Essay on Love and Emotions

Essay on Love and Emotions People often talk about love, but most of us are not fully aware about its true essence. There is lot of misconception about efficacy of love that holds us back to generate loving feelings towards others. Love is not possessiveness. People look love as a possession that has to be acquired and preserved. To expect that others ought to provide it to us so that our life is filled with love is the biggest fallacy, which is cause of much unhappiness. It is not like any other material thing to be demanded from others. Even if other person offers us plenty of love, we may not be able to feel it. It is normal to blame others for not loving us, but much depends on our inner self whether it has capability to feel it from others. Love is a feeling of well being and of good emotions. It is an activity that keeps us in good spirit and is liked to our emotions. Let us engage and create feeling of love by making self capable through appropriate changes in our dealings with others. There is no other way to love and be loved. The physical intimacy devoid of good feelings is not love but lust. People often fail to conceive love as pious in essence. While dealing with others, let us take care that our dealings make them cheerful, by helping them to come out of their problem, appreciate their successes and be grateful for help received from them. All these activities are to express love. The benefit of giving love to others is that it appeals to our heart and makes us connected to others, provides stability and security, removes fear and gives a feeling of being good towards other people. One can get to know love by first generating such feelings of being good to others. How can a person feel love from others if he is filled with ego, anger and selfish tendencies? These negative emotions suppress inner urge to love others. Love is a divine energy. I had a very vague idea about love initially. As I tried to understand more about it, a completely different perspective and thinking develops that explains the true essence of love. I have come to know from spiritual literature that love is God and God is love. It appears too abstract in the first instance, but more we tend to think of God will make us to love God and all other creations of God. It is like energy flowing within us derived from Ultimate that thinks positive and helps in inner purification. Albert Einstein discovered energy mass equation that explains interconnection of material and energy. It revolutionized the thinking of present century by using a small amount of mass to derive a tremendous energy. Hence, along with our material existence, somewhere we are also part of the divine energy lying within us as dormant. Logically, this divine energy which is nothing but love brings us close to Ultimate. I can imagine that every one of us has a gr eat capacity of this divine love within us, but it is hidden, untapped and misdirected. Great saints have worked on human beings from time to time by developing intense feeling of love and concern for others. This has helped them to achieve higher levels of spiritual growth and closeness with the ultimate. The true meaning of love is inner purification of soul. This is the real purpose of love. Love is nothing but inner need and the reason for feeling happiness. Fill the requirement of soul by being in love with other person. The other person to whom you love is only an object to be loved; it is our own emotions that create love for that person. People love someone if they feel that person is an object of love. This feeling comes out of inner need. This is the reason that when the object of love is same, but still different people react to it in a different manner. A person may become an object of love for someone but similar feelings may be missing in the heart of other person. The feeling of love resides in us; other person becomes only a facilitator to bring out this feeling. Irrespective of how good other person may be, love will have to originate from you to create that loving emotion. All other things follow thereafter. These emotions come when we feel need of love as against negative emotions of anger and hate. The advantages of giving love to the other person are essentially to fulfill our inner need and to generate happiness. If we demand love from other person, we may not be able to feel it when our inner condition is filled with negative feelings. Love is an activity of thinking good about others, doing all that can be done to make others feel good and acting in a manner that other person feels comfortable. It is not something to be demanded as it cannot be preserved; and we cannot take it or feel it unless we make ourselves capable for it. Everyone feels impact of love in their life. When you think good of other person, you are in same wavelength as your inner self (soul), which makes you feel light and joyful. Such feeling is love. It is not easy for a person to love someone as it takes time to understand and then develop liking of that person. Media influences understanding of various issues in life including perception of love. Love has different connation in media, which is not actual reality. The people in love as shown in media are projected somewhat special; it makes us to realize incapable of offering or getting that sort of love. People often adore type of love which is without any argument, full of sacrifices and tolerance from the other person. The media glorifies love and shows loving couple who do so many unusual things to attract each others attention. It affects perception of love. We imagine women in love as beautiful, sacrificing and never arguing. The media depicts love based on physical attraction. In actual life situation, things are different. Love does not mean that there will not be any differences and the other person will always remain dumb. It does not mean that a person not very handsome or beautiful will be less attractive and loving in nature. The attractiveness of a person is depicted from overall personality that is a combination of physical looks, positive attitude and confidence. The love stories as reflected in media and narrated by other persons do mostly narrate physical aspect of love. It does not emphasize on the emotional closeness and spiritual part of the love which is more subtle and enduring. Our perception of love is thus limited in nature. Life is not always about happy or sad situation. It has its own moments of ups and down. How to adjust in each situation and take it in stride will greatly affect the quality of life and relationship with other people. The perception of love as being devoid of any problem, trouble and pain is thus misconception. People feel more and more pain as they are not able to live in love in relationship with other people. Our perception of love has to change. We have to live with all the problems that we face in unison, sort out our differences and make change in our life style to bring semblance of love and tolerance in our attitude. We have to meet the need of soul to develop spiritual love for other persons which goes beyond the physical attraction. Why it is difficult to love other person? Descriptive: The present environment due to religious, economic and cultural disparities is not conducive to create genuine feeling of love and concern for other person, and in these conditions, special efforts by cleaning of heart from bad feelings towards others are required. Short-words: Care, compassion, tolerance, love, sensitivity Text: People have developed indifference towards others because of religion, cultural, national and economic differences and disparities. This has made people to hate and hearts are filled with bad feelings towards others. It affects generating feeling of love and intimacy for other human beings. We remain unconcerned about others; love and tender feelings do not come easily; we believe other human beings are different and not close to us. The present environment is not conducive, and in these conditions, special efforts by cleaning of heart from bad feelings towards others are required. It requires a genuine feeling of love, affection and concern for other human beings. Hardly any great personality at this time either in the social or political arena preaches universal love and brotherhood. Nations and societies lay much importance on material achievements while these intangible benefits which are ideal for long lasting happiness are ignored. Much of our attention through books, preaching and media goes towards material welfare. Children, students and young people accumulate information on varied fields, but rarely educational curriculum lays importance on human values based on love and affection. It has made people to lose sight of good values of life that are built on love and compassion. People measure achievement and success with the yardstick of material comforts. Life has become unbalanced as this crucial aspect of our need is not fully emphasized. Most of us attach so many conditions to be able to love and like other person. We expect that other person ought to deserve love from us. This impairs our capacity to love someone who needs it most. As people become more and more sophisticated and refined in their pursuit of material comforts, they tend to fall short in their capacity to love others. They find other person not capable and refined and feel it difficult to love and show good feelings to other person. The true love requires that it ought not to be conditional. Love should flow out of compassion for other person. Our heart ought to generate a feeling of love and concern. Love in the pure form means giving without expecting anything in return. This is true love. When mother loves children, it is unconditional and is pure in nature. Mother feels discomfort in attending to the child; however, she has inner urge to meet all the needs of the child and sees happiness of child as her own happiness. While loving a person one sho uld relate the happiness of the other person as his own, and think what best one can offer to that person. The capacity to love is impacted if we always expect to receive something from others in return. In that case, inner self lacks sufficient feelings of love and concern for other person. If we think of giving something to others in love, it requires that we are satisfied with what we have possessed. It helps to generate love for others, if we are calm and at peace with our self. The capacity of a person to give something in love does not always depend on his or her material belongings but the willingness and character of that person. Giving something does not mean offering only material possessions. We have to be good at heart to be able to give something to others in token of love and concern. If a person has willingness to give something precious to others, he or she has capacity to love others. When we think of giving to other person, we care for that person. It could be offering good advice, praises, genuine sympathy or any other help that he/she need at that material time. When m other or father loves a child they are actually taking care of the child. Love goes with care, compassion and tolerance. These qualities are to be developed as to generate love for other person. This requires reform in our attitude to life. The efforts that go with developing such qualities help a person to enrich his life with positive energy. We will not be able to love others, if we do not make our self capable for it. It is common to be busy about own material success, power and fame, and in the process do little to develop true feeling of love. We therefore tend to make other person believe that we love him or her, but may be lacking inner feeling of concern for that person. It is usual with so many of us to feel zealous of close friend or relative, if they are doing well in life in comparison to us. These negative tendencies keep on haunting us that affects true lovable feeling. People become cynic of others, and try to find fault. They sometimes feel unhappy to find other person better placed in life. It is not easy to develop feeling of love for other person unless we get rid of these negative attitudes. The way to adhering to moral values is to think and work for good of others. When we try to remain good to others, it develops inner feeling of love and affection. Think of loving others as much as we love ourselves. Ego and selfish feelings come in the way to generate a feeling of love and compassion for other person. If a person is successful in his or her profession, it need not automatically make him or her to develop a feeling of love and compassion for others. Success and wealth may turn a person egoistic, and find it difficult to accept others as equal. The moment we feel higher in stature than others, makes us to expect more in love and obedience from others than we offer in return. The capacity to love others gets affected if filled with such feelings. Other persons out of inferiority complex may respect us, but it will be short of generating loving feelings in their heart. We put limit on true love by bringing these negative emotions filled with our own ego and superiority complex. It takes long time and serious efforts to clean these feelings. It requires sensitivity to express true feeling of love. Descriptive: Sensitivity is towards particular way we talk, express our feelings and understand other person. Feelings of love get impaired if we do not talk nicely to others, and try to tease or find fault. Behavior, proper communication, hurt, sensitive, compassion Text: People often presume that they love other person, but are unaware whether such feelings are conveyed in the manner other person perceives it. It indicates lack of sensitivity to express feelings of love. What is the point in claiming to be in love with other person if you fail to bring such feelings in other person? Love is a means of communication of good feelings to the other person. It is wish for welfare, success and happiness of a person. These feelings develop when we love a person. It makes us conscious of which actions of ours will make other person feel better. Express feelings to a person in a way it matches with his/ her sensitivity. Love making is a personal affair and each person would like to feel about love in a particular manner. Love demands emotional closeness through care, compassion, tolerance and understanding, Sensitivity is towards particular way we talk, express our feelings and understand other person. If we take care of sensitivity of other person in these matters; it will help in more harmonious relation and better mutual understanding. Feelings of love get impaired if we do not talk nicely to others, and try to tease or find fault. Take care while talking so that in any way we do not hurt other person. There will be number of occasions in our life when we will differ with others. If a person out of ego behaves superior, it makes other person feel small and hurt. It is usual to differ on various issues depending on background, education and overall interest. Is it worth to argue for long period to prove your point of view on any topic? It is to show your superiority. Let us not compete while arguing a point so that other person does not feel let down. These discussions ought to be more informative in nature. Let knowledge do not come in our way to block a better relationship with other person. While talking to a child, we talk in the language a child understands. We ourselves behave like a child. In the similar manner, we ought to talk to other person in the manner he or she likes and understands. The language used is the one that can bring us on same wavelength with that of other person. These are real life situations which each person observes, but we often ignore it. People fail to assess sensitivity of the other person and not able to connect emotionally. The other person is not interested to know about your successes and achievement. To derive close loving feelings, discuss issues relating to the welfare of that person. Discuss his/her achievements, problems and overall welfare. Take interest in other persons welfare. Provide encouragement, sympathy or consolation whatever desired to boost the morale of that person. Take genuine interest in the other person so that he/she feels free to reveal his inner feelings. The body language talks lot and gives different meaning to other person. Be sensitive to align your body language to make a positive impact on other person. Love and happiness can be achieved only if able to match the sensitivity of other person. The genuine need to bring happiness in the other person helps in understanding the sensitivity of that person. Love is subtle in nature and it does not have immediate tangible benefits. We need certain transformation within to develop a feeling of love and concern for others. These feelings come provided we value welfare of others as important as our own, and this gets reflected in our attitude towards others. Some people by heart are considerate and helpful to others. People who consider self- interest more important take time to develop these finer qualities. What we expect from life directs our responses and dealings with other people. Apart from how other people treat us, it is our inner urge that drives us to feel love and concern for other people. We often find couples depicting love towards each other in presence of others by routinely hugging and kissing. People say I Love You too often to others around them, but have to find within whether they are true to their word. To express love only through words is not sufficient. It has to be depicted in action. Sometimes, we are not sure of our love towards others, but repeat these words of love to satisfy that person. What is offered in love to others be in a subtle manner, without giving feeling of obligation to the receiver. If some help is imparted out of our ego, it may not generate any love for that person. Take care of other persons worries and find out what makes him/her better. Help in improving self esteem of other person. There are lot of people to find fault if things do not turn out properly. It is our role to make other person feel better against difficulties and odds by enhancing self-esteem and focusing on good things. Do not be quick to point out weakness of a person. This attitude makes other person feel inferior. Take care of sensitivity of a person and make him or her feel better in your company. Subtleness in love is something that is not to be expressed in words but actions speaks of the concern for the other person. Love of mother for the children is example of subtle form of love. She will try to protect the child from all the criticism. She will not disown the child if not doing well in life. Her love is not limited by external factors. Whether the child is intelligent or not, she will continue to take care of the child. She is sensitive to the feelings of the child. Help could come in the form of reducing the burden of worries through encouragement. Praise other person for any good thing accomplished. All these forms of expressing love are more subtle in nature and other person feels more carried out by these feelings. Our caring nature and sensitivity to the feelings of other person help in improving quality of our love. Each kiss and hug ought to accompany love through more subtle manner. In the true love towards other person, it involves absolute truthfulness without fear of deception. This requires honesty with the other person. Believe something about the person but express it differently shows lack of honesty. Mind and heart have to be in unison, when we deal with the person, so as to adopt honesty in our thought and deeds. In the matter of dealing with other people, we are influenced by our feelings of love and affection generated through our heart while our mind values the relationship based on mutual benefit. It becomes matter of inner conflict as how much we should give in a relation and how much to receive. At times whatever we express may not be necessarily what we feel about the person. Our relationship at times lacks sensitivity which affects true love. To be in love with others is the need of soul, same as food is the need of our body. We always feel urge to connect with the other person through love and feeling of intimacy. Being intimate with others does not mean physical intimacy, but it encompasses broader meaning of better understanding through love and compassion. Intimacy requires that we open our hearts and fill it with the love of the other soul. Love others as your soul mates so as to be in true love with the other person.

Margaret Thatcher’s New Right and New Labour

Margaret Thatcher’s New Right and New Labour The welfare state can be defined as the process in which the Government takes the responsibility in paying for, and in some instances such as public healthcare, directly providing services for the people. Through measures such as unemployment insurance, old-age pensions, and other social-security processes, it further provides the social and economic security of its population (Jones et al, 2007, p.680). In addition, the responsibility of the state is to help families, who need support in bringing up their children, through providing a choice of services which promotes the welfare of children and family members (VSS, 2003, p.2). The welfare state existed as far back as medieval times when the monasteries in particular looked after and supported the frail and elderly and educated the children. In the 16th century, parishes became legally responsible for looking after the poor and the people of the parish were expected to pay the cost (Bartholomew, 2004, p.29). The Poor Laws (traced back to 1536) were passed by the UK government to provide housing to the poor, homeless or disabled and in the 1800s many workhouses were built to provide shelter, work, food and clothing to the destitute. In 1914 a new code was established which encouraged more generous relief to be given to widows but only to those of good habits who would bring up their families correctly and that workhouses should be used as a threat to weaker women as it was already being argued that the welfare system was changing the morals of society (Walsh et al, 2000, p. 35;36). The birth of the modern welfare state began in 1911 when Lloyd George and Churchill introduced the first compulsary national insurance scheme against unemployment (Bartholomew, 2004, p.51). In 1941 an enquiry was launched which put forward proposals on how to tidy up the state welfare and the Bevridge report was published in 1942. William Bevridge was disappointed in what the welfare state had become and his report focused on full employment continuing within a stable economy where both Conservative and Labour worked within similar ideologies at this time to keep this stability and growth (Harris, 2004, p. 289, Alcock et al, 2004, p. 246). He was a believer of the Keynes theory that suggested there was a need for Government intervention to manage the economy which would solve the problems of unemployment and this approach was adopted by the Labour party (Page, 1999, p.24). His report further outlined defeating the five giants: want, ignorance, disease, squalor and idleness and his ma in proposal was that a national security should be universal and be compulsary everyone would pay a flat-rate contributions to a national insurance scheme. Those who fell ill, became unemployable or reached retirement age would, in return, receive flat-rate payments (Bartholomew, 2004, p.57). His report made no special provision for lone parents at all, arguing that the reponsibility of supporting the unmarried mother would be her familys although the typical family (which was that of a working man, his wife and children) lived almost in an income tax free state. At the time there was a married-couples allowance and tax allowances paid for each child which made the two parent family more likely to succeed (Bartholomew, 2004, p.255). Feminists saw his report as advocating that the womens place should be in the home serving her husband and children (VSS, 2003, p.19) as Beveridge stated that married womens duties was the vital unpaid service which would ensure the adequate continuance of the British race and of the British ideals in the world (cited in Lewis et al, 2000, p.32). The years following the Second World War radically influenced British society the NHS was formed and various Acts such as the Education Act; Family Allowance Act and the National Assistance Act were introduced and National Insurance for the unemployed was developed (Walsh et al, 2000, p.46). The Labour government helped to create a more state orientated Britain which took place with the purchase of industries by the state however this focus changed when the Conservative government came into power in 1979 and the concentration shifted to privatisation (Burton, 1987, p.26). The Conservatives, led by Margaret Thatcher, faced the burdening situation of the governments finances, rise in unemployment and NHS budget, and an increase in welfare bills. She proposed major changes in the thinking about social welfare and how it should be administered. In order to considerably reduce the increasing demand on the welfare state, which she believed to be expensive and morally weakening, she shifte d the responsibility of welfare from the state to personal, private and voluntary organisations which would be more efficient and effective (Walsh et al, 2000, p.52). During her period in office, Thatcher was influenced by her belief that the traditional nuclear family was the central force of modern life that contributed to decency, manners, respect for property and law and self-reliance, and was the best atmosphere for raising children (Jones et al, 2007, p.156). The norms and values of society began to break down in the 60s and 70s when a more tolerant society began to emerge. Changes to social policies such as divorce legislation (Divorce Reform Act, 1969) and generous welfare benefits were blamed for society and values deteriorating and this had caused an increase in irregular families and household types (Douglas, 1990, p.412). Thatcher and the New Right believed that the only way social problems would end would be if the golden age returned in which people lived in conventional family units, women stayed at home, divorce was not considered, benefits for lone parents were low and tax allowance for children were paid out (Douglas, 1999, p.414 ). They further argued that the traditional values of womens roles and the tradition of marriage was important to hold society together (Jones, 2007, p.156). New Right thinking, although influential in the 80s during the Thatcher Government is not new and has been around since the 17th and 18th century. The belief was that the government should not intercede in peoples lives and freedom, and that any intervention would cause social problems to become worse rather than improving them. The New Right also differentiated between people who were thought to be deserving of help and welfare services (poor through no fault of their own) and those who were unemployed, lazy and wasted money who should not receive welfare and support (Page et al, 1999, p.23; 78). Although Thatcher was keen to encourage and maintain the roles and responsibilities of the traditional family unit for personal security, emotional satisfaction and care for family members, it became difficult due to changes in society and law, which allowed women more freedom. Abortions were legalised and the contraceptive pill became available for free. In addition several Acts were introduced which gave women the opportunity to be more equal to men such as the Sex Discrimination Act (1975), Equal Pay Act (1970) and the Equal Opportunities Act (1995). Furthermore the marketization of the economy; deregulation and privatisation of labour markets and spreading owner occupation in an unstable housing market all played their part in the family breakdown and womens access to, and need for, jobs (Chadwick et al, 2003, p.8). As womens lives began to change, they moved away from their natural role of housewife and mother as divorce rates climbed and more lone-parent families became the nor m. The idea of family responsibility and informal care by the existing family was formally made public but in reality, it became more difficult for family members to support each other. The belief was that the normal nuclear family should be a family of two heterosexual adults, who were married and in a sexual relationship, producing children and instilling traditional moral values in them. Therefore the breakdown of the family and specifically the increase in lone parent families and illegitimacy were recognized as the cause of the increase in crime, unemployment, delinquency, educational underachievement and child poverty (Douglas, 1999, p.412; 413). Charles Murray whose New Right ideas greatly influenced Thatcher and Conservative thinking believed that society in the 1960s had done nothing to improve the life of the poor but instead had caused it to be worse by creating an underclass. Despite any evidence, he further argued that the welfare programmes had produced a rise in unemp loyment, crime and illegitimacy in the American underclass and defiantly stated that people were not owed a decent standard of living, it was something they had to work for (Page et al, 1999, p.79). Murray particularly blamed the children of lone parent families for social problems as he argued that the lack of both role models would increase their chance of living in poverty, becoming dependent on drugs, alcohol and benefits and therefore would increase the chance of them resorting to crime. He further stated that the welfare state encouraged dependency and a break from traditional values and argued that large benefits led to families not working, but remaining dependant on state benefits (Page et al, 1999, p.304; 78). Thatcher therefore believed that the only way to reduce poverty was by ending the benefit culture, removing this dependency and encouraging self-reliance. She would have preferred mothers not to work, as their responsibility was to be at home to care for and protect their children. More over it would have been desirable if there were no single mothers claiming income support. Dunn Toroosian (2009, p.74) argues that the terms legitimate and illegitimate referring to children born in or out of wedlock are old fashioned, value laden terms that reflect societies attitude to marriage and childbearing which reinforce the New Right view and the Conservative pro-family movement, derived from Christian morality. Thatcher addressed the increase in welfare costs by cutting social expenditure, withdrawing services and introducing a new form of means tested support, which she believed targeted those in real need. She reduced the level of benefits and replaced certain benefits with others, which meant some people lost all or some of their benefits. Furthermore child benefit was not increased in line with inflation. Discretionary payments for people in deprivation were completely removed and the Social Fund introduced to help struggling people was mostly given out in the form of loans and not grants. The effect of these changes left many people and families who were receiving benefits a lot poorer. It is however argued (Pascall, 2002) that these changes to social policy left women in a stronger position by the end of the Conservative era due to improved access to work and enabled lone mothers to do paid work which made women less dependant within families. Although many of the changes happened more because of the womens movement than to Thatcherism, Thatcherite policies played a part in the process. However regardless of the womans new position, the New Rights ideology of the nuclear family is not all it is made out to be. Functionalist in particular ignored the potential harmful effects of family life and inequalities of domestic life. Nuclear families are very stereotypical and discriminatory (other family types are not families and therefore inadequate), patriarchal (there is an unequal distribution of power and status as it is male dominant and women are exploited) and not inclusive (gay relationships, reconstituted families, unmarried parents and especially lone parents ar e all ignored). There was no discussion or argument about whether the nuclear family was the only one that could carry out the vital functions of the family or whether the role of nurturing children could possibly be carried out by other family types such as lone parents or two women/ men. In addition nuclear families, as with all other types of families, can be equally unfavourable especially if there is domestic abuse and violence or child and drug abuse. Women may have gained more rights to be considered equal to men but in most circumstances the man has remained the breadwinner and women were still considered to undertake the emotional role of the domestics, housewife, mother and carer. Women often work part time or flexible hours in order to allow them to continue to fulfil their childcare and household responsibilities (Dunn-Toroosin, 2009, p.63). In addition, because of the changes in the economic, demographic, political and cultural trends in the industrialised world, people s work and home lives had changed. Although great change had taken place, it seemed that other areas of society such as government, religion and business had not yet caught up with the new reality. The Labour Party led by Tony Blair came into power after a landslide victory in 1997 and one of his main agendas was welfare reform. Although he continued with many of the Conservatives themes and stated that the welfare state must offer a hand-up rather than a hand-out'(Page, 1999, p.306), he wanted people on benefits to pull their weight with his rights and responsibilities approach. However, in his attempt to break away from Thatherism, the new government adopted the Third Way which was about promoting opportunity instead of dependance, with a welfare state providing for the mass of the people, but in new ways to fit the modern world (DSS, 1998b, p.19). Although New Labour accepted that the government had a duty to provide appropriate training and education, Blair wanted certain people receiving benefits (including single parents) to be encouraged into work and training rather than continuing to receive benefits (Page, 1999, p.309). Blair stressed the importance of individuals bei ng socially independent, however he also emphasised the importance and morals of families arguing that the breakup of community in turn is consequent on the breakdown in family life (Lavalette et al, 1999, online). Blair promised that his policies would modernise and renew Britain however the ideas that they were based upon were hardly new. He frequently discussed his Christian beliefs and values and how they influenced his policies New Labour very much wanted to return to family values (Lavalette et al, 1999, online). Frank Field (Labour minister for welfare reform, 1998) adopted many of the views of Charles Murray and he again highlighted the role of divorce, family breakdown and illegitimacy as the main contributors of the underclass and that welfare should openly reward good behaviour and enhance those roles which the country values (cited in Lavalette, 1999, online). Labour used social welfare policy to assert a new moral agenda and similarly to the policies of the New Right f ocused on the problem of teenage pregnancy, single mothers and the one parent family which resulted in benefits being cut (Page, 1999, p.129). The New Deal (introduced in 1998) was concerned with moving people off benefits into work through better access to training and subsidies being offered to employers who employ young people who had been out of work for six months. Furthermore the New Deal for Lone Parents did not apply to lone parents with younger children and it did not consider how difficult it was for them in actually taking up paid work (Hills, 1998, p.26). The poor working class families were told that they would be held responsible for any crimes their children committed as New Labour focussed on strengthening families and communities and also shaping the institution in which children are brought up, on the basis of enduring values justice for all, responsibilty from all (Chadwick, 2003, p.32). Benefit recipients were told that work is their salvation, even if it meant working for benefits, and being unemployed was not an option. Another strategy on his agenda was to tackle social exclusion groups of the poor who lacked the income and the opportunities to access social establishments which again included young single mothers. New Labour saw paid work as the best way to improve the position of the socially excluded rather than creating dependancy on welfare payments and services (Page, 1999, p.307). Ironically his agenda led to increasing levels of unemployment and a greater divide between rich and poor. It is a continuation of a number of themes that have been central to British Government policy for the last 30 years and is based on a deeply conservative moral agenda where the poor working class is increasingly identified as a problem that must be forced to accept the values of modern capitalism. Both New Right and New Labour attitudes and personal belief in how the family does work and should work has significantly impacted and influenced the Governments decision on social policy. However Page (1999, p.15) argues that social policy has always been shaped and influenced by social factors such as gender, class and age. This has in turn had consequences for women in family and public life. The effect of encouraging traditional family structures and the labelling of single parents has had both psychological and physical effects on families and such stigma often shapes and overshadows life. There was no evidence that proved the nuclear family was better than other family units or that lone parents were unsuitable yet this influenced policies. Furthermore, it was seen as a life style choice for single parents to be on benefits but benefits offer little chance for lone parents (and/or their children) to get out of the poverty cycle and it needs to be recognised that poverty strips dignity and makes a person powerless. Although the solution was to blame individuals and therefore change and introduce new policies and benefits, it would have been better to deal with the inequality and the lack of choices faced by some women. Providing more jobs and opportunities with better pay would have enabled women and their families to claw their way out of poverty and their reliance on welfare. Although the increase in capitalism meant progress for women as it enabled them to enter the workforce, they still remained unequal as they continued to bear the burden of the family role. Childcare facilities which could have allowed women to go back to work were scarce due to the lack of Thatchers commitment to spend public money on expanding childcare facilities (Douglas, 1999, p.413). Whilst much has been achieved, women are still at a definite disadvantage compared to men and therefore remain economically dependant. The aim of state welfare was to remove divisions in society, political and class inequality however b ecause of the attitudes of the changing political powers which influenced the welfare state, the effect has been to make those divisions more visible: lone parents and the underclass who have little choice than to live in impoverished environments where there is overcrowding and crime WORD COUNT: 3051

Reducing waste in Europe Essay -- Waste Management, Waste Handling

European Union Directive 2008/98/EC outlines hierarchy of steps in which waste handling should occur. It suggests that waste prevention should be a top priority followed by re-use and recycling of materials. However in modern, demand and profit driven society this tactic has very small chance of success, certainly in terms of reducing and reusing. As a result generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) is projected to rise by further 2020 by 16% in EU-27, with 80% produced in the EU-15 (which includes UK) (Skovgaard et al., 2008). This implies that â€Å"The 3 R’s† strategy fails to deliver its key objective – waste reduction. Thus attention should also focus on options that could help to reduce waste accumulation rather than just prevention. One of the most successful strategies to decrease landfill waste is to divert it to Waste to Energy (WtE) facilities. The most popular form of energy recovery from waste, for technical and economical reason, is Waste to Energy Incineration (WtEI). It raises a lot of controversy, mainly because it is associated with technologies from the past, when air pollution controls did not exist. This resulted in significant environmental degradation and heath issues. Understandably, this has left a bad image of incineration. Modern incinerators however emit less than 10% of pollutants than their counterparts 25 years ago (DEFRA, 2013). Technology has the potential to play a significant role as part of waste management strategy but equally important as constituent of balanced energy mix. This essay presents available evidence which sheds new light on Waste to Energy Incineration, highlighting its impact on environment, energy security and human health. In 2011 waste management contributed 17.3 MtCO2e (3.1... ...te Management 29, 1718–1724 Shalunenko, N., I.,Korolyuk, T., A., 2012. Construction glass material based on ash from waste incineration plants. Glass and Ceramics, Vol. 69, Nos. 11 – 12, March, 2013 Skovgaard, M., Hedal, N., Villanueva, A., Andersen, F., M., Larsen, H., 2008. Municipal waste management and greenhouse gases. ETC/RWM working paper 2008/1 Available at: http://scp.eionet.europa.eu/publications/wp2008_1/wp/wp1_2008 Accessed on: 4th December 2013 Tabasovà ¡, A., Kropà ¡c, J., Kermes, V., Nemet, A., Stehlà ­k, P., 2012. Waste-to-energy technologies: Impact on environment. Energy 44, 146-155 UK biomass strategy, 2007. Working Paper 1 – economic analysis of biomass energy. Energy Technologies Unit Department of Trade and Industry. Available at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file39040.pdf Accessed on: 24th November 2013 Reducing waste in Europe Essay -- Waste Management, Waste Handling European Union Directive 2008/98/EC outlines hierarchy of steps in which waste handling should occur. It suggests that waste prevention should be a top priority followed by re-use and recycling of materials. However in modern, demand and profit driven society this tactic has very small chance of success, certainly in terms of reducing and reusing. As a result generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) is projected to rise by further 2020 by 16% in EU-27, with 80% produced in the EU-15 (which includes UK) (Skovgaard et al., 2008). This implies that â€Å"The 3 R’s† strategy fails to deliver its key objective – waste reduction. Thus attention should also focus on options that could help to reduce waste accumulation rather than just prevention. One of the most successful strategies to decrease landfill waste is to divert it to Waste to Energy (WtE) facilities. The most popular form of energy recovery from waste, for technical and economical reason, is Waste to Energy Incineration (WtEI). It raises a lot of controversy, mainly because it is associated with technologies from the past, when air pollution controls did not exist. This resulted in significant environmental degradation and heath issues. Understandably, this has left a bad image of incineration. Modern incinerators however emit less than 10% of pollutants than their counterparts 25 years ago (DEFRA, 2013). Technology has the potential to play a significant role as part of waste management strategy but equally important as constituent of balanced energy mix. This essay presents available evidence which sheds new light on Waste to Energy Incineration, highlighting its impact on environment, energy security and human health. In 2011 waste management contributed 17.3 MtCO2e (3.1... ...te Management 29, 1718–1724 Shalunenko, N., I.,Korolyuk, T., A., 2012. Construction glass material based on ash from waste incineration plants. Glass and Ceramics, Vol. 69, Nos. 11 – 12, March, 2013 Skovgaard, M., Hedal, N., Villanueva, A., Andersen, F., M., Larsen, H., 2008. Municipal waste management and greenhouse gases. ETC/RWM working paper 2008/1 Available at: http://scp.eionet.europa.eu/publications/wp2008_1/wp/wp1_2008 Accessed on: 4th December 2013 Tabasovà ¡, A., Kropà ¡c, J., Kermes, V., Nemet, A., Stehlà ­k, P., 2012. Waste-to-energy technologies: Impact on environment. Energy 44, 146-155 UK biomass strategy, 2007. Working Paper 1 – economic analysis of biomass energy. Energy Technologies Unit Department of Trade and Industry. Available at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file39040.pdf Accessed on: 24th November 2013

Self-absorption in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays

Self-absorption in Heart of Darkness  Ã‚     Ã‚   The story Heart of Darkness is a study in the benefits , and setbacks, of self absorption. Through out the story there is a constant emphasis on the fact that self absorption will get you what you want and help you to survive. At the same time there is the constant moral objection. Almost the entire book is spent showing the positive aspects of self absorption. The life it will give you and the ability to keep that life going as long as possible. This type of thinking, however, can catch up to you in the end.    The lesson that self absorption is the means of self preservation is one that is taught to the reader, and more specifically to Marlow, gradually as the story progresses. The very first lesson in this thought process comes very early in the story. I occurs as Marlow is going over in his mind exactly how he came to get the opportunity to be a river steamer captain. It appears the Company had received news that one of their captains had been killed in a scuffle with the natives. This was my chance, and it made me the more anxious to go...However, through this glorious affair I got my appointment, before I had fairly begun to hope for it.(Conrad 13)    Right away Marlow begins to think about himself and what this mans death can bring to him. He describes the incident, and every now and then throws in a "The poor fellow" so that he is not completely devoid of any compassion. This is Marlow's introduction into the way of the successful person in the Ivory trade, or any business for that matter.    The next lesson that Marlow gets in self absorption he actually has provided for him. As he is riding the french ship down to the belgian congo there are several stops made to let off soldiers at various posts up and down the shore.    We pounded along, stopped, landed soldiers; went on, landed custom- house clerks to levy toll in what looked like a God-forsaken wilderness, with a tin shed and a flag-pole lost in it; landed more soldiers to take care of the custom-house clerks, presumably. Some, I heard, got drowned in the surf; but whether they did or not, nobody seemed particularly to care. They were just flung out there, and on we Self-absorption in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays Self-absorption in Heart of Darkness  Ã‚     Ã‚   The story Heart of Darkness is a study in the benefits , and setbacks, of self absorption. Through out the story there is a constant emphasis on the fact that self absorption will get you what you want and help you to survive. At the same time there is the constant moral objection. Almost the entire book is spent showing the positive aspects of self absorption. The life it will give you and the ability to keep that life going as long as possible. This type of thinking, however, can catch up to you in the end.    The lesson that self absorption is the means of self preservation is one that is taught to the reader, and more specifically to Marlow, gradually as the story progresses. The very first lesson in this thought process comes very early in the story. I occurs as Marlow is going over in his mind exactly how he came to get the opportunity to be a river steamer captain. It appears the Company had received news that one of their captains had been killed in a scuffle with the natives. This was my chance, and it made me the more anxious to go...However, through this glorious affair I got my appointment, before I had fairly begun to hope for it.(Conrad 13)    Right away Marlow begins to think about himself and what this mans death can bring to him. He describes the incident, and every now and then throws in a "The poor fellow" so that he is not completely devoid of any compassion. This is Marlow's introduction into the way of the successful person in the Ivory trade, or any business for that matter.    The next lesson that Marlow gets in self absorption he actually has provided for him. As he is riding the french ship down to the belgian congo there are several stops made to let off soldiers at various posts up and down the shore.    We pounded along, stopped, landed soldiers; went on, landed custom- house clerks to levy toll in what looked like a God-forsaken wilderness, with a tin shed and a flag-pole lost in it; landed more soldiers to take care of the custom-house clerks, presumably. Some, I heard, got drowned in the surf; but whether they did or not, nobody seemed particularly to care. They were just flung out there, and on we

Acid Rain in Europe :: Papers

Acid Rain in Europe Introduction ============ The atmosphere is like a film of gases, which makes the planet habitable. If this layer was not present there would be no life on earth. It is a fact that the health of plants, animals and humans depends upon a very important factor 'pollution'. Although, all kinds of poisonous waste is continuing to be put into the atmosphere. These poisonous gases are being produced when fossil fuels are burnt, as a result of this acid rain forms which further more results in numerous problems damaging forests, lakes, rivers, land, plants and animals. The main culprits of burning fossil fuels are MEDC's, which insist on maintaining their high standards of living. What is acid rain? Rain is naturally acidic but the term 'acid rain' is usually referred to as rain, which has been made more acidic than it should be due to the atmosphere absorbing the gasses emitted from the burning of fossil fuels. The gases are oxides of nitrogen and sulphur. Nitrogen oxide is usually given Nox as there are many of them, sulphur oxide SO2 and water H2O When these mix together they form acids such as sulphurous acid (H2SO3). Acid rain can be deposited in three ways: * Wet deposition - The deposition of pollutants in rain and snow mainly affects upland areas. * Dry deposition - The deposition of gases and particles directly onto terrestrial surfaces. * Cloud deposition - The capture of cloud droplets that contain concentrated pollutants. We can measure how acidic the rain actually is by the pH scale, 7 is neutral, below that is acidic above that is alkaline. A 'log scale' can be used for example pH 6 is ten times more acidic than pH 7, so pH 5 is one hundred times more acidic than pH7. Case study: An investigation to show how acid rain is affecting Europe. What are the causes of acid rain? Acid rain was first found in Scandinavia in the late 1950's and at

Case study: Outback Goes International Essay

As a conglomerate, Outback must be able to overcome the complexity of expanding into international markets. The company’s commitment to continue its fast paced growth will require them to develop a strategy for expansion and operations in different global regions throughout the world. In developing a business strategy, Outback must create guidelines to ensure success in these new and diverse markets abroad. It is my view that Outback should implement a â€Å"Value Creation† strategy that focus on lowering cost and differentiating the product to achieve a competitive advantage. As a result, this will improve the profit making abilities of the company. This will allow the company to expand into many markets while creating value for its company. Outback’s distinctive competencies and its unique strengths will allow the company to succeed internationally. By pursuing this strategy, Outback is building on its existing resources and capabilities. International expansion will also formulate and build additional resources and capabilities for the company. Overview Chris Sullivan, Bob Basham, and Tim Gannon meet in the early 1970’s shortly after they graduated from college. In the 1980’s, Sullivan and Basham became successful Franchisees with seventeen Chili’s restaurants in Florida and Georgia, while Gannon played significant roles in several New Orleans restaurant chains. In 1987, Sullivan and Basham sold their franchises and Gannon quit his current position. The three entrepreneurs, each with more than twenty years experience in the restaurant industry used the proceeds from the sale of the franchises to start two Outback Steakhouse restaurants in 1988. The opening of the two Outback Steakhouse restaurants was positioned with an Australian theme associated with the adventurous outdoors. Early financing came from limited partnerships from family, friends and  associates. They did not anticipate extensive expansions or franchising. However, in 1990, friends approached the three entrepreneurs and asked for a franchise of the Outback Austrian theme. With the success of these franchises, they decided to expand and organized a joint venture with Carrabbas, leading them into the lucrative Italian dining segment of the restaurant industry. Additional opportunities with other individuals arose shortly. In just six years, Outback was voted the best steakhouse chain in the country. On top of that, in 1994 Outback was awarded Inc’s prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year award. By that time, Outback had 164 directly owned restaurants, 6 restaurants that operated through joint ventures and 44 franchised restaurants. At the rate the company was growing, Outback would near the U.S. market’s saturation within four to five years. In late 1994, the company acknowledged is ability to expand abroad by appointing Hugh Connerty as president of Outback International. As the company moves toward international expansion, they knew that a strategic plan is essential in order to assure Outback’s continuing success as it takes on the new and diverse markets abroad. Problem Definition Several critical problems arose as a result of the company’s anticipation of expansion. This event exposed the company to the complexity of moving into new and diverse markets abroad. Ability to Understand the Factors Affecting Companies’ Entry into International Markets: Connerty knew that it was impossible for Outback to expand around the world, buying property and understanding the laws and the culture in each and every country. He has learned that people are very different than Americans. U.S. restaurant chains have to take into account numerous considerations when determining which non-U.S. market to enter. Issues regarding infrastructure, demographics, income and trade laws are a few factors that can determine a company’s success or failure. The strategy created for a specific country cannot be used for another country. It is obvious that different countries have different beliefs, values and ways of  life. The product, promotional, positioning, and pricing strategies must be molded to adapt to the differences that exist in the new and diverse markets abroad. Cost of Expansion: The high cost of resources is a problem Outback will face with its international expansion. If Outback can establish a remedy to cut costs, they would be able to gain a substantial amount of profits. Outback has the highest food costs in the industry. Employment cost is also a factor that can be minimized. Store managers annual salary is $40,000 more than the industry average. These costs can be reduced and the proceeds can be reinvested in the target markets. Finding Partners to Expand Abroad: Connerty stated that the biggest decision the company will have to make is to select franchise partners. They will have to choose a person who has synergy with them, a person who thinks like them and who believes in the principles and beliefs of the company. The trust between Outback and the individual franchisees cannot be violated. The company must be able to franchise their international operations with company owned stores in the United States and franchises in the markets abroad, so that the strong support operations that exist in the U.S. exist abroad. Ability of Suppliers to Expand Abroad: It is Outback’s principle and belief, that a strong relationship with suppliers is essential. The company has never changed suppliers and has an undying commitment to them; they expect the same in return. Outback view their suppliers as partners in the company’s success and is committed to work with suppliers to develop and maintain long term relationships. The company is dedicated to obtaining the highest quality ingredients and supplies. The company’s chief chef will not tolerate less than the best. Suppliers must be able to prove that they can build plants abroad. Understanding Competitors Strategies in The International Markets: Competition affects the way companies govern and implement their decisions for their operations. Outback must examine casual dining chains with  operations abroad such as Applebee’s and T.G.I.Friday’s/Carlson Companies Inc. By examining these competitors, Outback can differentiate how their competitors’ domestic strategies differ from their international strategies. Other competitors include the top ten franchisers in the restaurant industry such as Burger King, McDonald’s, Domino’s, Hardee’s, International Dairy Queen, Inc., Little Caesar’s, KFC, Taco Bell, Subway and Wendy’s. In order for Outback to compete effectively and maximize their long-term profitability, it must be able to understand their competitors in these new and diverse markets abroad. Alternative Generation Decision Areas A business strategy that incorporates the tactics and policies for Outback’s international expansion must be developed so that Outback can compete effectively and maximize their long-term profitability. It is essential for Outback to obtain a competitive advantage to outperform their rivals and achieve targeted growth. The major decision areas that need to be addressed are: Research and Development, Market Research, Supply Management, Human Resource, and Partner Selection. Research and Development: In order to satisfy their customers, Outback must be able to address the multicultural food facts and dining customs that exist within each new territory. Outback should create a uniform Outback experience in every country, while at the same time learning the subtle differences inherent in each.  ·Option 1: Maintain current focus in research and development.  ·Option 2: Increase spending and focus on developing menus to fit each markets.  ·Option 3: Outsource the multicultural study project to an outsider.  ·Option 4: Decrease spending and imitate competitors. Market Research: Outback has realized the factors affecting international expansion. It must prepare a market research analysis of the markets abroad.  ·Option 1: Do nothing; just follow the competitors’ course. Expand into the markets that your competitor has entered  ·Option 2: Perform selective market research to determine safe markets to enter.  ·Option 3: Perform intensive market research to determine the perfect markets to enter. Supply Management: The company is dedicated to obtaining the highest quality ingredients and supplies. Outback wants their suppliers to expand with them. Otherwise, Outback must be able to develop supply channels abroad.  ·Option 1: Do nothing; stay with current supplier and ship in supplies.  ·Option 2: Find new suppliers in the new markets.  ·Option 3: Own their own supplies through vertical integration.  ·Option 4: Form a tighter relationship with the supplier and have them build plants abroad. Human Resources: Human Resources must ensure that the company has the right mix of people to perform its activities effectively. The employees must be adequately trained, motivate and compensated to perform their task.  ·Option 1: Continue to use the same aptitude tests, psychological profiles and interviews as the employee selection process.  ·Option 2: Simply hire employees who are willing to work.  ·Option 3: Hire employees who are not fully qualified but are willing to learn and grow with the company. Partner Selection: The biggest decision the company will have to make is in selecting partners. Finding the right franchise and joint venture partners to invest in is very crucial.  ·Option 1: Sustain current partners. Have them expand abroad.  ·Option 2: Conduct comprehensive research on potential alliance candidates.  ·Option 3: Franchise international operations with company own stores in the United States with franchises abroad. The decision areas, with their corresponding options, provide the basis for the alternatives that can be analyzed. StrategyResearch and DevelopmentMarket ResearchSupply ManagementHuman ResourcesPartner Selection Status QuoStatus QuoStatus QuoStatus QuoStatus Quo Increase SpendingSelective Market ResearchNew SuppliersStandard Employees Comprehensive Research OutsourceIntensive Market researchVertical IntegrationMotivated EmployeesPartner with Franchises Abroad Decrease and imitate competitors Have Supplier Build Plant Abroad Alternatives Four Strategic alternatives, or themes are defined in the following strategy table. StrategyResearch and DevelopmentMarket ResearchSupply ManagementHuman ResourcesPartner Selection Apply Domestic Strategies AbroadStatus QuoStatus QuoStatus QuoStatus QuoStatus Quo Redirect Investment Plans IncreaseSpendingStatus QuoStatus QuoStatus QuoComprehensive Research Get In The GameDecrease and imitate competitorsSelective Market ResearchNew SupplierStandard EmployeesComprehensive Research Value CreationIncrease Spending Intensive Market Research Have Supplier Build Plant AbroadStatus Quo Partner with Franchises Abroad 1.Apply Domestic Strategies Abroad: Avoid modifications of strategies that we already know is successful. Strengths  ·The company will save money by avoiding cost associated with developing and implementing new strategies.  ·The company will avoid the risks of developing new strategies that may fall short of expectations.  ·Avoid changes in the organizational structure and control system.  ·Dividends can be paid to the shareholders because the cost of expansion will be minimized. Weaknesses  ·Domestic strategies may not be applicable to the markets abroad.  ·Company’s inability to adapt to changing conditions will be observed.  ·Company’s inability to formulate strategies that build additional resources and capabilities will also be notice. 2.Redirect Investment Plans: Move away from the idea of international expansion and explore other means of investment. Strengths  ·Potentially least cost solution  ·Less impact on company’s operational structure.  ·The company can pursue other investments that are less complex, costly and risky. Weaknesses  ·Other investments may not be as rewarding.  ·Lost earnings due to potential profit loss from international opportunities.  ·Company’s inability to confront risk and challenges will be perceived negatively. 3.Get In The Game: Competitors have already established businesses abroad. It is time for Outback to gain entry and keep pace with to its competitors. Concentrate on only the most important aspects of international expansion. Focus on just getting their foot in the door as soon as possible. Strengths  ·Mid level cost solution.  ·The company’s immediate concerns will be addressed.  ·Expansion measures can be applied immediately.  ·Continuous development can occur. Weaknesses  ·Does not address long-term problems.  ·May overlook certain critical aspects.  ·May miss opportunity to maximize profit. 4. Value Creation: Create value for the company internationally by applying distinctive competencies abroad to lower the costs of activities in ways that leads to differentiation and premium pricing. Gain a competitive advantage by providing high quality dining at reasonable prices. Strengths  ·Creating value for the company will ultimately increase profits.  ·Value creation will create an improved company image for the shareholders and the investing public.  ·Improved efficiency in the company’s operations will in the long run decrease cost. Weaknesses  ·High cost solution.  ·Concentrating on value creation may lead the company to neglect other important factors that can affect expansion. Scenarios Scenario 1: Craze for a high protein diet: High protein, low-carbohydrate diets will become popular all over the world. The demand for steak will increase, in effect increasing the demand for Outback restaurants throughout the world. Probability: Medium Alt 1: Expansion strategy will be implemented promptly in the international markets Alt 2: Expansion will appear to be the right investment to pursue. Alt 3: Immediate expansions will begin. Alt 4: Shareholders will get value from their investment. Scenario 2: A disease is linked to the consumption of beef: A disturbing reports that links the consumption of beef to a disease provokes fears of consuming beef worldwide. The consumption of steak decreases and other meats are consumed as an alternative. Probability: Medium Alt 1: Plans of expansion may be terminated or prolonged. Alt 3: Redirecting investment plans will appear to be the best proposal. Alt 3: Immediate entry no longer appears to be practical. Alt 4: Would provide marketing advantages for Outback in the United States and globally. Recommendation Even though it’s the most difficult and time consuming, I recommend Outback  to implement Alternative 4, Value Creation. It is very important because the source of a competitive advantage is superior value creation. The shareholders will be pleased to know that as a result of creating value earnings will eventually increase. The shareholders will have more confidence in the company’s financial positions and future operations. Alternative 4 is preferable to the other strategies for the following reasons: Alternative 1: Domestic strategies may not be applicable to the requirements needed in the international markets. The company will lose out on the possibility of formulating strategies that build additional resources and capabilities of the organization. Alternative 2: Shows that the company is afraid to take risk. The company is trying to avoid risks but at the same time they are losing out on opportunities as well. Competitors will take advantage of this flaw and gain market shares from the company. Alternative 3: Even though this might be acceptable in the short term, many minor problems may arise in the long term. Other problems will evolve in the future and may actually cost the company a lot more than they had anticipated. Implementation The company has to take the following actions in order to affect the value creation strategy.  ·Intensive market research is necessary to determine the perfect markets to enter.  ·Increase spending on research and development to adapt the menus to the markets.  ·Franchise international operations with company own stores in the United States with franchises abroad so that the strong support operations that exist in the U.S. exist abroad.  ·Find ways to cut cost while increasing value without affecting quality.  ·Form tighter relationship with suppliers and have them build plants abroad to ensure quality ingredients. There are many challenges a company must face when deciding to expand into international markets. The implementation of this strategy will require a great deal of commitment from all the individuals throughout the company. The business strategy must align with the strategies of the company, business units and functional levels.

For Love, or Money? Essay

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a novel about Jay Gatsby’s constant quest to win over his love of the past, Daisy Buchanan. To Gatsby’s misfortune, he finds that Daisy is married to the wealthy but cocky Tom Buchanan. Daisy is a modern day â€Å"gold-digger† she fails to realize her own arrogance, and the success of her relationship with Tom is measured upon the size of his pocketbook. Tom’s secret lover, Myrtle Wilson becomes the victim of a hit-and-run. Tom shows Myrtle’s husband to the door of Gatsby. Gatsby is shot while swimming in his pool for the first time. Nick Carraway, the narrator of the story, witnesses Gatsby’s failure to relive his past and recapture the love of his life. Although Nick admires Gatsby’s effort to use his newly acquired wealth for the intentions of love as opposed to Tom’s use of it to be reckless, he thinks Gatsby’s obsession is foolish. Before the war sent him packing, Jay Gatsby was seeing Daisy Fay. At that time Jay was not very wealthy, but he had high hopes as to what it would take to win over the girl of his dreams. After the war Gatsby was shocked, but not set off track when he found that Daisy married another man. Nick is constantly in awe of Gatsby’s undying affection towards a woman that is married to another man, and is the same woman that betrayed him in the past. At first Nick thinks that Gatsby is not able to see through Daisy’s lack of emotion until Gatsby says, â€Å"Her voice is full of money.†(127). Gatsby says this because he realizes Daisy is a different person than he once knew. Gatsby can almost hear the difference in the odd cheerfulness in her voice. At that point in the novel, Nick realizes that Gatsby does not care what Daisy is like now, but he learns instead that Gatsby is in love with the Daisy he knew before the war. Gatsby’s entire life and his only reason to become wealthy were to win over his love from the past. Tom Buchanan comes from â€Å"old-money†. â€Å"Old-money† is a term for people that have money passed down to them from different generations. He has never had to work for anything, and his incredibly large amount of money is sufficient enough to allow him to be as careless as he wants. He never thinks about his actions because he knows that money is on his side and everybody sides with  money. Tom cheats on his wife without a care in the world. His most recent desire is a Myrtle, the wife of a gas station owner. An example of Tom’s carelessness and brutality is when he intentionally whacks Myrtle’s face and breaks her nose after saying his wife’s name, â€Å"Making a short deft movement Tom Buchanan broke her [Myrtle] nose with his open hand.†(41). After doing this, Tom showed absolutely no signs of regret for his actions. This evil gesture of Tom’s was not by itself. He figured to show his ownership of her by buying her a necklace that is much like the collar Myrtle put on her new puppy that was given to her from Tom. Myrtle could not argue with receiving gifts. Myrtle does not mind any of Tom’s actions towards her because she sees him as her only ticket out of poverty. Tom figures that Myrtle is from a lower class than he is and therefore he can do whatever he wants with her. Another strange character in the novel is Daisy Buchanan (Daisy Fay). Before the war, she was the girlfriend of Jay Gatsby. At this time she probably did not care at all about how much money he made. At that time, all she knew was that she was going to wait for Gatsby to return from the war. This is when she changes. She changes from waiting for her poor boyfriend to come back from war to a person that would marry the first man she met as long as he was filthy rich. She too is now just as careless as her husband Tom Buchanan. All she cares about is herself, her child, and her money. She admits to never actually loving Tom when she tells Gatsby, â€Å"Why,-how could I love him-possibly?†(139). At this point in the novel she begins to question herself as to what she wants more. She now faces a situation where Tom and Jay both are loaded. The difference between the two is obvious. Jay is completely devoted to Daisy while Tom just keeps her for his image. The only reason that she could have married Tom without loving him was to dive into is riches. Now that Gatsby is even richer than Tom, Daisy is left trying to choose. Unfortunately she takes too long to choose and hits a speed bump that indirectly chooses for her. All the time in the novel Nick is just watching and occasionally speaking, but he never actually helps this troubled group that he is caught in the middle of. Instead he watches their problems escalate and through all this he never bothers to answer why. Nick understands all of the problems that  each character has, and he probably knows how to fix their problems. He has an opinion of each character after carefully studying their personalities and the problems they present. Throughout the novel the reader might wonder why Nick never steps in to set the characters straight when he knows exactly what should be happening. Nick has made his judgment, but like he said in the very beginning of the book, he remembers what his father told him, â€Å"Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.†(5). This is the reason that Nick is almost completely detached. He was taught early to be the viewer rather than the actor. When Nick sees people with problems he calmly backs away from it and watches how they solve it. He won’t criticize or point any fingers because he simple believes that they might not have had the same advantages that he had. This is the reason that Nick is the narrator of the story. He does not interfere with anybody. In the end he notices things that stand out about people. In this case it was Gatsby’s great outlook on his life as opposed to Tom and Daisy’s reckless lifestyle. When people read a novel such as this, after the first two to three chapters the reader registers the â€Å"good guys† and the â€Å"bad guys†. Because of the nature of American film and literature it is needless to say that you can expect the â€Å"bad guys† to either get caught or killed, and the â€Å"good guys† save the day, get the girl, and live happily ever after. That is why it is such a shock to see Gatsby fail in his attempt to capture the women that he loves and save her from her beast of a husband. It is also very strange to see the narrator, Nick, just stand their and watch all these crazy things happen. Although Gatsby dies as a failure to his one goal, Nick does not see it that way. Nick sees Gatsby as a man that worked his way to the top. Nick admires Gatsby for his ambition. Gatsby did not care at all about fame and fortune unless it included Daisy. Nick understands Gatsby’s obsession, and he feels that out of all the characters that he has met throughout the story, Gatsby is far better than any of them.