Fractal Geometry Essays - Fractals, Mathematics, Abstraction

Fractal Geometry Fractal geometry is a fascinating concept of dimension and shape. After being assigned this project I was recalled to the cookie jar that is on top of the fridge that I sought after as a child. The cookie jar features an image of a chef reaching into a cookie jar that featured the same repeating image of a chef. This particular ceramic piece of art was my first thought about the concept of infinity. The pioneering genius of fractal geometry, Benoit Mandelbrot, was a highly visual thinker who earned good grades through his outstanding visual representations. He stated "Clouds are not spheres, mountains are not cones, coastlines are not circles, bark is not smooth, nor does lightning travel in straight line," by which he meant that some of the shapes found in nature were not adequately measured by traditional Euclidean geometry. He also believes that fractal geometry is "the geometry of deterministic chaos" and can be used to "describe the geometry of mountains, clouds, and galaxies". Mandelbrot even coined the term fractal in 1975 from the Latin verb fragere, which means 'to break.' What I find particularly interesting about fractal geometry is that it is so modern, unlike Euclidean geometry which dates back to two thousand years ago. Euclidean geometry is defined by algebraic formulas, while fractals are the result of iterative constructive algorithm. While Euclidean geometry fits man made objects, fractal geometry accommodates objects in nature. A good example of fractal geometry in nature is the fern plant. Observing the fern from across a room, you see large individual fern leafs, but from a yard away it appears a branching limbs, each with it's own extending set of leaves. I had never thought that I could so closely tie such foreign concepts of geometry with something as simple as the structure of a plant in my own living room. To qualify as a fractal, a shape must have two particular elements, self-symmetry and fractal dimension. If a pattern has self-symmetry, it looks the same at all magnifications. Mandelbrot used a coastline to explain self-symmetry, as there is no difference between a map as made from a satellite from the same area mapped by a person surveying a small portion by foot. The fractal dimension falls between the whole numbers that define standard shapes. If one were to crumple a sheet of notebook paper if would not be not two nor three dimensional, but a fractional dimension of approximately 2 ? . Mandelbrot thus created a new language fit to describe the ornate shapes only found in the complexity of nature. Researchers have found the fractal dimension of the human lung to be 2.17. The branching bronchial tubes fill up more space than a flat surface, but less than a solid, three-dimensional object. Biological fractals can be found just about anywhere scientists care to look. This implies the idea that instead of separate construction plans, all the information needed to build a complex biological system could be contained in a few basic instructions that are continually repeated. Fractal geometry is a fascinating concept of the measure of infinity. I can spend hours on end thinking about the delightfully ornate shape that can be produced by fractals or the elaboration of simple patterns to create intricate visual figures

Chinua Achebe Essay Example

Chinua Achebe Essay Example Chinua Achebe Essay Chinua Achebe Essay Achebe says, would not dream of constructing theories to explain European with the same face? hat some Europeans assume in explaining He goes on to describe the different types of critics he and other African writers encounter frequently. Peevishly hostile?C,-1?: Angry freedom Ingratitude for colonial Then there are those who are Influenced by the common stereotype that African peoples are uneducated and can hardly believe they can write, let alone know English. Still implying that Africa is a relatively primitive place. Achebe does point out the flaws of African writers themselves that very well may indulge such critics. O worse than the : who invented an Bio hero with a Your name?C,-. ?0. While Achebe does have a serious message he manages to keep an overall light tone, addressing the inadequacies of foreign critics and the inadequacies of African writers themselves. Achebe then turns his attention to Africa Itself In ,The Role off Writer In a New Nation . Where It seems In a newly freed nation there Is much disconnect from historical culture and the Influences It has on modern Africa. Can not pretend that our past was long Technically Idyll. We have to admit had its good as well as its bad sides?C,-?C]. He calls upon African writers to help regain dignity and self respect in African Peoples. Colonization degraded the culture and customs in fact ?C,-. ? to say that a product was Bio-made was to brand it Achebe has pride in his nation and as a writer wants to embrace the past in order to the scene which is authentically Africa; then what follows will be meaningful and Achebe also mentions what he views is a crisis in his modern culture; which is the individuals acceptance of his own shoddy work. I believe he fears it will only perpetuate the negative perception of African peoples. This manifesting Itself In the publication of that Is coming out of Africa, because African Ritter have now become trendy. Societies of the past with all their Imperfections, were not consumers, but producers of Achebe believes African writers should take pride in themselves, their culture and tenet Attract. Sallying writers snouts create to, not only letter] lives the life of the Achebe continues with this voice although in a slightly different tone in, The Duty Novelist as a Teacher . Here he touches upon the more personal relationship with the reader, their criticism, their stereotypes. Society expects from its Its suggested by his readers now that he is a prevalent writer he deeds to make political and societal statements in order not to squander a rare opportunity for education on a whimsical and frivolous view is quite opposite saying, must remain free to disagree with his Achebe is still concerned with own society not accepting it? culture and history. Like in the case of the little boy who in fear of being ridiculed writes a poem about instead of C,-. ?o. Achebe believes that writers have a duty to teach others to be prideful of their background, all its imperfections?C,-1?0 that, past? not one long night of savagery from which Europeans acting on God? leaf delivered Achebe sees that Africa has been done a great injustice by colonialism, but now it is up to them to and These essays are about independence, recollection and revolution. Achebe calls upon the many flaws in the perception of Africa, but also what Africa must do for itself in order to overcome. Achebe is using his ability and freedom to write to inspire and challenge. His frustrations are counterweighted with solutions for change. He believes in modern Africa as well as its history and knows that you must embrace the past in order to perpetuate progression.

Social Administration Social Welfare Essays

Social Administration Social Welfare Essays Social Administration Social Welfare Essay Social Administration Social Welfare Essay Wong. S. L. p. 53. Indicators of social development, Hong Kong 1988. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies) also found that Chinese people in Hong Kong were reluctant in seeking assistance from the government. Over 90% of them will solve the trouble by their own, seek help from relatives and friends but not any NGOs nor from the government. As suggested by Lee, these findings are â€Å"consistent with the syndrome of utilitarianistic familiam: the larger society and the polity are kept at a distance while familial groups are relied on as the principal agents for safe-guarding and furthering one’s interests. Chow(1986) further explained that. The development of social welfare was largely ‘a history of charitable effort’. Religious organizations like Church World Service, Catholic Relief Services, Lutheran World Services; indigenous organizations like Tung Wah Group of hospitals and the Po Leung Kuk became the main providers of social welfare. There were also some mutual aids associations like clansmen associations, mutual aids societies and locality associations which provided help for destitute members by collecting subscriptions from those who were more fortunate. Their effort was mainly concentrated on relieving the very poor and their dependent members. Self-reliance People would satisfy their basic needs by their own effort rather than with government assistance, unless they tried their best effort and failed. The ideas of â€Å"no one should depend on the welfare system for more than is necessary† and â€Å"welfare should be earned by one’s effort† are further supported by the study conducted by Lau in 1990. (â€Å"Indicators if social development. Hong Kong 1990†. ) In the study majority (over 40%) of the respondents agree that welfare services should go to the most needed. Only 3. % of the respondents think that welfare should be distributed on a charity basis. Referring to the survey conducted by Lee Ming Kwan in 1988 (table 2. 4), almost half of the respondents claims that they would solve it by their own effort in case of they or their families run into financial difficulties. In contrast, only about six pe rcent of them claim that they would seek help from relevant government departments. The finding indicates that Hong Kong Chinese in general tend to put great emphasis on one’s own effort in times of adversity. This conclusion is also consistent with the findings by Lee Ming Kwan in 1990. In the survey, people were asked to identify their source of help that they would most frequently resort when there were needs in eight areas. According to the figures collected(table 2. 5), when the family was troubled by financial problems, 27% of the respondents would seek help from oneself while none of the respondents would seek help from social services. When difficulties occurred in work or career, over 45% of the respondents would work them out by oneself. In general, close kin, relatives, neighbors, workmates and friends had all been active in the respondent’s help-seeking network. Table 2. 5- persons from whom one sought help (%) (extract) | |When there was someone |When the family was |When difficulties |When one was upset and |When one needed advice or | | |sick in the family |troubled by financial |occurred in work or |needed someone to talk |information on certain | | | |problems |career |to |matters | |Oneself |45. 3 |27 |46. |20. 4 |13 | |Spouse |20. 4 |20. 6 |9. 5 |27. 3 |10. 2 | |Children |5. 5 |7. 6 |0. 9 |2. 4 |4. 3 | |Parents |13 |17. 1 |3. 7 |1. 9 |2. 4 | |Spouse’s kin |2. 6 |0. |0 |0. 2 |0. 4 | |Siblings |5. 5 |5. 7 |2. 8 |1. 9 |4 | |Other relatives |0. 7 |1. 9 |4 |0. 7 |1. 4 | |Workmates |0 |0. 7 |0 |1. 4 |5. 2 | |Neighbors |0. |0 |4 |0. 7 |0. 9 | |Friends |0. 4 |10 |1. 8 |33. 2 |39. 4 | |Buying services |0. 5 |0 |0. 4 |0 |1. 7 | |Social services |1. 4 |0 |0. 9 |0. 2 |1. | |Others |0. 7 |0. 5 |0. 4 |1. 2 |1. 7 | |Don’t know/ not |4. 7 |8. 1 |9. 3 |8. 6 |14. 7 | |applicable | | | | | | Other Reasons Living under ‘borrowed time and borrowed place’, the young people stroke no roots in Hong Kong. As people came to make money and went away all the time, Hong Kong people felt that there was no need to care for the well being of others who just happened to be living in the same community for a while. A short term horizon was developed as a result. People were generally reluctant to commit resources to uncertain long term future. Welfare programmes thus lacked long term goals. As a highly commercialized and industrialized society, Hong Kong has often been described as a city where no one is concerned about the well-being of other people. As upward social mobility through political channel was blocked under British colonial rule, people could only place emphasis on economic pursuits. They were thus often characterized to be highly egoistic, materialistic and pragmatic. A lukewarm attitude towards the government and other matters outside personal orbit was shared among majority of Hong Kong people. The better-off class was unwilling to share resources with the poor. Fighting for more social benefits from the government was something undesirable as this might disrupt order and stability. They just wanted to maintain the status quo. ) Changes in people’s values and attitudes towards social welfare Political change – democratization and the change of sovereignty Hong Kong has been undergoing a gradual process of democratization since the 1970s. There was the first election of District Board in 1981. Before 1985, members of Hong Kongs Legislative Council received executive appointment. They served as an advis ory body for the colonial governor and had no power to introduce legislation or overturn acts of the executive. The British colonial government began to introduce democratic reforms into Hong Kongs legislature after the signing of the Joint Declaration in 1984. Beginning in 1985 these representatives were elected by professionals from functional constituencies. It was not until 1991 that any part of the legislature was elected directly through geographically defined constituencies. After 1989 Tiananmen Massacre in Beijing, Governor Patten was sent to Hong Kong to further accelerate the democratization process. The voting age was lowered and the number of voters selecting LegCo seats through indirect elections was raised. Under such reforms, Hong Kong people have become more politically socialized. Through the experience of election and political participation, the Hong Kong people have become more aware of their rights, including their right to social welfare. The change of sovereignty in 1997 also contributed to an increasing social expectation on the government. The handover has enhanced sense of belonging among the Hong Kong people and they now expect their own government to be more responsive to their needs. It is submitted that the introduction of the Principle Official Accountability System is also another reason for the rise of expectation on the government. Breakdown of traditional family system Nowadays, the family system is losing most of its traditional functions. With high percentage of old people, increasing number of young mothers going out to work, escalating incidence of divorce and higher number of domestic violence reports, family may no longer be acting as an institution where emotional, social and financial support can be provided. Instead, the family is now shedding most of its responsibilities on the society and people expect more from the government. Also, with the change in family structure and increasing economic difficulties, some problems may be so burdensome that is beyond what a family can handle. Many look to government for help as a result. . Economic difficulties The Hong Kong society is facing many challenges today. Economic restructuring, rapid ageing population and erosion of family functioning are some of the biggest challenges identified by the Hong Kong Council of Social Services. The new mode of business operation due to technological globalization causes structural job displacement and leads to high rate of unemployment. The ageing of baby-boomed generation increases financial burden of the family and our society. According to a survey conducted by the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, 59. % respondents considered social cause as the reason for poverty. Only 14. 2% considered individual problem as cause of poverty. As most people believe that it is not their fault or laziness which makes them poor, they expect the government to give them more help. It should be noted that not only the grassroots, but also the middle class has adopted a more active attitud es towards public affairs. In the past, the middle class as a whole seldom took up class-specific issues through collective action. However, many middle class families now find that they no longer have a secure future to look to. Some are even suffering negative equity. In the July 1st parade, the middle class was actually the backbone of the protest. This shows that the middle class is no longer apathetic with social issues now. More aware of rights as a citizen People become more aware of their rights as citizens and their social awareness were increased, more attention have been given to the issues on welfare services and social policy. According to the study conducted by Wong Chack-kie in 1993 (indicators of social development Hong Kong 1993), public welfare represents a contract of rights and duties among citizens of a society, and the Government’s welfare responsibility is supported. Table 3. 1. Government’s welfare responsibility (%) | |disagree |average |agree |Don’t know | |1. providing medial care for the sick |2. 1 |5 |91. 1 |1. 8 | |2. providing care for the elderly |3. 3 |6. 5 |88. 1 |2. 1 | |3. providing financial subsidy to university students |2. 4 |5. 9 |87. 8 |3. | |from low income families | | | | | |4. reducing the gap between rich and poor |10. 7 |6. 2 |75. 3 |7. 7 | |5. improving living standards of single-parent |13. 6 |11 |70 |5. 4 | |families | | | | | |6. providing unemployment benefits |14. |11 |69. 8 |4. 5 | |7. providing subsidies to new immigrants from mainland|65. 5 |12. 2 |14. 9 |7. 4 | |China | | | | | This change is largely brought about by political factors which made public opinions more reflected. Political parties in the 90’s joined the legislative council and exerted pressure on government’s social policy formulation. People were taken part into the vote as the legislation of social policy was opened to the public, so people’s awareness of the rights to receive social welfare services were raised. In addition, democratic parties’ campaigns encouraged the development of social welfare. For example, in 1991, â€Å"one man one vote† was realized and eighteen members were directly elected in the Legislative Council. More issues related to social welfare policy were being discussed in the Legislature afterwards. The set up of the District Board also encourage the expression of opinions towards public welfare. The responsibilities of the District Board is to advice the District Management Committee on the well being of district residents and on the provision and use of public services and the priorities of government programs. Citizens who had lived in Hong Kong for seven years would have the right to vote and elect their representatives to reflect their ideas on the government’s social welfare policy. Although the District Board had a limited authority and no power to the legislation of the social policy, the public could express their opinions through the District Board. Members of the District Board gave vote to the problems and needs, which are uppermost in the minds of the people of the District. It made suggestions for improvement of social welfare. For the sake of receiving better social welfare services, people would voice out their opinions and suggestions. Growing demand on quality social services provided by the government After the change of sovereignty in 1997, people have higher expectations on the government and are more demanding in terms of social services provision. After the 1st July 1997, Hong Kong became the special administrative region (SAR) of China and the British colonial government no longer holds the sovereignty. The government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) announced that social welfare, including the extent of education, housing and elderly care, would be carried out efficiently in order to improve peoples’ life. In the past, people felt helpless under the colonial ruling and the self-reliance id eology was formed. After the transition of sovereignty in 1997, people began to expect more on the government as their â€Å"own government† rather than a government in a â€Å"borrowed time† and at a â€Å"borrowed place†. People are less reluctant in seeking government’s assistance. Hong Kong’s economy has been in decline for some time. After 1997, GDP growth slowed to 2. 3 percent a year, compared to 5 percent previously. Structural unemployment arises due to the offshoring of jobs to low-cost economies, and business process improvements in which redesign of operating processes and IT-enabled process redesign reduce the number pf people that need to be employed. The portion of respondents perceiving â€Å"government assistance† to be the best way in meeting personal needs has almost doubled from 4. 7% to 8. 6% from 1998 to 2001. This drastic increase could partly be attributed to the economic turmoil which disables many in meeting their basic needs, thus turning to the government for assistance under no choice. d) Traditional values towards social welfare that are still commonly uphold Self-reliance and reliance on family The upholding value of self-reliance could be reflected in the survey conducted by C. K. Wong and K. Y. Wong in 1998. Referring to table 3. 3, comparing the figures obtained in 1998 and 2001. For each year, around seventy percent of the respondents have the perception that one’s own effort in the best way in meeting personal needs. The rather stable figures indicate that self-reliance is still a commonly uphold concept among Hong Kong Chinese in general. A survey was conducted by Leung Sai-wing in 1997 to study how people assess the extent of poverty in Hong Kong. A great majority of the respondents chose individual failure from the answer categories as the main reason for Hong Kong Chinese being poor. including â€Å"the poor are lazy and lack of willpower†, â€Å"they do not have good educational qualification†, â€Å"they do not know how to speculate†, â€Å"they have been unlucky†, â€Å"they have unhealthy habits† and â€Å"their children do not support their living†). The one-fourth of respondents choosing â€Å"injustice in society† migh t be attributed to their dissatisfaction with the present institutional arrangement of wealth distribution. Anyway, the majority of them still explain poverty in terms of individual failure, which reflects people’s emphasis on self-reliance. Table 4. 1. Main reasons for Hong Kong Chinese being poor (%) |Because of injustice in society |23. 3 | |Because of their laziness and lack of willpower |22. 2 | |Because they do not have good educational qualification |19. 9 | e) Conclusion There is a value shift of Hong Kong people’s views towards social welfare as comparing to the past. Though people are usually referring social welfare to a narrow definition of providing help to those who are poor and needy, we, in recent years, discover that there has been progress in people’s perception of the term ‘social welfare’. People are trying to interpret the term in a boarder sense. They are also more open-minded towards social welfare and dependency on the government nowadays is more common than before, though we should not overlook the existent of the self-reliance ideology in the mind of many Hong Kong people. There is a growing urge for social assistance particularly due to the worsening of economic condition. It is not surprising that government spending on social welfare has been increasing over years. Thus, it is very true that government’s effort in welfare provision is directly related to people’s attitudes towards welfare. Reference: Lau. S. K. , Lee. lM. K, Wan. P. S, Wong. S. L. (1999, 2001). Indicators of social development, Hong Kong 1997 Hong Kong: Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Wong. C. K. , Chow K. Wong K. Y. (1998). The assessment of social welfare policy : the views of Hong Kong people. HK: Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Lau. S. K. , Lee. M. K, Wan. P. S, Wong. S. L. (1995, 1998). Indicators of social development, Hong Kong 1993 Hong Kong: Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Lau. S. K. (1991). Society and politics in Hong Kong. HK: The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Lau. S. K, Kuan. H. C. (1988). The ethos of Hong Kong Chinese. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press

British Poor Law Reform in the Industrial Revolution

British Poor Law Reform in the Industrial Revolution One of the most infamous British laws of the modern age was the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834. It was designed to deal with the rising costs of poor relief, and reform a system from the Elizabethan era unable to cope with the urbanization and industrialization of the Industrial Revolution (more on coal, iron, steam) by sending all able-bodied people in need of poor relief into workhouses where conditions were deliberately harsh. The State of Poverty Relief Before the Nineteenth Century The treatment of the poor in Britain before the major nineteenth-century laws depended on a large element of charity. The middle class paid a Parish poor rate and often saw the increasing poverty of the era merely as a financial worry. They often wanted the cheapest, or most cost-effective, way of treating the poor. There was little engagement with the causes of poverty, which ranged from illness, poor education, disease, disability, underemployment, and poor transport preventing movement to regions with more jobs, to economic changes which removed domestic industry and agricultural changes which left many without jobs. Poor harvests caused grain prices to rise, and high housing prices led to greater debt. Instead, Britain largely viewed the poor as one of two types. The ‘deserving’ poor, those who were old, handicapped, infirm or too young to work, were considered blameless as they obviously couldn’t work, and their numbers stayed more or less even across the eighteenth century. On the other hand, the able-bodied who were without work were considered ‘undeserving’ poor, thought of as lazy drunkards who could have got a job if they needed one. People simply didn’t realize at this point how the changing economy could affect workers. Poverty was also feared. Some worried about deprivation, those in charge worried about the increase in expenditure needed to deal with them, as well as a widely perceived threat of revolution and anarchy. Legal Developments Before the Nineteenth Century The great Elizabethan Poor Law Act was passed at the start of the seventeenth century. This was designed to fit the needs of the static, rural English society of the time, not that of the industrializing centuries afterward. A poor rate was levied to pay for the poor, and the parish was the unit of administration. Unpaid, local Justices of the Peace administered the relief, which was supplemented by local charity. The act was motivated by the need to secure public order. Outdoor relief – giving money or supplies to people on the street – was coupled with indoor relief, where people had to enter a ‘Workhouse’ or similar ‘correctional’ facility, where everything they did was tightly controlled. The 1662 Act of Settlement acted to cover up a loophole in the system, under which parishes were shipping sick and destitute people into other areas. Now you could only receive relief in your area of birth, marriage or long-term living. A certificate was produced, and the poor had to present this if they moved, to say where they came from, impinging on freedom of labor movement. A 1722 act made it easier to set up workhouses into which to funnel your poor, and provided an early ‘test’ to see if people should be forced in. Sixty years later more laws made it cheaper to create a workhouse, allowing parishes to team up to create one. Although the workhouses were meant for the able-bodied, at this point it was mainly the infirm that were sent to them. However, the Act of 1796 removed the 1722 workhouse act when it became clear a period of mass unemployment would fill the workhouses. The Old Poor Law The result was the absence of a real system. As everything was based on the parish, there was a huge amount of regional diversity. Some areas used mainly outdoor relief, some provided work for the poor, others used workhouses. Substantial power over the poor was given to local people, who ranged from honest and interested to dishonest and bigoted. The whole poor law system was unaccountable and unprofessional. Forms of relief could include each rate payer agreeing to support a certain number of workers – depending on their poor rate assessment - or just paying wages. The ‘rounds’ system saw laborers sent round the parish until they found work. An allowance system, where food or money was given out to people on a sliding scale according to family size, was used in some areas, but this was believed to encourage idleness and poor fiscal policy among the (potentially) poor. The Speenhamland System was created in 1795 in Berkshire. A stop-gap system to stave off mass destitution, it was created by the magistrates of Speen and quickly adopted around England. Their motivation was a set of crises which occurred in the 1790s: rising population, enclosure, wartime prices, bad harvests, and fear of a British French Revolution. The results of these systems were that farmers kept wages down as the parish would make up the shortfall, effectively giving employers relief as well as the poor. While many were saved from starvation, others were degraded by doing their work but still needing poor relief to make their earnings economically viable. The Push to Reform Poverty was far from a new problem when steps were taken to reform the poor law in the nineteenth century, but the industrial revolution had changed the way poverty was viewed, and the impact it had. The rapid growth of dense urban areas with their problems of public health, housing, crime, and poverty was clearly not suited to the old system. One pressure to reform the poor relief system came from the rising cost of the poor rate which rapidly increased. Poor-rate payers began to see poor relief as a financial problem, not fully understanding the effects of war, and poor relief grew to 2% of the Gross National Income. This difficulty was not spread evenly over England, and the depressed south, near London, was hit hardest. In addition, influential people were beginning to see the poor law as out of date, wasteful, and a threat to both the economy and the free movement of labor, as well as encouraging large families, idleness, and drinking. The Swing Riots of 1830 further encouraged demands for new, harsher, measures on the poor. The Poor Law Report of 1834 Parliamentary commissions in 1817 and 1824 had criticized the old system  but offered no alternatives. In 1834 this changed with the creation of the Royal Commission of Edwin Chadwick and Nassau Senior, men who wanted to reform the poor law on a utilitarian basis. Critical of amateur organization and desirous for greater uniformity, they aimed for the ‘greatest happiness for the greatest number.’ The resulting Poor Law Report of 1834 had is widely regarded as a classic text in social history. The commission sent out questionnaires to over 15,000 parishes and only heard back from around 10%. Then they send assistant commissioners to roughly a third of all poor law authorities. They were not seeking to end the causes of poverty – it was considered inevitable, and necessary for cheap labor – but to change how the poor was treated. The result was an attack on the old poor law, saying it was costly, badly run, out of date, too regionalized and encouraged indolence and vice. The suggested alternative was the strict implementation of Bentham’s pain-pleasure principle: the destitute would have to balance the pain of the workhouse against getting a job. Relief would be given for the able-bodied only in the workhouse, and abolished outside it, while the state of the workhouse should be lower than that of the poorest, but still employed, laborer. This was ‘less eligibility’. The 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act A direct response to the 1834 report, the PLAA created a new central body to oversee poor law, with Chadwick as secretary. They sent out assistant commissioners to oversee the creation of workhouses and the implementation of the act. Parishes were grouped into unions for better administration – 13,427 parishes into 573 unions – and each had a board of guardians elected by ratepayers. Less eligibility was accepted as a key idea, but outdoor relief for the able-bodied wasn’t abolished after political opposition. New workhouses were built for them, at the expense of the parishes, and a paid matron and master would be in charge of the difficult balance of keeping workhouse life lower than paid labor, but still humane. As the able-bodied could often get outdoor relief, the workhouses filled with the sick and old. It took until 1868 for the entire country to be unionized, but the boards worked hard to provide efficient and occasionally humane services, despite sometimes difficult agglomerations of parishes. Salaried officials replaced volunteers, providing a major development in local government services and the collection of other information for policy changes (e.g. Chadwick’s use of the poor law health officers to reform public health legislation). Education of poor children was begun inside. There was opposition, such as the politician who referred to it as the â€Å"starvation and infanticide act†, and several locations saw violence. However, opposition gradually declined as the economy improved, and after the system became more flexible when Chadwick was removed from power in 1841. Workhouses tended to swing from nearly empty to full depending on the bouts of periodic unemployment, and the conditions depended on the generosity of the staff working there. The events in Andover, which caused a scandal for the poor treatment, were unusual rather than typical, but a select committee was created in 1846 which created a new Poor Law Board with a president who sat in parliament. Criticism of the Act The evidence of the commissioners has been called into question. The poor rate was not necessarily higher in areas making large-scale use of the Speenhamland system and their judgments on what caused poverty were wrong. The idea that high birth rates were connected to allowance systems is now also largely rejected. Poor rate expenditure was already falling by 1818, and the Speenhamland system was able to mostly disappear by 1834, but this was ignored. The nature of unemployment in industrial areas, created by the cyclical employment cycle, was also misidentified. There was criticism at the time, from campaigners who highlighted the inhumanity of the workhouses, to Justices of the Peace upset they had lost power, to radicals concerned with civil liberties. But the act was the first national, monitored central government program for poor relief. Outcome The basic demands of the act weren’t being properly implemented by the 1840s, and in the 1860s the unemployment caused by the American Civil War and the collapse of cotton supplies led to outdoor relief returning. People began to look at the causes of poverty, rather than simply reacting to ideas of unemployment and allowance systems. Ultimately, while the costs of poor relief initially fell, much of this was due to the return of peace in Europe, and the rate rose again as the population rose.

Antitrust Practices and Market Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Antitrust Practices and Market Power - Essay Example The antitrust investigation against Google by Federal Trade Commission (FTC) followed complaints from competing search engines. They claimed that Google had monopolized the search business and online advertising, making it difficult for them to compete. Other search engine claimed that Google had made it hard for new entrants to find their way into the markets and industries that Google had already established operations. The Federal Trade Commission, which prohibits unfair methods of competition and deceptive practices (Areeda & Hovenkamp, 2011), came in to investigate Google’s antitrust behavior. Although FTC finally closed the investigation against Google without filling any lawsuits, antitrust behavior comes at a cost to the company. Google had to prove its case that it was not engaging in antitrust practices. This drew company resources into the investigation, resources that could have been directed to other company developments. Most importantly, unfair and illegal business activities often taint company image and consumer loyalty. This could eventually mark a devastating turning point for the company. Investigation into Google’s antitrust behavior was undertaken within the relevant legal framework. The applicable legal provisions included the Sherman Act (1890), Clayton Act (1914), and Federal Trade Commission Act (1914) (Posner, 2001). Under the Sherman Act, Google was investigated for the monopolization claims by other search engines. In the light of Clayton Act, the company’s exclusive dealings were put on the spot. Finally, the FTC Act encompasses unfair and anticompetitive practices for which Google was being investigated. Perfect competition, monopoly, and oligopoly market structures influence competition differently (Federico, 2009). These market structures determine whether or not there are barriers to entry into any given market

Analysing media text using the approaches in textual analysis Essay

Analysing media text using the approaches in textual analysis - Essay Example The analysis will focus on the image, the multimodal text and the message it conveys to its readers. In order to more critically understand the image presented on the cover, a brief background on the model is necessary. Miley Cyrus is a former child star on Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana, a character idolized by young girls because of her talent and wholesome personality. Parents were pleased that their children had a good role model in Hannah Montana that they encouraged them to emulate her, patronized her shows and bought her merchandize. However, as Cyrus grew older, she was captured by media in compromising situations that tainted her good reputation as a wholesome character (EOnline, 2013). Her controversial shift in image by exhibiting raunchy acts in public disappointed parents but were helpless in the fact that she was old enough to do what she wants. In March, 2013, she was featured on the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine (see appended image) with short, blond hair wea ring a white outfit with an open jacket showing more than her cleavage. Her image stands out from a plain pink background as the most salient element. Pink is usually associated with softness and femininity, which may not suit Miley’s personality, however, Machin (2007) suggests that flat colours connote simplicity, emotions and modernity. Such a background contributes to the salience of the various elements in the cover. As is common in contemporary women’s magazines, the model is positioned at the center of the page with the magazine title on top and titles of articles featured in the magazine surrounding her. With the background colour of pink as base, varying hues of this colour are used in the main heading, some emphasized words in the titles and highlights of some other titles. Lirola (2006) contends that the colour of the background creates a specific context which gives cohesion in the elements. The written text, being influenced by the background colour now be comes part of the visual. Pink is usually associated with young ladies, which Miley Cyrus represents. Lirola also suggests that the colour pink is used to attract the readers’ attention. Since majority of Cosmopolitan readers are females, the colour encourages interaction with them. The close coordination of colours of the titles, the model’s clothes and other objects in the cover page produces an impression of high stylization and a connotation of modern fashionability (Machin & Thornborrow, 2003) which Cosmopolitan is known for. The image of Miley Cyrus is a metaphor in itself. Wearing a white outfit which connotes purity and wholesomeness, she wears nothing inside so a large part of her breasts are showing. Her shoulders are hunched, and her hands grip at the inner ends of her jacket, a tensed pose indicating discomfort in what she is wearing and wants to break free. Metaphorically, she wants to release herself from the pure mould that the Hannah Montana character h as created for her and unleash her new image of maturity and sensuality. This is complemented by her facial expression which is neutral, neither smiling nor frowning but her eyes look deeply into the readers’ as if letting them know she is serious in what she wants. Goffman (1979) identified the model’s gaze to be important and suggested that women are usually sights to be gazed upon by others in the image. However, when the model herself gazes into the

Organization Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Organization Theory - Essay Example Therefore the role of the leader is to find a compromise between all of his employees to perform the organization objectives. "The resource base view of the firm infers that firms create competitive advantage by implementing unique combinations of resources and business practices that are difficult (or impossible) for competitors to imitate" from this viewpoint, Human resource practices are key components of overall firm strategy. In fact, the success of some well-known firms has been attributed to their HR practices as a competitive advantage (e.g. Southwest Airlines and SAS" (Porter 1990). This paper addresses three important themes addressed in three chapters in the course focusing on Tesco as the case study institution. In the first part of the paper, an overview of the institution under analysis is presented. Part two of the paper presents the strength weaknesses opportunities and threats of TESCO. The part of the paper, evaluate the motivational strategies of Tesco, in relation to chapter ten of the study. Part four focuses on corporate social responsibilities of Tesco, while the last section focuses on Tesco decision making. Founded by Jack Cohen in 1919, Tesco Plc has come a long way and has established itself as the largest super store in Europe. At the turn of the century, Tesco became very proactive in coming up to the requirements of the new ear and tesco.com was launched, followed by aggressive entry into international markets like Malaysia, Japan & Turkey, China & the US. Today, the international operations of Tesco yield more profit as compared to the profits in the Europe market. More than half of Tesco's selling space is in markets outside Europe. The Tesco Plc website states "shareholders. Today the Group operates in 12 markets outside the UK, in Europe, Asia and North America. Over 160,000 employees work in our international businesses, serving over 28 million customers and generating 13.8 billion sales and over 700 million profit." Tesco denotes its success to an aggressive global strategy of geographic diversification. In its attempt to renew the brand and keep it in sync with changing customer tastes and keeping up the growth figures in future, Tesco follows various strategies including international diversification, providing value to customers, product diversification, innovation, and umbrella branding 1.2 SWOT Analysis of Tesco 1.2.1 Strengths Premium location, centre of primary target market catchments. High exposure to foot and vehicular traffic. Better value in the form of lower prices Fresher Merchandise Unique service offering to this market and highly recognized in UK. High level of qualified resources and their professional capabilities to