Life is amazing but not always easy Essay

Happiness, sorrow, victory, defeat, day-night are the two sides of the me . Similarly life is full of moments of joy, pleasure, success and comfort apointed by misery, defeat, failures and problems. There is no human being on Earth, strong, powerful, wise or rich, who has not experienced suffering or failure. Life is beautiful but not always easy, it has problems, too, and the challenge lies in facing them with courage, letting the beauty of life act like a balm, which makes the pain bearable, during trying times, by providing hope Happiness, sorrow, victory, defeat, day-night are the two sides of the me coin. Similarly life is full of moments of joy, pleasure, success and comfort punctuated by misery, defeat, failures and problems. There is no human being on Earth, strong, powerful, wise or rich, who has not experienced, struggle, suffering or failure. No doubt, life is beautiful and every moment – a celebration of being alive, but one should be always ready to face adversity and challenges. A person who has not encountered difficulties in life can never achieve success. Life is beautiful but not always easy, it has problems, too, and the challenge lies in facing them with courage, letting the beauty of life act like a balm, which makes the pain bearable, during trying times, by providing hope Happiness, sorrow, victory, defeat, day-night are the two sides of the me coin. Similarly life is full of moments of joy, pleasure, success and comfort punctuated by misery, defeat, failures and problems. There is no human being on Earth, strong, powerful, wise or rich, who has not experienced, struggle, suffering or failure. No doubt, life is beautiful and every moment – a celebration of being alive, but one should be always ready to face adversity and challenges. A person who has not encountered difficulties in life can never achieve success. Life is beautiful but not always easy, it has problems, too, and the challenge lies in facing them with courage, letting the beauty of life act like a balm, which makes the pain bearable, during trying times, by providing hope

Cleanliness and Sense of Beauty Essay

Introduction: Human being is the best amongst all the living being in this world. They live in a society, where they don’t only just live for food and shelter. They have to survive sustaining with various conditions, environments, people, customs, cultures etc. So in this society of mankind, human has a lot of responsibility as well as maintenance duty. Discipline makes a human being to do all such activities mentioned above and to lead a life with dignity in the society. And cleanliness is a part of discipline of human life. Sense of beauty is the thing that helps us to justify good and bad aspects of life. Cleanliness: Cleanliness means the sense of remaining clean, neat and tidy. This particular sense is very significant in a man’s life. Because by cleanliness, the nature and type of a person is judged in our society. For an individual, to take proper bath, to wash his/her teeth, to wash his/her clothes regularly and to keep them neat and clean etc are the basic measures of cleanliness. For a family, the duties are like to keep the house clean, to keep everything in a well decorated manner, not to litter anything on the floor, keeping the walls clean, not making the bathroom wet and dirty etc. And the people of a particular area or society, to keep the roads clean, not to throw garbage here and there, not to litter anything on the roads, to use dustbin to throw wastages etc are the sole duties of cleanliness. Sense of Beauty: Sense of beauty is a term that means having a very good taste about everything. This indicates how he/she looks at different things of art, and various things. This sense of beauty is very important too, as this sense justifies between various things and helps us to indicate the quality and beauty amongst things. Sense of beauty also enables us to learn the good and bad, pretty and ugly. From the very childhood parents try to teach this particular criterion of human mind. Importance of cleanliness and sense of beauty in our life: Cleanliness is a great virtue. It is said that without a clean body one cannot have a clean mind. Cleanliness is a religious duty too. In Islam, it is said â€Å"Cleanliness is a part of Iman (faith)†.

Teaching Paper - Nursing Considerations for Teaching Patient hope to Research

Teaching - Nursing Considerations for Teaching Patient hope to deal with Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension and Renal Disease - Research Paper Example Since hypertension and type II diabetes is caused by eating habits and lifestyle issues, health teachings should include proper meal plan which focuses on consistent and regulated intake of the following: (1) calories and carbohydrates based on the patient’s age, gender, body weight, and height; (2) vitamins; (3) minerals; (4) increased fiber; (5) low sodium diet; and (6) moderate sugar depending on the patient’s blood glucose level. It is equally important to encourage the patient to lessen or stop the habit of smoking (nicotine), drinking of alcohol, and avoid stressful situations which could lead to the increase of blood pressure (Johnson, 2004, p. 432). Instead of Depending on the patient’s age, nurses should consider the patient’s physical maturation, cognitive abilities, and psychosocial development when conducting health teaching (Habel, 2007). Although the patient is well-educated and prefers all learning styles; the nurse should always consider the age factor and readiness to learn. Since the patient is 65-year old, there is a possibility that the patient is experiencing learning barrier related to loss of hearing. In this case, the nurse should consider the idea of allowing the patient to read the health-related materials. The patient’s readiness to learn is an important factor behind the success of nurse’s health teachings. In case the patient is not interested in learning due to physical discomfort such as pain, the nurse should take more time to teach the patient health information in short details. Pertinent to the patient’s health condition, nursing diagnosis may include high random blood glucose levels of more than 200 mg/dL due to type II diabetes (Johnson, 2004, p. 286). For chronic renal failure, nursing diagnosis will include excessive fluid volume caused by sodium and water retention (decreasing the patient’s urine output) (Johnson, 2004, p. 677). To prove that allowing the patient to read nurse’s health

5 marketing questions ( please use relatively marketing concepts) Essay

5 marketing questions ( please use relatively marketing concepts) - Essay Example ey are planning to buy not only for the producers, but also from the general public, people they know and those who are total strangers (Kozinets, De Valck, Wojnicki & Wilner 2010, p. 74). Some of these people who have previously used the product or service in question can give important information that might be useful for decision makings. In online communities the quality of information that is availed to consumers is very essential. Despite the fact that online communities can be important to consumers because of the fact that they get the information from fellow consumer, the marketing department of certain products and services usually have very little say about the quality of information that is communicated to consumers. This can be said to be a weakening factor to marketing departments globally (Cheung, Lee & Rabjohn 2008, p. 232). As days go by, the power of giving information that influence decision making on products and services is gradually moving from the hands of marketing departments to the hands of consumers. Given the fact that online consumer communities influence the choice of consumers of on which products or services to consume, marketers should be cautious of this shift of power. By this awareness they should at making greater use of online consumer communities to affect the consumption of their products and services (Clarke & Flaherty 2005, p. 88). One thing that they should have in mind is that whenever targeting online communities of consumer, they should take into consideration the fact that the effectiveness of the use of these communities always differs by culture (Hennig†Thurau, Gwinner, Walsh & Gremler 2004, p. 44). For instance, a research that was carried out in the difference in the use of online consumer communities between individualism communities and communism communities, it was discovered that they were more effective in the communist countries. It is undeniable that the shift of power for product promotion is shifting

Deaf Reflection Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Deaf Reflection - Coursework Example I feel that the teachers ought to protect the deaf students. This is because they better understood the deaf student than any other person did. There was no register for the deaf in the country, therefore; the authorities would not have accounted for any deaf student missing (Biesold 143). I feel disappointed with some Nazi educationalist. I believe that educationalist can understand the right of every child and the importance of education. I get disappointed when some Nazi educationalist questioned the education of the deaf, terming it as wasteful, instead of enlightening the officials to promote the deaf education. Doctors terminated pregnancies to prevent the birth of deaf children (Biesold 144). It is beyond anyone’s control not to give birth to a deaf child. Doctors ought to understand this fact more than anyone else does. I feel horrified to learn that doctors risked the lives of the mother and their unborn child by performing an abortion of six months! The doctors were not sure that the unborn child is deaf. This practice was unfair and uncalled for, bringing pain and misery n the lives of the expecting mothers and their families (Biesold 145). Many deaf couples do not have children. This has made their lives unbearable and lonely. The horrific and sinister turns of events of 1939 were unbearable. Nazi authority killed deaf persons (Biesold 145). The authority referred to them as ‘useless eaters’. I feel that the government instead of referring to any person as, ‘useless’ they should at least show concern because it is not for their wish to be born in that condition. A government should protect her citizen and Nazi government should have stood to their initial policy of protecting and providing for their citizen (Biesold 146).

Managing People and Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Managing People and Organisations - Essay Example A corporate ethics program comprises a code of ethics, education and training of employees for ethics, a reporting and audit system, and an investigation system. In different corporations, the managers emphasize upon different components to different extent. In a vast majority of cases, the corporate ethics programs are designed and control by the senior management in a corporation. According to alpha.fdu.edu (n.d.), 84 per cent of the general counsel, 77 per cent CEOs, and 75 per cent senior human resources executives write the codes of ethics, whereas 58 per cent of the chairmen write the codes of ethics. This speaks of the magnitude of control exercised by the executives on the codes of ethics whereas employees are just required to comply with them as part of their job. A demand of blind faith upon the corporation on the part of the employees clearly reflects from these statistics. Although the conflicts between these roles are not experienced on the daily basis, yet the employees hope to find some clash or even the simplest decisions become too difficult to take in this world where the goals and interests of the corporations and the stakeholders are so diverse and variant, that conflicts are simply inevitable. In spite of the governmental regulations and legal frameworks within which the corporations have to remain and do the business, we cannot rely on corporations to be ethical and responsible. Ethical decision making processes have reportedly been found to be important always throughout the past many years. â€Å"The language of ethics and responsibility seems to be here to stay, and is claiming a degree of centrality as the necessary conscience of managerial capitalism† (Parker, 2002, p. 92). One of the fundamental reasons why we cannot expect corporations to be ethical and responsible is that there is no definitive answer to every ethical question. In order to find the right answer to every ethical question, we need to have the right tools. The bad aspect about this bleak situation is that workforce is left to deal with the consequences when ethical requirements are not fulfilled. Employers also get affected in myriad ways like not being able to achieve maximum cooperation of the employees raises much concern for many corporations when it comes to maintaining the productivity level. Employees find themselves unable to cooperate with employers on more levels when many ethical requirements get crushed under the employers’ feet. Now the conditions are much better but such a situation of less cooperation due to lack of ethical consideration particularly developed abruptly when economic recession spread globally. Organizations began to fire even the responsible staff members due to not being able to ensure reasonable salaries to every employee. Lay offs became very common and ethical rights of employees began getting severely violated too. This shows that corporations cannot be always trusted to carry out all their funct ions ethically and responsibly since nothing can be perfect and certain sacrifices have to be made by the employees within a workplace in favor of demanding employers who rush after meeting certain goals in this age of excessive competitiveness. Nevertheless, lack

Personal Ethical Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Ethical Statement - Essay Example The rights of an individual must be protected. Therefore autonomy is at the core of my value system along with sensibility. Every situation is different and the actors in each are different. Hence, a rational tailor made solution to every situation would be completely wrong. Each situation must be viewed according to its own merits and a solution must be designed that best suits the situation and results in the greatest good for everyone involved. My strength is that I am optimistic about every situation and have the skills and mind of an entrepreneur. I am also very imaginative and this is a quality I am very proud of. I fall back on my experience to analyse the situation at hand and then use my intuition and imagination to solve problems. This has helped me solve a lot of problems and is the best approach to use. My value system allows me to view the situation from different perspectives through which I am able at analyse what is best for everyone involved. Another one of my strengths is that I believe in free will and everybody must do what is best for them and brings them joy. It is fine to want good things for you and everybody must have the freedom to decide that. There are a few weaknesses of mine that I have found from the Ethical Lens Inventory. One is that I assume that everyone has a clear sense of their own values. This has not been the case always and has resulted in me making some wrong decisions. Sometimes I tend go overboard exercising free will and fail to be accountable to those who are dependent on me. This is not right as I need to be accountable to people who people and act accordingly. This, even if not intentional, creates problems for those involved. My blind spot, as I have now learnt, is that I can be satisfied with too little good. That is, if I am satisfied with my own needs I might become complacent. But the right thing to do is to ensure that everybody is satisfied. As mentioned earlier, my core values are

Comparing the novel of 'jesus's son' by Denis Johnson with the movie Essay

Comparing the novel of 'jesus's son' by Denis Johnson with the movie of 'jesus's son' - Essay Example He tries to explain in the connection of the short stories, through the different aspects of the drug connection the author articulate a different take on drug abuse. On the other had the movie is a compilation of the short stories with parts of the book edited to fit the characters. The book is detailed, which gives the reader a chance to make images of descriptions articulated in the book. The main issue is that the main character is involved in a flow. The movie borrows Johnson’s ideas on the stories of the characters. The contemporary fiction is made in the 70s fashion of the hippies and junkies. Some will protest that the scenes in the movie push too freely against one another citing it as a description of a squashy narrative in which the guns go wrong and the cars lack have brakes in some people’s perspective. I believe the short stories are accurate for an account concerning druggies. Their lives are too sporadic, the good times, lows settle out into detached esc apades and story, estranged by emptiness, and pass outs. The movie is not as indulging as the books since people have different opinions on what they see more compared to the things they read. The book and the move have several differences, which are going to be tackled. The first difference in the movie that the book does not depict is the character ambiguity. The main character does not resemble the books character. The movie is strongly presented in the fashion of the 70s where it was a clear directionless time and the characters take the audience spinning from the moments of hilarity to the heartbreak. The book is geared to making the people to change the drug trends into respectability. The author takes the reader into the dungeons of drug use and hopelessness with the aim to give the reader the extent of drug abuse in the society. The movie has a different take n the drugs. It does not condemn or appraise the use of drugs but gives the reader the point of view of a survivor. T he lives of the characters are framed so episodically to add up to the novels depictions of the stories these difference makes the book more interactive and fluid compared to the movie. With disconnects depicted in the movie, characters come out to give the audience the feelings of desperations they have. The author coined the book depicting the Para-realities of the characters as they aspire to walk in the tattered cruelties that they bring on themselves and the deplorable treacheries. The movie lacks the oomph the author put in the expression of the Para-realities. For instance, the unlovely trauma that the narrator’s girlfriend has that eh author explains with no excuses or apology. The lies in the relationships and the constant reliance on the company of their fellow drug users is more clear in the book as compared to the novel where it is faded. The imagery of the title is not given more emphasis in the movie. Rather the producer gave the movie a velvet underground in it s entirety. Another clear character difference is the lack of plot in the film where the producer did not have one. The movie is told in complete flashbacks watering the books purpose that the author had on the flow of the events of the druggies depicted in the book. The swearing in the movie characters dilutes the articulation of the books information. The characters have several arguments where they have they

Asian union Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Asian union - Essay Example The Travel and Tour unit focuses on providing holiday, ticketing and travel services for clients in the UK and it has connections with airlines, hotels and other hospitality institutions in Asia and North America to provides clients good traveling and holiday services. There are numerous airlines around the world that partner with Asian Union to provide good carrier services to clients who need them. The Freight Service is provided by Western Freight Services which is a subsidiary of Asian Union Ltd. The Freight Service includes air and sea transport of goods and services for a wide customer base. It arranges for both regular and irregular products to be shipped and flown to different destinations around the world. The freight service also includes custom clearance and distribution of goods to their final destinations around the world. Asian Union also runs a money transfer agency that partners with Western Union to provide the best money transfer services for clients. This service t argets people sending money to Asian countries that have exotic currencies that are often not available in the UK. Targeted countries for their service include: Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and India. The company seeks to grow a distinct money transfer service that will incorporate all the customized needs of various destinations in the Asian region of the world. Asian Union is located on West Hendon Broadway. It is a suburban section of Northwest London that is a popular spot for many travel and tours as well as financial institutions. This section is known for the collectivity of the travel industry as well as international linkage businesses like freight services and money transfers. Find below an extract of the map of the Hendon area of London for further analysis: Point A: 174 West Hendon Broadway London NW9 7AA, UK. West Hendon Broadway is an elite street on London that is close to various affluent neighbourhoods of North London. There are at least 15 travel and related-servic e providers that are located within a 1-mile radius around the location of Asian Union Ltd. The location adds up to the competitive strengths of Asian Union Ltd since it is also highly accessible from various parts of London, and there is a thriving Asian community living just a few miles away from its location. Situational Analysis Asian Union Ltd is affected by numerous elements of the business environment. Each of these components of the external environment has some influence on the operations and activities of Asian Union and it affects the profitability, survival and growth of the business by posing some kind of threat or acting as some form of opportunity for improvement. These environmental factors can be analysed using the PEST model. Political Anti-Money Laundering UK's new Anti-Money Laundering Laws (AML) which seeks to prevent criminals from transferring funds from illegal activities has a major influence on the money transfer service that Asian Union transfers. Also, An ti-Terrorism laws makes it impossible for Asian Union to deal with certain blacklisted persons. Under this law, Asian Union cannot transfer over ?10,000 from a given customer without asking for the customer to disclose the source of funds and tax returns on the amount. Opportunities: This

Workplace communication barrier Research Proposal

Workplace communication barrier - Research Proposal Example The paper has mainly focused on the language barriers of Asian organizations as they language barrier has become a common part of these organizations. Language barriers are effecting the performance of employees as well as the managers. Research methodology and data collection is also mentioned in the last of the paper. In conclusion, findings and ethical consideration is also provided. Table of Contents Abstract 1 1. Introduction 3 1.1 Working Title 3 1.2 Overview: 4 1.3 Research Question: 5 1.4 Aims and Objectives/Purpose: 6 2.0 Literature Review 7 3.0 Research Method and  Methodology 17 3.1 Data Collection 17 3.2 Design of the Study 18 3.3 Sample Population 18 3.4 Sampling Technique 18 3.5 Research Methods 18 3.6 Findings 19 3.7 Ethical Consideration 19 Works Cited 21 1. Introduction 1.1 Working Title We are living in a smatter planet where everything is now been programmed, interconnected and been made more intelligent to cope up with the fast growing changes. And this change b rings a lot of new opportunities, specifically for the midsize businesses. According to Andersson (2002: 168), when the organizations faced conflict between their employees, these organizations have to face loss. Most of the organizations are facing challenges such as communication barriers and obstacles. But with the growth of more challenging and exceptional scale of requirement for supply and demand, the midsize companies started to face the difficulty to meet the dispute on an overall basis. To find the solution for such unprecedented challenges, the organizations has planned to increase communication and remove conflicts form the employees, so that, the organization may gain higher profitability and productivity. According to Akkirman (2005: 398), the organization has started work to remove the communication barriers, and carry forward the responsibility of playing the major mechanism behind the global economic growth. My topic is specifically based on the â€Å"communication barriers† that the organization is currently facing, and this is also affecting the business of the organization. In this research proposal my discussion will critically analyze the barriers and issues that the organizations have to face in their employees. The issues will also discuss briefly to know the reasons why the communication barriers are affecting business of the organization. This paper will also illustrate the issues that the employees have to face because of the less communication. According to the Abrell (2004: 44), employees are the most important and essential part of the organization, that’s why it is important to make them satisfied and happy with the policies and strategies. The first interval will present a preface to the theme of study accommodating the rationale and implication of the cream. The subsequent interval will present a detailed appraisal of communication barriers, prominence the preceding delves into carried out in this meadow. The trien nial division will swathe the methodology for this study. The psychoanalysis of result, conclusions and debate will be obtainable in the quadrant section. The quintal content subdivision shall bring the study to a close, given that assumption and functional commendation for supplementary investigation. 1.2 Overview: Most of the managers fail to improve communication and cooperation between the employees because of language barriers. William (2000:87) said that if there would not be a language barrier within the organization then this will definitely lead the team towards the success and effective work. Employees are the essential part of any organization and manager should motivate their employees to work together and provide them friendly environment, so that they may work with each other, and they may help other

Exploration Notes- as Level Drama and Theatre Studies Essay Example for Free

Exploration Notes- as Level Drama and Theatre Studies Essay 1) Discuss and compare the exploration of characterisation in Metamorphosis by Steven Berkoff and (A Doll’s House). Draw your own practical understanding of the skills used including use of language and voice to portray character. In our practical sessions of Modelling Gregor in â€Å"Metamorphosis†, we thought about how we would physically see Gregor. To do this, we had to individually create the shape of Gregor with our bodies. We all started off thinking about it really literally- â€Å"How would a beetle look?† rather than thinking about how our body represented Gregor and his feelings towards society. We then expanded on our thoughts about Gregor and then tried to empathise with him and think about how we would look if we were in his situation. My finished individual beetle was crouched/curled up on the floor on my side with my head down, hidden away- this represented Gregor’s vulnerability (a beetle on his back is helpless and cannot move, but a beetle has a hard shell which protects him; I was half and half because with my head down, I didn’t want to be seen by society and I was ashamed of what I had become however with my front/underside slightly showing, I was exposed to society and helpless but because you could see my back/shell, I was half protected by family- I think that throughout the show this would change and I would end up completely on my back because the family does end up abandoning/killing Gregor) , one of my arms was in a jerky/awkward position and the other was outstretched away from my body- the jerky arm represented Gregor changing and being abnormal and different, the outstretched arm however showed that I was reaching for someone to help and save me from what I was turning into; my legs were limp, lifeless and in an awkward shape to show that I was, again, turning into something new and weird but could not move and physically get away from it. After we made our individual beetle, we then worked in partners and modelled them into Gregor. I decided to use props for this (I used a chair). Hana (my model Gregor) ended up being positioned on her side, with her head under the chair and one of her arms reaching out onto it, her legs were crooked and awkward to show that she couldn’t move from her pain. After that, we raced our â€Å"beetles†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Hana lost.. but this showed that Gregor was in a good position because he found it difficult to manoeuvre himself and get away from what was happening to him- his movement was limited and awkward when he did so. Hana then modelled me, she had me stood up with my legs wide open (showing vulnerability) and one of my legs turned in and that knee bent (which looked awkward, abnormal and hard to move), my head was dropped and my stomach was contracted in. She placed my arms out to the sides in awkward positions, which was quite physically demanding as I was holding the position. We then used these positions for a scene of Metamorphosis. The dream scene; we incorporated our ideas of how Gregor felt and moved into this scene. We decided to have a narrator and an actor onstage being Gregor. I tried to capture the essence of Gregor’s franticness yet vulnerability in the way I directed Hana as Gregor. I did this by changing the speed and dynamics of how she was moving; this matched the way I was narrating as I also changed the tempo, dynamics and pitch of my voice to really capture how Gregor’s character felt. To create the family we thought about the physical features of a beetle and applied them to the metaphors of the family. We ended up putting Mr Samsa in the middle, seeing as he is the heart of the family; we then had Gregor again in the middle with his arms over Mr Samsa almost saying that he is protecting him and the family with his income but he is still exposed to society and therefore vulnerable. We had Mrs Samsa knelt in front of Gregor and Mr Samsa looking straight forward with a blank expression almost as if she hasn’t got much to say about the situation and is just disregarding Gregor. Greta was at the very front of the beetle as the antenna, looking out for Gregor and being his sense of feeling. The legs of Gregor were made up of society, but reaching out and away from the beetle and from Gregor. We also (as a practical exercise) held hands as a whole group and twisted ourselves into a character from the play each†¦ this ended up looking abnormal, as the family’s situation is and a lot of it also looked quite painful but we were as one as a unit, as the family is. In order to characterise Nora in a Doll’s House, we used the techniques of Stanislavski because A Doll’s House is a much more naturalistic play compared to Metamorphosis. We started with a focus exercise in which we lay down on the floor and concentrated only on our breathing and our body contact with the floor. We then got thought about some key words to describe Nora’s character and tried to focus on each of them individually, letting each emotion overwhelm our bodies. We then were counted down to stand up and walk around the room as Nora, showing her feelings through non- verbal communication. We also created some tableaux of the family in a dolls house. For this we used visual, aural and spatial techniques. 2) Discuss and compare the Visual, Aural and Spatial elements and the use of non-verbal communication techniques to present issues and ideas in both plays studied. Make reference to your practical work. Visual, aural and spatial elements either have an iconic or symbolic reference. Iconic is always visual, for example a prop; it is iconic because it is what it is and only serves its primary function (e.g. a stool is a stool and is used for sitting on etc.) However a symbolic reference is something that represents something and has a metaphor behind it (e.g. a chair could be symbolic for a particular person). Metamorphosis is an extremely abstract play and the visual, aural and spatial techniques used are very important. The play is commonly set with Gregor at the back on a platform above everyone else, slowly becoming more and more deformed. This is a very visual thing and represents the time’s changing and matters are slowly getting worse and worse for the family. The fact he is higher up than everyone else as well could also symbolise the fact he is hanging over everyone’s head and is a burden on the family. His height could also represent his status and the fact he is the cause for everything happening on stage and when he changes, everything else does as well. Another common way of positioning Gregor is to have scaffolding angling up to the back of the stage like this: This gives perspective; it also makes Gregor look further away but because of the angle, you are drawn in, giving a stronger emotional impact on you as an audience member. The scaffolding itself makes the whole aesthetic of the performance seem more skeletal; which Gregor is also slowly becoming. It is also, obviously, very structured which contradicts how the family’s situation is in the play. In the script it says that every prop is mimed other than 3 black stools places equidistantly of each other for the family to use. I think these proxemics show how the family are as a unit and detached from Gregor. In order to explore and interpret this, we created a series of 10 tableaux. In these 10 tableaux, we used visual, aural and spatial elements to show the subtext of the plot- we mainly focussed on the family and how Gregor’s change affected the family. We used a ladder laid down on its side for scaffolding in which Gregor spent a lot of the time in various awkward ways, becoming more and more deformed and trapped as the tableaux progressed. We thought we should only use the organic sounds from our movement and the ladder for our performance to represent the tension and how awkward the situation/plot/subtext was. In the changeover of each tableau, we decided to move a chair gradually towards the back of the stage to represent Gregor slowly distancing from his family. One element of these tableaux I was quite proud of was the proxemics of each member of the family compared to Gregor and the ladder/scaffolding. This is said ladder; as you can see, there is a divide across it. We used this as a barrier stopping the family from getting to Gregor; apart from in one tableau where we â€Å"broke† this barrier and Greta reached out to Gregor through the partition. Gregor was slowly becoming more and more deformed into the corner during the tableaux. Greta reaching over through the barrier to Gregor. Mrs Samsa reaching over to Greta trying to stop her from â€Å"breaking the barrier†. Mr Samsa: Back turned to Mrs Samsa and Greta (and obviously Gregor, wanting no part of it) Gregor was slowly becoming more and more deformed into this corner during the tableaux. We also used visual, aural and spatial techniques when studying A Doll’s House. Unlike Metamorphosis being abstract, A Doll’s House is much more realistic than Metamorphosis and therefore uses lots of props which are all in one way or another, symbolic of something and metaphorical. As a class we discussed the characters and props and what they may metaphorically represent: * Christmas Tree- The family’s relationships falling apart simultaneously with the pine needles falling off the tree. It could also show that looks can be deceiving because of the fact that while this tree is looking beautiful, the family is deteriorating. * Door- Freedom when Nora leaves. Trouble when she enters from the unknown outside world. * Dr Rank- Society hiding their decay. * Money- Power and all things bad and poisonous. * Nanny- The calm, security and support of Nora and the children. * â€Å"Skylark†- Nora is just a pretty singing bird with no other purpose than looking beautiful. Also the fact that a skylark cannot speak words, this is reflected in Nora; she is not allowed an opinion or it is not heard. * Stove- The characters always go back to it (especially Nora), this could stand for support and forgiveness, the warmth of friendship and loyalty because it is always there. * Macaroons- Nora’s deceit. * Lamp- The light of truth. * The Doll’s House- Nora is a kept woman, everyone’s play thing†¦or so they assume. It is actually Nora who plays with and manipulates the characters around her. Again, looks can be deceiving. Another way we explored visual, aural and special elements in A Doll’s House was when we studied the Tarantella scene. A tarantella is a traditional Italian folk dance. It gets its name from the venomous spider, the tarantula and it is supposed that when one gets bitten by this spider, the victims needed to engage in a frenzied dance in order to prevent death or disease, using very rhythmical music. Now, in context with A Doll’s House, I believe that the reason a Tarantella is danced by Nora is because she is trying to rid herself of the poison from Torvald, Krogstad and maybe even Dr Rank; or she could be trying to rid herself from lies she’s told as this is her poison. We re-enacted the tarantella scene with the proper script. We played with spatial awareness of characters, use of voice and visual effects. Nora’s movement gets gradually more and more frantic and her speech also more frantic and louder and high pitched. Torvald moves with purpose but in a much more organised and authoritative way compared to Nora; he is always keeping his eyes on her and making sure she does it ALL correctly. Mrs Linde comes in from side stage quite discretely, says her line to Nora then moves slowly and almost mysteriously to a chair in the LDF corner. Dr Rank, playing the piano, cannot keep his eyes off Nora but is fairly wary of Torvald’s presence so near him. Nora used a shawl while she was dancing which added to the visual effects and at the end of the dance she threw the shawl on the floor as if her freedom of dance had gone and the poison had come back. We then performed our own interpretive dance for the subtext of the tarantella and the whole play without any script work. We started with Torvald controlling Nora, almost as a puppeteer- for this we used music box doll music. The music then ran into Kashmir by Bond which starts with quite a distorted wave of sound which we used to show Nora slowly changing and fighting back with Torvald. Throughout the dance, Nora got stronger and less poisoned- instead, the poison was transferring into the other characters. After Nora had kicked Torvald to the floor, Mrs Linde came in and started controlling him alongside Torvald; after having liaised with Nora, she became poisoned and slowly deteriorated to the floor. Dr Rank then came into the picture, stepped over Torvald to get to Nora. They danced together until she pushed him away and transferred the poison. Finally, Nora ended up sat down on the floor, looking around almost like a child who had just broken all of her toys. Aurally, there is one very poignant moment in A Doll’s House where the door is slammed at the end by Nora. This gives the play a final point of closure where Nora has gone and has gone for good. Similarly in Metamorphosis, when the apple is thrown into Gregor’s back, this is a definitive sound of the end of the main plot. 3) Evaluate your understanding of the practitioners studied and their influences on Metamorphosis. Use your interpretation notes to aid this question making reference to the practitioners, playwright, and your own practical exploration. Leslie Steven Berkovitch, better known as Steven Berkoff, was born on the 3rd August 1937 to Russian Jews. He came from a poor family and because of their descent; he never fitted in as a child and found it hard to be a part of a group of friends. Growing up in the East End of London is a gritty, tough time for most people let alone someone of the likes of Berkoff. He was a badly behaved child and got kicked out of school a lot. You could argue he was the original â€Å"East Ender† until he then moved to New York- he lived in a 1 bedroom flat, shared with 3 other families (who were also outsiders in New York). Wherever he travelled, he could never fit in and never found anywhere to call home. He grew up to resent his family and moved back to London at age 13. As an outsider, a Russian Jew living in London, he wanted to be a gangster. He was in a stage of identity crisis where didn’t know where to belong and after being so badly influenced and behaved, he ended up in a young offenders prison which obviously made him extremely angry! After this, he changed his name to Berkoff because he didn’t want to be seen as a Jew or associated with his roots. He brought a whole new movement to British playwriting in British society. These plays he wrote commented on equality and people- they were often based in the home. When he came out of prison, he decided to go over to Europe and learn the skill of tailoring like his father had done. During his stay, he was given the book â€Å"Metamorphosis† by Franz Kafka. When he read this, he could instantly make connections between himself and Gregor. After this, he went back to the East End and started writing plays. Unlike his fellow playwrights John Osbourne and Edward Bond, he believed drama should still be abstract. Berkoff was influenced by Greek theatre; he was a â€Å"Megalomaniac of theatre styles† who loved over exaggeration and the use of masks to rid people of their identity. He loved the use of chorus (voices together) and poetic verse because it takes things out of context. I was inspired by Brecht and his political (borderline social) take on drama and the use of gestus and satire. He also like Artaud and his theatre of cruelty and the way he used the senses and sounds to put over metaphorical messages. He then travelled to France and worked under Lecoq who was a mime artiste and physical theatre worker and trained with him until he decided to move back to London. When he got back to London, he built up his manifesto of theatre. TOTAL THEATRE. Total theatre Greek theatre (chorus, unison, exaggeration), theatre of cruelty (loud sounds, harsh, gritty images and metaphors) and epic theatre (Brecht- teaches a message, gestus, stereotypes, alienation). Berkoff moulded all these ideas together and created his characters as comic and caricatures. Using the whole of the body was very important to him as he was an extremely physical director, well demonstrated with the character of Gregor in Metamorphosis. As a practitioner, Berkoff also wrote plays as well as acted and directed. He liked using lots of language and words (almost Shakespearian). He was extremely articulate and using beautiful language he talked about the gritty East End and reality of life. To put Berkoff’s views into practice, we had to pretend to be in love with a chair. We exaggerated our love and feelings and the chair was like a metaphor for our lover. We then had to flip our mood and become angry with the chair; it got us all to think how people would stereotypically act with someone you loved and then hated. We also had to pretend we were at a picnic on our own, slowly becoming more and more exaggerated with our eating and drinking, and gradually more grotesque. It really got us to focus into it and get into it, so when it was time to â€Å"fake wretch†, I actually felt physically sick! We also practiced slow motion. This was very physically demanding, like how Steven Berkoff would have directed. It was very important to control your movements but not forget that when you sped up the movements, they should look exactly the same as the slow ones. 4) Evaluate your understanding of the practitioner studied and his influence on A Doll’s House. Use your interpretation notes to aid this question making reference to the practitioners, playwright, and your own practical exploration. Henrik Ibsen was born in Norway in 1828 and died in 1906. He was from a well to do Merchant family, however his father’s fortunes took a significant turn for the worse and he ended up a moody, nasty man and turned to alcoholism which he then took out on his family. Ibsen subsequently, only wrote about money and marriage as this was influenced from his own life. His plays were seen as scandalous to many of his era because they were always touching on sensitive subjects like human rights. This then influenced many other playwrights and novelists such as George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, Arthur Miller and James Joyce. He is one of the founders of modernism in theatre. During his time, despite failing to achieve success as a playwright, he gained a lot of practical experience at the Norwegian theatre company. His play â€Å"A Doll’s House† is a realistic drama that highlights the cultural conflicts of the 19th century. The play was very controversial when it was first published as it was sharply critical of 19th century marriage norms. Her ended up having to change the ending of the original script because the leading actress didn’t like the idea of having to act out abandoning her children. It also manifests Ibsen’s concerns for women’s rights and human rights in general. This was widely considered as a landmark in the development of what would soon become a highly prevalent genre of theatre- REALISM. Realism was consequently realised. It wasn’t however until the likes of Stanislavski came along that realism became so well known and loved. He wanted a sense of realism in his work and he wanted his actors to really connect with their character. In his eyes, the actors WERE the characters. He believed REAL ACTORS=REAL ACTING. We used Stanislavski’s techniques to get into our roles when studying A Doll’s House. We began with a focus exercise, lying on the floor and zoning out our thoughts. We then thought about our character and let their feelings overwhelm our own like Stanislavski would have got his actors to. We then connected with their emotions, felt how they felt and immediately after, acted out a short scene between Nora and Torvald. This helped us all enormously because got us to lose out inhibitions and focus entirely on the story, situation and emotions of the characters. 5) Discuss the Social, Historical, Cultural and Political content of the texts studied and compare the impact on an audience and on yourself as a student of drama. In Metamorphosis, the social, historical and cultural background is made apparent in a number of ways throughout the play. Franz Kafka (the author of the original novel) took his inspiration for the characters from his own relationship between himself and his father. Unforgettable images of dislocation seem to represent both the madness of the modern world and his own desperate neurosis. Similarly, Berkoff wasn’t very close with his father. Practitioners like Brecht and Artaud influenced his work- this is clearly visible in Metamorphosis as he took Artaud’s Theatre of Cruelty and gave it Brecht’s Epic Theatre attributes. Berkoff’s own unique style created this play incorporating his personal passion of mime and the genre of expressionism. Acknowledging what I know about both Berkoff and Kafka, it is blatent that the Social, Cultural, Historic and Political aspects in terms of the two writers were their personal experiences of suppression from society, the culture they were brought up in (Kafka brought up in the a Jewish community and Berkoff brought up in the lower class and status he was born into by Russian Jews). Metamorphosis can be seen as a reaction against society and its demands. Gregors physical separation could represent his alienation and understandable desire. He was crushed by authority and routine and had been imprisoned by social and economic demands: Just dont stay in bed being useless . . .† It prevents the forthcoming rebellion of the son against the father. Gregor had become strong as a result of his fathers failure. He destroyed his fathers self-esteem and took over the fathers posts and duties within the family. After the catastrophe, the same sequence takes place in reverse: son becomes weak, and father kills him. Gregor is shown as a symbol of anxiety and alienation who is a lonely character, isolated in his own mind from the community and true friendship (much like Kafka and Berkoff). Looking at where Gregor’s values were anchored: servant to the needs of an oppressive boss in order to meet the needs of a family that continuously exploits him. The metamorphosis was inevitable. Metamorphosis shows the views and attitudes of society. It isn’t necessarily the one we live in today, but looking at it from a historical point of view it could have been representing the society in the nineteen hundreds (1915) when metamorphosis was first published. Kafka was born in Germany and could be referring to the time of the war, and how the Jewish communities were discriminated against. In A Doll’s House, patriarchal ideals were supported and reinforced by a social structure in which women had very little political or economic power. They were economically, socially, and psychologically dependent upon men and especially dependent upon the institutions of marriage and motherhood. Motherhood within marriage was considered a woman’s highest possible achievement. It was a social responsibility, a duty to society, and therefore, a full-time job. Mothering was no longer something that came naturally, but was something that had to be learned. High infant mortality rates, particularly in urban areas, were solely blamed on mothers. Working class mothers were labeled neglectful, when in truth they struggled with both child care and feeding a family. The plot concerns the collapse of a middle class marriage. It sparked debates about women’s rights and divorce. It was considered innovative and daring because of its focus on psychological tension instead of external action. It also created a new acting style that required emotion be conveyed through small, controlled gestures, shifts in action, and pauses and it was groundbreaking in that it caused drama to be viewed as social commentary and not just entertainment. For me, I think that these factors in both plays have different effects on me because in A Doll’s House, the living situation is so much more common these days compared to the monstrosity it was back when it was written. I feel like I can however relate to Nora and how she’s feeling because she is quite feministic like myself. I become quite confused when thinking about how Metamorphosis affects me because it’s obviously a very abstract play but I can empathise with Gregor and moreover Greta because she just wants to help her brother but the higher members of the family won’t let her.

Happiness and the Good Life Essay Example for Free

Happiness and the Good Life Essay What is the relation between living a good life and being happy? To many, the good life is a financially prosperous life, and happiness lies in the possession of wealth. Worldly success is what counts, and anyone who is not ‘successful’ in the usual sense is counted a ‘failure.’ Others strive for a life based on honor and public recognition. A good life is made up of hobnobbing with the right people in the right settings, and happiness is a matter of gaining respect. Along with these, there are lives that show by their living a desire for glory or power that inspires great efforts. Others, who are not drawn to wealth, power or glory because of the difficulties involved in attaining them, may choose the pursuit of pleasure. A good and happy life is one in which pleasures outweigh the pains overall. Many questions have been asked about the good life and happiness. People constantly answer those questions with their lives, and we see many different ideas of the good life and happiness playing out in the strivings of human beings to live well and be happy. The ancient Greeks wished their friends to ‘do well’ and ‘fare well’ in this life. These two, they thought, held the keys to human felicity. Doing well concerns ourselves, our own actions and feelings. We have some control over these aspects of our lives. So when we wish someone to ‘do well’ in life, we express the hope that the person will be moral and fair in his or her dealings with others. Beyond securing basic physical survival, someone who does well in life can sleep with a clear conscience, whether blessed with material success or not. From many a philosophical point of view, the good life has an intrinsically moral core that involves compassion for the suffering of others and acting justly in the world. ‘Faring well’ concerns events and occurrences over which we do not have so much control. â€Å"Faring well† means succeeding in life, coming into a prosperous condition, with all the benefits that come with money and social acceptance. Someone who is faring well in life has had a bit of good luck. It is possible to do everything right in order to succeed, but still fail to do so. For example, you can study hard for your degree, get your professional qualifications, work diligently, become competent, but still not succeed. The cards may not fall your way. As Sartre says, â€Å"You are free to try, but not to succeed.† This seems right to me, and so I will come down with Aristotle against Plato on this point, that doing well is not all that is involved in attaining happiness in life. Plato’s Socrates famously says that the good person cannot be harmed, that virtue is knowledge, and that happiness consists entirely of doing well and being just. Aristotle argues that a degree of luck plays into our happiness. He insists that most of our happiness is in our own hands, but that it can be affected by outside circumstances. So while being happy is mostly a matter of ‘doing well’ (and ‘thinking well’), great misfortunes can damage our happiness. It may be that such a person, by ‘doing well,’ will attain a degree of dignity in suffering, but he will not be happy; or, as Aristotle has it, ‘blessed.’ In light of this result, I hazard an intuitive philosophical account of the relation between the good life and happiness. Living a good life is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for happiness. In other words, it is possible to live a good life without being happy, but not happy without living a good life. This a ‘philosophical’ account of the relation because many philosophers have a particular idea of happiness and the good life that is not shared by everyone, with their emphasis on clarity of thought and sound reasoning. In addition, though philosophers recommend the philosophical life as both the happiest and the best, they are not in a position to legislate for everyone what happiness must be. Nevertheless, the traditional philosophical view is not without support. All we have to do is look at the results of many lives that strive for wealth, power, fame, glory or pleasure. So many disasters befall those who pursue a good life with no moral core, or reflective turn of mind, that it makes some sense, as philosophers argue, to pursue the wisdom to recognize the good life, and, within that life, such happiness human beings can attain.

The Distribution Channels Of Movies Media Essay

The Distribution Channels Of Movies Media Essay The  distribution of a  movie is the process through which a  movie  is made available to watch for an  audience  by a  film distributor. The current entertainment market is plagued by the abundance of product, platform and technology. In order to gain a footing in the new world of cinema, it is necessary to have an understanding of each of these elements. World trends indicate that younger generations are consuming digital content at an unprecedented rate. New technology is changing the way people consume media. With on demand technologies offering an unprecedented level of consumer control over content and viewing platform, traditional media advertising and marketing campaigns can no longer reach the masses. Movies have to be distributed through a scattershot approach to reach the consumers through different medium. The motive behind doing this project was to understand the end to end distribution system of movies. There are a lot of channel partners as well as stakeholders involved in the distribution of movies from the producers to the end viewers. We have discussed the different distribution methods which include On Demand, Internet Distribution, Home Entertainment and Theatres. Secondary Research has been done on how there has been a rise in overseas distribution as well as internet distribution of movies. We have discussed the pros and cons of different kinds of distribution methods and also how physical distribution is losing out to the others due to certain factors. Piracy in movies has been a major deterrent in recent years and a lot of preventive steps have been taken by the theatre owners as well as the government to prevent them as it cuts down the overall revenue that a movie generates. With the advent of digital distribution, a lot of new channels have come across such as home video, internet and mobile thereby opening new sources of revenue for the film industry. We have discussed how these new channels can be leveraged upon by the movies industry. INTRODUCTION The  distribution of a  movie is the process through which a  movie  is made available to watch for an  audience  by a  film distributor. Although distribution is one of the end points in the value chain of the film business, it is of utmost importance because goofing up at this stage means that the film, however well made, will be a flop at the Box Office. A number of different distribution methods have come up which include the following: On Demand: Here in the consumer is able to access the particular media they are interested in and purchase it or rent it at the time and device of their own choice. On demand platforms include Television and Set up Boxes. Internet Distribution of Feature Films: The main types of distribution are downloading, downloading rental and streaming. In Downloading and Downloading Rentals, consumers can store the movie in their hard drive permanently or temporarily respectively. Streaming involves viewing of the movie as long as the device is switched on. Home Entertainment: DVDs and Blu ray disk are major source of revenues for film producers to recoup production, publicity and advertising cost for their feature films. Consumers can enjoy the experience of watching the movie in their home theatres. Theatres: This is the traditional method of making the movie available for the masses. Typically a distributor buys the right for a particular territory and recovers his cost through the exhibition of the movie in theatres. A new development is happening in this space with the invention of digital copies of the movies replacing the traditional reels. It brings in a lot of flexibility and convenience for transporting and reproducing movies and also maintaining the same movie quality throughout various territories. In addition, it even brings about considerable monetary and time savings. LITERATURE REVIEW title OBJECTIVES Gaining distribution is believed to be a problem for marketers of products sold in retail stores. But this issue impacts many businesses including companies selling goods in the business-to-business market and those selling services. Marketers also face problems when seeking distribution channels for their products. Yes, the products here are movies, which in some ways are really classified as services (i.e., entertainment) when shown in movie theatres and then become goods when made available for purchase (e.g., DVDs, digital download), but the problems experienced here are common to many types of marketers. Our main objective in the project is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To understand the various stake holders in the process of distributing movies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To understand the various channels in the end to end process of distribution à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To understand the role of digital medium in movie distribution RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research methodology requires gathering relevant data from the various documents, websites, film journals from whichever sources possible and compiling them in order to analyse the material and arrive at a more complete understanding of movie distribution and answer following Isssues: How Digital medium changing movie distribution. How TV is impacting movie distribution How online streaming eg. Youtube etc. are changing face of movie distribution How above points can be leveraged by movie distributors to improve their distribution http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/movie-distribution-flow.gif SECONDARY DATA COLLECTION India has about 15,000 theatres enjoying a weekly admission of about 100 million people or 5000+ million per year. Distributors are the last link in the movie chain which takes films to the people. With post production accounting for 20% of the film budget and taking 20% of the total time, any savings in this would go directly to the bottom line. Digitalization has the potential to bring in the desired savings and drive up profits substantially. Current Movie Distribution Model Piracy in Movie Industry A new report `Economic Contribution of Indian Film and Television Industry by PricewaterhouseCoopers  said the film industry was in fact significantly impacted by online piracy. In 2008, piracy cost the Indian film industry $959 million and about 571,000 jobs. KPMG has also placed the film piracy rate at 60%. Report 1 Analyses the digital distribution of films movies Digitization is helping film makers reach out to a wider audience; distribution of content across many platforms like home video, internet and mobile apart from conventional theatrical platforms leading to higher revenue generation Digitization across the distribution value chain has enabled content repurposing across platforms, making distribution of niche content feasible Distribution of revenues across the value chain has become more transparent Availability of digital prints has significantly reduced the release window for each delivery platform; Helped in reduction of the time taken to reach tier 2 and tier 3 cities through theatrical release Report 2 Report talks about Collaboration with International Studios. For e.g. In 2011, Viacom18 entered into a deal with global movie company Paramount Pictures to market and distribute Paramounts movies in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka International Collaboration helps local film production by expanding their international reach and incorporates enhanced project planning and cost controls For e.g. My Name is Khan was distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures in unexplored markets like USA, with innovations such as taking the lead actors to ring the opening bell of NASDAQ stock exchange ANALYSIS AND RESULTS Digital distribution is enabling distribution across various platforms such as home video, internet and mobile along with the traditional theatrical platform. It helps up in opening new revenue models for the film industry. In addition to the economic benefits brought about by the digitization of films, there are logistics issues which are being simplified with the advent of this technology. CONCLUSION Through this project study, not only the various channels for distribution of movies in India have been studied but the impact of technology on the distribution methods adopted has also been gauged. It can be very well inferred that the cost of distribution has gone down and the penetration of the product (movies) has increased; the distribution has become economical and convenient without any damage to the quality. With the advent of technology, movies are now available even on the TV through channels like Video on Demand. However, piracy still looms large and the current distribution channel is yet not robust enough to curb the evil practice completely. Future scope of the project can include a quantitative analysis of the costs revenues that existed in the distribution channel before digitization and comparing the same with the costs revenues after digitization came into existence. Also, the channel of film festivals, where the potential blockbusters are released, has remained unexplored in this study.

Essay --

As young adults and teens, we all face social and emotional issues. After World War I, the Germans were killing the Jews because they were blaming them for losing the war. For example, Holocaust began because the Jews were being blamed. This was the main issue that the Jews faced. Hitler then got everyone to believe that the Jews were the problem for everything. This is just one example of how issues affected people. Issues are a problem that people face daily. Issues can be divided in to social, emotional, physical. An example of a social issue could be bullying. Bullying is a social issues because it is the way a person decided to communicate to another. Depression is an example of an emotional because it has to do with how a person feels inside. An example of a physical issue would be abuse. Social and emotional issues can be seen in families, friends, and depression. When teens are faced with these issues, they cope in different ways. When young adults and teens cope with social and emotional issues in families, it is shown in many ways. First of all, families usually have social issues. An example can be when a family has bad communication and they are fighting. Fighting with family members would be a social issue as well because it is the way they communicate together. A few ways that young adults cope with social issues includes fighting with others, staying quiet, and violence. Next, families can have emotional issues too. Some emotional issues can be caused because of social issues. For example, if a family is ignoring one child, that child could feel unimportant. The was that young adult cope with emotional issues are similar to the ways they cope with social issues. Thirdly, in the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, ... ...motional issues. For example, fighting with family members is a social issues that can lead to emotional issues. Secondly, friends are another big cause of social and emotional issues for young adults and teens. For instance, when friends talk behind each others back. Lastly, depression is a sadness inside a person that can cause social and emotional issues, and the ways of coping are different. For example, if someone was depressed, the may decide to cope by keeping the problem to themselves because they are scared to tell others. During the Holocaust, the Jewish had to deal with their issues. Their issue was that the German were killing Jews because they were blaming them for losing World War I. The way the Jews coped with their issue was going into hiding. They believed going into hiding would be the best way to cope because nobody would be able to find them. 

Reform Movements :: reformations

Reform movements including religion, temperance, abolition, and women's rights sought to expand democratic ideals in the years 1825 to 1850. However, certain movements, such as nativism and utopias, failed to show the American emphasis on a democratic society. The reform movements were spurred by the Second Great Awakening, which began in New England in the late 1790's, and would eventually spread throughout the country. The Second Great Awakening differed from the First in that people were now believed to be able to choose whether or not to believe in God, as opposed to previous ideals based on Calvinism and predestination. According to Charles G. Finney, the role of the church is to reform society (Doc. B). In 1834, he said, "When the churches are...awakened and reformed, the reformation and salvation of sinners will follow." Finney had been influenced by Second Great Awakening ideals. He goes on to say that "drunkards, harlots, and infidels" would also be converted do to reform by the church. In this sense, the Second Great Awakening helped expand democratic ideals by bettering the moral standards of the common man. In 1835, Another example of democratic growth can be shown by Document C, where Patrick Reason created an engraving depicting a black female slave in chains and shackles. Above her is the quote, ‘Am I not a woman and a sister?' This reflects how the abolition and women's movements often tied into one another since both of these movements helped expand democratic ideals in that they desired increased rights, such as suffrage for minorities. For example, The Grimke sisters, Angelina and Sarah were southern abolitionists who also played a role in the Women's Movement. Susan B. Anthony who was a Quaker, was therefore opposed to the immorality slavery but also played a role in the movement calling for equality and rights of women. Anthony was inspired by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who was also active in both movements, but very famous for her aggressive action in the Women's Movement, which can be shown by Document I. Elizabeth Cady Stanton played a very important role in The Seneca Falls Convention of 1848. This convention also sought to expand democratic ideals, and more radically than perhaps any other event of any movement. They produced a declaration which stated that all men and women are created equal, and should therefore be treated equal. Stanton believed that women should be equally "represented in the government" and demanded for the right to vote.

Causes Of The Great Depression Essay -- American History

Between the late 1890’s, after the panic of 1893, and the late 1920’s, the American people led good lives in which most prospered. In the 1920’s the problems that led to the Great Depression were dispersed over a time of maldistribution of wealth, and what was called a bull market. A bull market is a stock market that is based on speculation. Speculation was a system of borrowing money to buy stocks and selling for a profit. Speculation only worked if the stock market was on the rise though. To this day people who have not been properly educated about the Great Depression believe that President Hoover was the cause. The idea that President Herbert Hoover caused the Depression could have arisen from the fact that he was the President at the time the Depression began. However, the people who do not believe that President Hoover was the cause deem the crash of the stock market in 1929 as the real culprit. The truth behind the stock market crash is that it was the ev ent that caused the already unstable economy to go over the limit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If the president and the stock market crash did not cause the Great Depression, then what did? According to research done on the Great Depression, the causes rest on of different factors, but can be put under two main categories. The responsibility for the Great Depression falls not only on the Stock Market Crash, but also on the maldistribution of wealth, an unstable economy and the wild stock market practices of the 1920’s.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The largest reason for the growing gap between the rich and the working-class people was the sudden increase in manufacturing during the 1920’s. The people of the working class were significantly increasing their output, but their wages only increased slightly. For example, the average worker out put from 1923-1929 increased about 32%, but the average income of the worker only increased about 8% (Gusmorino, Main Causes of the Great Depression). Therefore one may conclude that wages only increased one-fourth the amount production increased. Another amazing feat of the manufacturing increase was that prices for goods stayed the same, therefore the executives in the companies were keeping the mass amounts of profit that were now coming into the company. In fact, one can see that top executives in a certain company increased significantly because their salaries from 1923-1929 rose 64% (Gusmorino, Main Cau... ...cantly, and investors began selling quickly. On the following Tuesday and Wednesday the prices began to stabilize. Then on Thursday, October 24, stock prices fell hard and even the biggest investors gave up on the market and sold their stocks. On the following Tuesday the stock market fell and the market was not able to get back up. This day is forever known as â€Å"Black Tuesday,† and the official start of the Great Depression. The speculation and the resulting stock market crash acted as the trigger for the already unstable United States economy. Due to the maldistribution of wealth and the unstable economy of the 1920’s, the nation headed into a decade of trouble. In response to its economic difficulties, the United States set up even higher trade barriers with other nations, causing more trouble within the nation. Many of the working class lost their jobs, and since these people did not have savings, they were in big trouble. Unemployment grew to 13 million by 1932 as the country quickly spiraled into a catastrophe. The Great Depression had begun due to the maldistribution of wealth, a bad economy based on over confidence, and the irresponsible erratic of the â€Å"bull† stock market.

Labour Reforms in Brazil and Chile (a Comparative Study)

UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY COURSE COMPARATIVE INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS (MIR 709) TOPIC LABOUR REFORMS IN BRAZIL AND CHILE (A COMPARATIVE STUDY) A PAPER SUBMITTED TO THE DEPT OF SOCIOLOGY BY GROUP 4 Adepoju Janet Oluwatosin167455 Ayangbemi Olusola Temitope166905 Dagunduro Adebukola Olufunke167457 Ogunsemoyin Olubusayo B. 81014 LECTURER IN CHARGE: PROF. ONYEONORU P. I. OCTOBER, 2012 INTRODUCTION Labour laws is defined as the balance of power among government, employers, workers, and unions.The redrafting of a country’s labour laws typically reflects a shift in the power relations and may carry unfavourable consequences for a former beneficiaries. As the Colliers put it, â€Å"Labour law is a highly visible and concrete policy statement around which political battles are fought, won, and lost, and around which political support is attracted, granted, and withheld†¦ labour law thus provides a valuable point of reference for analyzing the larger political contex t† (Collier and Collier 1979, 971). The reform of national labour laws is one of the most widely implemented recent policy changes in the world.Since the early 1990s, Brazil as well as Chile have changed their labour laws. Labour reforms have also provoked massive protests, including general strikes. It can be understood that the changes in labour law occurring on a global scale are themselves a response to the pressure of globalization. In most nations of the world, labour legislation was originally made to reflect government-employer-worker relationships embedded in protected national economies. But in recent years, trade liberalization and greater global competitiveness have created new challenges for employers and workers.Pressures for legal and institutional change have naturally followed. This study is all about comparative insights into labour reform processes at the end of the twentieth century of two Latin American countries, Brazil and Chile. Despite similar initial prescriptions for change in the direction of greater flexibility, the outcomes of labour reforms differed in the two countries. In the 1990s, moderate flexibility reforms were implemented in Brazil while in Chile, changes in labour law was extensive.THE LATIN AMERICAN CONTEXT The region followed a common import substituting industrialization (ISI) model in the post-war period. This development strategy reshaped the Latin American economies, societies and institutions. While traditional interest groups linked to the primary sectors reduced their political influence, new social groups with interests in the local industries gained social and political strength. After some time, this inward-oriented development strategy began to show clear signs of exhaustion.The performance of Latin American countries was not good enough compared with the South-East Asian countries that claimed to adopt an almost opposite economic model. The political support of the ISI model was gradually eroding in L atin America when the debt crisis unleashed in 1982 and the failure of early policies implemented by some countries to deal with it played an important role in reshaping policy views in the region. Latin America of course is not homogeneous, but there are some structural characteristics common to most countries in the region that had a bearing on the reform process.The region’s competitive advantages are biased in favour of natural resources, and primary commodities explain a large share of exports: minerals and oil in Chile, Venezuela and Peru, agriculture in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay; even in more industrialized Brazil and Mexico primary products are still relevant. This feature impinges on the region’s political economy via the so-called natural resource â€Å"curse†. The distribution of income and assets in Latin America is highly unequal compared to other regions in the world.As the 2006 World Development Report of the World Bank suggests, income ine quality of this magnitude is quite likely a signal of unequal opportunities (rather than of different choices) – World Bank (2005). Because of the structural lack of equity, many Latin Americans did not have the chance to take advantage of the opportunities open by reform; hence many opportunities at the individual level were lost. Besides, groups that were marginalized and segregated did not support reform and often opposed it actively, fearing that a more competitive environment would do them more harm than good.In several of the countries, the so-called structural reforms came hand in hand with efforts at macroeconomic stabilization. There had been a long list of stabilization attempts before this period, but the macroeconomic stabilization programs that accompanied the structural reforms were usually deeper and lasted more than previous ones. The perception of greater deepness of these stabilization efforts was related to the simultaneous implementation of other component s of the reform package.Also, there have been important â€Å"contagion† effects across countries, that is, learning from the interpretation of the (successful and unsuccessful) experiences of other countries in the region. Having referred to many common factors, it is also important to stress that Latin American countries are quite different in many dimensions. Country size is obviously one of the dimensions in which the region is not homogeneous; a dimension that became particularly relevant for the fate of the inward oriented ISI model (think about the size of the domestic market in Brazil as compared for instance with Chile).Economic and social development show significant variation across countries as well. The historical starting points in terms of social and economic structure, as well as in the details of past policies, were also different in different countries when pro-market reforms began. Social indicators as literacy ratios, life expectancy and the like also show much variation. Even when most countries adopted a version of the ISI model in the post-war period, the progress they made in that direction varied considerably in terms, for instance, of the degree of industrialization they reached.This was partly dictated by the size of the domestic market and partly by policy options and political conditions. In spite of some common institutional heritage from the colonial era, political and institutional history also shows significant variation across countries in Latin America. Most countries in the region experienced periods of dictatorship in the twentieth century, but while some spent most of the century under those conditions, others did it for relatively short periods. The quality of institutions and the incidence of corruption also varies, Kaufmann, D. , A. Kraay and M. Mastruzzi (2003).The different starting points and idiosyncratic characteristics influenced the fate of the pro-market reform. BRIEF HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Brazil The hist ory of Brazil starts with Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, who arrived thousands of years ago by crossing the Bering land bridge into Alaska and then moving south. The first European to explore Brazil was Pedro Alvares Cabral on April 22, 1500 under the sponsorship of Portugal. From the 16th to the 19th centuries, Brazil was a colony of Portugal. On September 7, 1822, the country declared its independence from Portugal and became a constitutional monarchy, the Empire of Brazil.A military coup in 1889 established a republican government. The country has seen a dictatorship (1930–1934 and 1937–1945) and a period of military rule (1964–1985). Brazil returned to democracy in 1985, after more than two decades of uninterrupted military governments. The first democratic government unsuccessfully tried to stabilize the economy and made little progress with reform, but since 1990, when Collor de Mello arrived to the presidency, the successive democratic governments ca rried on a series of market-oriented reforms. It was argued that democratization facilitated the introduction of market oriented reforms in Brazil.While the military stayed in government, the protective mantle of â€Å"national security† and â€Å"key-sectors protection† became a standard speech, always blocking a deeper integration into the world economy. This ideological view was present not just at the top of the military regime but also inside the mid-level military officers who were commonly appointed to prominent positions in economic ministries and state enterprises. In the nineties, under democratic rule, a new breed of internationally-minded top civil servants replaced these officers.Reform in Brazil followed a pragmatic way, meaning that it was gradual, piecemeal, and loosely coordinated. Fragmentation of the political system prevented any group from gaining dominance and forced a negotiated style, leading to gradualism. So, most policies took time, were nego tiated, and had to go through multiple veto points. The informal institution of rather fluid ties among state elites and between them and business facilitated consensus building around reform policies, but they had to be negotiated. In this manner, the policy outcomes were unlikely to be extreme.The actual social and economic outcomes have not been too spectacular, and some discontent against â€Å"the reforms† has breaded. Yet, the arrival to office in 2003 of a left-wing party, the PT, has not generated any reversal, suggesting that â€Å"pragmatism† is not likely to be displaced soon in Brazilian economic policy making. Chile The territory of Chile has been populated since at least 12,000 ago. By the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors began to subdue and colonize the region of present-day Chile, and the territory became a colony from 1540 to 1818, when it gained independence from Spain.The country's economic development was successively marked by the export of firs t agricultural produce, then saltpetre and later copper. The wealth of raw materials led to an economic upturn, but also led to dependency, and even wars with neighbouring states. The country was governed during most of its first 150 years of independent life by different forms of restricted government, where the electorate was carefully vetted and controlled by an elite.Failure to address the economic and social disparities and increasing political awareness of the less-affluent population, as well as indirect intervention and economic funding to the main political groups by both the KGB and the CIA, as part of the Cold War, led to a political polarization under Socialist President Salvador Allende which in turn resulted in the 11 September 1973 coup and the military dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet, whose 17- year regime was responsible for numerous human rights violations and deep market-oriented economic reforms.In 1990, Chile made a peaceful transition to democracy. Wit h ups and downs, Chile followed a basically inward-looking-state-centred development strategy from 1930 to 1973. It was not very different from the experience of other Latin American countries, save probably for the socialist period between 1971 and 1973. This period ended up with a severe socio-economic and political crisis that paved the road for a military coup that inaugurated a dictatorship that would last until the late eighties. The military government pushed a far reaching pro-market reform agenda.This experience is usually regarded as a leading case of market-friendly reforms, not only for the adoption of a shock therapy, but also for doing it well before most other countries in the region. Beginning in late 1973, several structural reforms were implemented, including the liberalization of most prices, interest rates and wages; drastic reductions in tariffs and the elimination of non-tariff barriers to trade; the strengthening of fiscal and monetary policies; the privatizat ion of more than 500 firms; the reform of the pension program; and the adoption of new policies of competition and regulation.In the early eighties, Chile, like other developing countries, underwent a deep economic and financial crisis. There was some reversal of reforms during this period, but the military government resumed the liberalizing reforms soon after it. Chile returned to democracy in 1990. One of the most notable aspects of the Chilean process is that after the return to democracy in 1990, the centre-left coalition that has governed the country since, did not revert the market reform process.There were several peculiar factors leading the military dictatorship to follow the suggestions of a group of foreign-trained economists towards market liberalization (against the nationalistic tendencies of part of the military). Some possible sources of opposition (such as unions or left leaning parties) were silenced by the dictatorship.Business sectors were relatively grateful si nce firms were devolved to private owners after nationalization by the previous socialist government of Allende, so that they did not oppose trade liberalization. The way the transition to democracy was instrumented in the late eighties was key for the consolidation of pro-market reforms in Chile. Consolidation was by no means granted by that time, for the parties that formed the winning coalition (named the Concertacion) in the 1989 elections had opposed many of the reforms.Also, formerly repressed interest groups could take advantage of the new political environment to voice their demands, pushing the new government towards a less neutral and more lenient fiscal policy. According to Foguel, Miguel, Indermit Gill, Rosane Mendonca and Ricardo Paes de Barros, (1998), several factors contributed to the consolidation of the pro-market reform in the transition period: * the good performance of the economy in 1985-1989; * the concurrent fall of socialist regimes in Europe; the economic f ailure of democratic transition in Argentina (that contributed to convince several left15 wing politicians of the risks of â€Å"heterodox† policies); * the intellectual renovation and internationalization of the circles around the Concertacion, which lead to a â€Å"revaluation of continuity†; and * several institutional enclaves in the new constitution, increasing the veto power and political relevance of â€Å"the right†, which forced democratic presidents to follow consensual strategies on economic matters. Chile seems to be in a path of institutional and policy consolidation.The democratic governments have maintained the core of the economic reforms undertaken during the dictatorship, while steadily (albeit slowly, according to some views) advancing on the social and democratic front. These steps have taken place according to a style of policymaking that is much more consensual and institutionalized than that of other Latin American countries. (IADB, 2005). EVOLUTION OF LABOUR REFORM IN BRAZIL The Consolidated Labour Code The main body of the Brazilian labour legislation was introduced in the 1940s, and consolidated into the Consolidacao das Leis do Trabalho (CLT) in 1943.The CLT is a large, often overlapping, set of rules which determines individual and collective rights and duties of the workers, unions and firms. The law determines that all workers must have a booklet where all individual labour contracts and its changes over time are registered by the employer. By definition, a formal worker has a booklet signed by his employer (â€Å"carteira assinada†) Besides the obligation to sign the booklet, the law stipulates a set of minimum conditions any employment relationship must follow.The most important rules are: maximum hours of work per week; maximum extra-time working hours; minimum payment for extra-time work; minimum wage; pre-paid annual vacations; special protection clauses for women and children; the dismissal of pre gnant women is forbidden; the right of paid vacation before and after childbirth, for the mother; special work conditions for night shifts; one month pre-notification of firing; and protection against unjustified dismissals. There have been changes in the legislation since the creation of the CLT. In particular: In 1962, introduction of a one monthly wage annual bonus (â€Å"thirteenth salary†).In 1963, introduction of a family allowance. In 1965, introduction of a wage adjustment law which determined the minimum rate of wage adjustments of all workers in the economy. In 1966, creation of a severance fund (Fundo de Garantia por Tempo de Servico – FGTS) in place of a clause forbidding dismissal of workers with more than 10 years of tenure. In 1986, creation of an unemployment insurance program which today covers about 25% of the country’s labour force. In 1988, approval of a new Constitution with the introduction of new labour clauses. Severance Rules and Unemplo yment CompensationUntil 1965, to fire a worker without a proper justification the employer had to pay one month’s wage for each year of work in the firm. The compensation was calculated on the basis of the higher wage received during the work contract. It was a duty of the employer to prove the dismissal was justified, and the conditions for justified dismissals were clearly defined in the law. After 10 years in the same enterprise, dismissals were forbidden by law, except if properly justified. In 1966, this entire system of protection against non-justified dismissals was changed.A severance fund was created, called the Fundo de Garantia por Tempo de Servico (FGTS). When hiring a worker, the firm had to open a banking account for the worker and deposit 8% of the value of the wage in the account. Today, Caixa Economica Federal, a government saving and loans institution, collects the FGTS levy and invests it primarily in urban housing projects giving workers a legally guarante ed minimum deposit rate. When dismissed without a just cause (â€Å"sem justa causa†) the worker could draw this money and received a monetary compensation corresponding to a fine of 10% over the total amount of the fund.Like many other Latin American countries (see Loayza, 1998), dismissal for economic reasons is not considered a just cause. In 1988 the fine for unjust dismissal was increased to 40% of the worker’s FGTS account balance. Besides this fine, the employer has to notify the worker one month before he will be fired. This is the â€Å"aviso previo† law, or previous notification of firing. During the month the worker has received the previous notification of firing, he/she is allowed, according to the law, to take two hours a day to look for a new job.This implies a minimum cost of 25% of the worker's monthly wage. In fact the cost is usually higher since firms end up paying the notification fee to the worker and dismissing him immediately. Thus, the t otal cost of dismissal is 25% to 100% of the monthly wage plus 40% of the FGTS. The cost depends on the number of months the worker has worked for the firm. Since 1986, when fired, besides the advance notice, access to the FGTS (and the 40% fine for unfair dismissal), the worker also has the right to an unemployment compensation benefits.The unemployment compensation program offers partial coverage for up to four months of unemployment (extended to five months after 1996). To become eligible to receive the benefit, the worker must meet the following criteria: * to have been dismissed without a just cause; * to have had a formal labour contract during the last six months or to have been legally self-employed for at least 15 months; * to be unemployed for at least seven days; * must not receive any other pension; * must not have any other type of income sufficient to guarantee his own subsistence and that of his family.The value of the benefit cannot be lower than the value of the min imum wage, is adjusted monthly for inflation, and is related to the average wage received by the worker in the last three months in the previous job. Wage Laws An important change in the CLT was the introduction of the Wage Adjustment Law in 1965. Before this date, wage adjustments were fixed through collective bargaining between workers and employers unions, at the settlement dates (â€Å"data base†), and through individual negotiations between one worker and his/her employer.Only the minimum wage was determined directly by the President of the Republic, although most of the time it incorporated automatically the prescriptions given by indexation clauses imbedded in the Law. The Wage Adjustment Law gave the government the right to determine the minimum rate of adjustment of all wages in the formal sector of the economy. The first wage law stipulated that nominal wages should be adjusted once a year, at the settlement date of each occupation, following a formula which took th e past and expected future rate of inflation and the growth rate in GDP per capita as the base for the adjustments.The specific formula and the adjustment period changed many times over the years, as the rate of inflation increased. In 1995, one year after the introduction of the Real Plan, the Wage Law was abolished. Today, upward adjustment of wages is negotiated between employers and employees. But downward adjustment of wages is for all practical purposes prohibited by the Constitution: attempts to do so make employers open to lawsuits, which are generally resolved in favor of the worker.This was irrelevant during a time of high inflation, but now quite possibly adds to the rigidity of the labour market. The Reforms of 1988 The main changes of labour legislation introduced in the Constitution of 1988 can be summarized as follows: * The maximum number of hours of work per week was reduced from 48 to 44 hours and the minimum payment for extra-time hours increased from 20% to 50% o f the workers’ wages. * For continuous work shifts the maximum daily journey was reduced from eight to six hours. * A vacation bonus of one-third of the workers’ wages was created. The childbirth leave for mothers was increased to 120 days and a five days childbirth leave for the father was introduced. * Firing costs for unjustified dismissals increased from 10% of the FGTS balance to 40%. This is the list of the minimum individual rights for private sector and state enterprise workers. Working conditions can be improved through negotiations between the individual worker and the firm, or through collective bargaining. The Constitution of 1988 clearly mandated higher nonwage benefits and made dismissals costlier for employers. Payroll Taxes and Mandatory Benefits after 1988The CLT and the 1988 Constitution stipulate a very comprehensive set of minimum standards any individual contract must follow. The rules do not provide much space for negotiations between employers an d workers. The result is a rigid set of minimum rules, which reduces the flexibility of the labour contract in face of changes in the economic environment. In addition to the costs imposed by this inflexibility, there are more direct and obvious non-wage costs due to payroll taxes and mandatory benefits required by the law. The cost of labour can be decomposed into four parts: The basic contractual wage. * Mandatory benefits which include the annual one month bonus (terceiro salario), the contribution to the FGTS, vacations and other benefits. * Contributions to the official training system (SENAI and SENAC), to finance an institution which assist small enterprises (SEBRAE) and a contribution paid by firms to finance an workers’ assistance service (SESI or SESC). * Contribution to the federal social security system (INSS) and to fund educational services salario educacao) and an on-the-job accident insurance fee mandatory for all firms and proportional to the payroll.In addit ion to these contributions based on payroll costs, employers are also charged levies on revenues to pay for additional INSS-related obligations (Cofins), to be raised in 1999 from 1 to 2 percent and PIS/PASEP, the contributions towards the Fundo de Aparelho de Trabalhadores (FAT) which fund unemployment compensation, job search assistance and active labour programs such as training and microenterprise support schemes. These labour related levies can add up to between 2 and 3 percent of employer revenues. EVOLUTION OF LABOUR REFORM IN CHILE Labour Code (1931-1965)Initially, Chile’s labour market regulations is characterized with tripartite system of collective bargaining and conflict resolution. 1931 labour code focuses on conflict resolution. While the legislation favoured collective bargaining at the firm level, and this form of negotiations was dominant, the mechanisms of conflict resolution projected negotiations beyond the enterprise. With time, sector-wide negotiations s pread throughout the economy. Dismissal without expression of cause with a month’s notice. Severance payment of a month’s wage per year of tenure for â€Å"white collar workers.The main component of payroll taxes are social security contributions. Chile started a Social Security System in 1924, building from a set of privately established pensions systems that covered specific groups of workers or sectors of economic activity. These programs finance retirement, invalidity and family survivor benefits, a public health care system, the payment of family allowances, and an unemployment subsidy. In addition, there was a 1 % contribution to fund public training programs. The Chile labour market reform has come a long way and in each stage undergone few reforms to meet the demand of the changing market conditions.After the deadly coup of 1973, several labour unions, labour institutions were dissolved. In October, 1973, the Chilean government introduced wage adjustments, whi ch were linked to inflation rate. Chile labour market reform is significant because of the following reasons: * The country underwent a switch over from an economy, which was regulated to an economy, which is unregulated as well as open. This was brought about by the implementation of economic reforms pertaining to labour markets and pension system in the country. * The labour market in Chile has been over the years very unpredictable.Labour market in Chile during the seventies: During the middle seventies, the government in Chile launched the first structural reforms in Chile. Which in turn increased the unemployment rate. However, Chile experienced a healthy growth in the economy towards the end of seventies. Despite the speedy growth in economy, the labour market refused to recover from the high rate of unemployment. Reverse to what it was during the seventies, the labour market in the eighties recuperated very fast even though the crisis was much more severe than the previous on e. Even rate of growth in wages recovered comparatively fast.During this period, rate of unemployment reached 25%. As part of Chile labour market reform, the proportional adjustments pertaining to lower wages was made more than the higher wages. The method of indexation that existed between 1973 to 1979 had many drawbacks. In order to overcome these drawbacks, Labour Plan of 1979, was implemented, which stated that adjustment of wages would be made at or above inflation rate. At regular intervals, as part of Chile labour market reform, the government carried on with the practice of increasing wages but not in accordance with the rising rate of inflation.However, during the 1990s, there was increase in wages higher than what was declared for the purpose of readjustments. The Employment Security Law, states that if there is no valid cause for dismissing an employee, the worker could be re engaged in the job as per orders from a labour court. However, in the year 1978, this law was sub stituted by a method of â€Å"severance payment†. Chile labour market reform, Decree Law 2,200 stated that employers had the right to make changes in the contract between the employers as well as the employees and that they could fire an employee without giving any explanation to the employees.A â€Å"severance payment†, which was minimum was also introduced. Decree Law 2,200 as well as Chile labour market reform of 1979, led to the introduction of new techniques to supervise the activities of the labour unions. This was stated in Decree Law, 2,756. Collective bargaining was stated in Decree Law 2,758. Decree Law 2,756 and Decree Law 2,758 are collectively referred to as Labour Plan. Decree Law 2,756 governs matters related to labour union. Whereas, Decree law, 2,758 governs the various norms adopted in the event of a strike.Labour reforms that took place in Chile is summarized below; Phase I (1966-73) Increased polarization of the labour movement Generalized use of wa ge indexation. Dismissals require expression of â€Å"just† cause, or severance payment of a month’s wage per year of tenure. In spite of very high nominal contribution rates, by 1970 the public sector spent 20. 5 percent of its budget to cover the deficits in the health and pensions systems along with its own contributions. Phase II (1974-79) Economic Liberalization with a highly intervened labour market.Decree Law 670 of October 1974 substituted the earlier legislation that defined the tripartite commissions, giving them a consultative character. They were understood to be a transition mechanism, while a new policy towards the labour market was developed, and while union activities were banned.. Economy-wide wage adjustments imposed by decree. Dismissal without expression of cause reinstated in 1978 for all new hires. Employers pay a severance of a month’s wage per year of tenure to all dismissed workers, unless there is â€Å"just cause,† which include s â€Å"economic cause. A number of partial changes brought down contributions from a 60 percent at their peak in 1974, to the order of 33 percent in 1980. Rates varied according to the specific plan at which an employee was affiliated, but all the plans were guaranteed by the state. For example, in 1976, the 1% contribution earmarked to fund training program was eliminated. Phase III (1980-1990) Union affiliation becomes voluntary. Decentralized collective bargaining. Labour negotiations opened to market forces. Strikes without job guarantees after sixty days.No intervention of the government in the affairs of unions or the collective bargaining process, except for a wage floor guaranteed by law. The wage floor was eliminated in 1982, and as a by-product, the necessary conditions to replace striking workers were eroded. It also marked the era of minimum wage setting. Starting in 1981, dismissals of any worker, new or previously hired, can take place without expression of cause, an d as long as severance is paid. Severance payments are open to negotiations. In the absence of an explicit agreement the minimum severance would be a month wages per year of tenure with a 5 months ceiling.A 1984 reform established that the minimum severance agreed by the parties could not be less than the severance established by law. Furthermore, â€Å"economic cause† for dismissal is not â€Å"just cause† anymore. In 1980, a reform lowered social security contributions to just above 20 percent (10 % towards retirement, 7% towards health and about 3% towards disability). New entrants to the labour force would contribute to a new old-age program based on a mandated individualized savings plan, to be managed by private administrators (AFPs).Old contributors could to opt out of the traditional pay-as-you-go system. In the case of health care contributions, both old contributors and new entrants were given the choice to opt out of the public system (FONASA) and use the 7 percent towards a health care insurance policy provided by an authorized private health insurer (ISAPRES). A basic pension, the unemployment insurance, and the family allowances programs would be fully financed by the central government budget. Phase IV (1991 till date) This is the Consolidation of Labour Reforms.The new law eliminated the sixty days period for the legal strike, which allowed employers to dismiss striking workers without severance. The new law also reinstated stricter conditions for workers replacements in case of strike. Labour negotiations can take place at the sector level if both workers and employers agree to it. Dismissals require an expression of â€Å"cause†. Severance of one month wages per year of tenure applies to dismissals with â€Å"economic cause. † Severance would be paid with a 20% surcharge if the employer cannot prove an alleged â€Å"economic cause. No severance obligation in case of dismissals with â€Å"just cause. † Dismi ssal ceiling on severance payment raised to 11 month wages. THEMES ON LABOUR REFORM DISCUSSION The thematic elements under which labour reforms that occurred in the two Latin American countries under study will be discussed will focus on the labour’s strategic interest in labour law and its ability to pursue those interest during specific rounds of reform. These interests are derived from the legal and institutional framework of labour relations, which are often inherited from earlier period of legal and political incorporation of labour.Secondly is the willingness of government to see reform through. Government resolve is shaped by the pressure for the reform that it faces from international actors or domestic constituencies. Another thematic approach is the transition context for the reform. The nature of transitions as well as their timing affects the political environment for labour reform. Democratic transitions tend to favour rights-based reforms and strengthen unions, while market-oriented economic transitions tend to favour labour flexibility and weaken unions.The Initiation of the Reforms The crisis of the ISI model in the sixties and seventies left Latin American leaders searching for new paradigms. In this context, the pro-market reform agenda began to gain strength, initially pushed by groups of professional economists trained in the US, and reinforced later in the eighties and nineties by the IFIs. The experience of Thatcher in the UK and the fall of communism also contributed to create an environment favourable to pro-market reform. In some countries, these new ideas got through to the ruling army forces.Chile was the leading case, after a short socialist experience that ended with a military coup. Other countries only began the reform process in the early nineties, after suffering severe macroeconomic instability in the eighties. By that time, Chile had already become an example of a successful reformer that many wanted to reproduce. The debt crisis that blew up in the early eighties gave place to a decade characterized by severe macroeconomic instability in most countries in the region. There were several attempts at eterodox macroeconomic stabilization that failed completely. Brazil is probably one of the most distinctive cases. The pro-market structural reforms were out of the agenda in those years in most Latin American countries. Even in Chile, the debt crisis caused a partial and temporary reversion of the pro-market labour reform. It was only after these policies ended up in hyperinflation that the idea of implementing more orthodox stabilization programs bundled with structural pro-market reforms made its way through in the region in the early nineties.In the 1980s and 1990s, several democratic political leaders who gained elections proposing leftwing platforms ended up adopting the market-friendly package. Some of these presidents were concerned by little more than their political survival in the midst of i mpending or ongoing macroeconomic crises, and were pretty much open to â€Å"anything† that might deliver some short-term economic results that could lead to favourable political results for them. They ended up convinced that some variant of the market-friendly package was the most sensible option they had.Implementation Recent literature on reform emphasizes the key role of appropriate implementation and enforcement capacity to determine the outcome of reform (Stein and Tommasi 2005; Rius and van de Walle, 2004; Fanelli and Popov, 2003). It is considered that while the best designed policy packages may generate bad outcomes if implementation fails, policies that are not first-best in terms of design may still render acceptable results if they are well implemented (IADB, 2005).The quality of public policies in terms of enforcement and implementation varies considerably across the Latin American countries. Stein and Tommasi (2005) classified the Latin American countries in sev eral key dimensions of their economic policies, one of them being the capacity to enforce and effectively implement the policies. Of the two Latin American countries considered in this paper, Chile appears as the one with quite high enforcement and implementation capacity; Brazil has intermediate capability with implementation quality.The enforcement and implementation capacities are in turn related to the quality and independence of the bureaucracy, the quality and independence of the judiciary, and the capabilities of the Congress. Stein and Tommasi (2005) show that the index of enforcement and implementation capacity is positively correlated to indexes of congress capability, judicial independence and civil service development across these two Latin American countries. An independent and highly qualified judicial system is probably the most obvious enforcer of the laws.Delegating the implementation of policies to a professional and independent bureaucracy is also a good enforceme nt device. Chumacero et al (2005) claim that the Chilean military government that initially pushed the pro-market reform replaced the existing bureaucracy with a strong technocracy that contributed to improve the implementation and enforcement capacities of the State. Brazil followed a different route in that reformers did not replace the existing bureaucracy, Castelar Pinheiro, A. , R. Bonelli and B. Ross Schneider (2004).Nevertheless, Brazil already had a relatively good bureaucracy before the pro-market reform era. This allowed the government to delegate the implementation of trade liberalization and privatization to autonomous agencies, which according to Castelar Pinheiro et al (2004), was key for the advance of these reforms. Stakeholders The labour movement was more independent from the State and from the parties that ended up being reformist. In Brazil and Chile, trade unions would not favour pro-market reform, but they were forbidden in Chile when the reform began and relat ively weak in Brazil (Castelar Pinheiro et al).Labour movements in Brazil retained some degree of organizational strength, mobilization capacity and political influence, and were therefore able to fight off some of the reforms that were aimed at expanding labour market flexibility. They fought hard against the loss of core organizational resources as well as legal provisions regarding union structure and collective bargaining. In Chile, economic labour reforms occurred mostly under the dictatorship, along with labour code changes, the prospect for expanding labour rights under the democratic transition were limited.The issue of labour reform lies at the core of this disjuncture as it straddles major fault lines innate to the Chilean neoliberal project. On the one hand, cheap and flexible labour with few rights to collective action has formed a central axis of Chile’s economic model since Pinochet’s ruthless undermining of organised labour in the mid-1970s. This oppress ion was given a tangible legal form in the 1980 labour code that denied even the most basic of rights to the working population. Labour movements in Chile was pressured to moderate its demands during transition.Furthermore, labour ties to parties in power under the concertacion further constrained the movements ability to assert demands for reforms in the first-round democratic government. In summary, in Brazil political stability is a contextual premium, a potential threat to that stability came from the labour movement. By contrast, in Chile, the prime concern was economic stability. Unfortunately, labour mobilization was constrained by political compromises and organizational factors. The economic elites were the ones to be appeased.Capitalist interests, institutionally represented by the Confederacion de Produccion y Commercio (CPC), have strongly opposed any substantive changes to the labour code. They argue that, by impinging on labour market flexibility, reforms to the labour code would undermine the foundations of domestic accumulation to the detriment of all Chileans Inclusiveness of the Political Process behind the Reforms In Brazil, President Fernando Henrique Cardoso negotiated the pro-market reform along several years, and there was no reversal, even after the opposition took office.Reform was very gradual and partial, mostly due to the effective inclusion of opposition parties and social groups in the negotiation of reform. This participation slowed down reform, but it can be argued that it also contributed to render the economic policy more predictable. Political participation might not only contribute to reform because it reduces resistance, but also because it promotes a more open society in which special interests find themselves more constrained. Chile is a case in which the bulk of the reform process took place under the Pinochet dictatorship.Yet, the decision of the successive incoming democratic governments of sustaining the main aspects of the market-oriented reforms, together with the consensual and institutionalized policymaking style with which modifications and adjustments have proceeded, has tended to generate an increasingly virtuous circle between reforms, democratic participation, and transparency. CONCLUDING REMARKS This paper attempted to extract some lessons from the reform experiences of the selected Latin American countries, on the basis of underlying country studies.That exercise led, in its central section, to reflections on several key themes in the political economy of reform, reflections which themselves had some elements of â€Å"concluding remarks†. For that reason, this final section is relatively brief, and instead of recapitulating everything said before, it just draws from a few points in order to take a (succinct) prospective look. The early evaluations of the impact of market oriented reforms were far more optimistic than later ones.The present political dynamics of these countries suggests that the fate of reforms is correlated with the outcomes of reform, and that both in turn are correlated with more slow-moving (not to say, permanent) â€Å"fundamental† local conditions, in particular with local institutional conditions. The ranking of both countries in terms of reform outcomes, and reform continuity and sustainability is almost identical to a ranking of State Capabilities developed by Stein and Tommasi at the Inter-American Development Bank, reflected in Stein and Tommasi (2005) and IADB (2005).Perhaps the main lesson we extract from the experience at this point, is that in democratic settings it is not a good strategy to impose reforms from above or by surprise. Consensus building operating through the social and political specificities of the country is not only a better way to achieve the desired reforms, but even a process for identifying and implementing policies and reforms more suitable for each country. The capacity of countries to achieve such processes seems conditioned by their political institutions and policymaking capabilities.REFERENCE Aguilera-Alfred, N. , D. Borda and D. Richards (2004) â€Å"Understanding Reform. The Predatory State and Economic Reform: An Examination of Paraguay’s Political Economic Transition†, Global Development Network, Mimeo. Castelar Pinheiro, A. , R. Bonelli and B. Ross Schneider (2004) â€Å"Pragmatism and the Political Economy of Market Reform in Brazil†, Global Development Network, Mimeo. Chumacero, R. , R. Fuentes, R. Luders and J. Vial (2005) â€Å"Understanding Chilean Reforms†, Global Development Network, Mimeo. Collier, Ruth Berins, and David Collier. 1979.Inducements versus Constraints: Disaggregating â€Å"Corporatism. † American Political Science Review 73, 4: 967-86 Fanelli, J. M. and V. Popov (2003). On the Philosophical, Political and Methodological Underpinnings of Reform. Global Development Network. Inter-American Development Bank (20 05) The Politics of Policies. Economic and Social Progress in Latin America and the Caribbean 2006 Report. Kaufmann, D. , A. Kraay and M. Mastruzzi (2003) â€Å"Governance Matters III: Governance Indicators for 1996-2002. † World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 3106, Washington DC: The World Bank.Rius, A. and N. van de Walle (2003) â€Å"Political Insitutions and Economic Policy Reform†, Thematic Paper for the Global Research Project on Understanding Reform, Global Development Network. Schneider, B. R. (2004) â€Å"Organizing Interests and Coalitions in the Politics of Market Reform in Latin America† World Politics 56 (April), 456-79. Stein, E. and M. Tommasi (2005) â€Å"Political Institutions, Policymaking Processes, and Policy Outcomes. A Comparison of Latin American Cases†, Inter-American Development Bank, Mimeo. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Military_government_of_Chile_