Women in Euripides Alcestis, Medea, Andromache, and...

Euripides portrayal of women in his plays has been somewhat bizarre. His female characters kill out of revenge, kill out of jealousy and kill because a god possessed them too. In Alcestis and Andromache Euripides does produce classic heroic female characters. The women in Medea and The Bacchae are not your typical heroines but serve to show the same theme of female liberation as the women in Alcestis and Andromache. While Alcestis is straight forward with its message, the other three plays mask their true intentions from the people they are created to oppose. Euripides might have been misinterpreted by his society because it was dominated by the very people he wrote his plays against. Euripides disguises some of his radical ideas to those†¦show more content†¦She dies graciously with all the people in the play mourning for her lost. Even her servants claim she was like a mother to them. Alcestis even volunteered to be a sacrifice for Admetus because of her strong devotion to him. Admetus now deeply regretting her choice lashes out at his father, Pheres. In this exchange that goes on between a father his son, Alcastis is seen being put ahead of Admetus own father. Admetus now wishes his father were the sacrifice instead of his wife. He reviles his own father because he did not choose to die for him, leaving the task to his now so perfect wife. Admetus says I count myself as not your son. Oh, you are a master coward! (Roche, 1974, p. 19), and disrespectfully calls his father a coward for prolonging his own life over his sons. Admetus does this even though it is painstakingly clear that he did not do the same for his wife. His irrational actions and blatant disrespect for his own father are all done in the name of Alcestis, and show what a woman is capable of becoming and meaning to her husband. Throughout Apollos talk with Death, Death is as cold and uncaring as can be. Euripides uses the personification of Death to enhance its cold character. From the beginning of the play Euripides shows that not even a God can reason with death, and so the most perfect female wife of Admetus must die because of it. Apollos futile efforts make the situation even more hopeless. It looks as if Euripides hasShow MoreRelated Euripides Support of Women’s Rights Essay4032 Words   |  17 PagesEuripides Support of Women’s Rights      Ã‚  Ã‚   One can hardly deny that in Euripides’ plays women are often portrayed as weak, uncertain, and torn between what they must do and what they can bring themselves to do.   Other women appear to be the root of grave evils, or simply perpetrators of heinous crimes.   In a day when analysis of characters and plot had yet to be invented, it is easy to see why he might have been thought to be very much against women.   However, when looking back with current

Crime Are We Becoming Too Sensitive - 1467 Words

Crimes; Are we becoming too Sensitive? As an ever growing nation many of our cultures are expanding to fit in with the new trends. However, with these new trends are we becoming too sensitive to different matters such as what we consider to be a crime or violent? According to Janne Kivivuori’s article Understanding Trends in Personal Violence: Does Cultural Sensitivity Matter he discusses how we, as a society, have become more sensitive to what is defined as being violent or a criminal act. In one of his opening lines he quoted Emile Durkheim as saying that as the crime rates decrease people adjust their views to make room for alternative crimes; He believes that society needs a certain amount of crime in order to remain balanced. In Kivivuori’s article he explains how different nations react to crimes such as domestic abuse, and public disorder, as well as how likely someone is to report propensity; then finally how they relate to the different cultural changes. Althou gh it proved difficult to find anything about this author he is a research director at the Institute of Criminology and Legal Policies; he is a sociologist, and criminologist as well as being an author (Twitter). Most of his books are written in other languages; presumably Finnish. However, besides his article, one of his books is written or translated into English and is titled Discovery of Hidden Crime: Self-Report Delinquency Surveys in Criminal Policy Context. Written in 2011 it explores theShow MoreRelatedThe Issue Of Hate Crime1284 Words   |  6 Pagesare becoming more trigger inducing and there has been an uproar of hate crimes across the nation. While both sides have contributed to the hatefulness, the way that the hate is manifested is more rampant among supporters of Trump. This is seen through the way that the hate crime rate has gone up since November 8th. 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A Personalised Induction Will Always Be More Effective Free Essays

string(61) " comply with suggestions that do not conform to their likes\." Introduction A personalised induction is a type of hypnotic induction that is designed to suit a certain individual. As humans, we appear to share the same traits, but in reality, we are different in various ways. This is because we have different likes, dislikes, perspectives, values, and we have diverse cultural backgrounds. We will write a custom essay sample on A Personalised Induction Will Always Be More Effective or any similar topic only for you Order Now Because of these unique differences, everyone has his or her way of handling various situations, and every individual has a different level of openness and resistance (Chapman 2006, p.113). Consequently, during hypnosis, it is worthwhile for the hypnotist to adopt a personalised approach because each participant has unique traits, and people normally respond to the hypnotic process in different ways. The personalised approach takes into account the client’s desires, perceptions, likes, dislikes, as well as their cultural background (James 2006, p.30). Thus, by personalising the induction, hypnotherapists can help their clients to realize better quality results that are in line with each of the client’s goals. . In this essay, I argue that a personalised induction approach will always be more effective. As humans, we communicate with each other in various ways including gestures, facial expressions, body language, as well as tone of voice and intonation. However, during hypnosis, the hypnotist has limited techniques of communication available since the clients have their eyes closed. For instance, he or she cannot adopt non-verbal communication techniques, and this makes the message or the instructions he or she is sending to weaken. Thus, it is necessary for the hypnotist to adopt other appropriate techniques of strengthening the message being conveyed to the clients. In order to do this effectively, the hypnotist can personalise the way he or she speaks to the clients by adopting different words, tone variation, volume, and pace, but ensuring the message remains unchanged (Erickson, Rossi Ryan 1998, p.37-59). Milton H. Erickson commonly referred to as the father of contemporary hypnotherapy recognised that people have different beliefs, values, perceptions, and cultural backgrounds, and consequently, throughout his career as a psychiatrist, he adopted the personalised induction as the best tool for hypnosis. Erickson differed with Hull’s opinion that the subject should always be a passive participant. According to Hull (1933/1968), adoption of a standardized induction would have the same effect on all the subjects (Hawkins 2006, p.36). Difference of opinion between these two great psychiatrists fuelled Erickson’s quest for a valid understanding of the best approach to the hypnotic induction. Later on, Erickson concluded that it is what the subjects do and understands that matters most, not what the operator wishes. In other words, he believed that in order to realize quality results of the therapy, the subjects must be active participants, and the suggestions given by the th erapist ought to concur with the client’s desires, perceptions, values, and goals of the therapy (Zeig Munion, 1999, p.48-51). Permissive and the authoritarian technique Erickson developed the idea that hypnosis is a natural process that needed a more viable approach such as the permissive technique, because it enhances the client’s responsiveness and cooperation. The permissive technique acknowledges that every individual has unique traits, values, perceptions, and desires. It is normally based on the assumption that every person has a unique way of entering into a trance state and receiving suggestions. In this approach, most of the clients know how to relax and enter a trance state, since the hypnotist briefs every client on how the process takes place at the start. As a result, the hypnotist simply acts as a guide as the subjects enters into a hypnotic state (Simpkins 2001, p.53). Before Erickson pioneered the permissive technique, the authoritative technique was the only available technique that was deemed effective. . The authoritative approach is commanding and direct, and its main objective is usually to establish control over the clie nt and modify his or her behaviour through adoption of repetitive commands. Pioneers of this approach believed that by establishing control over their clients, they would be able to increase the chances of getting remarkable results. However, this approach does not produce effective results as asserted by its pioneers since the subjects, who respond in a positive way to it, are only those who respect their authoritarian figures in their daily lives. As a result, authoritative technique can fail to produce quality results if the participant believes in being at the same level with all the authoritarian figures in his or her live (Sheehan 2005, p.67-70). Unlike the authoritative approach, the permissive technique mainly involves adoption of a soft tone to lull the client into relaxation. Throughout this approach, the client and the hypnotist are usually equal partners. Furthermore, more imagery is employed to increase the magnitude of the suggestions. The subject is also given greater responsibility. Since personalised imagery is incorporated in this technique, the induction becomes more real and viable than in the authoritative approach, since the suggestions used by the hypnotist conform to the clients likes and expectations (Sheehan 2005, p.70-72). Clark Hull and Sigmund Freud’s research on hypnosis Despite Erickson’s insistence on the value of the permissive technique, some people object the personalised induction approach. They claim that the personalised induction approach takes more time than the authoritative approach. Moreover, they support their stance by citing some of the works of the great traditional researchers such as Clark Hull and Sigmund Freud. Arguments involving state and the role theory are also used to analyze Erickson’s position. Hull differed with Erickson’s perspective and on the contrary, he proposed the authoritarian technique, which makes the subject a passive participant (Pintar Lynn, 2009, p.112). He believed that adoption of a standardized approach would yield the same results on all the subjects. In 1940, Jung (1902/1957) backed him in his research, but Jung was not comfortable in using the authoritarian technique, because it involved commanding clients to do according to their therapist’s expectations. According to Jung ’s perspective, participants ought to be involved throughout the process instead of directing then to comply with suggestions that do not conform to their likes. You read "A Personalised Induction Will Always Be More Effective" in category "Essay examples" Consequently, Jung broke away from Hull’s research (Hamill 2012, p.24). Based on this, it is clear that the authoritarian approach is not viable, and as a result, it is not logical to oppose the personalised approach based on Hull’s perspective since he does not take into account preferences and expectations of the participants. In addition, Freud’s research asserts that the process of hypnosis would give better results when the subject was on deep trance. Like Hull, Freud adopted the authoritarian technique in a more assertive manner hoping that he would get better results (Sofroniou 2010, p.12). He was particularly interested in the technique because he believed that it was the perfect way of accessing forgotten events and emotions, a cathartic process, which gave relief to his clients. However, Freud became uncomfortable with hypnosis because his patients did not respond uniformly to the process. He was also afraid that the direct suggestion technique might do away with symptoms that were important for the clients to retain. In addition, Freud had worries over the sexual perceptions that surrounded the hypnotic process, which labelled a client as ‘giving herself’ emotionally to the psychiatrist. Because of these reasons, as well as lack of sufficient experience with hypnosis both throu gh research and clinically, Freud decided to quit hypnosis (Zeig Munion 1999, p.48-49). If Freud had adopted the permissive approach, he would have succeeded because the personalised approach relies on suggestions that are in line with the client’s expectations, desires and likes, and as a result, the clients could not lose any important symptom. The permissive technique would also help him to eliminate the ill-sexual perception, since it gives the client greater responsibility unlike the authoritarian technique. State and the role theory Advocates of the state theory, which asserts that hypnotic induction arouses a unique modified state of consciousness in the patient, base their argument on the notable changes that occur to the brain during hypnosis, and to the dramatic effects, which hypnosis can cause such as the disappearance of warts and insensitivity to pain. They also claim that sometimes, both hypnotised and non-hypnotised participants take instructions differently. For instance, in a certain study, both the hypnotised and non-hypnotised were told to run their hands through their hair once they heard the word ‘experiment.’ The pretenders carried out the suggestion only when the psychiatrist said the word, but the hypnotised participants complied regardless of who gave the suggestion (Coon, Mitterer, Talbot Vanchella, 2010, p.194). Based on this, opponents of the personalised induction claim that the authoritative approach is as effective as the permissive approach. They support their claim by as serting that participants who do not respond to the permissive technique can respond to the authoritarian technique effectively, particularly those who respect authoritarian figures in their life. Moreover, advocates of the role theory assert that hypnosis is not a special state of consciousness. They argue that some of the changes linked with hypnosis can also take place without it. They claim that hypnotised people just comply with the demands of the situation, and act in conformity with a special role. From this point of view, hypnosis provides a socially logical reason to comply with someone’s suggestions, in the same way as a physical exam, which provides a logical reason of removing clothes on request. Supporters of the role theory justify their claims by arguing that non-hypnotised participants sometimes exhibit behaviours that are usually linked with hypnosis (Bernstein Nash, 2008, p.153). Based on this, I disagree with the opponents of the personalised induction who adopt the role theory to support their stance, because the theory rejects the idea of hypnosis without providing concrete reasons. The dissociation theory The dissociation theory provides substantial reasons why the personalised inductions should be adopted during the hypnotic process. The theory suggests that hypnosis is not a single specific state, but the general condition, which temporarily reorganises our normal control over actions and thoughts. Dissociation allows body movements to occur under voluntary control and the involuntary processes to be controlled voluntarily. As Hilgard proposed this theory, he asserted that the relaxation of control occurs because of the social agreement between the hypnotist and the hypnotised person to share control (Bernstein Nash, 2008, p.153-154). In other words, the theory supports the idea that for the process to be effective, the participant should be an active participant, something advocated in the personalised induction approach. Modern hypnosis Based on contemporary hypnosis, a personalised induction seems to be the most effective approach in hypnosis. The approach takes into account the client’s values, desires, and it views the subjects as active participants. It also supports the idea that it is imperative to have the patient as relaxed as possible, get them involved in the in the process, and discuss the expectations and goals of attending the therapy with the client. Furthermore, the modern hypnotherapist starts the therapy session by establishing a rapport with their patients, which is a key aspect of the personalised induction approach (Gaschler 2009, p.21). In the course of the personalised induction, strong relationships between the clients and the therapist are necessary in order to ensure the client is fully involved in the process. Learning Modalities Overtime, personalised induction has stood out as the best because it takes into consideration learning modalities, which are key channels through which people receive, store, and give information. Modality is comprised of perception, sensation, and memory and the key senses include smell, taste, visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic. Knowledge of modalities enables therapists to personalise screeds for each client. When a patient’s modalities are ascertained, it becomes easy to discuss with them in a way that makes them feel comfortable and relaxed (Hogan LaBay 2007, p.226-239). As a result, it becomes easy to achieve the objective of the therapy. Conclusion The above discussion has suggested that personalised induction is more effective than the authoritarian approach. This is because we have different likes, dislikes, desires, perceptions, and we come from different cultural backgrounds. Consequently, to achieve remarkable results in the process of hypnosis, the hypnotist should take into consideration all this aspects. Although a standardized approach (authoritative approach) can be effective in some instances, it only works on subjects who respect the authoritative figures. Moreover, the authoritative technique assumes that all people react in the same manner to suggestions. However, this should not be the case since we possess different traits. Thus, the personalised induction or the permissive approach is the only method through which noteworthy results can be achieved during the hypnotic process, since it acknowledges that we have different likes, dislikes, perceptions and that we come from diverse cultural backgrounds. References Bernstein, D. A., Nash, P. W. (2008). Essentials of psychology. Boston, MA, Houghton Mifflin. Chapman, R. A. (2006). The clinical use of hypnosis in cognitive behavior therapy a practitioner’s casebook. New York, NY, Springer Pub. Coon, D., Mitterer, J. O., Talbot, S., Vanchella, C. M. (2010). Introduction to psychology: gateways to mind and behavior. Belmont, Calif, Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Erickson, M. H., Rossi, E. L., Ryan, M. O. (1998). Mind-body communication in hypnosis. London, Free Association. Gaschler, T. (2009). Modern hypnosis techniques Pt. 1. Pt. 1. [Bad Sachsa], Steiner. Hamill, D. (2012). An Introduction to Hypnosis Hypnotherapy. Bolton, MA, eBookIt.com. Hawkins, P. (2006). Hypnosis and stress a guide for clinicians. Chichester, England, Wiley. Hogan, K., LaBay, M. (2007). Through the Open Door: Secrets of Self-hypnosis. Gretna, Louisiana: Pelican Publishing. James, U. (2006). Clinical hypnosis textbook: a guide for practical intervention. Oxford, Radcliffe Publishing. Pintar, J., Lynn, S. J. (2009). Hypnosis a Brief History. Chichester, John Wiley Sons Sheehan, L. (2005). Basic Hypnosis Manual. Raleigh, North Carolina: Lulu. Simpkins, C. A. (2001). Self-Hypnosis: Plain and Simple. Tuttle Pub. Sofroniou, A. (2010). The misinterpretation of Sigmund Freud. [Raleigh, N.C. ], Lulu Com. Zeig, J. K., Munion, W. M. (1999). Milton H. Erickson. London, Sage Publications. How to cite A Personalised Induction Will Always Be More Effective, Essay examples

Foxconn free essay sample

Hence, the interplay of high unemployment levels and limited capital investment has caused the phenomenon of sweatshops. Although no set definitions of sweatshops exist, they are effectively the consequence of developing nations suppressing wages and sacrificing working conditions to compete to attract foreign investments (Arnold Hartman, 2003). Notable characteristics are extreme exploitation (wages and work hours), poor working conditions, military-like discipline and intimidation of employees (Radin Calkin, 2006). These characteristics have often been associated with Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer (40% of world’s electronic items) for brands such as Apple, Dell, HP and IBM (Wagstaff, 2012). However, the focus of our report is on the fourteen committed suicides, four failed suicides, and eligibly twenty additional attempts during eight months in 2010 (SACOM, 2010). This report will attempt to analyse the unethical practices that lead to these horrendous outcomes. This report will use Utilitarian, Kantian and Rights ethical theories to analyse wages, working conditions, management style and development/training in Foxconn. Recommendations will made in light of this research. 1 Background Alternating ethical views can be applied to sweatshops to recognize different facets and levels of unethical practices. Firstly, utilitarian theory focuses on the outcomes and argues it is ethically acceptable if an action can produce more good than harm. Secondly, virtue ethics focuses on the innate qualities of the decision maker or manager (Beauchamp, Bowie, Arnold, 2009). Thirdly, Deontology ethics focuses on the motivation of the action for ethical judgement. However, Radin and Calkin (2006) suggested these theories lack the robustness to make strong moral arguments against sweatshops. However, Arnold and Bowie (2005) argues that Kantian’s second categorical imperative to never treat others as a means but always as an ends portrays strong foundations for employee actions. Also, human rights ethics is an extension of Kantian views from the perspective of the employee, in that employees have rights to freedom and subsistence (Arnold and Bowie, 2005). These two ethical theories will be the focus of our report. Dignity is explored heavily in Kantian and human rights ethics. Kim and Cohen (2010) identified in Asian cultures dignity is primary defined by what people thinks of you, given that Foxconn is an Eastern company, an examination of dignity is strongly encouraged. Furthermore, Lucas, Kang and Li (2012) identified that Foxconn employees suffered from mortifications of their self-worth and self-value (loss of dignity) as a result of working under a total constitution system. There has been growing consensus that stakeholder theory can be used as a normative ethical theory (Palmer Stoll, 2011). Freeman’s stakeholder (1984) theory suggests it is unethical to ignore consequences of a firms’ actions on other stakeholders, namely employees. Why not just increase wages and improve conditions? Maitland (2005) suggested if supplier companies were to bear these costs, it would in turn make them competitively disadvantaged, reducing their foreign investments and hence required to reduce employment; a vicious cycle. Similarly, if a Multinational Corporation (MNC) increased wages without respecting local social factors such that a person working for Nike could earn more than a professor in Beijing University, this will severely damage social dynamics. A counter-argument to Maitland’s case was proposed by Arnold and Bowie (2005) who contents that increasing wages and conditions do not have to be associated with overall decreases in welfare. Arnold and Bowie contents that MNC’s can bear the costs without causing hardships in communities they operate in and increasing wages and conditions can subsequently boost employee morale and increase productivity. This idea is consistent with Arnold and Hartman (2005) where companies can obtain strategic advantages when enforcing ethical practices. Arnold and Hartman found that better working conditions and wages were associated with reduction in absentees, staff turnover and in turn, recruitment and training costs. 2. 0 Explanation Firstly, Utilitarian perspective proposes the† greatest happiness principle† (Beauchamp, Bowie, Arnold, 2009) which aims at maximizing good and minimizing harm. According to the theory Utilitarian ethics bases ethical judgment on consequences of action, therefore it is considered ethical action if the outcome is able to provide the greatest good for the greatest number people. There has been debate regarding the meaning of â€Å"good†, but for our report, let us use individual preferences, which is largely supported by actions, as the meaning of â€Å"good†. For example, within our context, it is considered satisfying one’s preference if one choses to work. Another element of utilitarian is that everyone is to count for one and no one countered as more than one. Kant’s ethical theory more specifically his second imperative (â€Å"Act so that you treat humanity, whether in your person or in that of another, always as an end and never as a means only) sets a great foundation of the duties of an employer to one’s employee. Kantian view states one has an â€Å"obligation† to always treat an employee as an end and never exclusively as a means, because by not doing so, one would be ignoring their dignity, and ignoring one’s dignity is equivalent to treating them as capital or mere machines (Beauchamp, Bowie, Arnold, 2009). According to the Kantian View, an employer must respect their employee’s moral dignity beyond the value of price alone (negative obligation) and also, to support and develop their rational and moral capacities (positive obligation). There are some correlativity between the Kantian’s obligation theory and rights theory. Kantian suggests that the manager has the right to respect the employee’s dignity, while the rights theory argues the employee has the right to freedom and subsistence (minimal economic security) which according to Arnold and Hartman (2005) are the basic human rights. Therefore, this report will apply Kantian views to management and rights ethics from employee perspective. Moreover, Arnold and Hartman (2005) have compiled basic rights and universal codes that are applicable within the business context (Table 1). Simply put, human rights are natural rights must be free from interference from other parties given the appropriate justifications. Table 1: Arnold and Hartman (2005) The average wage of Foxconn employee in 2010 was around $143 per month (Moore, 2010), although low, it is relatively higher than its competitors, Seven wolf the famous cloth manufacturer in china offers $120 and YIQI, which is a largest car manufacturer, earn $115 per month. Evidently, based on wages alone, Foxconn appears to be the best option. Hence, there are huge numbers people, with limited skills willing to work which effectively produces over supply of wrokers for limited positions. Effectively, application for work at Foxconn is voluntary and made by the individuals. According to preference utility, action represents preference which represents increase in utility, with this in mind, Foxconn increases utility for its workers. From this interpretation Foxconn has not comprised ethics. This becomes more apparent if hypothetically Foxconn was not to exist, Foxconn employees would be subject to no work or lower work wages. 3. 1. 2 Marginal Utility However, when comparing the marginal benefits of a worker and Foxconn owners, utilitarian views condemns these actions. Figure 1 illustrates the steep revenue increase experienced by Foxconn, yet the employees are not compensated as proportionally. According to Utilitarian theory, everyone counts as one, and the having majority good given to the lowest numbers (CEO and management) is unethical. Similarly, stakeholder theory suggests that Foxconn’s actions should considered employees because they are affected by these prices. [pic] Figure 1: Foxconn Revenue: Chan Pun (2010) 3. 2 Kantian Views As previously stated, Kantian views will largely be explored from the managerial standpoint. 3. 2. 1 Means not Ends Kantian’s second categorical imperative clearly states to treat one as an ends and never as a means. Pratap and Dutta’s (2012) reports that Foxconn workers are being treated worse than machines, because it costs to replace machines but workers can be replaced by another one without any cost (Figure 2). Furthermore, Chinese Labour law states that employees are to work no more than eight hours a day, and forty four hours a week, and no more than three hours overtime a day or thirty six hours a month, but Foxconn employees regularly exceed these legal limits. SACOM (2010) indicated it was cheaper to uses human capital than machines, a rarely phenomenon in Western society. Notably, one of the victims of suicide allegedly worked one-hundred-and-twelve hours overtime a month. Evidently, Foxconn compares human capital directly with machines clearly violated the Kantian principles. Moreover, in 2010 it was independently confirmed that 137 workers were poisoned by a chemical called n-hexane which was used to clean iPhone screens. N-hexane is known to cause eye, skin and respiratory tract irritation, and leads to persistent nerve damage (Damon, 2011). It was later noted that Foxconn intentionally used N-hexane for cleaning because it was cheap and not listed for prohibit use in China laws (Charles, 2012). Kantian views argue that human life has dignity and should not be valued based on price alone, it appears Foxconn has made decisions based on costs. This is clear violation of Kantian ethics. [pic] Figure 2: Not Machines (SACOM, 2010) 3. 2. 2 Respecting one’s dignity According to Kantian views dignity separates humans from machines, humans have dignity because they are capable of moral activity and autonomous self-governance. Dignity arises from self-worth based on respect and honour. Kim and Cohen (2010) and Lee (2008) found differences between dignity in Asian and Western cultures, in that Asian dignity is earned, derived from relations of and focus on duties, while Western dignity is more inherent and individually based and focused on rights. Also, unlike Western cultures where dignity is absolute and equal amongst people, in Asian cultures dignity is hierarchical where one could have more dignity than another simply based on job status and wages. Lastly, within the Chinese context, dignity is associated with the term â€Å"face† which incorporates personal integrity, family honour and social respect (Lee, 2008). Coupling these with Kantian views, it accentuates that Foxconn employees derive dignity more from treatment from management and work responsibilities. It was found that managers from Foxconn were not qualified and used militarization management procedures for theft (David, 2010). Workers were forced to sign confidential agreements that consented bag checks. Moreover, workers were often prone to bag checks before leaving factories and random apartment checks if stock was missing. Also, any bad behaviour were publically scrutinized on noticeboards to be seen by peers. According to SACOM (2010), these humiliating checks and inhuman punishment (toilet and floor cleaning) were factors that cause suicides in from workers. Clearly there is a lack of trust by management, according to Kantian views it also suggests a lack of respect for employees as moral beings. Furthermore, Foxconn workers are largely objectified to repetitive labour intensive work. More importantly, Foxconn has no intentions to train, develop or promote these workers. Due to the huge extra costs, employees’ training and development are regarded as an unconsidered question for Foxconn’s senior management (Savitz, 2012). As long as the workers on the assembly line can operate the machines which is needed for the working position (Su, 2010), the employee training is ended. Simply put, their missions are to complete their works, and it is impossible to have any further improvement space. This case effectively encapsulates the main Kantian unethical actions of Foxconn. Firstly, employees are given the same degrading work until they quit or becomes customary. Secondly, no development or training is given to either develop their moral and employability capacities (beyond that of required) clearly compromises the Kantian ethics. 3. 3 Rights Ethics This section will investigate the degrading of basic human rights such as dignity, freedom and subsistence. Foxconn as a total institution is a pervasive theme in this section. 3. 3. 1 Total Institution causes loss of control and dignity According to Lucus, Kang, and Li (2012), Foxconn operates as a total institution. By definition, a total institution is a place of residence and work where a high number of individuals live an enclosed and formally administered life, separated from society for an extended time. Sayer (2007) states that one is dignified with the ability to control oneself, competently and appropriately exercising one’s power (Autonomous control). However, one of the main characteristics of Total Institution is the high degree of control. For example, by living within close proximity to production plants, it meant that workers were made to work at untimely hours. Furthermore, food, drink, sleep and even washing routines were all scheduled like production lines. According to Chan and Pun (2010) this reduced employee’s sense of control, and in turn freedom and dignity, which are innate human rights (Arnold and Hartman, 2005). Moreover, SACOM (2010) identified a number of CEO Terry Guo’s maxims displayed to indoctrinate employees. Such slogans included, â€Å"Hungry people have especially clear minds†, â€Å"Work itself is a type of joy† and â€Å"Work hard on job today or work hard to find a job tomorrow†. Although these messages are not clear obligations enforced by Foxconn, however these messages imply the subtle threat of losing their jobs, which jeopardizes employee’s ability to make decisions free from external influences. 3. 3. 2 Lack of Meaningful relationships reduces Dignity According to Kim and Cohen (2010) and Lee (2008), dignity in Asian cultures are built by value of self-worth given by others, simply put, social relationships facilitates dignity. While it is illogical to suggest that no social interaction means no dignity, social relationships clearly adds incremental value to dignity. Lucas, Kang, and Li (2012) discovered during work hours employees are to reframe from communicating to one another and must wear mask. This effectively creates conditions of anonymity to the extent that in a room of ten, most individuals do not even know each other’s names. Combining multiple theories together it suggests that lack of social interactions reduces dignity, which reduces one’s self-esteem and inevitability reduces one’s ability to self-governance (control). Effectively, both Kantian and rights ethics are worthless here. 3. 3. 2 Subsistence With reference table 1, working conditions, freedom from forced labour and right to bargain wages collectively are rights that have been unfulfilled. In addition, Figure 3 clearly identifies the unethical wages of Foxconn workers. This coupled with excessive unpaid overtime wages, demonstrates that an employee’s subsistence (human right) is not satisfied. [pic] Figure 3: Wage rates of Living Wage, Minimum Wage and Foxconn wage (SACOM, 2010) 4. 0 Recommendations I acknowledge that sweatshops and unethical standards exist as a consequence of globalization and economic development which causes asymmetry of power, but I contest that unethical standards can be avoided, if not reduced. Therefore, my recommendation includes a two part approach that empowering the workers and making it strategically advantageous to be ethical. I hope these policies will reduce the supply of lowly-skilled labour force, increase the competitiveness of workers and align the interests of organizations and ethical behaviour. Firsty, rather than focusing on increasing wages and working conditions, Foxconn should adopt training and development programs for its employees to improve their current dignity, employability and skill set. Consistent with Kantian view one should develop employees as moral beings, but also extents Kantian view by developing their mind and skills. Morally, I believe both counseling and social interactions within Foxconn can hugely benefit self-esteem and dignity within workers. Also, trade unions independent of Foxconn and government are required to give employees power of speech. Furthermore, by educating and developing skills for existing employees, it gives them the opportunity to either promote internally or strive for more skill based job elsewhere, while also giving opportunities for new employees. Arnold and Hartman (2005) suggested improving labour-related standards can be associated with increased productivity, employee morale and loyalty and brand reputation. I believe it is very important to make these benefits salient and replicable. The World Trade Organisation can play a vital part not only by enforcing laws, but making these unethical practices more observable by consumers. As a result of public scrutiny, it forces MNCs to act ethically by improving or changing their suppliers. This will produce a domino effect on the suppliers to either improve working conditions and wages or lose foreign investments. Effectively, my goal is to change the market in that suppliers are competing for foreign investment with favourable working conditions rather than low prices. 5. 0 Conclusions This report has demonstrated how sweatshops have failed ethical standards from an Utilitarian, Kantian and Rights perspective. Utilitarian views have portrayed the disproportional marginal benefits received by Foxconn over its employees. Kantian ethics has illustrated unethical management techniques such as treating workers as machines by forcing excessive workload and ignoring their rights for dignity. Rights ethics has extended on Kantian ethics by focusing on the employee. It was reviewed that under the Total Institutional characteristic reduced worker’s sense of freedom, control and in turn dignity. Recommendations were made to empower employees and marketing positive strategic advantages for ethical standards. It is hope these recommendations will not only reduce low skilled labour, but also improve employability and morality amongst workers The ethical views in this report accurately highlighted unethical practices of Foxconn, however this approach is too passive and reactive to company actions. More research is needed to develop a more comprehensive and robust theory that actively sets guidelines and codes of conducts that can be used by management. Future research is required to provide a clear definition of sweatshops before laws and codes of conduct can be used to condemn them.

Sugar Plum Bakery

Table of Contents Introduction Allergy Competition Macro Environment Conclusion Reference List Introduction Sugar Plum Bakery (SPB) is a bakery retail business established in Camarillo, California and targets regular and loyal customer with a passion for baked products. The company’s commitments are to provide delicious nut-free baked goods using high-quality ingredients at a reasonable cost to the consumer. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sugar Plum Bakery specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company’s management has also evaluated and taken into consideration consumers allergic to nuts. To deal with this situation, Sugar Plum Bakery plans to provide delectable homemade treats in a safe environment for consumers allergic to nuts. The company’s goals and objectives are to build a strong and counterproductive market position in Camarillo. This can be achieved by positively benefiting its people in business partnership and improved competitive climate in the area. Allergy Allergy is an abnormal reaction of one’s body after contamination with allergens by inhalation, ingestion, injection or skin contact. There has been much research on food allergy in general but not much on peanut allergy alone. Sugar plum bakery has evolutionary grown with the increased in demand of peanut by consumers globally. Scientist and health professions have defined a substance called allergen to be the primary course of allergy which contains proteins in the food we eat. Peanut allergy is common in children that vary from person to person according to ones immune system. Allergy health professionals have established clinic all over the world to help diagnose allergic patients. In some countries like the US, the Federal Food Allergen and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) require that all packaged food must be labeled specifying ingredients contained in the package (Masi, 1995, 78). A research has shown that food allergies are mostly coursed by the sensitivity of the peanut. Sugar Plum Bakery is determined to eliminate allergy problems to consumers at all cost. The cost of our company’s product will be affordable to all consumers with an equalized profit for the company’s management and development. Environmental management in Camarillo is in the interest of Sugar Plum Bakery. Furthermore, the health of Camarillo residents is our main concern in partnership with the local business men. Our products will be freely distributed to local businesses at a minimum cost. Our business is strategically located and readily accessible from all corners of Camarillo with enough space for expansion (Joshi, 2005, 39).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Competition Competitors are business rivals or one who is competing against the other. Sugar Plum Bakery bu siness has been on the increase due to demand in its products i.e. peanut. This has lead to competition between businesses entrepreneurs involved in Sugar Plum Bakery. However, the company has survived the competition and has been able to keep cat bay rigorous competitors. Sugar Plum Bakery is a competitive business in today’s market especially due to high consumption and demand of its product globally. The quality of a company’s product improves its demand by the consumers (Joshi, 2005, 34). A companies’ share do not necessary mean how a company is performing relative to its competitors. Any change in business field like in sales affects market and economic situation. Market share can be defined by the hike in demands and high sale of products leading to competitive profits in comparison with other competitors. Established customer distribution increases share distribution. Product matchup is the comparison of product from other companies for competition. Our company’s product will be of high quality to favor all consumers. Macro Environment A condition that exists in an economy that affects the company planning and performance, and is beyond its control. Business is sources of income that improves economic growth of any given country, city or society. Market is a place where buyers and seller make transaction directly or indirectly. Marketing has evolved over the year where transaction of good to good in old age to today’s computer technology. History has defined exchange of good and product since the creation of the world which intern due to human intelligence has been made easer whereby you can buy product from wherever you maybe just by a click of the button (Lenskold, 2003, 78). Companies all around the world have joined hands to improving the living standard of people. Sugar Plum Bakery products demand has extensively increased due to consumers. Products demand and retail supply, increase in import and marketing eff orts. Supermarket retailer continues to strive for lower labor and capital cost. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sugar Plum Bakery specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Sugar Plum Bakery has large players who have continuously dominated the market but still small retail firms remain active. Small retail exists in the business trying their level best to compete with large volume firms (Keller, 2002, 67). Conclusion Sugar Plum Bakery (SPB) main target is the local people of Camarillo, the establishment of the company will create employment and improve the infrastructure, therefore leading to an improved economy in the area as noted by Clancy (2000,23).The company, further, has great potential for growth considering it is exploring many other avenues and coping with competition favorably. Reference List Clancy, Kevin. 2000. Counter Intuitive Marketing. London: Free Press. Joshi, Rakesh Mohan. 2005. International Market ing. New Delhi and New York: Oxford University Press. Keller, Kevin Lane. 2002. Strategic Brand Management. London: Prentice Hall. Lenskold, James. 2003. The Path to Campaign, Customer and Corporate Profitability. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional. Masi, Rachel. 1995. Organizational Culture, Distribution And Amount of Control, And Perceptions of Quality. New York: Prentice Hall.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This essay on Sugar Plum Bakery was written and submitted by user Valentin Rosario 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.

Free Essays on Ficciones

Uqbar, Tlon, Orbis Tertius Deception is the central idea of this piece. Had the doubtful quote of â€Å"mirrors and copulation are abominable for they multiply the number of mankind† been said by Bioy Casares, the quest to seek the truth of Uqbar would have never existed. This and many other mirror imagery throughout the piece contributes to the deception of reality topic symbolically. â€Å"Mirror troubled the far end of a hallway† because it creates an illusion that the hallway is twice as long as it should be. Deception causes the obscurity of truth- thus the truth that we seek might not be trust worthy. Therefore in attempt to do away with the deception caused by science, the Tlonians â€Å"presuppose idealism† by seeking â€Å"not truth, or even plausibility† only an enlightenment toward an ideally monistic universe. Yet to an even greater degree, the speaker realizes as he describes in the Postscript the creation of Tlon was a deception in itself. The nihilistic Ezra Buckley a ttempts to â€Å"deceive† God by theoretically playing God in the creation of Tlon- Buckley envisions that â€Å"mortals could conceive and shape a world†. Ultimately, the world of Tlon replaces the world as we know it because â€Å"reality ‘caved in’† in the face of the nonexistent deception of truth known as Tlon. Approach to Al-Mu’tasim Borges continues to explore the idea of monism in this piece, but more specifically toward the monism of religion and spirituality. The piece is a â€Å"commentary† of a nonexistent mystery story which explores the religious strife of India- to an extent spiritual and religious strife of the world. The protagonist began his quest after â€Å"he reflects that he has shown himself capable of killing an idolater, yet incapable of knowing†¦whether the Muslim possesses more of truth than the [Hindu] does.† The novel ends with encounter of the protagonist and his quest: Al-Mu’tasim. The ultimate result is the realizat... Free Essays on Ficciones Free Essays on Ficciones Uqbar, Tlon, Orbis Tertius Deception is the central idea of this piece. Had the doubtful quote of â€Å"mirrors and copulation are abominable for they multiply the number of mankind† been said by Bioy Casares, the quest to seek the truth of Uqbar would have never existed. This and many other mirror imagery throughout the piece contributes to the deception of reality topic symbolically. â€Å"Mirror troubled the far end of a hallway† because it creates an illusion that the hallway is twice as long as it should be. Deception causes the obscurity of truth- thus the truth that we seek might not be trust worthy. Therefore in attempt to do away with the deception caused by science, the Tlonians â€Å"presuppose idealism† by seeking â€Å"not truth, or even plausibility† only an enlightenment toward an ideally monistic universe. Yet to an even greater degree, the speaker realizes as he describes in the Postscript the creation of Tlon was a deception in itself. The nihilistic Ezra Buckley a ttempts to â€Å"deceive† God by theoretically playing God in the creation of Tlon- Buckley envisions that â€Å"mortals could conceive and shape a world†. Ultimately, the world of Tlon replaces the world as we know it because â€Å"reality ‘caved in’† in the face of the nonexistent deception of truth known as Tlon. Approach to Al-Mu’tasim Borges continues to explore the idea of monism in this piece, but more specifically toward the monism of religion and spirituality. The piece is a â€Å"commentary† of a nonexistent mystery story which explores the religious strife of India- to an extent spiritual and religious strife of the world. The protagonist began his quest after â€Å"he reflects that he has shown himself capable of killing an idolater, yet incapable of knowing†¦whether the Muslim possesses more of truth than the [Hindu] does.† The novel ends with encounter of the protagonist and his quest: Al-Mu’tasim. The ultimate result is the realizat...

Critical review of research studies about effective strategies in Lab Report

Critical review of research studies about effective strategies in prolonging breastfeeding - Lab Report Example For mothers’ health, breastfeeding results in reducing risk of breast and ovarian cancers and enhancing maternal infant attachment, more rapid uterine involution, less postpartum depression and weight reduction (Peters, Wehkamp, Felberbaum, Krà ¼ger, & Linder, 2005; USPSTF, 2003). In particular, the decreased risks of breast and ovarian cancers are associated with the duration of breastfeeding in women. Peters et al. (2005) reported that the risk rate is reduced by 4.3% annually among women who breastfeed. Moreover, breastfeeding has cost-benefit. Health Maintenance Organisation in USA (cited in Peters et al., 2005) showed that a family with a child who was breastfed saved $808 for the child in three years. As a result of countless benefits of breastfeeding, the rates of mothers who commence breastfeeding have exponentially grown since 1960s. The World Health Organisation [WHO] (cited in Brttion et al., 2007) strongly recommends that all infants are exclusively breastfed for the first six months of their life. Despite of that, the rate of the breastfeeding continuation is lower than the WHO recommendation. Many infants in developed countries receive breast milk for a shorter period as well as in developing countries (Blyth et al., 2002; Dyson, McCormick, & Renfrew, 2005). In fact, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) have some of the lowest rates of breastfeeding initiation and duration among developed countries (Blyth et al., 2002; Dyson, McCormick, & Renfrew, 2005). According to WHO, only 35% of infants worldwide receive exclusive breastfeeding in five months postpartum (Peters et al., 2005; Spear, 2004). In Australia, the rate of mothers who continue with breastfeeding drops from 90% to 23% for six months postpartum (Blyth et al., 2002; Cadigan, & Perrin, 2007; Lumbigannon et al., 2007). There are many issues which contribute to short durations of breastfeeding, such as young

A scary time to raise a child Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A scary time to raise a child - Research Paper Example While offering nourishment and ensuring that a child does not starve is a major issue when it comes to parenting because it is another mouth to feed in the household, it can be difficult. There are other scary factors to also face when it comes to raise a child which can be deemed as scary. A person may not have time to be a good parent, there is an environment that is intimidating to bring another human into and changing habits in order to raise a child may also be difficult. To raise a child is not as easy as what some people may have expected due to some of the hazards in the world today where there are always situations to fear and worry about. Many times parents do not have time to raise their child. This could be because children are often being raised in single parent homes and there is a lack of people to provide care giving. Parents may be used to being on their own schedule, struggling to make ends meet to pay bills and to afford personal needs for food, shelter and clothing just for themselves. Children are expensive and require a lot of time and nurturing so that they will grow up to become members of society that can grow and prosper. Due to constant demands of the pressure from a present job or from trying to find a job, parents cannot ensure to be fully responsible to their child. They often require daycare or babysitters to help them raise their child until the child is old enough to attend school. As a result of this, they may have less time to pay attention to their childs growth and development which can be detrimental to the child. Most children are also out of school during the summer and while their parents are at work, they are left to be cared for by someone else. As a parent, one has to assume that the babysitter or daycare workers are trustworthy and reliable. The ideal situation is where parents can be flexible so that they can balance work and family responsibilities. Some parents are finding that workplaces

Zara IT for Fast Fashion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Zara IT for Fast Fashion - Essay Example The case study "Zara IT for Fast Fashion" indicates that the company relies on an outdated operating system for the store terminals and lacks readily available network across all the stores. The dilemma that the management is grappling with is determining whether they should upgrade the present system and loose the reliability that characterises the current system or proceed with the current DOS-based system that is devoid of compatibility to the future improvements. The case study focuses on Zara, the largest retail chain for Inditex, Spanish retail giant, and the manner in which it has been successful due to its flexibility, excellent fashions and application of a simple business model (McAfee, Dessain and Sjoman, 2007). The head of the IT department in the company, Salgado, is grappling with a dilemma on whether to upgrade the IT capabilities and infrastructure for the retailers or retain the current system. The case study indicates that the company relies on an outdated operating system (OS) for the store terminals and lacks readily available network across all the stores. The Microsoft Disk Operating System (MS-DOS) seems to be working well as no major challenges have been witnessed in the course of its long time use. One of the major concerns expressed by Salgado in the long run is that Zara Point of Sale (POS) is running on MS-DOS that is not supported by Microsoft Inc. According to Capell (2008), DOS has been replaced by Windows since 2001, the same time that Microsoft Inc stopped supporting DOS.

Cytotoxic Activities and Synthesis of Plumbagin

Cytotoxic Activities and Synthesis of Plumbagin 3.1  Introduction Plants produce a large number of diverse natural products or secondary metabolites which are involved in the normal cell growth, development or reproduction of organisms. Some of these compounds offer protection against herbivores and microbial pathogens, while others are involved in defense against abiotic stress, such as UV-B exposure Many of the secondary metabolites have interesting biological properties, which make them desirable candidates for optimization of drug discovery and development processes. The quinonic moiety is considered by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as an important biologically scaffold for the development of new bioactive compounds with good levels of cytotoxicity. Clinically important several well-known antitumoral drugs containing a quinone moiety such as anthracyclines, doxorubicin, mitomycin and mitoxantrones and saintopin which are possess a quinonoid structure. These compounds have also been identified as privileged structures due to their biological activity and structural properties that have been linked to the stimulation of oxidative stress and alkylation of cellular nucleophiles in cancer cells. A representative group of quinonoid compounds of naphthoquinones (1,4-naphthoquinones) constitute one of the largest and diverse groups of plant secondary metabolites which are widely distributed in nature with a wide range of important pharmacological activities 3,4 that include antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifeedent, antiinflammatory, anticancer, and allelopathic activity. Some examples of antitumoral naphthoquinones are plumbagin, juglone, b-lapachol and rhinacanthone. Plumbagin (5-hydroxy-2-methyl-1,4-napthoquinone, Fig.la) is a medicinal plant-derived naphthoquinone , which is one of the simplest plant secondary metabolite of three major phylogenic families viz. Plumbaginaceae, Droseraceae, and Ebenceae. Plumbagin is also present in black walnut and other various medicinal plants. It was isolated from the roots of the medicinal plant Plumbag0 zeylanica 1. (also known as Chitrak); The roots of Plumbag0 zeylanica have been used in Indian medicine for more than 2,500 years for treatments of various ailments and which exhibits highly potent biological activities, including antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal activities. Plumbagin are found in plants as they are thought to be present as a defense mechanism due to their cytotoxicity. It is also used extensively in studies investigating oxidative stress. plumbagin has been shown to exert anticancer and antiproliferative activities in animal models and in cell culture. The mechanism of anti-cancer activity of Plumbagin is reportedly by induction of mammalian topoisomerase II mediated DNA cleavage.4 Plumbagin has been reported to intercalate into the DNA. It induces higher levels of p21 and thereby inhibits long patch base pair excision repairs leading to apoptosis . Hybrid drug molecules of plumbagin by combining plumbagin with other appropriate anticancer agents may lead to the generation of novel and potent anticancer drugs with pleiotropic action against human cancers. 2.2  Present work our group has been engaged in the design and synthesis of more potent, less toxic, and more selective analogues, through chemical modification of lead compounds isolated from the active extracts. In the course of such studies, we have undertaken the plumbago zeylanica, a well-known medicinal plant. The major quantity coupled with the biological profile of plumbagin (1) prompted us to continue our studies. Thus, present work was undertaken to synthesize a library of plumbagin derivatives to study their anti-cancer properties. We here in report the synthesis, cytotoxic activities and their preliminary structure-activity relationship studies. to the best of our knowledge no semi-synthetic derivatives of plumbagin derivaties and test for their till date were reported. (Figure 1). Figure 1: Structure of Plumbagin (1). We focused on the synthesis of new of Plumbagin analogues by following routes. As shown in scheme-1, Piperazines and substituted piperazines are most useful pharmacophores that can be found in many marketed drugs, such as the piperazinyl- linked ciprofloxacin dimmers reported as potent antibacterial agents against resistant strains,15 Merck HIV protease inhibitor Crixivan,16 and drugs under development. A novel class of mixed D2/D4 receptor antagonists, dual calcium antagonist, anti malarial agents and potential antipsychotic agents. Recently piperazine derivatives containing tetrazole nucleus have been reported as an antifungal agent and phytochemists had prepared the derivatives of isolated natural products, which are coupling with piperzenes. This piperzene containing natural products enhance the activity than the parent compound. For designing the analogues of plumbagin a substituted piperzines was introduced at the third position of Plumbagin. This was achieved by the Michael addition of plumbagin with secondary amines and a series of Plumbagin derivatives with the Michael adduct were synthesized. plumbagin (1) was subjected to Michel addition of substituted piperzines with K2C03 in EtoH solvent under roomtemparature conditions for 8 h to yield corresponding substituted piperzine plumbagin analogues (scheme 3.1) in 85 to 95% yield. scheme 3.1 Introduction of propargyl group into hydroxy position of plumbagin scheme 3.2 Preparation of oxime derivatives of plumbagin by substituted acids and substituted piperzines. As shown in scheme 3.3 plumbagin (1) was first subjected to methylation on 0H group of plumbagin and then 9 is treated with NH30H.C1, CH3C0ona in EtoH solvent under room temparature conditions for 6 h to yield corresponding to oxime of 5-0-methyl Plumbagin(lo), it was planned to prepare the new ester derivatives of oxime of 5-0-methyl Plumbagin with various aromatic substituted aromatic carboxylic acids by using standard esterification strategies viz: DDC/DAMP, EDCI/DAMP. Despite the considerable experimentation, however, ester derivatives were never being obtained and moreover, in all cases starting material was completely recovered. In view of these discouraging results, we decided to implement the Yamaguchi esterification protocol (2, 4, 6-trichlorobenz0yl chloride, Et3N, THF, DMAP, toluene) to access ester derivatives. to our delight, the reactions proceeded smoothly to yield the target compounds in moderate to good yields. The structures and yields of all synthesized compounds ( ll21) and the yields were in the range of 80 to 95%. scheme 3.3 oxime of 5-0-methyl Plumbagin(lo) treated with propargyl bromide in presence of K2C03 in acetone solvent under roomtemparature conditions for 8 h to yield corresponding propargyl oxime of 5-0-methyl Plumbagin (22) in 90% yield. According to mannich reaction 22 was treated with secondary amines as substituted piperzines in presence of formaldehyde in ethanol solvent under roomtemparature conditions for lo h to yield corresponding propargyl oximes of 5-0-methyl substituted piperzine plumbagin analogues (23-26) (scheme 3.4) in 85 to 90% yield. All the compounds were synthesized for the first time and well characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and ESI HRMS. biological activity: a). Evaluation of the anti-proliferative activity against Hela, PANC1, MDAMB-231, IMR32, HepG2and SKNSH cell lines: Cancer is one of the most serious threats on human health in the wor1d. The mortality and morbidity of cancer patients is the second highest among all diseases in the wor1d, after heart disease. over the past few decades, extensive research has led to the development of a plethora of chemotherapeutic agents; however, none of these agents are capable of completely eliminating cancer. The limitations of current anticancer drugs, increased incidence and rapid development of drug resistance have highlighted the need for the discovery of new anticancer agents, preferably with novel mechanisms of action. to identify new chemical entities for a more effective treatment of cancer, drug designers can follow many strategies, but the crucial decision is always the selection of a suitable starting point from the vast chemical space . In this respect, natural products can be viewed as evolved privileged structures and biologically pre validated leads, in other words, as molecules that have probably evolved evolutionarily to exert highly specialized functions. Recent review pointed out that, about 74% of anticancer compounds being either natural or natural product-derived products, indicating potency of these scaffolds29. Hence, libraries designed and synthesized around the basic structure of such compounds have better chance of displaying desirable biological and pharmacological properties. As a primary screen for cytotoxic activity, cancer cell growth inhibitory properties of plumbagin derivatives along with parent compound were examined using SKNSH, Hela, HepG2 pancreatic carcinoma cell line (PANC 1), breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB 231), neuroblastoma cell line(IMR-32), by MTT assay. doxorubicin was used as the reference drug and the results are summarized in Table-1. The results revealed that some of the synthetic analogues were exhibited promising anticancer activity when compared their parent isolated compounds. Among the tested all derivatives, compounds 9,12, and 16 showed more potent active against HePG2 cell line with an GI50 value of 0.02 ±0.ol, 0.03 ±0.ol, 0.06 ±0.03  µM respectively and Compounds 3, 5, 24, 25 and 26 manifested potent activity against PANC 1 with an GI50 value of 0.4 ±0.03, 0.ol ±0.ol, 0.3 ±0.03, 0.2 ±0.ol, 0.1 ±0.ol,  µM respectively. While remaining all compounds showed moderate activities on all cell lines. Through it is difficult to discuss the structure activity relationship criteria responsible for the cytotoxic activities in this set of compounds from these results, it can be concluded that me, bis(4-fluorophenyl, 4-ethylpiperazin-1-yl on N in piperezens increase the activity and 0-C1, p-methyl, p-no2 on benzene increase the activity. Table 1: Anti-proliferative activity of plumbagin analogues Table- 3.1: biological activities of Plumbagin analogues (1-26). Sample Hela PANC 1 HepG2 SKNSH MDA-MB-231 IMR32 GI50 GI50 GI50 GI50 GI50 GI50 3.6 ±0.2 2.3 ±0.3 0.7 ±0.1 1.1 ±0.2 8.7 ±0.62 >lo0 14.8 ±0.9 2.9 ±0.7 49.9 ±0.6 4.0 ±0.6 4.3 ±0.65 >lo0 8.4 ±0.7 0.4 ±0.03 >lo0 0.4 ±0.05 2.7 ±0.82 >lo0 2.0 ±0.6 0.9 ±0.6 2.8 ±0.3 0.6 ±0.ol 0.97 ±0.78 0.13 ±0.02 4.1 ±0.9 0.ol ±0.ol >lo0 lo.0 ±0.6 2.3 ±0.7 0.ll ±0.06 4.0 ±3.1 0.5 ±0.07 6.1 ±0.3 3.1 ±0.1 >lo0 >lo0 14.1 ±0.8 2.6 ±1.8 1.7 ±0.2 14.9 ±0.7 0.35 ±0.03 >lo0 19.9 ±1.7 5.5 ±0.4 >lo0 >lo0 0.4 ±0.02 0.17 ±0.08 9.2 ±1.3 6.4 ±0.5 0.02 ±0.ol 1.3 ±0.6 >lo0 >lo0 12.3 ±6.6 0.8 ±0.09 0.5 ±0.06 35.1 ±0.9 6.8 ±0.6 0.046 ±0.ol 6.5 ±1.6 0.9 ±0.06 >lo0 0.9 ±0.09 >lo0 21.5 ±0.5 2.6 ±1.7 1.8 ±0.1 0.03 ±0.ol 1.0 ±0.06 0.79 ±0.07 0.13 ±0.02 3.8 ±1.0 0.4 ±0.1 0.3 ±0.03 0.16 ±0.03 >lo0 0.6 ±0.06 2.3 ±1.2 90.0 ±1.0 12.4 ±1.7 >lo0 5.2 ±0.3 >lo0 16.2 ±0.9 26.4 ±0.9 2.9 ±0.2 4.3 ±0.7 >lo0 >lo0 7.8 ±2.9 24.4 ±6.1 0.06 ±0.03 >lo0 26.2 ±0.63 1.7 ±0.2 8.6 ±1.5 22.2 ±0.7 2.5 ±0.3 >lo0 0.06 >lo0 13.8 ±0.1 25.9 ±0.4 0.2 ±0.04 >lo0 >lo0 >lo0 7.6 ±3.7 18.8 ±1.3 2.0 ±0.9 >lo0 >lo0 0.ll ±0.02 4.1 ±0.3 14.7 ±0.9 0.3 ±0.05 20.5 ±2.2 >lo0 0.34 ±0.07 7.4 ±1.2 16.0 ±1.0 3.5 ±0.4 >lo0 1.8 ±0.6 51.3 ±0.4 5.7 ±0.3 >lo0 34.2 ±2.6 >lo0 1.8 ±0.8 0.32 ±0.05 2.2 ±1.0 0.6 ±0.04 57.0 ±0.7 22.4 ±1.1 5.8 ±0.4 >lo0 1.1 ±0.06 0.3 ±0.03 3.5 ±0.4 >lo0 3.5 ±0.5 >lo0 1.3 ±0.1 0.2 ±0.ol 1.2 ±0.7 12.6 ±3.3 >lo0 19.8 ±0.8 5.2 ±0.4 0.1 ±0.ol 2.0 ±0.2 >lo0 4.7 ±0.78 >lo0 doxorubicin Cytotoxic assy : All cell lines (SIHA, PANC 1, MDA MB -231, IMR -32, DU-145 and A549) used in this study were purchased from the American Type Culture The cell lines (ATCC), United States. The synthesized test compounds were evaluated for their in vitro anti proliferative activity in these six different human cancer cell lines. A protocol of 48 h continuous drug exposure was used, and a SRB cell proliferation assay was used to estimate cell viability or growth. All the cell lines were grown in Dulbecc0s modified Eagles medium (containing lo% FBS in a humidified atmosphere of 5% C02 at 37  °C). Cells were trypsinized when sub-confluent from T25 flasks/60 mm dishes and seeded in 96-well plates in lo0ÃŽ ¼1 aliquots at plating densities depending on the doubling time of individual cell lines. The microliter plates were incubated at 37  °C, 5% C02, 95% air, and lo0% relative humidity for 24 h prior to addition of experimental drugs and were incubated for 48 hrs with different doses (0.ol, 0.1, 1, lo, ,lo0 µM) of prepared derivatives. After 48 hours incubation at 37  °C, cell monolayers were fixed by the addition of lo% (wt/vol) cold trichloroacetic acid and incubated at 4  °C for 1h and were then stained with 0.057% SRB dissolved in 1% acetic acid for 30 min at room temperature. Unbound SRB was washed with 1% acetic acid. The protein –bound dye was dissolved in lomM Tris base solution for 0D determination at 5lo nm using a microplate reader (Enspire, Perkin elmer, USA). Using the seven absorbance measurements [time zero, (Tz), control growth, (C), and test growth in the presence of drug at the five concentration levels (Ti)], the percentage growth was calculated at each of the drug concentrations levels. Percentage growth inhibition was calculated as: [(Ti-Tz)/(C-Tz)] x lo0 for concentrations for which Ti>/=Tz [(Ti-Tz)/Tz] x lo0 for concentrations for which Ti Three dose response parameters were calculated for each experimental agent. Growth inhibition of 50 % (GI50) was calculated from [(Ti-Tz)/(C-Tz)] x lo0 = 50, which is the drug concentration resulting in a 50% reduction in the net protein increase (as measured by SRB staining) in control cells during the drug incubation. The drug concentration resulting in total growth inhibition (TGI) was calculated from Ti = Tz. The 1C50 (concentration of drug resulting in a 50% reduction in the measured protein at the end of the drug treatment as compared to that at the beginning) indicating a net loss of cells following treatment was calculated from [(Ti-Tz)/Tz] x lo0 = -50. Values were calculated for each of these three parameters if the level of activity is reached; however, if the effect is not reached or is exceeded, the value for that parameter was expressed as greater or less than the maximum or minimum concentration tested. 3.4  Conclusion In conclusion, we have successfully synthesized thirty one analogues of Plumbagin (1) and these analogues were evaluated for their anti-cancer activities. Majority of the compounds exhibited significant anti-cancer activity than the parent compound Plumbagin (1) and this study also provides an initial structure–activity data, based on derivatives of Plumbagin (1). The results are an indicative of the fact that the compound 5 proved to be the best analogue with GI50 of 12 proved to be the best analogue with GI50 of invivo studies need to be carried out for revealing the exact mechanism of action and will be taken up in the future in our laboratory. 3.5  Experimental Section Plant material : Plumbag0zeylanica was collected from Tirumala forest, Tirupathi, Andhra Pradesh, India, in August 2007. The plant material was identified by Dr. K. Madhav Chetty, Botany Department, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupathi. A voucher of the plant was deposited in the Herbarium of the Botany Department. Extaction and isolation: The shade-dried roots of Plumbag0 zeylanica were powdered in a pulvarizer (lo kg) and extracted with chloroform/methanol, 1:1 followed by the concentration under reduced pressure. The resulting extract was (70 g) chromatographed over silica gel (60–120 mesh) and eluted with n-hexane/ethyl acetate combinations of increasing polarity. Plumbagin (12 g) was obtained by elution with n-hexane/ethyl acetate, 99:1. General procedure for the synthesis of piperzene (Secondary amine) derivatives (2-7): to a solution of the Compound 1(leq) in ethanol (3m1) in presence of potassium carbonate as a catalyst was added secondry amine (piperzene) stirred at room temperature for 8 h. The reaction mixture was diluted with Ethyl acetate (lo m1), washed with c0oled ice and brine solution. The organic layer was dried over Na2so4, filtered, and concentrated under reduced pressure. The residue was purified by column chromatography using the mobile phase Acetone in Hexane afforded secondary amine (piperzene) derivatives.

Boundaries...What For? :: Argumentative Science Technology Papers

Boundaries...What For? There seems to be no boundaries when it comes to scientific advancement. Scientists are struggling to come up with new and exciting procedures that are supposed to make our lives better. In the process, I think that they are getting out of hand. The advancement of science and technology today has brought up some very interesting and controversial issues. Nowadays, it seems that many scientists are on a mission to create the perfect human being, but in the process are breaking a lot of ethical boundaries. Do scientists know when enough is simply enough?, that is the real question. Through the use of such scientific and technological advancements, its amazing at just what scientists can do with the information. Often times they aren't thinking in terms of the world but in terms of them selves. Which on of them can discover the next biggest thing in science and technology, which can find that cure. It's all a game that is not played fair. There is a lot of craziness going on in the sciences, and with that comes consequences. Take Dr. Frankenstein for instance. In the article Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, she created a character that defied all the scientific and technological boundaries that were around in those days. It was against the law to work with dead bodies, especially for the purposes that he was going to use them for; which was to select the best parts forthe creature he was going to bring to life. He set out to create a "super-human being" out of inatimate objects, and he was successful, but in the end did pay a price. He spent two grueling years that consisted of long days and sleepless nights, for the sole purpose of creating life out of nothing. "For this I deprived myself of rest and health, but now I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and the breathless horror and disgust filled my heart" (Shelly 234). Dr. Frankenstein went way over the line, and tried to play the creator, and in the end got what he deserved, a monster. He abhorred Frankenstein so much, that he chose to alienate him from the world. Which was really unfair to the monster, considering he was created by the sweat of Dr. Frankenstein's brow. Sometimes all that scientific information can get you into trouble. If Dr. Frankenstein had not gone ahead and pursued the role of playing God, he wouldn't have created such an ugly mon ster in his eyes.

Back to the Dream Time

NORTHERN UNIVERSITY OF MALAYSIA COLLEGE OF LAW, GOVERNMENT AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES SBLE 1043(GROUP D4) TITLE: BACK TO THE DREAMTIME LECTURER: MADAM HAZNUR NADIN BINTI HASSAN PREPARED BY: TEOH BOON KHAI (219673) The two main characters in the novel ‘Back To The Dreamtime’ were Richard and Tom. This novel is talking about how a boy complete the mission that given by his father who had died when he was two years old and how a family maintain their relationship although Richard is adopted by McDonald. Richard Oenpelli McDonald was a smart, rational and filial piety boy.He has a sibling which is Judy and Tom. His mother named Sonya and his father, Oenpelli, tribal name, was died when he was two years old. He was adopted by the Joe McDonalds. However, his parents had hidden him about his background and heritage. Although Richard was Aborigines, he lived in city since he was a kid. He study in University Of Sydney which is same with his brother, Tom. Richard was interesting i n History and he intention to take this course in the university. Tom is Richard’s brother however Tom is a white man and Richard is Aborigines.Tom study in the same university with Richard which is University Of Sydney. Tom was older than Richard exactly two month. Tom was interested in photography and he may continue his study in photography. He found it very interesting and it’s not usual nine to five job. The relationship this two main character was good. They went to school to school together everyday. Besides that, they used to sit and chi-chat beside the railway tracks every morning before going to school. Besides that, Richard, Tom and their sister, Judy were playing cricket in their house backyard.It was their favourite pastime on the weekend. During the break time in school, they and their friend, Bradley used to left the school grounds secretly to go to their favourite place at cliff. Moreover, Richard and Tom decided joined the year’s senior class ca mp which location at Alice Springs with a friend who named Bradley. The year’s camp was taking five days in Alice Springs. Tom volunteer himself to go to Alice Springs with Richard. The purpose they went there is to burn the tjuruga in Richard’s father burial ground at Uluru. At the end, they succeeded to find the burial ground and buried the tjurunga.During the trip, it had drained them physically and emotionally and they experienced it together. They helped each other during the trip. In the conclusion, I feel that the way they maintain their relationship among Richard, Tom and their family is what we have to learn. Although they don’t have any relation in scientific prove, they still very respect and love each other. Nevertheless, they treat their family members very well and take care of each other. They can stay peaceful among each other. This kind of spirit and moral value is what we have to learn from.

Group X essays

Group X essays Middle Eastern Culture and music is much different than American music. Some bands in America try to make groups as a kind of joke towards Middle Easten music. One of those bands in particular is Group X. Group X was formed in October of 1995 by Tom Bestor and Teresa King.Group X was started in the city of Atlanta Georgia. They were hired to play music for a local Heavy Metal and Rock radio station named 99x.The public people of Atlanta liked the new band. Soon the band made a cd that was sold through the radio station and limited stores in Atlanta. The cd was sold out. Almost every copy was purchased. They than decided to make a new cd. It was called "Stepping on the crowtche owf your American Presidaint". They purposely mispelled words to make them sound as if they don't fully know english. The cd was put in almost every music store in Atlanta. They also made a website on the world wide web and sold the cd online.This band ,as new as it is, is still getting more popular every day. The history of Group X is not all so complicated.Tom and Teresa had worked together as freelancers through most of the 1980's. Teresa was a respected producer and Tom a sought-after writer and creative director.Together they worked together on events like national sales conferences for Johnson Although Tom and Teresa enjoyed the lives of freelancers, Tom and Teresa had good ideas on how the creative and production process could be made more effective and efficient. They both felt if they were in charge they would be able to better meat the clients goals. Around the same time one of there clients asked that they form a production entirely of their own. Thus Group X was formed. The company began in Teresa's basement. They were soon forced to move into a larger corporation or building. They moved into a larger building and hired ten employees and still work with 99x as their contract with the radio statio...

America First Hand essays

America First Hand essays America First Hand. Robert D. Marcus and David Burner. Beacon Press, 1987, 223 pgs. The beginning of the colonial period was full of troubles. America First Hand, by Robert D. Marcus and David Burner is written in distinct detail about several accounts by American colonists that are written and relay what it was like in the colonies during the first couple decades. The accounts describe how teenagers, men, and women, all in their own way, questioned society, religion, and government in order to improve themselves and have their own effects on a changing county. Marcus and Burner compare and contrast religious, political, and social issues that were dealt with during the early 1800s. The authors examined the experiences of Hetty Shepard, Ben Franklin, and Eliza Pickeny. Three Americans from very different backgrounds who all had thoughts, actions, and ideas to better themselves and hopefully better their fellow man and society. They show that people should try to better themselves based on his or her own opinions and ideas rather than rely on those of others. Miss Hetty Shepard was a Puritan girl living in New England at the height of colonization and had trouble with the Indians. She recorded a diary to describe the days as they went by. Also along with her daily acknowledgements, Hetty reveals private thoughts and inquires that show her doubts and questions concerning her strict Puritan beliefs. Marcus and Burner show passages from a diary written by Hetty Shepard about what some may call the rebellious mind of young woman. Based on her writings, others may call her the beginning of the independent, or republican, women. Men of the colonial time period did not have it much easier than women. Inventor, philosopher, printer, and ladies man extraordinary Ben Franklin was also considered. He was a writer/printer from Philadelphia, and a person who was interested in the science of humanity. Franklin in t...

Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 17

Religion - Essay Example The experience is the troubles that people encounter and eventually abandons their old living habits and follows what their religion teaches them. In the section, â€Å"Theories of religion† (starting from page 8), Flood explains that there are three different schools of thought in how to define religion. Summarize these theories and discuss their strengths and weaknesses. These theories describe religion to be politics in the other way round, religion is a gene and defined religion to be a cultural response to life (Crockett 14). The first schools gave an illustration that based on the aesthetic reduction. The meaning of this is that religion is part of the cultural mechanism that makes sure that the transmission of genes to the other generations is successful. Explanation of how living being come into existence is specified in a range of constraint, this is the advantage of these theories. The limitation for this is that religious resources that pertain human lives in most instances went against the grain of some scholarships. Correct what Flood describes here with your own experience of religion. Does it resonate? Why or not? Basing on what Floods description, it does not resonate with my experience of religion. The reason behind this is that religions are a unifying, purifying, and holy dominion that brings people closer to God (Crockett 15). Floods highlight does not reveal the genesis of man. Instead, he relates with biological aspects that do not exist in the desired religion.

Illinois Risk Mangement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Illinois Risk Mangement - Essay Example This paper has addressed these similarities as well as the differences. In its findings, it was established that the University has a different approach when it comes to the amount of risks it can handle from that of the Illinois government. Overall, one will realize that there are more similarities than differences in these two mainly because they both have people to care for and guarantee both safety and security. The business world is one that is more dependent on a businessperson’s level of knowledge coupled with their ability or willingness to apply it. Because of the unpredictability rife in almost every business, there are several measures taken to either eliminate any risk or mitigate them where they become inevitable. A Risk Management (RM) program is vital for corporate and other institutions to speculate and subsequently plan for the ever-present risks. Often, an institution might still incur losses if the RM program was not properly organized or if there is no clear continuity plan. Because the risks vary with institutions, the RM programs tend to differ. In this paper, a comparison of Illinois and Chicago State University’s RM programs has been done. Chicago State University (CSU) is a learning institution based in Chicago in the state of Illinois that offers several courses to students from all backgrounds. Its major risks include fire, natural calamities, and theft of vital learning equipment and injuries that might occur to students. On the other hand, the government of Illinois (GI) is tasked with providing crucial services to the state’s residents. This onus comes with ensuring that some incidents likely to cause loss of properties or lives are well mitigated. In short, both the CSU and GI have a somewhat similar duty. Both have people to whom security and safety has to be assured. The following section will compare and contrast the two institutions concerning the RM. Worth noting, every RM program foresees risks faced by a firm or

The Kingdom of Ends Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Kingdom of Ends - Essay Example "In the kingdom of ends everything has either a price or dignity. Whatever has a price can be replaced by something else as its equivalent; on the other hand, whatever is above all price, and therefore admits of no equivalent, has a dignity." (Kant 42) In this statement above, Kant mentions that morality which is attributed as a universal requirement for every person in the society has a price, a price which is placed on virtue or vice. In this sense, morality can have a price if it is inclined to a good thing or a bad thing. The price of a bad thing or a vice is tantamount to a sin according to the laws of God. And the price of a sin is an eternal life in hell with Satan. On the other hand, a good thing or a virtue is rewarded by a promise of a happy after life. This is associated to the life in heaven with God where the price is happiness and joy in an eternal life. Therefore the human person in his nature can choose to do whatever he or she likes. This can be in the form of something that is not considered of ethical standards or one that is justified as being good. However, in the kingdom of ends, the virtuous side is only considered by Kant where the moral nature of man is at play. This moral aspect is the one that provides the creation of a universal law, a law that every one is supposed to be conversant with and obey its directions. In another aspect however, morality is correlated to dignity. Dignity as it is known is the term that means an ethical inclination of a person where he or she accords respect to others and also accorded respect in return. Hence, dignity is something that has no direct price because it is inwardly developed in someone. Due to this inward development of dignity, it does not have an equivalent of it because it is unique in each and every human. Thus moral value of dignity can not be measured in terms of price as it is not visible for one to measure. The level of dignity that is given to somebody is probably the only measure that can be used to determine morality. In this sense, Kant mentions, "For when moral value is being considered, the concern is not with the actions, which are seen, but rather with the inner principles, which are not seen." (Kant 19) Human nature which is exhibited in dignity is correlated to an art in the kingdom of ends. An art or talent is something that is God given. This means that it can not be created by the human being but only by the supernatural being God. Because of this, it can not be tagged a price that can be purchased by anyone. Just like one can not buy another human being, dignity can not be bought. It is something non-tangible. Art can be something that can be fostered in someone through learning and continuous practice. One can involve him or herself in continuous practice that with time perfects this ability in a specific field. Likewise in dignity, it can be practiced so that one can gain a high level of respect from others. However, in the Kingdom of ends, it can only be practiced by obeying and constantly following the universal law. The universal law acts as the

Eom Draft Essay Example for Free

Eom Draft Essay Although many practices such as resale and consignment of clothing are not widely known in Singapore, they are possible practices that could be adapted and promoted in our culture as an alternative to recycling clothing, making it relevant to our project. The concept of the consignment boutique is for shoppers to â€Å"wear the outfit once, bring it in, get money back and continue their shopping habit†. This encourages the idea of reuse of clothing but keeps the clothing in a fixed circuit, being recycled in the same boutique. Instead, these shops can expand their networks or probably work together with other resale shops and reach out to more buyers and sellers, providing them with a bigger variety as well. Although when reselling it to the different boutiques, varying offers may be made by different boutique owners. These boutiques may standardize the prices to offer according to the number of days from which it was purchased, which will be recorded in a computer system assessable to the owners in the network. The article claims that â€Å"people don’t have a stigma against buying used clothes anymore† but I disagree. In Singapore, many second-hand clothing stalls are not popularly purchased from, due to the social stigma that used clothes are old, unwanted and unhygienic which is usually reflected through how the shops are usually disorganized, unlike those mentioned in the article where ‘the racks aren’t overcrowded’ and the store has a ‘boutique feel’ which appeals to the target demographic. Thrift shops in Singapore could be mirrored to have organized racks for different clothing articles and trends and could hire youth volunteers who would communicate better with the shoppers. This would increase the appeal for used clothing and possibly change the perspective on used clothing. In a consignment, the owners are able to ‘chose what [they] want’ to purchase. This may be unreflective of what the rest of the consumers want. Also, when they are willing to purchase it, the seller may be unhappy with the price of the offer. Therefore, instead of having the retailer as the middle-man, events where people can swap or sell their clothing would be more effective as buyers are able to chose what they want while sellers can name their own prices according to their perceived value for it or allow others to bargain for cheaper prices. The article states that consumers want good deals and are ‘growing tired of mass produced clothing’ therefore resale shops targets the ‘vintage aspect’ to set themselves apart. I agree with this statement as mass produced clothing are widely seen around the market and loses its originality and one-of-a-kind concept which customers define unique. Consumers would be willing to pay slightly more if the article of clothing is not commonly or easily found. Furthermore, the vintage aspect suites current clothing trends and would appeal to the target group of teenagers well. There is also a small number of male shoppers visiting or purchasing from consignment and resale boutiques, possibly because resale boutiques may not appeal to the male demographic widely, as they may come across as more female-centric and may not be as widely known. As the article mentions that the location affects the target demographic, these boutiques can be relocated or expanded to places in the urban areas which have many other male clothing outlets in order to boost its image as a boutique for male clothing as well and attract more male shoppers.

Economic Advantages and Disadvantages of a One Global Currency

Economic Advantages and Disadvantages of a One Global Currency Introduction The recent history of currency exchange rates includes 3 huge changes starting from the end of the XIX to the end of the XX century. Pure gold standard has been the basis for trading between nations during 1879 and 1914 (Abdel-Monem, n.d.). At the beginning of World War I, this standard ceased to exist and in 1920 countries permitted greater exchange rate flexibility (Jereissati, 1999), which however, did not last long and after the end of the World War II the Bretton-Woods system has been implemented. This standard has been created as a result of numerous meetings between the World War II winning states with the final conference taking place at the Hotel in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. The standard took the name of this last conferences venue (Grabbe, 1996, as cited in Tucker, 2008). In August 15, 1971 Richard Nixon in his speech announced that the price of dollar will be no longer fixed against gold. This has put an end to the Bretton-Woods system and has set-off a new era in international monetary system. The main feature of this new system is that it is neither a pure gold standard nor a pure exchange rate float, but rather a system in between these two extremes (Meese, 1990). This standard exists until today and has been strongly undermined during the latest financial crisis. In this respect, the idea of having a single global currency is widely discussed as an alternative monetary system. This literature review outlines advantages and disadvantages of a single global currency. The Single Global Currency The Concept of a Single Global Currency Single global currency, as one can see from the example of Euro, signifies that countries, where this currency would be implemented, should be the members of a monetary union with one central bank, common currency, a coherent and binding financial policy. Scandinavian Currency Union (SCU), which included Denmark, Norway and Sweden, established a common currency unit, although central banks in each of those countries retained control over monetary policy and did not experience significant loss of independence (Bergman, 1999). The single global currency is a much more complicated issue. History recognizes a lot of monetary unions of different size, both formal and informal. However the most successful example came from the European Union, which is the Economic Monetary Union (EMU). There are also two proposed single currencies, which potentially may come near the Euro. They are the GCC monetary union currency and the Asian Monetary Unit. Economic Advantages of a Single Global Currency The advantages of a global currency are as follows. First of all, single currency will eliminate transaction costs, which are linked to international financial operations. This will affect both: ordinary citizens who plan to spend money abroad and multinational corporations undertaking international transactions. Different currencies create a lot of inconveniences and barriers. Exchanging one currency for another always involves currency exchange fees, as banks, which provide such currency exchanges, require commissions for their services. In the scale of countries or even monetary unions such expenditures on currency exchange fees may reach high amounts. By eliminating the need for currency exchange the monetary unions may save resources (Buiter, 1999, as cited in Bonpasse, 2008). For instance, the European Commission (EC) has estimated that due to a single currency across the European Union 13 to 20 billion of Euro were saved per year (Grauwe, 2007). Moreover the difference between the currencies exchange rates becomes an obstacle for a free flow of trade. As the barrier of different currencies will disappear, the number of international transactions will increase. Bordo and James (2006) said that neighboring countries, which are members of a common monetary union, tend to trade more frequently with each other. In a study conducted by Micco, Stein, and Ordonez (2003) they found out that trade between EU members increased by 8 to 16%, after EMU was created (as cited in Lane, 2006) Currency risks nowadays are one of the major disadvantages of the modern international financial system. Everything, ranged from a natural disaster to terroristic attack, may affect the value of the currency and as a result cause loss. Foreign investors, as well as stock holders, have to hedge their risk, which also demands additional expenditures. Implementation of the single global currency will eliminate the risk of loss, due to currency fluctuations. Moreover Bonpasse (n.d.) points out that the adoption of a single global currency will save 400 billion of US dollars annually in foreign exchange transaction costs, which come from trading 3.8 trillion US dollars every trading day. Currency misalignment is a process when central bank increases or decreases the value of its currency against another for different purposes. The most known cases of currency manipulation are the cases of China and Japan. Both countries artificially undervalued their currencies, which made their exports more competitive. As the value of Yen and Yuan decreases, the prices on Japanese and Chinese products will consequently fall. This has created a great advantage for Japanese and Chinese products in the market. Today the low value of these currencies, which has nothing to do with the real situation, has created huge difficulties for the economies of Europe and USA. Japan and China, based on all criteria related to the IMF definition, have been persistently manipulating their currencies to gain an unfair competitive advantage (Preeg, n.d.). Obviously with a single global currency, currency manipulation by individual countries would be impossible. Moreover there will be no need of such k inds of unfair methods. It is easy to perceive that problems of contemporary monetary system are currency rate fluctuations. As most of the currencies are free and are not fixed to any value, there is a huge possibility for currency speculations. For instance, speculative opportunities of FOREX market may have a great impact on economics of countries and their financial situation. The speculative attack on the Swedish Krona in 1992 is a perfect example. The Central Bank of Sweden had to raise the interest rate of its currency which caused devaluation of the Krona. Receiving income from currency speculations is getting money out of nothing. The next benefit from implementing a single global currency will be the elimination of currency speculations existence. The single global currency will present a different choice for speculators: if they wish to speculate, they will need to choose another commodity, as the money of the people will no longer be for sale (Bonpasse, 2006). Another problem of todays financial system is international reserves or foreign exchange reserves. As the possibility of a currency crash is high, due to currency risks and currency speculations, every country holds assets in various foreign currencies, which are considered as reserve currencies. Mainly it is the US dollar, not so often it is the Euro or the UK pound. However after implementing the single global currency, this hedging method will be unnecessary. As the central bank will abandon the foreign exchange reserves, it will save a considerable amount of money. In 1992 the European Commission estimated that the future Eurozone members might be able to reduce their total international reserves by one-half or $200 billion (Bonapasse, 2008). Disadvantages of a Single Global Currency Turning to disadvantages of a Global Currency, the most negative side of it is that countries will lose the ability to control their financial policy. Today every country is able to determine their monetary policy independently. In order to have an influence on the economy, nowadays central banks of every country through influencing exchange rates and adjusting interest rates, may increase or decrease economic activity. However in case of a single global currency, changes in a local countrys finances, will demand changes in the global scale. So with the Global Currency countries will lose flexibility in their monetary policy. A uniform policy template to provide macroeconomic stability, will constrain a countrys ability to make independent interest rates and exchange rate policy (Bonpasse, as cited in Wenzel, 2007, p17). Another significant disadvantage of having a Global Currency is connected with the difference in economies of different countries. While there are only a few developed states with strong economies, the rest of the countries of the world have rather weak economies, for instance the majority of African countries or some South American countries. In the world with a common currency, the weak economies shall pull down the rest, more well off countries. If one of the members will face a crisis, the others will have to spend their resources in order to stabilize the situation. A perfect example could be the debt crisis, which recently has occurred in Greece. While the EU/IMF bailout package wasnt enough, Germany had to loan about 110 billion Euros in order to save the country from bankruptcy. In addition the crisis had a chance to spread to other countries, as it reduced confidence in the economies of other EU members. Conclusion: Is The Single Global Currency Implementable? Global Currency as a financial system has been first mentioned back in the end of XIX century. The reasons why this system still has not been implemented are rather social and political, than economical. The first obstacle is national identity. Most of the nations consider their currencies as a national symbol, equal to the flag and the anthem. Obviously people will hardly discard their own national symbol, their source of pride. Some people are tempted to view such symbols as they do their flags and national constitutional documents, and the loss of such symbols can be considered as a national loss (Bonpasse, 2008). Just imagine how hard it will be for Americans to abandon dollar and accept a currency with absolutely neutral name and with neutral images and signs. In case of a Global Currency it should be absolutely neutral, as Euro is. Political barriers also should be taken in to account. In the conditions where political tensions between two countries are possible, implementing a single currency is a huge problem. For instance, it is difficult to imagine how USA, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea and Iran, countries which have experienced significant political tensions, would negotiate in order to accept a single currency. Or it is difficult to say how it is going to work between countries which are in state of war like North and South Korea. In addition, due to political discords, such issues as supply and printing of the Global Currency would be problematic. As an independent central bank is demanded, the first dispute within the countries would be about the location of the central bank. Every member of the global monetary union would try to pull the blanket over. It is hard to believe that after gaining membership to the global monetary union, countries would not start attempting to gain greater influence o n the central bank and hence the monetary policy. Though the process of globalization seems to be unstoppable, we are still far away from being even close to a Global Currency. In my point of view, implementation of the single global currency can be compared to the legends about Eldorado or dreams of Utopia. There is no doubt that Global Currency has more benefits than costs. The loss of control of the monetary policy is a really low price for the other advantages of this idea. Throughout the history mankind tried to give birth to a global government. League of Nations and UN could serve as examples. Esperanto as a worldwide language also has been a great proposal, which could simplify the understanding between nations. But both concepts were not successful up to this time. Unfortunately the single global currency is an idea of such type. Although globalization and the Internet did bring people around the world closer to each other, maybe we are still to different to buy food with the same money. Maybe social and cultural difference s play much bigger role in our life, than we think. USSR made an effort of erasing these differences, but where is the USSR now?