Essay about Sci-fI Films - 2199 Words

In this essay I am going to discuss about the topic: â€Å"Science fiction often plays off the real against the artificial, either in the form of humans versus non-human (androids, cyborgs, synthetics), or the world versus the non-world (cyberspace, inner-space, intentional space)†. I have chosen the films â€Å"The Matrix† and â€Å"Bicentennial Man† An explosion in information access and exchange is fueling the Information Superhighway that was created as a result of the computer revolution. If technology has truly become a god, then cyberspace is definitely its bible. Its scope is endless; its breadth enormous. Although the foundation of cyberspace, the computer, definitely serves to dehumanize culture, the Information Superhighway itself does†¦show more content†¦It shows robots that act like humans, performed by real actors. Im going to criticize them because in my opinion they exercise pernicious influence upon the public. In brief, The Bicentennial Man (BM) tells the story of a robot that lasts for about 200 years. His creator and his descendants change this robot, in order to acquire more and more human features. In the beginning he uses a kind of armor, looking like a machine; during the night he connects a plug into the electric outlet to recharge his batteries. Gradually, his appearance becomes more and more hu mane, to a point where he acts as any normal human, with thinking, feeling and willing, that is, the robot would have passed the total turning test. It is not clear if it would have passed the total total turning test. At the end, the woman with whom the robot is in love is going to die, so he decides that he cannot suffer her absence and should also quot;diequot; (Setzer 2002) A cyborg, a contraction of Cybernetic Organism, is a hybrid of man (or woman) and machine. The machine parts endow additional strength and physical capability while the human provides the intelligence and will as well as much of the body, which makes them largely irrelevant to this dissertation. Occasionally things are more complicated; when the machine part provides some mental functions as well The story of a reluctant Christ-like protagonist set against a baroque, MTVShow MoreRelatedChildren Of Men : An Unconventional Sci Fi Film1692 Words   |  7 PagesChildren of Men: An Unconventional Sci-Fi Film According to Bill Nichols, genre films create a world in which personal and social conflicts are addressed; they have the ability to draw an audience into this world and explore the imagination of an alternate reality. The science fiction genre, also known as sci-fi, establishes genre conventions that distinguish it from other genre films, by creating thought provoking content that appeals to a wide audience. It creates a world altered by time and technology;Read MoreGattaca Is A American Sci Fi Film Directed And Written By Andrew Niccol1901 Words   |  8 PagesWhat decides our fate? Is it where we are born? How we are born? Or who we are born too? Gattaca is a 1997 American sci-fi film directed and written by Andrew Niccol. It stars Ethan Hawke as Vincent Freeman the main protagonist. The movie has a host of now big name actors and actresses such as Uma Thurman, Jude Law, and Alan Arkin. The film focuses on Vincent Freeman s underdog struggle with the eugenics program and how he overcomes genetic discrimination to realize his dream of space travel. TheRead MoreTo What Extent Did the Book Hero with a Thousand Faces Influence the Sci-Fi Fantasy Film Genre, Specifically George Lucas’s Star Wars Trilogy?4143 Words   |  17 Pagesworld of the supernatural; difficulties are encountered which the hero conquers; and he returns home to celebrate with his friends. You may think you know what sci-fi/fantasy movie I’m talking about. But what I was actually describing is the book Hero With a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. Because when it comes down to it, almost all sci-fi and fantasy movies follow the same basic patte rn, the â€Å"Monomyth† described in Campbell’s book. The Monomyth is the core of all mythology; the central conceptRead MoreEssay on The Analysis of the Independence Day Film714 Words   |  3 PagesIndependence Day Film Film - Independence Day Independence Day and action Sci-Fi directed by Roland Emmerich was released in 1996 and starred will smith, Jeff Goldblum and bill Pullman. The plot of the film is fairly simple, earth is under threat from alien invasion and all we can do is fight back, the basic story is the same as many other sci-fi films like war of the worlds and mars attack. The conventions of the film are the same as any other sci-fi, there areRead MoreEssay on Why Star Wars was such a Ground Breaking Movie1404 Words   |  6 PagesWhy Star Wars was such a Ground Breaking Movie There are many reason for ‘Star Wars’ being such a ground breaking movie. ‘Star Wars’ is a science fiction film, a science fiction includes new world and civilisations that are discovered and aliens are featured in a lot of science fiction films, the setting of the films are usually set in the future and where the world is in danger. There are some characters that are computer generated and they sue special effects for fightingRead MoreA Film Comparison of The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) and Independence Day (1996)650 Words   |  3 PagesA Film Comparison of The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) and Independence Day (1996) The Day the Earth stood still and Independence Day were both made by 20th century fox. This company used to be one of the main 5 in the 50’s, and is a well – known conglomerate company, recognised for their Sci-fi genre. Star wars and X-files are two other of their best-known productions. The institution that made the films is one similarity; the main difference in the films is theRead MoreEssay about Narrative and Genre in I Robot1119 Words   |  5 PagesNarrative and Genre in I Robot The film ‘I Robot’ is a classic conventional sci-fi film. From the outset the audience establishes that this is of the science fiction genre due to the synthetic bubbles, vibrant colours, short snippets of wires and menacing orchestral music. The film shapes the particular expectations of the sci-fi genre by summoning up curiosity and suspense. The first character the audience sees is Will Smith. From this the audience can establishRead MoreEssay on How Terminator Two Satisfies the Science Fiction Genre1157 Words   |  5 Pages The film, ‘TerminatorÂ’ is part of a trilogy; Terminator 2 is the sequel to the first terminator film- Terminator 1. The auteur, James Cameron, produced the first terminator movie in 1984; and because the film was a big success with a range of viewers- the majority of different genre lovers- , James Cameron had decided to create a sequel, which was produced in 1993. The big screen had cost a huge budget in Hollywood, WarnerBrotherÂ’s (a franchise, film production Read MoreGeorge Lucas film Star Wars Essay1114 Words   |  5 PagesGeorge Lucas film Star Wars There are many different theories to Star Wars, which attracted millions of viewers. These theories made Star Wars what it was, and to some people still is. Made in1977, it was the first of its kind by being new, using aliens and special effects, Star Wars created a large audience. Then it was re-released twenty years later, after improvement in special effects and another character was added. I will be considering that Star Wars appealsRead MoreI m Talking On The Galactic Scale1218 Words   |  5 Pagesover three things which are all in my presentation and in here one why Europa which will contain a fun fact , the reason why it may contain life and explaining possible life forms two N.A.S.A and there goals, mission, and payload and three a list of sci-fi books, some facts, and my personal views well here we go Subterranean Ocean. It is estimated that Europa has an outer layer of water around 100 km or 62 mi thick with a frozen crust around it. Heat from its tidal flexing allows its water to remain

Taking a Look at the European Renaissance Essays - 1385 Words

The foundation for the concept of modern humanism was established during the Renaissance in Europe, which took place during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The European Renaissance indicates a milestone in the shift of the human thought process. During this time period, people became less focused on matters of theism and more focused on exercising philosophies of reason, individuality, and learning. Numerous people developed an interest in a philosophy known as humanism, also referred to as humanistic studies or the humanities, which challenged the structure of society, especially when considering the role of the church. Such ideas sparked responses from a multitude of people that were beginning to doubt the arrangement of European†¦show more content†¦Humanists believed that this ancient literature could reveal what was needed to live a moral and effective life, as well as serve as a model for Latin style. Knowledge of the classics was coveted and pursued by the int ellectuals of Europe. The revival of ancient Greek and Roman texts, as well as the spread of humanistic ideals, during this time period could not have been accomplished effectively without certain advancements in technology that occurred during the Renaissance. The humanist movement spread throughout Europe with incredible speed and sparked a number of changes in society. The Gutenberg Printing Press was instrumental in the spread of humanistic philosophy throughout Europe. During this time period there was an explosion of printed materials and by the year 1500, around forty thousand titles and approximately eight to ten million copies had been printed. These changes, though arguably inevitable, might not have proceeded with such momentum without the aid of several key individuals that aided in the expansion of humanist ideals. Francesco Petrarca, commonly referred to as Petrarch, is considered to be the father of modern humanism. However, one might not think this of Petrarch when taking his solitary nature into account. Petrarch was a member of the Stoic faction of humanists. This group of humanists relied on reason alone to achieve gratification. Though Petrarch was a member of this group, he never reallyShow MoreRelatedTime Capsules from the Renaissance and Baroque Time Periods Essay953 Words   |  4 PagesTwo time capsules were found during renovations of the Basilica of San Lorenzo, Florence. One time capsule dates back to the Renaissance time period. Artifacts in this time capsule included a painting of The Birth of Venus, a lute, drawing of the Florence Cathedral’s dome, and a book called The Decameron. The second time capsule had artifacts from the Baroque time period. Artifacts in this time capsule included a painting of The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, a stage painting in an operaRead MoreInterior Design Essay1245 Words   |  5 PagesInterior and Spatial Design 2010 My interest in space, design and architecture led me to choose this slightly more unique and diverse essay title. In this essay I chose to look in depth at the connection between pieces of interior or spatial design with more traditional pieces of art such as paintings. I wanted to explore how a space or room can be seen as art and how it can create moods and feelings just as strongly and easily and traditional pieces. A particular piece of spatial design thatRead More The Renaissance and Why Its Important Essay1020 Words   |  5 PagesQ: What was the Renaissance and why was it important? The Renaissance was a radical and comprehensive change of thinking and lifestyle that took place in European culture during the 15th and 16th centuries. The Renaissance was the reformation of many old ideas and the formation of many new, this brought many changes to Europe such as the birth of vital subjects, such as mathematics, geometry, and algebra. As well as sciences such as chemistry and astronomy which led to technological advancementsRead MoreWgu Iwt1 Task 11405 Words   |  6 PagesMETHODS, MODES IN THE HUMANITIES – Task 1 A1 - Renaissance The Renaissance period began in Italy around 1300 and spread throughout Europe during the 1400 and 1500’s. This period signified the beginning path to incredible change in customs, ways of life and institutions that had existed in Europe for almost a thousand years. Many of the new ideas of this period still influence our lives today. The beginning of this period the European countryside was broken up into large estates ownedRead MoreImpressionist Works Of Claude Monet1394 Words   |  6 PagesMapplethorpe. They both belong to times in history where change was taking place. For instance, Botticelli’s â€Å"The Birth of Venus† was the first painting done on a large scale in the time of renaissance with a mythological drive. It is considered one of the most famous paintings in art history. Shows the idea of the appearance of beauty on earth. On the other hand, if one thinks of a picture of perfect forms, surely that image will look much like a photograph of Robert Mapplethorpe like the picture weRead MoreThe Unconverted Self By Jonathan Boyarin Essay1673 Words   |  7 Pagesinterreligious dialogue as a means of defining Christian identity. The common school of thought, as presented in this book, is that European identity reaches modernity after 1492 with the discovery of the radically different cult ure of Indigenous Americans (p. 9). Boyarin argues that this is untrue, as this belief operates under the incorrect assumption that the European people were a homogenous population (p.9). Instead, Boyarin â€Å"seeks to move beyond the concept of two separate Europes,† and proposesRead MoreThe Italian Renaissance1228 Words   |  5 PagesThe Italian Renaissance was a time for great cultural change and achievements, which began in Italy approximately during the 13th century and lasted up until the 16th century. It marked the transition between the Dark Ages and Early Modern Europe. The European Renaissance originated in Central Italy, and centered in the city of Florence.i The distinctive characteristics of northern Italian states such as art, literature, philosophy, and culture produced an atmosphere of learning and artistic expressionRead MoreA Monster Can Be Hard To Define. Describing A Monster Can1332 Words   |  6 Pagesproblems that express themselves in the body and behavior of the monstrous creature (Boyer 240).† What makes a monster scary differs among cultures, however, there are general trends of monsters and villains among cultures. Monsters are ugly in many European-based cultures, depicted with asymmetrical limbs and features. Hollywood has used these traits to make better movies for years. While in many cultures monsters are ugly, some cultures monsters are big and scaly. Many stereotypical Japanese monstersRead MoreThe Black Death Of Europe1231 Words   |  5 Pageschoose to (Wilson, 2001). We must take into account that the Black Death occurred during a period of â€Å"rebirth† (Guisepi), a time in which much of European civilization were going through vast discoveries in things such as learning values, art, and most importantly, exploration (Guisepi). In defining the importance of how this disease reached European regions; it is crucial to note that this time period took part in why the disease spread so quickly (Guisepi). With that being said the beginning ofRead MoreHistorical And Philosophical Movement Of The Renaissance1596 Words   |  7 PagesThe renaissance became a historical movement that marked the beginning of individualism and modernity through the unification of philosophers, artists, writers, and poets. Although it has no fixed beginning, most theories placed the beginning era in the early 14th century. The renaissance profoundly affected European Intellectual life through the introduction of different perspectives, ideas, innovations, literature, art, science, religion among many other aspects that continue to shape modern philosophy

B.F. Skinner’s Contribution to Psychology Free Essays

B. F. Skinner’s Contribution to Modern Psychology Ian K. We will write a custom essay sample on B.F. Skinner’s Contribution to Psychology or any similar topic only for you Order Now Connelly Oklahoma State University B. F. Skinner’s Contribution to Modern Psychology As I began to study the history and beginning of psychology there was one man who stood out to me clearly as a powerful force of influence and contributor to the direction psychology has taken in its still very young life. What does it mean to be a major influential contributor to the science of psychology? This man shows us with his groundbreaking theories, inventions and experiments as well as his over 200 books and articles on the field of psychology. He is Burrhus Frederic Skinner and he is one of the reasons psychology is the profound and crucial science that it is today. (New World Encyclopedia contributors, 2008) B. F. Skinner was born in 1904 in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. His early life consisted of his efforts to become a fictional writer. He attended Hamilton College where he received a B. A. in English literature in 1926. Afterward he spent some time living with his parents attempting to write fictional books. Cherry, 2013) It was during this time that he began to wonder about how an author was supposed to understand the behaviors of the characters he portrayed without knowing what psychological processes and thoughts lie beneath. His research led him to discover the work of John Broadus Watson who proposed behaviorism for the first time. (Shacter, Gilbert Wegner, 2011) This seemed to interest him much more than fictional writing did so he applied for the psychology graduate program at Harvard University where he received a doctorate in experimental psychology in 1931. In 1936 he began his teaching career at Michigan University and was married in the same year. He finished his first book, â€Å"Behavior of Organisms† two years later. (Browse Biography, 2011) Throughout the rest of his life Skinner made breakthrough after breakthrough in the field of psychology and behaviorism. In 1945 he became the Psychology Department Chair at the University of Indiana and in 1948 joined the psychology department at Harvard where he remained for the rest of his life. (Cherry, 2013) Throughout his impressive career he received many more outstanding honors and awards such as the National Medal of Science, the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation Award and the Albert Einstein School of Medicine award for excellence in psychiatry as well as many more books and a few inventions. He eventually passed away in 1990 after contributing countless knowledge to the science of psychology. B. F. Skinner is perhaps best recognized for his study and contribution to a particular type of psychology called behaviorism. Behaviorism was first proposed by John Watson who believed that studying the private experience a person has in their mind was too hard of a thing to observe and speculate. He believed psychology had to be studied more as something an organism does that is physically observable by anyone watching. Watson, as well as Skinner, was influenced greatly by the experiments done by Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov. Pavlov observed that the dogs he had were becoming accustomed to salivating at the sound of a bell he rang each time he fed them. Eventually he didn’t even have to have food to observe the dogs salivating every time he rang the bell because they had learned to respond a certain way to stimulus. The studies done by Pavlov as well as the work of Watson built the foundation upon which Skinner based the rest of his career in the field of psychology. Skinner observed that in the wild, animals have learned ways to find shelter, food and mates all because they have been conditioned by stimuli to do so. He famously tested this theory by inventing something called an â€Å"operant conditioning chamber†. In this chamber he placed a rat and fixed a lever so that when the rat pressed on the lever it received a pellet of food. He found that after a short time in the chamber, the rat learned that he was given food each time he pressed the lever so he began pressing it over and over until he was no longer hungry. This experiment furthered his approach towards behaviorism and also added to what Watson had proposed. (Shacter, Gilbert Wegner, 2011) Also slightly contrary to what Watson and Pavlov believed, he proposed that the behavior of an organism did not depend upon the preceding stimulus but on the reward that occurred after the behavior took place. Cherry, 2013) This led Skinner to state in his book, â€Å"The Behavior of Organisms†, what he called the principle of reinforcement. Reinforcement basically stated that when an organism does something that causes it to benefit in some way, it is likely to repeat the action in order to receive the benefit again. This allows organisms to adapt to their environments and the conditions they live in, in order to survive. (Shacter, Gilbert Wegner, 2011) Ski nner went on to use his ability to invent and his interest in behaviorism to try and benefit society in many different ways. He invented such things as the â€Å"Air crib† which was an enclosed chamber to put a baby inside that would allow you to closely monitor and modify the temperature and humidity of the environment. Unfortunately this didn’t quite catch on after people started to compare it to his earlier invention, the operant conditioning chamber, and wonder whether or not it was too cruel for a child. Another quite interesting invention that he proposed was a pigeon guided missile. During world war two, before the U. S. Navy had a practical way to guide a missile, Skinner found an interesting, almost unbelievable method to guide the missiles. He proposed they incased pigeons within parts of the missile. The pigeons would have a screen in front of them showing the view in front of the missile and they would be able to peck towards the target, therefore guiding the missile in that direction. Amazingly this idea proved to be successful in testing, however, the military found it too eccentric and impractical to be used and never took the idea seriously. (New World Encyclopedia contributors, 2008) Not only was Skinner known for his strange, ingenious inventions but he was also known for proposing an idea which gained him much criticism. In his books â€Å"Beyond Freedom and Dignity† and â€Å"Walden II† Skinner talked about a society completely controlled via behaviorism principles such as reinforcement. Theoretically this society would be made perfect using scientific planning to reinforce all the individuals do behave in the correct ways. In these books he claimed that free will is subjective and only an illusion because we are all accustomed to behaving in the ways we do because we have been reinforced by society over the years to behave that way. This was not a popular statement among critics who said he was giving away humanities free will and thought his goal was to use his science to manipulate people. These claims seemed to be taken to the extreme however; Skinner merely meant to emphasize the importance reinforcement could have on society. (Shacter, Gilbert Wegner, 2011) Although behaviorism is no longer looked at as the most important way to view psychology, Skinner had a great impact on society and what we know as psychology today. His work with the conditioning chamber is still considered vital information to psychology today. Professionals in the field of mental health still use his operant techniques today on their clients. (Cherry, 2013) The information in his book â€Å"Verbal Behavior† is still a topic of interest in experimental and applied settings currently. (New World Encyclopedia contributors, 2008) Even teachers and animal trainers use his concept of reinforcement and punishment every day to shape the way kids in their classroom or the animals they train behave. (Cherry, 2013) In a 2002 survey, Skinner was voted to be the number one most influential psychologist of the 20th century by psychologists. His honors, awards, positions, titles and honorary degrees are almost too numerous to even count. I think the evidence as well as the opinions of other psychologists show just how much of an impact this man made on the psychological science. There is no doubt psychology is the science that intro to psych students such as myself are learning about today because of the numerous contributions and influence of B. F. Skinner. (Shacter, Gilbert Wegner, 2011) References Browse Biography. (2011, January 25). B. f. skinner biography. Retrieved from http://www. browsebiography. com/bio-b_f_skinner. html Cherry, K. (2013). B. f. skinner biography (1904-1990) . Retrieved from http://psychology. about. com/od/profilesofmajorthinkers/p/bio_skinner. htm New World Encyclopedia contributors. (2008, April 4). B. f. skinner. Retrieved from http://www. newworldencyclopedia. org/p/index. php? title=B. _F. _Skinneroldid=687766 Shacter, D. , Gilbert, D. , Wegner, D. (2011). Psychology. (2nd ed. , pp. 16-18). New York, NY: Worth Publishers. How to cite B.F. Skinner’s Contribution to Psychology, Papers

Australian Healthcare System-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Write the key historical event that took place in the australian healthcare system. Answer: There are historical events from the past that has shaped the health care system of Australia today. One of the important events in the past has been the development of the Medicare health insurance scheme in 1984. It is universal health insurance coverage scheme that provided subsidized health services to Australian population. It guarantees uniform access to wide range of health services at no cost or very subsidized rate for all Australian citizens. The introduction of the scheme gave rise to many funding options like Medicare Benefits Schedule and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Since its launch in 1984, it has now become a very settled policy that gained strong public support. It has enhanced Australian health care funding and improved efficiency in service delivery (Burgan 2015). Another important event in the Australian health care system is the establishment of National Health and Medical Research Council in Australia. It was established in 1926 following the Royal Commissions recommendation. It had been formerly known as the Federal Health Council. Since its first meeting held in February 1937, the Council has worked to improve and stimulate medical research and kept them closed to community needs and public health issues. NHMRC became a statutory agency in 2006 (Nhmrc.gov.au. 2018). It is now a renowned national organization for research funding. Currently it utilizes resources from different aspects of the Australian health care system such community health organization, health researchers, medical practitioners, research institutes and many others (Nhmrc.gov.au. 2018). It is also involved in setting major priorities for safety and quality in health care. For example, developing guidelines related to infection prevention is a recent strategic priority of NHMRC that will help to translate evidence to public health. Key activities have been planned under this guideline to facilitate transmission of knowledge gained and improve clinical practice and health services in Australia (Nhmrc.gov.au. 2018 ) References: Burgan, B. 2015.Funding a viable and effective health sector in Australia. Retrieved 6 February 2018, from https://www.anmfsa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Funding-a-Viable-and-Effective-Health-Sector-in-Australia-Final-2015-6-2-15.pdf Nhmrc.gov.au. 2018. About the NHMRC | National Health and Medical Research Council. Retrieved 6 February 2018, from https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/about Nhmrc.gov.au. 2018. History of the NHMRC | National Health and Medical Research Council. Retrieved 6 February 2018, from https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/about/history-nhmrc Nhmrc.gov.au. 2018. Infection Prevention and Control | National Health and Medical Research Council. Retrieved 7 February 2018, from https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/health-topics/infection-prevention-and-control

W.E.B DuBois thoughts on education Essay Example For Students

W.E.B DuBois thoughts on education Essay W. E. B DuBoiss thoughts on educationThe Souls of Black Folk, written by W.E.B DuBois is a collection of autobiographical and historical essays containing many themes. DuBois introduced the notion of twoness, a divided awareness of ones identity. One ever feels his two-ness an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled stirrings: two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keep it from being torn asunder (215). There are many underlying themes in this collection of essays. One of the themes that DuBois speaks on extensively is education. DuBois stresses the importance of education amongst the black race. He believes that African Americans should be educated in order to guide and teach the uneducated blacks. DuBois stresses the fact that there is a need for higher education, the importance of role models, and the concept of self-motivation for the African American race. DuBois wrote an essay in The Souls of Black Folk, which gives his opinion on Booker T. Washingtons views on education. Booker T. Washington stresses individual education as the way for blacks to gain upward mobility. DuBois disagrees with this. He feels as though blacks first have to gain the right to vote, civic equality, and education of youth according to ability (248). Both Washington and DuBois want the same thing for blacks first class citizenship but their methods for obtaining it is different. Because of the Smith 2interest in immediate goals contained in Washingtons economic approach, whites did not realize that he anticipated the complete acceptance and integration of blacks in American life. Washington believes that blacks, starting with so little, would have to begin at the bottom and work up gradually to achieve positions of power and responsibility. DuBois understands Washingtons program, but believes that this is not the solution. DuBois shows opposition to Washington s approach, not his intent. We will write a custom essay on W.E.B DuBois thoughts on education specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now In the fictional story, Of the Coming of John, DuBois rebukes Washingtons ideas of subordination to whites in order to obtain support for black education. The dominant white male of the story speaks the following statement, Now I like the colored people, and sympathize with all this reasonable aspirations; but you and I both know, John, that in this country the Negro must remain subordinate and can never expect to be equal of white men (373). This is a fundamental sentiment that white people in the American society during that time held on to. In this essay W.E.B DuBois shows how this black man, John, was treated in his hometown after returning home with a college education. Both blacks and whites reject his new views. However, to whites the black John represents a devaluing of the college education. If a black person can have a college degree, then having a college degree must not have value. After this reaction from society John started to think, John Jones, youre a natural born fo ol (369). This behavior from society kept the average black person stagnant, and unmotivated. Continuing with the famous debate between Washington and DuBois, DuBois argues in The Training of Black Men that by training blacks for economic usefulness was not Smith 3enough. Using blacks for manual labor without the benefit of education, culture, and ideas belittled them and suggests that they were less than human. Harmonization of race relations could only occur between two self-respecting, cultured, educated races, not between a dominant elite and a forcibly subordinated, resentful minority. The minority would be the black people, and the dominant elite would be the white people. DuBois is adamant on his stance that all black people need an education because he feels as though it is only one way to create equality among the people. DuBois shows that education is also another tool that will help raise the veil for future generations. DuBois feels that the idea of a quality education provides a sense of hope for black people. I cannot hesitate in saying that nowhere have I met m en and women with a broader spirit of helpfulness, with deeper devotion to their life work, or with more consecrated determination to succeed in the face of bitter difficulties than among Negro college bred men (280). The Souls of Black Folk is an attempt to define race relations in psychological and philosophical terms. DuBois sets the stage for future generations to follow his lead. .uad2a51f9da165c85f9ac112167d0dad6 , .uad2a51f9da165c85f9ac112167d0dad6 .postImageUrl , .uad2a51f9da165c85f9ac112167d0dad6 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uad2a51f9da165c85f9ac112167d0dad6 , .uad2a51f9da165c85f9ac112167d0dad6:hover , .uad2a51f9da165c85f9ac112167d0dad6:visited , .uad2a51f9da165c85f9ac112167d0dad6:active { border:0!important; } .uad2a51f9da165c85f9ac112167d0dad6 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uad2a51f9da165c85f9ac112167d0dad6 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uad2a51f9da165c85f9ac112167d0dad6:active , .uad2a51f9da165c85f9ac112167d0dad6:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uad2a51f9da165c85f9ac112167d0dad6 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uad2a51f9da165c85f9ac112167d0dad6 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uad2a51f9da165c85f9ac112167d0dad6 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uad2a51f9da165c85f9ac112167d0dad6 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uad2a51f9da165c85f9ac112167d0dad6:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uad2a51f9da165c85f9ac112167d0dad6 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uad2a51f9da165c85f9ac112167d0dad6 .uad2a51f9da165c85f9ac112167d0dad6-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uad2a51f9da165c85f9ac112167d0dad6:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Tennessee Williams's Life Story EssaySmith 4Works CitedDuBois, W.E.B The Souls of Black Folk Three Negro Classics. New York : Harper Collins Publishers, 1965. 213-389.

Gun Control In The U.S. Essays - Gun Politics, Firearms, Gun Control

Gun Control In The U.S. Essays - Gun Politics, Firearms, Gun Control Gun Control in the U.S. Gun control, as we know it, consists of the government restricting the ability of individual citizens to purchase weapons. The different types of gun control vary from waiting periods between when you purchase the gun and when you actually get it, background checks so that high-risk people can't purchase guns through legal channels, and completely banning certain types of guns. There are countless ways for criminals to avoid these government regulations, causing them to only render the ability of innocent citizens protecting their home and family's ability to purchase guns. The "waiting period" method of gun control is basically a two-step process. The first step in the procedure is that the person wanting a gun goes to his local shop (or calls a reputable mail order outlet) to place the initial order. Then, he must wait one to two weeks while the government performs a small background check for past criminal activities, disorderly conduct, or lack of mental/emotional stability. During this time, if the purchaser of the gun wanted the gun for impulse reasons (out of rage), it is hoped that they will not still want to cause bodily harm after a couple weeks. The problem with this method of gun control is that it stops the ordinary citizen from purchasing a gun on the whim, but it actually protects the common criminal. Underage buyers and other delinquents can purchase mass quantities of weapons through "dummy buyers" that have clean backgrounds. So if a burglar enters a house with full intention to maim or kill, the innocent victim (who can't get a gun to protect his family because he was arrested for drunk driving seven years ago) is simply a victim of a law that supports black market trade. There are over 200 million registered guns in circulation (Larson), and they are the ones that will not be killing our children. The unregistered ones are owned by murderers, rapists, and thieves. Another practiced technique of preventing dangerous firearms from killing honest people is to ban an entire type of weapon. The AK-47 is a commonly-used example of that. Again, the criminals still have limited access to the weapon through underground channels, but these banned weapons are so powerful that there is really is not practical purpose for them in the home (or in hunting). This can easily be adverted by the common criminal who knows anything about the way guns are assembled. A semi-automatic machine gun can be converted into a fully-automatic gun with a little handcraft. A shotgun can become a bloody powerful weapon by sawing-off the tip of it. Obviously, new methods of gun control are needed to produce desired results. In the first half of 1991, fifty children under the age of seventeen had been shot to death. If we continue to monitor the sale of firearms, there must be new techniques that can watch where the guns end up. And if we decide that we can/will not go down that track, we must make that judgement earnestly, and without haste, because it will decide the future of The United State of America as we know it. - Bibliography Larson, Erik. "The Story of a Gun", The Atlantic Monthly. January 1993 Pooley, Eric. "Kids with Guns." , New York. August 5, 1991.

Management of Human Resource individual Work wk1 Essay

Management of Human Resource individual Work wk1 - Essay Example Regard to the significance of employing the employees on as broad a geographical ground as feasible (Storey, 1999). Moreover, and to the equal partaking of males and females in the duties if the firms. The superseding apprehension of human resources managers in the organizations is to connect human resources management with managerial aims, to put into consideration the outside and inside forces applicable to human resources management. The Framework includes a meaning of organizational plan and its influence on the human resources management atmosphere. It identifies the dissimilar yet interconnected elements that constitute human resources management in the organization. Google is one of the organizations that give great concern to the framework. Mainly, Google motivates its employees. Being a decentralized company having more than forty head offices, it uses the motivational structure. It does it by allowing its employees to use the innovation time off policy. The employees are free to utilize twenty percent of their time in fields of their interest. Through the policy, very many new services have come into existence. Such services include Gmail. Moreover, it has six most essentials, some of which contains other sub-components. Definition, Recognition of central part/non-central elements, fundamental values and the connections between elements and sub-elements. The Framework gives the organizations with a holistic conceptual ground from which to make use of one or more fields of human resources management modification. Therefore, organizations can use it to speculate future work, policies, and measures. In addition to that, other activities are essential elements that mainly motivate the staff. These activities will boost the morale of staff members. An increase in morale among staff increases their output in general. Furthermore, use of human triad is a performance measuring

Ethnographic Comparison Account Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethnographic Comparison Account - Essay Example This paper highlights policy issues in religious practices and problems the mentioned societies face while practicing their religious beliefs. Classic and contemporary ethnographical accounts are used in this analysis. African Americans are citizens of United States of America and they have their ancestry in Sub-Saharan Africa. They are the single largest minority group in United States of America and most of them are offspring’s of Africans brought in America during the slave period. The Chinese are citizens of the People’s Republic of China.There are 56 ethnic groups in China, and Han is the largest, constituting 91.5% (Berlatsky, 2010). The Han are the world’s largest single ethnic group and play a dominant role in Chinese politics and economic spheres.Lack of official data makes it difficult to know the accurate number of religious practices among the Chinese; however, Religion gained prominence among the Chinese in the late 1980s with the latest survey condu cted in 2007, depicting 23% of the Chinese population being religious (Berlatsky, 2010). The most dominant religious beliefs in China are the Chinese folk religion, Taoism and Buddhism. 50% of the Chinese population are Buddhists, while Taoist account for 30% of the population. These figures are estimations since it is difficult to get the exact number of Buddhists, Taoist and those practicing Chinese folk religion because they overlap with one another, and there is no public participation and congregational membership. Christianity is a minor religion among the Chinese and was introduced during the Tang dynasty, in 635 AD. Many Christians in China belong to un-authorized house churches and therefore it is difficult to know the exact percentage of Chinese Christian (Cavali, 2002). The Government of China estimates the number of Chinese Christians to be around 25 million, an estimated 3% of the total population. The Chinese, practice Islam, though it is a minority and was introduced in the period 651 AD. Other religions such as Bon and Hinduism are also practiced in China although under regulation by the Chinese Government (Cavali, 2002). Among the African Americans majority of them are Protestant Christians who follow the historical churches formed by fellow blacks, according to the 2007 Religious survey conducted in America. The largest Protestant group is the Baptists and is divided into four denominations (Gates et al, 1996). The second largest protestant group is the Methodists, whose largest church is Methodist Episcopal Church. African Americans are also members of white Pentecostal movement, and an estimated 16% of African Americans are believed to attend such denominations. The Roman Catholic faith is also practiced among the African Americans, but it is a minority religion (Bankston, 2006). Islam is a religion among this group though in minority, and they constitute 20% of Muslims in United States of America, majority being Sunni Muslims. Religion amo ng the Chinese and the African American is different. One difference emanates from the nature of the religious practice. The most dominant religion in China is Buddhism, while the most dominant religion among the African Americans is Christianity. Buddhists worship Buddha as god, while Christians believe in Jesus Christ as the son of God, and redeemer of mankind from sin. A significant difference arises in the membership of

Mortgage Crisis in the U.S Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mortgage Crisis in the U.S - Essay Example This led to an immediate and intense disorientation of the financial markets. During its semiannual worldwide financial report released on 8th April 2008, the paramount statue of international finance analysis (that is IMR) stated that the collapsing house prices and rising queries in the residential mortgage market or arena losses of approximately five hundred and sixty five billion US dollars. When these factors are combined with other declines from other areas of loans originated and provision of security in the United States of America that relates to commercial real estate is indicated by the International Monetary Fund to gather a loss of about nine hundred and forty five billion US dollars. This was shocking as it was the first time that the International Monetary Fund was approximating the extreme losses incurred by banks and other financial institutions in the United States. As indicated earlier, this credit crunch started in the year 2007 and led to the increasing number of defects on the subprime home loans. The main mission of the International Monetary Fund is to facilitate and promote international financial stability. Since it had easy money policies, the Federal Reserve allowed the housing prices to increase up to unsustainable levels. The bubble bursting led to this unfavorable condition. The current mortgage crisis began with the bursting of the bubble house in 2001 and reached its optimal point in 2005. Housing bubble refers to an economic bubble that occurs in local and international real estate markets. Occurs when there is a rapid rise in the valuation of real property to levels that are unsustainable in relation to income and other sources of affordability. When there are such rapid increases there is a subsequent decline in home prices and mortgage debt that is greater than the actual value of

Full-Scale Fatigue Testing using the Resonance Method

Full-Scale Fatigue Testing using the Resonance Method Welding: Welding is a process that is employed to join two distinct pieces of the same metal or remove any unwanted material from metals. In other words, the welding can be broadly discussed as the forging of two heated metals by employing electrode which acts as a slag and prevents the atmospheric contamination. The art of welding began when man started forging tools from metals. The first form of welding that was available to mankind was metal forging by pounding a metal until they are fused together. [1] Types of Welding: We live in a world where we can fuse a metal and separate a single metal into many components. There are many available methods of welding to achieve this objective. They have all been evolved from the idea of forging and have a high influence in the human survival. Some of the different types of welding that are been used are: Â   Â   Oxy-Acetylene gas welding Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) Electroslag welding (ESW) Gas metal arc welding (GMAW) Submerged arc welding (SAW) magnetic pulse welding (MPW) Electric resistance welding (ERW) Flux-cored arc welding (FCAW) laser beam welding and electron beam welding [2] Weld Geometry: Welding two metals depends on a numerous factor such as type of joints, type of welds, groove face, root face, root edge, bevel angle, depth of bevel, groove angle, groove face, groove radius, and root opening. Based on all these factors there are nine categories of welds. They are Groove Welds Plug or Slot Welds Spot or Projection Welds Back or Backing Welds Flanged Welds Fillet Welds Stud Welds Seam Welds Surfacing Welds [3] Figure 2: Type of Weld Figure 1: Type of joint Figure 3: Process of a) Spot Welding b) Seam welding c) Projection Welding Types of Failure: A metal component is always subjected to stresses and strain. They have an impact on the total life of the component. A flaw that can cause disruption in the performance of a metal gives us an idea on the integrity of the metal. In case of welding the defect can occur in the area that has been welded. Based on the study, it is identified that most of the failure in the welds occur due to wrong technique, process conditions, bad weld groves, incorrect consumables and operator error. The common types of failures that occurs in welding are due to hydrogen embrittlement and residual stresses. So, the type of welding failure that can affect the life of the metal component are: Arc strike cracking Undercut Cold cracking Hot cracking Crater crack Root and toe cracks Hat crack Underbead crack Lamellar tearing Longitudinal crack Gas inclusion Reheat cracking Distortion Inclusions Transverse crack Lack of fusion and incomplete penetration [4] Fatigue: Fatigue may be characterized as the weakening of metal caused by the frequent application of cyclic loading and unloading. It causes progressive structural damage to the material. The fatigue strength is defined as the maximum strength a material can exhibit without breaking is an important dimension that is employed to study the life cycle of the metal or the welded structure. The BS 7608 or DNV-RP-C203 gives us an idea about the fatigue strength to the applied load for different weld geometry. Principle of Fatigue Testing: Resonance Method Testing is employed for the analysis of fatigue in welds. The process involves the excitation of the welded metal to be tested to its first mode of vibration by applying rotational radial force at one end. The rotational force causes a bending moment in its longitudinal axis of the welded metal with two nodal points without any deflection. The welded metal is supported at these points. Figure 4: Principle of resonance fatigue testing (in two dimensions). Figure 5: Bending-stress-profile-in-a-resonance-fatigue-test-specimen-with-a-circular-cross-section This method is employed to calculate the bending stress in a metal. The resonant frequency depends on the mass and stiffness of the material. Usually the tests are conducted below the resonant frequency to control the stress and thereby regulating the strain and deflection. [5] Figure 6: Resonant-response-of-specimen-deflection-controlled-by-changing-the-speed-of-rotation-of-the-excitation-force. Industrial Application: Resonant Testing Machines is the commonly employed fatigue testing machine when compared to its counterpart Servo-hydraulic testing machines due to its advantages such as better efficiency, high frequency, low maintenance and cost. They are used for the fatigue analysis of aerospace and automotive fasteners, engine components, turbine blades, chains etc. Aerospace Industry: Resonant test is employed in aerospace industry to study the fatigue strength of the composite materials such as Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP). They are employed to study the fatigue strength of aerospace fasteners such as bolts, screw, studs and rivets. An aircraft uses an utmost 3 million fasteners with bolts taking 25% and the rivets taking the rest. So, fatigue test is done to analyze the reliability of the fasteners to the repeated pressure and temperature cycles, variations in dynamic loads, and high vibration levels. [6] Figure 7: Fatigue Toughness Testing with resistance heating tester. Automotive Industry: Resonant tests are being implemented in structural dynamics lab in order to study the fatigue strength of high stiffness components such as the automotive components such as connecting rods, crankshafts, bolts, brackets, gear teeth, knuckle etc. The test duration is controlled by the stiffness of the material and the frequency can go high as up to 100 Hz. [7] Reference: The_Procedure_Handbook_Of_Arc_Welding_742pages_1973.pdf Online: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welding Online: http://nearyou.imeche.org/docs/default-source/hong-kong-branch/1- 20.pd Online: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welding_defect Online: http://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/job-knowledge/full-scale-fatigue-testing-using-the-resonance-method-141/ Online: http://www.fastenerandfixing.com/news/high-cycle-fatigue-evaluation-of-aerospace-fasteners Online:https://www.araiindia.com/services_RnD_services_structural_dynamics_engineering_services.asp

Has The De Beer Diamond Lost I :: essays research papers

"And while the law [of competition] may be sometimes hard for the individual, it is best for the race, because it ensures the survival of the fittest in every department." -Andrew Carnegie Since the 1930’s when Sir Ernest Oppenheimer established the Central Selling Organisation, De Beers Consolidated Mines have controlled the selling and marketing of approximately 80% of the world’s rough diamond production (Capon, 1998). However, in 1996, Australian company, Argyle, stunned the world by announcing that they would no longer market diamonds through De Beers C.S.O. Many economists predicted that Argyle wouldn’t be able to compete against the mammoth De Beers. Yet in the year to December 31, Argyle recorded a profit of $142.5 million, an increase of 76% (Treadgold, 1999). De Beers is currently looking like losing the monopoly it has had on the diamond industry for almost seventy years. A monopoly is an industry in which there is only one organisation that supplies a particular good, service or resource which has no other similar alternatives. Monopolies are created by barriers which restrict the entry of new organisations (McTaggart et al, 1999). In a perfect monopoly, the seller has total control over the quantity of goods or services available for sale and the price at which the items are sold (Butterworths Business .. Dictionary, 1997). De Beers Consolidated Mines Central Selling Organisation has had a monopoly on the selling of rough diamonds since the 1930’s. A monopoly industry is characterised by having no close substitutes. Although there are substitutes for diamonds such as rubies, emeralds and cubic zirconias, many believe that there are no other gems that exhibit the same beauty of the diamond. Perhaps this belief was created out of De Beers advertising campaign, â€Å"A Diamond is Forever† (Capon, 1998, pg 6) which began in 1947. Whatever the reason that consumers want diamonds, and diamonds only, doesn’t matter. Consumers demand the real thing and will pay for the luxury. The second factor which creates a monopoly market are barriers to enter the market. Common barriers to entry include licenses, patents, entry lags, economics of scale and control of inputs (Browning & Browning, 1989). Control of inputs is the factor that constricts entry into the diamond industry. â€Å"De Beers Consolidated Mines of South Africa, through its ownership of mines and its central sales organisation, controls 85 percent of the world’s diamond output† (Browning & Browning, 1989, pg 330).

Bidding on the Yell Group Essay

1. Introduction Yell Group consists of two businesses that are operating across countries. Yellow Page is a classified directory business in the UK, while Yellow Book is an independent directory business in the USA. These businesses are currently owned by British Telecom which is under pressure to reduce its heavy debt load and had been wavering for months about the future of these two Yellow Pages divisions. Apax Partner and Hick Muse are two private equity firms that are interested in the acquisition of the Yell Group by using debt for a majority of the purchase price and equity for the remainder. The deal is crucially important to both Apax and Hicks Muse because of its high visibility — simply by virtue of its size and complexity, it will leave its mark on the reputations of both PE firms. But the team faces a challenge when valuing a cross border business involved in the LBO. Not only are those business located in different markets, but they also are characterized by different growth rat es and cash flow characteristics. Furthermore, each business unit faces an immediate uncertainty. 2. Overview of LBO The Equity Sponsor borrows the debt portion of the purchase price, typically through public or private bonds and bank loans issued by the company and contribute the equity portion typically through a private fund. Debt is serviced and repaid with the company’s operating cash flows. The buyer later sells all or a portion of the company and realizes a return on its initial equity investment — Sale of Sponsor equity typically through an initial public offering or a sale to a strategic buyer or another LBO firm. The LBO transaction focuses on cash flows generated by operations and the use of the cash to pay down debt, thereby increasing equity value. Additionally, improvements in operating performance can increase value. Assuming the enterprise value remains unchanged, as debt is repaid, value reverts to the equity holders, thereby generating equity returns. Through this cross-border LBO, our team wants to achieve three fundamental goals: a) Determining the enterprise value of Yell Group by measuring its ability to generate sufficient cash flows to meet required equity returns while complying with leverage parameters. b) Calculating financial ratios and other measurements to determine the balance sheet and credit impact of the LBO c) To justify whether they can get reasonable returns given financial projections and leverage assumption in the model. Our team is aim to use as much leverage as possible to minimize initial equity check and create an aggressive financing structure that can be eff ectively syndicated to the market. 3. Yell Operations When valuing Yell, we find that Yell currently has two well-established business lines in two different markets. While the environment is different in each market, Yell’s business lines achieve somewhat steady cash flows that are on pace with market growth, even the OFT is expected to recommend the imposition of a limit on the annual increase in rates for advertising in the U.K. market. The projected EBITDA for both BT Yellow Pages in the U.K. and Yellow Pages USA combined are more than enough to cover the considerable interest expense. Furthermore, with the ambitious growth plan, Yellow Book hopes to capture much of the predicted market share gains. A good LBO candidate should have some characteristics on its business specific and industry specifics. That means, the underlying Yell fundamentals and competitive advantage should be much more scrutinized by the team. Indeed, BT Yellow Pages as a market-leader in the classified directory business and Yellow Pages USA as a market leader in the independent publisher of business directories. Finally, shortly before Apax and Hicks Muse had initiated talks with BT executives about the future of Yell, the telecom giant had announced plans to pay down its debt, so this deal should be a fire-sale transaction, the sale of Yell is good for BT and its shareholders. However, BT Yellow Pages and Yellow Book USA represent two very different businesses. The U.K. business is subject to heavy regulation which will restrict the price. Thus the only way to expand profits is through the advertisement volume. Unfortunately, the growth in the classified directories advertising market has been declining over the last few decades and will probably continue in this tendency even though the total advertising market has seen increasing growth. The potential good opportunities for this business could be the additional divisions that BT Yellow Pages owned. Prospective investment indicated these businesses are in the early stages. The U.S. market is an important source of new business for SMEs throughout the country and the independents are projected to increase their market share from 11% to 30% over the 2000 — 2005 period. For Yellow Book, this growth is to be fueled by expansion efforts as launching new directories into contiguous markets and launching wide area books into cities without an independent presence. In terms of the industry life cycle, BT Yellow Pages is most likely in the late maturity / early decline stage while Yellow Pages USA was still in the growth phase. These factors combined with the buyers’ investment horizon will influence their exit strategy. Yell Group Ltd. provided Apax and Hicks Muse team with projections for both BT Yellow Pages and Yellow Book USA based on what a potential growth in the upcoming years. Since Yell is trying to sell their business, we have to be careful about the assumptions used to come up with these projections. As a financial buyer, we tend to leave the day-to-day operations with management and thus would hope that they can meet their projections. These numbers should be viewed conservatively, as Yell would want to make the company look as attractive as possible to potential buyers. For BT Yellow Pages, their growth is dependent on the number of advertisements sold in a given year and the advertisements’ prices. Thus, as a potential buyer, these areas need to be scrutinized to come up with a reasonable projection. The growth rate (nominal) of advertisement volume from 2001 to 2007 may be as high as the rate of past years at 6.6%, and for SMEs, BT Yellow Pages were considered a â€Å"must buy†, since the yellow pages are their principal means of reaching customers in UK. Yellow pages advertising expenditures tends to be more stable than other forms of media advertising and do not fluctuate widely with economic cycles. For advertisement prices, the trend is slightly increasing from 2001 to 2003 and flat thereafter. Yell’s management seems to be too optimistic here as the OFT is expected to announce its new recommendation for the following years soon. Since the cap is 6% below the inflation rate and the projections for inflation is 2.4% in 2002, 2.3% in 2003, and 2.0% thereafter, the advertising prices should be expected to show a decreasing trend. For example, the Weighted Average Advertisement Fee in 2002 should be 621.78 = 645 x (1 + 2.4% – 6%). The year-over-year revenue growth for Yellow Book USA ranges from 10.0% to 15.0% with an average of 12.5% and a compound average growth rate of 12.4%. Organic growth in the US market is 4-5% and so the additional growth for Yellow Book USA must be coming from new market launches as well as increasing market share as an independent publisher. The growth rates seem quite aggressive and so additional new market launches may be required in years 2005 and 2006, currently not projected, to ensure that there is a buffer to hit revenue projections. It may make sense to also decrease the revenue growth rate to be more realistic and use yell’s projection as an upper limit case. We think it important to segregate organic revenues from new launch revenues and only apply an EBITDA margin to organic sales while separately adding in the impact of new launches in order to roll the two very different types of markets together. This approach also affords an opportunity to give a more sophisticated treatment to operating income from new launches. We believe that a 17% EBITDA margin on organic sales is a more realistic target for 2002, improving at a 2% increase per year as business goes up until the 25% target rate is hit in 2005 and maintained thereafter. Capital Expenditure and depreciation also need to be reviewed as they are somewhat positively related, which means an increase in Capital Expenditure usually results an increase in depreciation and vice versa. Overall, the numbers for both markets should be viewed with skepticism as these are Yell’s projections and may not reflect the buyer’s expectations in terms of the growth in the market. 4. Transaction Assumption The following transaction assumptions must be considered at the beginning of LBO analysis: a) BT Yellow Pages has its price adjusted for inflation as stated by the OFT. b) The U.K. discount rate is calculated using the comps Telefonica Publicidad e Informacion and Enriro. c) The U.S. discount rate is calculated using McLeod USA and World Pages. d) The model assumes the debt is held in the U.K. and the U.S. business line will have its cash flows converted to U.K. denominated pounds at the spot rate- For the base case, the terminal value growth rate of BT Yellow Pages is 3.47% which is a forecast of the compound average growth rate of FCF from 2002 to 2007 based on our projection. Sensitivity analysis should be applied to see how the growth rate of terminal value would affect the overall valuation. e) For the base case, the terminal value growth rate of Yellow Book USA is 4.3% which is the historical growth of the RBOCs. Sensitivity analysis should be applied to see how the growth rate of terminal value would affect the overall valuation. f) New launches in the U.S. are fore casted to return 5% EBITDA to Sales in the first year. This is a conservative estimate and sensitivity analysis should be applied to see how the EBITDA margin of new launches would affect the overall valuation. g) Once launched, the new markets are assumed to reach organic EBITDA margins in the following year. h) The risk premium of both markets is set as 6.5% and sensitivity analysis should be applied to see how the risk premium would affect the overall valuation. 5. Valuation Method It is accepted that CCF valuation is widely used for LBO. WACC is not applicable here because the calculation of WACC assumes constant D/E ratio. Based on the debt repayment schedule, it is unlikely that the firm will be able to maintain a constant ratio. CCF is ideal for this transaction because the debt repayment schedule is known in advance. CCF separates the calculation into two parts: unlevered cash flow using unlevered cost of equity and tax shield using the unlevered cost of equity. For our calculation, CCF is more suitable due to the known debt repayment schedule and the more conservative valuation. Coming up with an accurate valuation becomes more complex when dealing with different currency of cash flows from cross border assets. Yell’s two business line, BT Yellow Pages and Yellow Book USA, operates and generates revenue from their respective countries; therefore, we must look each asset as a separate part. We could do a separate valuation on each asset based on the home country’s currency and financial projections. To determine a representative discount rate, we used betas and Debt/EV ratios of comparable listed companies in Exhibit 10 from each region. For example, for Yellow Book USA, we only used betas and Debt/EV of comparable American firms and not European firms and we assume the risk premium is 6.5%. We also had to take into account difference in risk-free rates by looking at country-specific yield on 30 years Treasury Bills when calculating the cost of equity for each asset. Depending on the capital structure, each asset may have tax benefit from tax-deductible interest payments. The interest tax shield must be calculated using the local country’s corporate tax rate; therefore, each business line may have different cost of debt. At Yell, we used the U.K. tax rate of 30% because the acquired company is incorporated in the U.K. thus everything is consolidated in pound. When building a valuation model, we also consider the growth potential of each asset separately as well. We take into account the firm’s local business strategy, competitors, and overall market potential to develop a representative perpetuity growth rate. Once we get the enterprise values for both assets, we can then use the spot rate to convert the enterprise values into pound for comparison. All these factors play a vital role when forecasting revenue growth / free cash flows, determining the discount rate and eventually calculating a fair enterprise value for the firm. Using our pro forma assumptions and CCF valuation, the total acquisition fee is  £2.09 billion (shown in excel). The U.S. business is valued and converted to the pound to reach a total valuation. These values include the 5% in transaction fees. 6. Sensitivity Analysis Sensitivity is done on five major variables. The first variable is the terminal growth rate of the U.K. business since BT Yellow Pages represents a huge part of the total valuation (see excel file for the sensitivity of growth rate on BT Yellow Pages valuation). If the terminal growth rate is 5%, the total acquisition price with fees is  £2.28 billion, compared to the  £2.09 billion with the base case of 3.47% growth rate. The second variable is the terminal growth rate of Yellow Book USA. This scenario analysis doesn’t affect the overall valuation much as the Yellow Book USA only accounts for a small fraction of the overall valuation. For the third variable, the analysis performed is the change in regulatory imposition when keeping the terminal growth rate of UK business at 3.47%. Currently the base case is that revenue decreases by the inflation subtracting 6% annually. The results are shown in Sheet ‘Sensitivity Tables’. When there is no regulatory imposition applied and the price grows with inflation, the acquisition price with fees is 3.01 billion. If they can negotiate with the UK government to reduce the rate to 5%, instead of 6%, the acquisition price with fees is 2.30 billion. It is highly sensitive to the change in regulatory imposition. This implies there is significant upside if the regulatory imposition is lower than 6%. For the fourth variable, we change the projections of Yellow Book USA’s EBITDA margin of new launches in order to create a range where revenue projections are uncertainty. But there is not much of a difference among those valuations. The last scenario analysis performed is the risk premium for both markets, at the very beginning we assumed a 6.5% risk premium, but we also want to get a range of the valuation as the numbers changes. The results are from 2.4 billion to 1.85 billion. Overall, we are confident that the bid would be somewhere between  £1.85 billion to  £2.3 billion. 7. Conclusion For this financial acquisition, we are more opportunistic and thereby looking for value creation based on the assets itself in order not to overvalue the target firm and thus overbidding for the company. In addition, we are looking to expand its presence on the European LBO market. We viewed Yell as a compelling investment opportunity, particularly in light of the company’s growth potential, low valuation and leverage capacity. This deal will leave its mark on the reputations of both PE firms.

Dissecting Beckham essays

Dissecting Beckham essays The movie we are going to dissect is Bend it Like Beckham. There are a plethora of things going in the movie, as far cultural criticism goes. In this paper I would like to talk about a few of those. Access to education, access to wealth, access to knowledge, gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. I want to begin by giving you the general outline of the movie. The movie takes place in Europe; the main characters are Jess and Jewls. Jess is a young India woman who adores the game of futbol, what we in America call soccer. The only problem with that is that her family believes in tradition and expects their children to do the same. On the other hand you have Jewls whose parents or should I say a parent who supports her very much. In this movie you have your typical older sister who is lady like, chases the boys and wants to get married. Then on the other hand you have Jess who is the tom boyish younger sister who loves to play her sport. This is where I like to touch basis on the gender and sexual orientation issues. Jess and Jewls become real good friends and along the lines somewhere, there is this misconception that they are in someway attracted to one another. But, this is hardly the case. Jewls mother is going through a lot of heartache throughout the movie because she believes that Jewls is a lesbian and that her and Jess are dating. So this is the reason why Jewls mom isnt so supportive of Jewls decision to play soccer. The situation with Jess is that her family believes that a woman should be home cooking and cleaning, and making sure that the family is taking care of. Not out playing some sport that is made for men. Theres a point in the movie where Jess and her coach becomes very fond of one another. Jess tells her friend about this and he tells her Jess you cant control who you love you know? And then makes the notion to tell h ...

Child Develpoment in the four stages essays

Child Develpoment in the four stages essays From the day of your babys birth, he already has certain abilities and instinctive reactions. But he has a lot to discover and in his early years the gaps are made good by what he learns from his family- most of all, his mother. He learns with all his senses, but particularly by imitation and experience. Watching a babys body and mind grow is one of the delights of being a parent. At first the baby struggles to recognise the world around him by looking and listening. Then he reaches out to it: as his arms and legs grow strong, he begins to explore. Increasingly during his second and third years his personality reveals itself in the way he tries to control his world with his newly discovered skills. Firstly, physical changes in a child are usually the most obvious and significant developments in a childs growth. During the first 18 months the average child makes considerable gains in height and weight, begins teething, develops sensory distinction and begins to walk and talk. Sensory perception developments rapidly during the first three months of life. Research shows that newborns are capable of auditory and visual contrast. Within three months they can distinguish colour and form; they show a preference for complex and novel stimuli as apposed to simple and familiar stimuli. Newborns perform motor movements, many of which are reflexive. Soon after birth they gain voluntary control of movements. The major stages of locomotion are crawling, creeping and walking. The average infant walks (without support) between 13 and 15 months of age. Normal infants possess neurological systems that detect and store speech sounds, permit reproduction of these sounds and eventually produce language. Infants utter all known speech sounds, but only retain those heard regularly. Word-like sounds occur at 12 months and have meaning at 18 months. Gaining of complex language after 18 months is very rapid. ...

Managing the brand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Managing the brand - Essay Example Once this phase is achieved the brand needs to ensure that the customer appreciates the brand. Finally the customer needs to become familiar with the brand such that it chooses the brand again and again (Chernatony, McDonald & Wallace, 2010, p.452). Perception: Human beings perceive based on their interpretation. According to the concepts of perception, the sense organs of human beings allow them to create interpretations of various situations, other human beings, and objects. Although theoretically it might be true that two individuals observing a same thing have same perception, but in practicality the perceptions might be different. Such perceptions might occur consciously or at times unconsciously (Ott, 2003). Competitive Positioning: Michael Porter’s five forces model explains how the positioning of a brand depends on the five forces. These five forces include the new entrants in the market, the bargaining power of the buyers, bargaining power of the suppliers, the substitutes and the competitors in the industry. These five factors together decide how a brand is positioned in the market as well as in the minds of the consumers with respect to its competitors (Hax, 2009, pp.208-210). Brand: The meaning of a brand can be understood from the perceptions and impressions that get reflected by a company and its products or services. It is the pledge that a company undertakes in order to serve its customers and provide them with their needs and demands. Thus a brand represents a company and a company is known to its customers by the name of the brand that it carries (Brand Definition, 2011). In the current business world of huge competition accompanied by the varying changes in the needs and demands of the customers, it can be understood that the perceptions of the customers are also changing, particularly with newer brands entering the market in greater levels. The competitive positioning also

Human resourse managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Human resourse managment - Essay Example Every human resource has to be integrated in such a way that it can be accommodated by the main strategy of the business. The first level that he proposes is the fit, between the human resource policies and the overall business strategy. Every human resource department has its own policies to which they expect every employee to follow. These policies and rules are the ones that Guest maintains that should be in such a way that they can be accepted by the general business strategy. For example a policy which restricts workers from not working more than 56 hours a week might not be accommodated by a bossiness strategy which intends to complete a given task within a given time frame. Therefore the human resource department would have to adjust the policy so as to fit with the general business strategy. The principle of complementary is his second level that has to be taken by the human resource department in order to have success in the integration. He maintains the employment should be mutual between the employer and the employee in order for integration to be realized between the human resource and the general business strategy. When this is done then quality is increased and the functions of the human resource become coherent. If the terms of employment are not mutual so that one party feels that they are not given what they deserve from the deal then laxity will set in and reduce quality of the work that is done by members of the work force. Third he proposes internalization of the importance of the integration between human resource and the overall business strategy by the line managers. In simple terms it means that he proposes that the line managers are the ones who should be concerned with making sure that every person within the workforce understands fully the importance of integration and appreciate it to their very best. When this is done then the workforce is aware of what is

Napoleon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Napoleon - Essay Example For example, in military affairs, he managed military inventions, which were necessary for the French revolution. This included the use of mass conscription enabling the use of block tactics to enhance attacks in columns. This also helped in the elimination of supply lines enabling the French armies to be mobile (Lyons, 25). History depicts that, before the reign of napoleon, France had undergone revolutionary turmoil for over a decade. Causing instability in the government and increasing incidents of corruption. It is evident that during this period church policies were rare because they triggered inflation. The citizens of France were tired of the situation, and they desired for a stable government that would ensure the stability of their lives. These changes were brought about by napoleons reign because it is his military innovations that helped the French in to secure their government. The success of the military forces established by napoleon helped him to consolidate and hold o n to power. This led to his declaration as the French emperor in the year 1804 (Lyons, 33). Politically it is evident that Napoleon was an active administrator. History depicts that the internal reforms that were put in place by Napoleon helped France in consolidating some achievements during the French revolution, enhancing the suppression of others. ... The political impact during his reign in France is also depicted from his introduction of equality as one of the essential factors in politics. This is because he thought that by introducing the concept, he would have stayed in his position with little threat. This changed the political situation in France because all men were considered equal under his power. Some of his main accomplishments in ensuring equality in the political system are evident from the establishment of Napoleonic civil codes. This made all the men equal, however; the law despised the women because the men maintained their legal powers over the women. This had an impact on the political structure of France because the hopes that the women had towards the revolution as an improvement of their legal positions were frustrated by Napoleon (Lyons, 55). Napoleon is also seen to have made a contribution to the political structure of the French government through his introduction of nationalism. History depicts that he i s one of the French leaders, who believed in nationalism as a tool that would help him obtain the loyalty of the French people during his reign. It is evident that it is this spirit of nationalism that enhanced the inspiration of the armies of the French government enabling the government to attain a remarkable series of victories. These were of enormous benefit to him as he obtained a chance to rise to power. However, this interfered with the political structure of France as it was thought to be a trick that was used, by the leader, to establish a personality cult making the French people identify him with France. This meant that by the citizens being loyal to their country France they were also being loyal to him. It is evident that

Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway Essay Example for Free

Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway Essay Hemingways story Hills Like White Elephants appears on the surface as a brief and unremarkable vignette written almost all in dialogue, with minimal action and an unclear final resolution, the story is actually a watershed of narrative invention and a radical shift from Hemingways usual perspective, as it is most often defined by readers and critics. As Alan Cheuse remarks in his essay Reflections on Dialogue: How Dyuh Get tEighteent Avenoo and Sixty-Sevent Street? American writers, possess an acute ability to create skeins of seemingly natural language that make up a world out of human speech (Cheuse) and also represent a special gift for create entire worlds through dialogue, as is readily manifest in Hills Like White Elephants. Hemingways style of natural language is an elementary base of his technique in Hills Like White Elephants. Another narrative strategy is that he strips away the expository writing or the direct information to the reader which would help the reader to place the action of the story in context. Rather than weigh down the narrative, Hemingway leaves his story lean and bare, primarily relying on conflict-charged dialogue between the storys two main characters. By refusing to included background information or even internal monologue on behalf of the two characters, Hemingway leaves virtually everything, even what is at issue between the girl and the American, for the reader to figure out, and this strategy includes the storys final resolution: whether or not the girl in story opts to have the couples child or whether she chooses as is the mans desire, to have an abortion. The lack of final resolution is notable enough that even critics are left to their own devices to decide what happens to finish the story and conclude the conflict between the two characters. As one scholar commented, the ending has seemed stubbornly indeterminate (Renner); however, the same critic, Renner, has forwarded a compelling theory as to how the resolution of Hills Like White Elephants can be deduced from a careful study of its narrative form, imagery, and symbolism, The conflict in the title: the burden of something unwanted a white elephant merged with the symbol of hills suggesting rich fertility extends throughout the story, forms its basic theme, and functions as an axis on which the changing attitudes and evolving conflict between the characters spins. In order to integrate the various levels of narrative along Renners theoretical lines in order to find the storys true resolution, the piece must be examined from a formal perspective with due note given to its imagery and symbolism a well as the nuances contained in the storys plentiful dialogue, (Renner) which leaves the reader able to deduce that the man in the story has indeed been sensitive to the womans situation. According to Renner, the story takes place in four distinct movements and these movements are the key components to understanding the resolution of the story. Renners distinction of the four movements follows an ascending structure of character development and character conflict: In the first movement we are shown the stereotypical passive female, not even knowing her own mind, accustomed to following a masterful male for her direction in life, the next movement illustrates the girls character development toward a dramatic realization of her own mind-her own welfare, dreams, and values; by the third movement, the girl begins to assert herself, and by the fourth and final movement, we see the result of her development toward self-realization which Renner insists reveals, also, the actual conclusion of the story, (Renner). To extrapolate a probable resolution for the conflict in Hills Like White Elephants it becomes necessary to examine the conflict which lies under the overt abortion-question of the story. If the story is, indeed, about the capitulation of the girl, then her refusal to capitulate is evident form the action of the story. When the girl says Would you please, please, please, please, please, please, please stop talking, her victory is indicated. The abortion will not be performed and the realization of her independence form the man has been attained. In this way, Hemingways story reveals a feminine point of view and a feminine dominance which is usually not associated with his fiction (Renner). Works Cited Cheuse, Alan. Reflections on Dialogue: How Dyuh Get tEighteent Avenoo and Sixty-Sevent Street? . The Antioch Review Spring 2005: 222+. Meyers, Jeffrey, ed. Ernest Hemingway: The Critical Heritage. London: Routledge, 1997. Renner, Stanley. Moving to the Girls Side of Hills like White Elephants. . The Hemingway Review 15. 1 (1995): 27+.

The role of prostitution in urbanization

The role of prostitution in urbanization When it comes down to is this: the grocer, the butcher, the baker, the merchant, the landlord, the druggist, the liquor dealer, the policeman, the doctor, the city father and the politician these are the people who make money out of prostitution, these are the real reapers of the wages of sin. This quote fairly explains that prostitution has been always an integral part of urbanization. More our society has advanced on the path of new technology and fresh cultural values more it has pushed itself to the increasing complexities of life. These complexities have lead to more complicated crimes and violence in the society and have given a new dimension to urbanization. The concept of urbanization and urbanism is quite controversial and has been an issue of debate between prominent Social scientists and Anthropologists. According to Beals, the term urbanization basically refers to the kind of assimilation in which people develop their urban ways of life, while Kinglsey Davis argued this term can be used as an characteristic of a social system (EamesGoode,1977). Further it could be concluded that urbanization has also lead to the study of Urban Anthropology. Anthropologists who were basically interested in study of natives and civilizations in the remote parts of the world shifted their attention to the new dynamics of city lives and the problems related to it (Basham,1978). This shift made the anthropologist to focus more on the unit of urban culture i.e. city. From 20th century onwards cities and its different social systems have been in prime focus of the Anthropologists (Wirth,1938).Definition of City as a whole became a topic of discussion and extensive debates. Wirth cited In the rich literature on the city we look in vain for a theory of urbanism presenting in a systematic fashion the available knowledge concerning the city as a social entity.(Wirth,1938:70). In his theory of urbanism, Wirth also talks about problems and dangers of a city life and how the amalgamation of different social relations and stratus have given rise to the em ergence of crime and violence. Prostitution is also claimed as illegal in different cities of the world though there is a much debate about whether prostitution can be really called as a crime or not (Sithannan,2006). Street prostitution and brothels are largely urban phenomena that are especially widespread in cities with large migrant male population.(Basham,1978:153). Many few countries of the world including India have adopted prostitution as legal. In India there is a huge flow of rural migrants to cities which has lead to lot of urban problems in cities(Singh,1997). Due to this huge rural migration most of the jobs are taken by men, while women are left with no choice but to adopt prostitution as their means of profession (Basham,1978). Cities of India have a huge number of female populations who are following prostitution as their profession. Hectic jobs and glamorous corporate life styles one of the basic features of urbanization has lead to a kind of sex starvation among the urban population(Sithannan,200 6). This has brought the role of prostitutes into limelight and has increased their demand in the society. Prostitution in different cities of India from Early to Modern Prostitution as a business is flourishing in different cities of India. Mumbai, Kolkata, Pune, Banaras, New Delhi and Nagpur are hubs of prostitution in India(Mandelbaum,1970). It is noticed that prostitution as a trend in more favorable in Indian cities rather than in villages (Sithannan,2006). The fact which is quite interesting about Indian prostitution is that from ancient times India has been following a system of prostitution in cities(Sanger,2006). These early cities possess unique characteristics of themselves and cannot be compared to the modern cities of the world (Smith,n.d). These early cities were particularly known as Nagars and were the core units of the important kingdoms from where all the governmental and economic affairs were controlled and regulated. There was a concept of Nagar vadhus or city brides in these early cities of India (Singh,1997). They were basically prostitutes serving the common mans sexual need and desires while kings had their own personal harem. This explains that prostitution as a phenomenon has also been a regular feature in the ancient cities of India. According to Arthashastra a famous ancient Indian manuscript a code of law was laid down on the prostitutes for their proper conduct in public(Sithannan,2006).This proves that prostitution in early cities was controlled and regulated by a proper system of law. Women in early cities of India had no rights on themselves and were basically considered the property of men (Sithannan,2006). Prostitutes acted as gifts of negotiations between kings and nobles in ancient days(Sanger,2006). Even during the British colonization in India, cities such as Kolkata and Mumbai were hubs of prostitution(Levine,2003). Many Indian women were captured and pushed into this profession for the entertainment of British officials and military men (Sanger,2006). The capital city of Goa, Panaji was under Portuguese domination during this time and had a small community of Japanese girls who were basically captured during war and were forced to prostitution by Portuguese officials (Aronowitz,2001). Many historical documents mentions about the dancing girls and the practice of Devdasi i.e. divine prostitution which is still followed in different parts of the countries.(Singh,1997) Prostitution has been a common trait in both the ancient and modern cities of India and is increasing in number with time (Aronowitz,2001).The main reason behind this is basically poverty, social dogmas and different mental and physical oppression on women(Sithannan,2006). The growth of urbanization in modern cities such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Banaras had also increased different kinds of prostitution( Ringdal,1997,2004). According to a survey there are 2.4 million women in Mumbai alone who has adopted prostitution as their profession. Nowadays particular streets and places in the cities are best known for availability of prostitutes there(Sithannan,2006). Places such as Shivdaspur in Banaras, Kalighat in Kolkata, G.B road in New Delhi and Kamathipura in Mumbai are quite famous as red-light areas of India. Prostitution as a profession has become more popular in this cities due to various reason. Women who are not well educated and suffer from acute poverty, this profession provides lot of money to sustain. More over most of the children of these prostitutes are forced to become a prostitute(Mandelbaum,1970). A survey conducted by Human right students in the year 2001 came up with an interesting data which shows that 30% of women in India ado pt prostitution before age of sixteen and are sold to brothels by their parents or guardians for huge ransom of money. Most number of sexworkers can be found in major cities rather than in rural areas(Basham,1978). Cities have more huge market for sex industry. Prostitution in religious cities of India In India there are many cities which are categorized as being religious cities of India. Such cities are basically judged by their functional roles and provide as pilgrimage destinations for Indians(Sengupta,2004). The examples of such cities are Haridwar, Banaras, Tirupathi and Madurai. A different form of prostitution exists in these cities of India. Though these cities are quite conservative in nature but they still have prostitutes working undercover in the society. A very unique kind of prostitution that prevails in Banaras is the widow whose husband had died early and is pushed to state of acute poverty and starvation had no choice left but to adopt prostitution as the only way of surviving(Eck,1982). These activities were carried out in very secretive way. Another kind of prostitutes that existed were called devdasis or jogans who work in temples and generally known as servant of gods(Singh,1997). In an ancient Indian writing Mricchakatika we find a love story between a prostitute and a Brahmin who used to worship in temples. These divine prostitutes are subjected to lot of sexual exploitation by the priests and wealthy individuals of the community(Singh,1997). Though prostitution also existed in the traditional and religious cities of India it was still considered as evil by the people(Sanger,2006). Social and religious constraints are one of the important factors behind the rise of prostitution in these cities of India(Tripathy Pradhan 2003). Hinduism have always considered women as the property of her father or husband or her brother and this is the main reason when these women lose their father or husband o brother they become vulnerable to the society and fall prey to the dark world of prostitution. Prostitution is also the result of religious stigma attached to the Indian women.(Barry,1995) Culture of poverty a reason behind prostitution in Indian cities. Poverty is one of the important key factors behind prostitution which is sometimes also defined as urban crisis (Eames Goode,1977). Anthropologists have done an extensive work on the study of poverty as a culture of urbanization. Oscar Lewis was the first one who focused on the concept of poverty in cities and did a huge work on the culture of poverty(Eames Goode,1977).It is interesting to note that one of the basic trends of study of urban anthropology is to focus on the problems related to urban social life and find means to overcome it. This was argued by Gulick who believed that poverty is not only a important factor in cities but also play a major role in rural areas of the country(Eames Goode,1977).Lewis suggested that poverty is a kind of culture rather than a phenomenon, where people who become poor follow certain way of life and trends which they pass on from one generation to another generation(Lewis,1966). This statement of Lewis was vehemently argued by Judith Goode who believed that there is no such culture of poverty and justifying poverty in a cultural basis is completely unacceptable (Goode,n.d). According to modern anthropologists the study on poverty have not been very full proof because most of the scholars have concentrated themselves in studying the downtrodden segment of the society only, without concentrating much on the sources of the culture of poverty(Basham,1978). This has provided opportunity for the new urban anthropologists to focus more on the sources and reasons behind poverty and also work on other aspects of the society which are caused due to poverty such as crime and prostitution. Poverty has been a very big problem for Indian society and has given birth to lot of health problems and crimes in different cities of India(Basham,1978). Ethnographers has noticed through Participant observations in their research in India that slums in cities are hubs of most of the problems giving rise to gang culture and crimes. These slums ha ve very low income rates, low hygiene and lower rate of education(Eames Goode,1977). It can be very well concluded that illiteracy and poverty together is giving rise to prostitution in different parts of the country. The differences of social status between people in cities are huge and it is this competition for survival that forces women and children to follow the path of prostitution(Barry,1979). This has also lead to a rise in huge number of sex transmitted diseases such as HIV(aids) among people. Many Non Governmental Organizations are working for the betterment of the health of sex workers in the cities and educating them more about the consequences of uncontrolled sex and measures to prevent it(Tripathy Pradhan 2003). Types of prostitution in Indian cities There are different kinds of prostitution that are prevalent in Indian cities. Some examples of this is the custom of Tawaif who are basically singers and dancers but are compelled to sexual activities for entertainment of their customers. There are also Call girls and Bar dancers and singers who fulfills sexual needs of their clients. Brothels in India are generally restricted to certain parts of the cities(Sithannan,2006). Interestingly enough brothels are considered illegal in India while there are not enough measures taken by the government officials to eradicate them(Mandelbaum,1970). This is due to abundance of political corruption which is basic traits of modern cities in India. City is considered as the birth place of political corruption (Basham,1978). Another traditional form of prostitution that had existed in Indian cities from old times is the system of Devdasi(Singh,1997). Many scholars have talked about a period in India where devdasi cult existed for a long time and was quite prominent with the people of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. According to this system girls from some selected and chosen families were donated to the temples of the Hindu gods where they used to serve as maids to the priests and powerful men of the community(Tripathy Pradhan 2003). They also provided them with sexual pleasure in the time of need. In return their families received social prestige and lots of money from these priests and powerful dignitaries. In modern India this system of devdasi has been abolished by the government though it still exists in the prominent cities of Karnataka(Tripathy Pradhan 2003). Poor families still donate their girls to temple in return of good ransom of money. These girls who are proclaimed as devdasis or servants of god are not allowed to get married throughout their lives. This form of Prostitution is actually known as Divine prostitution by many cultures around the world(Singh,1997). Human trafficking and Flesh trade is a major issue that India is facing today(Sithannan,2006). Due to huge form of Human trafficking in important cities of India there has been a growth of new kind of prostitution in India. India is surrounded by some of the countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan who are economically quite backward. Due to which there is a heavy flow of illegal migrants from these countries to the major cities of India. Huge number of women and children are allured and exported from these countries to India in exchange of lot of money. Later they are forced in prostitution by the dealers who have exported them from other countries. This whole system is operated by organized criminal group who benefit a lot out of this exchange and has turned this into an international business. International trafficking is a major issue throughout the world and India is trying its best to curb the problem by improving border securities and keeping check on the immig ration system.(Barry,1995) Another kind of trafficking that is also quite prominent in Indian cities is internal trafficking. In this form of trafficking women and children from the rural areas and poor parts of the country are allured with attractive job offers or kidnapped by men dealing in this kind of trafficking business and send to the cities for becoming prostitutes(Ringdal,1997,2004). In many cases it is also seen that the relatives or family of the girl sell her to these dealers in exchange of good amount of money. Most of the prostitutes in Indian cities who have been interviewed have confessed that they were forced and compelled to prostitution by their families and relatives due to extreme economic deprivation. City is always considered as the point of attraction for the rural people(Basham,1978). Urban ways and rich life styles have always fascinated the dreams of poor peasant girls in the poor villages of India which has been glorified with the colorful Bollywood movies. Many young girls in villages see the dreams to become actresses and come to cities in search of fame and get trapped in the nasty world of prostitution. In recent times a glamorous form of prostitution is taking the centre stage of attraction in rich cities of India like Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Delhi(Sithannan,2006). This kind of prostitution is chosen by girls of middle class families who take up this profession as an easy means to earn a lot of money. Generally these girls t are quite educated in nature and act as escorts to big corporate professionals. One of the basic reasons behind the rise of this kind of prostitution is the corporate life style of men in these cities where they are separated from their spouse and partners for a long span of time which results in the growth of sex starvation among these men(Barry,1995). This thirst for physical needs become more prominent with huge pressure in work and lonely lifestyle which is ultimately quenched by these high profile prostitutes. Of late India is facing huge problem of child prostitution in the cities where it is estimated that more than four lakh children in major cities of india are following prostitution as their profession(Tripathy Pradhan 2003). Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune are hubs of child prostitution in India. This kind of prostitution has become very popular among men in cities who are scared of sexual transmitted diseases and prefer virgins instead of older ones and also because they are cheaper. One of the basic push factors that make these children follow this profession is poverty. Many families in India sell their girl child to temples and brokers in exchange of good sum of money(Tripathy Pradhan 2003). It is also noticed that 99% of girl children of prostitutes follows the profession of their mother. It is sad that how these children of prostitutes take prostitution as their hereditary profession. Mumbai city which has the most number of child prostitutes brought from Nepal. Child prostitution i s a menace to Indian culture and society and is the worst form of child abuse and sexual exploitation(Barry,1995) Male prostitution is also getting prominence in recent times in particular cities of India such as Delhi and Mumbai (Mandelbaum,1970). Though homosexuality is not a crime in India anymore but male prostitution is not so much accepted among common people in India. It is may be due to that stigma which is attached to the concept of masculinity and manhood. Due to which male prostitutes in India face more criticism and harassments from the masses rather than his female counterparts. This kind of prostitution is generally concentrated in big cities of India and is not very popular with the rural parts of the country(Mandelbaum,1970). Urbanization has given birth to different kind of prostitution in India and it has grown more with time and space. It is observed that prostitutes generally have lot of resentments towards society as a whole and also towards their clients(Basham,1978) Prostitution as an Urban culture in India The term prostitution basically refers to an act of sexual intercourse which a woman or a man does in exchange of money(Sanger,2006). A person who does these acts is called prostitute or sex worker. Prostitution is generally known as a very old form of profession followed by women in every culture and civilization. Traces of prostitution have been found in the oldest civilizations of the world such Indus valley and Harappa(Sanger,2006). The oldest cities of India such Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro have remains of statues of dancing girl that were basically claimed as prostitutes by archeologist and social scientist. This proves that prostitution as a way of life has been practiced by the people of India from ancient times. Archeologists have proved that ancient cities such as Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were typically urban in nature and followed a life style of cities. Referring prostitution as an urban culture is an issue of huge debate. Anthropologists have tried to explain the meaning of culture in different ways throughout the century. The word culture that has originated from the Latin word colere which basically means to cultivate.(Erisksen,1995,2001). As Eriksen(1995,2001:4) has cited: Culture refers to the acquired, cognitive and symbolic aspects of existence, whereas society refers to the social organization of human life, patterns of interaction and power relationships. The implication of this analytical distinction, which may seem bewildering, will eventually be evident. The concept of urban culture basically refers to the cultivated ways of urban life which literally means trends and customs which are passed on from one generation to another generation in cities and towns. Generally study of urban anthropology is basically referred as the study of city. There are many attempts to find a proper definition of city. Cities have been defined according to numerous criteria-among them relative size and population density, relation to surrounding territories, and occupational and role differentiation of their inhabitants -but no brief, single definition has been advanced that satisfies all scholars.(Basham,1978:49) Prostitution as an urban culture in India is accepted and challenged by many Indian scholars. All the data and documentaries have proven so far that prostitution has been a part of early cities and modern cities in India. Prostitution is one of the oldest forms of urban trends in cities that have been passed on from one generation to another (Levine,2003). It is very interesting to note that children of these prostitutes tend to become prostitutes too. It is a kind of urban culture that has been always present with the realms of city.(Sanger,2006). The view of prostitution as an urban culture is not extensively defined by anthropologists. It is very hard to say that prostitution is the consequence of urbanization or prostitution has always been a part of urbanization(Basham,1978). Almost 73% of the sexworkers in India stay in city.(Sithannan,2006) The view of prostitution as an urban culture have been argued by many anthropologists who believe that prostitution is not a urban phenomenon alone and can be found in all the rural areas of India(Singh,1997). Considering prostitution as culture is not justifiable because this is not accepted and acknowledged by all the people of the city as a whole(Barry,1995). The view that has been presented against the view of prostitution as an urban culture basically advocated prostitution as a menace to society rather than a culture which everybody likes to follow. The most fascinating fact about prostitution is that though it is rejected and discarded by every section of society it has always existed as an integral part of the society. It is noticed that prostitutes bear lot of resentment against the society and people as a whole. They believe that it is the society who compels them to follow the profession and it is the society as a whole that humiliates them the most(Tripathy Pradhan,2003) . Prostitution as a necessary evil in the cities: In the western society prostitution is considered as a necessary evil which view is very much accepted in Indian cities as well. Ironically enough no religion and culture of India support prostitution but they try to give different names to it to justify their attitude towards prostitution such as Noshto Meye or the spoiled girl(Sithannan,2006). There are lots of families in cities who take the help of the prostitutes to act as surrogate mother to their child. There had been lot of official documents proving that couples who are unable to have a child take the help of a prostitute to bear their child for them in exchange of some money. Prostitutes are not only instrument of sex sale in the cities but also used as an instrument of womb sale(Barry,1995). According to Indian tradition men are considered polygamous by nature while women are considered monogamous(Singh,1997). From the cultural context Indian men think that they are more sexually driven than Indian women. This at an extent is used for justifying their attitude for having sex with more number of women rather than their wives, girlfriends or lovers. It is true that prostitutes can be also proclaimed as a savior to all those girls who are virgin and honest. Virginity before marriage is an important concept in India and if prostitution would not have existed then these honest and virgin girls would have fallen prey to these sex starved men.(Sithannan,2006). There would have been huge amount of rapes in every part of the country and women would not have been as safe as they are now in Indian cities. By fulfilling the sexual desires of these sex starved men prostitutes are actually saving the city from lot of hideous crimes that could have been committed if prostitution would not have existed. Prostitution is that kind of institution which is also teaching people to be aware of their health and consequences of uncontrolled sexual desires could be quite harmful for ones health(Levine,2003). Moreover destitute girls and infants who are left over on streets of the city and have to face daily humiliations from the city dwellers as well as police recourse themselves to this profession of prostitution. It not only provides them with food but also provides those shelters and power to earn money(Tripathy Pradhan,2003). In such circumstances prostitution becomes a good means to have good life and earn a good amount of money. Conclusion In this essay I have tried to talk about prostitution and prostitutes in the context of cities in India. There are different kinds of prostitution in India which has been part of Indian culture from time immemorial now. Indian tradition has always supported prostitution indirectly through different forms of prostitution such as divine prostitutions like devadasi and jogans. Prostitution in different ways has entered the core of city life in India and is increasing with time. I had also focused elaborately about the prostitution that exists in different religious cities of India. I really believe that prostitution in cities is not bad or harmful if it is controlled and checked properly by the government and proper measures are adopted against any economic exploitation of these prostitutes. It is noticed that most of these prostitutes staying in city brothels are economically indebt to the owner of the brothel for food clothing and shelter they get from the brothel owners which they sometimes are not able to pay back throughout their lives. Major reason behind this is prostitutes who work in brothels in these big cities are basically underpaid and are in constant economic crisis. It is also true that the most of the prostitutes in these brothels are suffering from sex transmitted diseases. According to some official records it has also been proven that sexual harassments by police and some inconsiderate government officials on girls who live on streets of these cities have also given rise to prostitution in India. It is a shame that how policemen who are employed by the government for the security of men and women of the city becomes the sexual exploiters themselves. As a woman the fact that haunts me is that human trafficking is becoming major issue throughout the world and Indian cities are targeted for these kinds of illegal migrations and dealings on the flesh trade. Major Indian cities are also witnessing huge amount of corruption which has reached in the inner roots of the society and is helping in the development of new form of crimes in the society and is also adding fuel to the organized crime in cities. Rural migration in cities is increasing more number of prostitution in India. Poor villagers see city as the place where all their dreams of luxury and happy life will come true and this lead them to city in search of jobs and fame. Mumbai film industry is very reputed throughout the world and is known as the famous Bollywood, it is also due to this reason that Mumbai is known as the city of dreams by many people. Many girls from villages come to this city everyday in search of fame in Bollywood and get trapped in the dark rooms of brothels. In ancient times women were treated as commodity in India. She was the treasured property of her father before marriage and belonged to her husband after marriage. This cultural concept still exists in many parts of India and plays a big role in determining womens position in the modern society. It is this cultural and social doctrine that sometimes becomes the main reason behind prostitution. The most interesting fact about prostitution is that though people like to call it as an evil it has still being accepted by every parts of the society and by every culture of the world. The facts that prostitution is really a necessary evil for urban life is accepted my many scholars around the world and I too believe that prostitution really play a very important social role in our community. In this essay I have tried to draw attention to the fact that many urban anthropologists have also tried to look, which is basically considering prostitution as part of urban culture. The amalgamation of urban culture and prostitution is quite interesting and can provide a good framework for detailed urban research in future. Though there are challenges which should not be neglected but considering prostitution as a culture in urban context can open a new dimension of study in urban anthropology. Lastly I have tried to define and analyze prostitution in the context of Indian cities alone and have generally focused on prostitution in India. Prostitution in other cities of the world still remains much of a mystery and gives place where urban ethnographers can try to have their future research. In this essay I had tried to introduce my academic audiences with the different prostitutions in Indian cities and their links to Indian culture and history with little bit glimpses of social problems that exist in the cities of India such as poverty and corruption.I have also tried to explain the inherent concept on prostitution by society as whole an and had also tried to justify reason behind such notions. Altogether I have dealt prostitution as an urban phenomenon and how it had affected the city and its attributes in India throughout the century. The future of Prostitution in India The future of prostitution in Indian cities according to me can be quite good if they are kept under good check by the government and if some moral duties and rights are imposed on the prostitutes making them aware of the social and moral values so that they dont act as an instrument responsible for broken marriages and families. Moreover I believe that Indian government should start working more effectively in curbing political corruption and poverty around the country which have given birth too many other social problems in the society.