The Yellow Wallpaper, By Harriet Beecher Stowe - 967 Words

During the 19th century men considered themselves to be the superior sex. Without a valid reason or explanation, men were the providers, the politicians, and the physicians. Men had the power. The power to make the rules and set the guidelines of how things were supposed to be done and women were expected to follow without question. The 19th century was also the start of the women’s activist movement, more and more women were starting to realize that they had a voice and they wanted to be heard. Women were gaining the courage to speak up against the wishes of men and set their own guidelines. To stand up and tell men that contrary to what they believe, they are not always right. Among these opinionated women was Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the niece of Harriet Beecher Stowe and the author of many short stories and books on gender inequality. Gilman is most known for her Short story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† published in 1892, where she writes about a wife and now a new mother suffering from depression. Through her work she reveals the strength and influence men had over women, the lack of knowledge pertaining to mental health and gender roles present during the 1800s. To begin, Gilman reveals very early on in the short story that the main character, Jane suffers from a mental illness that her husband john, who is also her physician fails to acknowledge is real. John along with other men in Janes family downplay her depression by attempting to convince her that she is notShow MoreRelatedThe Yellow Wallpaper, By Harriet Beecher Stowe1603 Words   |  7 PagesThe Yellow Wallpaper is a feminist piece of literature that analyzed women’s struggle in the 1900s, such as medical diagnosis and women’s roles. Over the years, women struggled to attain independence and freedom. In order to achieve these liberties, they were females who paved the way and spoke out about these issues to secure equal rights for women. In addition, these powerful females used their vulnerability to challenge the male domination through their literary work. The Yellow Wallpaper is aRead More The yellow wallpaper619 Words   |  3 Pages nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The plot of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† comes from a moderation of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s personal experience. In 1887, just two years after the birth of her first child, Dr. Silas Weir Mitchell diagnosed Gilman with neurasthenia, an emotional disorder characterized by fatigue and depression. Mitchell decided that the best prescription would be a â€Å"rest cure†. Mitchell encouraged Gilman to â€Å"Live a domestic life as far as possible,† to â€Å"have two hours’ intellectual lifeRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman1547 Words   |  7 Pageswriting as did her personal life. Gilman s treatment for her severe depression and feelings of confinement in her marriage were paralleled by the narrator in her shorty story, The Yellow Wallpaper. Charlotte Perkins Gilman was born in 1860 in Hartford, Connecticut. Her parents, Mary Fitch Perkins and Fredrick Beecher Perkins, divorced in 1869. Her dad, a distinguished librarian and magazine editor, played a large role in her education, stressing science and history. Fitch was often away for longRead More Understanding The Yellow Wallpaper1209 Words   |  5 PagesUnderstanding The Yellow Wallpaper      Ã‚   There are more reported cases of clinical depression in women than their are in men. There is also, generalized in western cultures, a stereotype that women are fragile and should be more dedicated to maintaining the home, doing feminine things, that they shouldnt work, and be discouraged from intellectual thinking. In the Victorian period (1837-1901) aside from womens suffragette movements the Victorian woman usually upheld this stereotype of a wellRead MoreFeminism, The Yellow Wallpaper, And Jackson s The Lottery1205 Words   |  5 Pages(poet), Charlotte Perkins Gilman (feminist) and Shirley Jackson (writer), are women that used their works of literature to show their views on the ways men controlled their wives physically and mentally. Rich wrote Living In Sin, Gilman wrote The Yellow Wallpaper, and Jackson wrote The Lottery. Although each work of literature is written by a different author, they each have the same common theme, feminism. These writers displayed this co mmon theme throughout the use of literary devices, characterizationRead More A Woman Indefinitely Plagued: The Truth Behind The Yellow Wallpaper1318 Words   |  6 Pages A Woman Indefinitely Plagued: The Truth Behind The Yellow Wallpaper In The Yellow Wallpaper, a young woman and her husband rent out a country house so the woman can get over her â€Å"temporary nervous depression.† She ends up staying in a large upstairs room, once used as a â€Å"playroom and gymnasium, [†¦] for the windows are barred for little children, and there are rings and things in the walls.† A â€Å"smoldering unclean yellow† wallpaper, â€Å"strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight,† lines the walls,Read MoreCritical Analysis Of The Yellow Wallpaper1915 Words   |  8 PagesWhen â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is viewed within the scopes of New Historical, Feminist, Psychoanalytical, Ethical and Reader response criticisms, the reader should first be imparted with the understanding of who Charlotte Perkins Gilman was, what she stood for, the time period in which the story was written, and how aspects of her cultural and historical background related to it. Second, how the circumstances imposed upon w omen’s freedom of thought. Third, the reader shall ascertain how Freud’s PsychoanalyticalRead MoreWomen s Speech At The United Nations1740 Words   |  7 Pagesin her short story, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† in which she illustrates a family where feminism does not exist to prove her point on the equality among men and women. Primarily, Stetson’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† was written from the inspiration she received from her personal experiences. Before her marriage Stetson’s, maiden name was Gilman for which she was widely known as. Charlotte was born with the name Charlotte Anna Perkins as she was the daughter of Frederick Beecher Perkins and Mary Fitch WescottRead MoreVoices Of The Woman Beyond The Pattern1484 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Voices of the Woman Beyond the Pattern† The Yellow Wallpaper, written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in 1892, is at first glance the story of a woman driven to madness in a desperate attempt to escape the strict confines placed on her by the treatment regime of the day. More than that though, Gilman has created an alter ego to give voice to her own experiences and frustrations with the societal constraints imposed on women at the time of its publishing. This tale of disempowerment and the subjugationRead MoreYellow Wallpaper1673 Words   |  7 PagesSvetlana Kryzhanovskaya Prof. Grajeda ENC 3014-MidTerm Paper March 12, 2012 Structuralism amp; Feminist Theory ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ written by Charlotte Gilman can be affectively analyzed from two schools of thought structuralism and feminist theory. Though structuralists’ deny the work of literature any connection to its author (it must be what it is, no underlying meaning) feminist theory must first and foremost be understood in its historical framework. By the turn of the century,

Analysis Of The Book Lamentations, Psalm 137 - 2559 Words

During this time we see that the people of Jerusalem are in exile and it seems like the people have lost faith in the Lord as their lives come down in ruins. Only a few survived as Jeremiah said and these few people who survived will be given a new beginning from God. God has not abandoned his people, He sends these voices to His people to reassure them and lead them as if He is their shepherd. And during this time there have been a lot of powerful feelings being expressed whilst interpreting their faith. A few examples of this movement during Exile would include the Book of Lamentations, Psalm 137, the Book of Habakkuk and finally the Book of the Prophet Obadiah. The Book of Lamentations is considered to be five poems that were said by tradition to be composed by the prophet Jeremiah after he knew Jerusalem would fall. The poems manage with the obliteration of the city and the occasions nearly identified with that occasion, an unnerving knowledge that seriously tried the faith of the individuals who put their trust in Yahweh. The poems depict some of these terrors. Jerusalem was set under attack, and starvation drove the individuals to hopelessness. Psalm 137 has a mixture of a soft humming melancholy and fierce patriotism of the Judeans. This Psalm is made for Israel in her captivity. Released us over it, taking its commonplace significance. At the point when an adherent is in captivity he has a troubled recognition of Zion. So it was with God s aged individuals: ByShow MoreRelated Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave2076 Words   |  9 Pagesunfavorable connotations (charges) emphasizes the negative aspect of a character or situation, whereas the opposite effect is produced by the use of positive expressions. Douglass’ stark portrayal of the slaveholders’ inhumanity to slaves is seen in his lamentations over the fate of his grandmother. He tells of her owner â€Å"virtually turning her out to die! †¦ she lives to suffer in utter loneliness [†¦] to remember and mourn [†¦].† He envisions her â€Å"helplessness [†¦] loss of children [†¦] with no one to wipe fromRead MoreThe Book of Obadiah 2812 Words   |  11 PagesThis brief book of the Hebrew Bible is very significant in that it is one of only two of the Minor Prophetic books that are addressed entirely to a nation other than Israel and Judah. The Book of Obadiah deals with the ancient feud between Israel and the nation of Edom, between the descendants of Jacob and those of his brother Esau. Through the prophet Obadiah, the Lord expressed His indignation at the nation of Edom. When they should have been helping their relatives, they were gloating over

International Relations Glossary Free Essays

A form of political organization under which a relatively homogeneous people Inhabits a sovereign state Sovereignty Denotes a single, supreme political decision-making authority. In early modern Europe the Monarch was the Sovereign. In modern states sovereignty tends to lie with the executive arm of government. We will write a custom essay sample on International Relations Glossary or any similar topic only for you Order Now A controversial term, sovereignty relies on authority, not power. That is, the sovereign claims the right or authority to decide matters of interest to the state, even if it cannot control everything that occurs within its territory. Medieval Of or relating to the period of European history from about A. D. 500 to about 1500. Feudalism Feudalism was the medieval model of government predating the birth of the modern nation-state. Feudal society is a military hierarchy in which a ruler or lord offers mounted fighters a fief (medieval beneficial), a unit of land to control in exchange for a military service. The individual who accepted this land became a vassal, and the man who granted the land become known as his liege or his lord. Individualism A social theory advocating the liberty, rights or Independent action of the Individual. Liberalism A political theory that prizes Individual freedom. It believes Individuals should be free to do as they please, without the interference of others. So long as they don not harm or limit the freedom of others. In IR it has tended to focus on the development of international law, the spread of democracy and the expansion of free trade, in which Emmanuel Kant is one of the leading theorists. Communitarian’s A political theory that emphasizes individuals’ attachments to the community in which they grew up. The communities in which we grow up are thought to be the resource of moral values. Communitarian’s adopts the ethical position that a person’s moral obligations are always first and foremost members of our own community and that they cannot be extended beyond that communities boundaries. Liberal Internationalism Woodrow Wilson, thus sometimes being referred to as Williamson’. Wilson suggested that the cause of instability and conflict was the â€Å"undemocratic nature of international politics†, particularly in regards to foreign policy and the balance of power. Having identified the cause of conflict, it is possible to suggest that the aims of Iberia internationalism are expanding democratic practices and free trade, defending democracy from its rivals while protecting and promoting human rights. Harmony of interests The idealist concept of the harmony of interests is based on the notion that human beings can rationally recognize that they have some interests in common, and that cooperation is therefore possible. Democratic Peace Theory The theory that democratic states do not fight war against each other. A good amount of empirical evidence has been collected indicating that war has never been fought teen two stable democracies. Closely associated with Michael Doyle. International Institutions International institutions be defined as relatively stable sets of related constitutive, regulative, and procedural norms and rules that pertain to the international system, the actors in the system (including states as well as non-state entities), and their activities. Interdependence The mutual dependence developed among states by utilizing new technologies and through the growth of international cross-border commerce. Communication and travel. A term used before globalization became popular. Anarchy The absence of rule or government. In international relations it does not mean disorder and chaos. Power Classically defined as the ability to get an actor to do what they would otherwise not do. This is power in the sense of domination or power over others. But power can also be thought of in terms of capability or power to do or act. Realist theories hold the belief that international relations are a constant struggle for power, usually defined by material terms. National Interest A notoriously plastic term that refers to the states foreign policy aims. The national interest is said to be the same regardless of the government in power, but different governments will hold different ideological agendas and priorities, meaning that national interest will change accordingly. Refers to a mechanism that operates to prevent one state from achieving such a preponderance of power that it is in a position to lay down and enforce the law over all such others. Central to realist theories, it can be viewed as the deliberate product of foreign policies, or as the unintended consequence of several states seeking to protect themselves. In any case, states align with others to counter-balance the growth in another’s power, seeking to preserve international order and a degree of equilibrium. International Community vs. international system An international system exists when two or more states have sufficient contact with each other that they become conscious of existing in the same environment and conscious of the need to consider other states interests and capabilities in the pursuit of their own interests. Globalization The stretching and intensification of social and economic relations across the globe dad possible by new communication and computer technologies and advances in transport. It is thought by many to inaugurate an unprecedented degree of global interconnectedness, although some deny its novelty by pointing to similar levels of interdependence in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Still others criticism globalization for being a vehicle of inalienable theory. Non-state Actor An actor not part of the official state or governmental apparatuses. Non-governmental organizations Specializes not-for-profit non-state actors that seek to raise consciousness and hanged the activities of governments and populations on a variety of issues. Nooks have proliferated over the last century, advocating and lobbying on issues such as human rights, landmines, poverty, animal rights and the environment, among many others. Civil Society Simply refers to those who act in international politics but are not a member or representative of any particular state. Social Movements. Denotes some kind of collective action, driven by a particular set of social concerns and emerging from society at large. Modernity A modern way of thinking, working etc. The schism between domestic and international politics in international relations. The clash of civilizations The cause of conflict in the 21st century will not be political or economic, but cultural. Different cultures have different ways of organizing society and this will be the cause of conflict. He cites Western, Slavic Orthodox, Hindu, Islamic, Japanese, Latin America, African and Confucian as the main civilizations. Cosmopolitan Democracy Cosmopolitan democracy is a political theory which explores the application of norms and values of democracy at different levels, from global to local. It is about what global governance of the people, by the people, for the people can mean. Asian Century The dominant role that could be played by Asia in the 21st century, because of its growing economic clout and global demographic trends. â€Å"Asian Century† as a theme, has gained credence following the rapid economic growth of China and India since the asses, which has propelled them to the top ranks of the world’s biggest economies Mercantilism The main economic system used during the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. The main goal was to increase a nation’s wealth by imposing government regulation uncovering all of the nation’s commercial interests. It was believed that national strength could be maximized by limiting imports via tariffs and maximizing exports. North-south gap The North-South divide is broadly considered a socio-economic and political divide. Generally, definitions of the Global North include the United States, Canada, developed parts of Europe, and East Asia. The Global South is made up of Africa, Latin America, and developing Asia including the Middle East. Unilateralism An approach to economics and social studies in which control of economic factors is hefted from the public sector to the private sector. Drawing upon principles of neoclassical economics, unilateralism suggests that governments reduce deficit spending, limit subsidies, reform tax law to broaden the tax base, remove fixed exchange rates, open up markets to trade by limiting protectionism, privative state- run businesses, allow private property and back deregulation. Focuses on the interplay between political power and economic forces from the national through to the international and global level, whilst also taking account Based on liberal theories of economics, 1944 saw the meeting of 44 states at Breton Woods, where the new economic order was constructed and the multilateral institutions of the WEB, MIFF and GAIT were established. Hegemony Domination by a great power and its allies Washington Consensus This is the set of 10 policies that the US government and the international financial institutions based in the US capital believed were necessary elements of â€Å"first stage policy reform† that all countries should adopt to increase economic growth. At its heart is an emphasis on the importance of macroeconomic stability and integration onto the international economy – in other words a neo-liberal view of globalization. Rationalization The process of dividing an area into smaller segments called regions. One of the more obvious examples of rationalization is the division of a nation into states or provinces. 1951 Refugee Convention The 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees is the key legal document in defining who is a refugee, their rights and the legal obligations of states. UN Declaration of Human Rights (1948) The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is an international document that states Asia rights and fundamental freedoms to which all human beings are entitled. Negative Rights and Positive Rights Positive Rights are rights that can only be enjoyed through positive intervention on the part of government, often linked to the idea of freedom to’, whilst negative rights are rights that are enjoyed by virtue of the inactivity of others, particularly government, and are often seen as freedoms from’. Resurrections The application of values and theories drawn from European culture, to other groups or peoples, implying a biased or distorted viewpoint. How to cite International Relations Glossary, Papers

On the Waterfront Does the Truth Always Set You Fr Essay Example For Students

On the Waterfront Does the Truth Always Set You Fr Essay eeOn the Waterfront is a classic, award-winning and controversial film. It received eight academy-awards in 1954, including best-picture and director. The director, Eliza Kazan, in collaboration with Budd Schulberg wrote the film’s screenplay. Based on actual dockside events in Hoboken, New Jersey, On the Waterfront is a story of a dock worker who tried to overthrow a corrupt union.Marlon Brando superbly portrays the character of Terry Malloy. He is a young ex-prize fighter, now a dock worker given easy jobs because his brother is the right-hand man of the corrupt union boss Johnny Friendly. After Terry unwittingly allows himself to be used in setting up a man’s death, he starts to question the basic assumptions if his life. This includes his loyalty to his brother and Johnny, who after all ordered him to take a dive in his big fight at Madison Square Garden. The film’s controversy exists in the fact that Terry decides to testify against Johnny Friendly. His test imony attempts to show how it is fundamentally right to break group silence in a tough situation, even if a person appears to â€Å"rat† on his friends. To be at peace with oneself, Kazan seems to say, one must tell the truth, despite the fact that one will face ostracism, and, as in the film, probably be murdered. Kazan makes the hardships of testifying painfully clear. Thus, Brando’s character is a hero. However, a dark agenda exists behind the film’s plot. On the Waterfront was made in 1954, two years after Kazan willingly testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee. In 1952, Kazan named the names of eight friends and colleges allegedly affiliated with the communist party. Kazan was an active member of the communist party in the 1930s, until he went through a violent break with the party prior to the hearings. He said that communism could override a person’s intellect and beliefs. He also stated that Hollywood and Broadway heavily financed the party. Recounting his decision to testify, Kazan said, â€Å"Communists were in a lot of organizationsunseen, unrecognized, unbeknownst to anybody. I thought if I don’t talk, nobody will know about it.†On the Waterfront is Kazan’s justification for his decision to testify. In the film, when a union boss shouts, â€Å"You ratted on us Terry,† Brando shouts back: â€Å"Maybe from where your standing, but I’m standing over here now. I was ra ttin’ on myself all those years. I didn’t even know it.† That reflects Kazan’s belief that communism was an evil that temporality seduced him and it was necessary to oppose it.Since Kazan believed that communism was an evil threat to the American way of life, he tried to portray his decision to testify as a heroic act of valor. He wanted to show the public that a person who testifies is brave, not a coward. Throughout the film there are a number of references to the code of silence, â€Å"D n’ D†, or â€Å"Deaf and Dumb.† This means that no matter how wretched the circumstances are, a person never rats. The union thugs make a joke about the boy pushed off a building because he threatened to talk to the crime commission, thus breaking the sacred code of D n’ D: â€Å"A canary. Maybe he could sing but he couldn’t fly.†Kazan has one character, in particular, stress the importance of speaking out in life. Father Barry believes that the truth will always set a person free. He says, There’s one thing we’ve got in this country and that’s ways of fightin’ back. Gettin’ facts to the public. Testifying for what you know is right and what you know is wrong. What’s rattin’ to them is telling the truth for you. Can’t you see that?Can’t This quotation is an example of Kazan crying out to the public for forgiveness. Later in the film, Kazan tries even harder to gain acceptance, as there is an obvious parallel between his own testimony and Terry Malloy’s. .u3b0e57ca88c566e98e69367977a22da8 , .u3b0e57ca88c566e98e69367977a22da8 .postImageUrl , .u3b0e57ca88c566e98e69367977a22da8 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u3b0e57ca88c566e98e69367977a22da8 , .u3b0e57ca88c566e98e69367977a22da8:hover , .u3b0e57ca88c566e98e69367977a22da8:visited , .u3b0e57ca88c566e98e69367977a22da8:active { border:0!important; } .u3b0e57ca88c566e98e69367977a22da8 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u3b0e57ca88c566e98e69367977a22da8 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u3b0e57ca88c566e98e69367977a22da8:active , .u3b0e57ca88c566e98e69367977a22da8:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u3b0e57ca88c566e98e69367977a22da8 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u3b0e57ca88c566e98e69367977a22da8 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u3b0e57ca88c566e98e69367977a22da8 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u3b0e57ca88c566e98e69367977a22da8 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u3b0e57ca88c566e98e69367977a22da8:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u3b0e57ca88c566e98e69367977a22da8 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u3b0e57ca88c566e98e69367977a22da8 .u3b0e57ca88c566e98e69367977a22da8-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u3b0e57ca88c566e98e69367977a22da8:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Shakespeare And His Theater EssayIn the courtroom scene, Terry Malloy turns â€Å"stoolie† and betrays Friendly throughout his testimony. He tells the court that, on the night authorities discovered the body, someone pushed Joey Doyle from the roof. He states that he was the last person to see him alive, â€Å"except for the two thugs that murdered him.† Terry testifies that, after the murder, he went immediately to the Friendly Bar, where he expressed his feelings about the murder to Mr. Friendly. Terry is a hero because he made it possible for honest men to work at the docks, with job security and peace of mind. However, Terry’s struggle is just begi nning. Friendly sums up Terry’s supposed fate with one sentence, â€Å"You’ve just dug your own grave.†After the trial, Terry’s friends refuse to talk to him and he does not receive work. Neighborhood friend Tommy kills Terry’s pet pigeons on the rooftop. Tommy tosses the dead bird at Terry and shouts, â€Å"A pigeon for a pigeon.† People deride him and ostracize him as a â€Å"canary.† In interviews, Kazan discusses his identification with the Brando character. â€Å"A lot of that kind of thing happened to me after I testified at HUAC, said Kazan. I was snubbed. People I knew well would look at me but not talk. People looked down on me. They couldn’t except the fact that correctly or incorrectly it was something I did out of principle.†After the release of On the Waterfront, Kazan was open about his hidden motives, noble and shameful, to make the film. The scene near the end of movie, when Terry shouts to Friendly, â€Å"You’re a cheap, lousy, dirty stinkin’ mug. And I’m glad what I’ve done to you,† disturbed some people.Critics interpreted this to mean that Kazan was not sorry for his severely damaging testimony. It appeared that he had no remorse for his actions. For other viewers, the buried agenda of On the Waterfront tarnishes the picture. The critic John Rosenbaum told Roger Ebert that he could â€Å"Never forgive Kazan for using the film to justify himself.†In later years, Kazan did eventually have remorse for the people whose lives he ruined and the blemish his testimony left on the whole film industry. In his 1988 autobiography he says, â€Å"I have some regrets about the human cost of it. One guy I told on I really like a lot.† Twenty years later, unlike On the Waterfront’s victorious ending, in Kazan’s picture The Visitor, a man also testifies against former friends; however, that movie ends on a note of despair. Perhaps the words of a legendary character he helped to create, haunted Kazan. As Terry Malloy said, â€Å"Conscience. That stuff can drive you nuts.†Bibliography:References1. Dirks, Tim. On the Waterfront: Greatest Films. www.filmsite.org2. Cannon, Damian. On the Waterfront. www.films.U-net.com/movies3. www.org.articles4. www.capitalismagazine

Socrates by Aristophanes and Plato

Various issues concerning Socrates’ life have been debated constantly over the years. However, the fact that Socrates was an ancient philosopher who resided in Athens is not in doubt. Socrates was a common fixture in the streets of Athens between 470 and 399 BC.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Socrates by Aristophanes and Plato specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The mysteries surrounding Socrates’ life are often compounded by the fact that he never wrote any biographical works of literature. Most of the philosopher’s teachings have been introduced to the modern readers through proxies such as Plato, Aristophanes, and Xenophon. The people who have written about Socrates are mostly his close acquaintances as well as his former disciples. When Socrates was executed in Athens, several literary works that focused on ‘Socrates the man’ and ‘Socrates the Philosopher’ surfaced . The compounded interest in Socrates’ life prompted two authors to try to explain their understanding of this man. Plato, a renowned philosopher and a former student of Socrates’ philosophy wrote several works on the life and teachings of the philosopher. Furthermore, Aristophanes a renowned playwright and comedian wrote several accounts of how he perceived Socrates. The depictions of the two authors do not coincide or give a clear picture of the man that Socrates was. Plato’s depiction contains several philosophical undertones and depicts Socrates as a man of deep thought and enviable temperament. On the other hand, Aristophanes paints the picture of a laughable Socrates who thinks highly of himself and disregards the ordinary life. The most vivid characterization of Socrates by Plato is contained in â€Å"The Apology†, a philosophical account that was written shortly after the execution of Socrates.Advertising Looking for essay on philosophy? Let' s see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Aristophanes’ comical characterization of Socrates can be found in â€Å"The Clouds† a play that depicted the philosopher as a man who resides in the clouds where his students look up to him from below. The different characterizations given to Socrates by Plato the philosopher and Aristophanes the comedian can be combined to create a complex and a multisided portrait of Socrates. This paper will explore the characterizations of Socrates by Aristophanes and Plato in respect to their existing literary works. While comparing the characterization of Socrates by the two authors, it is important to note that they both personally associated with the philosopher at different times of his life. For instance, there was an age difference of about twenty years between Plato and Aristophanes. Consequently, Aristophanes’ characterizations of Socrates began when the philosopher was about forty-year s-old. On the other hand, Plato was in his twenties when Socrates was executed. The philosophical stance that is assumed by Plato in his depiction of Socrates is informed by the fact that as a young man, he looked up to the philosopher as an old man and a teacher. Aristophanes most likely associated with Socrates when the latter was beginning to gain public recognition within Athens. Socrates was an object of ridicule during his prime. For instance, the old men within Athens constantly accused Socrates of corrupting the young men within the town by introducing them to heretic teachings. Plato was a voluntary follower of Socrates and he admired the Socratic method of thinking. Available literature indicates that Plato abandoned a lucrative career as a playwright to pursue Socrates’ brand of philosophy. Aristophanes was a playwright who sought to align his works with popular opinions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Socrates by Aristophanes and Plato spec ifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, Aristophanes’ characterization of Socrates was most likely ‘due to public demand’. The intentions behind the actions of the two authors are a source of insight into how different demographics in Athens viewed Socrates. In â€Å"The Apology† by Plato, the characterization of Socrates is tied to the fact that the setting of the book was Socrates’ execution. Therefore, Plato’s characterization of Socrates is shrouded by the fact that he was sympathetic with his teacher’s plight. Nevertheless, Plato was physically present during Socrates’ trial and execution. Plato’s characterization of Socrates during the trial is complicated by several facts. First, Plato’s authorship has always been in defense of Socrates. For instance, â€Å"The Apology† was supposedly authored shortly after Socrates was executed. In â€Å"The Apologyâ € , the author is writing about Socrates when he is defending himself in front of a jury. Socrates had been charged by the Athenian court after Meletus claimed that the philosopher disregarded the city’s gods and corrupted the young men with his wayward teachings. Plato was one of the young men that Socrates was supposed to have corrupted. Consequently, it is difficult to ascertain if Plato’s worldview was actually ‘corrupted’ by Socrates. Nevertheless, it is apparent that Plato looked up to Socrates as a teacher and mentor. Plato’s characterization of Socrates as outlined in â€Å"The Apology† paints the picture of a falsely accused citizen who remains true to his teachings until the end. Plato’s ability to report accurately about Socrates’ execution is only redeemed by the fact that he later became a philosopher of repute. Aristophanes’ characterization of Plato is never subject to a direct connection between the two personalities. Aristophanes knew Plato from possible acquaintances and public observations. Socrates was a constant fixture in the public arena. In the public arenas, Socrates had both admirers and critics. It is clear that Aristophanes’ characterization of the philosopher was meant to please the critics.Advertising Looking for essay on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Socrates is a philosopher of repute as he is portrayed by Plato’s literature and ‘Aristotle the self-serving cynic’ is the idea created by Aristophanes in his plays. Both of these characterizations are a product of people who knew Socrates from various perspectives. Both Plato and Aristophanes’ characterizations of Socrates focus on several aspects of the philosopher’s interactions. However, Aristophanes’ characterization of Socrates is centered on how the philosopher interacted with his students. In his play â€Å"Phrontisterion†, Aristophanes depicts Socrates as the principal of a school. When translated, ‘Phrontisterion’ means ‘school of false logic’. In this play, Socrates’ character promises to teach his students how to win arguments of any kind. Aristophanes adds a comical element to Socrates’ characterization by depicting a philosopher who is teaching while he is placed in a basket and is elevated in front of his students. Aristophanes’ characterization of Socrates does not ascertain or nullify the validity of the philosopher’s teachings. The playwright only focuses on the fact that the philosopher thinks highly of himself and he has no significant regard for his students. Plato’s characterization of Socrates shows the philosopher interacting with his students on a more complex level. For example, Plato’s publications contain various instances where Socrates is posing questions to his students. Unlike in Aristophanes’ characterizations, the dialogues between Socrates and his students are not one sided. In addition, Plato characterizes Socrates as a man who is worthy of respect. However, Aristophanes is of the view that Socrates did anything to get glory for himself including teaching while he is hoisted on a basket and looking up to the heavens. The two authors’ characterizations are multifaceted although they depict the same aspect of Socrates’ life. The comedian does not concentrate on the deeper meanings of Socrates’ actions while Plato the philosopher depicts Socrates as a teacher who is worthy of respect. The presence of ulterior motives is a real concern when evaluating the different characterizations that are given to Socrates by both Aristophanes and Plato. For Plato, his outmost devotion and admiration towards Socrates might have been the reason behind the positive characterization of the philosopher. Plato’s most influential characterization of Socrates is â€Å"The Apology†. In â€Å"The Apology†, Plato appears to be penning a tribute to his teacher and mentor. Therefore, it is likely that there are several inconsistencies in Plato’s characterization of Socrates. For instance, in â€Å"The Apology†, Plato never attempts to portray Socrates’ defense. Plato only concentrates on Socrates’ dialogues when the latter is pleading for his innocence. Furthermore, Socrates never attempts to prove his innocence to the jury according to Plato. Of interest is the fact that Plato attempts to characterize Socrates as a man who never abandons his beliefs even in the face of death. Overall, Plato’s characterization of Socrates intended to portray the philosopher as having willpower that is stronger than that of most people. Further investigation into Plato’s depiction of Socrates indicates that the former might have exaggerated some of the characteristics that he assigns to his mentor. For instance, when Plato is depicting how Socrates died after taking hemlock, his depictions defy scientific evidence. According to credible scientific evidence, taking the poison hemlock makes an individual to develop a slurred speech, nausea, convulsions, and numbness. However, Plato depicted Socrates’ death as peaceful and dignified but this would be scientifically impossible. Aristophanes’ depiction of Socrates could also have hidden agendas. Aristophanes’ comical depiction of Socrates is in line with the playwright’s brand of comedy. Aristophanes might have intended to please the audience with his blatant disregard of philosophy and philosophers. Socrates belonged to a select class of philosophers who had threatened the Greek institutions with their inquisitive methods of thinking. Aristophanes characterizes Socrates as ungodly and offensive but this characterization might be signifying the playwright’s views about all Greek philosophers of the time. Consequently, the characterizations of Socrates by both Aristophanes and Plato indicate that the philosopher was understood by the two authors differently. Aristophanes and the ordinary folks viewed Socrates as an unnecessarily addition in the Athenian society. On the other hand, Plato works very hard to indicate how Socrates rose above the wishes and desires of the ordinary citizens. The characterizations of Socrates by Plato and Aristophanes paint a complex and multi-sided portrait of the philosopher. On one side, Aristophanes uses his comical stance to appeal to his theatre crowds by presenting Socrates as a buffoon and ‘a know it all’ character. On the hand, Plato presents his readers with the character of a man who would not be moved under any circumstances. Nevertheless, both authors validate their modes of characterizations using their own contexts. There is also cause for concern that the characterization of Socrates is subject to the authors’ ulterior motives. This essay on Socrates by Aristophanes and Plato was written and submitted by user Helena P. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Matirx essays

The Matirx essays The Matrix In viewing the Matrix, a 1999 Warner Brothers/Village Roadshow Picture release, there are numerous references to philosophy portrayed in the movie. In analyzing the Matrix one will be able to see how Descartes Meditations on Methodic doubt, his Evil Genius Hypothesis, and Platos allegory of the cave are portrayed in this film. According to Descartes Meditation on methodic doubt he tries to achieve absolute certainty about the nature of everything. In order to acquire absolute certainty, Descartes must first lay a complete foundation of integrity on which to build up his knowledge. The technique that he uses to lay this foundation is doubt. Descartes starts by looking at our usual sources of truth such as physics, astronomy, and medicine. He looks at these truths and doubts them feeling that these are not reliable sources of truth because time shows that we are all eventually proven wrong, much in the same way that science has been proven wrong over the courses of history. In relation to the Matrix, the Matrix is everywhere. According to Morpheus, the leader of the resistance, The Matrix is everywhere; it is all around us, even now in this very room. You can see it as you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work, when you go to church, when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth (Matrix Movie). The truth that Morpheus speaks about is the truth that everyone in Neos world, including Neo has been born into slavery. They have been born into a prison built for their mind. In regards to the meditations Morpheus is telling Neo that the world that he lives in is merely a false idea and should be doubted. However, telling Neo what the Matrix consists of is not enough. To fully understand what the Matrix is Neo will have to choose whether he wishes to learn about the Matrix ...

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 14

History - Essay Example Fundamentally, in the 20th century Russia was an exceedingly subjugated country managed by the Czars. Ruled by feudal tenets of dictatorship, the citizens’ of Russia were terribly oppressed, cold, poor, and starving, in addition they had no authentic course or hope. In essence, Russia had never undergone any open-minded revolutions, which were occurring in other parts of the globe. This made Russia remain as one of the real last remnants of the medieval European-American society. The rebels through acts of rebellion, revolutionist, and terrorism overthrew the Czars government. To start with, the Bolsheviks and Lenin were outside Russia when the revolution took place. Some of them were Russians while others were not Russians. They were socialists and Marxists revolutionaries existing in Europe studying sociology, science, economics, history, and many more from a Marxist viewpoint. The Bolsheviks did not necessitate the removal from power of the Russian government, after the coup, they came in with the intention of putting Marxist hypothesis and ideology to practice. Their major plan was to develop Russia into a social state through social revolution and spread their ideologies to Europe, America and eventually the whole world (Wiesner-Hanks & Wheeler 2007, 67). This portrays a major difference between the French revolution and the Russian revolution. Foreigners played a major role in the Russian revolution while only the French participated in the French revolution. Eventually, the Bolsheviks managed to overthrow the residual powers of Czars authoritarianism in October revolution. They began reforms through establishing legislative assemblies called the Soviets. The same way the French came up with representative units called the constituencies. These soviets consisted of openly elected officials who were in charge of the affaires of the citizens including peasants, soldiers, and workers. To add to that, they

Customer relations Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Customer relations - Coursework Example Currently, evaluating HSBC operations in not only at its country of origin but also globally at this bank has established approximately 7,000 centers in 81 states, which is a tremendous transformation (Bentahar, 2013). However, HSBC despite reputed with the use of intricate and up to date technological knowhow, it ought to devise effective strategies towards maintaining high aggressive edge in the market. 1. CRM Platform at HSBC based on the Actors-Strategy and Tools HSBC’s platform comprises of segmentation approach evident from varied categories of clientele. These embrace both local and global customers whereby each category has varying distinct subcategories based on their respective needs like Premier group, which the bank has ensured a specialized team with an executive to cater for their varied financial needs. Mainly, this mode of segmentation is to ensure the bank avails effective and appropriate services to clients based on their needs. Hence, get feedback and act on it promptly, which is an essential strategy in every global firm aspiring to thrive in a competitive market. Mainly, diverse segmentations usually grant the bank an elevated platform whereby it is capable of knowing exactly clientele needs, hence use current technological knowhow as a tool in acting promptly. ... 2. Service/Sale Profile that fits with HSBC Where, ERP - Enterprise resource planning ODS – Operational Data Store CIF – Cost Insurance and Fleight 3. Recommendations meant to enhance CRM quality at HSBC HSBC in its quest to maintain high aggressive edge in the market, it ought to embrace fully current technology in all its aspects. These encompass initiating instant communication, which will enable clients irrespective of their locations globally interact with departments or bank’s sections of their interests. This is especially to make consultations and inquiries concerning varied issues pertaining to services offered by HSBC (Bentahar, 2013). Hence, act as a one-stop-shop whereby customers are capable of managing their finances as well as other services like insurances wherever they are instead of allocating time meant for physically visiting varied branches globally. I would also suggest the Bank to increase numerous and varied options for its clients. This i s because people have varied and numerous preferences when it comes to banking or managing their respective wealth. Because this will make HSBC be in a better position to beat all other players in the market by offering their respective clients more flexibility than other banks. Some options that may be appropriate to clients in availing adequate flexibility embrace, payment methods, delivery of parcels, online money transfers at considerable costs, and receiving of financial statements at predetermined intervals suggested by clients. Hence, prompt HSBC focus its attention in fulfilling clientele’s interests, which not only contribute to high customers’ retention rate but also attract others who may be seeking similar services. In addition, HSBC after implementing CRM

FINAL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

FINAL - Essay Example â€Å"The moral structure of discretion remains essentially the same for all officials because they are all charged to obey and implement the law and respect legal process in exercising their power and judgment† (Victoria 1). Discretion is involved in every matter of professional life for a street-level government employee. A front line officer is usually more involved in dealing with public matters because he/she has to deal with public more than the higher ranked officials do. A front line government officer should exercise his/her discretion in resolving public matters instead of sending every simple case to higher authorities. For example, a police officer should have the power to decide whether he/she should resolve a conflicting situation on his/her own or he/she should send the case to the court to decide on it. However, it depends on the nature of the case. If a case is not very complex and both conflicting parties come to the police officer to suggest a solution for t hem, then the police officer should make the decision on his/her own. Such discretions in day-to-day work not only enhance the ability of front line government offices to the critical decisions but also reduce the load of work for the government agencies. For example, if a police officer resolves simple conflicts between people on his/her own, it will reduce the workload for the court which is usually already burdened with a number of cases. However, sometimes discretion in day-today activities does not work well for the society. The reason is that the reasoning and logic that a person at a higher level can give related to public administration matters is different from the mindset of a person working as a front line government employee. Higher appointments are done based on the level of qualification and intellectual ability of people. Such people can take wise decisions by looking all aspects of matters. For example, a decision that a judge can take is more wise and merit-based th an the decision that a front line police officer takes. Similarly, a decision that the manager of an organization can take for employees is more applicable and rational as compared to the decision that an employee takes for his/her work. Therefore, we can say that the consequences if street-level bureaucrats have discretion in their day-to-day activities vary from case to case. However, the negative consequences are not able to overcome the benefits associated with discretion to day-to-day works, such as, enhanced intellectual ability and reduced workload for government agencies. â€Å"Every elected, appointed, and career official must exercise judgment and discretion in carrying out the duties and responsibilities of office† (Victoria 1). Part: B The fundamental assumption of administrative reformers in the late 1800s and early 1900s that politics could have only adverse effects on administration was true up to some extent. The reason is that the politics of that time had in corporated such elements which could have disturbed the administrative approaches and systems of almost every department. Some of such elements included thirst of power, reducing the rights of others, and political instability. All of these elements played their roles in running the political matters of Central European countries. Such elements could have broken the

Emerging Trends in Education

Emerging Trends in Education For individuals, the potential benefits lie in general quality of life and in the economic returns of sustained, satisfying employment. For countries, the potential benefits lie in economic growth and the development of shared values that underpin social cohesion. This statement highlights the importance of education not only from individuals point of view but also from the nations perspective. Through this project I would highlight the changes in the educational trends since years and the present scenario of education system. Apart from it I would also throw light on the future prospects of such changes. Education plays a major role in individuals growth as well as in nations development. There are certain factors which have led to the changes in the educational system like liberalization, globalization, growing demand etc which would be discussed in detail in the later stages. This project would tell us that what are the major areas where changes in education has taken place and in what form. CHAPTER 1 REVIEW OF LITERATURE The study on Online education and the challenge of MOTIVATION (Timothy .Arnold) This case examines the increasing importance of online education and some of the problems related with it due to a wider and new concept. Many students get demotivated since online education classes are a new education format, it also does not possess many of the known support systems that we can find inside a traditional school structure. These support systems are what helps keep students motivated. Though online education is very important to be competitive but still due to lack of efficient faculty it is becoming a difficult concept for learning. The lack of social interaction can also be a significant contributing factor for online education students easily losing the motivation to study. The case also tells us that problems could be overcomed through identifying a goal and work towards its attainment. This process helps you build up your pride in your accomplishments. It could also be overcomed by increasing chat with the instructors. The study on Benefits of Online Education And Degrees in India This case tells us coming age is of online education. Online education gives students an opportunity to have greater control over their own schedule compared to traditional education opportunities and settings. Time and money are two of everybodys most precious commodities these days. Online degrees have been wisely accepted in job market, most online students have no problem to use their online degree to start their career or find a job. Taking an online education course also saves time. Online education is a relatively new field that depends on the Internet to provide the delivery of instruction to students. THE STUDY ON DISTANCE LEARNING Through this case I have analyzed that what student expects from distance education. It tells us that students who have family pressure and due to some reason can not attend regular classes, distance learning / distance education is mainly meant for those students. The reason for that, they did not want to leave their present job and want some success in their life after getting higher degree courses. if we talk about the number of colleges that offer distance learning, the list is like annamalai university, Delhi university, Panjab university, Guru Nanak Dev university, IGNOU, JAMIA HAMDARD university, Kurukshetra university are some of the famous distance learning centers that offers various types of distance education courses in the fields of arts, science, medical, accountancy, it, engineering and many more. This shows that day by day distance learning is gaining its importance. THE STUDY ON ROLE OF EDUCATION IN ECONOMICS GROWTH (SANA) This case highlights that the growth of the economy and development of a country is depending upon the education system of that particular country. European countries have already opened doors for international students and these countries are always emphasis on improving their education structure, developing more colleges and universities on country side areas and always in a way to update their course content on regular basis. The study on Higher Education in INDIA (BY Suma Chitnis) It concludes the era of how the higher education exist in India after the independence: First, higher education was to provide the manpower required for economic growth and for an efficient delivery of services such as healthcare, transportation, communication and community welfare -considered basic to a developed society. And, it was to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the manner required to place India on par with the developed world. Second, higher education functions as an instrument of equality. It was recognized that these objectives were the very opposite of those that universities had served in British India. ROLE OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN BASIC EDUCATION (ANURADHA DE, MANABI MAJUMADAR, MEERA SAMSON AND CLAIRE NORONHA) it tells us that private schools have been expanding rapidly in recent years. It cautions that increasing privatization will only increase the already strong gender bias in schooling. The number of private institutions is expected to increase, if government system is allowed to deteriorate further. CHAPTER 2 INTRODUCTION Education is important not only for the full development of ones personality, but also for the sustained growth of the nation. Education is the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life. The growth of the economy and development of a country is depending upon the education system of that particular country. Most of the developed countries and other developed European countries already open doors for students and these countries are always emphasis on improving their education structure, developing more colleges and universities on country side areas and always in a way to update their course content on regular basis. There have been some significant changes of emphasis between subjects, most notably the raising of the status of basic literacy and numeracy. Educations nowadays have been totally technology based. Online education, though a comparatively new system of delivering education, has come a long way to be recognized. More and more colleges and universities have started adding online courses as well as other forms of distance learning. As compared to other countries, India has also launched many types of different degree courses offered by various universities and colleges of India. Like education degree courses have played an important role in improving and developing education sector of India. Education is chosen to be the principal instrument for the countrys transformation from a poor, dependent, economically and technologically backward imperial colony into an advanced nation. In the larger design for this transformation which calls for economic development as well as extensive social and political change higher education is given much importance. Education is the only possession no one can ever take away from you. It offers a multiplicity of top quality education programs of interest to international students. Efforts to make learning more interactive and more fun for students appear promising. COMPARISON OF EDUCATIONAL TRENDS IN PRE ERA AND POST ERA In contrast with the traditional situation in which teaching staff develops courses on their own, and choose the way they teach and assess student progress (the teacher as king of his class) but now with the changing times, learning environments of the future will be designed by multi-disciplinary teams of experts. Experts in developing course material, programmers, graphical designers, and experts in assessment, all work together in designing rich modularized learning environments that offer alternative learning routes to different types of students. Earlier students focused more on the primary learning materials that was offered by teaching staff. But now the emphasis is on developing competencies needed to become knowledge workers, and if work and learning are more interconnected, one expect learning environments to become more open. Students nowadays with the changing times go beyond the primary learning materials offered by teaching staff and are expected to explore independently other information sources as well. With several educational options available to students today, newer trends are emerging in this field which has completely changed the traditional held perceptions about education in India. Several career options that were earlier not considered to be traditional have emerged as the most sought after education and career options. Various career options in like radio jockeying, radio management, news anchoring, program anchoring, news reading and reporting for the electronic media, content writing, fashion designing, event management, hospital management, medical transcription etc, have opened up several newer avenues for education. Traditional study courses like medicine, engineering and other subjects still have lots of demand. However, with the changing trends in the global and national economic scenario newer courses are fast emerging as alternative. The recent trends in education have certainly shown a deviation from the earlier trends. Online Education is fast becoming a major preferred mode of education among students. Enrolling to regular courses is increasingly getting highly competitive in India; So online education and distance education has come as a wonderful alternative and several students opt for this. Online education means web based learning, but there is no universally accepted definition. One of the main reasons for this is the provision that one can get degrees from various renowned universities from anywhere in India. Distance education is given through correspondence courses, where the student and the teacher are separated in time and space and sometimes both. Distance learning is doing a wonderful job by enabling the less advantaged sections of the society have an opportunity to get educated. CHANGES IN EDUCATIONAL TRENDS There are profound changes going on in the educational system. Almost every aspect of primary and secondary education has changed. These changes are needed because of ever growing pressure in the school systems themselves, partly because society itself is changing into one in which knowledge work becomes ever more important, and partly because of the very information and communication technologies which are transforming the economies. By confronting trends and technological developments, a new concept is emerged with a vision of a global learning infrastructure in which the role of schools and universities will be drastically changed, a radical transformation of the educational system. Major reasons behind these changes are:-: Globalization and liberalization Changes have led to more flexible learning arrangements. Education is under constant budget pressure, thus there is a need for more efficient and effective education. There are too many dropouts in the current educational system. Demand for more professional and skilled employees is increasing. Following are some of the examples of changes in educational trends:- MOBILE LEARNING- Todays students expect constant access to information-in the classroom and beyond. As educators all over the world are discovering, mobile learning has solved many problems. Students devour engaging, customized curricula when its delivered on the iPod or iPhone.Audio and video podcasts let students study at their own pace, wherever and whenever they want. ONE-TO-ONE COMPUTING- One-to-one computing means that every student or teacher is given to a computer, the internet and software anytime and anywhere. This way they can make maximum utilization of their time and become more efficient. PERSONALIZED LEARNING- Personalized Learning is a unique, blended classroom-based and non classroom-based public educational model that is tailored to the needs and interests of each individual student. The key attributes that comprise the Personalized Learning model are based upon how students learn most successfully, including a strong emphasis on parental involvement, smaller class sizes, more one-on-one teacher and student interaction, attention to differences in learning styles, student-driven participation in developing the learning process, technology access, varied learning environments, teacher and parent development programs, and choices in curriculum programs. VIDEO TRAINING- To enhance the quality of teaching and learning of pre-service training. The use of digital video was introduced. As a result of the use of video, trainees are able to improve their teaching performances in areas such as classroom management, group work, and motivation and presentation skills. PRIMARY EDUCATION The proposed changes to primary education seek to ensure that students are equipped not just with content knowledge, but also with the necessary skills and values to thrive in a fast-changing and globalised future. They build on the strengths of the current system, and seek to raise primary education to a new level. ATTITUDE OF THE TEACHER-The most important aspect of the approach is the attitude of the teacher, which highlights that learning is a form of play which fosters the blossoming of the childs natural development. Learning is made interesting, enjoyable, and full of fun. A large portion of the teaching materials are produced at the school by the teachers, who customize their teaching aids to suit the interests and knowledge levels of the students. HEALTH AND NUTRITION- First attention is given to the health and nutrition of the children to ensure that they have the physical energy and natural attention span needed for learning. Nutritional and medical supplements are provided to under-nourished children from low income families. Free exercising and play are encouraged to build strength and stamina. STUDENT-TEACHER RATIO IS KEPT VERY LOW- The student-teacher ratio is kept very low to enable the teacher to work with small groups of children at a time while others are absorbed in learning games or recreational play. The most effective ratio is 10 students per teacher during pre-school, LKG and UKG and twenty five students per teacher during standards 1 to 5. However, since the teaching methods are intense, each student actually needs to attend only 2Â ½ to 3 hours of class per day, enabling each teacher to effectively handle double the number of students. TEACHING CONFINED TO BRIEF PERIODS- Children learn spontaneously when their interest and curiosity are awakened. Teaching is confined to brief periods according to the natural attention span of each child, which is normally 15-30 minutes daily during the first two years. It is never extended beyond the childs span of interest. STORY TELLING- Story telling is used to make learning fun and to communicate basic values of goodness, beauty, harmony, responsibility and right conduct. Information on people and other living things, places, history, geography, and other cultures are presented to the child in the form of stories, pictorial information and explanations combined together to present facts in a living, integrated context rather than as a series of separate divorced subjects. NUMBER LINE METHOD- Rapid acquisition of basic math skills is achieved through the use of number line method which enables the child to physically experiment and act out different combinations of addition and subtraction. HIGHER EDUCATION Higher Education is not only a tool for economic development but a means of bolstering the confidence of a country and bringing about social change. Todays students are consumers looking for quality of service and recognition, access and equity, financing and cost, building of intellectual capital and capacity as well as policy coherence. QUALITY, ASSURANCE AND RECOGNITION It focuses on providing information and capacity to empower higher education stakeholders to make better informed decisions in the new world of higher education. This initiative aims to provide information to protect students from inadequate learning resources and low-quality provisions. Recognition refers to the acceptance of a foreign certificate, diploma or degree of higher education as a valid credential by the competent authorities and the granting to its holder the same rights enjoyed by persons who possess a national qualification for which the foreign one is assessed as comparable. DIGITAL LIBRARIES AND EDUCATION. More and more information is made available through the web. Search engines assure the accessibility of this material. Groupware allows synchronous communication between teachers and students worldwide. Online market research is quick and easy, and this market information can be combined with transaction log data allowing institutions to monitor consumer (i.e., student) response on an ongoing basis. Through the Internet, course material can be offered independently of time and place. Modularization makes it possible to offer different and flexible learning routes. INTERNSHIPS AND INDUSTRIAL VISITS Additions of internships and industrial visits have encouraged students to be more interactive and develop their skills in a better way. Industrial visits help students to take full advantage of learning opportunities and also helps students to become more effective and competitive. On the other hand by doing internship one can gain valuable work experience, apply classroom knowledge, gain confidence, increases interaction and creates opportunities to know and understand people better which would also help individual to be flexible. VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (VET) Due to vocational education more students are getting employment quickly as it involves more involvement of industry, internships and due to this there is also less efforts thats needs to be taken by the institutions in order to train employees as students are already well versed and familiar with the work to be undertaken so it helps industries to save their training costs. TECHNICAL EDUCATION As the technical education courses in India are quite diverse, the number of institutes providing technical courses in India is also huge. More than 33o universities and 18000 training colleges are providing technical education. Technical education is day by day becoming the need of the hour. Technical education is given importance because without technical education one would not be able to handle work efficiently as would find it difficult to cope up with as changing world would involve more of technicalities and without much of its knowledge one cannot survive in industry for long. Nowadays technology is used as an additional tool for traditional teaching and learning processes and also technology is used as the center of an innovative teaching and learning process DISTANCE EDUCATION One of the main reasons for this is the provision that one can get degrees from various renowned universities from anywhere in India. Distance education is given through correspondence courses, where the student and the teacher are separated in time and space. Distance learning is enabling the less advantaged sections of the society have an opportunity to get educated. There are different types of distance learning options available to students. Some of them are Postal correspondence courses interactive CD-ROM courses pocket PC/mobile learning course Telecourse/ broadcast course through radio or television and synchronous or asynchronous internet courses. Just like online education, in distance education too, students will not have to relocate to new places or make any changes in their existing work. PRIVATE EDUCATION The concept of private education has been increasingly given importance. Private schools often provide superior results at a fraction of the unit cost of government schools. It has been pointed out that private schools cover the entire curriculum and offer extra-curricular activities such as science fairs, general knowledge, sports, music and drama. FACTORS LEADING TO CHANGE IN EDUCATIONAL TRENDS Several developments in the workplace, changes in student demographics, and the economic trends are forcing educational institutions to change. DEVELOPMENTS IN THE WORKPLACE Employers are seeking employees who are technology and information literate. The education of new knowledge workers requires emphasis on information access, problem solving, analysis, evaluation, and decision making. Rapid change and uncertainty in the workplace encourages employers to seek individuals who already have the required skills. The increasing number of part-time workers require more flexible access to education. Knowing how to access information rather than memorizing information is central to coping with this rapid change. ECONOMIC PRESSURES Economic pressures are one of the reason for educational change. As most of the faculty is already working as hard as they can. And by trying to get the faculty to work harder will not produce greater efficiency. Due to increasing demand and to reduce unemployment rate changes in education is necessary. COMPETITION Private business has begun to see profit potential in offering short, inexpensive market-specific training that appears to be highly relevant to students. This training directly competes with traditional college programs. Access to the Internet allows learners to take courses virtually anywhere in the world. There are currently hundreds of courses available from accredited North American colleges in all academic disciplines. Geographic location is no longer relevant. Global competition is increasing constantly. INTERNATIONALIZATION, REGIONALIZATION AND GLOBALIZATION Internationalization, regionalization and globalization are key factors that shape Higher Education. The development of regional education and research areas in various parts of the world challenges national values and cultures and calls for new regional instruments (e.g. for quality assurance and recognition). The specific challenges facing small states, whether island or landlocked, requires special attention in the context of globalization. FUTURE PROSPECTS The pace of change is mandating to produce a faster, smarter, better grade of human being. Future education system will be unleashed with the advent of a standardized rapid courseware-builder and a single point global distribution system. SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS With the introduction of changes in education system it would give rise to successful entrepreneurs. As sound and capable executives are rendered completely ineffective in a startup environment but as the concept of provision of education has changed and more emphasis is laid on technical and managerial skills these executives are emerging or found more immensely. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Changes in education would also lead to development of the nation as individuals would be more efficient and capable which would directly contribute to the nations growth and development. It would also lead to more innovations and raise the standard of living as individuals would be more organized. With more knowledge and high skills one would become highly competitive and could easily adapt in any part of the country. It would also lead to better functioning of the units. TECHNOLOGICAL ERA Coming era would be technological era, The Information Age, also commonly known as the Computer Age, is an idea that the age will be characterized by the ability of individuals to transfer information freely, and to have instant access to knowledge that would have been difficult or impossible to find previously. The idea is linked to the concept of a Digital Age or Digital Revolution, and carries the ramifications of a shift from traditional industry that the Industrial Revolution brought through industrialization, to an economy based around the manipulation of information. SKILLED AND HIGHLY EFFICIENT WORKERS It would also lead to highly skilled and efficient employees who have been provided quality education. The employees would carry a positive framework or outlook and would be very effective in their decision making and would also carry technical and managerial skills which would help them to be more productive and qualitative in nature. CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH AND METHODOLOGY OBJECTIVES To study the comparison of educational trends in the past era and the present scenario. To study the effects of changing educational trends on the Indian society. To study the changes in the present educational system To know about the factors leading to the change in the education. CHAPTER 4 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION In this study I have analyzed that globalization has played a major role in changing educational system. Foreign culture has a direct impact on the country. The companies that are entering Indian market are looking for the individuals who are highly qualified and consists of a mix of technical and managerial skills i.e. person should have complete technical knowledge and must have skills of leadership and should also be highly efficient. Changed educational system would lead to successful entrepreneurs. And these Successful entrepreneurs would be those who innovate, plan strategically, hold the risk bearing ability and stand strong against all the stumbling blocks transform them into stepping stones by bringing sweeping changes and revolutionizing. There had been lot many changes in the educational system whether it is incase of primary or higher education. In case of primary education stress have been reduced as education is taught keeping in mind the health of the students. Visual aids, gaming, story telling etc are given much importance in order to provide education to the students. More emphasis is laid on this method because it is found that this is much faster means of learning and also helps students to develop their personality and leads to more interaction. Whereas on the other hand incase of higher education more emphasis is laid on imparting quality education .quality education helps individual develop better learning skills. Internships have been introduced which encourages students to relate their college based knowledge with the practical knowledge and they can visualize the work actually done in the industry. Through this one can also focus on their goals more accurately. With the increased industrial visits one can develop its interactive skills and also improve its learning. It has also been analyzed that with the increasing competition changes in the educational methods are equally important as traditional method of teaching have become totally obsolete. With the changing time, the era would be totally technology based. Lack of computer education could also lead to unemployment as it would become need of the hour. Without computer education one would become unable to work efficiently and effectively. It would also lead to wastage of time and also resources. Such individuals would not be as productive as computer learning nowadays have become a necessity for every individual. Due to this fact most of the colleges have increasingly introduced more of computer aided programs and also included its training as a part of their curriculum. This case also highlights the introduction of new courses and learning programs. It also had laid emphasis on new educations systems like distance learning, mobile learning, online education that includes learning through interaction with faculty on cams. FINDINGS AND SUGGESTIONS FINDINGS A change in education has led to better individual development as well as development of the nation. Technology plays a major role in imparting education. Burden of students during primary stage is reduced as the education is conducted more in informal manner through role playing, story telling, conducting games etc. Higher education is improved by introducing internships, projects and by introducing industrial visits which adds more value to it. Globalization, liberalization and demand of the hour has led to educational changes. Educational change has bought a positive impact on the society.it would also improve literacy rate. SUGGESTIONS As per my opinion more emphasis must be given on e-learning than to book learning as it would help individual to conduct its operations easily in any part of the country as technology is improving day by day and access to it is equally important. More emphasis should be laid on industrial visits, technology accessibility i.e. theoretical learning should be directly linked with practical learning. More of practical approach should be used. Lectures and interaction with renowned personalities in the concerned field should be increased. It would help students develop their intellectual level, motivate them and develop confidence in them. Last but not the least as per my viewpoint more informal method of learning should be used, as it would help individual to develop its skills at a faster pace than the formal approach. CONCLUSION India is a developing nation and it has been expanding is every fields. Education saw an essential change gradually after Independence. Development of education in India brought about a transformation and the concept of education got modified. All levels of education in India, from primary to higher education portray a challenge. India got well-known educational institutions such as the IITs, IISc, IIMs, NITs, AIIMS, ISI, JU, BITS, and ISB. The higher education system of India is the third largest in the world, after China and the United States. Education travelled a long way and thus Indian education system introduced certain advantageous system such as online education In India. Online education is a system of education training which is delivered primarily via the Internet to students at remote locations. Online education encompasses various degrees and courses. Indian education has different phases. Students are provided with extensive scope and courses to choose from. One enjoys the opportunity of selecting the required field. The system of Distant Education in India is becoming increasingly popular. The students choosing distance learning process are benefited with the modern pattern followed. The availability of distance learning courses has assured that a person can pursue education from any state or university accordingly. So this highlights the increasing importance of changes in education and their benefits and effects on Indian society. CHAPTER 5 BIBLIOGRAPHY BIBLIOGRAPHY Sites referred:- http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/tiol.html www.

Odyssey Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The legend of The Odyssey tells the fortunate homecoming tale of the Trojan war hero, Odysseus. In the poem, there were similarities, yet many contradictions. There were many great women that had conflicting personalities and adverse motives, but also they were alike. There were many great men that hold successful fortune, but here were also ones that failed. With these oppositions they helped Odysseus to get back home to Ithaca, whether they wanted to or not. These women from the novel that have opposing qualities, yet help Odysseus get home and finish off the suitors, are Penelope and Clytemnestra, Circe and Calypso, and Eurycleia and Melantho. This similarity of situation: Agamemnon = Odysseus; Orestes=Telemakhos.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clytemnestra is a disloyal wife and a cruel woman, while Penelope is a devoted spouse and a wonderful lady. When King Agamemnon goes away to fight at Troy, his wife, Clytemnestra, has an affair. When he returns, she kills him, not even letting him see his son after ten long years. â€Å"†¦Poseidon did not drown me in the sea, no enemy struck me down on dry land; but Aigisthos plotted my death with my accursed wife†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (132). Meanwhile, when Odysseus goes to Troy, his wife Penelope is loyal for twenty years. Clytemnestra also kills all of Agamemnon’s friends and followers, while Penelope had rude suitors in her house and she never once harmed them for the three years that they ate her out of house and home. The one thing that the two women has in common was that they are both very witty and smart; Clytemnestra for planning the massacres and Penelope for the weaving of the shroud. â€Å"†¦I used to weave the web in the daytime, but in the night I unravelled it by torchlight. For three years I kept up the pretence, and they believed it†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (216). With their conflicting personalities the women did help Odysseus to return. When Agamemnon told Odysseus Clytemnestra’s tale in the Underworld, it makes him think about what his wife is doing and it gives him an extra push to get home. In Penelopeia’s case, Odysseus hopes that she would remain faithful and he wants to get home to his loyal wife. Both women have many conflicting personality traits, but their actions give Odysseus a reason to hurry up in his homecoming.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although Circe and Calypso are both goddesses and both keep Ody... ... knowledge she passes on to him, was a factor in his decision making of the death of the suitors. Melantho shows Odysseus how cruel men can be and she makes him aware of all the traitors within the household. With these two opposite influences of the women he decides to kill all the suitors and the disloyal maidservants. There were many women in â€Å"The Odyssey† who helped Odysseus make it back to Ithaca and end the tribulation in his household, but these were the most important ones. Without their influences and their different approaches on dealing with him, he might not have handled the situation like he did, or even worse, he might have never made it home. The women play a strong role in â€Å"The Odyssey† and they deserve recognition. Women in this time are a lot like the women in ancient Greece; they have more freedom and play a more predominate role in society. illustrates the culture patriarchal of male and female equality in ancient Greece. On one hand, men of the mortal world and Zeus and the other male gods can get away with promiscuous behavior, while on the other hand society expects females to be faithful at all times. The poet introduces two types of heronic homecoming.

Model Stock Research for the Time-Warner Company Essay

Macroeconomic Review Being one of the fastest-paced and highest-profile industries in the world, the media sector has been in a whirlwind of change this past decade. There has been an explosive boom and bust and, of late, boom again, of internet technology. This has dramatically influenced media delivery. Clampdowns on shady accounting practices, assets changing hands and a more discerning and demanding media audience have also ensured that changes in the industry occurred at break-neck speed. This is why global media giant, Time Warner, has sought to embrace these challenges of the Information Age. Indeed, Time Warner had uniquely positioned itself to benefit from the explosive changes. Their size and resources make them a formidable competitor in the media arena because of their efficiency in an increasingly global environment. In front of the media arena, the average US citizen is confronted by more than 1,500 dailies, over 5,700 weekly newspapers, some 17,000 magazine titles, 10,000 commercial radio stations and more than 1,600 TV stations. Nielsen Media Research reported that as of January 2003, 98.2% of the over 100 million households own at least one TV set, with 69.8% of them hooked up to cable. The US also exports a massive amount of its media, which has become almost staple fare around the world. CNBC alone boasts a reach of 192 million households worldwide, with 82m of them in the US and Canada. The latest available GDP statistics from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis show that the radio and TV industry contributed $72.9 billion to the US GDP in 2001, up from $71.1 billion in 2000. Total US GDP for 2001 was $10,082 billion. In 2006, the US GDP is estimated at 3.2%, while the interest rates are at 8% (See Table 1). Table 1. United States – Country Data and Market Indicators (EIU, 2006). Series Units 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Gross Domestic Product Key indicators GDP (% real change pa) 0.8 1.6 2.5 3.9 3.2 3.2 Fiscal and monetary indicators Interest rates Lending interest rate (%) 6.9 4.7 4.1 4.3 6.2 8.0 Inflation and wages Consumer prices (% change pa; av) 2.8 1.6 2.3 2.7 3.4 3.3 Demographics and income Population M 285.1 288.0 290.8 293.6 296.4 299.7 GDP per head ($ at PPP) PPP 35524.2 36352.8 37691.7 39894.3 42023.7 44110.0 Population Population M 285.1 288.0 290.8 293.6 296.4 299.7 Population (% change pa) 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.1 Labour force M 143.8 144.9 146.5 147.4 149.3 151.4 Recorded unemployment (%) 4.7 5.8 6.0 5.5 5.1 4.6 Income GDP per head US$ 35524.2 36352.8 37691.7 39894.3 42023.7 44110.0 Private consumption per head US$ 24745.9 25523.4 26491.1 27969.4 29495.1 30960.0 GDP per head ($ at PPP) PPP 35524.2 36352.8 37691.7 39894.3 42023.7 44110.0 Real GDP growth per head (% pa) -0.2 0.6 1.5 2.9 2.2 2.1 Personal disposable income bn  LCU 7486.8 7830.1 8162.5 8681.6 9036.1 9580.2 Personal disposable income (US$) M  US$ 7486840.0 7830080.0 8162530.0 8681560.0 9036100.0 9580150.0 Real personal disposable income (US$ at 1996 prices) M  US$ 6860090.0 7074210.0 7231140.0 7493920.0 7581650.0 7811600.0 Real personal disposable income (% change pa) 1.9 3.1 2.2 3.6 1.2 3.0 Average real wage index (LCU, 1996=100) 107.3 108.9 109.4 108.9 108.1 108.6 Average real wages (% change pa) 1.0 1.5 0.4 -0.5 -0.7 0.5   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fact remains that US is the world’s biggest media producer as well as consumer. Advertising is the main source of revenue, although some sectors also create revenues from subscriptions. Media concerns with entertainment arms have additional sources of income through takings from gaming, distribution rights, amusement park entrance fees and spin-off merchandise. Also, entertainment is one of America’s top exports. In 1999, in fact, film, television, music, radio, advertising, print publishing, and computer software together were the top export, almost $80 billion worth, and while software alone accounted for $50 billion of the total, some of that category also qualifies as entertainment—video games and pornography, for example. Hardly anyone is exempt from the force of American images and sounds. . . . American popular culture is the nemesis that hundreds of millions—perhaps billions—of people love, and love to hate. The antagonism and the dependency are inseparable, for the media ï ¬â€šood—essentially American in its origin, but virtually unlimited in its reach—represents, like it or not, a common imagination. However, media availability is somewhat disproportionate to the time an average American has to consume information. But the industry is a lucrative one and media spinners are finding new ways to make the public continue to consume media and pay for it. In 2001, companies in the media industry recorded total revenues of $261.7 billion. Although this was a growth over 2000’s $255.2 billion, operating income had been steadily falling since 1998. This can be attributed largely to the fact that cable and satellite providers experienced rising maintenance costs and were investing heavily in new technology. The decline in income is expected to ease over the next few years as investments on new delivery channels start to bear fruit. Because of this, many companies started holding back on advertising activities following the recession in 2001. The 9⠁„11 tragedy, the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and their accelerator effect on the economic downturn, brought increased uncertainties to the stock markets and exacerbated the advertising slowdown. This downtrend was reversed throughout most of 2002 as many believed a swift end to the Iraqi invasion would emerge. Market jitters returned in the third quarter of 2002 and earlier in 2003, which somewhat stalled advertising expansion as the Iraqi situation refused to look as good as the President’s claims. However, tentative cheers on US trading floors and moderate improvements in the job market slowly built up advertising momentum in the third quarter of 2003. For example, Time-Warner’s strategy has insisted on managing their costs aggressively. In 2005, they undertook difficult, but necessary, restructurings at a number of our divisions to ensure that their costs are aligned with their long-term business needs. At Warner Bros., for example, they streamlined their management to create a single Home Entertainment Group to oversee the digital delivery of entertainment to consumers. Looking ahead, they plan to reduce costs by $1 billion across their businesses in 2006 and 2007. Trade disputes with the EU and China and persistent trouble for US interests in Europe and the Middle East are forming grey clouds over the economic horizon. Also, big budget media advertising, with the exception of outdoor advertising, is invariably sparse at year-end when readership and viewership are traditionally down due to a lack of new programs and major sporting events. Consumers are usually on vacation or out holiday shopping at year-end, rather than at home reading or sitting in front of ‘the box’, giving media advertising less reach. However, prudent companies are aware that a prolonged advertising drought can adversely affect brand recall and consequently spell slower product movement. Thus, although advertising revenue increases were more modest than expected in 2003, with the exception of cable television, syndication and Spanish network segments. This income source is predicted to grow in 2004. As Time Warner moves forward with these external challenges, the foundation of their strategy is to invest our financial resources in a disciplined manner to provide the best possible return to their shareholders. This means focusing on the right businesses. Their board of directors and management continuously evaluate Time-Warner’s businesses to ensure that they meet their standards for financial performance, growth and return on investment. Industry Overview The United States market for cable and satellite TV services has grown by 6.5% since 2003 to reach a value of US$57.6 billion in 2004. Over 2001 to 2005, value sales increased by 36.5%. Over 73 million American households subscribed to cable television services with 34% of them having digital service in 2004. In 2004, the average monthly price for expanded basic programming packages was US$38.23. Satellite TV services are expected to continue to increase in popularity. Satellite TV is offering aggressive pricing packages relative to cable, an increasing number of special interest channels and local channels in all markets. Local channels were previously unavailable to subscribers. Despite the spate of satellite TV, Time Warner’s networks and cable segments have been posting consistent revenue growth in recent years. Revenue from the networks segment increased from $8,434 million in 2003 to $9,611 million in 2005, representing a growth rate of 7%. Revenue from the cable division increased from $7,699 million in 2003 to $9,498 million in 2005, representing a growth rate of 11%. These two segments together contribute more than 42% of the total revenues of the company. Increasing segmental revenues have contributed in the company’s overall revenue growth of 3.7% in fiscal 2005 over fiscal 2004. This is why cable television will likely continue to generate healthy revenue growth for owners of those networks, though gains may well be slower than over the past several years. Beneficiaries of ongoing strength in cable include Viacom, Time Warner, News Corp. and Disney. The most significant changes in the media industry in the past decade have been in its adoption of the internet technology. The internet has evolved from being just a communications tool to becoming an important entertainment, business and marketplace platform. Catching up is the cable segment, which is embracing broadband technology in earnest and is rapidly overtaking the role of traditional dialup technology in supplying telephony and especially internet services to North American homes. From 1996 through 2003, the US cable industry spent $75 billion in private capital on plant and equipment as well as infrastructure upgrades, according to NCTA. The cable industry in its totality is moving from analog to digital technology to compete with the high-quality, low-interruption signal transmission broadcast by DBS companies, which have been offering high quality, encrypted digital transmission almost since day one. The competition between cable and satTV is becoming more intense. Apart from normal TV programs and movie line-ups, both offer interactive (cable TV being a recent entrant) and internet technologies on their systems. Both are taking the TV experience to new heights. Not only can the viewer play interactive games on TV but they can also interact with programs they are watching, for example responding to interactive surveys or making immediate purchases on shopping channels via the remote control. Latest technological advancements also allow viewers to record, pause, forward and reverse live programs or watch them in slow motion or instant replay using digital⠁„personal video recording (DVR or PVR) and video on demand (VoD) devices for satTV and cable TV, respectively. Unfortunately, the digital revolution is bringing problems to some in the industry. Content and program providers are anxious over the dent DVRs and VODs may make in their earnings. How serious their concerns are remain to be seen, but observers of the industry are noting that a predecessor of DVRs and VODs, the VCR, was greeted with the same disquietude, which was soon replaced with blithe indifference as the technology propagated a new earning capacity, that is, the sale of videos. An issue that bothers media executives is their loss of control over viewers. Viewers can replay scenes they like during a commercial break, thus effectively bypassing messages from advertisers, who happen to be program sponsors. This could force advertisers to see TV as a less effective advertising channel than it used to be and give them better leverage at commercial slot price negotiation or cause them to adopt other advertising media. As viewers become more discerning, they are demanding greater viewing variety and higher quality programs. They are also getting hi-tech, seeking a greater, more interactive TV viewing experience much as they have come to expect from their personal computers. The FCC, the federal regulator for the media and telecommunications industry, is aware of this and is pushing the industry to hurry the digital transition. The FCC has mandated that all TV broadcast stations have High Definition TV (HDTV) broadcasting capability by 2006. This will mean a bigger outlay for broadcasters and cable companies in the coming few years: Broadcasters and program networks will have to invest in new cameras, titling and editing equipment and tape machines that support the digital TV (DTV) format and revamped rigs for DTV friendly TV vans. Cable operators need to convert all their equipment and set-top boxes. However, for viewers with HDTVs, the set-top boxes are bypassed. Time Warner had responded to this challenge through Warner Bros Entertainment, a subsidiary of the company when it tied up with CBS Corporation to form a new broadcast network. This new network, The CW, to be launched in late 2006, can significantly expand Time Warner’s customer base. Time Warner’s Cartoon Network channel entered into a joint venture with VIZ Media to form Toonami Jetstream, a new broadband service to provide streaming episodes of animation series. Toonami Jetstream will allow users to view episodes of Cartoon Network in their own time and also provide an alternative distribution vehicle for Time Warner. These alliances and joint ventures can provide Time Warner with a competitive advantage over its peers and enable it to enhance its revenue position. Expanding broadband market Most players in the cable industry have begun the digital journey but consumers may still need to dig into their pockets to enjoy the digital experience and make the analog age a thing of the past. They have to either buy new set-top boxes, which convert digital signals to analog, or buy HDTV sets, which range between just under $1,000 to almost $10,000. Early in June 2003, when the FCC eased its decades-old restrictions on the size of media entities, controversy erupted. Large media companies hailed the move. Consumer groups condemned the decision as bad news for democracy and local content. The new rule, which allowed media companies to have US penetration cap of 45% instead of the old 35%, was good news to media giants who were operating at close to the 35% limit. They had been lobbying hard for the lift, including Viacom, whose $40.6 billion purchase of CBS makes it the US’ largest single operator of TV and radio stations, reaching 41% of the total national broadcasting market. The 45% rule looked set to open the floodgates for other media liberalization that would allow TV, radio and newspaper owners much more room for consolidation. If a large TV station acquired a small, one-paper town market, the community would be dominated by that entity. This would threaten local content in the community’s media. However, the 45% rule was blocked by Congress in a massive 400 to 21 vote in July 2003. This was followed by a stay order by a federal court some few weeks later. Should the FCC fail to appeal to have the new cap reinstated, media giants who have exceeded the old limit will have to shave off their access assets and those nearing the demarcation point will need to strike out expansion as a way to increase income. Time Warner, which garners some revenues from films, should grow its studio profits well. It is releasing several DVDs of popular titles. Film profits generally sway on the timing of releases. Viacom, Disney, and Dreamworks Animation also have large stakes in the sector, which will likely move further towards home viewing via digital cable and the Internet. Having many cities that are highly cosmopolitan, the US has various minority and ethnic groups which are looking for more than just generic programs that do not necessarily depict their lifestyles or cater to their tastes. Many minority group communities have been addressing these issues by producing their own newspapers, TV programs and radio broadcasts. As their respective populations grow, so has the amount of business of their specialty media. Having long observed the growth of these niche markets, bigger players are now making moves toward grabbing a slice of the ethnic specific media pie that serve large minority communities. Previously, being culture sensitive meant placing non-Caucasian actors in supporting roles but, belatedly, major media companies are dedicating whole TV and audio channels to specific ethnic groups. In the media industry, the basic services were the largest sector, accounting for 53.1% of sales in 2004, worth US$30.6 billion. Advertising was the most dynamic sector. Growing from US$8.5 billion in 2000 to US$15.9 billion in 2004, this sector achieved 87% growth. Pay-per-view movies grew by US$400 million over the review period, to account for 2.8% of sales in 2004. In 2004, premium channels accounted for US$9.5 billion, or 16.5% of the market, realizing 13% growth. Cable TV continues to dominate the premium TV market with 76 percent of households and its market penetration is still increasing. Table 2. United States – Media Market Sectors US$ billion 2000 2004 Advertising 8.5 15.9 Basic services 24.1 30.6 Pay-per-view movies 1.2 1.6 Premium channels 8.4 9.5 Source: Euromonitor International In terms of performance, Comcast Corporation was the leader of cable and satellite TV services in the United States in 2004 with 32% market share. It maintained its leading position through product innovation and differentiation including its ON DEMAND offerings, increased regional sports programming and its leading Comcast.net portal. Time Warner Inc had the second largest market share in 2004 at 17.2%. This was an increase of 9.5% in 2003. AOL Time Warner was able to increase its position by taking a lead role in offering new products to its customers including High Definition Television, the Digital Video Recorder, Wireless Home Networking, and Digital Telephony service. Through expansion of its US market, Cox Communications Inc. increased its market share by 7.7% from 2003 to 9.7% in 2004. Charter Communications saw its market share decrease to 9.3% in 2004. Table 3. United States – Media Market Share % value of market sector 2004 Comcast Corporation 32.0 AOL Time-Warner Inc 17.2 Charter Communication 9.3 Cox Communications Inc 9.7 Adelphia 8.2 Source: Euromonitor International In the global arena, Hollywood’s long-standing tensions with China has taken its toll as Time Warner is pulling out of an ambitious, four-year theater venture in the country because of tightened restrictions on foreign ownership. The decision was announced in November 2006 came after its Warner Bros. unit tried unsuccessfully for more than a year to negotiate a compromise with the Chinese government over a July 2005 ruling requiring outside investors to cede control in ventures to their Chinese partners. Warner’s decision underscores Hollywood’s frustrations operating in China. Although studio executives consider China to be the world’s best growth opportunity for U.S. entertainment, they also are wary of expanding there, in part because of what they believe are burdensome government rules. Although the media market is fraught with competitors, Time Warner had been a formidable competitor because it offers diversified, yet complimentary products and services. The company operates in print media, television, cinemas, internet, cables services and wired broadband segments. Leveraging its operations in complimentary segments the company has been able to reproduce the same content in various formats to generate additional sales. Its wide product portfolio has also allowed the company to offer superior bundles to the customers. Company Analysis – Time-Warner Time Warner is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. Its major businesses encompass an array of respected and successful media brands. Among the company’s brands are HBO, CNN, AOL, Time, Fortune, People, Sports Illustrated, and Time Warner Cable. CNN operates in nearly 200 countries, while AOL is the world’s leader in interactive services with 19.5 million subscribers in the US and 6 million in Europe at the last count. Time Warner’s cable business, Time Warner Cable (TWC), is the second-largest cable operator in the US while Warner Bros is one of the worlds leading studios. These are well established brands with global brand recall. The company can leverage the equity of its brands to generate sales. New developments continue to stream in Time-Warner. In 2004, Time Warner Cable announced the creation of a new business unit, Time Warner Cable Voice Services. This creation was responsible for overseeing the rollout of its residential telephone service, known as Digital Phone. During the same year, AOL Europe, and Google, announced a new multi-year agreement to provide targeted advertising from Google’s AdWords advertisers for the subscribers of AOL Europe. In February 2005, Warner Home Video announced the formation of CAV Warner Home Entertainment Company, a joint venture with China Audio Video. The company entered into a joint venture with New Line Cinema to form Picturehouse. AOL announced the acquisition of Weblogs, a blogging company. AOL also acquired an online digital music subscription company called MusicNow in November 2005. During the same month the company, along with several other cable companies concluded an agreement with Sprint. According to the agreement, the companies would form a joint venture for providing wireless and wireline entertainment product. AOL acquired Truveo, a pioneer in internet video searching in January 2006. In the same month Time Warner entered into an agreement with CBS to launch a new television network, The CW. Cartoon Network formed a joint venture with VIZ Media to create Toonami Jetstream, to provide broadband video services in April 2006. Time Warner has been continually profitable. The company recorded revenues of $43,652 million during the fiscal year ended December 2005, an increase of 3.7% over 2004. For the fiscal year 2005, the US, the company’s largest geographic market, accounted for 79% of the total revenues. Time Warner generates revenues through its five business divisions: filmed entertainment (26.4% of total revenue during fiscal year 2005), networks (21.3%), cable (21%), AOL (18.3%), and publishing (12.9%). During the fiscal year 2005, the filmed entertainment division recorded revenues of $11,924 million, an increase of 0.6% over 2004. The networks division recorded revenues of $9,611 million in fiscal year 2005, an increase of 6.2% over 2004. The cable division recorded revenues of $9,498 million in fiscal year 2005, an increase of 12% over 2004. The AOL division recorded revenues of $8,283 million in fiscal year 2005, a decrease of 4.7% from 2004. The publishing division recorded revenues of $5,846 million in fiscal year 2005, an increase of 5% over 2004. By geography, the U.S. remains Time Warner’s largest geographical market, accounted for 79% of the total revenues in the fiscal year 2005. Revenues from the US reached $34,469 million in 2005, an increase of 2.7% over 2004. Other international countries accounted for 6.7% of the total revenues in the fiscal year 2005. Revenues from other international countries reached $2,907 million in 2005, an increase of 4.5% over 2004. The UK accounted for 6.6% of the total revenues in the fiscal year 2005. Revenues from the UK reached $2,886 million in 2005, an increase of 15.1% over 2004. Germany accounted for 2.8% of the total revenues in the fiscal year 2005. Revenues from Germany reached $1,233 million in 2005, an increase of 6.2% over 2004. France accounted for 2.2% of the total revenues in the fiscal year 2005. Revenues from France reached $941 million in 2005, an increase of 7.1% over 2004. Canada accounted for 1.4% of the total revenues in the fiscal year 2005. Revenues from Canada reached $625 million in 2005, an increase of 24.3% over 2004. Japan accounted for 1.4% of the total revenues in the fiscal year 2005. Revenues from Japan reached $591 million in 2005, a decrease of 13.7% from 2004.    Financial Statement Analysis Company Posted Sales Fiscal Year Total Sales 2003 39565 2004 42089 2005 43652   Profitability Ratios 2007* 2006* 2005 2004  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2003   Sales Gross Margin Operating Margin (%) Pre-Tax Margin (%) Net Profit Margin (%) Accounts payable Net Expenses Inventories Revenues per share Cash-Flow per share Earnings per share 46500 0.4 30    8.3          12.9 3 1.1 44900 0.4 30    11.4          11.8 3.12 1.35 43652 0.043 26.06 9.37 6.65 1,380,000 13,676,000 1,806,000 9.705 1.374 0.62 42089 0.042  Ã‚  Ã‚      32.008 11.66  Ã‚  Ã‚   7.99 1,494,000   13,094,000   1,737,000   9.354 2.076 0.68 39565 0.041   30.68 11.42   6.67   1,629,000 12,559,000 1,390,000 9.03 2.024 0.68 *Projected (Source: Valueline Investment Survey). Time-Warner remains to be an otherwise bright entertainment conglomerate. The company’s networks and cable segments have been posting consistent revenue growth in recent years. Revenue from the networks segment increased from $8,434 million in 2003 to $9,611 million in 2005. Revenue from the cable division increased from $7,699 million in 2003 to $9,498 million in 2005. These two segments together contribute more than 42% of the total revenues of the company. Increasing segmental revenues have contributed in the company’s overall revenue growth of 3.7% in fiscal 2005 over fiscal 2004. After trying to devise a way to maintain AOL’s subscription service in a high-speed world, management finally threw in the towel and decided to give AOL’s services away for free, focusing on advertising revenue. The move may have been late, but not so late that it won’t help stem AOL’s user base. The big concern is if advertising revenues will be sufficient to offset subscription losses. Still, this property is an important part of the company’s overall collection of media-related businesses. Moreover, the performance of the filmed entertainment segment and AOL segment has been weak in the past three years. Revenue from the filmed entertainment segment grew by as little as 0.6%. Revenues from the AOL segment declined from $8,598 million in 2003 to $8,283 million in 2005, representing a growth rate of -2%. The two segments contribute around 45% of the total revenues of the company. A weak operating performance by these segments indicates that the company has been losing ground to its competitors. The reason for this projection and forecasts is that TWX remains to be garnering operating profit. Although net profit have declined in fiscal 2005 compared to fiscal 2004, operating profits and net profits declined 26.7% and 13.6% respectively in fiscal 2005. The company’s operating margin declined from 14.6% in fiscal 2004 to 10.4% in fiscal 2005, while the company’s net profit margin declined from 8% to 6.6% in the same period. Declining profit margins indicate increasing costs and can adversely affect the company’s long term financial position. Declining cash from operating activities Time Warner’s cash flows from operations have been declining in recent years. Cash from operations have declined from $6,601 million in fiscal year 2003 to $4,965 million in 2005. Declining cash flows can force the company to borrow external capital to fund its growth plans, which could prove to be expensive. TWX Dividend Rate Per Share ($) Shares Outstanding (M) Ave. Daily Volume (M) Beta Shareholders Market Cap ($M) Institutional Holdings (%) Yield (%) 12-month P/E   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   0.22 3972.58 23.44 2.0329 56,500 83066.5 72 1 24.6 We can use the dividend discount model to estimate the cost of common stock. The difference between common stock and preferred stock is in our assumption about the growth pattern of future dividends. With common stock, we typically assume that dividends grow at a constant rate into perpetuity. Then we can write the present value of the assumed dividend stream as P 0   = D 1 ————————- ( 1 + k s ) where, P0 = the common stock price per share. D 1 = the dividend per share one year from now. ks = the required rate of return on common stock. If we solve for ks, we get: ks   = D 1 ————————- P0 At present, TWX’s stock price was at $20.14. TWX has historically paid out about 40 percent of its earnings as dividends. Therefore, with a forecast of about $0.55 per share in earnings for next year, TWX’s dividend would be forecast to be $0.55 Ãâ€" .40 = $0.22 per share. So, the dividend yield, defined as D1/P0, is $0.22/$20.14 = .0109, or 1.09 percent. TWX’s Key Growth Rates and Averages Past Growth Rate (%) 1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 9 Years Sales 3.71 2.56 29.05 49.46 Net Income -9.47 Ratio Analysis (Annual Average) Net Margin (%) 6.65 7.41 LTD of Capitalization (%) 19.48 21.01 20.71 21.15 Return on Equity (%) 4.71 5.32 8.18 Pricing/Earnings Recent Price 20.14 P/E Ratio 15.612 P/E (Trailing) 14.183 P/E (Median) NMF Rel. P/E Ratio 0.724 Ratings Financial Strength B++ Stock’s Price Stability 40 Price Growth Persistence 20 Earnings Predictability 20 Relative Value Year 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Free CFs 11.8 12.8 13.5 13.9 16.0 17.9 20.1 22.5 PV of FCFs 10.17 9.58 8.65 7.68 7.62 7.36 7.10 WACC = 16% Long run g = 12% MV of Debt = $202 million No. of shares = 50 PV of FCF1-7   = 50.97 TV at Year 7 of FCF after Year 7 = FCF8/(WACC – g) = $448.00 PV at of TV at Year 0 = TV/(1+WACC)7 = 183.88 Sum = Value of the Total Corporation = $234.85 million Less: MV of Debt and Preferred = $202 million Value of Common Equity = 32.85 Divide by No. of Shares = 50 Value per Share = Value of Common Equity/No. Shares = $0.66 Assuming that beginning in the fourth year, the free cash flows are to grow by 10% less than previously predicted:    Year Old FCF New FCF 1 2001 $11.8 $11.8 2 2002 $12.8 $12.8 3 2003 $13.5 $13.5 4 2004 $13.9 $12.5 5 2005 $16.0 $14.4 6 2006 $17.9 $16.1 7 2007 $20.1 $18.1 8 2008 $22.5 $20.2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We will assume that the long-term growth rate and WACC will be the same as previously assumed. From this information, we can do the following calculations. Total PV of New FCF’s, Years 1-7 =$55.09 FCF 8   = $20.23  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   $20.23 TV   at Year 7: $505.76  Ã‚  Ã‚   = ——————- PV of TV: $178.95  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   4%  Ã‚   = WACC- gL Market Value of Total Company =   $234.05 Less: MV of Debt = $202 Market Value of Equity = $32.05 No. of Shares = 50 Value Per Share = $0.64 versus $ 1.37 under original assumptions. Therefore, a 10% reduction in some of the cash flows leads to a 53.28% decline in the value per share. As of September 30, 2006, TWX had net debt of $202 billion (including $11 billion on the Adelphia deal), and a net debt/EBITDA ratio of about 3.0X. In 2005, TWX paid out $2.8 billion related to a government settlement. Including the acquired systems, management sees low double-digit adjusted EBITDA growth in 2006 (off a restated base of about $10 billion in 2005), with 35% to 45% conversion of EBITDA into free cash flow. Management plans about $1 billion of cost cuts in 2006 and 2007 (excluding the $1 billion of cuts at AOL as previously mentioned). We project free cash flow of over $11 billion in 2006 and 2007 combined. Pursuant to a $20 billion share buyback program, TWX plans to repurchase about $15 billion of its shares in 2006, and the remainder in 2007. Over the longer term, the company targets a 3X leverage ratio. TWX began paying a quarterly cash dividend of $0.05 per share on its common stock in the 2005 third quarter (about $900 million a year), raising it to $0.055 in July 2006. TWX would also receive about $600 million in cash from the dissolution of its cable joint venture with Comcast. TWX undertook several asset divestitures in the past few years to enhance its financial flexibility, notable among which are the 2004 sale of its Warner Music Group (for $2.6 billion in cash), a 50% stake in Comedy Central ($1.2 billion), a DVD/CD manufacturing business ($1 billion), and two NBA and NHL professional sports teams (undisclosed). Also, in 2006, TWX sold its book publishing business for $532 million in cash, and its Turner South network for about $375 million in cash. TWX also raised $239 million from the sale of stock in Time Warner Telecom.