Tata Nano †a Study on Business Challenges in India

TATA NANO – A STUDY ON BUSINESS CHALLENGES IN  INDIA Introduction Tata Nano, pet project of the chairman of the Tata Group Mr. Ratan Tata was a car which was expected to change the face of automobile sector in India. In the highly competitive small-car market of India, Tata Nano promised to set the bar so high that it would become extremely difficult for the competitors to match. The dream of owning a car for as little as Rupees 1 lakh (Rs. 100,000 – roughly USD2500) was too tempting for millions of Indians who cannot afford even a small car.The kind of extensive media coverage Tata Nano received right from the day it was announced through the entire period until the first units were handed over to the owners was something that its competitors dreamed of. However, after two years of launch, the Tata Nano manufacturing plant at Sanand in Gujrat, India is running at around 20% utilization. People’s Car- It is a common sight in india to see an entire family of fou r travelling on a two-wheeler in heavy traffic and bad road conditions all through the year. Car Ownership across countries – Present and FutureAs can be seen from the IMF report above, car ownership in India is expected to grow exponentially in the coming decades. India’s Growth in GDP Per Capita Combining the predictions about car ownership in India with the growth in GDP per Capita in India, we can clearly see why the automobile sector, especially the small car market is one of the most competitive sectors in India at present. In a market like this, a car like Tata Nano had the potential to sell like hot cakes. But it didn’t. Let us now try and understand why Tata Nano was not able to meet industry expectations. Reasons for SetbacksTata Nano (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Too Many Crises – Since its launch with great fanfare in 2009, the Nano has survived from one crisis to another. There was opposition to Tata’s original plans to site the factory in West Bengal, as discussed later, forcing a last-minute scramble to switch the site to Sanand. It opened last summer, but not enough cars came off the production line to fulfill the early orders. To make matter worse, a few cars catching fire on road, raising fears about the Nano’s safety. Price –Nano’s price, which was supposed to be its USP, is apparently one of the major reasons behind its low sales.For majority of Indians, owning a car is not about utility or mobility; it is a dream, ambition and status symbol; just like a house. So, the low price of Nano does not turn it into an asset. It becomes more like a commodity. Also, the initial marketing and promotion of Nano gave the average consumer the idea that owning a Nano would somehow be a confirmation of their poverty, and not a way to get out of it. Ironically, a big number of Nano’s buyers buy Nano as their second or third car after already owning another car. This segment is not the segment initi ally targeted by Tata.Resale-The re-sale car market gives stiff competition to the Nano. A 3-4 year old used car originally costing 3-4 lakh in on-road price (like Chevrolet Spark and Maruti Alto) can pose a stiff challenge to Nano given the relative price-parity that emerges when it comes to re-sale. For instance, Nano’s Mumbai on-road price for Std BSIII model pegged at 1. 51 lakhs is a few walks away from the Rs. 2 lakh plus used-car-version ‘Spark’. People, who may go for the advanced model Nano Cx BSIII, may consider opting for ‘Spark’ or ‘Alto’ given that the said Nano model costs around 1. 2 lakh rupees. In fact, Nano seems to have failed to pose a challenge to the market players in this re-sale car niche segment. Needless to say, there is not much value extracted from a Nano upon resale either. Rescuing Nano – To improve Nano’s market performance, Tata motors is trying to expand to other regions searching new market s for Nano. Given its modular design, Nano can be assembled and manufactured in practically everywhere on the planet. Hence, Tata is looking at SAARC nations, Latin America and other regions, where the economic conditions are similar to India.Also, Tata is contemplating coming up with Nano electric models and even a Nano diesel version After suffering setbacks with the initial market response, Tata Motors hired Carl-Peter Forster, a former boss of General Motors Europe as head of Tata Motors in February 2010. After taking charge, Forster realized that he will have to reinvent the Nano business model. There was no real national distribution scheme, very little marketing and advertising, and no effective system of consumer finance. The irony was that many rural Indians never got to hear bout or have the opportunity to see the car that was supposed to help transform their lives. Issues with Nano The Nano’s marketing problems began with its product positioning. The price crept up by around 15%, putting it out of the reach of first-time buyers with no regular employment or payslips to back an application for credit. And by emphasising its cheapness rather than its basic but appealing qualities, it deterred slightly better-off consumers who could afford one but aspired to more sophisticated vehicles, such as those from Tata’s biggest rival, Maruti, the leader in India’s small-car market.Political Controversies – Nine months after the Tata Nano was unveiled to much fanfare, and with only weeks before the first car was scheduled to roll off the assembly line, Tata announced it was pulling out of West Bengal where work was near complete on the assembly plant. Company Chairman Ratan Tata noted that Tata Motors had already invested 15b rupees (US$343m) in the small car project. But they had forgotten a vital detail which is a must for big investors looking to start big-idea investments on land owned by poor, mostly illiterate peasants in devel oping countries.At the bottom of the Singur peasant resistance was the need for a land reform that enables peasants to have real choices on whether to continue farming or do something else. For Tata Nano, the government of West Bengal persuaded more than 10,000 peasants in Singur to accept compensation for 1000 acres of farmland on which the Nano plant would be built. However, almost right from the start, as many as 2000 peasants refused the compensation, and demanded their land back. Farmers complained that the state communist government forcibly took their land to give to Tata.With the help of the opposition parties, peasants opposed to the land acquisition filed petitions in court. In January, a Calcutta High Court threw out all the complaints, ruling that there was â€Å"no violation of the Land Acquisition Act or any other regulation† by the West Bengal government in acquiring the land. But never ever underestimate the tenacity of angry peasants. When legal avenues were shut, Singur peasants took to the streets, organising daily protests and roughing up workers employed of the Nano factory.As the protesters grew more menacing, Ratan Tata was forced to acknowledge the possibility of never seeing a single Nano roll off the plant in Singur. While Tata was contemplating the future of his pet project, ad one of the most audacious projects in the history of Tata Motors, Narendra Modi – the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Gujrat approached him and promised to provide all support needed for Tata to move the plant form Singur to Sanand. Finally, Tata decided to move to Sanand and the first Nano rolled off the assembly lines at Sanand soon after.Yet, even as it managed to relocate and hit the market with slight delay, Tata needs to reflect on what happened in Singur to avoid running into the same problem elsewhere. Part of the problem was lack of clear and transparent negotiation between peasant representatives, Tata and the government of West B engal. Although the West Bengal government gave peasants compensation package that was way above the going rate, the lingering perception among the peasant was that a huge chunk of the money was creamed off by corrupt government officials.To avoid this perception, true or false, Tata should have negotiated directly with peasants, by-passing the West Bengal government. Secondly, even as Tata boasted of an initial start-up of 250,000 Nanos from the Singur plant, providing thousands of jobs to residents, it failed to make Singur residents take ownership of the plant. To the people of Singur, wealthy Tata was coming to grab their land to make billions of dollars for itself. Nano on Fire –  To make matters worse, three Nanos have caught fire because of some reason or the other since its launch raising serious questions about its safety and severely damaging its Brand Equity.Though Tata Motors has not commented on the reasons behind the fires, there has been strong word-of-mouth negative publicity towards the car. Recommendations Tata Nano has been a very interesting case about studying business in India and other emerging markets. It has seen some very interesting highs and lows which are unique to the Indian market. However, following recommendations can be made: 1. Clean up the Brand Image – Nano first of all needs to re-establish itself as a credible brand. This might be the hardest thing to do given the beating the brand image has taken because of the fires.Nano would need to aggressively work on its PR and show how the accidents are not because of flaws in Nano’s design but because of some unfortunate external factors. 2. Define a clear Marketing Strategy – Nano needs to have marketing strategies to target its real consumer segment which is the masses of India and showcase the Nano as an aspirational product for them instead of coming across as an accessory for the rich. 3. Focus on Other Countries – Export Nano to Indonesi a, Eastern Europe and also Brazil as well as Southeast Asia where it can be sold without the bad name it has earned in India. . Use Shareholder base of Tata – Tata Motors have a shareholder base of around 350,000 right now. It could be utilized to boost Nano sales through discounts etc. 5. Rework on Pricing – when Nano started, a major challenge was to prove whether it was possible to manufacture a car which can be sold at the price of Rs. 1 lakh. That point has been proven. The real challenge now is creating profitable car business. If Tata starts pricing its Nano in a range where it is more cost-effective, it would first, reduce the losses Tata incurs per car, as well as give the brand a facelift.

How to Write a Brand Positioning Statement Essay

The Power of 3 Words First words on the subjects goes to Branding expert and author Jack Trout who advocates the simplest brand positioning strategy possible. He believes that the best and most successful brands occupy very specific positions in consumers minds, and those positions can be translated into a brand positioning statement of no more than three words. He wrote a post on Branding Strategy Insider where he said: â€Å"I have never seen a great brand positioning strategy that needed more than three words to define the brand. Any more than that and the probability of achieving any kind of impact on the market turns almost immediately to zero. â€Å"Great branding focuses on the two or three things that mark the brand out as different. Great positioning always consists of unexpected words born from research, forged through heritage, and destined to differentiate. I cannot tell you what those words should be, but I can tell you that if you are claiming ‘innovation’ or ‘excellence’ in your positioning, you will achieve the opposite.† The trick is creating a brand positioning statement that accurately encompasses your brand within three words (or as close to that as you can get). Think of it this way, consumers don’t have the time, patience, or desire to sift through cluttered messages to get to the meat of the matter. If your brand position isn’t clear, concise, and believable, it will have no chance of snatching a space in consumers’ minds for more than a nanosecond. Your brand positioning strategy has to set the focus and direction of your brand in a way that is instantly meaningful to consumers. You may be familiar with Jact Trout’s work which amplifies the above alongwith his ex partner Al Ries. Check them out for more details and examples. While their work is strategic, practitioners need to follow a template which spells out the different elements that need to be included. We look at two approaches which are typical. If you examine closely the variations between them are slight 1. According to Gavin Robertson, Brand Positioning Statements provide the most useful function of Taking everything you know about your brand, Everything that could be said about the consumer Making choices to pick one target that you’ll serve One brand promise you will stand behind. The Brand Positioning Statement A best in class positioning statement has four key elements: Target Market (a) Definition of the market you play in (b) Brand Promise (emotional or rational benefit) (c) The Reason to Believe (RTB) the brand promise (d) The more focused your decisions, the more successful you will be: decide on one target, one promise and maybe one or two reasons to believe that help to directly back up your promise. But the target shouldn’t be everyone 18-65, and don’t throw your eight best features at the wall and hopefully something sticks. And the reason to believe has to back up your promise, not be a whole new promise. The classic way to write a Brand Positioning Statement is to take the elements above and frame them into the following: For the target market (a) Brand X plays in the market (b) and it gives the main benefit (c). That’s because of the following reasons to believe (d). 2. On the other hand Brad Van Auken says the brand position or brand positioning is how the brand is perceived in the context of competitive alternatives in the mind. When we develop Brand Positioning Statements we include the 5 elements below for each positioning statement. A Target Customer Definition, Brand Essence (Mantra), Brand Promise (Unique Value Proposition), Brand Archetype and Brand Personality, These 5 elements give the intended Brand Position greater depth. Brand Essence It is the â€Å"heart and soul† of the brand, its timeless quality, expressed as â€Å"adjective, adjective, noun.† Some people refer to the brand essence as the brand mantra, while for others the brand’s mantra is synonymous with the brand’s tagline or slogan. Brand Brand Essence (Adjective1, Adjective2, Noun) Disney Fun family entertainment Nike Authentic athletic performance Starbucks Rewarding everyday moments The Brand Promise / Unique Value Proposition: Only [name of brand] Delivers [unique and compelling benefit or shared value] To [target customer description] In the [product or service category] (establishing the competitive â€Å"frame of reference†) In the context of [market condition or trend that makes the benefit or value even more compelling] Because [proof points or â€Å"reasons to believe†] Focuses on the one or two key points of difference between the brand in question and other brands. Typically, these points of difference are brand benefits, benefits that are relevant, unique, compelling and believable for the brand in question. Brands typically focus on only one or two benefits and research has shown that people can’t link more than that number of benefits to a given brand in their minds. The first or most important benefit is sometimes referred to as the primary brand benefit. Example: The unique value proposition for Volvo is â€Å"safety.† As a brand promise, it could be expressed as â€Å"Only Volvo assures a safe ride to parents who care about their children’s safety.† One usually talks about attributes associated with products. Generally, with brands, people focus on benefits or values. Brand benefits can be functional, emotional, experiential or self-expressive. Through market research, one can identify the path from attributes to benefits to values to self-esteem in customers’ minds. This process is called laddering. A self-expressive benefit of the Mercedes brand is that it communicates that I have status and money. Brand  associations are anything that people link or associate with the brand in their minds. For example, people associate gambling and other vices with the Las Vegas, Nevada brand. The Brand Personality It is the composite of different brand personality elements. Focus on 7 to 12 brand personality elements for each brand. A brand personality element is usually expressed as an adjective. The purpose of brand personality attributes is to help personify the brand and to give it a distinctive â€Å"brand voice. Brand personality elements include the following: Trustworthy, Innovative, Reliable, Friendly, Rugged, Wholesome, etc. The Brand Archetype It is the underlying archetype that implies the driving force or motivation behind the brand. Combined with the brand personality, the brand archetype gives a brand a more human feel. Brand archetypes include The Pioneer, The Wizard, The Scientist, The Sage and The Artist. Other important terms to consider Brand Trigger is a term used mostly in Europe. It refers to anything that is associated with the brand that causes people to think about the brand. It elicits brand recall. Some people refer to a brand trigger as a Brand Mnemonic Device. So, most Brand Identity Elements (name, tagline, logo, jingle, etc.) are or can be Brand Triggers. We also talk about Brand Insistence Drivers. These five drive customers from being aware of the brand to preferring the brand to being loyal to the brand to insisting on the brand accepting no substitutes. 1. Awareness, 2. Relevant Differentiation, 3. Value, 4. Accessibility 5. Emotional Connection In the Brand Positioning process it’s important to evaluate the market and  your target customers — those that are most important to the future of your brand. With this understanding, continue to re-visit your positioning and tighten the focus.

On the Waterfront Essay

â€Å"Anybody who sits around and lets it happen and keeps silent about something that knows that happened, shares the guilt.† On the Waterfront demonstrates that evil prospers when good men do nothing. Do you agree? Elia Kazan’s black and white film, On the Waterfront, reveals that unrelenting evil and corruption can overwhelm a community, but there are those who have â€Å"the gift of standing up† in the face of injustice. Terry Malloy, the film’s protagonist, is a seemingly morally weak henchman of Johnny Friendly however he is guided on the path to moral awareness after forming positive relationships. Charley Malloy, Terry’s brother, is a prime example of how power can corrupt can individual, though he is forced to reassess his behaviour when faced with the truth. However, the longshoremen’s failure to act out against Johnny Friendly’s control over the waterfront exemplifies how evil can prevail when there is a lack of action to combat the issue of corruption. Terry Malloy, a former boxer, makes the journey from being a character who is motivated by self-preservation to one who possesses an understanding of greater moral truth. He is initially depicted as a person who lives by the code of â€Å"standing with the right people so you have a little bit of change jinglin’ in your pocket†. Like many of the other longshoremen, he understands the importance of loyalty and adheres to the code of â€Å"D ‘n’ D†. Although he is uncomfortable with the role he played in the murder of Joey Doyle, he is aware of the potential repercussions of defying Johnny Friendly. However, once he starts a relationship with Edie Doyle, his view of â€Å"do it before he does it to you† is challenged. Terry begins to empowers himself with Edie’s principles upon trying on her white glove which emphasizes Terry’s slow transition from moral ambivalence towards a more morally righteous path. Later in the film, Terry we ars Joey’s jacket, a symbol of acting in accordance with the demands of one’s conscience, and vows to testify in the trial against Johnny Friendly. Furthermore, Terry’s mission for justice is illustrated when he says, â€Å"I’m gonna go down there and get my rights† confirms the influence that Edie has had on him. His transformation from being a morally weak character who struggles against his conscience, his triumph in defeating Johnny reveals how that evil can easily be eradicated through the course of action and justice. Charley Malloy presents an example of how the desire for power can inevitably lead to corruption; he manages to achieve redemption through him in releasing Terry and protecting him from the wrath of Johnny Friendly. Due to Charley’s harsh upbringing in the grim environment of the waterfront, he is a person who is motivated by money and seeks out relationships for financial benefits. He encourages Terry not to testify and instead accept a more prestigious job offer in where Terry would not â€Å"have to lift a finger†. However, after Terry blames his brother for taking away his opportunities – â€Å"I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum†¦ it was you, Charley† – Charley is forced to reassess his priorities over the last past few years. He manages to redeem himself when he tells Terry that he would tell Johnny that he will â€Å"tell him that I couldn’t bring you in† as an apology for not â€Å"look[ing ] out† for Terry. Charley is aware of the consequences that his choice will bring and the danger that he is placing himself in, but through his acknowledgement of how he prevented his brother from having the chance to be successful, he achieves the ultimate redemption in where he is crucified for his choice to let Terry go. Charley’s death reinforces the notion that although through corruption and injustice provided Charley with opportunities to make a success out of himself, it is by taking a stand in the face of inequality and redeeming yourself for your past wrongdoing which allows goodness to prevail. Despite Terry and Charley’s stand in the face of injustice, a majority of the workers on the docks exemplify the very notion that profound immorality and wicked deeds will dominate when there is a lack of action taken. Even when Joey is found dead at the hands of Johnny Friendly’s men, a majority of the waterfront workers still continue to submit to the will of Johnny Friendly and his henchmen, including Joey’s own father, Pop. Even Pop Doyle’s son’s death does not dissuade him to stray away from the code of â€Å"deaf and dumb† – instead Pop chooses to bemoan that Joey did not listen to his advice about remaining silent. The arrival of the Waterfront Crime Commission investigating Joey’s death is met with resistance signifying their powerlessness against the corrupt world of the docks. During the  congregation meeting at the church, which comprised of Father Barry and the longshoremen, many of the longshoremen refuse to speak out against the mob, which reveals how fearful they are of standing up for themselves. Father Barry is informed of the code of â€Å"D and D† and that â€Å"no matter how much we hate the torpedoes, we don’t rat†. The silence of the waterfront workers in the face of the crime and corruption infiltrating the longshoremen worker unions display how by through the idleness of the workers unwilling to speak out against injustice, it is easy for depravity and wrongdoing to run rampant when there is silence. The notion that corruption and wrongdoing is rampant when there is inaction from bystanders is reinforced in Elia Kazan’s film, On the Waterfront. However, there are those who have the moral strength to assert their beliefs in the face of injustice, which is evident through the character of Terry. Terry makes the dramatic transformation from being a morally troubled man who lives by a code of self-preservation and is afraid to cause trouble, into a person who embarks on a more morally righteous path, guided by Edie. His brother, Charley, has always seeked out relationships for the comforts and benefits it offers him, thus being a prime example of how power can lead to corruption. However, like Terry, Charley manages to achieve a state of redemption by acknowledging his wrongdoings. Charley and Terry exemplify how although evil is evident in the film, it can be eradicated through the course of action and injustice. However, the inaction of the longshoremen in the face of immora lity and their adherence to the code of deaf and dumb emphasise the very notion that corruption and wrongdoing will always exist, when people stand idly by when something is wrong.

Sociology. Describe and evaluate the influence of CLASS on life Essay

Sociology. Describe and evaluate the influence of CLASS on life chances in Britain - Essay Example Class analysis can be broadly defined as ‘the empirical investigation of the consequences and corollaries of the existence of a class structure defined ex-ante† (Breen & Rottman, 1995, 453). Based on a definition, the sociologist then finds out the extent to which differences in life style and life chances amongst individuals are formatted according to the class structure, as is perceived within the concerned society. Life chances within a social stratification are dependent on many external factors. These are: â€Å"health, income and wealth; education; life expectancy; infant mortality; housing; consumer goods ownership; access to leisure† (Sociology intermediate 1 and 2, 2006, 16). The presence of classes within the UK social structure was brought into prominence in 1980, after the publication of the Black Report, which showed that there were large differences in the mortality rates amongst the British working classes. It highlighted the fact that inequalities within the UK social structure were very much present. The report dispersed the myth, and the utopian feeling that was so prevalent amongst the pre-80s British mindset, which believed that UK was moving towards becoming an egalitarian society, where class divisions and inequalities based on socio-economic factors did not play much role. In this article I will take up this concept of ‘class’ and examine it from various perspectives (social theories), while analysing the various common notions and annotations associated with the term class. The outward manifestation of the disparity in social classes, like the ‘economic standing (wealth and income), prestige, and power’ will be di scussed, along with the various factors that come under the purview of life chances, which are dependent on this ‘class’ aspect; all the time keeping in view and focussing on the social conditions of UK, as is prevalent in today’s context. What is

Karl Marx's Ideas About Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Karl Marx's Ideas About Religion - Essay Example The writings of Karl Marx are still recognized today as the foundation of socialist thought. In his 1948 Communist Manifesto, he decried the imbalance of the power between the people and the economic ‘powers that be’ which included the religious establishment. Marx’s views on religion emanated, as do most persons, from his experiences early on in life. This discussion presents an overview of Marx’s childhood and early adult influences which served to shape his religious ideology, describes then critiques this philosophy. Marx was born in Germany in 1818 to Jewish parents and raised in a middle-class environment. His father, though a devout Jew, was forced to either become baptized as a member of the Protestant religion or lose his job as a respected lawyer. German’s long-standing mistrust and hatred of the Jews began long before the Nazi regime took control in the 1930’s. In 1835, Marx entered the University of Bonn where he met his future wife, Jenny von Westphalen whose father, socialite Baron von Westphalen, piqued Marx’s interest in romantic literature.

Research Lifetime Appointment of Federal Judges Essay

Research Lifetime Appointment of Federal Judges - Essay Example On the other hand, they can decide on their own to resign or retire whenever they feel the need to do so. The security of tenure provided for by article 3 of the constitution, was informed by the need to ensure that the judiciary is independent and free from political interference (Federal Judicial Center n.d). It goes without saying that if the judges were subjected to a situation whereby the appointing authority has the capacity to terminate their employment at will, it would be extremely difficult for them to dispense justice without favoritism. This is especially when they are called to make judgment on matters that have a political dimension and where the issues are touching on the party affiliated to the appointing authority. In this context, they would be easily compelled to rule in favor of their boss’s interests so as to avoid being removed from office. The dilemma in making such a decision is that in a democratic society such as the US, the opposition may come to win elections in the future to form the government and if the leaders have had problems with some of the judicial officers, they may take this opportunity to remove them and replace them with friendlier ones. Security of tenure ensures that these judges are not affected by such a change, which has the capacity to ruin their lives especially from the financial perspective. In addition, it is a well known fact that experience in any field of service is acquired through long time participation. Opponents of lifetime employment of federal judges argue that having a limited term creates opportunity for introducing new members, probably younger, to the judiciary, who have the capacity to bring new and fresh ideas, which would help build more jurisprudence as they would be more conversant with current trends and issues affecting the society (Carpenter 73). In this context, the opponents insinuate that judges, who have served for a long time, for example 20 years, may tend to take a conservati ve approach, while interpreting the law, to issues brought before them. On the contrary, being old does not necessarily mean that one loses his or her cognitive abilities and therefore is no reason for one to be discriminated in the work place. They still have the potential to serve the people, who really need their expertise and experience in law. On the other hand, it does not escape the minds of opponents that old age inhibits timely delivery of services as aged people tend to succumb to fatigue at a faster rate than young people. In the judiciary, the consequence of this fatigue is an impediment to justice as it may result to backlog of cases in the courts. Mental debilitation and dementia also becomes an obstacle for a person to think or remember important aspects of law, which may lead to the making of irrelevant judgments (Federal Judicial Center n.d). For example, Justice William Douglas of the Supreme Court failed to acknowledge his inability to make healthy contributions a fter he suffered a debilitating stroke and anosognosia in 1975, even after his colleagues on the bench voted to bar him from participating and disqualifying any decisions he made (Carpenter 36). This shows that life tenure of office by judges gives

Mitchell v Glasgow City Council Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 24

Mitchell v Glasgow City Council Case - Essay Example Unfortunate facts are common with most of the leading cases, especially based on the delict law. This is particularly true as seen in Mitchell v Glasgow City Council case. James Mitchell is a tenant under the housing local authority has a neighbor by the name Drummond James. Drummond becomes an antisocial neighbor, who ends up a total threat to Mr. Mitchell James. In December 1994, a conflict arose between Mitchell and Drummond due to issues of noise. At this point, Drummond went ahead to bang Mr., Mitchells door using an iron bar and also had the windows of the house smashed. This was the beginning of Mitchell’s horror with Drummond, who openly insulted him and at the same time issued threats to have him dead. James Mitchell suffered an attack from James Drummond. Mitchell suffered injuries that were severe enough to cause his death. The verbal abuses went on for a period of 6 Â ½ years. (ROBERT, 2009). He later killed him in 2001. It is at this point that the council of Glasgow took an initiative to have eviction proceeds against Drummond. Just before, the assault, Drummond got a summon from the council. It was then that he went back and committed the crime which took away Mitchell's life. Mitchell’s daughter together with her mum, Mitchell’s wife filed a case against the Glasgow council for negligence that resulted in the loss of Mr. Mitchell. The law does not impose a duty that is positive to have someone protect other people; and duty to have a person prevented from any form of harm emanating from any form of criminality on the basis of foreseeing its possibility. On the contrary, the harm that is foreseen is in it is not weighty enough to have the duty of care imposition. Therefore, this acted in the disfavor of Mitchell’s family. Ratio refers to reasons given to arrive at a certain decision. They offer a binding precedent that is to say that the courts under in terms of the hierarchy structure, have to follow the same in case a similar case arises and the same presented to them.

Merger and Acquisition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Merger and Acquisition - Essay Example Johnson & Johnson, on the other hand, is one of the biggest names in the healthcare industry, serving customers around the globe with its baby care products, medical devices, medicines, body nutrition and other day to day consumer products (Jnj.com, 2013). The announcement by Johnson & Johnson had created waves in corporate world; firstly, this marked the biggest acquisition in this industry, and secondly it had multiple-fold effects disturbing many organizations within and outside the industry. Strategic Justification Johnson & Johnson was observed to be laying great emphasis on healthcare sector in recent years, and wanted to shift its focus from consumer products to healthcare products. Thus, in the words of CEO of Johnson & Johnson, acquisition of Synthes was all part of the big plan for Johnson & Johnson: becoming most wide-range orthopedics and neurological business, serving customers worldwide in medical industry. This has enabled Johnson & Johnson to be the absolute provider of all related services in supply chain of orthopedics with a comprehensive coverage for all kinds of products and services. Synthes makes substantial profits in developing markets and third world nations. Therefore, the acquisition decision was in line with Johnson & Johnson’s long-term strategy to promote well being of public, especially in underdeveloped and developing areas, through innovative and healthier products, putting the company in a stronger position than before. It also provided benefits of economies of scale, synergy and bulk buying to the group as they were engaged in similar businesses and therefore idle capacities and resources could now be better utilized, leading to efficient or full employment of factors of production and fall in unit costs as fixed costs were spread over larger number of units being produced (invertor.jnj.com, 2012). Regulatory implications When deciding on acquisition of Synthes, Johnson & Johnson had to consider all legal complications involved; one of them being prohibition of simultaneous holdings in Synthes and DePuy orthopedics subsidiary. Johnson & Johnson and Synthes have been direct competitors in certain sectors of medical equipment and surgical treatment goods and therefore, Federal Trade Commission intervened to protect public interests (reuters.com, 2012). Antitrust regulations governed by the European Union and U.S. regulators were required to be satisfied and complied with to make due diligence effective. Consequently, it had to divest its stakes from DePuy in order to be able to make acquisition of Synthes legally possible. It accepted offer from Biomet, a company involved in surgical products and instruments to sell the subsidiary for $280 million, receivable in cash (Nj.com, 2013). On part of Synthes, there were past accusations regarding one of its business units, Norian, of conducting trials to promote its product without permission of relevant authorities. The company ended up paying a penalty and damages to another company, amounting to $22 million. It agreed to dispose of its unit which committed offence previously at its acquisition date (Bloomberg, 2013). Apart from mentioned implications, it was very vital to account for the deferred taxation repercussions involved in due diligence activities, including consideration of accumulated tax losses and deferred tax assets that could be utilized for tax avoidance tactics.

Domestic violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Domestic violence - Essay Example It is important to note that there has been a wide spread outcry from the public as well as the leaders on the status of domestic violence in the societies. The trend of the domestic violence in the homes has also been noted to be on the increase. On the contrary, there have been significantly little measures that have been put forward for the management of the cases. The program will have its aims at encouraging the present two-way police training awareness. This will be carried out in conjunction with the on-going debates on the. Subsequently, there exist four on-going projects on the PAHT projects across the state. The program shall be developed with regard to the current finding on the various studies that have been carried out. Some of the studies that shall be taken into consideration are like the Domestic Violence as observed in the child protection systems. Domestic Violence actions and resources and also the Aboriginal as well as the Torres straits islander women’s taskforce on violence report, 2010. On the other hand, the program that is intended to carry out the initiative is well developed with a board of members that is elected on annual basis. Additionally, there are various trained councillors who are always available, but seemingly the number has been way too down for the cases that have been received, hence the need of training more volunteers. The project will be committed on focusing on its objectives as have been described; which is majorly dealing with the elimination of domestic violence in the state. The initiative will have the sole responsibility of taking into consideration of the plight of the women and children who might be victims of domestic violence. As such, the project can be described to have two major components; communal outreach and perpetrator rehabilitation. On the other hand, the services that shall be geared towards the communal outreach shall be responsible for

A comprehensive business plan for a new start-up venture Essay

A comprehensive business plan for a new start-up venture - Essay Example The head quarters is expected to be run by a total of 5000 employees comprising those in the production unit, assemble plant and various positions of marketing. Each distribution shop is expected to have 3 shopkeepers. The mission of the company is to become the gateway to academic success for students at all levels of education in the UK, especially those at the pre-tertiary level who hardly have any opportunity of owning their own Tablet PCs. The company’s business composition comprises three major aspects of work, which are production, marketing and servicing. For each of these components of business, the company has different capabilities, which are spread across different stages of the company’s lifeline. These are briefly summarised in the table below Different components of business are expected to be made up of different personnel in terms of numbers, qualification, job type, and job description. There shall however be no specific requirements by way of gender. The table below outlines the number personnel and qualifications needed for each component by timeline of the company. The three major components are going to be managed by different hierarchies of managers, administrators and supervisors. The hierarchy is needed to make the practice of organisational reporting easier and free flowing. The chart below gives an overview of the organisational hierarchy to be in place at the workplace The product named Slate is a basically an academic Tablet PC. This means the product can be described from two major perspectives, which are academic and Tablet PC. The academic component is simply made of both pre-installed and customised educational tools. The pre-installed educational tools focus on school based syllabus for different courses at different stages of education. At the secondary level for example, there will be syllabus on courses such as Biology, Geography, Home Science, etc. The tablet component is basically a

Hunting and animals Essay Example for Free

Hunting and animals Essay Charles Dickens once said, â€Å"There is a passion for hunting something deeply implanted in the human breast. † I agree with this quote. Hunting is very exciting and fun. However, many disagree with me. No one rides the fence though. You either think that hunting is good or that hunting is bad. What do you believe? Do you think hunting is positive or negative? I believe hunting is good because it helps feed those in need, it helps control the population of wild animals, and it helps farmers who may have animals on their land they want to get rid of. A lot of people look at hunting and think of all the gruesome things we are going to do to Bambi. They never stop to think about what the hunter is doing with the game. Hunters aren’t just killing animals for fun, they use the meat to either eat or donate it. Several hunters give their game to people in need. They donate their meat to homeless shelters or food banks for less fortunate people that might not be able to afford to put enough food on the table. That way the people in need will be able to have a little bit extra on their plate. Hunting also helps control the population of wild animals. You can only hunt during a certain period of time during the year so that the animals are able to reproduce and won’t become extinct. You are also limited to the amount of game you can get. That way it won’t become a chaotic free-for-all and protects the animals from being wiped out. However, if hunting wasn’t legal, the population of wild animals would skyrocket. This would cause a boost in the already high number of car crashes due to animals, such as deer standing in the middle of the road. According to State Farm, an estimated 1. 5 million vehicles collide with deer in the United States. This caused over $1. 1 billion in property damage. These crashes also caused several injuries and deaths. Hunters must also pay to get their hunting license. The money they spend for their licenses go back to the conservation of the environment. Finally, hunting also gets rid of unwanted pests. Several animals annoy farmers and other land owners by messing with the farmer’s crops. Animals will go through the fields and eat the crops that the farmers can go out of business because the crops aren’t plentiful or good enough. For this reason we need hunters because farmers wouldn’t be able to succeed and all of us would suffer because the less crops coming into the stores, the more money the stores are going to ask for the customers to pay for the product. So actually vegetarians depend on hunters. Most vegetarians buy their vegetables from local stores. Hunters get rid of the animals that would ruin the food vegetarians would buy. Many people think hunting is wrong simply because they don’t look at the benefits that come with hunting. Hunting has many benefits including feeding others, controlling wildlife population, and helping farmers get rid of unwanted pests. For most hunters, the reward isn’t killing animals, it’s knowing they helped people that may not be able to survive or succeed without them. That’s what boosts my passion to hunt.

To Love Another Person is to See the Face of God Essay Example for Free

To Love Another Person is to See the Face of God Essay To love another person doesn’t really mean to see the face of God. You have to feel all the love and blessings of God. Living the life of God, with his words and doing things that we know is right is living the path of life loving any other person regardless of what she or he is living with the love of God with no conditions, no barriers that can stop him/her, only with just plain love of God . Accepting other person, understanding them is the way of showing love to them. Helping them in times of trouble, giving them advice for goodness in life and supporting them on the things that they want to do are few thing we can do to show them our concern and love for them. We should not wait for them to return favor for what we did for them, because like God who love and help us, he didn’t ask anything in return for what he did for each one of us and never get tired of doing those things, so should just be thankful for what we did. That is God’s will for us. There are times we need to sacrifice for the sake of others. Those sacrifices are just tools for them to have happiness they deserve. But should not be lonely because we sacrifice it, God has always plans for our life. We don’t that he might have more plans for our life. Also we don’t know what will happen in our lives, but we should not just wait until something comes in our way. We should be the one to start our lives with God in our side for us to reach success Sharing happiness that you receive with all other people you want to share is showing them your love for them. Someday all of our sacrifice and all that we share with others will return to us but we don’t know when. Only God knows. We should not be disturbed by the ups and downs of life. It is part of life were our courage, strength and faith in God were tested for us to be more ready to face all the coming trials for us. It is part of the path we all have to take to learn more things about life, on how we can more understand the life God had do for us. Being able to surpass the trials we are facing is like reaching one of our many goals in life. And showing our love to other person is one of the greatest commandments of God. Love all the people with your whole heart, let them fell it not just hear it, let them receive it not just expect it and love is the beginning of goodness. Showing love to others is the best way to show them goodness. Love God first, and love others more than you love yourself.

Access To Humanities And Social Science Sociology Essay

Access To Humanities And Social Science Sociology Essay This essay will explore the concept of the family, and how it has changed over time. The family is an enduring institution over time and within different cultural settings such as nomadic, tribal, agrarian, industrial and post- industrial. The history of man is essentially linked to that of the family; for instance, the most powerful narrative of the western world is arguably the bible, and it gives the defining genealogy of mankind. A central theme of the bible is family history which links the main players from Adam and Eve through to Jesus himself, for instance; who doesnt know Jesus was from the line of David? It is, amongst other things, an extensive documentation of family. It is said that in pre-industrial Britain, the family had different a different social agenda and a different focus than that of the family in the industrial revolution that followed. Before industrialisation Britain was an agricultural country with most of its population working on the land. It is widely believed that the extended family was prevalent in these times. Social historian Philippe Aries (1962) suggested that children of this time were regarded as little adults who took part in the work place and were thought of as an economic asset. He argued that as their death rate was so high, there were difficulties in investing emotionally in children. In medieval society the idea of childhood did not exist; www.google.com/www.ehs.org.uk/society/pdfs/Hendrick%2015a.pdf On the other hand, Peter Laslett (1972-77), studied pre industrial family structures and suggested that neither kinship, nor the classic extended families were typical family structures in pre industrial Britain or America, he suggested the figures showed these families made up less than 10% of the family population in. After extensive research on family sizes in Britain he reversed the argument that the nuclear family came about in reaction to industrialisation, stating that the nuclear family was to be found in pre industrial Britain, and that there was evidence of the same in much of Europe, the nuclear family had economic, political and social consequences that prepared Britain and Europe for early industrialisation. He called the nuclear family of this time the western family. His studies also led him to conclude that the classic extended family was found more widely in Eastern Europe and in countries such as Russia and Japan. Anderson (1980) argued that there was a greater variety of family structure than Laslett implied in his research, implying pre industrial Europe was characterised by family diversity. Anderson used data from the 1851 census of Preston and concluded that 23% of the households of the working classes contained kin beyond that of the nuclear family, a much larger figure than that of Lasletts findings. Preston was largely reliant on the cotton trade in these times, and he concluded that in these times of hardship, resulting from spells of high unemployment, low wages, high death rates and overcrowded housing, large kinship networks would be beneficial to all parties. For example, the parents of spouses would often live in the same household, providing them with child care whilst they were out at work. In turn the grandparents were cared for. Andersons studies led him to conclude that the working class family of the mid nineteenth century acted as a mutual aid organisation. Anderson argued that industrialisation increased rather than decreased extensions of working class nuclear families. In1949 functionalist George Murdock published his studies on the institution of the family, looking at a wide range of societies (250) from large scale industrial, to small hunter gatherer societies. He concluded that a form of the family existed in every society. Murdock defined the family (1949) It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted, of sexually cohabiting adults.; Haralambos Holborn, Sociology Themes and perspectives Seventh edition, pg 460. Murdock defined the family as living together, pooling its resources, working together, and producing offspring. He also thought of the family as functioning with at least two of its adult members conducting a sexual relationship, depending on the norms of its society. For example in Muslim countries it is allowed for the male to have up to four wives. Murdock defined the family as being a universal social institution. Functionalist views are often referred to as conservative thinking, preserving or maintaining the status quo. Arguments opposing functionalist theories emerge from Marxist and feminist ideology, as often in their fundamental nature, they will challenge or change existing perceived oppression and exploitation, with feminists exposing, or trying to change oppression of women, and in Marxist ideology, exposing and theorizing on the exploitation and oppression of the working classes. (1884) Engles studied the evolution of the family with a Marxist outlook. Engles argued that the monogamous nuclear family developed as the state passed laws to protect private property, and to enforce monogamous marriage. The nuclear monogamous family solved the problem of the inheritance of property, and gave men certainty as to the legitimacy of their heirs. Engels stated that the monogamous family asserted male supremacy; the express purpose being to produce children of undisputed paternity, such paternity is demanded because these children are later to come into their fathers property Engles (1972) first published (1884), Haralambos Holborn, Sociology Themes and perspectives Seventh edition pg464. Marxist feminists see women as being unequal in society and in the family; they assert the inequality of patriarchal systems in society such as the family. This group of feminist psychologists see the problems facing women in society as being capitalist, but unlike Marxists, who concentrate on capitalism and its effects on the family, the Marxist feminist would focus on its effects on women. Speaking of housewives Benston commented (1972) The amount of unpaid labour performed by women is very large and profitable to those who own the means of production pg466. She would assert that the male member of the family pays for the running of a future work force (his children) and the financial care of his wife, and as a result, he is trapped in the cogs of capitalism. Talcot Parsons (1959-65b) was an influential Functionalist sociologist who asserted that the American family had, by this point in the evolution of the American society, been reduced to two main functions; the stabilisation of children, and the stabilisation of the adult personalities. Parsons identified the typical family in modern industrial society as the isolated nuclear family, and argued; as the society evolves and becomes engaged in processes of structural differentiation, the functions of the family are diminished. Parsons thought that as institutions develop within society, there would be a transfer of a variety of functions from the nuclear family to other structures of society, Haralambos Holborn, Sociology Themes and perspectives Seventh edition pg47. The Education system, Health and Welfare systems were all seen as examples of this transference of functions. He argued that the isolated nuclear family helps to maintain and perpetuate the wider society. He continued that ascribed status that is given to its members within the family, directly contrasts with status that has to be achieved in society at large. It is because it is isolated it can manage this discrepancy; if it was not, extended tensions could arise. An example of this is the position Parsons gives to the male within the family, head of the family, which may contradict with a lower economic status outside the family, but it is managed within the isolated nuclear family. In an extended family, another male in the household who was on more pay than the spouse, would reduce that males status within his family. The family had become structurally isolated and family relationships were more of a matter of choice than blinding obligations. Parsons saw these existing functions of the nuclear family as being vital functions in maintaining the American way of life. (1976) Zaretsky gave a Marxist outlook; in researching the developments of the family in industrialised societies he asserted the family props up capitalism Haralambos Holborn, Sociology Themes and perspectives Seventh edition p465. Zaretsky (1976) asserted that only with industrialisation, work and family life separated. He noted that the family was seen as a refuge in a terrible anonymous world of commerce and industry. But unlike Parsons, who was pro capitalism, he would say that the family perpetuates capitalism and inequality; in the unpaid labour of women, creating new labour forces, and in the family being a unit of consumption that allowed the bourgeoisie too prosper. Zaretsky saw socialism as the familys answer to the evils of capitalism. Marxist feminist Fran Ansley echoed the Marxist view point when she asserted wives play their traditional role as takers of shit, they often absorb their husbands legitimate anger and frustration at their own powerlessness and oppression. Hers was the view that married working class women cushion their husbands ill feelings at their powerlessness within the work place. There are three periods in the development of feminism; the first being political, mainly campaigning for womens rights to vote. The second period of feminist development was in the 1960s depicting the rise of the womans liberation movement which dealt with social and economic discrimination, with feminists of the time campaigning for womens rights and to change legislation. The third period is said to have continued from the second, but also in reaction to what had already been achieved by feminists through legislation. This period is said to have started in the 1990s and has continued to present times. There are different groups of feminists, who have differing opinions concerning womens issues and what is the best way forward for womankind. It is said that in modern times feminism has splintered into different groups, reflecting the needs of a multi cultural society. Addressing, for example, feminism from a cultural point of view; such as honour killings, and arranged marriages, w hich pose considerable problems for the agents of a host society. Different groups of feminist sociologists include liberal feminism; which is a less extreme form of feminism than others. Commenting on liberal feminism Susan Wendel remarks, one of the modern political goals most closely associated with liberal feminism is equality of opportunity which would undoubtedly require and lead to both; www.google.com /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal feminism. They see women as having equality, but would look at a womens ability to show or uphold her equality in the decisions and actions she makes. A liberal feminist would say that a woman needs to mould herself to fit citizenship in a social structure constructed in the interests of men. They also believe that socialisation needs to be addressed, as in its current form, it can often perpetuate the inequalities that women face in society; an example of this would be girls toys like dolls and prams conditioning them into their future role as ho use wives and mothers. Liberal feminist Jennifer Somerville (2000) sees our society as being much more equal in recent years. She believes that laws need to be passed to make heterosexual marriages more equal in order to address the family breakdown. Radical Feminists believe women are unequal in society. Women are exploited in patriarchal society. Some radical feminists believe the answer is separatism; meaning that men and women should live apart. Radical feminist Germaine Greer (2000) remarks on high profile family couples; her eyes should be fixed on him but he should do his best never to be caught looking at her. The relationship must be seen to be unequal Haralambos Holborn, Sociology Themes and perspectives Seventh edition pg 468. She argues that women seem oblivious to the misgivings of marriage but the inequalities soon become apparent, and that male sexuality requires the added stimulus of novelty. She points to the fact that three quarters of divorces in Britain are instigated by women, as evidence that women will no longer suffer in silence for the illusion of a stable family life. She sees this as a good thing for women. Difference feminist, Calhoun (1997) states that heterosexual relationships exploit women, and that gay and lesbian relationships reduce that exploitation. She remarks that gays and lesbians have historically been depicted as family outlaws. Calhoun sees another type of family outlaw; the unwed welfare mother. Calhoun thinks that these family outlaws have been blamed for the breakdown of the traditional family, and of a moral decline within society. Difference feminism has been influenced by liberal, Marxist and radical feminism and has connotations with post modern theories. But where Marxist, and radical feminist movements are insensitive to family variation. Difference feminists focus on these family variations and there effects. American Difference Feminist Linda Nicholson (1977) states that women can benefit from living in an alternative family, that other theorists and sociologists have over idealised the nuclear family and undermined the alternative family. Examples of alternative families are; families with a stay at home father, heterosexual families living outside marriage, step families and homosexual families to name a few. She points out that the nuclear family had only been the norm since the fifties, and that even then it was uncommon for groups such as the African American working classes. Nicholson says that changes in society such as Increased participation of married women in the labour force, and the growth of female-headed households were making this way of life increasingly atypical; Nicholson (1997) pg471. She sees benefits for women living in an alternative family; black women benefiting from mother centred families, as with no male presents, the women often group together forming strong support networks. Also in times of financial hardship, friends and kin act as a social insurance system, helping financially. Nicholson saw disadvantages for women in an alternative family as being; if the family did come into money, they would then be expected to, in turn, help their network of close friends and family financially, another disadvantage of this type of alternative family would be that children had no father figure, unlike in many middle class households. Nicholson also looked at the advantages and disadvantages of the nuclear family. Disadvantages are that with both parents having to work, the childrens upbringing can be negatively affected, and with such a structure, abused children often had nowhere to turn within a nuclear family. Nicholson would assert that an advantage of being in a nuclear family would be that there is a much greater chance of being economically successful as often, both parents are working, and that the nuclear family doesnt have to redistrib ute its wealth. Nicholson would argue that different families and households should be acknowledged because they suit women in differing circumstances. Examine the changing and diverse nature of the family in modern society; the modern family has become increasingly diverse in structure in todays modern western world. The nuclear family is no longer seen as the norm by many sociologists, and other family structures such as: lone parent families, matriarchal families, reconstructed families (step families), Homosexual families, mixed race families, and ethnic minority families, have become more common place in modern western societies. One form of family which has attracted criticism in recent years is the lone parent family. This type of family structure is now much more prevalent in the western world, in Britain alone, it is said that there has been a thirty per cent increase in lone parent families in the last ten years. Around a quarter of all families are headed by one parent in Britain today. The new right (modern functionalists) believe that the nuclear family is the ideal family structure, and view lone parent families and sa me sex families as harmful to society. From a new right perspective, lone parent families mostly have no father figure to financially provide for the family, making it financially dependent on the state. Also they would argue that the lack of a male role model is a negative force in the socialization process of children. Other criticisms of lone parent families and their financial reliance upon the state, it is argued, is that they have eroded the responsibilities of fathers, who are much more likely to be involved in antisocial behaviour. New right thinkers believe that single parent families have helped to create an underclass in Britains society: who see no need to work, who often live in poverty, whose children are more likely to under achieve in school, and are more likely to be involved in a wide range of social problems. The new right would go so far as to say that there is a generation of a young underclass of females who regard pregnancy as a ticket to receiving housing, an d financial support from the state, but others would say that this is a simplistic outlook and that it is unfair to stigmatise single parent families, or to blame them for the problems within society. Mary McIntosh (1996) pointed out that over recent years, the media in the United Kingdom have been reflecting a concern about lone mothers that amounts to a moral panic pg478. Also, it is mostly not the case that these, mostly teenage girls, get pregnant to be housed and supported by the state, as in most cases, they see a future with their partners, but the relationship breaks down. E.E Ceshmore (1985) speaking of the darker side family life and how it serves male interests asserted that the idea of breaking free of marriage and raising children single handed has its appeals pg488. She continued that it must be preferable for a child to grow up with one caring parent, than live with two warring parents. Another new form of family structure in todays Western society is same sex families. Recent changes in attitudes towards gays and lesbian behaviours and in the law (the UKs Civil Partnership Act of 2004) have enabled this new form of family. Often same sex households will define their households as chosen families, with more choices available than traditional heterosexual families, these families adopt their offspring in most cases, but there is the option of producing a child in a laboratory using donated sperm for some women. It has also been known for homosexuals to conceive children, and for gay couples to use a surrogate mother in order to start a family. Geffery Weeks (1999) stated; they choose whom to include in their family and negotiate what are often fairly egalitarian relationships pg484. Weeks goes on to argue that this type of family is based on individual freedoms, and participation within this family is a matter of bargaining instead of merely adopting the traditional roles within the traditional heterosexual family. Arguments against same sex couples come from the new right and religious groups who argue that the socialisation process of children within these families is undermined by the lack of an adult of the other sex in a same sex family. Generally it is seen as a threat to the traditional models of the heterosexual family. There have been different ethnic groups immigrating to the UK throughout the 20th century. These families have brought with them different norms and values, and different ways of bringing up their offspring. For example, Black Afro Caribbean families, whose structure is often fundamentally matriarchal (single Mothers rearing the children) provide economically for the unit. It is often the case that families originating from Southern Asia often contain extended families. Studies on British Asian families, Muslim: Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Indian: Hindu and Sikh, found that there was a continued emphasis on family loyalty and an effort to maintain traditional marriage practices such as arranged marriages. Ballard commented that this was because upon arriving in Britain, many Asians saw British culture as placing little emphasis on family traditions, or on maintaining kinship ties. These observations resulted in a strong desire to uphold their traditional family ways and try to insure that their children upheld these traditions also. British Asian families often have members of a third generation living in a household, mostly the parents of the mother or father. A Sikh tradition is that when the eldest son marries, his wife moves into the household to help care for the spouses parents. This tradition of collective responsibility can be beneficial to members of the family, and the wider society. For instance, the caring of elderly relatives and child care arrangement of the children are traditionally provided for within the family unit, therefore these families have no need to rely on the state financially. On the other hand it could be argued that women in these families are closely monitored and there is the potential for their exploitation, and their abuse in some cases. Honour killings for example, can be seen as an extreme cultural behaviour, which pose a serious problem in modern society. Different sociological groups have differing opinions regarding the changes in family structures, in changing attitudes towards what is the norm regarding the concept of the family, and the consequences these shifts have incurred. Some point to changes in the law in the sixties and 1970, The Sex Discrimination Act 1975, and changes in legislation that made it easier to divorce. Some sociologists see these changes in legislation as a turning point which saw the start of the decline of the nuclear family as the norm. Germaine Greers book, The Female Eunuch, published in 1970, helped to bring womens liberation to a wide audience of young women. In it, Greer commented that opponents of the liberation of women were more clear sighted than those who believed that equality for women would not upset anything. She went on to say that, when we reap the harvest, which the unwitting suffragettes sowed, we will see that the anti-feminists were after all right. M Abbott/ Family Affairs/ pg121. Oth er sociologists believe that the breakdown of the nuclear family is not down to just these changes in legislation, but point to changes in norms, values and in attitudes in modern times. They point to the numbers of divorces, and assert that most people still believe in marriage as the ideal way in which to bring up a family, but greater freedom and expectations for women have led to the divorce rate rising. Sociologists such as Abbot and Wallice recognise increasing family diversity but view the decline of the nuclear family and of marriages as having been exaggerated by the New Right for political reasons. They assert that, seven out of eight children are born to parents living together, three quarters of whom are legally married. Only one in five children will experience parental divorce by the time he or she is 16. Pg508

Siberian Prison System :: Russian Russia History

Siberian Prison System PRISON SYSTEM IN SIBERIA My project is dedicated to description of the history of Siberia as a place to where send prisoners--from the days of Ivan the Terrible until today. I will tell about the reasons for choosing Siberia as place of exile, the system of prisons and conditions in Siberian prisons. Choosing Siberia as a Place of Exile As with other Western powers that gained colonies overseas, the acquisition of Siberia led to making it a place of exile. Criminal and political prisoners had been sent to Siberia for more than three centuries; millions of people, in total, were deported there. Due to its remoteness and severe weather conditions 'Russian Australia' was one huge prison, escape from where was almost impossible and very dangerous not only because of the chase, but because of the Siberian killing frosts, unimaginably long distances, bounty-hunting natives, deep forests and wild animals. Another reason for establishing punishment by exile was the desire of society to banish still cruel and barbarous criminal code of XVII century according to which criminals had been punished by amputation of their limbs, being bastionadoed, and being branded with hot iron. Exile was quick and easy method of getting them out of the way. The punishments, however, didn't become more human e. They just began to happen far away from where most of the people could see them. Before making Siberia place of exile criminals died from being tortured in Moscow; after they died from the hard, exhausting work, cold winters, and diseases in Siberia. Although originally applied as a corporal punishment, exile can be viewed as a means of population and developing the colony. Government needed people to work in Siberian mines and to build roads, and penal servitude began to replace long prison terms, while list of offences meriting exile steadily lengthened to include even vagrancy, fortune-telling, wife-beating, debts, accidentally starting a fire or drunkenness. In 1754 death penalty was abolished for some years and replaced with exile at hard labour. Convoy to Siberia Until the middle of the XIX century, most of the convicts had to walk to the place of their exile from their homes. Often the journey took years--the distances walked measured thousands of kilometres. They walked from etape (transit prison) to etape. Until the beginning of XVIII century there was almost no long-range planning and even supervision of exiles was extremely negligent. Convicts had to beg their way because there was almost no food provided for them.

Socialization test :: essays research papers

Socialization Test #2 1. Social interaction is absolutely necessary for one to develop a sense of self and of oneness. Our sense of self is not an inherited or instinctual realization. Rather it is a co-developed understanding of ourselves and those around us. We can’t solely develop an understanding of who we truly are any easier than we could examine the features of our face w/o the use of a mirror. Social interaction is that mirror for us. Its allows us to see inside of ourselves based on the interactions we have with others like us, or society as a whole. It allows us to make a sort of measuring stick to see where we stand in life. To develop a sense of who and where we are. Social interaction is the dominant creating feature in the way we view ourselves as humans and as members of society. Without social interaction we would never begin to be able to live at the mental capabilities that we have now. A good example of this I believe is to compare two dogs raised in different habitats. The first dog will be an example of our society, it will be raised by a loving family who provides it with attention similar in itself to our own social interaction. The second will be left to raise itself in a kennel or what have you. The first dog, dog A, will learn things such as its own name. When you call to dog A using its name it will respond to you where as the second dog, dog B, will not. Eventually you might get the second dog to come to you or to respond, but it wouldn’t care what you said, it would simply respond to the noise it hears. Dog A however would respond to its name and its name alone. This demonstrates how the constant interaction between two beings helps to develop one’s sense of self. 2. Education plays a major part in our socialization by providing acting as a social institution. By this I mean it is a place from which we draw interaction that stimulates us to further develop as social beings. Schools provide a uniform behavioral learning pattern in relating to socialization that is not found within different families. This helps the children achieve a social "common ground" with which to base their relationships and interactions amongst each other.

The Awakening: The Fall of Kate Chopin’s Career Essay -- Biography

Did you ever wonder what it was like for a woman to live in the 1800’s? Like in any other decade, there were many memorable events that influenced the writers of this era, but for women writers, this era was characterized by feminism and the fight for women’s rights. Writers like Kate Chopin brought most of the feminist issues to the light through books such as hers, The Awakening. Kate Chopin had a difficult childhood, in which she lost most of her family members. When she began writing, she revealed beliefs of movement of leaders about rights of women. Critics say Chopin based most of the characters in her books on leaders of the movement, on herself, and on regular women of her time. Chopin’s life was in a downward spiral until she started publishing her works of literature. After publishing The Awakening, her life progressively began looking up. Kate Chopin’s birth was in St. Louis on February 8, 1851. Five years later, she started school at the Academy of the Sacred Heart. Later on in her schooling, she found a classmate that had the same love for reading and writing as she, but not long after, she had to stop attending school for two years (Adams ix). This was because of the death of her father. Chopin was the only of her three siblings to live a long life. She lived with her widowed mother, her grandmother, and her great-grandmother (Long). Nine years later, her grandmother passed away. This was only shortly after that passing of her brother (Adams ix). When she finally went back to school, she had picked up her Cajun Uriegas 2 influence (Long). Chopin was now also a nonconformist. Her family owned slaves that she loved spending time with. She took down the union flag and hid it earning the name St. Louis’s littl... ...t 123). The Awakening shows the Creoles living in the French Quarters and how the other Creole Americans live (Hatchet 123). It also shows that the initial influence stayed strong (Hatchet 123). Kate Chopin had her share of rough times in life, but writing was her escape. She used her writing to let people know what was going on the world as far as women’s rights were concerned. The critics say that Chopin showed her rebellious attitude through her characters and the Creole influences that were apparent in her books. Kate Chopin was not a part of the women’s rights movement, but they inspired her writing in many ways. Women of this time had very few rights and what rights they had were not given up. Feminism was on the rise writers like Kate Chopin helped everyone see what women needed and deserved even though their opinions were very controversial.

Evolution of Human Sexuality Essay

What is the difference between sex and sexuality? Over the years human sexuality has been a debate that has never been won. Each and every day there are person who expresses their sexuality differently and others considered them to be taboo. Perfect by nature that’s what we ought to be but because of self indulgence with choice we have developed sexuality. According to Gainor sex is refer to as the person’s biological status and it is typically categorized as male, female or intersex. Then what is sexuality? Has sexuality given us our gender identity and sexual orientation? Thus I will expound on the history of sexuality and how it has evolved. As early as the populations of the Hebrews sex was vital to their lively hood. The Hebrews considered the act of sex the bond to a monogamy relationship; one man, one wife according to Rabbi Tulushkin; but if a woman was childless or developed an abnormality such as a boil would lead to the grounds of divorce which rarely happened. They also thought that sex was the ‘divine injunction’ of procreation thus homosexuality was strongly disapproved of. They believed that marital bonds would be strengthened the heterosexual relationships and create a strong bond for the family. Although they had clear preference for monogamy relationship, polygamy was permissible. On the other hand many cultures such as the ancient Greeks normalized or promoted homosexuality among the adult males who were soldiers and older males with male youths; usually teenagers, entering into pedagogic friendships or love affairs that also had an erotic dimension. If sexual, the relationship lasted until the youth was ready for adulthood and marriage therefore, it was not suppose to threaten the institution of the family. Women had no status or rights than slaves in their society only giving them a job as concubines or house wives; they were treated like chattels. Beastality and Sadism were practiced of the world of ancient Rome. These sexual acts were only found among men of hierarchy. Although bestiality and sadism were accepted in their era, homosexuality was considered to be a threat to the family. After the crucifixion of Christ, Christians thought that masturbation and prostitution were sinful. Sexual pleasure even within the marriage was considered to be a sinful act from the days of Eve and Adam. According to Saint Augustine sexual lust ,shame and sexual intercourse during marriage were passed down from Adam and Eve were considered to be inherently evil therefore the only way they could have salvation was through celibacy. Hence, Christians recognize sex for procreation and not for self satisfaction. The Bible is considered to be the oldest book made by man and inspired by god but within the Indian culture the Kama Sutra was held has the bible of sexual pleasure. It gave a descriptions of ways in which a man or a female can seduced their partner and get them sexually aroused. They considered sex a spiritual gift that god gave them to expressed themselves. The Chinese also saw the act to be spiritual and was anything but sinful. The man is suppose to absorb more of his wife natural essence ‘yin’ and to bring his wife to orgasm which is used as a channel for the flow of energy and enhance his own masculine essence ‘yang’. As the world got revolutionized the conception of sex and sexuality changed drastically. During this time women got the opportunity to be liberated to vote and attend academic studies. Most religious practices became oblivious. Many Christians have adopted the view that there is no sin whatsoever in the uninhibited enjoyment of marital relationships One factor in the change of values pertaining to sexual activities was the improvement of the technologies. Technology became the mastermind of our social and emotional behaviors in our everyday life . Instances, masturbation has been seen as the norm in our society especially with pornography being so rampant. This affects the enjoyment of sex as the actual act being replaced by virtual reality. In most developing countries, fear of epidemic has drastically changed many aspects of twentieth century human sexuality. Fear of contracting AIDS and other sexual transmitted diseases has driven a revolution in educating person about sex which now centers far more the use of protection and abstinence. Bestiality remains illegal in most countries and condoned in none. Thus anyone carrying out this kind of practice will be subjected to punishment. This good gift of sex has been perverted and corrupted in our secular world, which is why it is such a struggle for most persons. The idea of including the perfection of one’s self in the realm of moral behavior is appealing. Indeed, I believe this to be the core purpose of human existence. Although, there are medieval practices still been carried out today most customs that were seen then are considered to be taboo and non-religious. Human behavior has changed in many ways than one but the understanding of human identity is still being questioned.

Reference Models Based on Kimono de Ginza

Kimono de Ginza, or â€Å"wearing kimono in Ginza†, is a monthly event held on the second Saturday of every month. These enthusiasts will meet once a month on the Ginza, an exclusive shopping district in Tokyo, to go for a walk in the vicinity in their kimonos. The meeting is then concluded by a joint evening meal in a Japanese pub. The main aim of this activity is to allow young Japanese to tap on this opportunity to seek advice from their elders on how to wear a kimono and the appropriate kimonos for different occasions. Parallels The kimono is said to be dying, to be utterly too cumbersome for modern life, to be as elegantly anachronistic as the conservative old ladies or geisha who wear it,† (American anthropologist Liza Dalbyin in Kimono: fashioning culture). Similarly, the interest for traditional goods and services in Singapore, such as woven rattan furniture, has died down in recent years. A sharp decline in demand for both cases has serious implications for related businesses. Quoted from Mr Shigenobu Ono, owner of Nagoya black dyeing shop for formal kimonos, â€Å"the question is how to get the younger apprentices in our guild up to scratch†. He notes that even his own son decided to forsake the trade for a career in Western fashion. However, the success of Japanese culture can be seen through the comeback of kimono through its reinvention by the indigenous people. Contrary to the strict dress codes imposed at formal gatherings and on festive occasions, many relish the non-ceremonial style of kimono or the idea of being able to wear kimono more casually. Young Japanese also look to kimono as an expression of fashion statement with the emergence of colourful socks and decorative collars. Explaining its successes using learning models The tipping point by Malcolm Gladwell The influence of Kimono de Ginza can be explained by Gladwell. Gladwell identifies three key factors that determine whether a particular trend will â€Å"tip† into wide-scale popularity. These are namely the Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor and the Power of Context. I. Law of the Few Connectors MavensSalesmenWider community Connectors are individuals with extensive social networks. Acting as social glue, they help to spread message, engender connections and bring the world together. Kimono de Ginza relies on these people to attract interested public and expand its influence. For example, a similar gathering known as â€Å"Kimono de Vancouver† has been started for those who live in the West and who maintain interest in kimonos. Mavens act as data banks as they love to share information with other consumers by helping them make informed decisions. They are represented by the older participants of Kimono de Ginza who are eager to share their knowledge on kimonos. Salesmen refer to charismatic people who can effectively persuade others to make certain buying decisions. The Japanese kimono group has no lack of such aficionados who fervently profess their love for kimonos through various means. II. The Stickiness Factor This is defined as a special feature that makes the phenomenon memorable by creating an impact and compelling people to act. The unconventional appeal of Kimono de Ginza relies on its flexibility to allow for individualism to shine through. It revives and reinvents a tradition while rejecting the undesirable restrictions. Furthermore, doing away with memberships allow for creative experimentation of identities beyond daily responsibilities. III. The Power of Context The growing global movement to retain local traditions amidst the perceived threat of modernisation provides an ideal backdrop for Kimono de Ginza to prosper. It works by leveraging on the balance between a nostalgic yearn for traditional experiences and a desire to shake off stifling restrictions. The nostalgic psychology will be explained in the later parts of the case study analysis. IN WHERE) Moreover, Kimono de Ginza was established in accordance with â€Å"the Magic Power of One Hundred and Fifty†, in which â€Å"groups of less than 150 members usually display a level of intimacy, interdependency, and efficiency that begins to dissipate markedly as soon as the group’s size increases over 150. † The activity of wearing kimonos takes place within a well-defined group setting that promises a certain sense of protect ion and stability. The gatherings represent a specific form of community that is characterized by being bound to a defined place and an interest in a particular activity and, moreover, involve face-to-face interaction. Ideas for proposal: * Encourage business owners to form a small group within themselves to launch a â€Å"retro campaign† Nostalgia Marketing (Martin Lindstrom) Studies have identified some nostalgic cues that can be exploited and how images and sounds from the past can create favourable attitudes about products. (LIKE WHAT) As we age, our nostalgic yearnings grow, making us more receptive to advertisers and marketers use of what researchers call â€Å"a longing for positive memories from the past. † This desire for nostalgia is further intensified by society's present circumstance of receding predictability and opportunity. As Martin Lindstrom mentioned, â€Å"In the face of insecurity or uncertainty about the future, we want nothing more than to revert to a more stable time† It is much more comforting to think of times when we had simpler lives rather than pondering the issues we are facing today. That is why in times of recession we notice older retro products being brought back. The primary force driving Kimono De Ginza is the desires of the population to connect with its traditions and relive their childhood past when they were first introduced to kimonos. Emotionally, we associate these products of the past with authenticity, history, and a better, simpler time. This explains why Kimono de Ginza was able to attract a significant following and remain sustained for thirteen years. Our nostalgia transcends time as long as each new generation continues to be exposed to Japanese culture in their childhood and develop emotional connections that will last them through adulthood. However, Kimono de Ginza is careful not to â€Å"play up the past too much† for Kimono to be seen as â€Å"dusty, outdated or out of style†. Like a lot of brands and companies, it has â€Å"developed inventive strategies for toeing this delicate line†, through its infusion of modern elements and eradication of stringent rules and restrictions. Ideas for proposal: * (Nostalgic marketing) Broadcast advertisements from the olden days, oldies and catch slogans of that time * Introduce traditional goods to children from a young age so that they will grow up to associate these goods with â€Å"a simpler and more authentic times† Such would be the case of our association with monopoly games and beyblades Kolb’s Experimental Learning Cycle Kolb proposes a four stage learning cycle. I. Concrete Experience A new experience of situation or a reinterpretation of existing experience is encountered when participants is first exposed to Kimono de Ginza. II. Reflective Observation Participants new to the innovative and unconventional concepts of Kimono de Ginza discover inconsistencies between past experience and understanding. This engages them in meaningful reflections. III. Abstract Conceptualization Reflection gives rise to a new idea, or a modification of an existing abstract concept. Participants deliberate over their identity and what they want their kimonos to look like prior the monthly event. There is a great deal of internal tussle within the individual before they figure out their own interpretations of kimonos. IV. Active Experimentation The learner applies them to the world around them to see what results. Creativity represents a key feature of Kimono de Ginza as participants dress up in unique costumes infused with modern features or personal idiosyncrasies and display to the public. They receive feedbacks from interactions within the club, as well as through the public’s reactions as they walk down the streets. Spiral Learning Model Though unintentional, Kimono de Ginza has unconsciously tapped on the spiral learning model to promote Kimono culture. From a young age, almost all Japanese children would have been introduced to Kimonos as part of the Japanese culture. The child may also begin his first conscious exposure of kimono through Shichi-Go-San (â€Å"seven-five-three†) Festival. At the age of 20, young people wear furisode or haori and hakama to celebrate their passage into adulthood. As such, an average Japanese gains multiple exposures to Kimonos throughout his growing years. Kimono de Ginza serves as a culmination point in which an individual identifies himself with a community and expresses his own interpretations of kimono in a creative manner. Ideas for proposal: * Spiral learning model for Singapore’s traditions in formal education, which culminates into business management at polytechnic level. * Encourages autonomy and self expression to add value to traditional products

First-person Narrative and Destroying Avalon

Tuesday, 5 March 2013 Themes in Destroying Avalon 1. Define the term ‘theme. ’ * Underlying message portrayed/explored by the composer in any body of work. * Composer’s intended message. Theme| Elaboration| Evidence (technique)| Explanation| Link to social issue| The negative influence of social hierarchy | Unequal distribution of power determines status, whether it be in a group or society. (Pg 48)â€Å"Alice and the bitches rule the school †¦ [A group]†¦ B group †¦ relatively friendly bunch†¦ considered cool†¦ C groups †¦ freaks and retards †¦[Z group] â€Å"weirdos and queeros† (pg 40)- Accumulation (listing)-Connotations | In the novel Destroying Avalon, McCaffrey positions Westerley High as a microcosm for greater social inequality within society.This is clearly evident in the opening sequence of the novel when Marshall, through accumulation of groups and sub groups poignantly outlines the existing social hierarchy à ¢â‚¬Å"Alice and the bitches rule the school †¦ [A group]†¦ B group †¦ relatively friendly bunch†¦ considered cool†¦ C groups †¦ freaks and retards †¦[Z group] â€Å"weirdos and queeros. † Here, McCaffrey’s careful use of diction highlights how language stigmatizes individuals. A key example is the connotations of the word â€Å"queeros† which affects both Marshall and Tamara, though Marshall more drastically, who eventually falls into depression followed by suicide. Youth depression Bullying| Isolation and alienation | Those who are viewed as different by their peers are ostracised and excluded from their social groups. | (pg 53)â€Å"Well our team is really good. And Alice is the captain, so if you know what’s good for you, you might want to leave now. †-threatening tone(pg 45)A: â€Å"What position do you play? † †¦ Av: â€Å"Anywhere †¦ goal attack †¦ shooter, centre, whatever† â₠¬ ¦ A: â€Å"you can be the wing defence† †¦ Av: â€Å"I might as well have sat on the bench†¦ no one passed me the ball†-dialogue/direct speech-Tone-Connotation(pg 44)â€Å"It really worried me I wasn’t sure what reason anyone would have not to like me.I hadn’t done anything wrong- though it felt everything I did was wrong. Why don’t they like me? †Use of first-person| The novel demonstrates the isolation and alienation of several characters. Many people are ostracised by their peers and usually this leads to sever depression. McCaffrey uses this isolation of the protagonist, Avalon to give a first person point of view on what really happens to someone when they are alienated from a group or bullied by others. â€Å"It really worried me I wasn’t sure what reason anyone would have not to like me.I hadn’t done anything wrong- though it felt everything I did was wrong. Why don’t they like me? † The continu ous use of the first person language is to make the responder realise the different thoughts that the character is going through and how the issue of depression begins to kick in. The tone of the antagonists really highlights the way they incessantly condemn and undermine others. During their hockey tryouts the threatening tone of Courtney is shown when she tells Avalon that â€Å"our team is really good, and Alice is captain, so if you know what's good for you, you might want to leave now. The use of â€Å"if you know what's good for you† in reality is telling her that she is positioned under Alice and the bitches in terms of a hierarchical system. It then goes on to say â€Å"you might want to leave now† indicating that no matter how hard she tries to fit in Avalon will always be harassed and discriminated against. This build up of thoughts, anger and depression is a toxic mix as we see eventually Avalon snaps and she loses Marshall who is one of her most dearest fr iends to suicide. Discrimination Bullying Harassment | The misuse of technology Importance of friends and family| Technology is used for malevolent and devious acts that have fatal consequences. The influence of family and friends can often provide people with helpful information. | (117)†If only I had done more†Marshall's mother â€Å"But he did find comfort in his friend's†| The use of technology hinders the reality of many characters in the novel. McCaffrey demonstrates how the internet is a place that can change a person's real personalities into a disturbing contradiction.Throughout the novel the victims who suffer from bullying constantly are to be comforted by friends, who play an integral part in their fight against bullying. Once the loss of Marshall became evident his mother depressingly said â€Å"if only I had done more† not only did Marshall's mother know about what was going on, she did not what do inflict damage on Marshall by telling teacher s. Later at Marshall's funeral we learn the importance and comfort friends give to him † but he found comfort in his friends† shows how important his friends were during his time of despair. | |

Last Day of the Last Furlough Essay

Lessons learned from Isolation in A Complicated Kindness and The Catcher in the Rye Love, sex and drugs; the few things that affect teenagers as they transition to adults. When becoming an adult there is a realization that one can no longer depend on their parents and there are overwhelming responsibilities such as going to school and getting the job. Teenagers are notorious for believing that it is themselves versus the world. The stress of becoming an adult is overpowering, and people cope differently with the change. Some teenagers rebel against their family and friends. This causes them to grow distant from the people they are close with. As a result some teenagers gradually isolate themselves, they confine in their isolation as it is their comfort zone. People can also isolate themselves because they cannot relate to others; this causes them to be excluded. In the novel A Complicated Kindness, the main character Nomi Nickel feels isolated as she does not agree with her community’s rules. To cope with her isolation she decides to rebel against her humble upbringings. Similarly, the character Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye faces isolation, to cope he begins to fail most of his classes. Although Nomi Nickel from Miriam Toews’ A Complicated Kindness, and Holden Caulfield from J.D Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye rebel to compensate for their isolation , both ultimately realize valuable lessons. Nomi Nickel realizes that she is accepts her Mennonite community, whereas Holden Caulfield realizes that people have to change in order to develop character. The characters Nomi Nickel and Holden Caulfield lose loved ones; in order to cope with their grief they seclude themselves from their surroundings. Nomi is abandoned by her sister Tash Nickel and her mother Trudie Nickel. Trudie and Tash were excommunicated from the town, it causes their departure from East Village. Trudie and Tash were considered defiant to the conservative Mennonite community. The feeling of exclusion caused emotional distress on Trudie and Tash, they did not have any option but to leave. Margaret Boe Birns argues â€Å"By excluding those who come into conflict with the community, shunning can destroy the relationship between neighbours and, as in the case of the Nickel family, cruelly divide family members.† This is true in Nomi’s case because the dividing has separated her family, the family members are in a predicament on whether to choose each other or their religion. The church’s shunning is highly responsible for separating her family as some of her family members were no longer welcomed in the community. Since Nomi lost her mother and sister she is isolated. She furthers this isolation by not having a relationship with her father, Ray Nickel. Nomi has waited three years for her family to rejoin, â€Å"If we could get out of this town things might be better but we aren’t we are waiting for Trudie and Tash to come back† (Toews 4). Nomi is disheartened that her family is broken up, but she remains in the town in case her mother and sister come back. Although things may be better elsewhere Nomi and Ray stay in the town in hopes that their family will no longer divided. Ultimately, until a possible reunion Nomi goes against her community’s rules and teachings as it is the driving force of her family splitting. She isolates herself from the community as she feels loyal to her mother and sister when doing so. Similarly, Holden suffers the loss of his brother Allie who died of cancer this causes Holden to alienate himself. Holden is isolated because the only person he can relate to is his brother who is dead. Holden’s last remark â€Å"Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody† (Salinger 214), shows that Holden does not want the chance of losing a loved one again. As Holden transitions to an adult he feels that he is abandoning his brother, because Allie died young. Holden acts in an immature way by trying to stay a child, he isolates himself from his age group because he believes that he is better than his peers. Moreover, Holden is completely alone as he is sent to boarding school on his own. Lisa Privitera writes about Holden â€Å"he tells the world that he made connections and feels the intensity of the emotions these connections bring up for him and that blissful ignorance might have been the better choice†. It is apparent that Holden does not want to get hurt by forming new friendships. Although he may not get hurt the small chance of him being mistreated completely turns him off from forming new relationships. Allie’s death has lead Holden to believe that Holden will lose anyone that was once close to him. Holden is successful in isolating himself because he cannot open himself to others. In both novels the situations are parallel as the characters lose loved ones. In both novels the main characters are resentful towards the community in which they live in. This compels them to go against the norms and to further their isolation. Nomi lives in a strict Mennonite community that is secluded from the rest of the world, and the community disapproves of secular ways. The community has ridiculous rules which are difficult to comply with when living in a western society. This makes it difficult for Nomi to obey the rules, as a result she does not follow the town’s teachings. When Mr. Quiring asked Nomi what she was doing with her life she responded, â€Å"I ended up saying stupid stuff like I just want to be myself, I just want to do things without wondering if there a sin or not. I want to be free† (Toews 48). It is evident that Nomi wants to enjoy herself. Her Mennonite religion has prevented Nomi from being free, as everyone is in a constant struggle to determine if their actions are religiously correct. Nomi, ultimately goes against her community and engages in outrageous behaviours such as doing drugs, partying and having sex with her boyfriend. Margaret Boe Birns states about Nomi, â€Å"She struggles against all things Mennonite. She makes a major departure from the ways of her community when she acquires birth control pills in preparation for her first sexual experience with her boyfriend Travis†. When Nomi engages in sex, she goes against the Mennonite teachings this is scandalous as her uncle â€Å"The Mouth† is the leader of the church. Nomi goes to the extent of burning a sign put up by The Mouth. This ultimately causes Nomi’s excommunication. Nomi rebels against her towns rules and isolates herself, to prove that she is better than what her town have people made to be. Moreover, Holden faces similar challenges to Nomi, as he is resentful towards his school’s community and feels that everyone is phony as he does not fit anywhere. This drives Holden to go to New York before he is to return home from his private school. Like Nomi, Holden partakes in risquà © behaviour. As Holden attempts to relate to someone he ends up associating with the wrong crowd. In one instance Holden calls for a prostitute to come to his room. Instead of engaging in sex, Holden opts for a conversation it is obvious that Holden is in need of a companion. He is unable to create successful relationships because he believes he cannot relate to anyone. Lingdi Chen writes, â€Å"Alienation is both the source of Holden’s strength and the source of his problem†¦his loneliness propels him into his date with Sally Hayes, but his need for isolation causes him to insult her and drive her away.† Holden does not realize that because he isolates himself from his surroundings it gets him into trouble, he begins to drink underage as an attempt to meet new people. Holden is bitter because he cannot relate to anyone and to compensate he acts morally wrong. When Holden is walking alone at night he thinks to himself, â€Å"New York`s terrible when somebody laughs on the street very late at night. You can hear it for miles. It makes you feel so lonesome and depressed. I kept wishing I could go home and shoot the bull with for a while with old people† (Salinger 113). This quote shows in its entirety how lonely Holden is, he lies to himself that New York is quite, as it is known as the city that never sleeps. He does this to make himself feel better that he has no one. In both books the characters end up isolating themselves as they do not agree with the circumstances they are in. Although the Nomi and Holden are at a constant struggle with their isolation, it has made them realize valuable lessons about themselves. Nomi comes to realization that she accepts her Mennonite community. When The Mouth informs Ray that his daughter has been excommunicated he says â€Å"It has been determined, said the mouth. What has? Asked my dad. Nomi’s excommunication, said the mouth†¦ Based on what criteria†¦ lack of attendance†¦ setting fires† (Toews 235). Ray is obviously disheartened that Nomi got excommunicated, but surprisingly Nomi does not leave East Village. Although she has been longing to move out, once she gets the opportunity she does not. Her constant need to be isolated from her town makes her appreciative of her town, but when she is given the opportunity to leave she realizes that she accepts her roots. After Nomi has sex with her boyfriend Travis he abandons her, Nomi’s father Ray also leaves her as he cannot bear to ignore his daughter who is excommunicated. Even though Nomi losses people who are remotely valuable in her life, she decides to stay in East Village. Since, Nomi is isolated she is able to look at the children, notice the beauty in the simple things and she has a reason to stay. Margaret Boe Birns writes â€Å"†¦Nomi hopes her family will one day reunite on earth. There is also a tactic hope that somehow her Mennonite community will find a way to look on the Nickel family with sympathy and understanding†. It is clearly apparent that because Nomi was isolated she is able to be more hopeful of her surroundings. She is no longer resentful of her community, as she believes that one day the Mennonites will approve of her family. This hope provides comfort to Nomi, as she remains alone in the East Village. Like Nomi, Holden learns an important lesson. Holden discovers that maturing is part of life, and he is unable to stop people from growing up. Lingdi Chen argues â€Å"Holden tells the symbolic meaning of the museum’s displays: they appeal to him because they are frozen and unchanging. He also mentions that he is troubled by the fact that he has changed every time when he returns to them†. Holden believes that humans should also mimic the museum displays, and to be true to oneself, one must never change. Holden’s way of thinking enables himself from making friends, as he does not want a relationship with someone who changes. Holden fails to realize that people are always changing as they need to mature and develop character. He would rather save children and prevent them from entering the adult world, so they can maintain their innocence. It is until Holden is with his sister Phoebe, that he makes a realization about human nature. Holden thinks to himself after seeing Phoebe on a carousel trying to catch a ring, â€Å"The things with kids is, if they want to grab the gold ring you have to let them do it and not say anything† (Salinger 221). When Holden allows Phoebe to grab the ring he realizes that people have to learn lessons for themselves, and he cannot protect people from making mistakes, he realizes that these lessons make people grow. Even though there is a possibility that Phoebe may fall catching the ring it allows her to learn and make better judgements. Holden firmly believed that people are phony for changing themselves, but that is because he did not consider that people have to mature. Since Holden was isolated and confined in his sister for comfort, he realized that he cannot prevent people from growing up and people need new journeys. Both, Nomi and Holden learned and grew for the better from their isolation. Nomi Nickel has grown appreciative of her Mennonite community, and Holden has realized that to grow people have to change and make mistakes. They both make these realizations as a result of their isolation. Although, people may need their personal space to think, completely isolating oneself may not be a clever idea. Isolation can cause for problems such as depression, it is better to be open minded to others and the surroundings as new valuable lessons can be learned. Works Cited Birns, Margaret Boe. â€Å"A Complicated Kindness.† Advanced Placement Source. EBSCO, 2007. Web. 31 May 2013. Lingdi Chen. â€Å"An Analysis of the Adolescent Problems in The Catcher in the Rye.† Asian Social Science. N.p., May 2009. Web. 31 May 2013. Privitera, Lisa. â€Å"Holden’s Irony in Salinger’s THE CATCHER IN THE RYE.† Academic Search Alumni Edition. EBSCO, 2008. Web. 31 May 2013. Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1951. Print. Toews, Miriam. A Complicated Kindness: A Novel. New York: Counterpoint, 2004. Print.