of her dress mplies the unmasking of her pretense and coming face to face with her husband as a human being for the first time. Changing of the dress is also significant of Nora’s desire for freedom from the web of lies that she had been spinning and from the captivity of her husband. It is another sign showing her desire for freedom from the doll’s house and to live her life on her own terms. The letter from Krogstad in the letter box forms the crux of the play. Nora’s emotional developments and transformations, her anxiety, her marriage all revolves around the letter box and the letter. The letter from krogstad is symbolic of Nora’s concealment and deception. It brings to light her secrecy and lies that she hides from her husband and also uncovers her disguise of the childish ideal wife. Thus leading her to finally slam the door and becoming a rebel of sorts. Also the letter symbolizes revelation in a way that only after reading the letter it is that Torvald realizes and understands the desires of his wife. It is only after reading the letter that he comes out of his imaginative ideal world and faces the harsh reality of the situation. Thus the letter was an eye opener for Torvald, it showed him where his marriage stands. â€Å"helene, bring the lamp in please† said Nora when Dr rank confessed his love for her. Thus when the lamp is brought the room gets lit up. This light is symbolic of Nora’s state of awareness. Earlier Nora tries to lure and manupilate Dr Rank but when he confesses his love for her she goes into a state of shock and that’s when the rays of light seep into the room displaying Nora’s state of awareness. Also the lamp could signify spiritual redemption. This is because darkness is associated with evil and immoral activities. And Dr rank confessed his love for his best friend’s wife which is an immoral act. thus the streak of light which the lamp bought in, also bought with it a sense of righteousness. That is when Nora exclaims â€Å"Dr. Rank! Don’t you feel ashamed of yourself, now the lamp’s been bought in? † Therefore, using multiple objects of the play, the playwright makes it clear that he doesn’t want the things used in his play to merely be objects but he symbolically makes these inanimate things spring to life as he denotes so much importance to them.

Virtual Reality in Todays Society

Virtual Reality in Todays Society Virtual reality is a computer-generated simulation of the real world. This simulation is not static, instead it responds to the user’s input, whether vocal or tactile, in real time. In order to achieve this interactivity, the computer must constantly monitor the user’s movements or verbal commands and react instantaneously in order to change the synthetic world experienced by the user and in response to him or her. [1] By making use of all of a human’s sensory experience in this way, virtual reality takes the quality of interactivity achieved, say in a computer game, one stage further. Users of virtual reality can see and move objects, they can also touch and feel them. [2] This essay explores the evolution of virtual realities and the many uses of virtual reality in society today, as well as considering its ethical implications. Burdea, and Coiffet comment that the history of virtual reality dates back more than forty years. The Sensorama Simulator virtual reality video arcade game was invented by Martin Heilig in 1962. This game had the capability to simulate a motorcycle ride through a city, using 3-D effects, seat vibrations, appropriate smells, sounds and wind effects using fans. [3] Head-mounted displays were introduced in 1966 by Ivan Sutherland, but were heavy and uncomfortable. In 1985, Michael McGreevey of NASA developed a cheaper and lighter version of the helmet, fitted with mini display screens and sensors to track movement. The sensory glove had been designed in the early 1980s, but it was in 1986 that Jaron Lanier designed a new glove to fit in with the helmet to create a full virtual reality. [4] Advancements continued to be made in graphics and then in 1993 virtual reality became the theme for a major conference of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in Seattle, makin g it clear that virtual reality had entered the main stream scientific community. [5] Since the end of the 1980s, new interfaces communicate three-dimensional images using the head-mounted display (HMD), using video cameras to track the image of the user in a virtual world where he can manipulate objects. More recently there has been a development called CAVE (Cave Automatic Virtual Environment), where the user is enclosed in a six sided environment surrounded by projection screens which they view wearing light stereoglasses, giving the impression of 3-D. [6] The suggestive impression is one of one of immersing oneself in the image space, moving and interacting there in â€Å"real time†, and intervening creatively’. [7] However, Burdea and Coiffet point out that with the swift advancements in technology, ‘virtual reality today is done mostly without head-mounted displays, by using large projection screens or desk top PCs’, and sensing gloves are now regularly replaced with joysticks. [8] The world of computer games has become a major area of importance for virtual reality, where the sense of immersion is important for gaming excitement. This creation of interactive virtual worlds has used grand, sweeping cinematic sequences and other techniques used in traditional cinema, such as ‘the expressive use of camera angles and depth of field, and dramatic lighting of 3-D computer generated sets to create mood and atmosphere’. [9] Actors could be used, superimposed over 3-D backgrounds, or as the games became more advanced, synthetic characters were created moving in real time. [10] This means that the space in which the characters move can now change over time, rendering the same space different when visited at a later time during the game. These changes enabled computer designers to integrate the player more deeply into the gaming world cinematically and to create a sense of visual reality. The immersion experienced when playing a computer game is made a much more total and intense experience when the player becomes a part of the game, that is, physically enters a virtual world. Virtual reality ‘provides the subject with the illusion of being present in a simulated world.’ [11] This virtual world, unlike the purely visual engagement of a computer game, allows for bodily engagement with the synthetic world. Virtual reality also allows the user to change elements of this simulated world: it gives an added feeling of control. Virtual reality allows people to experience elements of life without any physical commitments, possible dangers or general inconveniences of a real experience. Lev Manovich comments that virtual worlds are sometimes put forward as the logical successors of cinema, that they are ‘the key cultural form of the twenty-first century just as cinema was the key cultural form of the twentieth century’. [12] Indeed, Grau and Custance compare virtual reality with film, saying: ‘virtual reality now makes it possible to represent space as dependent on the direction of the observer’s gaze: the viewpoint is no longer static or dynamically linear, as in the film, but theoretically includes an infinite number of possible perspectives.’ [13] Technically, virtual reality ‘utilises the same framing’ as a cinema rectangular frame. This kind of frame only allows a partial view of a wider space. The virtual camera, as with a cinema screen, moves around in relation to the viewer in order to reveal different parts of the shot. [14] This framing device is vital to the virtual reality world in that it gives a small shot of a larger world, thereby providing a wholly subjective and totally personal viewing experience. While Manovich looks to cinema as a basis for virtual technology, Grau and Custance look to art. They argue that the idea of virtual reality ‘rests firmly on historical art traditions, which belong to a discontinuous movement of seeking illusionary image spaces’. [15] Taking into account the lack of technology further back in history, Grau and Custance believe that ‘the idea stretches back at least as far as classical antiquity and is alive again today in the immersive visualization strategies of virtual reality art.’ [16] Indeed, for Grau and Custance, this basic idea of finding these ‘immersive spaces of illusion’ is threaded through the history of art. Grau and Custance also point out the lack of natural involvement with the world through the technological illusion of power and control. They say, ironically that ‘the adherents of virtual reality †¦ have often reiterated their claim that immersion in virtual reality intensifies their relationship with nature’. [17] Indeed, an experience so totally reliant on technology and devoid of anything natural can bring about this feeling of connection to nature due to its resemblance of the real world. Manovich too comments on the illusive quality of any ‘natural’ involvement or control. He says that the user is only altering things that are already inside the computer, the data and memory of the virtual world. [18] The realm of virtual reality is driven by the desire to find a perfect recreation of the real world, a perfect illusion. The ideal interface seems to be one in which the interface or computer itself is entirely invisible, it seeks to block out the very means of creation of the virtual world, making the existence of the user in the virtual world seem totally ‘natural’. [19] The experience means that the user is totally isolated from the actual world whilst at the same time given this feeling of total ‘natural’ immersion in a new world as well as a sense of omnipotence. The user in effect becomes a kind of fictional character that they have themselves created, doing whatever they like, whenever they like, always with a sense of immortality. There are ethical problems relating to the potential decrease in real physical interaction and normal human relationships as people may potentially come to prefer their virtual world to their real life. Indeed, in virtual reality, the physical world no longer exists at all, as all ‘real’ action takes place in virtual space. [20] There is another ethical concern, that of the possibility of children accessing unsuitable experiences in a virtual world, as censorship would be difficult. This is similar to the problem of violence and adult themes in films and on the internet being available to chi ldren today. Virtual reality is an area of even greater concern, however, as children will have the opportunity to take part in the action themselves. Another concern is that criminals could practice their crimes in a virtual world before acting in reality. There are many positive uses for virtual reality today in areas such as: medicine, education, entertainment and psychology. For example, virtual reality can provide flight and driving simulation, operation simulation, it can help with architectural design or treatment of phobias. These things can be practised realistically without the fear of anything going wrong with flying training, driving experience or surgery. Virtual reality can also potentially be used in medicine to evaluate a patient and diagnose problems as well as possibly aid in operations. Disabled people have the opportunity to join in activities not usually available to them. An architect can use the method to plan out a building before starting work constructing it: using virtual reality avoids the need to build several different prototypes. Someone afraid of spiders can meet one in a virtual world under careful programming to reduce sensitivity over a period of time, indeed, any phobia could be treated using this kin d of virtual reality exposure therapy. The field of education is a huge potential area of use for virtual reality; it can even be used to practice sport. There is another important use for virtual reality that is not related to entertainment or education. Telepresence is an ever-increasing part of the digital and virtual world. Telepresence combines three kinds of technology: robotics, telecommunications and virtual reality. With telepresence, ‘the user of a virtual environment, for example, can intervene in the environment via telecommunication and a remote robot and, in the opposite direction, to receive sensory feedback, a sensory experience of a remote event .’ [21] Manovich calls telepresence a ‘much more radical technology than virtual reality, or computer simulations in general’. [22] Indeed, Manovich explains that with virtual reality, the user controls a simulated world, that is, the computer data. In contrast, ‘telepresence allows the subject to control not just the simulation but reality itself’ because it allows the user to ‘manipulate remotely physical reality in real time through its image’, [23] that is, the user’s action affect what happens right then in separate place, useful for tasks such as, Manovich suggests, ‘repairing a space station’; [24] the technique can also be used successfully in battle to direct missiles. [25] So, virtual reality operates on two very opposing grounds. On the one hand it allows great freedom for the user, as he feels he can move anywhere through space with the camera, but at the same time, virtual reality totally confines the body in its simulated world. Manovich recognises that the physical world is subordinated in this way as he says virtual reality renders ‘physical space †¦ totally disregarded’, [26] However, with telepresence, the physical world is very much regarded. Indeed, Mark Hansen thinks Manovich’s comment on the lack of physicality overlooks the experience of space in the potential of virtual reality, even if the body is actually confined. [27] Hansen uses the example of telepresence to explain how simulation and space can coincide to be effective. Indeed, with telepresence, the physical actions, although limited in the space where the user resides, do have an effect at another location. In this way space has been found and used, if not in the same location as the user, their movements have still had a physical effect somewhere else. [28] It seems that virtual reality has many uses in society today, from entertainment to medicine; from psychology to architecture. Telepresence is now a powerful and extremely useful part of the virtual and digital world. With the continuing advancement of technology and the many great uses virtual reality can surely have in society, it is important to bear in mind the negative consequences if virtual reality techniques are not closely monitored, especially as they become more widely available. The ethical implications of a society plugged always into their private, virtual worlds would not be a positive development for human relationships; children also need to be protected from an environment where anything and everything can appear real and personal to the user. However, as long as we are aware of the potential negative implications, the development of advanced virtual reality has great potential benefits for society. Sources Used Burdea, G. C. and Coiffet, P. (2003). Virtual Reality Technology. Chichester: Wiley-IEEE Grau, O. and Custance, G. (2004). Virtual Art: From Illusion to Immersion. Cambridge: MIT Press Hansen, M. B. N. (2004). New Philosophy for New Media: A New Philosophy for a New Media. Cambridge: MIT Press Heim, M. (1994). The Metaphysics of Virtual Reality. Oxford: Oxford University Press Manovich, L. (2002). The Language of New Media. Cambridge: MIT Press Sherman, W. R. and Craig, A. B. (2003). Understanding Virtual Reality: Interface, Application, and Design. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann http://library.thinkquest.org/26890/virtualrealityt.htm Footnotes [1] Burdea, G. C. and Coiffet, P. (2003). Virtual Reality Technology. Chichester: Wiley-IEEE, p. 2 [2] ibid. p. 3 [3] ibid. [4] http://library.thinkquest.org/26890/virtualrealityt.htm [5] Burdea and Coiffet, op. cit. p. 8 [6] Grau, O. and Custance, G. (2004). Virtual Art: From Illusion to Immersion. Cambridge: MIT Press, p. 18 [7] ibid. p. 3 [8] Burdea and Coiffet, op. cit. p. 1 [9] Manovich, L. (2002). The Language of New Media. Cambridge: MIT Press, p. 83 [10] ibid. [11] ibid. p. 166 [12] Manovich, op. cit. p. 82 [13] Grau and Custance, op. cit. p. 16 [14] Manovich, op. cit. p. 81 [15] Grau and Custance, op. cit. p. 339 [16] ibid. [17] ibid. p. 201 [18] Manovich op. cit. p. 166 [19] ibid. p. 178 [20] ibid. p. 114 [21] Grau and Custance, op. cit. p. 278-279 [22] Manovich, op. cit. p. 166 [23] ibid. [24] ibid. p. 167 [25] ibid. [26] Manovich, op. cit. p. 114 [27] Hansen, M. B. N. (2004). New Philosophy for New Media: A New Philosophy for a New Media. Cambridge: MIT Press, p. 40 [28] ibid.

Food And Wine Harmony History Essay

Food And Wine Harmony History Essay Italy is a unitary legislative state in Southern Europe. It is the fifth most populated country in Europe, and the 23rd most populated in the world. Rome, the capital of Italy, has for periods been an administrative and religious centre of Western society as the capital of the Roman Empire and place of the Holy Sea. Modern Italy is an independent republic. It has been graded as the worlds 24th most-developed nation and its Quality-of-life Index has been graded in the worlds first ten in 2005.Italy delight in a very high standard of existing, and has a great GDP per capita. History The terrestrial known as Italy today has been the structure of European cultures and peoples, such as the Etruscans and the Romans. Italys capital, Rome, was for periods the administrative centre of Western society, as the capital of the Roman Empire. After its failure, Italy would endure numerous assaults by foreign peoples, from Germanic societies such as the Lombards and Ostrogoths, to the Normans and later, the Byzantines, among others. Times later, Italy would become the origin of the Renaissance, an immensely fruitful intelligent movement that would prove to be essential in shaping the following course of European thought. Through much of its post-Roman past, Italy was split into numerous kingdoms and city-states but was united in 1861, a unrestrained period in past known as the Risorgimento. In the late 19th era, through World War I, and to World War II, Italy controlled a colonial empire, which extended its law to Libya, Eritrea, Italian Somaliland, Ethiopia, Albania, Rhodes, the Dodecanese and a franchise in Tianjin, China. Culture Italy did not occur as a state until the countrys association in 1861. Due to this relatively late association, and the historical independence of the regions that include the Italian Peninsula, many societies and customs that are now predictable as distinctly Italian can be recognized by their districts of origin. Despite the governmental and social distinction of these areas, Italys contributions to the national and historical legacy of Europe and the world remain massive. Italy is home to the highest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites to date, and has vast collections of art, culture and writings from many different eras. The country has had a comprehensive cultural impact worldwide, also because frequent Italians migrate to other places during the Italian movement. The country has, generally, an estimated 100,000 monuments Climate The climate differs significantly from the north to the south of Italy. In the north of the country the area in the middle of the Alps and the Tuscan-Milan Apennines the climate is tough, with very cold winters and very hot, mainly humid summers. In central Italy the temperature is milder, with a smaller difference in temperature between summer and winter and a smaller and less powerful cold season than in the north; summers are longer, but the sultriness of the northern metropolises is moderated by the sea. In southern Italy and the islands wintertime are never particularly tough, and spring and autumn climate are similar to those reached in the summer in other areas of Italy. Geography Italy is situated in Southern Europe and consist of the boot-shaped Italian Peninsula and a number of islands together with the two largest, Sicily and Sardinia. The Apennine Highlands form the peninsulas backbone and the Alps form its northern borderline, where Italys highest peak is positioned on Mont Blanc. The Po, Italys longest river, runs from the Alps on the western boundary with France and crosses the Padan plain on its manner to the Adriatic Sea. The country is located at the meeting point of the Eurasian Plate and the African Plate, primary to extensive seismic and volcanic movement. There are 14 volcanoes in Italy, four of which are energetic. Soil Soil differs throughout the world, and Italy has territory like no other. Both acidic and limy, Italian soils are used to harvest everything from vineyard grapes to routine herbs such as rosemary. Italy is renowned for wines due to its range of soil. Different grapes have need of different soils. Tuscany has such a various range of soil substances, together with volcanic rock and sandstone, that it is one of the finest places in Italy to catch fine wine vineyards. Marsala History In the 6th period to Justinians Empire, in this historical, the town was marked by dysentery, disregard of Bisanzio and the attacks of pirates. Arabic-Berbers arrival at the nearby Granitola mount in the 8th century involved the reopening of commerce and the start of the return of the town, which was retitled Marsa Ê ¿AlÄ « Ê ¿AlÄ «s harbour located near Punta dAlga or also Marsa Allah, namely Gods harbour, whence the existing name. There is the philosophy that Marsala comes from mare salis Salt ponds by the sea. At the end of era 1700, an appearance from the sea reformed again the upcoming of the town: the arrival of the English John Woodhouse who created the wine marsala. Geography Extreme western point of Sicily, the town was originated on Lilibeo cape, from where Aegadian Islands can be implicit. The territory of Marsala, extensive 241 km ² , has got a rich cultural and landscape legacy; its zone include the Stagnone Lagoon, where Mozia is situated. Marsala town till the end of 1970 was inhabited by about 86 thousand people. The part of Marsala is classified in seismic zone. In the last 200 years three earthquakes of medium-high strength were measured : 18 May 1828 magnitude 5.17 (about 6 ° Mercalli scale) 15 January 1968 Belice earthquake which in Marsala reached 7 ° Mercalli scale. 7 June 1981 magnitudo 4.60 (4/5 ° scala Mercalli scale) with epicentre in Borgo Elefante in Mazara del Vallo, far about 20 km from the town-centre of Marsala. Marsala wine Marsala wine is Italys most well-known type of fortified wine, addressing from Italys sunny southern area. Marsala is a upper alcohol fortified wine (usually about 17- 20%) that is existing in both sweet or dry variants. How is Marsala Wine Made? Marsala is complete from native, natural white grapes like Catarratto, The ruby-colored Marsalas hail from any mixture of three native red grapes. The fermentation of Marsala is frozen by the addition of a grape brandy when the remaining sugar satisfied reaches the pre-determined stages according to the sweet/dry style the creator is shooting for.   Alike to the system  of mixing various vintages of Sherry, Marsala often goes complete a perpetual system, where a sequence of vintage mixing takes place. Marsala Color Classifications: Ambra (Amber colored)   made with white grapes. Oro (Gold hues)   made with white grapes. Rubino (Ruby colored)   made with red grapes, like Pignatello. White grapes Chardonnay: This Burgundy diversity is so useful and commercially practical at the same time, that it was widely presented throughout Italy after the phylloxera defeated most Italian vineyards at the end of the nineteenth century. Produced in many flavours all over the country. Grillo: Full-bodied white used in Marsala and Alcamo blends between others. Zibibbo: Italian name for Muscat, or Moscato dAlessandria. Juicer, less fresh and more fermented than Moscato Bianco, it is best recognized for the passito wines from pantelleria, a small island off the western coast of Sicily. Sauvignon: Homonym of the French Sauvignon Blanc, it is completed into a number of variations throughout Italy. Catarratto Bianco Comune: Though it is found only in Sicily, this selection accounts for the most-planted white grape in all of Italy. Though it is usually used in variations of Marsala blends, it can be used to make pleasing, low-acid, dry wines. Red grapes Cabernet Sauvignon: Firstly from France, this grape is extensively grown all over Italy and has become the base for some of the most respected and luxurious Italian red wines. Similar to other unique French grapes such as Merlot and Cabernet Franc, it was widely established throughout Italy after phylloxera wiped out maximum of northern Italys vineyards at the end of the nineteenth century. Pinot Nero: The Italian variety of Pinot Noir is at its best in Piedmont, Oltrepà ² Pavese, plus Alto Adige wines. Sangiovese: Considered Italys most honourable red grape, it is the base for several prize-winning wines counting Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Brunello di Montalcino, Morellino di Scansano and, last but not least, the gradually known Sangiovese di Romagna. It is measured a native wild vine that was major domesticated by the Etruscans in the Tuscan Emilian Apennines. It has a typical black cherry fragrance with scents of wood smoke. Nero dAvola: Also called Calabrese, is the most important red grape in Sicily. It is verified into dark, thick, flavourful reds reminiscent of the best Australian Shiraz. Gamay: Grown widely throughout Italy, it is vinified as Colli Del Trasimeno DOC varietal in Umbria Popular wineries in Marsala Alvis Rallo: A fine maker of Marsala wine, Alvis Rallo was started in 1860 by the Rallo family. The wine aged area has a capacity of around 13,000 hectolitres in oak casks having between 20 and 450 hectolitres each. Buffa Winery: The Buffa winery was started in 1931, the year in which the current owners father began to produce and trade Marsala wine in bottles, casks and bottles. Donnafugata: Donnafugata makes a range of wines counting Lighea Contessa Entellina D.O.C, Opera Unica Marsala Superiore Riserva D.O.C., Tancredi, and Vigna di Gabri Contessa Entellina D.O.Ces in Marsala Marsala wine Red wines include Nero DAvola: Nero DAvola is one of the ancient ethnic grapes and Marsala wine-makers are justly proud of the acknowledgment that this variety is now getting. Syrah: anyone aware with the southern hemisphere wines will have recognised plenty of Syrah and the weather and territory of Marsala are particularly suited to this tasty grape. Etna Rosso: a mixture of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Mantellato this is the wine born on the rich, productive volcanic inclines of Mount Etna. Cerasuolo di Vittoria: a mixture of Frappato and Calabrese with the conceivable addition of some Grossonero or Nerello Mascalese, this is the well-known wine of the province of Ragusa. White wines include Bianco DAlcamo: a mixture of Cataratto Grecanico, Damaschino and Trebbiano, this outstanding white can be found all over Sicily, but can only be created in the rich area among Alcamo and Trapani. Wines prepared from Grillo, Inzolia, Cataratto, Grecanico and Chardonnay are made in purezza or mixed together by all the big wine creators, and some are truly excellent. Aperitif wines includeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The sugar content of the grapes and the drying abilities of the sun mean that Marsala gives itself well to manufacture of dessert wines. The best known of these are: Marsala: the famous fortified wine first created by the Englishman John Woodhouse in 1773 is a mixture of Grillo, Cataratto, Ansonia and Damaschino with the adding of distilled alcohol. Though it has a status as a sweet wine, there are also some outstanding dry aperitif varieties. Passito di Pantelleria: prepared from Zibbibo grapes which have been dehydrated in the sun to increase the sugar absorption. Passito di Noto: 100% Passito Bianco grapes for a pleasant sweetish wine, with sugar-coated hints. Viticulture Is the science, manufacture and study of grapes which contracts with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. As soon as the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture. It is a division of the science of horticulture. Duties of the viticulturist include: observing and directing pests and diseases, fertilizing, irrigation, shelter management, monitoring fruit growth and appearances, deciding when to harvest and vine cropping during the winter months. Vinification Winemaking, or vinification, is the manufacture of wine, starting with collection of the grapes or other food and ending with bottling the finished wine. While most wine is made from grapes, it may also be prepared from other fruits or plants. Mead is a wine that is prepared with honey being the primary ingredient after water. Winemaking can be distributed into two categories: still wine manufacture (without carbonation) and sparkling wine manufacture (with carbonation natural or injected).The science of wine and winemaking is known as oenology. A person who creates wine is usually called a winemaker or vintner. Food pairing The three most important rules when it comes to wine-and-food pairing are: 1. Drink and Eat What You Like Pick out a wine that you would need to drink by it, rather than hoping a food match will progress a wine made in a grace you dont like. That way, even if the pairing isnt good, you will still appreciate what youre drinking. 2. Look for Balance Study the weight-or body, or productivity-of both the food and the wine. The wine and the dish should be equal partners, with neither overpowering the other. If you stability the two by weight, you raise the odds intensely that the pairing will be successful. This is the secret behind many classic wine-and-food matches. Theres a fair quantity of character to this. Hearty food needs a hearty wine. Cabernet Sauvignon accompaniments grilled lamb chops because theyre equally strong. 3. Match the Wine to the Most Prominent Element in the Dish This is serious to fine-tuning wine pairings. Identify the main character more often it is the sauce, flavours or cooking method, rather than the main element. Consider two different chicken dishes: Chicken Marsala, with its browned exterior and a sauce of dark wine and mushrooms, against a chicken breast poached in a creamy lemon sauce. The browned, earthy flavors of the earlier tilt it toward a soft, supple red, while the simplicity and citrus flavors of the latter call for a fresh white. Examples of food with wine: Pinot Grigios are good with citric based foods like lemon chicken or light and floral soups or stews. If youre consuming a desert wine that is actual sweet, have a nice biscotti or torte. The wine should constantly be just as sugary, or sweeter Seafood does not constantly have to be matching with white wine. Chianti is such a assorted wine with a dry-body that it will not destruction and hide the flavors of the sea. Mix it up a bit and discover the flavors. Some shellfish, like oysters are outstanding with sparkling wine.

What is the Purpose of the War on Terror? Essay -- Terrorism Essays

The War On Terror. It is a name that brings many strong thoughts and emotions to mind for Americans still to this today. It is has been Americas longest war, most expensive war, and a deadly conflict. All in all, the Iraqi War from 2003 to 2011 brought a cost of 500,000 lives from civilians to militants (Vergano 1). Among the U.S. army alone it is estimated that around 900,000 veterans have had some form of injury ranging from PTSD to amputations (Ruis 1). Not to mention, many experts say once all war reparations have been paid the war will cost upwards of three trillion dollars (Broder 1). That means when the math is done, if the war cost were to be split evenly among all American households, than every family in the U.S. would have to pay $75,000 (Auken 1). When President Barack Obama was campaigning in 2008 he once argued that through various taxes the Iraqi War (2003-2011) was and is costing each America household over $100 a month (Broder 1). With such catastrophic cost and toll s of the thousands of innocent lives where can the foundations for such a war effort begin? Throughout the years many eyebrow-raising statements have been brought up concerning the war, which quickly begins to make any war effort basis appear shallow and weak. Peter Baker, a former White House correspondent, wrote a book in which an anonymous senior Bush administration official is quoted saying, â€Å"The only reason we went into Iraq, I tell people now, is we were looking for somebody’s ass to kick.† In addition, General John Abizaid, a former head of U.S. Central Command and Military Operations in Iraq for 2007 said, â€Å"Of course it's about oil; we can't really deny that," in and interview with CNN (Juhasz 1). With such startling statements over the years... ...heridan, Kerry. "Iraq Death Toll Reaches 500,000 Since Start Of U.S.-Led Invasion, New Study Says." The World Post. HPMG News, 15 Nov. 2013. Web. 04 Mar. Swanson, David. "You're More Likely to Be Killed by a Toddler than a Terrorist." Washington's Blog. Washington Post, 12 June 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2014. Staff, CNN. "Bin Laden's Death: How the Story Unfolded." CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 05 Mar. 2014. Gipe, Paul. "For the Price of the Iraq War, The U.S. Could Have a 100% Renewable Power System." Washingtons Blog. Washington Blogs, 11 Apr. 2013. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. Templeton, Tom. "9/11 in Numbers." The Observer. Guardian News and Media, 17 Aug. 2002. Web. 21 Mar. 2014. Vergano, Dan. "Half-Million Iraqis Died in the War, New Study Says." National Geographic Daily News. National Geographic Society, 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 04 Mar. 2014.

The Influence, And Views Of Netanyahu On The Middle East Peace Plan :: essays research papers

The Influence, and Views of Netanyahu On The Middle East Peace Plan The middle east has many problems trying to achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The peace process started about four years ago with the Middle East countries. Through the process many people have had major influence on it. One person who might have one of the greatest influences of the peace agreement is Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu. The peace agreement is the biggest topic in the Middle East and he is at the head of one end. At the other end is another strong figure. The leader of the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) is Yasir Arafat. In this report I will explain Benjamin Netanyahu's position in Israel and how he has affected the peace plan. I will tell about his views on what is going on. Benjamin Netanyahu lived in the United States for a few years. Netanyahu was a graduate of M.I.T. in 1975. Then he claimed duel citizenship with the United States and Israel. Netanyahu did so because his mother was born in the United States. He was a well-paid analyst with the Boston Consulting group. He left working there and went back to Israel in 1978. When he went back to Israel, he was there for about six years when he became the embassador to the united states for Israel. Later when he was an Israeli diplomat he renounced his American citizenship. In 1996 he became the Prime Minister of Israel. He now has the most influence from the Israeli side of things. Benjamin Netanyahu has done many interviews and addresses with the American people. One such interview he did to express his views was with Time Magazine. Time asked him if he were a Palestinian, how he would regard toward Netanyahu? He replies, "If I read the controlled Palestinian media, I would think that, as they call me, I am worse than Hitler."(Beyer, 1996, p.38) They then asked him if a Palestinian could see you for what you really are what they would see. He replied to that by saying, "I think they would regard me as a person who believes deeply in the necessity of peace and that we don't have an anther partner other than the Palestinian Authority. I think that any Palestinian mother reading this should understand that I am as deeply conscious of her pain of losing her child as I am of a Jewish mothers."(Beyer, 1996, p.38) Netanyahu goes on telling Time that he does not hate the man Arafat, but the two represent different perspectives and interests.

Managing Diversity in South Africa Essay

Introduction In the workplace, diversity in terms of ethnicity, locality, education and skills, age, and gender exist. Managers or employers therefore require innovative ideas to successfully manage employees in the workplace. Diversity management is a relatively new field in the South African business environment. Managing employees and the work environment involves different aspects and is influenced by the internal environment such as in the mission, vision and goals of the organisation as well as the external environment. These aspects include areas where diversity management is important. Managers have various roles to carry out in an organisation in order to provide effective management and deal with the ethical issues. Factors such as changing structures and polices, providing diversity skills training, creating cross functional teams and employee network groups, building relationships, and providing complete managerial support are all factors that contribute towards effective diversity management. A successful diversity management approach must be more accommodating and more capable of promoting the diversity within an organization to bring everyone together and generate effective participation. This means that employees should be regarded as an organized whole that brings meaningful contributions from their social, political, economic, and geographical experiences. 2. Diversity Diversity can be defined as all the ways people differ, that is the different influences to approaching the workplace, communication between employees, satisfaction achieved from performance and identification in the workplace (Daft, Kendrick, & Vershinina, 2010). It is a commitment to distinguishing and appreciating the range of characteristics that make individuals unique in an atmosphere that supports and celebrates individual and collective achievement (Tennessee, 2003). Diversity â€Å"represents the multitude of individual differences and similarities that exist among people (Kreitner, 2001). According to Erasmus, diversity applies to all employees and does not only encompass certain differences but rather the entire spectrum of individual differences that make people unique. Therefore diversity cannot be viewed as only racial or religious differentiation but s all differences combined. The notion of diversity describes differences among people as well as similarities. The discipline of managing diversity requires that these two aspects are managed simultaneously. He further suggests that managers are expected to integrate the collective mixture of similarities and differences between workers into the organisation (Erasmus, 2007). Diver sity is more than being politically correct; it is about nurturing a culture that values individuals and their wide assortment of needs and contributions Diversity management is a moderately new field in the South African business environment. Diversity management is ensuring that the necessary factors are in place to provide for and to encourage the continuous development of diversity in the workplace, by incorporating actual and perceived differences to achieve the utmost efficiency (Bandyopadhyay, Hazra, & Goswami, 2007). Diversity management can also be defined as the commitment on the part of the organisations to recruit, retain, reward and promote a heterogeneous mix of productive, motivated and committed workers, including people of colour, whites, females and the disabled (Inancevich & Gilbert, 2000). The two areas where diversity management are particularly important include: * Workplace diversity. * Global diversity. Workplace diversity refers to the array of distinctions between people in an organisation. Some of the benefits of implementing workplace diversity are; increased adaptability which supplies a variety of solutions to problems in service, sourcing, and allocation of resources, various opinions which include ideas and experiences, and effectiveness in terms of employee performance to attain goals (Greenberg, 2005). Furthermore, enhanced use of employee capacity is encouraged. This involves competitive advantage over other organisations along with prospects and development of employees for retention purposes. Diversity initiatives retain a competitive advantage by improving employee confidence, decreasing interpersonal conflict, facilitating development in new markets and increasing creativity. It also includes the understanding of the marketplace in terms of the changing needs of consumers. Building workplace diversity will also result in the improved extent of understanding in leadership positions that encompasses a variety of skills. Better quality of team problem solving to bring in different perspectives resulting in creativity of ideas and solutions and lastly reduction of costs induce lower turnover, absenteeism and lawsuits (Daft, Kendrick, & Vershinina, 2010). Global diversity is more than just demographical factors (such as age, race, gender, ethnicity, disability and sexual orientation), it is about thinking, leadership, skills and style which integrates peoples differences to achieve all the goals planned and is acceptable universally, that is by breaking though barriers through globalisation (Dell, 2011). Globalisation refers to standardisation of products plan and marketing strategy throughout the world by assuming a homogeneous global market of consumers and industrial products (Daft, Kendrick, & Vershinina, 2010). A benefit of global diversity is broader services through customer satisfaction and product availability. By managing diversity, managers access a range of skills which the organisation has never had before and thus a broader array of individual strengths, experiences and perspectives. There is also a wider legitimacy and organisational image across a wider audience. Managers however should realise that managing diversity is fairly tough and cannot be implemented immediately. It is instead a long-term strategy in order to correct the imbalances in the workplace. 3. Mission, Vision and Goals A mission is defined as the organisations’ reason for existence. A mission statement is a broadly stated definition of the purpose of the company. Well designed mission statements can enhance employee motivation and organisational performance.

Genetically Modified Food and Monsanto Essay

Monsanto is a multinational world leader in the production of the herbicide glyphosate and in the manipulation of genetically modified (GM) seeds. They were a chemical company, which shifted into the new life science area developing numerous patents related to genetic techniques and GM seeds variety. The company entered in the agrobiochemical industry, which is in its growth life cycle based on continuous product improvements and replacement by superior traits. The industry is focused on chemical products used in agriculture and genetically modified crops. There are rivals in the agrobiochemical industry and during the early 2000s; government regulation, public and medical concern about the safety of genetically modified (GM) foods affected its sales and profits. Analysis of the external environment: Economic segment The lack of food experienced by countries and the consequent increase of their costs given the opportunity to private and public companies to invest in appropriate researches in biotechnology to mitigate food security problems and improve food quality. Mergers and acquisitions among agrobiochemical multinationals have been developed in order to improve technologies and promote researches. Global segment The globalization of market provided opportunities for private industry to expand their sales in other countries. The major market for agrobiochemical products is USA and Europe. Developing countries such as Brazil, and India have started to increase their production acreage and to invest in biotechnological products. Political/legal segment Intellectual properties and patents laws are important issues in the agrobiochemical industry; they consent to control all products and process. Many of the agrochemical products and genetically modified foods are influenced by policy environment and government regulations, as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Union (EU). These limitations could provide a market opportunity for more advanced or higher value replacement products. Socio-cultural segment Strong negative perception of consumer about safety of GM foods threatens the new technologies applied in agrochemical industries especially in Europe and USA. However there is a lack of appropriate research and tests on it. Demographic segment High technically specialized farmers and farming communities producing cotton, soybean and canola. Technological segment Private companies more than public companies developed new complex technologies in the area of genetic. These affected highly the traditional methods of farmers work. For firms with good innovation capabilities this represents an opportunity to target different niche market. Conclusion New developing countries such as Brazil and India offer big opportunity for the industry. The research and development of new biotechnologies applied to the agriculture created many new lucrative possibilities to enterprises however, a negative consumer perception on GM foods, started to threat the industry profits. Analysis of Industry Environment In the agrobiochemical industry, research and development are the main capabilities that produce a competitive advantage. This advantage is difficult to understand and to imitate. Patent laws and intellectual property enable also firms to maintain and extend their leadership. Barriers to entry for new competitors New entrants that want to compete on the fertilizers and GM crops market must have strong financial resources to invest in order to face companies such as Monsanto. New competitors require intellectual property right and patent licenses to market their product. They can choose to obtain them through leader companies, although these are very selective and often base their decisions on economies of scale. Biotechnological products also need governmental approval to enter the market. Generally in the agrobiochemical industry there are low switching costs among products however leaders such as Monsanto tent to â€Å"lock in† their customers with licensing fees and agreements. There are high entry barriers and this constitutes a low threat for the existing companies in the industry Bargaining power of suppliers In the industry the supplier’s goods are critical to buyer marketplace success. There are few major suppliers. Some of them, including Monsanto, have vertically integrated companies for the production of seed and for supply raw materials. It increased their power market. The fact that there are few major suppliers permits them to have a high bargaining power. It constitute a high threat Bargaining power of buyers Highly specialized farmers are the predominant buyers in this industry. They have a greater amount of information about the manufacturer’s products and costs through the Internet. They have a high bargaining power especially in the pesticide sector where switching costs are low. They constitute a high threat. One-reason farmers decrease their power, though, is often the agreements signed with the companies that supplies their products. Threat of substitute products Due the high costs of technology, patents and government regulations there are no competitive substitute in the market. The only substitutes are the traditional pesticides and crops, which are still on the market with a percentage of 53%. They could constitute a high threat if patent and intellectual properties are banned. Rivalry among existing competitors Government regulation and patents laws have a major role in this market. The high cost involved with research and development increased the rivalry among competitors for market share. High exit barriers also increase rivalry. An exiting barrier experienced by the firms is the high fixed cost of technology agreements. The degree of vertical integration in which the firm is involved consists a barrier as well. Conclusion: In the agrobiochemical industry buyers and suppliers have high bargaining power and there are no good products substitutes. The industry is unattractive particularly because patents laws and government requirements increased the monopolies of few companies and the rivalry for market share. The industry also requires high financial resources. Competitor analysis The main competitors in the industry are Monsanto, DuPont, Novartis and American Home Products. Monsanto is the leader in biotechnology on the marketplace. Due their intellectual properties and R&D capabilities Monsanto had the opportunity to gain market share and power. The benefit of being a first mover permitted them to gain the loyalty of the customer. Monsanto’s strategic action often undertaken to maintain competitive advantage is decrease costs of the products due their high margin profits. DuPont is a large company that produces a Monsanto’s product imitation. They however depends on Monsanto’s licenses to access traits. Novartis is pointed out as one of the potential rival of Monsanto and DuPont. It is a company with but has the highest capital-spending budget for research in biotechnology. Due their financial resources Novartis are more likely to launch competitive action when Monsanto’s license will expire. AHP introduced an alternative to Monsanto main product. Strongly focused on market research they posed a significant threat to Monsanto. They invested in marketing survey and developed a quality product that better satisfy the needs of the consumers. Conclusion: In the agrochemical industry the competitive rivalry among the firms is strong due the high cost involved in R&D and the slow growth of the market caused by licenses and intellectual properties. Monsanto supports its first mover position in the marked licensing patents to others firms. However companies such as AHP started to threaten them through competitive actions. Internal analysis of Monsanto Resources: Tangible Intangible Financial resources: Monsanto has the ability to generate internal funds:  ·They generate high profits especially from Roundup’s sales and GM crops.  ·Investment and acquisitions  ·Compliance activities Human Resources:  ·Managerial capacity especially in developing consolidation strategies ·Long term vision ·Communication skill across all level of the organisation in order to retain talent and maximize human synergies. Physical resources:  ·Monsanto create extensive backward integration to access easily to raw materials  ·Plant and equipments for bioengineering researchesInnovation Resources: ·High scientific capabilities  ·Ability to innovate Technological resources:  ·They signed license patent agreements with competitors and customers.  ·Patents and trademarks ·Training system Reputational Resources: ·Good national and international reputation with customers ·Brand name linked to R&D ·Marketing  ·Long-term relation with suppliers.  ·Good relation with governmental entities such as FDA ·Goodwill Organisational resources: ·Distribution channels To create a sustainable competitive advantage Monsanto must focus on their capability and explore those which are rare, valuable, costly to imitate and non substitutable. Valuable capabilities ·Capability to strengthen long-term relation with suppliers and customers ·Capability to develop new technologies in bio-engineering and plant genetic  ·Ability to protect their intellectual property ·Distribution channel and service activities Rare to imitate ·Capacity to create human synergies especially after acquisition and merger strategies ·Capability to develop new technologies ·Ability to protect their intellectual property Costly to imitate  ·Capability to strengthen long-term relation with suppliers and customers ·Capability to develop new technologies ·Ability to protect their intellectual property ·Distribution channel and service activities No substitutable ·Capability to strengthen long-term relation with suppliers and customers ·Capability to develop new technologies ·Ability to protect their intellectual property ·Distribution channel and service activities Conclusion: The ability of Monsanto to innovate due their st rong research and development program and the ability to protect their intellectual property gave them a competitive advantage on the market. Research and Development (R&D) and intellectual properties are core competencies that are impossible to imitate in short and medium term. They are rare, because Monsanto possess them, and valuable. Based on an analysis of the value chain however it is possible to underline that Monsanto has effective marketing and service activities, which permit to maintain a strong connection with the customers. These capabilities, if better explored could become a core competence in the future. SWOT Analysis StrengthWeakness  ·Capability to produce high competitive products ·Strong Research and Development base and quality Human Resources ·Good customer services ·Agreements  ·Economies of scale due to acquisitions  ·Intellectual Proprieties ·Patents ·Strong presence in international market and recognition as market leader ·Good network with universities and laboratories ·Alliance and join ventures ·Missing links between communication and research  ·Lack of market research ·Lack of flexibility due at vertical integration  ·Dependence on government regulation and patents laws Opportunity Threat  ·Expanding to new geographic areas such as India and Brazil ·Vertical integrations ·Merge or Acquisition of rivals ·Opening to explore new technologies due on their well developed R&D  ·Patents expiration ·New products on the markets  ·Adverse public opinion on GM foods ·Shifts in buyer needs for products  ·Costly new governmental regulations ·Difficulty in achieving synergies Strategies Business Level strategy: present and future In order to gain competitive advantage and above average return Monsanto focused on differentiation strategy targeting a group of highly skilled and technologically well-developed farmers. Monsanto offers to their customers, quality, training and a trusted system of distribution. This strong marketing ability, the service and the high quality of the product are the key for differentiation. However, Monsanto’s focus on R&D caused them to miss out on market research narrowing the customer perception of product’s value. It created an opportunity for competitors. They should reorganize their firm infrastructure activities and create value developing an information system to better understand customer’s purchasing preferences. They could outsource agencies to implement marketing surveys and focus more closely on customer’s needs. In the future Monsanto could apply their research to breed animals and explore new industry segments. Corporate level strategy: present and future In order to gain market power and develop economies of scope, Monsanto, used a related constrained diversification strategy. They create value and synergies through operational relatedness, sharing both primary and support activities of the value chain. It is underlined by backwards and forwards vertical integration that they use. Due patent expiration, vertical integration, however in the future, can constitute a threat because decrease their flexibility especially in reducing prices. In the future in order to support the expensive costs of R&D and explore new industry segments, Monsanto could merge with Novartis. They could create value through corporate relatedness using a related linked diversification strategy. It can produce private synergies by sharing resources and capabilities. Based on high financial resources of Novartis and Monsanto R&D they could bring improved products to market faster. New researches on GM food could be developed also to improve the negative perception of the customers. International strategy and Cooperative strategy: present and future Based on their strong basis in biotechnologies Monsanto strengthen relations with governments of new developing countries such as Brazil and India, where there are basic resources but lack biotechnological research. Monsanto’s scope is to extent their leadership and the product life cycle in order to recoup heavy investments in R&D. Monsanto also to consolidate costs and rationalize industry capacity engaged in mergers and acquisition with other companies such as Cargill Seeds Business, which reduced their costs and their time to entry in international market. Based on the slow cycle of the market, due the high costs involved, Monsanto could engage in strategic alliance or franchises in new developing countries markets in order to hold down labor costs and compete more effectively in the global market. It permit them to share costs, resources, and risk and overcome problem of integration. Conclusion The biotechnological products developed by Monsanto have future until they can produce an above-average return and gain economies of scale. Based on their ability to innovate Monsanto have the capacity to explore new markets and new geographical areas however, high R&D costs, negative consumer perception and patents expiration are stated to threaten their leadership position on the market. To recover investments, they should focus more on consumer products demand and engage in strategic alliance that permits to increase the product life cycle and absorb the high costs of R&D. References Hanson D. , Dowling P. J. , Hitt M. A. , Ireland R. D and Hoskisson R. E (2008). Strategic Management. Competitiveness & Globalization. South-Western College