The Gucci Guilty Perfume Advertisement - 1079 Words

In this Gucci Guilty perfume advertisement, there are disagreements towards gender roles in advertising, implying how women and men are portrayed. Women are often shown as more feminine, compared to men who are shown as masculine. In the men’s advertisment (ad). the male is put above the female demonstrating his control and power. According to Boundless (2016), in traditional cultural context – males are the dominant gender. The direction of the model s eyes, the man looking directly into the camera, and the woman looking up at the man, can suggest the power dynamics of the genders. Dias (2016), also stated that the way that the man is looking at the camera can suggest that he has the power in the situation and the relationship (Dias,2016). The woman looking up at the man implies that she has less power than him, and that he is what matters to her (Boundless, 2016). The gaze of the female, her posture and her red lips helps to signify affection and goes to show that she is begging for love.The framework in the scene is pitch black, a colour that indicates power and mystery, relating to the control of the male. Harley (2013) stated that the contrasting masculine colour of dark blue in the male’s eyes expresses calmness, tranquillity and guilt, which combines image/text cohesion of the active abstract noun â€Å"guilty† to the facial expression of the male (Harley, 2013). Although in the women’s ad. it is the complete opposite. The male is staring at the women lustfully while theShow MoreRelatedThe Sexual Nature Of Gucci s Fragrance For Men1563 Words   |  7 Pagesshown in our culture today has increased dramatically, in our outfits and in our advertisements. We use the human body, both male and female, to sell products ranging from perfume to hamburgers. It has become more acceptable in our culture to see more rather than leave some of the body to the imagination. This is specifically seen in the magazine advertisement for Gu cci’s fragrance for men, Guilty. This advertisement targets the male audience, specifically the heterosexual male audience. I will useRead MoreStylistic Analysis of the Advertising Slogan1927 Words   |  8 PagesStylistic Analysis Of The Advertising Slogan ---------Perfume Introduction Along with the rapid development of society and economy, advertisements have penetrated into every stratum of the society, becoming the indispensable part of our daily life. Like newspapers, magazines, television, radio, films, telephone directory, art performance, the Internet, and even the human body, advertising makes use of various media to deliver information to the consumerRead MoreThe Advertisements For Gucci s Perfume And Calvin Klein1526 Words   |  7 Pageshave a perfect body shape with beautiful facial features to be considered as attractive. Nowadays, the advertisements are taking advantage of such a social norm to lure consumers to purchase their goods. The advertisements for Gucci’s perfume and Calvin Klein’s cologne are especially good examples to demonstrate such pressure and reflect the consumers’ psychological behavior. The advertisements highlight gender stereotypes through utilizing the impression of opposite sex and incorporate an underly ingRead MoreGucci Brand Management5545 Words   |  23 PagesExecutive Summary This paper examines the brand management of Gucci, as one of today’s most prominent luxury brands. Based on literature it first looks at definitions of luxury and luxury brand equity as an expression of dream value. Then it explores the identity, brand building, brand architecture, brand stretching and strategies Gucci follows in each of its segments. In the light of the latest recession, it looks at the response strategies of the brand and sheds light on the communication challengesRead MoreEssay about Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy Case6620 Words   |  27 Pagesluxury goods provider with over 1500 stores in 60 different countries employing 56,000 people all over the world. LVMH has 50 sub companies offering products in five different category lines: Wines Spirits, Fashion Leather, Watches Jewelry, Perfumes Cosmetics and Selective Retailing. â€Å"The group has nurtured the best of its brands’ unique expertise and powerful identities to become the world leader in luxury, a position it intends to maintain thanks to a strategy of sustained growthRead MoreStrategic Marketing Management337596 Words   |  1351 PagesIncluded within this are 24-hour television, satellite broadcasting, and a huge upsurge in the numbers of newspapers and ever far more finely targeted magazines. The advertising literacy then follows directly from this in that the sheer number of advertisements to which they have been exposed is higher than ever before. Brand literacy emerges from brands having been an integral part of lifestyles for as long as this generation has been alive, something that was not always the case with older consumers

The Shoe Store Incident Free Essays

This scenario provides a case for gender discrimination. Gender discrimination is illegal under Title VII (Bennett-Alexander Hartman, 2007). In addition, in this scenario I will provide the legal and ethical issues that arise in this case. We will write a custom essay sample on The Shoe Store Incident or any similar topic only for you Order Now Furthermore, this paper will explain what Bob should do in this scenario. Title VII Issues Discrimination comes in all shapes and sizes, and managers have to be careful not to cross the line and do the wrong thing. Companies do not want lawsuits for discrimination or anything else. The storeçâ€" ´ best customer, Imelda, probably did not intend to offend anyone nor did she probably know that she was discriminating against anyone. Many times discrimination is not intended. Customers generally believe they are always right and get what they want. However, in this instance the customer is very wrong. Requesting a female employee over a male employee is a form of discrimination, gender discrimination. Gender discrimination is illegal under Title VII (Bennett-Alexander Hartman, 2007). If Bob asks Tom to step aside and allow Mary to assist Imelda with her purchases, he will be Ã¥ ¦ ¬n violation of Title VII and can be held liable to the employee for gender discrimination. Customer preference is not a legitimate and protected reason to treat otherwise-qualified employees differently based on gender(Bennett-Alexander Hartman, 2007, p. 283). Legally and ethically, Manager Bob cannot swap employees Tom and Mary simply because Imelda wants it. Choice Tthe customer is promising to buy five pairs of shoes if she gets a female employee to help her. This would be a huge purchase for the store, great for the profit margin as well as a large commission for the employee. On the other hand, not providing a female employee may denote a missed sale, Imelda may leave the store. Swapping employees would cheat Tom out of his commission. This would be unethical. Tom deserves his commission; he should not be asked or told to give this up. The Shoe Store has very clear company policies. Company policy does not allow two employees to split the commission (UOPX, 2013, para. 5). As stated previously, having Tom give up his commission would not be fair. Company policy rotates employees to keep commissions as fair and equal as possible (UOPX, 2013, para. 5). Manager Bob need to explain to Imelda as nicely and calmly as possible that he is very sorry, but cannot provide her with a female employee. Bob should promise Imelda that Tom is a very nice man and that she will be in very capable hands; ensure her that Tom knows shoes and will treat her and her feet right. Bob should smile and guarantee her that she will be happy with the service she receives. Bob should apologize for the problem, explain that he contacted his regional manager to see if he could make an exception to company policy this time and was told no, and explain that the company risks a discrimination lawsuit. Finally, tell Imelda that he understands if she chooses to shop elsewhere today and apologize again. Bob should not get into an argument with the customer; it is out of the stores control. Conclusion Knowing the law is important for any manager. When questions arise that cannot be answered easily, ask for help. Title VII does not allow discrimination because of gender, meaning a man cannot be treated differently from a female and visa verse. In this case, all must be treated equally. Company policy will not allow Tom and Mary to split the commission and asking Tom to give up his commission would be illegal. Imelda will need to make her own decision whether to shop at the Shoe Store and allow Tom to assist her or leave for another store or until another day. The company must do what is right and legal. The store must treats its employees properly and do what is legal and ethical. Whereas Imelda may not be happy, the company cannot do anything that may bring a lawsuit against them. How to cite The Shoe Store Incident, Papers

The Penalty of Death free essay sample

He references that in the old days, you were sentenced and it was immediately carried out by hanging or beheading. Although he makes this statement, he also says it’s cruel to leave a prisoner waiting to die. 2) What did you learn from completing this assignment? Did you experience a new understanding of the topic? Did you change your perspective after completing the essay? I changed my perspective on this article after writing in the forum for week three. I realize now that the writer wasn’t pushing for the sentence to be carried out immediately. Instead, his intention was to help people who were sentenced to the death penalty. I was for carrying out the sentence immediately before reading his article. 3) What difficulties did you encounter during the writing or editing phases of the assignment? I enjoy reading over my writing a few times to see where I needed corrections. We will write a custom essay sample on The Penalty of Death or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In the previous assignment, I wrote about my experiences with writing. I feel that I am a decent writer. 4) What did you enjoy about this assignment? I personally enjoy editing. I do this at my job regularly. Because I am a TSgt, I am responsible for reviewing and editing all of the troop’s annual reports. We call them EPRs. If I had to, I would rather edit than write. 5) Which essay did you chose from the Classic American Arguments section in your textbook? Why did you choose it? I chose â€Å"The Penalty of Death† by H. L. Mencken. I chose this article because I had to do research on the topic in my Public Speaking class. I already had a good working knowledge with this subject. Jeremy Weaver Dr. Nellie Haddad English 102 Feb 26, 2012 9:55 pm The Penalty of Death Critical Evaluation Essay In H. L. Mencken’s The Penalty of Death, the author argues the various reasons of why people are against the death penalty. His argument to them is that it is unjust to keep an inmate on death row for years. Even though the author says the death penalty has an unjust timeframe, it cannot be carried out as quickly as he would hope for because there has to be time for appeals. During the article,  Mencken portrays his argument on the death penalty. Mencken makes quite a few good points during his argument. His usage of â€Å"katharsis† is interesting in the fact that Mencken compares it to the kid placing a tack on the teacher’s chair and then laughing about it. (Mencken 525) Why doesn’t he just come out and say that the kid was yelled at earlier in the day and this is why he placed the tack on the chair. This would make better sense since he uses this term mostly as a replacement for revenge; even though he says that revenge isn’t the right word. He also explains that â€Å"The real objection to capital punishment doesn’t lie against the actual extermination of the condemned, but against our brutal American habit of putting it off for so long. (Mencken 525) This is a solid argument. If the inmate has already been given the opportunity to appeal the conviction and has not succeeded, it is time â€Å"pull the plug. † Why should he or she have to sit and wait for many months or even years? Doing so would make anyone go crazy. We might as well ca ll death row the psyche ward. The tone that Mencken uses in his argument is more personal and opinionated; using what seems to resemble a conversation with himself. Even though he ridicules the American process of the death penalty, ironically, it seems as if he is for it.

The Term Neo-expressionism Describes The Art Movement That Dominated T

The term neo-expressionism describes the art movement that dominated the art market in the early and mid 1980's. The word "neo" refers to a revival of previous ideas or trends. Expressionism was a style from around the time of World War 1 that was highly personal, and was often executed with violent fervor. Neo-expressionism is similar, and also generally uses bright colors, recognizable objects (such as the human body) with distorted representation, great expression of emotion, and often commentary on social issues. It usually is not realistic. The common subject matter often deals with the negative aspects of life: vulgarities, violence, cynicism, and brutality. It is full of symbolism, and is considered figurative and gestural. A varied assemblage of young artists portrayed the human body in reaction and in contrast to the remote, introverted, and highly intellectualized abstract art production in the 1970's. The original goal of these artists was to depict emotional and psycholog ical concerns of themselves and their times. This is often achieved by using heavy black outlines to express anger and hostility in addition to strong contrasts of the bold colors. Other artists explored color and abstraction to express spiritual and/or mystical ideas. Other common traits presented in paintings of this style included: a rejection of traditional standards of composition and design, the use of vivid but jarringly banal color harmonies, and a simultaneously tense and playful presentation of objects in a primitivist manner that communicates a sense of inner disturbance, tension, alienation, and ambiguity. This movement was also linked to and in part generated by new and aggressive methods of salesmanship, media promotion, and marketing on the part of dealers and galleries. It was controversial both in the quality of its art products and in the highly commercialized aspects of its presentation to the art-buying public. There are several artists that dominated and accurately represented neo-expressionism. Some of these artists are Sandro Chia, Georg Baselitz, Immendorff, Francoise Arthus, David Salle, and Terry Marks. The 5 elements of art are easy to recognize in this style of art. Line is used to create the shape that represents the objects of recognizable nature in the painting. The use of Color is quite obvious. Because most colors are bold and contrasting, a lot of times there aren't a lot of variations in value. The colors used often add to the non-realistic elements of the painting. Texture isn't a big issue in neo-expressionist paintings, though. Personally, I really like this style. It's easy for me to relate to it, and to create my own paintings representative of it. I like the colors used, and the freedom to express emotion and feeling. There really are no limits to what you can do with this style. Bibliography The 20th Century Art Book. London: Phaidon Press Limited, 1996. brommer, Gerald F. Discovering Art History. 3rd Ed. Worchester, MA: Davis Publications, Inc., 1997. Neo-expressionism. [Online] Available http://www.optonline.com/comptons/ceo/26699_Q.html, April 4, 2000. Encyclopaedia Britannica | article page. [Online] Available http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/idxref/7/0,5716,583318,00.html, April 4, 2ooo. ArtsNet Minnesota: inner Worlds Vocabulary. [Online] Available http://www.artsnetmn.org/inner/iwvocab.html, April 4, 2000 Avignon et Provence ? Francoise Arthus. [Online] Available http://www.avignon-et-provence.com/avi/gb/expo/artiste/arthus/loacoon.htm, April 4, 2000. Terry Marks. [Online] Available http://www.artincontext.org/LISTINGS/IMAGES/FULL/3/P5BV6O3T.htm, April 4, 2000.

Discover the Windward and Leeward Islands

Discover the Windward and Leeward Islands The Windward Islands, the Leeward Islands, and the Leeward Antilles are part of the  Lesser Antilles  in the Caribbean Sea. These island groups include many of the most popular tourist destinations in the West Indies. This collection of islands is diverse in terrain and culture. Most are very small and the tiniest islands remain uninhabited. Among the major islands in this area, a number of them are independent countries while in some instances two islands may be governed as a single country. Quite a few remain as territories of larger countries like the United States, United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands. What Are the Windward Islands? The Windward Islands include the  southeastern islands of the Caribbean.  Theyre called the Windward Islands because they are exposed to the wind (windward) of the northeast trade winds (the northeasterlies) from the Atlantic Ocean. Within the Windward Islands is a chain that includes many of the smaller islands in this group. This is often called the Windward Chain and here they are listed from north to south. Dominica: The northernmost island,  the British government  held this territory until 1978 and considered it part of the Leeward Islands. It is now an independent country and most often thought to be in the Windward Islands.Martinique  (France)Saint Lucia  Saint Vincent and  The GrenadinesGrenada  Ã‚   Just a little farther to the east are the following islands. Barbados is more to the north, nearer  St. Lucia, while Trinidad and Tobago are to the south near the coast of Venezuela. BarbadosTrinidad and Tobago What Are the Leeward Islands? Between the islands of the Greater Antilles and those of the Windward Islands are the Leeward Islands. Mostly small islands, they are called the Leeward Islands because they are away from the wind (lee). The Virgin Islands Just off the coast of Puerto Rico are the Virgin Islands and this is the northernmost part of the Leeward Islands. The  northern set of islands are territories of the United Kingdom and the southern set are territories of the United States. Outside of the Bahamas and Jamaica, the Virgin Islands are among the most popular tourist destinations in the Caribbean.St. Croix is the largest of the Virgin Islands.Though considered part of the Lesser Antilles, from a purely geological standpoint, the Virgin Islands are actually part of the Greater Antilles. British Virgin Islands There are over 50 small islands in the British Virgin Islands territory, though only 15 are inhabited. The following are the largest islands. TortolaVirgin Gorda  AnegadaJost Van Dyke U.S. Virgin Islands Also made up of around 50 small islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands are a small unincorporated territory. These are the largest islands listed by size. St. CroixSt. ThomasSt. John   More Islands of the Leeward Islands As you might expect, there are many tiny islands in this area of the Caribbean and only the largest are inhabited.  Working south from the Virgin Islands, here are the rest of the Leeward Islands, many of which are territories of larger countries. Anguilla  (U.K.)Saint Maarten - the Netherlands controls the southern third of the island. The northern two-thirds are controlled by France and called  Saint Martin.Saint-Barthà ©lemy  (France)Saba  (the Netherlands)Sint Eustatius  (the Netherlands - in English Saint Eustatius)Saint Kitts and  NevisAntigua and Barbuda (Redonda  is an uninhabited dependent island.)Montserrat  (U.K.)Guadeloupe  (France) What Are the Leeward Antilles? To the west of the Windward Islands is a stretch of islands known as the Leeward Antilles. These are farther apart from each other than the islands of the other two groups. It  includes more of the  popular destination Caribbean islands and runs along the Venezuelan coast. From west to east, the major  islands of the Leeward Antilles include the following and, collectively, the first three are known as the ABC islands. Aruba (Netherlands)Curaà §ao  (Netherlands)Bonaire  (Netherlands)Isla de Margarita (Venezuela) Venezuela has a number of other islands within the Leeward Antilles. Many, like the Isla de Tortuga, are uninhabited.

Analysis Of The Barbie Doll Poem English Literature Essay

Analysis Of The Barbie Doll Poem English Literature Essay Since its debut in 1959, an unconceivable molded plastic statuette named Barbie has become an icon for little girls everywhere. The product line is one of the most successful in the history of the toy industry by selling over a Billion Barbie dolls worldwide throughout history in over 150 countries, with Mattel, Barbie’s inventor claiming that at least three dolls are sold every second. Barbie however has caused some controversy; many parents from around the world have argued that Barbie’s ultra-slim figure represents a ridiculous standard for a body shape and could give their child the wrong idea about what their body type should be like as they grow up. In the poem Barbie Doll, the author Marge Piercy suggests that an American Barbie Doll typically presents herself as being the â€Å"perfect† woman and this leads to people being jeered at for their appearance and expected to have a Barbie-doll-like figure. The doll is symbolic of the ways that women themselves have been made to think that’s what they should look like and what they strive for. A Barbie Doll can mislead children at a very young age and feel pressured to look and act in ways such as this unreal figure. When the word Barbie comes to mind, one usually thinks of her unrealistic body type-busty with tiny waist, thin thighs, and long legs; yet less than two percent of American women can ever hope to achieve such measurements. Who wouldn’t want to be all of that? As we grow up we realize it is all unrealistic and unachievable but as a child and young adult it can be misleading to girls around the world. Piercy uses four short stanzas to provide a sarcastic but brutal review of the cultural and societal expectations that American culture places on children, particularly young girls. The entire poem is written with a tone of depression and sadness. The young girl lives her life wishing to be someone else and apologizing about her culturally unacceptable image, which i s actually normal and healthy. In Stanza one, the speaker sets the tone of the poem by starting with a happy beginning, describing the girl playing with her new Barbie doll and how it can do everything such as pee-pee on its own and has her own mini sized appliances such as GE stoves and iron; which symbolize the duties an ideal mother is thought to perform. She wears makeup that represents confidence: â€Å"wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy† (Piercy 236). The red lipstick shows how sexuality is introduced to the child too early in life. All of these things mentioned are qualities that any girl would want to have. The doll presents an idealized image of the body. Line five is about what happens to a girl when they hit puberty; you gain weight and your features get bigger; â€Å"Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said:/you have a great big nose and fat legs† (236). â€Å"The magic of puberty† (5) may be a sarcastic way of describing the maturing of a young woman. Nobody wants to go through that and would rather stay perfect and look like a Barbie doll.

IMPACT OF VIDEO GAMES ON STUDENT GPA and STUDY HABITS Research Paper

IMPACT OF VIDEO GAMES ON STUDENT GPA and STUDY HABITS - Research Paper Example According to Diamong and Sauer (2014) video games have no effect on GPAs. Specifically Math and Reading performance remain unaffected among adolescents. On their part, Mifsud, Vella and Camilleri (2013) cited mixed outcomes on learner literacy. Blumberg et al (2013) noted the lack of findings on the effects of violent video games on GPA prevents an informed position on the issue. In light of these balanced findings, common thing is that proper instruction could control any negative impacts of video games on GPA. Blumberg, F.C., Altschuler, E.A., Almonte, D.E., & Mileaf, M.I., (2013). The Impact of Recreational Video Game Play on Childrens and Adolescents Cognition. New Directions for Child & Adolescent Development, 2013(139), 41-50. Mifsud, C.L., Vella, R., & Camilleri, L., (2013). Attitudes towards and effects of the use of video games in classroom learning with specific reference to literacy attainment. Research in Education, 90,

Human sex trafficing in united states Research Paper

Human sex trafficing in united states - Research Paper Example As the name suggest it need not involve a movement to another location , even the street prostitution or any form of sexual exploitation come under this crime. Human sex trafficking is an insult to humanity and need to be abolished for a better world. ( Thesis) According to (Polaris project,2014) â€Å"Sex trafficking occurs when people are forced or coerced into the commercial sex trade against their will.   Child sex trafficking includes any child involved in commercial sex†. The sex traffickers usually target people who have vulnerable backgrounds like poor, orphans, abused people and children. They trap their victims by false promises, threats, lies, force or control. Sex trafficking happens in brothels, hostess clubs, online escorts services, strip clubs and in street prostitution. Since the money involved in this trade is high the victim indulges in it for benefits. The human sex trafficking need to be fought from the root and this is not an easy task. Many women from third world countries are pushed in to sex trade daily from which they cannot escape. Human trafficking is a challenge for government authorities nowadays and it not an easy task to stop it as the activity has assimilated in to the society in a complex way Human trafficking is a result of weakness and helplessness rather than a voluntary activity. Human sex trafficking is an evil that has many reasons .One of it is poverty and can be seen that many victims of human sex trafficking are poor people. People living in extreme poverty are given hopes of well paid jobs and are trapped in to this commercial trade. The person making the promises is a trafficker which the victim is not aware of. They are transported to a foreign country and then sexually exploited. Another reason for ending in this trade is due t o debt which they are unable to pay off. For the need of money they get trapped in false promises and opportunities. Money is always a motivator for all the crimes and human sex

Nationalism and the origins of The first world war Essay Example for Free

Nationalism and the origins of The first world war Essay When global war broke out in 1914 dreams of world peace and prosperity were shattered. Accordingly, the First World War was arguably one of the most traumatic episodes in the history of international affairs. Geopolitically speaking, the First World War (also described as WWI in this essay) was unprecedented in both scale and sheer loss of human life. Never before had the world witnessed such carnage and violence perpetuated through the use of modern technology. The First World War touched much of the world and the implications of this conflict reverberated across the globe. Seeking to understand the historical explanations as well as the role that nationalism played in the outbreak of the First World War, this essay will explore the multiple causes of the development of global hostilities in 1914. Using a three pronged analytical model, the causes of the WWI will be discusses with reference to the pre-conditions and precipitants for conflict and the triggers which sparked the war. Understanding that WWI was an international event with global repercussions, we will analyze the various antecedents for the emergence of armed conflict through a multi-causal approach. This essay will argue that a variety of factors led to the outbreak of the First World War and while there is not one single causal explanation for the emergence of global conflict in 1914, a proper explanation of the origins of this conflict takes into account the amalgamation of each of these factors. While nationalism was an important factor leading to the outbreak of international conflict between the warring parties, this essay will argue that in fact, nationalism was an important precursors to the emergence of conflict but the sole and deciding force in the violence which erupted on the shores of Europe and reverberated across the planet. Although the First World War has recently been overshadowed in the aftermath of the WWII, this conflict was the first in terms of scale and sheer destruction and thus continues to be worthy of scholarly analysis. Nationalism in International Affairs Nationalism is an important force in international relations and has been so for centuries. As a basic principle of the international order, concepts of state sovereignty are intrinsic to our understanding of the world system. Accordingly, the international system is predicated upon the existence of nation-states and nationalism is a belief or sense of identity within the nation. The Treaty of Westphalia established the principle of state sovereignty, another fundamental principle of the international order which established the nation-state as an autonomous political entity. Similar to tribalism or a sense of social kinship, nationalism as a potent political force began in Europe in the late eightieth century and was connected with a decline in overall religiosity, the development of industrialization, Enlightenment thoughts and a concerted effort by political elites to â€Å"build states†. By inculcating a sense of nationalist fervor in the citizens of their respective countries, elites have been able to manipulate nationalism for political purposes. Mass mobilization towards a variety of specific causes through an appeal to nationalist sentiment has been used as a political tool for centuries. Although not exclusively a negative force, nationalism remains an important ordering principle of the international system and a force to be reckoned with (Anderson 2006). Preconditions to the Outbreak of Conflict There were a variety of preconditions to the emergence of the conflict, which up until that date, had been the largest that the world had ever seen. The First World War represented the dueling alliances of the Triple Entente composed of Britain, France and Russia – and the Triple Alliance – comprised of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. Pre-conditions are best described as the precursors to conflict and there were many underlying long-term causes for the belligerent behaviour of the states of Europe in 1914. An arms race, underway for years, and growing at a rapid pace just prior to the emergence of the First World War set the stage for violent conflict between the major states of the region. Accordingly, the arms race occurring at the time exacerbated the global balance of power and led to an increased likelihood of aggressive behavior between the armies of Europe. As the European armies grew and competed with one another for size, manpower and prestige, the naval race between German and Britain contributed to a partition of the major states of the continent into two opposing camps. Competition was surely facilitated by nationalist tendencies and a desire to counterbalance the political, diplomatic and military ambitions of one’s rival. In addition to international arms races, domestic pressures and a willingness of the part of the citizens of some countries to engage in war helped precipitate the conflict. Accordingly, the diplomatic isolation of Germany, Austro-Hungary was another important contributor to the outbreak of global war in 1914. German nationalism, largely ignored in the settlement of the Congress of Vienna almost one hundred years before, did experience a resurgence particularly after the imposition of what was then conceived by many to be an unfair Treaty in Vienna and gained prominence in the middle to late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. Accordingly, a German nationalism movement led a revolution to unify the country in 1871 – a similar movement in Italy served to unite that country in 1861 – and remained an important, although not solely important, force in attempting to explain the preconditions of conflict in 1914 (Joll and Martel 1992). In addition to the pre-conditions above, a series of crises from 1904-1914 also helped pave the way for the emergence of the First World War and were important pre-cursors to this conflict. The First Moroccan Crisis from 1905-1906 resulted in a German offensive which created the Entente. This was followed by the Bosnia-Herzegovina Crisis of 1908/1909 in which Austria-Hungary formally annexed Bosnia-Herzegovina. This important precursor to future conflict forced Russia to reevaluate its geopolitical situation and in turn view Germany and Austro-Hungary as a potential threat. The Second Moroccan Crisis (1911-1912) united Russia, Britain and France against Germany and was an important stabilizer for the Triple Entente informal alliance. The final conflicts which were important pre-conditions to the outbreak of violence in 1914 were the Balkan Wars 1912-13. These series of wars removed the Ottoman Empire from the equation and led to an impressive German arms build-up (Strachan 2001; Joll and Martel 1992). On the Cusp of War: Precipitants to Conflict Precipitants are short-term crises that made the war seem inevitable and a series of crises, beginning with the assassination in Sarajevo of Franz-Ferdinand, Archduke of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, made large-scale war in Europe seem like an inevitability. In fact, the months of late June/early July were replete with crises beginning with the violent assassination in Serbia of the Archduke of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Assassinated on Serbia’s national day by a violent terrorist organization, the Black Hand, this event alone is described by many observers of the First World War as perhaps the most monumental precipitant to the outbreak of hostilities between the major powers of Europe. Following his violent death at the hands of a Serbian nationalist, Germany unilaterally supported the right of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to respond as it saw fit. This led to successive increases in belligerence on both sides and an ultimatum by Austria-Hungary to Serbia (Strachan 2001; Joll and Martel 1992). Triggers and the Outbreak of War There are a variety of direct antecedents to the War of 1914 and the following will describe the important triggers for the world’s largest military mobilization to-date in the aftermath of the assassination of Franz-Ferdinand, Archduke of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. While there is not one single event which explains the emergence of large-scale conflict, the following will chart the important triggers which led to the internationalization of conflict and the explosion of a truly global war. Serbia’s rejection of the ultimatum put forth by the Austro-Hungarian represented a desire on its part to safeguard its independence. By rejecting the Austro-Hungarian ultimatum and seeking Russian support, the Serbian republic unwittingly set the stage for the bloodiest war the world had ever known. Serbian intransigence and refusal to acquiesce to the demands of Austria-Hungary set the stage for Russian involvement which internationalized the conflict and significantly increased its scope. At the time, the Russian army was the largest army on the planet and the inclusion of Russia into the dispute significantly increased its scope and explosive potential. Following the introduction of Russia into the equation, the first four days of August 1914 proved to significantly expand the horizons of the conflict. During those first few days of the month, Germany declared war on Russia and its ally France, leading to the mobilization of Britain and the further internationalization of belligerence. Germany’s decision to declare war on Russia and the Entente powers represented an important expansion of the conflict on the side of the Triple Alliance and set the stage for the mobilization and later involvement of Britain in the brewing hostilities (Strachan 2001; Joll and Martel 1992). Origins of the â€Å"Mass War† and Nationalism At the outbreak of World War One, states mobilized what scholars have described as â€Å"mass wars†: the uniquely modern phenomenon of warfare developed in the twentieth century which required the wholesale diversion of economies, labour and national productivity towards the war effort (44). Accordingly, â€Å"from 1914 on, wars were unmistakably mass wars†¦such a level of mass mobilization cannot be maintained except by a modern high-productivity industrialized economy. † (Hobsbawm 1994). State apparatuses grew and â€Å"mass wars† required governments to mobilize people, resources, and armaments to serve the war effort. Citizens were conscripted to fight, industry was instructed to produce arms, and the government became intimately involved in the establishment of monopolistic war economies. Although nationalism did play a role in the establishment of war economies and the growth of military-industrial complexes built up to support the war effort, many factors account for call to arms and the descent into extreme bloodshed and violence during the First World War. Mass mobilization towards the war effort was certainly helped by nationalist fervor as the belligerent parties prepared for conflict which until then would have been on an unimaginable scale, but as has been shown above, nationalism is just one part of the equation in attempting to explain the origins of the First World War (Hobsbawm 1994). Concluding Remarks As one of the most traumatic episodes in the history of the world, the First World War represented geopolitical conflict on an unprecedented scale. Never before had the world witnessed such carnage, bloodshed and violence. Seeking to understand the historical explanations and discuss the role that nationalism has played in the outbreak of the First World War, this essay has explored the antecedents for conflict in 1914. Important preconditions, precipitants and triggers have accounted for the emergence of this conflict. Nationalism, although an important factor which can help explain the emergence of World War One, is actually only one aspect of the overall conditions which lay the groundwork for World War One. Nationalism may be a guiding principle of the international order but a focus which exclusively explores the role of nationalism in the causes of war gives an incomplete picture of this global conflict. While nationalism may have been a force in the establishment of alliances in Europe, there were a handful of other preconditions, precipitants and triggers which led to this conflict. As this essay has shown, many factors led to the violent episode now known as the Second World War and while each factor differed in substance, each contributed to the emergence of the â€Å"War to End All Wars†. REFERENCES Anderson, B. 2006. Imagined Communities. New York: Verso. Hobsbawm, E. 1994. Age of Extremes: The Short History of the Twentieth Century: 1914-1991. London: Abacus. James Joll, J. and G. Martel. 1992. The Origins of the First World War. New York: Longman. McEvedy, C. 2003. The New Penguin Atlas of History. New York: Penguin. Strachan, H. 2001. The Oxford Illustrated History of the First World War. London: Oxford University Press.

Muslims Essay -- Muslim Islam Religion Essays

Muslims I first became interested in learning about Muslims when I met a young man in a Speech class of mine. He was dark skinned, dark haired, and extremely handsome, so I decided to get acquainted with him. I asked him his name and he asked me if I wanted his real name or his made up name. I was a little confused and I asked him what he meant by that. He told me he was a Muslim and his "real" Muslim name is Sadat and his made up name is Danny. I was quite intrigued by, but a little confused by all of this, so I thought I would look further into the subject. Luckily, I was asked to write a paper on a subject of my choice so hopefully I can teach you some of what I learned about Muslims. The Muslims are people who practice the religion of Islam. They were taught their beliefs by a man named Muhammad in the A.D. 600's. Muslim is an Arabic word that means one who submits (to God). There are about one billion Muslims throughout the world today. They form the majority of the population in the Middle East, North Africa and the southeast Asian nations such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Pakistan. There are three to six million Muslims in the United States. A Muslim's chief duties are prayer, almsgiving, fasting, and pilgrimage. Muslims pray five times a daily: at dawn, at noon, in the afternoon, in the evening, and at nightfall. According to The Economist July 1996, "a crier, or muezzin announces prayer time from the minaret, a large tower. On Friday, which for the Muslims resembles the Jewish Sabbath or Christian Sunday, Muslims are expected to attend noon prayers at this tower." There, a Muslim washes his face, hands, and feet, in a type of ceremony, immediately before prayer. The lead... ... been to achieve stable governments and to feed their people. Some Muslim nations such as Bangladesh, Egypt, and Pakistan, have too many people living on too little land. Other countries lack the moisture and fertile soil needed to produce food. Conflicting interests keep the Muslim people from being united. But they are bound by cultural ties and a determination to resist colonialism. As you can see the Muslims and their beliefs are quite different than other groups such as the Christian beliefs and the Jewish beliefs. It just goes to show what a diverse world we live in. I am glad I have had the opportunity to explore the special ceremonies, rituals, and beliefs of the Muslims. Now the next time I approach someone to ask them their name and they answer in the same way my friend Danny did, I will be able to understand better his or her way of life.

Consider the development Essay

The word sonnet is the English translation of the Italian word sonetto, a ‘little sound’ or ‘song’. A sonnet is a poem consisting of fourteen lines, ten syllables in English and Italian and generally twelve in French. There are three basic sonnet forms, the Petrarchan, which is an eight lined and a six lined (octave and sestet) sonnet with no rhyming couplet; the Spenserian, consisting of three quatrains and a couplet; finally the Shakespearian, consisting of three quatrains (four lines) and a couplet. There are different styles of sonnets all over the world. For example, France has its own unique structure that their sonneteers write in and the same with other countries. With all these different countries having different styles of writing that also means there are also different rhyming schemes. Reading sonnets is a great way of learning about different cultural aspects of life; for example during the seventeenth century the central theme of most sonnets was religion. During this time it gave people a great opportunity to learn about many different religions. The use of enjambment occurs in many sonnets. Enjambment is the running on of the thought from one line, couplet, or stanza to the next without a syntactical break The first sonneteer was Italian, his name was Francesco Petrarch. He was famous for a collection of Italian lyrics which include a long series of love poems. Petrarch wrote his poems about a lady called Laura, whom he met in a church. Laura became the central theme of his poetry. In total Petrarch wrote three hundred and sixty five sonnets. Petrarch’s poems were meant to convey his love and devotion to the love of his life Laura. Sonnets moved to England in the sixteenth century. The seventeenth century saw the theme of sonnets change from love to religion. Donne is a good example of a sonneteer of religion. For two-hundred years a minute amount of sonnets were written. This was because they fell out of fashion. However during the nineteenth century sonneteers began to write about the theme of the natural world. William Wordsworth wrote poems such as ‘Composed upon Westminster Bridge. ‘ War poetry became popular during the time of 1914-1918. This was because The First World War was happening at the time. War was on everybody’s mind. The Poetry was read to the soldiers going off to war to motivate and encourage the soldiers to fight for their families and country. The poem ‘Shall I Compare Thee’ written by William Shakespeare is about an unknown woman that Shakespeare compares to a summer’s day as summer is a picturesque time of year. The poem is written in the Shakespearian form. In the second line Shakespeare writes ‘Thou art more lovely and more temperate’ This quotation informs the reader that although she cannot be compared to a summer’s day as she is more than the beauty of summer. Shakespeare writes ‘Rough winds do shake the darling buds of Mai,’ this quotation is about the winds of summer; Shakespeare describes them as a type of rage. The woman could never be like summer as she is kind and caring. At the conclusion of the poem, (the rhyming couplet) Shakespeare writes ‘So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. ‘ This quotation informs the reader that she may die. However she will stay alive through the poem. The poem ‘Composed Upon Westminster Bridge’ written in 1802 by William Wordsworth is about Wordsworth love of natural world and the city of London. The first line of the sonnet reads ‘Earth has not anything to show more fair. ‘ In this quotation Wordsworth is sitting on Westminster Bridge looking across the beautiful city of London and is besotted with the picturesque view and feels the world has nothing to compare to it. William Wordsworth writes ‘All bright and glittering in the smokeless air. ‘ This quotation informs the reader of the beautiful sunrise and how it glitters across the city. Wordsworth writes ‘The river glideth at his own sweet will. ‘ This quotation means that the Thames has many bends on its path through the city of London and has not got a straight journey like other rivers. Wordsworth metaphorically states that the river glides freely. This sonnet is very popular and was voted 24th most popular poem in 1998. The mood of the sonnet is uplifting. The poem ‘Death be not proud’ written by John Donne is about Donne’s personal interpretation of death. John Donne does not fear death; he does not see it as a bad aspect in life. Donne writes ‘Death, be not proud, though some have called thee mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so. ‘ This quotation informs the reader that some people may find death an awful, petrifying experience; however it is not, death is a new beginning. Donne writes ‘Thou’rt slave to fate, chance, kings and desperate men, and dost with poison, war and sickness dwell. ‘ This quotation informs the reader that in life bad things will happen such as diseases and devastation. The mood of this poem is low key and dark. Donne writes ‘One short sleep past, we wake eternally. ‘ This quotation informs the reader that after death our souls go to heaven and we awake eternally. John Donne was born in 1572 and died in 1631 at the age of 59. During Donne’s lifetime this would have been considered an old age to die. There was a short life expectancy during this period because of all the disease and drug taking. The poem ‘Peace’ written by Rupert Brooke is a war poem and it appealed to readers in the First World War as it informs them why their loved ones died in battle. Brooke was a very popular sonneteer as his poems would get the soldiers pumped up and ready for the gruesome activity that is war. Brooke encouraged people to be patriotic, to fight for their country and beliefs. Brook writes ‘Leave the sick hearts that honour could move. ‘ This quotation conveys the fact that there are masses of casualties in a war just as there were in World War One. The sonnet ‘The Vanity of his Passion’ written by Petrarch is addressed to his love, Laura. However he feels unreciprocated love. This could be for two reasons. Laura only exists in his mind or she is out of his league and could never fall in love with him. The sonnet is written in the first person; this is because Petrarch is expressing his love to Laura (There is a direct address to the lady). Petrarch uses many abstract nouns in his writing; he uses two in the title, vanity and passion. The reason for Petrarch using several abstract nouns is that it reflects the abstract nature of his love. Petrarch writes ‘Throughout my song, by hopes and vain grief’s bed;’ this quotation means that Petrarch recognises that he was vain ever to believe that she might ever love him. When Petrarch was younger he thought he was in love; he now realises what it means to be ‘in passion drowned;’ Petrarch writes ‘That worldly pleasure is a passing dream. ‘ This quotation informs that the love is short and can’t last. His love is like a dream. The mood of the poem is very desolate as Petrarch wants something he is unable to achieve. In conclusion the central sonnet theme has not changed in hundreds of years, many are still written today. As time has progressed different forms have been introduced such as the Spenserian and the Shakespearian. My favourite sonnet is ‘Shall I compare thee’ because Shakespeare uses many descriptive language associated with summer and his mysterious woman, this shows the depth of his love for her.

Banking Sector Reform Essay

From the 1991 India economic crisis to its status of third largest economy in the world by 2011, India has grown significantly in terms of economic development. So has its banking sector. During this period, recognizing the evolving needs of the sector, the Finance Ministry of Government of India (GOI) set up various committees with the task of analyzing India’s banking sector and recommending legislation and regulations to make it more effective, competitive and efficient.[1] Two such expert Committees were set up under the chairmanship of M. Narasimham. They submitted their recommendations in the 1990s in reports widely known as the Narasimham Committee-I (1991) report and the Narasimham Committee-II (1998) Report. These recommendations not only helped unleash the potential of banking in India, they are also recognized as a factor towards minimizing the impact of global financial crisis starting in 2007. Unlike the socialist-democratic era of the 1960s to 1980s, India is no longer insulated from the global economy and yet its banks survived the 2008 financial crisis relatively unscathed, a feat due in part to theseNarasimham Committees.[2] Contents [hide] * 1 Background * 2 Recommendations of the Committee * 2.1 Autonomy in Banking * 2.2 Reform in the role of RBI * 2.3 Stronger banking system * 2.4 Non-performing assets * 2.5 Capital adequacy and tightening of provisioning norms * 2.6 Entry of Foreign Banks * 3 Implementation of recommendations * 4 Criticism Background During the decades of the 60s and the 70s, India nationalised most of its banks. This culminated with the balance of payments crisis of the Indian economy where India had to airlift gold toInternational Monetary Fund (IMF) to loan money to meet its financial obligations. This event called into question the previous banking policies of India and triggered the era of economic liberalisation in India in 1991. Given that rigidities and weaknesses had made serious inroads into the Indian banking system by the late 1980s, the Government of India (GOI), post-crisis, took several steps to remodel the country’s financial system. (Some claim that these reforms were influenced by the IMF and the World Bank as part of their loan conditionality to India in 1991).[3] The banking sector, handling 80% of the flow of money in the economy, needed serious reforms to make it internationally reputable, accelerate the pace of reforms and develop it into a constructive usher of an efficient, vibrant and competitive economy by adequately supporting the country’s financial needs.[4] In the light of these requirements, two expert Committees were set up in 1990s under the chairmanship of M. Narasimham (an ex-RBI (Reserve Bank of India) governor) which are widely credited for spearheading the financial sector reform in India.[3] The first Narasimhan Committee (Committee on the Financial System – CFS) was appointed by Manmohan Singh as India’s Finance Minister on 14 August 1991,[1][5] and the second one (Committee on Banking Sector Reforms)[6] was appointed by P.Chidambaram[7] as Finance Minister in December 1997.[8] Subsequently, the first one widely came to be known as the Narasimham Committee-I (1991)and the second one as Narasimham-II Committee(1998).[9][10] This article is about the recommendations of the Second Narasimham Committee, the Committee on Banking Sector Reforms. The purpose of the Narasimham-I Committee was to study all aspects relating to the structure, organization, functions and procedures of the financial systems and to recommend improvements in their efficiency and productivity. The Committee submitted its report to the Finance Minister in November 1991 which was tabled in Parliament on 17 December 1991.[6] The Narasimham-II Committee was tasked with the progress review of the implementation of the banking reforms since 1992 with the aim of further strengthening the financial institutions of India.[4]It focussed on issues like size of banks and capital adequacy ratio among other things.[9] M. Narasimham, Chairman, submitted the report of the Committee on Banking Sector Reforms (Committee-II) to the Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha in April 1998.[4][9] Recommendations of the Committee The 1998 report of the Committee to the GOI made the following major recommendations: Autonomy in Banking Greater autonomy was proposed for the public sector banks in order for them to function with equivalent professionalism as their international counterparts.[11] For this the panel recommended that recruitment procedures, training and remuneration policies of public sector banks be brought in line with the best-market-practices of professional bank management.[4][6] Secondly, the committee recommended GOI equity in nationalized banks be reduced to 33% for increased autonomy.[4][12][13] It also recommended the RBI relinquish its seats on the board of directors of these banks. The committee further added that given that the government nominees to the board of banks are often members of parliament, politicians, bureaucrats, etc., they often interfere in the day-to-day operations of the bank in the form of the behest-lending.[4] As such the committee recommended a review of functions of banks boards with a view to make them responsible for enhancing shareholder value through formulation of corporate strategy and reduction of government equity.[11] To implement this, criteria for autonomous status was identified by March 1999 (among other implementation measures) and 17 banks were considered eligible for autonomy.[14] But some recommendations like reduction in Government’s equity to 33%,[13][15] the issue of greater professionalism and independence of the board of directors of public sector banks is still awaiting Government follow-through and implementation.[16] Reform in the role of RBI First, the committee recommended that the RBI withdraw from the 91-day treasury bills market and that interbank call money and term money markets be restricted to banks and primary dealers.[6][14] Second, the Committee proposed a segregation of the roles of RBI as a regulator of banks and owner of bank.[17] It observed that â€Å"The Reserve Bank as a regulator of the monetary system should not be the owner of a bank in view of a possible conflict of interest†. As such, it highlighted that RBI’s role of effective supervision was not adequate and wanted it to divest its holdings in banks and financial institutions. Pursuant to the recommendations, the RBI introduced a Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) operated through repo and reverse repos in order to set a corridor for money market interest rates. To begin with, in April 1999, an Interim Liquidity Adjustment Facility (ILAF) was introduced pending further upgradation in technology and legal/procedural changes to facilitate electronic transfer.[18]As for the second recommendation, the RBI decided to transfer its respective shareholdings of public banks like State Bank of India (SBI), National Housing Bank (NHB) and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to GOI. Subsequently, in 2007-08, GOI decided to acquire entire stake of RBI in SBI, NHB and NABARD. Of these, the terms of sale for SBI were finalised in 2007-08 itself.[19] Stronger banking system The Committee recommended for merger of large Indian banks to make them strong enough for supporting international trade.[11] It recommended a three tier banking structure in India through establishment of three large banks with international presence, eight to ten national banks and a large number of regional and local banks.[4][9][11] This proposal had been severely criticized by the RBI employees union.[20] The Committee recommended the use of mergers to build the size and strength of operations for each bank.[12] However, it cautioned that large banks should merge only with banks of equivalent size and not with weaker banks, which should be closed down if unable to revitalize themselves.[6] Given the large percentage of non-performing assets for weaker banks, some as high as 20% of their total assets, the concept of â€Å"narrow banking† was proposed to assist in their rehabilitation.[11] There were a string of mergers in banks of India during the late 90s and early 2000s, encouraged strongly by the Government of India|GOI in line with the Committee’s recommendations.[21]However, the recommended degree of consolidation is still awaiting sufficient government impetus.[16] Non-performing assets Non-performing assets had been the single largest cause of irritation of the banking sector of India.[4] Earlier the Narasimham Committee-I had broadly concluded that the main reason for the reduced profitability of the commercial banks in India was the priority sector lending. The committee had highlighted that ‘priority sector lending’ was leading to the build up of non-performing assets of the banks and thus it recommended it to be phased out.[10] Subsequently, the Narasimham Committee-II also highlighted the need for ‘zero’ non-performing assets for all Indian banks with International presence.[10] The 1998 report further blamed poor credit decisions, behest-lending and cyclical economic factors among other reasons for the build up of the non-performing assets of these banks to uncomfortably high levels. The Committee recommended creation of Asset Reconstruction Funds or Asset Reconstruction Companies to take over the bad debts of banks, allowing them to start on a clean-slate.[4][22][23] The option of recapitalization through budgetary provisions was ruled out. Overall the committee wanted a proper system to identify and classify NPAs,[6] NPAs to be brought down to 3% by 2002[4] and for an independent loan review meachnism for improved management of loan portfolios.[6] The committee’s recommendations let to introduction of a new legislation which was subsequently implemented as the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 and came into force with effect from 21 June 2002.[24][25][26] Capital adequacy and tightening of provisioning norms In order to improve the inherent strength of the Indian banking system the committee recommended that the Government should raise the prescribed capital adequacy norms.[9] This would also improve their risk taking ability.[11] The committee targeted raising the capital adequacy ratio to 9% by 2000 and 10% by 2002 and have penal provisions for banks that fail to meet these requirements.[4][6] For asset classification, the Committee recommended a mandatory 1% in case of standard assets and for the accrual of interest income to be done every 90 days instead of 180 days.[14] To implement these recommendations, the RBI in Oct 1998, initiated the second phase of financial sector reforms by raising the banks’ capital adequacy ratio by 1% and tightening the prudential norms for provisioning and asset classification in a phased manner on the lines of the Narasimham Committee-II report.[27] The RBI targeted to bring the capital adequacy ratio to 9% by March 2001.[28] The mid-term Review of the Monetary and Credit Policy of RBI announced another series of reforms, in line with the recommendations with the Committee, in October 1999.[14] Entry of Foreign Banks The committee suggested that the foreign banks seeking to set up business in India should have a minimum start-up capital of $25 million as against the existing requirement of $10 million. It said that foreign banks can be allowed to set up subsidiaries and joint ventures that should be treated on a par with private banks.[4] Implementation of recommendations In 1998, RBI Governor Bimal Jalan informed the banks that the RBI had a three to four year perspective on the implementation of the Committee’s recommendations.[27] Based on the other recommendations of the committee, the concept of a universal bank was discussed by the RBI and finally ICICI bank became the first universal bank of India.[18][29][30] The RBI published an â€Å"Actions Taken on the Recommendations† report on 31 October 2001 on its own website. Most of the recommendations of the Committee have been acted upon (as discussed above) although some major recommendations are still awaiting action from the Government of India.[31] Criticism There were protests by employee unions of banks in India against the report. The Union of RBI employees made a strong protest against the Narasimham II Report.[20] There were other plans by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), representing about 1.3 million bank employees in India, to meet in Delhi and to work out a plan of action in the wake of the Narasimham Committee report on banking reforms. The committee was also criticized in some quarters as â€Å"anti-poor†. According to some, the committees failed to recommend measures for faster alleviation of poverty in India by generating new employment.[3] This caused some suffering to small borrowers (both individuals and businesses in tiny, micro and small sectors). Reception Initially, the recommendations were well received in all quarters, including the Planning Commission of India leading to successful implementation of most of its recommendations.[32] Then it turned out that during the 2008 economic crisis of major economies worldwide, performance of Indian banking sector was far better than their international counterparts. This was also credited to the successful implementation of the recommendations of the Narasimham Committee-II with particular reference to the capital adequacy norms and the recapitalization of the public sector banks.[2] The impact of the two committees has been so significant that elite politicians and financial sectors professionals have been discussing these reports for more than a decade since their first submission applauding their positive contribution Prime Minister’s address at RBI Platinum Jubilee Celebrations| The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh addressed the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of the Reserve Bank o f India in Mumbai today. Following is the text of the Prime Minister’s address on the occasion: â€Å"It is indeed a great pleasure to be here in Mumbai for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of the Reserve Bank of India. For me, this is also a very special moment of nostalgia. I spent some very memorable years in this institution as its Governor. My wife and I cherish the memories of many new enduring friendships that we made during those memorable days. I also recall with deep appreciation the role played by the Reserve Bank in helping the Government of India in the implementation of the agenda for economic reforms when I was the Finance Minister of India at a very difficult time in our country’s economic history. To return as Prime Minister for the Platinum Jubilee of this great institution is indeed an emotionally moving experience for me. When I took over as Finance Minister in 1991, I was convinced that the economic liberalisation and reforms could only succeed if complemented by broad based reform in the banking and financial sectors. I turned to my old friend and former RBI Governor Shri M Narasimham to Chair a Committee to make recommendations on this very important issue. The Report of the Narasimham Committee outlined a comprehensive agenda of reform which served as a blue print of what we needed to do in subsequent years. It would have been difficult to implement those reforms had they not received enthusiastic support, as they did, from the Governor of the day, Shri S. Venkitaramanan and Dr. Rangrajan. Subsequently as Venitramanan’s successor Dr C. Rangarajan took the financial reform agenda further forward in many critical areas, including especially the ending of automatic monetisation of the government’s deficit. As with economic reforms in general, financial sector reforms in India were implemented at a gradual pace. We were often criticised for our incremental approach which critics often complained was far too slow. But few would deny that we have accomplished a great deal over the years and Reserve Bank has made important contribution towards this. We have successfully eliminated stifling controls on industry and investment. We have opened the economy to foreign trade, lowered tariffs and switched over to a market determined exchange rate. We have liberalised capital controls enabling the economy to absorb substantial inflows of capital in the form of both FDI and FII flows into the stock market. In recent years, foreign investment has also become a two way flow as many Indian companies have established a presence abroad through investment or acquisition. All of this has been achieved without experiencing a serious macro economic crisis or severe inflation over an extended period. Most importantly, the real economy has clearly prospered. The rate of growth of GDP has increased steadily over the past two decades, culminating in an unprecedented 9 percent growth per year in the four year period just before the global financial crisis. Poverty too, has declined steadily, though this is an area where much more remains to be done. The Reserve Bank of India has played a major role in this transformation. It has been a lead player in banking and financial sector reforms and has acted as a confidential adviser to the Government on many other issues relevant to the complex task of macro economic management in an increasingly open and liberalised economic environment. Indeed, it is one of our great institutions of which we can all be truly proud. The past two years have been difficult years for governments and central banks all over the world. Excessive credit expansion and asset price inflation both fuelled by so-called â€Å"financial innovations† of dubious value, and a lax regulatory environment led to an accumulation of risk that was not adequately understood and ultimately produced a severe crisis. India was relatively insulated from these developments because our financial system was much less integrated with the global system. However, the RBI deserves credit for having been prescient about the dangers posed by property bubbles. The action taken by Governor Reddy, who is present here, well before the crisis to tighten bank credit against real estate, limited bank exposure on this account. When the crisis exploded in September 2008, the RBI rapidly reversed its earlier tightening of credit to meet the new and changed circumstances. The CRR and the repo and reverse repo rates were rapidly lowered in a series of quick steps. Some initiatives were also taken to enhance access to bank credit by Non Banking Finance Companies. Signs of panic withdrawals from some private sector banks in the initial weeks of the crisis were met with strong reassurances by both the Government and the RBI that our banks were sound and would be fully supported. Ensuring that the Indian financial system remained stable in these very difficult times was a major achievement in financial and economic management. I would like to compliment Governor Subbarao and his team at the RBI for the role they played in this period.

Court Cases essays

Court Cases essays Issue: President Adams appointed several Federal Justices as "midnight appointments", President Madison did not want them and witheld their pay, one of the judges brought suit for back pay Signifigence: Set up the policy of Judicial Review Issue: New Hampshire was attempting to regulate Dartmouth college who claimed they couldn't because they had a royal charter Signifigence: Declared the sanctity of contracts Issue: A man was granted monopoly right for water transport in New York and went against another man granted monopoly rights by the US Decision: In favor of Gibbons (granted by US) Signifigence: Laws of congress are supreme (supercede states) Issue: Maryland attempted to tax the banks in its state (including the BUS) Significance: Congress had the right to a national bank due to the ellastic clause and the states could not interfere with a federal bank Issue: Munn had run a grain wharehouse yet didn't apply for a license of public wharehousing (had stated privately then started acquiring many peoples grain and became a public wharehouse) Significance: Government may regulate the manner in which citizens can use his or her property once it is used for the public good Issue: A slave brought suit claiming his freedom because he had resided in a free state for many years Decision: The Court rulled against Scott significance: The court not only rulled against Scott but claimed that slaves were property and the government could not regulate slavery at all Issue: Plessy was of mixed descent and paid for first class passage on a RailRoad in Louisiana, during the trip he took a while seat and was charged after refusing to leave ...

Describe some of the different ways of conducting an archaeological Research Paper

Describe some of the different ways of conducting an archaeological excavation - Research Paper Example Research indicates that the earth’s surface is completely enclosed by the soil which comes from the original bedrock. This might include chalk, sand and granite, different types of rocks or clay (Barker). Since the fundamental nature of the soil is analyzed through its underlying rocks therefore initially the subsoil is studied then soil’s fertility is known which further helps in the determination of farming or vegetation settlements. Archeological sites are broadly defined as the settled residues of different structures which over the period of time convert into earthworks and rubble through the process of stone-rubbing, erosion, decay and invasion by the animals and plants (Barker). Sometimes it is possible that the researchers locate a residual settlement which is on its way to become an archeological site. This basically facilitates scientists in studying the archeological process. The archeological sites are usually found at lowland areas (Barker). One of the important factors in locating an archeological site is the confirmation of the fact that rocks present at the upper layer of earth were formed later than those beneath them. For instance, lave forms after the development of mountainside rocks. However, surface of the earth never remains in the same pattern and hence after some time the covering of different structural settlements remove and the rock beneath them comes to the surface. The same thing happens with the archeological sites since when the superimposed layers are removed the underlying surface becomes visible which indicates the historical remains and the presence of previous living and nonliving objects (Barker). Archaeological remains are distinguished into different types. The first archeological type deals with the antiquity of man i.e. the recognition of former civilizations, for instance, those humans who lived in caves centuries ago. There are various written records which

Negative effects of living an unhealthy lifestyle Essay

Negative effects of living an unhealthy lifestyle - Essay Example A nutritious diet supplies the body with adequate nutrients needed for growth and prevention of diseases. A diet that lacks adequate quantities of nutrients such as potassium, calcium and fiber is considered unhealthy and poses significant risks to the wellbeing of a person. Unhealthy diets that lack adequate nutrients and are high in sugar, salt and fat may lead to the development of chronic conditions. In many cases, diets that lack vegetables and fruits may exposà © one to heart diseases, kidney failure and stroke. In addition, diseases such as diabetes, cancer and hypertension have been found to be caused by poor dietary habits. Second, weight gain is another challenge associated with unhealthy diets. This is usually caused by consuming processed foods that contain large quantities of sugar and fat. Continued consumption of such foods leads to excessive weight gain, and eventually, obesity. Lack of physical activity further makes the problems of weight gain and obesity worse. Ob ese people are prone to health problems such as heart attacks and diabetes. Furthermore, an obese person might find it difficult to undertake daily routines and activities, and this may impact his productivity and general way of life. As a result, such people find it difficult to fit into the larger society, and thus may leave one feeling isolated and neglected. Third, unhealthy diets may lead to mental health problems. Naturally, the brain requires certain minerals and nutrients to function properly.