Get help from the best in academic writing.

Change Analysis in Bawarchi essay help

The setting is of a joint Indian family with people of 3 generations living together. Their value systems have changed over the three generations. The head of the family is Shivnath Sharma. He is a retired post master and has a box of family treasures of jewellery which his sons are interested in owning. He has four sons Ramnath, Harinath, Kashinath and Bishwanath. His eldest son is Ramnath Sharma who works as head clerk. Ramnath Sharma is on the verge of retirement. His wife Rita is constantly beset with aches and pains. They have a daughter Mita who has completed B.

A and now is pursuing her interest in dance. Harinath Sharma and his wife expired in an accident. Their daughter Krishna, a liitle younger than Mita ,is a docile and obedient girl who is interested in studies and dance. Kashinath is an intellectual and he teaches in a school. His wife Shobhna wants to move out of this house with her husband and son. Vishwanath is a young music director. Arun Kumar is a young boy who comes to tuition Krishna in her studies. The movie begins with the domestic help running away from the house as he complains of too much work.

There is utter chaos and confusion in the house. The old man Shivnath is wailing for his morning tea. The daughter- in- laws are reluctant to do the household chores. Tussle arises among the brothers in the morning regarding the responsibilities of grocery shopping. As a result they get late to office. Ramnath is reprimanded at office and threatened to be fired. Krishna dutifully carries out the chores of everyone in the house. Each one in the house has an inward looking approach to life. They are concerned only of their own work and pleasure.

No one wants to take accountability for anyone else. Mita leads a carefree life enjoying parties and dance. Vishwanath is busy with his music. He cooks some bread and eggs in his room. Kashinath and his wife are interested in the gold jewellery and the greed is holding them back in the house. Each one in the house eyes the other with suspicion and distrust. Rita and Shobhna keep passing on the buck from each other. The old man is complaining over the changing values over generations – the changing relationships where the old are no longer treated with respect.

They also do not acknowledge anyone else s difficulty or pain. Krishna who is the only soul who thinks of others has to sacrifice her own interests. There is an atmosphere of tension and a cloud of ill feeling hangs over the house. At this point Raghu, the new cook enters the movie. Raghu is a multi talented and jovial character. A suspicion in the family’s minds arises because Raghu is highly skilled and he agrees to work for a low wage. Raghu’s culinary skills win the family’s hearts’. He brings about change in the family’s attitude by small activities like eating and drinking together.

Raghu teaches them the important values of respecting each other and thoughtfulness by story-telling and indirect references in an unassuming way. Raghu wins the confidence of the family members by taking interest in each of their lives. Raghu makes Ramnath happy by providing him with his evening drinks and snacks. Raghu interacts with each member in the language they could relate to. With Kashinath who is a knowledgeable individual he uses his parlance of literature. ”It is so simple to be happy but so difficult to be simple” – Raghu tells Kashinath. He respects everyone irrespective of their position in the house.

Krishna who was never acknowledged by anyone except her grandfather finds a friend. The old man Shivnath Singh is taken care of and Raghu revives his self confidence. Raghu assists Vishwanath by composing a tune for him. In all these points of interaction with the family members he aims at bringing them together by praising Vishwanath in front of his father, by telling Shivnath that his daughter- in- law has instructed him to take him to take good care of Shivnath. He rekindles the faith and love among the brothers Ramnath and Kashinath by reminding them of their old times during childhood.

After Raghu’s entry, Ramnath reaches office in time. He is offered an extension and a hike. He no longer consumes alcohol at home which was a reason of contention among the brothers. Rita and Shobhna develop a bond. Mita who was pre occupied with herself realizes the importance of humility and relationships. Krishna who was considered as a doormat by all ,gains importance when she wins the dance competition after being trained by Raghu. The house is transformed to a happy and peaceful place where all the members are thoughtful of each other.

All their individual aspirations are inter twined in one common thread now. As I analyze the change of a household with eight adults, some facets of this change emerge. Change involving individuals is a complex process. It cannot be attained by mere procedures and processes. A solid crafting strategy must be in place to realise the change. The pre requisite for change is a vision for change. Raghu had a picture in mind of what he wanted to achieve in the family. He wanted to recreate the magic of bonding and love among the members in the family.

To realize the change a leader is essential. There needs to be somebody to spearhead the change at all levels. Raghu consistently worked at achieving his goal. Each member of the family is aware of the good and the bad but is not able to put pieces together to understand the big picture. Krishna was also wanted the same dream as Raghu but could not initiate and manage the process of change. For change to be happen, it should be relevant for all. If the change does not lead to any significant effect for all members, members will not be included in the process.

In Shanti Niwas basic needs of each member were not being met. Shivnath would not get food on time. His sons got late to office because of this. Krishna could not pursue her dream of dance because nobody gave her importance. Raghu made the change pertinent for all. Change can be effective if all members are involved. The leader must win people over by showing them a dream. Raghu did nothing more than just reminding Ramnath and Kashinath of their childhood memories. He inspired Mita to change by showing her the importance of humility. Only a good human being can become a great artist” – Raghu told her. Incremental efforts can lead to dramatic change. Raghu aimed at bringing about small changes in their attitude. By bringing about small actions like eating and drinking together he achieved a greater purpose in family bonding. The communication strategy for all members concerned might not be same. It has to be aligned to each individual’s interests and level of maturity. He tackled change in Kashinath through knowledge and attracted Vishwanath through music. Also all talk and no action motivates none. Raghu lead by example.

By doing more than what Raghu was paid for, he communicated the virtues of thoughtfulness. Sometimes change in one aspect may have a rippling effect on another aspect. Raghu ‘s efficiency at household chores helped Ramnath reach office in time. The congenial atmosphere at home helped Ramnath work productively in office . As a result he got an extension and a hike. Raghu had not intended such a change but it had greater effects. According to me, human emotions and relationships are one of the most complex phenomenon. I have enjoyed the analysis of change in the relationships in the movie.

Bodybuilders college application essay help online: college application essay help online

Beginning the documentary, each teenager discusses their motives for beginning their journey to bodybuilding. Their stories contain personal information that draws the audience in, and soft, sad music is played in the background. This strategy is appealing to pathos, allowing those watching to feel sympathy with the teens and to create the feeling of familiarity towards the three main characters. As the video progresses, scenes show the daily routines of the teenagers in their quest for “perfect” bodies.

Seventeen year old, Danny, explains his diet of strictly fish and rice cakes and the set times of the day he has to eat. He also mentions his lack of weekend fun that normal teenagers take part in because of his life dedication. Once again, the audience is forced to feel sympathy because of this boy’s abnormal lifestyle. Danny’s mom is interviewed and she talks about Danny’s past. She holds a picture of him and cries while she states that he was given an opportunity to play Rugby professionally, but turned it down to be a bodybuilder.

This singled out situation expresses the pain and separation that bodybuilding can cause a family. Many explicit scenes are emphasized in the video, such as the drinking of dry wine to dehydrate oneself and passing out and having to go to the hospital. These scenes are hard for an audience to watch causing hard feelings. Once again, the fact that bodybuilding is dangerous is proven through the evidence of the documentary. More facts about the effects of bodybuilding are stated through the video.

These effects include: infertility, stunted growth, stroke from dehydration, and heart problems. A portion of the documentary is singled out for facts in order to accentuate the dangers of the bodybuilding conduct and its effects on those who take part in them. An article by Deborah (Phd) states that early bodybuilding can cause early development of the Estes 2 epiphysis(When Bodybuilding and Steriods Go Too Far, pg 1). These facts conclude and summarize the big picture of the documentary by defining a clear argument being presented.

The documentary, Baby Faced Bodybuilders, is presented in an effective manner to educate and appeal to the audiende about the problems of bodybuilding. Through the use of pathos, facts, and personal interviews, the strong argument is clearly exposed and leaves a lasting effect on viewers of all ages. Bodybuilding is an increasing, yet, ignored issue in, not only the United States, but surrounding nations as well. This documentary provides the perfect combination of content to inform and encourage others to take action towards stopping the conflict.

Anger and Its Unpleasant Effects admission college essay help: admission college essay help

Though anger a natural feeling experienced by all human, the effects are always unpleasant. Most people think when you expressing anger you will express it in a normal way and think it doesn’t affect people around you. Whenever you ask a friend, spouse, or your made, you will be probably surprised to learn how they think about your anger expression. Anger doesn’t just affect just you, most of the time it affects a lot of people around you. It’s really good if you can control your anger which is called anger management.

That’s a good ability to have because you won’t affect people around you. You even will not affect yourself; sometimes anger can lead to suicide. Depression is also an effect and cause of anger. Anger happens to most teenagers and young adults and that’s because when they grow up they will develop confusion which leads to depression and anger. That will change ones they get older and learn more about it. Some effects of anger are high blood pressure, severe headache, and migraine.

I found out on my research that some physical effects can give you a stroke, obesity, and severe cold. It’s also been proofed that people eat more when they cause anger. Medical experts found that anger reduces the capacity of the heart to pump blood. That’s a reason why people get a heart attack because they get extremely angry. You can live way more healthy if you can control you anger. It can also affect your skin, just like skin acne. If you have problems with anger, that might be a reason why you breaking out so much.

That’s why people get looked aged soon. They will get wrinkles way easier and sooner than most others that don’t have so many anger problems. Anger is serious and shouldn’t be taking like nothing happened. If you got anger always then the hormone level will increase and that won’t be too healthy for your body. And that will re-act all organs in your body. That’s a reason why people try to control anger. It will affect some blood vessels and also can cause indigestion.

That is the reason why everyone wants to get help and wants to manage anger with techniques developed by experts. Everybody is affected by anger nowadays and it always been like that. If you have a way to control your anger, you are one of the lucky ones. Not a lot of people know or learn by their self how to control anger. If you need help to control your anger, you can buy a book and learn more about it and that can help you to control it better and if you can’t do so. You can go see an expert and they can probably help you out the most.

Fire rice supplement essay help: rice supplement essay help

Upon these findings, the furniture company made a claim to their insurance company for demand of lost profits. In doing so, the furniture company submitted a profit calculation, or the GPF, of the burned inventory. Determining Factors Because there were no sales receipts and the prices were unknown, the furniture company used 253 random invoices pulled from the 3005 total invoices from 1991 to calculate the average GPF.

These invoices were then separated into 2 groups. One consisting of 134 samples and the other one had 119 samples. The GPF calculated for the 134 group was 50. 5%. The 119 group GPF was 51. 0%. The average GPF for the two was 50. 8%. Because the average GPF for this type of business is typically 48%, the insurance company contested this while the furniture company maintained that the samples were completely random. To put this in terms we can all understand, we must know that 1% is equal to $16,000.

In essence, the furniture company is claiming a loss of $812,800 while the insurance company thinks the maximum value of this case is $768,000. The difference being $44,800 in favor of the furniture company. Because of this dispute, a lawsuit was filed. During the discovery phase of the lawsuit, when both side submit all of the information they have to each other, the insurance company hired an independent CPA firm to calculate the GPF. Although we did not get those results, we had enough information given to us to determine if the furniture company had committed some type of fraud.

Assignment Our assignment for this project is to determine if there was fraudulent activity on the part of the furniture company. To determine fraud, we had to find the probability that a standard normal random variable exceeded the GPF samples

Tata Motors Crm free essay help online: free essay help online

Benefits n n Objectives n Rationalize business processes across all manufacturing units n Improve efficiency by reduction in effort-duplication n Reduction in operational costs n Reach and respond to the customer rapidly Enterprise integration Financial benefits of reducing inventories n Better control of receivables n Significant reduction in time taken for financial consolidation n A single unified database Existing Environment Database : Oracle Hardware : Pre-dominantly IBM with a smattering of HP and Sun Operating System : Unix

Tata Motors Limited, India’s largest automobile company, is the leader by far in commercial vehicles in each segment, and the second largest in the passenger vehicles market with winning products in the compact, mid-size car and utility vehicle segments. The company is the world’s fifth largest medium and heavy commercial vehicle manufacturer. Established in 1945, Tata Motors’ presence indeed cuts across the length and breadth of India. Close to 4 million Tata vehicles ply on Indian roads, since the first rolled out in 1954.

The company’s manufacturing base is spread across Jamshedpur, Pune and Lucknow, supported by a nation-wide dealership, sales, services and spare parts network comprising over 2,000 touch points. Their annual turnover last year was Rs. 27,000 crores. The company’s 24,000 employees are guided by the vision to be best in the manner in which they operate, best in the products they deliver, and best in their value system and ethics. They became the first company from India’s engineering sector to be listed in the New York Stock Exchange in September 2004.

They have several international collaborations and acquisitions including Daewoo of Korea and MarcoPolo of Brazil. Tata Motors and the Fiat Group have recently signed a Memorandum Of Understanding to establish an industrial joint venture in India to manufacture passenger vehicles, engines and transmissions for overseas markets. “SAP has a clear superiority in the market. It has a large presence and good support, so we chose the SAP ERP Solution for our company. The results have definitely exceeded our expectations,” Says Probir Mitra, CIO, Tata Motors.

Before implementing the SAP ERP Solution, there were several homegrown applications that managed all of the company’s IT requirements. Since they were developed over long periods of time, they were on multiple platforms and hence difficult to merge. The biggest drawback of the legacy applications was that they were function and location specific and were built on local and individual perception of needs. Common and rationalized processes and practices across all organizational units were not enforced.

Therefore, managing functions like HR, sales and finance across three manufacturing units spread across the country and their corporate office was tedious and time-consuming. Integrated functions like materials management and payment processing were separate entities, causing delays in individual transactions. This led to unnecessary increase in overhead costs and duplicated efforts at each unit. Tata Motors soon understood that the need of the hour was a unified real time database that gave up-to-date information to all their stakeholders – both internal and external.

They had to move from their legacy decentralized platforms into a consolidated enterprise platform and rationalize the business processes across the various units. This would give them an enterprise perspective both across process and IT infrastructure. The company could then serve their customers much better and faster, even while reducing operational costs and cutting manufacturing cycle times. They decided to go in for the SAP ERP Solution, which provided them all the answers and much more. The SAP Solution would enable them to improve business continuity by unifying the database and functions across the country into one single entity.

It would no longer require any location-specific expertise and thus be much easier to maintain. With the SAP solution, customization and upgradation costs could be lowered. Risks, which emanate from attrition or change of guard in the company, would also be minimized. Implementation of the SAP ERP Solution. Tata Motors outsources their IT to Tata Technologies, which is their 100% subsidiary company. So Tata Technologies became their implementation partner. SAP India also organized some consulting for them, which had consultants from both India and abroad.

In 1997, when the seed of implementation was sown, the WAN infrastructure in India did not permit a single server implementation. Hence a distributed server implementation was done in stages over a period of two years between 1998 and 2000. The version used was 3. 1H. In August 2003, they moved over from SAP 3. 1H to SAP 4. 6C on a single server platform. There are 3500 users across the country. Once SAP was implemented, rationalization of several processes was done extensively. Various business processes like materials, finance, logistics, etc. were stripped down to their asic components and a lot of re-engineering had to be done, as all these processes became location-independent. Tata Motors also opted for the standard cost functionality, which was a significant business process change for them. Benefits prices we offer, etc. very easily. It brought a synergy in purchasing by strategically sourcing critical components for the entire organization. This resulted in strategic partnering with vendors with volume discounts,” says Mitra. “With the Company being listed in the New York stock exchange, SOX compliance becomes mandatory.

Without SAP, SOX compliance would have been extremely difficult with the large and fragmented spread of legacy application. ” adds Probir Mitra. With the SAP ERP Solution in place, Tata Motors has experienced significant benefits in productivity and cost control. The number of servers as well as the number of different applications run on them has been greatly reduced. The disaster recovery management is being done only for one entity rather than for every application. Non-value-add activities have been lowered. The implementation of a single SAP instance forced a much required change in the organization.

A BPR to achieve uniform processes with business users talking the same language was the outcome. There is a significant reduction in inventories and better control over receivables and other credit control. A shared services platform has also been created for IT and shared financial services. Currently, they are exploring the possibility of a shared services platform for HR too. There has been a reduction of almost 2 weeks time in financial consolidation. The statutory compliance of quarterly closing of books and audit has been very largely facilitated by SAP. Compliance has thus now become more structured and easier to manage.

The speed and granularity of cost data availability is a big improvement. The richness of analytical data using BW has provided enormous benefits. SAP® SRM has provided a seamless integration with vendors. The biggest benefit has been the large unified database for the entire enterprise. “Now anyone across the enterprise can just look in and find out what customers we have, who are our suppliers and vendors, what SAP Solution has helped Tata Motors serve their customers better and meet all their needs. Since information is now on a real-time mode, they are able to quickly respond to their customers, vendors and suppliers demands. Previously, we had to pick up data from four different locations and then consolidate them before you could update your customer. Now, we have up-to-date information about the customer right up to his last transaction,” says Mitra. Future Plans Tata Motors is now a satisfied customer of SAP – they have the largest deployment of the SAP Solution in the automotive industry, considering the spread of functionalities they use. They are keeping abreast of all the new developments and ensure that the applications they run commiserates with the SAP enhancements.

They would definitely choose SAP for their future plans too. “Our experience with SAP has been very good. We are consistently looking to add new functionalities to our existing suite of coverage,” says Mitra. Tata Motors has been able to achieve enterprise integration, a high productivity gain and also build a stronger, enduring relationship with its customers, thanks to the SAP ERP implementation. Thus, the company has not only retained its leadership in India but has also been able to enlarge its footprint in the global automotive industry. www. sap. com/contactsap

Maria Chavez custom essay help: custom essay help

How does the Balanced Scorecard approach differ from other approaches to performance measurement? The Balanced Scorecard is different from other financial performance tools because it provides a map of a business’s strategic objectives in terms of performance metrics in four different perspectives looking forward. The Balanced Scorecard maps the business’s strategic goals in terms of financial, internal processes, customers, and learning and growth. Other performance measures provide information from past performance and are not suited for helping implement future strategic plans or predicting future performance.

The Balanced Scorecard approach also factors in intangible assets such as customer loyalty and skilled staff. 2. What, if anything, distinguishes the Balanced Scorecard approach from a “measure everything, and you might get what you want” philosophy? With the Balanced Scorecard approach, in utilizing the four different perspectives instead of a “measure everything, and you might get what you want approach”, the different perspectives provide relevant information and feedback on how well a company’s strategic plan is working; this than allows for easier adjustments to be made in the future.

The Balanced Scorecard integrates a business’s strategy with a limited number of metrics which in turn avoids information overload and lays out a chain and effect relationship. 3. Develop the Balanced Scorecard for the Norwalk Pharmaceutical Division of Chadwick, Inc. CHADWICK, INC. Strategic ObjectivesPerformance MeasuresInitiatives Financial•Increase Revenue •Lower Costs •Increase Shareholder Value•Revenue •Operating Costs •Increase Shareholder Valuen Analysis

Human Resource Interview: Kaiser-Permanente college admission essay help houston tx: college admission essay help houston tx

Lavender, human resource manager, Kaiser Permanente Healthcare Systems, August 16, 2010) She mentioned that she had worked for Kaiser Permanente for nearly eleven years, and that she really liked her job. I told Katherine that I was pursuing an on line degree, and that my present class was Human resource management, and that this weeks assignment entailed asking someone in human resource management two questions; 1. )What type of job evaluation system is used at your place of employment, and 2. ) Who conducts the evaluation? In answer to the first question, she told me that it really depends on which department you work for.

I ask her, what if I were a doctor? She said if you are a doctor, dentist or nurse practitioner, your job performance evaluation would be done by another doctor who also works as a physicians manager, along with two administrators. She stated that their (doctors, dentist, and nurse practitioners) evaluations involve well defined written performance standards; an evaluation tool, and the opportunity for review and feedback, and that the type that worked best for them was called an Open- ended self-evaluation, which involved giving them a yearly list of self evaluation questions.

She was kind enough to email me the questions used in last years evaluation to better understand how the process works. Here are the questions; Who are your customers? a. ) In the context of your role at this health center, what people would you define as your “customers”? How do you relate to them day to day? Do you relate to them differently over a longer period of time? b. ) How did you address your customers needs in the past year? How will they change in the coming year? Self Evaluation Areas Professional Development What activities have you undertaken for professional growth in the past year?

Please list any organized seminars or self-study programs. Did you make other efforts to learn new skills or try new approaches to patient care? Were these activities in response to an assessment of what you needed, or were they just topics that interested you? 2. )Colleague Relations a. ) How do you get along with the staff in your department? Do people do what you expect? Do their exceptions of you seem reasonable? If you can, please provide specific examples. b. ) How do you get along with other colleagues in other departments, throughout the hospital?

How much contact do you have with the various departments within our health care system? Again, specific examples may be helpful to focus your reply. Participation In Practice Goals And Operational Improvements Over the past year, we have tried to address a number of operational and quality issues at this health center. What has your participation been in this process? Did you receive input directly, or through another? Were their people or resources that you thought would be helpful but couldn’t access? Do you feel there were other ways that you could have participated in this process?

Other Professional Activities what are your professional activities outside the health center? Have you gained skills or knowledge through outside activities that help you with your job here? How about hobbies or professional pursuits? 4. )Barriers Are there barriers within your practice or health system as a whole, that complicate your work in any of the areas above? What would you be able to do if these barriers were not present? Goals And Needs 1. )Goals a. ) Please think of at least three goals you would like to set for yourself for the next year.

These should be relevant to your performance or job development. Ideally, they should be measurable and require some effort (“stretch”) on your part to achieve. b. ) Please think of at least three goals for this practice or the health system for the coming year. Again, they should be relevant and measurable. Needs a. ) What do you need from this practice and from the healthcare system? What could be done to help you better achieve the goals you mentioned above, as well as do your job better? b. )What can I do as your manager to help you perform your job and accomplish the goals you set?

The email also mentioned that the physicians-NP teams also received checklist evaluations to complete about each other. They are asked to complete the assessments confidentially and objectively and return them within two weeks. Conclusion This particular evaluation process seems rather involved and a little scary, particularly when your fellow team members assess you confidentially. Hopefully they will really be objective in their assessment. I think the other aspects concerning goals and training are what you would hope for and expect from healthcare professionals who often hold patients lives in their hands.

History of Sox college essay help: college essay help

The objective of the eleven titles of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act is to ensure that auditors remain independent; corporations and auditors are accountable to the public for the numbers they publish; an independent body governs financial reporting processes; sufficient measures are in place to deter fraudulent activity; financial activities are transparent enough to allow fraud detection to occur; and if fraud is detected, someone is held responsible. Public Company Accounting Oversights Board Section 101 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act establishes the Public Company Accounting Oversights Board (PCAOB).

The Board consists of five financially-literate members that are appointed for five-year terms. Three of these members must not be a CPA currently nor have been one in the past. The other two members must be, previously or currently, a certified public accountant. The main focus of this Board is (1) to register along with discipline accounting firms that prepare audit reports on companies that are public; (2) conduct inspections and/or investigations of registered accounting firms that audit public companies; and (3) establish audit and accounting standards.

Auditor Independence Sections 201, 203 and 204 outline the responsibilities of the accounting firms. These responsibilities include prohibiting any public accounting firm from providing any services that do not have to do with auditing while they are auditing that firm; making sure the reviewing partner and lead auditor rotate off of the audit every 5 years; and confirming that auditors report all critical accounting policies and practices to the firm’s audit committee. Corporate Responsibility

Section 301 of SOX requires a formation of an audit committee that is independent and competent. It is required that each member of this committee be a member of the Board of Directors of the firm and be “independent”. The term “independent” is defined as “not receiving, other than for service on the board, any consulting, advisory, or other compensatory fee from the issuer, and as not being an affiliated person of the issuer, or any subsidiary thereof. ” Enhanced Financial Disclosures

Title IV’s Section 404 is often considered one of the most significant aspects of SOX along with one of the most costly provisions to implement. While Title IV regulates some of the accounting practices such as off-balance sheet transactions and personal loans to executives, Section 404 makes it mandatory for auditors to submit an annual management report. This gauges the efficacy of a company’s internal controls. There is also a second report that is mandatory that is required from management and auditors that assesses these controls. Analyst Conflicts of Interest

The fifth title of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act reviews the possible conflicts of interest that may face securities analysts when they interact with publicly traded companies. This section contains rules specifically designated to “foster greater public confidence in securities research, and to protect the objectivity and independence of securities analysts”. Commission Resources and Authority Through Title VI of SOX the appropriation funds for the SEC are increased. This allows a hiring increase as it gives the SEC the authority to censure advisors and stock brokers or deny them to practice.

Section 603 also gives the courts the authority to prohibit the offering of penny stocks. Studies and Reports Title VII is regarding various studies to be done by the Government Accountability Office. These are described in Section 701: GAO Study and Report Regarding Consolidation of Public Accounting Firms; Section 702: Commission study and report regarding credit rating agencies; Section 703: Study and report on violators and violations; Section 704: Study of Enforcement Actions; and Section 705: Study of Investment Banks. Corporate and Criminal Fraud Accountability

The Declaration of Independence essay help: essay help

Apolonio E. Munoz III The Declaration of Independence, and The Constitution LA City College M-Th 7:15 PM 06/18/2009 1)Identify three goals of the Declaration of Independence. Hint: the answer is not just life and the pursuit of happiness. The Declaration of Independence Primarily was drafted by the founding fathers as a formal declaration to the Colonies as well as the British Monarchy that they were absolving, and becoming Free & Independent States.

The Declaration of Independence also outlines the many injustices that the King of Great Britain had been doing such ad cutting off trade to other parts of the world, obstructing the administration of justice, forcing the colonies to quarter the King’s Armies, and imposing taxes on the Colonies without consent. The Declaration of Independence then goes on to state that the Colonies have the full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract Alliances, establish commerce, ad do all that an independent state would do. )Read the definition of democracy below and apply it to the Constitution. Then, try to find any undemocratic element in the Constitution. Honestly I don’t see any elements to the Constitution in how it can be undemocratic, since each section is designed to uphold the principles of democracy. For example it sets up the government to be lead by the people for the people, by allowing the majority to rule over the sovereignty, at the same time protecting the minorities’ best interests. 3)What are the underlying ideals of the Preamble in the Constitution?

The underlying ideals of the Preamble are to create a just government, ensure peace by providing adequate defense which result in a healthy, free nation. 4)How well have we lived up to the ideals stated in the Preamble? Thus far the people of our great nation have been living up to these ideals, as they are ideals that the people created for a government that not only is lead by but also leads the people. There have been politicians in Congress as well as the president that don’t act in accordance to the will of the people, however I feel as a whole the government is run in accordance to the will of the people. )What are the powers and rights granted in the Constitution to the President, Congress, and the Judiciary? The Powers & Rights of Congress are to be direct representation of the people as being divided into the two houses (Senate & House of Representatives), which work not alone, but together (as a sort of watchdog). Congress is responsible for creating policies that affect the people, but always act in accordance with the people best interest. In doing so Congress can pass laws which are approved by the President, and if a bill is vetoed can then be passes into law if both houses have a 2/3’s majority vote, each.

Congress also has the power to set taxes and tariffs, regulate commerce with foreign nations, create money and regulate its value, promote the progress of sciences and the arts, declare war, and create and support a military. The Powers & Rights of the President are to be the Commander & Chief of the US Military, grant reprieves and pardons; and with the advice and consent of congress create Treaties with other countries, appoint Ambassadors, Department Heads, Supreme Court Justices, and fill vacancies in the Senate which expire at the close of the session.

The Powers & Rights of the Supreme Court are to decide on all arguments pertaining to interpretations of the US Constitution, lawsuits pertaining to Ambassadors, public ministers, consuls, or where a state is a party in the Case. The Supreme Court also is an appellate court for Federal Cases that have exhausted all other means, and are approved for review by a min of 4 of the Supreme Court Justices. 6)Some people argue that under the Constitution Indians were eliminated, blacks were subjugated and women were denied enfranchisement.

Therefore, the Constitution is a national shame. Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not? I don’t agree as when the Constitution was written, the country was in another time, and frame of mind, where these classes of people were considered less than, and the White Males where the only supreme class, but over time this has changed, as the country began to grow, and find its self so to speak; where all citizens where to be treated, and protected as equals under the law.

I believe the founding fathers would be very pleased to what the country has become, as a country founded by immigrants, and country that is diverse, and protects all walks of life with dignity and respect 7)Discuss three constitutional issues currently being debated. You have to be specific, for example, current Vice-President Cheney argues that he is not part of the Executive Branch and he is part of the legislative branch because he is the President of the US Senate according to the Constitution.

Three big issues that are being debated amongst the people and are being challenged at the Federal Level are: Gay Rights (DOMA, DADT), Immigration Reform, and Health Care Reform. As for Gay Rights the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and the Defense Dept’s Don’t Ask, Don Tell Policy (DADT) are being blasted across the headlines as groups from both sides of the issues fight that there cause is just.

DOMA is being challenged as a direct violation of the Constitution, by creating a separate class of citizens, something that the Country has been striving not to do in its history, by granting full protection under the law to all citizens. The groups for the cause are stating that a civil union can be granted if the state choices, however many are even against that, and only the Union of two consenting adults of opposite sexes can legally file and be approved for marriage.

Whereas the LGBT Community is fighting for full protection under the lax and the ability to marry the person of their choosing, and that by saying that a Civil Union is not acceptable, as in many cases it does not receive the same rights and protection as those whom marry. This however is not a issue of faith, as many believe, cause not every marriage is performed in a Church, and the only requirement is that the Marriage be performed by a public official.

For example the State of California is torn, over this issue as there are not one, not two, but three classes of citizens in the regards. Those whom are Married Opposite Couples (full rights & protection at the Federal & State Level) Married Same-Sex Couples (full rights & protection at the State Level Only, not recognized at the Federal Level), and Civil Union Same-Sex Couples (with very little right and protection at the State Level Only, not recognized at the Federal Level).

Now, personally I don’t think is right, and is an atrocity that this has happened, and the law-makers have allowed this to happen. This is defiantly going against the direction that the country is going where all citizens are protected under the law, and for the majority of the people to call for this segregation of classes of citizens is also severely wrong. What other class of citizens will be targeted and cut from the constitution?

The DADT has recently been brought up yet again, as the US Military is discharging Service members at an alarming rate, when they are also willing to take nearly anyone, from convicted felons, people with no education, but not a member of the gay community; the most recent being the race of an Army Arabic Linguist whom was discharged for publicly coming out on National Television. The Army Discharged this person at a time where the US is engaged in not one but two wars on Arabic soil and Arabic Linguists are extremely hard to find that are willing to serve in the US Military.

As a person whom is a victim of this policy I don’t agree with the principals that are used to justify it. If a person choices to defend the Constitution, and wear the uniform of the US Military, then he or she should not be looked down upon for choosing whom they wish to spend their time off duty with. The biggest argument is that if an openly gay service member is serving that it will bring down moral amongst the ranks, where I have seen firsthand that it does not.

That by allowing a gay service member to serve however must keep his sexual orientation private, leads to him or her living a double live, and truly goes against the morals and traditions of the Military. As for Immigration Reform, there has been lots of controversy over if the US should deport all undocumented immigrates whom come to the United States of America to find a better life for themselves, and support their families. Which is the same thing that the founding father has did when the country was created.

There has been heated discussion between both side of the issue, and neither side has come to a compromise, which would be the only solution. Yes we should not simply open the borders, however if someone is willing to risk everything to come into this country, and lives a respectable life providing for his family, and not violating any other laws other than being an illegal alien, that after a certain amount of time should be allowed citizenship.

I really don’t see why this is a problem when this country was founded by immigrants. I think this is simply fueled by fear as both sides don’t understand the other, and are shocked from the cultural differences they have. As for Healthcare Reform, there has been some controversy especially in the past few months, as several groups are against each other in the quality, and affordability to healthcare to all citizens, and residents.

This is mainly being fueled by businesses that monopolize the healthcare industry, and feel if they make it affordable to all, and the quality of care the same to all that they will lose revenue. This I don’t see as a problem, yes we are in a country where there is a free market, but to market a person’s ability to sustain life is an injustice. I personally feel that the government’s role in stepping in and creating policy that will level the field for all people; which will allow all to get the same quality of care, at affordable rates.

Stasi college essay help: college essay help

The Stasi The Stasi were the primary intelligence and security agency of East Germany also known as The German Democratic Republic (GDR) during the cold war. They had a large amount of informants, agents and military trained police. They focused on espionage and political security. In its 39 years at least 1/3 of the East German population came under Stasi surveillance, arrest, detention, or torture. The East German government, with the assistance of the Soviet intelligence community, established the Stasi on February 8, 1950 to maintain communist rule in East Germany.

The soviets helped the East Germans by training the first agents, and then they let the stasi take over. The agency served the desires of the communist regime. They created a widespread network of informants who were mostly citizens who worked with stasi agents who were paid either in goods or money. They used their powers to spy on other citizens using their own connections and jobs. If any suspicious activity occurred or any anti government behavior occurred they would report it and the people who they caught would be under more surveillance or be arrested.

The Stasi maintained their own network of prisons and detention camps where they held their prisoners; there they gained a reputation for their use of brutality, blackmail and torture to get the information and to get the prisoner to cooperate. The actual agent force was very large and comprehensive, they infiltrated schools, factories and political and social organizations to find any wrong doings, and they often created massive files on people that included pictures, information and even samples of their clothes. The agency was divided into several divisions each focusing on various security tasks.

The Ministry for State Security maintained one armed force; the Feliks Dzierzynski Guard Regiment was named for the founder of the Bolshevik secret police. The force consisted of as many as 8,000 military-trained members. The FD guarded government and communist party personnel, government buildings, Soviet monuments, and military instillations. They also employed special commando and intelligence units to conduct clandestine operations. The Main Administration for Reconnaissance focused its espionage on foreign intelligence, mostly on the countries of NATO and western Germany.

Eastern Germany was a highly controlled censorship state; The Main Department for Communications Security operated an internal communications network from the East German government and between East German and Soviet authorities. The department also culled government information from public media, and conducted counterespionage measures to secure lines against tapping devices. Surveillance of foreign diplomats, foreign residents, and occasional travelers was conducted by the Main Administration for the Struggle against Suspicious Persons.

Like East German citizens, foreigners in East Germany were subject to strict censorship and Stasi arrest. The stasi had about one spy per 6. 5 citizens. Spies reported all activity that occurred in the residence or place that they were spying; they also had cameras outside the establishment and had small holes to allow them to record activity inside the establishment. Schools, universities and hospitals also were under extensive surveillance. After 1950 the stasi executions were all secret. Most of them involved utilizing a guillotine and later a shot to the neck with a pistol.

Before interrogating a suspect the agents had guidelines to follow on how to extract information from a suspect, they often asked about who the suspect contacted and what activities they did and they interrogated a suspect for a very long time until they confessed, they seemed to know whether or not the suspect was telling the truth and if they keep saying the same line over and over they were lying about what they know, however only about 7% of the suspects cooperated with the stasi and tactics such as blackmail were common in the interrogations.

There were not many revolutions against the stasi because they would have been imprisoned and tortured for their beliefs and actions regarding illegal activity toward the government, however after the stasi lost power a protest was held in front of stasi headquarters to stop the destruction of the files that they kept on all of the people they had under surveillance. The stasi infiltrated almost every aspect of GDR life. Before the fall of East Germany the stasi employed 91,000 staff members and their informer network had more than 200,000 people.

After the reunification of Germany on October, 10, 1990, the government banned the employment of people who worked for the stasi in their government and opened up the archives for anyone to access their files in 1992. There was a big argument on whether or not people should be able to access their files because of privacy issues, they felt the information would lead to poor feelings of the old stasi members and cause violence against them, and however the citizens were able to access their files after 1992.

The old headquarters of the Stasi has been converted into a Stasi museum; all parts of the old headquarters are up for display such as the surveillance rooms, the kitchen the conference room and etc. There have been many films about the Stasi such as the The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film-winning 2006 German film The Lives of Others which is about the stasi monitoring of the cultural scene of East Berlin and also the book Stasiland written by Anna Funder.

The stasi was a controversial state security force that was an effective security force and intelligence agency but in my opinion they went too far in trying to get information from its citizens and keeping order, if this were to still go on today many people wouldn’t think highly on not spying on others and listening to conversations as some countries believe in today’s world.

Saks Fifth Ave essay help site:edu: essay help site:edu

Saks Fifth Avenue Saks Fifth Avenue is a department store chain that specializes in upscale merchandise that usually caters to higher income individuals, mostly well-to-do women between the ages of 35 and 55, while at the same time, still being able to offer high-end merchandise at better prices then smaller boutique type stores. Which is the very first reason why I chose this company because it allows a college student like I enjoy luxury merchandise at a reasonable price and it also has been making changes to attract young middle- class shoppers?

SFA is near the top of the line in fashion; selling apparel, cosmetics, jewelry, and shoes from top designers such as Burberry, Chanel, and Prada, as well as Saks’ own private label merchandise. The retail specialty store, Saks Fifth Avenue, has stood as a symbol of American wealth and prestige for most of the twentieth century. The firm was founded in 1902 when Andrew Saks, a street peddler from Philadelphia, opened Saks & Company, a men’s clothing shop in Washington, D. C. Saks soon expanded his store operations to Richmond, Virginia, Indianapolis, and New York City.

For his New York store, he began providing high-end retail market by providing high quality merchandise and offering first-class service. After Saks became president after his father’s death in 1912, Saks made a promise to become the premiere specialty store for New York society. Saks buyers such the globe for unique and fashionable merchandise in order to build the store’s reputation. With the shift of New York retail uptown during the 1910s, it became apparent to Saks that for the company to continue its fashionable reputation, it needed a more prestigious address than its present location on34th Street near Herald Square.

Horace Saks agreed to merge his retail store chain with Gimbel Brothers department store, which operated stores in Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and New York. Saks’ old Herald Square store site was leased to Gimbels and combined with their existing store nearby. On September 15, 1924, Horace Saks and Bernard Gimbel opened Saks Fifth Avenue, making it the largest department store in the world at that time. As business boomed, a cousin of Horace Gimbel, Adam, became his new partner.

Soon after Horace died suddenly of septic poisoning in 1925, Adam took over. Adam Gimbel got the credit for building the store’s vision and turning it into the national chain store it is. One of Adam Gimbel’s first acts was to redecorate the flagship store in the Art Moderne style, featured at the 1925 Paris Exposition. Gimbel also broke up the department store into a series of specialty salons, to focus on his clients in a more intimate setting. He filled Saks Fifth Avenue with exclusive merchandise from Europe and the U.

S. and established small boutiques that made custom men’s shirts and ladies’ made-to-order dresses. He built the dominant fine shoe business and believed in a large stock, even in difficult economic times, so customers could have a large range of choices. He opened the company’s first Resort store in Palm Beach, Florida, becoming the first specialty store to expand nationally. Both chains prospered, with Gimbel’s and Saks & Company supplying all income levels, while Saks Fifth Avenue appealed to the well-heeled.

By 1969, the year Adam retired; there were 28 Saks Fifth Avenue stores in 16 states. By 1978 the number of stores reached 30, and in 2004 there were 63 including the off 5th outlet stores. At the beginning of the 21st century, Saks Fifth Avenue faced a number of internal and external challenges to its survival. In 1973 the U. S. British American Tobacco (B. A. T. ) offered to purchase Gimbel Bros. As the company was experiencing financial problems, it was really something to think about.

They renovated the Fifth Avenue store in 1978, closed the Gimbel chain in 1986, and planned a $300 million expansion the following year. Saks Fifth Avenue was sold in 1990 for $1. 6 billion. Bahrain-based Investcorp was an international investment group that also owned Gucci Group and Tiffany & Co. Phillip B. Miller, formerly of Neiman Marcus from 1977-83 was named CEO of Saks Fifth Avenue. The first Saks Fifth Avenue outlet store opened in Franklin Mills, Pennsylvania, in 1992. In late 1994, Saks opened four former I. Magnin stores in Beverly Hills, Carmel, San Diego and Phoenix.

In August 1995 when Saks opened in West Beverly Hills, Saks Fifth Avenue became Beverly Hills’ largest specialty store, with 260,000 combined square feet between the expanded and renovated Saks East and new Saks West, which houses all men’s categories, plus women’s special sizes. In August 1997, the company opened a new men’s store in San Francisco on Post Street, creating more women’s designer selling space in the current San Francisco location. In 1998, Saks Holdings, and Profit’s, merged, taking the company name of Saks Incorporated.

In 2000 Saks opened up Saks. com, offering in-store categories, as well as exclusive products which have really increased Saks business. Today it is known for its outstanding selling services and merchandise offerings. To receive the best of European and American designers for men and women, visit one of its 53 stores servicing customers in 25 states. I believe that Saks will only improve for the years to come because its outstanding services will only get better and so will its prices, since there new goal is to also cater to the working class.

In 2007, the shoe department of Saks got its own zip code, 10022-SHOE. The department received the new code after the United States Postal Service began selling vanity ZIP codes to businesses. The move marked the first time the Postal Service used letters in a zip code, and the first time a single floor in a building received its own code. Saks Fifth Ave currently holds an approximate of 15,000 employees. The CEO, In January 2002, Stephen I. Sadove, formerly Senior Vice President of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, joined the management team of Saks Incorporated as Vice Chairman.

Sadove is a graduate of Hamilton College and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. He currently serves on many civic boards, including Harvard Business School Club of New York, Northern Westchester Hospital Foundation, Hamilton College, A Better Chance, and Hazelden New York. Saks management skills contains of unlimited challenges and responsibilities for talented individuals with management potential, which we clearly see that Sadove has with his 25 years of experience in marketing and consumer product career.

Over the years Saks has made many changes in its management team by adding Ronald L. Frasch President and Chief Merchandising Officer Michael Brizel Executive Vice President and General Counsel Jennifer de Winter Executive Vice President of Stores Christine A. Morena Executive Vice President of Human Resources Michael Rodgers Executive Vice President of Service Operations and Chief Information Officer Kevin Wills Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Denise Incandela President, Saks Direct and Group Senior Vice President of Saks Fifth Avenue Robert T.

Free Will vs. Determinism essay help for free: essay help for free

Free Will vs. Determinism Society walks about day-by-day living their lives and never really thinking or breaking down how their day unfolds or why it plays out the way it does. Some people have said that individuals have a choice and are able to decide on where their day goes. Others on the other hand would argue this assessment and state that your day and your life as whole are all pre determined. The different is free will vs. determinism. Do you believe we live in a free will world or has everything been planed out and is determined to happen no matter what?

To start out on finding an answer to this question we must first break down the two terms and a bit about their background and what they mean to us as an individual walking around day-to-day living our lives. We will start off with the more depressing of the two, and that being determinism. Determinism is the philosophical view that everything in a person’s life including behavior, human conditioning, and previous events have already been planned out and will happen that way no matter what we do. Mostly this means that our lives essentially our out of our control.

Imagine if you will the universe unfolding from a state of very small matter and as it unfolds and expands and life is form it just continues to grow and build. Life goes on and society works the way it is built. Then over billions of years the universe contracts and everything is essentially erased or reversed. After it completes this cycle it starts it all over again recreating the events that it just created previously. Some believe that this is what is happening in our world and with our universe now.

Some also believe that this is infinite and will happen for eternity, stating that everything has already happened before and will continue to happen over and over again in the course of existence. Now you may be thinking, “I have a choice on what I do” well not according to this theory or any of the other ones in determinism. This idea is what some would put in the category of materialism. Materialism states that the only thing that truly exists is matter in a physical state, “that all things are composed of material and all phenomena are the result of material nteractions. ” (Ott) SO with this theory there is a bunch of cause and effect included. One physical thing must happen in order for the other to happen, even in your thought process. Yes, that’s right even in your brain. This states that your thoughts are all physical and chemical things happening (hormones cause emotions) to create your thoughts and what you do. Are you a robot? Next we have behaviorism. Many people have studied this idea but Skinner is probably the best known for his research on the topic.

Behaviorism falls in the category of human conditioning. It also states that we are pleasure seeking animals and that we are determined to search and find the things that give us that pleasure. This falls in the determinism section because we have no choice with this essentially. We will only go after the things that make us feel good, all the way down to even helping a homeless person with some spare change. We do this because it makes us as an individual feel good that we helped someone else in need out.

Also a lot of this has to do with when you do a good deed you are rewarded by society, given a nice pat on the back and encourages you to do that more often leading you in the direction you are going. Last but not least there is Psychoanalysis, or know to some as the Freudian psychology. Sigmund Freud is highly attached to this type of determinism and approach to life. Freud believed that we as an individual have an unconscious state of mind and a conscience. Think of it as an ice burg in the ocean. Above the water you have the tip of the iceberg, or the conscience state of mind.

It is there it is aware it is obvious and clear. Then below the water you have a massive part of the iceberg that is not visible. We cannot see it and it is hidden, in fact we choose not to explore it from fear of what it may do to us. The part below the water could be looked at as your unconscious state of mind. Freud believed that your unconscious state was leading and guiding you to do things you do with out you even realizing it. These things were memories and thoughts that you have repressed mainly as a child or due to any traumatic experience.

Freud would use psychology as a method of trying to bring these unconscious states to the surface so that a person could identify what they were doing and why it is that they were predetermined to do so. Sigmund Freud also came to the conclusion that each person holds with in them three states. These three states would be super ego, ego, and id. Ego would be our self-aware state of mind that you are conscience of. Super ego would be your moral value, and your id (translating to “it”) would be the sexually aggressive part of you.

He felt that this “id” was what really guided you to do the things you do. It is almost as if you’re super ego and your id battle each other everyday trying to tell you what to do and when to do it. Freud was an evolutionary thinker and still to this day has many followers in his system. To go in the opposite direction we have free will. Free will is the approach to life that we have choices and decisions, and we make them every day to determine what it is that we do with our day and even with our life. Out of the two this is the less depressing approach.

I personally like this approach and thought on how we live better. Free will contradicts determinism and goes the opposite direction in its logic and explanation. The followers of free will did not believe in determinism for many reason but the biggest and most important is that they believe that determinism erases responsibility for our actions. This is called indeterminism, meaning “a philosophical position that maintains that any form of determinism is incorrect because it is ultimately metaphysical”(White)

So, lets look at some of the ideas and structure of free will and some of the people who had and still do have a huge influence on the approach to how we live our lives. Aristotle was a huge part of free will; he was a Greek philosopher and a student of Plato. Also is thought that he was a teacher to Alexander The Great. Aristotle was known as a common sense philosopher, believing that most of what we do is by our choices. He also believed this choices were voluntary and involuntary as well.

He also believed that “the lives of individual human beings are invariably linked together in a social context”(White) Next we have William James an American psychologist and philosopher best known for his views on free will and philosophy as well as pragmatism. Pragmatism is the belief that what ever works, works because it is true. Basically validity of an idea lies within its practical consequences. This gives an individual free will by letting them think and make choices in an analytical sense.

Coming up with an idea or approach to a situation but then presenting another route that is just as enjoyable or likely to be taken in the situation. If a person looks at a situation and how they will approach it and the outcome seems bad in comparison to goo then they have the choice not to go down that route giving us free will. Determinism would state that you have no choice and that you will go the route you were meant to go along. I don’t know about you but I like thinking that I have choice over if I want to go a painful route or an enjoyable route. Jean-Paul Sarte was a French existentialist and philosopher.

He was famed on believing that existence precedes essences, meaning that everyday life come before the core part of what we (human) are made up of. He also stated that we are all “condemned to be free”. This meaning that we are held responsible for our own actions. There is no getting out of anything that we have chosen to do, this statement hold opposite form determinism in every way. The idea is that we are allowed to make choices but if we make the wrong choice then we must take responsibility for these choices and actions since we made them, and that life is not pre determined causing me to make them.

Some individuals may choose to not take responsibility for their actions by just choosing not to make a decision all together. This is what is called living in bad faith. Living in bad faith is the idea that an individual chooses to not take an action or choices in certain situations. This is still part of free will because you are consciously making that choice and decision to do… well… nothing. Last but not least Sartre stated, “In order to make myself recognized by the Other, I must risk my own life.

To risk one’s life, in fact, is to reveal oneself as not-bound to the objective form or to any determined existence–as not-bound to life” Both determinism and free will have their strong arguments but I guess when you really think about it that is what philosophy altogether is really about, logical arguments. It is interesting how each can present to an individual things that we have all lived or experienced in our everyday lives. When I personally break it all down to decide what I think makes more sense I cant some to a conclusion on what I think is truly going on.

Maybe I am living in bad faith and maybe that is my belief in free will, because I am able and willing to try to make a decision on which means more to me. But if determinism has its way with me then I am doomed in a sense and have no control over what one I will end up siding with. My money says that I continue to debate the two for the rest of my life. Just for my mentality sake I for the time being will side with free will. The idea of free will gives most people and me in this world faith in something, faith in the idea that they have control over their lives and can make decisions and reach things that may seem impossible.

Determinism has its cool points especially when including and involving science, in fact the logic and physical evidence that follows with determinism can be quite convincing at times, but is just to depressing of a thought at the moment. Speaking for most of the world, I am sure that me and anyone else wants to think and feel that our lives are unplanned and that what we do in them will matter not to the world but more importantly to ourselves. Free will takes my vote and I am declaring it as the winner… that is until determinism takes that from me.

Love Defined by the Little Mermaid free college essay help: free college essay help

What is the ultimate purpose of a fairytale? According to Bruno Bettelheim its purpose is to show children “that a struggle against severe difficulties in life is unavoidable, is an intrinsic part of human existence-but that if [they do] not shy away, but steadfastly [meet] unexpected and often unjust hardships, [they master] all obstacles and at the end [emerge] victorious”(8). Disney’s The Little Mermaid fulfills this purpose; children see Ariel’s struggles and because they identify with her they feel as if they struggle and triumph with her (Bettelheim, 9).

Ariel is a very likable character, she’s witty, beautiful, and children can relate to her. Some of the obstacles and struggles Ariel faces are things children face in their own lives, for example Ariel’s desire to be independent and establish herself. Although The Little Mermaid conforms to Bruno’s formula, it also teaches children other life lessons that may not be healthy or appropriate in the long run. In this case the messages sent to children concerning romance and love provide children images and behaviors that teach them true love is spontaneous, passionate, for attractive people only, and is “happily ever after”.

What is a real life definition of love? Love is a complex and profound concept that cannot be easily defined. Robert Sternberg explains love by breaking it into three different concepts known as the Triangular Theory of Love (as cited by Miller, 246-50): intimacy, passion and commitment. The Triangular Theory of Love defines intimacy as “feelings of warmth, understanding, communication, support, and sharing that often characterize loving relationships”(as cited by Miller, 247).

Passion is “physical arousal and desire…often [taking] the form of sexual longing, but [can be] any strong emotional need that is satisfied by ones partner” (as cited by Miller, 247). And last but not least commitment is defined as “the decisions to devote oneself to a relationship and work to maintain it”(as cited by Miller, 247). When these three concepts are put together in different combinations you get different types of love, eight to be specific (Miller, 249). The type of love that is shown in The Little Mermaid is infatuation, which is passion with no commitment and no intimacy.

Ariel falls in love with Eric the very moment she lays eyes on him, she knows nothing about him but believes she loves him. This example of love at first sight teaches children if you are strongly attracted to someone the first time you see them that this simple attraction, often times physical attraction signifies love. But what is it about Eric that attracts Ariel to him? Is it his dark hair, perfect smile, his dimples, his body and the fact that he is dancing? Possibly, but what also needs to be taken into account is who he is being compared to.

The other men on the ship are either old, fat, scrawny, bald, boyish looking, have teeth missing or are dressed badly. Eric is the complete opposite of them. Another aspect to look at this from is what Miller, Perlman, and Brehm refer to as the misattribution of arousal, which is in basic form misplacing or exaggerating our attraction to others (251). They explain that we can be aroused by something positive or negative, not knowing we are aroused by it and then attribute another event or person as the reason for our arousal (251-252).

Which is what happens in the movie, just minutes before seeing Eric, Ariel has an argument with her father. The argument is about her missing the concert and swimming up to the surface. The argument seems one sided because Triton does all the talking and doesn’t let Ariel explain herself. She swims off to where she keeps her collection of human things that she finds on her adventures with Flounder, her animal sidekick. She begins to sing about wanting to be human so she can experience lying on the beach, walking on two feet and feeling the warmth from a fire.

Afterwards she sees a ship passing over and swims to the surface, partly out of rebellion and partly out of curiosity. Her emotions are already aroused before she sees Eric. Furthermore, she has already made up in her mind that she wants to be human; Eric just becomes an excuse, the reason why she should become human. Ariel experiences a misplaced attraction; Eric makes her emotions make sense. The problem now is Eric has no idea she even exists. On the other side, Eric too experiences a similar form of misattributed arousal. Eric has a conversation with Grimsby about finding a wife.

Eric is obviously under a lot of pressure to settle down but he wants to find the right girl. Not to long after this conversation the ship is struck by lightening. Everyone escapes and makes it on the life- boat, but Eric swims back to the ship to save his dog Max. The ship blows up and Eric falls in the water. Ariel then saves his life by swimming him safely to shore. This is the very first time Eric sees Ariel, they have no conversation, she’s just looking into his face singing. Ariel is startled by Max and goes back in the water.

Eric realizes that she is “the one” and instantly falls in love with her. Now that Eric knows that Ariel exists all she can do is wait for him to come save her from a life under the sea. Marcia Lieberman says that “most of the heroines…are merely passive, submissive, and helpless” (388). And she goes on to say, “many of the girls are not merely passive, however; they are frequently victims and even martyrs as well”(390). Ariel doesn’t do anything after saving Eric’s life. She swims around the castle in “lala land”, daydreaming and fantasizing of her prince.

But not only does this show her passiveness, she is also portrayed as a victim. Her father doesn’t understand her; he wants her to live a life under the sea but refuses to see how unhappy she is with that life. After Triton finds out about Eric he destroys Ariel’s collection along with the statue of Eric. Ariel is then left with no other choice but to go behind her fathers back and see Ursula, the sea witch. Ursula offers Ariel the chance of a lifetime, to be with Eric, but it doesn’t come without paying a price. Ariel has to give Ursula her voice, leaving her to seduce Eric with her beauty.

This message tells children that love is based on beauty. Ursula tells Ariel that she “has [her] looks, [her] pretty face, [and not to underestimate] the importance of body language”. Basically telling her that her “beauty [is her] most valuable asset, perhaps her only valuable asset”(Lieberman, 385). Thus, indiscreetly telling her to disregard the importance of character, integrity and individuality and to focus on being beautiful. Ariel is young, has big blue eyes, red full lips. Long flowing red hair, a perfect body, she is half naked and has fair skin.

Compared to all the other characters Ariel has the most sex appeal, and being that children relate to her over all the other characters, children want to be like her. But not only does Ariel have sex appeal she has a pleasant and friendly personality. She is caring, adventurous, independent, good-tempered, and outgoing. The problem with this image is children, mainly girls “may be predisposed to imagine that there is a link between the loveable face and the lovable character, and to fear, if plain themselves, that they will also prove to be unpleasant, thus using the patterns to set up self-fulfilling prophecies”(Lieberman, 385).

Ursula for example is ugly, fat, old and has a mean personality. Children may begin to think that ugly people have “ugly” personalities and cant have true love, and pretty people have “pretty” personalities and are the only people who can experience true love. Jillian Cantor and Leta McGaffey Sharp explain it in this way, “women are won by sensitive men with chocolates and flowers, men are dazzled with beauty and wit, and life is not complete without a happy marriage and children.

This single, narrowly defined perspective leaves many people in the dust with, so it seems, little chance for romance and love. If you don’t fit into this story line, you seem to be destined to die alone-and miserable about it. “(327). Obviously this is not true to real life, but it is the message being sent to children. In real life relationships, true love is based not only on attraction, but a healthy, stable balance of commitment, trust, care, intimacy, and passion. Beauty and romance fade and if that is the only thing sustaining your love, love fades as well.

Ariel’s goal is to get Eric to kiss her. Notice Eric doesn’t have to tell her “I love you”; he has to kiss her, which is in itself very sexual. Kissing can lead to many other things, but at the same kissing can just be kissing and nothing more. But this hints that there is some sexual attraction, and sexual need associated with love, and that without a magical kiss love doesn’t exist. Eric doesn’t know Ariel’s name until they are in the boat. He is confused over if he loves her or not, if she is the girl who saved him, but he doesn’t know the girls name, he knows nothing about her.

This portrays men as shallow because he is acting strictly on beauty and not character, at least Ariel knows his name and a little about him, making women seem as if they care more about character than looks. Anyone who has grown up hearing or watching fairytales can predict the ending of The Little Mermaid. It has the ideal perfect ending for a love story and fairytale. The girl is saved by her prince charming, the villain is defeated, there is a celebration (usually a wedding) and there is a magical kiss.

Eric saves Ariel from Ursula and is in turn rewarded with Ariel’s hand in marriage. Marriage is “the fulcrum and major event”(Lieberman, 386) in this story. It is at the end, but nonetheless the major event. It is when everyone gets what they want. This is where the story ends; it shows nothing of the married life. Marcia Lieberman observes that fairytales focus more on the courtship in relationships and not married life, which she says can cause children to “develop a deep-seated desire to be courted, since marriage is literally the end of the story”(394).

Children will begin to think relationships end in happily ever after, when in real life no relationship is perfect, at some point there will be some kind of stress or strain in the relationship, weather an argument, financial difficulties or infidelity, it will happen. So if these are the messages being sent to children through The Little Mermaid, isn’t it setting them up for disappointment and failure? If children believe this is the way things should be, they will seek out those things and when they are faced with true love in real life they wont recognize it.

Or if children feel unattractive or unworthy they may not accept love when given to them because they have been conditioned to believe love is only for pretty people, not average or ugly people. This outlook on love isn’t healthy for children, or anyone for that matter. Bettelheim would argue that ” a more complex plot would confuse [children]”, but I believe this oversimplification confuses children even more. Yes love is hard to explain to children because love doesn’t happen the same for everyone, but should children be focusing on love at such a young age?

If the ultimate purpose of a fairytale is to show children they can overcome life’s obstacles, why not present them with obstacles they are facing at the moment? Like the struggle of establishing themselves as individuals by defining who they are. Those lessons are the lessons that should be taught through any fairytale, not lessons telling children that love is spontaneous, passionate, for attractive people and “happily ever after”. Works Cited Bettelheim, Bruno. The Uses of Enchantment.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

error: Content is protected !!