Emergence of Confucianism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Emergence of Confucianism - Assignment Example He is well celebrated for coming up with the textual traditions of china. The texts became the foundation and the state ideology of the Chinese dynasties. The texts were mastered by few in the society but penetrated deep in the society and are held sacred by the members of the Chinese community (Xinzhong, 2005). Confucius is locally known as the king qui the founder of the school of thought that is well studied and celebrated. Every country and nation experiences a financial depression at a certain period. It is up to the government to make sure that the situation is well handled and make sure that the financial position is restored as quickly as possible. In Britain, the financial hurricane hit in the year 2008.The financial advisor suggested that they should shrink the government. However, this did not work and led to high taxes and strangled and weakened the economy of Britain. The repercussions were loss of jobs and income to the people, high taxes, high interest and many more effects which that are detrimental to any state. As explained in the documentary, mandate of heaven is a myth and ideology the Asian empires of ancient times grant that they have the right to govern and lead the nation. Heaven is said to bestow the mandate to an individual to be a leader and the ruler of the people in question. Mandate of heaven does not require a leader with the royal blood but rather id concerned with the unique qualities of the person. If a ruler was overthrown, he is considered as have lost the mandate of heaven. This ideology is common in china and was used to support the kings and the rulers of the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The past of the Chinese society is vet strong and influences them greatly. They development is hindered by their retention of tradition practices and philosophies. Culture mix refers to the mixing together of different groups of people with differences in art and

Environment assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Environment assignment - Essay Example Question 1d) According to Harvard University economist Jeffrey Sachs, Africa needs US $10-20 billion a year to help it adequately combat HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases (Beresford, 2001). This is an amount that African states cannot raise on their own especially when one considers their weak economies that are being crippled further by several disease pandemics. The developed countries would therefore be of help if they can support Africa by granting it money to combat HIV/AIDS. And when we say grant, we do not mean concessionary loans, we mean outright grants. Question 2) The precautionary principle has the following four central components: taking preventive action in the face of uncertainty; shifting the burden of proof to the proponents of an activity; exploring a wide range of alternatives to possibly harmful actions; and increasing public participation in decision making (Kriebel et al., 2001). We are of the opinion that anyone who wishes to introduce a new product o r process, be tasked with proving that their new proposition will not harm the environment before proceeding. The first component of the precautionary principle if simply put states that it is better to be safe than sorry. With the world still unable to combat several â€Å"big† problems such as ecosystem degradation, resource depletion and climate change, and with environmental and health problems continuing to grow more rapidly than our ability to find solutions, Kriebel and Tickner (2001) state that it would be foolhardy to go ahead with new propositions that may create more problems in the future. The second and third components of the precautionary principle, shifting the burden of proof to the proponents of an activity and exploring a wide range of alternatives to possibly harmful actions, have the effect of making investors stop and reflect deeply before proceeding with their new propositions. This means that it is up to the investor to research, bear the risk and co me up with convincing data before launching a product or process. This would go a long way in arresting the quick money syndrome that is often the root cause of launching of untested products or processes. Also, increased stakeholder participation as proposed by the precautionary principle makes it even more difficult for investors who may have fudged data to support their new offerings from launching their products or processes without a prior independent audit from the public. Question 3) The proposition that warmer weather translates into longer and better life, less energy consumption, and reduced outlays for clothing is too simplistic. For starters we need to define what is or is not warm. Of course the arguments put forth by â€Å"What Are the Benefits of Global Warming?† (n.d.) such as increase in land for farming and living due to the acreage of ice on earth reducing, less money spent on heating and so on have their merits. However, these merits are only true to the extent that global warming leads to a rise in temperature to a level that can be defined as â€Å"warm†. Any deviation to this would lead to heat waves such as those experienced in Europe in 2003. A comprehensive study done by the World Health Organization (WHO) examined the correlation between climate change and the global burden of disease especially in the underdeveloped nations. The

Publishing Controversial Photographs

Publishing Controversial Photographs Ephron argued that since death is part of life, readers should not be sheltered from it. She asked why photos from fatal car accidents show the wrecked vehicles and not the victims. Mangled steel is worthless; a human life is priceless. Why not capture on film the loss of that which is truly precious? (Ephron, www.haverford.edu/) The so-named Boston Photographs were taken in 1975 by photojournalist Stanley Forman.. I made all kinds of pictures because I thought it would be a good rescue shot over the ladder, (Ephron, 433) Forman said in explaining why he took the pictures. In the first frame, there is a fireman with his arm around a woman he is attempting to rescue from a burning apartment building. The woman clings to her child. The fireman is reaching for the rescue ladder an arm s length away. It appears that everything will be all right, that the woman and her child will be saved. This picture, by itself, does not foreshadow the tragedy to come. It is a dramatic photograph, to be certain, but one that would assure the viewer that confidence in the bravery and skills of firefighters is not misplaced. The second photograph shows the fire escape pulling away from the building. Whereas the first photo makes the reader want to cheer, the second one reminds us that something can go wrong. The rescue is not successful until everyone is on the ground and safely away from the burning building. The photo shows, too, that the firefighter did everything he was supposed to do. His training prepared him for a moment such as this. More than anything else, this photo shows that courage and skill are not always enough. No one could have anticipated that the fire escape would pull away from the building. It is a picture that at once captures the good fortune of the woman in being rescued and the horrific moment when her luck turned. The third photograph is the most dramatic because it shows the woman and her child falling through the air. The child, naturally, looks frightened. Her arms and legs are splayed and we see the speed of her descent with her shirt, which the air has pushed up to expose her round, babyish tummy. Her eyes are open and her mouth is distorted by a grimace. The mother s fall is even more dramatic because she propels through the air headfirst. The viewer cannot see her face but can only imagine the horror reflected in her expression. It is impossible to know what the woman was thinking. Did she know that she was moments from death? Did she think about her child? Did she ask for God s help, or curse His failure to protect them? The woman is barefoot and she is wearing shorts. On a summer s day, it would be expected that someone be so attired at home. Yet the woman seems particularly vulnerable when dressed this way. She seems so exposed although, of course, long pants and shoes would not have made any difference to her survival. Who was this woman? We cannot really know anything about her from the picture. We can see that she is young, with the long, gangling limbs of a teenager. She looks like a child and yet she also has a child of her own. The picture causes us to reflect on death made more tragic by the fact that, for this mother and child, they come too soon. The falling flowerpots add to the poignancy of the photos. The apartment building, obviously older, represents urban life as experienced by someone who is young and poor. The flowers represent an attempt to add a little beauty to the surroundings. What sort of person is it who puts a flowerpot on a window ledge high above the city streets? The flowerpots give us a tiny glimpse into the character of the young woman. We feel we know a little more about her and that makes her death more tragic. To plant a flower is to feel hopeful about the future, and when we see the photograph, we know that the woman s hope in the future, unbeknownst to her, was misplaced. We feel a greater sense of loss. But do we know her? Of course not. The shocking photo arouses emotion within us and, whether we realize it or not, causes us to ascribe thoughts and characteristics to the victim that we can never verify, even when reading the accompanying news story. Perhaps the young woman did not care at all about the plants. It is even possible that they were left there by a previous tenant of the apartment and went unnoticed by the young mother. Perhaps she did not notice beauty and felt no hope at all for the future she and her child would share. There is no way the viewer of the photograph can ever know any of this for certain. The newsworthiness of the tragic fire is the photos themselves. Unfortunately, people die in fires in the United States all the time. The accounts of the fires are tragic, but as news stories they are usually only relevant to families and friends of the victims and the people who live in the community where the tragedy took place. Photographer Forman, who won a Pulitzer Prize for the photos, expected to record an event with a far different outcome. He was taking advantage of a relatively new technology, a motor-driven camera that allowed a photographer to take a series of pictures in rapid succession. He expected to capture, in still photographs, the sequence of events leading up to a dramatic rescue. Instead, he captured the moments before death. The third photograph as the last that he took of the rescue attempt. I realized what was going on, he said afterwards. I completely turned around because I didn t want to see her hit. (Ephron, www.haverford.edu/) The pictures are much more powerful than words in telling this story. It is not that words cannot sufficiently describe a scene or convey emotions. Author Stephen King is famous and wealthy because of his ability to construct tales that frighten us. John Grisham has used the power of words to make us feel outrage on the behalf of the underdogs whose stories he tells. Nicholas Sparks writes romances that bring some of his readers to tears. Forman s pictures tell a story for which each individual viewer provides his own words. More than that, however, the pictures evoke an emotional response that is instantaneous, even quicker than words can form. The pictures certainly drew attention to the event in a way that words alone would not. Newspaper editors know this and it can be argued that it was for the purpose of selling newspapers, not the imperative to show readers that death is part of life, which motivated them to print the pictures. Charges of sensationalism, voyeurism, and exploitation constituted many of the angry responses from readers. The reality is, though, that graphic images do capture people s attention. A news story, without photographs, would have dehumanized the tragedy. When we read that a woman fell to her death, our reaction is not nearly as strong as seeing the picture. We may soon forget that a woman died, particularly in reading the story and learning that the child survived. The picture, on the other hand, makes us confront the notion of death head-on. We may experience, even for a fraction of a second, that shiver of fear of falling. We think about what it must have felt like to fall, and what it must have felt like to watch the horror unfold. The fact that the woman and child were African-American also plays a part in judging the impact of the photo versus a story in words. A written story might not mention race; in a photo, it is there to see. To some viewers, race might matter. People assumed, because the young woman was black, that the burning apartment building was in a ghetto, when in fact it was not. African-Americans might identify more strongly with the photo than they would with just a story; white readers might identify less. For some readers, and it is hoped that it means more of them, not less, race is a non-issue and what they see is not the color of the victims skin but the horror expressed in their faces and body language. It is this horror that writer Ephron believes readers should see, but not because horror itself has value even though it does, in a way, in its ability to sell newspapers. As Ephron pointed out, though, these were great photographs. They captured something real and evoke strong emotion in people who look at them. That they disturb readers, she wrote, is exactly as it should be: that s why photojournalism is often more powerful than written journalism. (Ephron, 438) The Boston Photographs are by no means the only pictures to evoke strong emotions and cause controversy among newspaper editors and their readership. This essay will discuss two other pictures that were considered controversial at the time they were published. Seven years before Stanley Forman won the Pulitzer for his photo, war photographer Eddie Adams earned the prize for his now-iconic photo showing the execution of a man by a military officer on the streets of Saigon. As was the case with Forman, Adams never expected that the situation would take such a dramatic and horrific turn. As Adams told the story in a video entitled An Unlikely Weapon: The Eddie Adams Story, he was in the Chinese section of Saigon on the second day of the Tet Offensive. He saw a man in a plaid shirt being led out of a building and into the street. He followed to see what would happen. He was not surprised or shocked when a man in uniform, a military officer, held a gun to the head of the man in the plaid. Adams interpreted the action as a means of intimidation, a threat used as part of an act of interrogation. ? Retrieved from PulitzerPrize.org [http://pulitzerprize.org/photography/vietnam/] In retrospect, it seems like an incredibly bold and even foolhardy move, to stand with a camera so close to someone with a loaded gun. Adams was an experienced war photographer, however, and danger was part of the job. He did not anticipate what happened next. Adams snapped a photograph; he moved his finger on the camera s shutter in the same instant that the officer pulled the trigger of his gun. The shocking photograph that resulted captured the moment in time when the bullet entered the man s head. The photograph is shocking for several reasons. The most obvious is the expression on the face of the man in the plaid shirt. It reflects both pain and terror. The lines around the right side of the mouth suggest the rapid and violent movement of the head as an involuntary response to the impact of the bullet. The man doing the shooting has a matter-of-fact expression. He does not take any pleasure in killing the man, but he does what he feels he must without flinching. He is very certain about what he is doing. Over the left shoulder of the shooter, we see a helmeted soldier wincing at the horrible spectacle before him. There is a military vehicle at the end of the street. There are other people in the street, but there response to the shooting cannot be discerned from the photo. The photograph is shocking because the shooting appeared to take place in broad daylight, in the middle of a city street. The shooter does not appear to be concerned about concealing his identity or his action. The photo is shocking in its close-up look at violence, and it is violence that is made very personal because we see it from a unique perspective. As with Forman s photo, we do not see death in its aftermath but in the moments before it occurs. Both photos are shocking and frightening. Both photos appear to show people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time and suffer fatal consequences as a result. Unlike Forman s photo, though, a news story accompanying Adams photo has the power to change one s perception of the brutal act caught on film. Looking at the picture, one might assume that it showed a military man killing a civilian execution-style. There was more to the story. The man in plaid was a Viet Cong Army officer; he was the prime suspect in the murder of an entire family that day. The family belonged to the aide of Brig. General Nguyen Ngoc Loan, South Vietnamese National Police Chief and the shooter in the photograph. Did it make a difference that the man being shot was on the side of the United States enemy? Perhaps it did to some who looked at the picture and read about it. It may be easier to explain the violence if one can justify it as necessary to bring about justice. The woman in Forman s picture was a random victim of a very unfortunate accident; the man in Adams photo was a suspected criminal, thought to be responsible for the killing of innocent civilians. Some people, reading about the circumstances under which he was shot, may believe that he deserved to die. Some might believe he deserved to die by virtue of the fact that he was a Viet Cong officer. Killing is part of war. We are not at all surprised that there is death on the streets of Saigon, but we are shocked when an image of it is captured so vividly. There was no justice to be served to the woman who plunged to her death in Forman s photo. We are shocked by her death and surprised by it. Forman s final photo is prefaced by one in which it looks as though the woman and her child will be rescued. There is no doubt, in looking at Adams photo, the man in plaid will die. It is the more shocking photo of the two because it makes us look right into the face of death. We can hold out hope for a miracle when we look at Forman s photo, and it is only upon reading the accompanying story that one learns the woman died and her child survived. At least there is some good news in that story. There is no miracle in Adams photo and no good news waiting for the reader of the story behind it. Adams photo, much to his dismay, became an iconic antiwar image. That was never his intent. Forty years later, the image endures. The story behind the photograph matters little. The photo has come to symbolize the horror and brutality of a war to which many Americans were, and still remained, opposed. Even more evocative in its antiwar sentiment is the 1972 photograph by Nick Ut, showing a young Vietnamese girl, naked, screaming, and horribly burned by napalm. ? Retrieved from BBC News [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4517597.stm] The photo needs no accompanying words to explain it or make it any more powerful. It is a heart-breaking photograph of a child in abject terror. There are other children in the picture but it is the nakedness and total vulnerability of the little girl that shocks and saddens us. There is nothing one can write about the horrors of war that exemplify it more than the perils of this child. As with Forman s photo of the mother and child, we can look at the little girl and hope that somehow she will survive this terrible event. Forman s photo showed the terrible circumstances of two people. Ut s photo, on the other hand, showed the terrible circumstances in which millions of people found themselves as a result of the war. The photo is a painful reminder that there are many victims of war, not just the soldiers who fight. It is difficult to look at the photo and not feel outrage, at the same time wishing there were a way to gather up the children and transport them to safety. We know now t hat the little girl survived; even knowing that, however, does not make the photograph any less shocking. The final photo to be discussed in this essay was taken September 11, 2001, by photographer Richard Drew. Often referred to as The Falling Man, it depicts one of the many people who leaped from the inferno of the Twin Towers, making the horrible choice to die by suicide than in the smoke and flames. ? Retrieved from Esquire Magazine online [http://www.esquire.com/features/ESQ0903-SEP_FALLINGMAN] The photo is shocking because, as one first looks at it, it seems to be some sort of optical trick. The vertical lines of the tower do not look like a building. The man does not look as though he is falling. In Forman s photograph, the woman and child fall from the building with arms and legs distended, desperate to seek purchase on anything that would break their fall. By contrast, the falling man appears to be holding a pose and is elegant in the way he does so. He is falling straight downward, his arms at his sides, one leg bent at the knee in a manner that resembles a casual stance. It is difficult to look at the picture and not be immediately transported back to the horrible events of the day. Much has been written about 9/11 and there were many pictures taken. The falling man was only one of many people who jumped that day, yet it is his picture which touches us the most. Words could not adequately describe the falling man s descent and the emotions the picture evokes. After an initial look at the picture, one realizes exactly what it depicts: a man hurtling towards his death. Junod (2009) wrote that the body fell at an estimated speed of one hundred fifty miles per hour. The fall would have taken approximately ten seconds. One cannot even imagine the crushing agony the jumpers experienced in the final moments of their lives. What must it feel like to know you have only seconds left to live? Looking at Forman s photo, one can hope that there was a good outcome. Looking at Adams photo, we see death. The bullet has entered the man s head but, because the camera can capture a fraction of a second, the man has not yet dropped. Looking at Drew s photo, we wee impending death and a man literally falling toward it with grace. It is incredibly sad, both the circumstances of his death and the calm dignity with which he goes to meet it. Newspapers and television news programs showed photographs of jumpers until there were too many complaints from the public about their indecency. Drew was able to identify, almost with certainty, the Falling Man, yet the family would not provide confirmation, becoming angry when asked to do so. They felt, as did many of the people viewing pictures of jumpers, that showing anyone in the last moments of life robbed those people of their dignity. Photojournalism can be much more powerful than written journalism. In describing the four photos discussed in this essay, writers would bring their biases to the work. The use of the word bias is not pejorative; it simply means that a writer s knowledge and experience contribute to the interpretation of the photograph. The four pictures shown are shocking and evoke strong emotion. The depth and range of emotion, however, depends on the person who is looking at the pictures. Each of us notices different elements; each of us is touched in a different way. When reading a newspaper account of a tragedy, we think about the story as we make our way through the printed words. Reaction to a picture is instantaneous and much more powerful. A picture puts us at the scene in a way that words do not. Ephron illustrated this by including the Boston Photographs in her essay. She discussed the impact of the photos and the controversy they caused. Without seeing the photos, it might be too easy to ask what all the fuss was about. By seeing the photos, one can understand why the inspired strong feelings. Ephron does not argue that newspapers should print photographs of death. She argues that they should print great pictures that tell a story and evoke strong emotional response from readers. Work Cited: BBC News. (2005). Picture power: Vietnam napalm attack. http://news.bbc.co .uk/2/hi/4517597.stm. Ephron, N. (2005). The Boston Photographs, reprinted in Chris Anderson and Lex Runciman, eds., Open Questions; Readings for Critical Thinking and Writing (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin s, 2005). Print via Retrieved from http://www.haverford.edu/writingprogram /development/Ephron.pdf Junod, T. The falling man. Esquire 9/8/09. Retrieved from http://www.esquire.com/features /ESQ0903-SEP_FALLINGMAN PulitzerPrize.org. (2010). Photography: Pulitzer Eddie Adams Vietnam. http://pulitzerprize.org /photography/vietnam/

Character Analysis Of Prospero Essay -- essays research papers

Prospero, of course, is the play. He is the exiled duke of Milan and the father of Miranda, as well as a powerful magician ruler of a remote island. The play revolves around him. He has more lines than any other character. His presence is felt continuously, even in those scenes in which he does not appear personally. He is the manipulator of the action in the play. The sometimes-godlike character is well rounded and full of contradictions, making him a difficult character to evaluate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In his judging, punishing, forgiving, and in many other ways, he is godlike compare to the rest of the characters in the play. Thanks to Ariel, he is also knows everything as well. Like a god, he punishes the guilty, but with grace he shows mercy and gives second chances. After Caliban attempts to rape Miranda, Prospero does not get rid of him. If I were Prospero, I would have a severe monthly payment punishment-plan installed for Caliban. Near the end of the play, after Properso reveals the conspiracies of all those against him, there is no harsh punishment as one would imagine. He basically just demands repentance. Forgiveness is one of the themes in this play, and here Prospero demonstrates it. Even though Caliban conspires with Stephano and Trinculo to kill him, he refrains from punishing Caliban (“Go, sirrah, to my cell;/Take with you your companions. As you look/To have my pardon, trim it handsomely.'; 5.ii.291-293).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ...

Jackie Robinson

Jackie is historically recognized for his most significant impact on American society of breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball in 1947. After his initial introduction to the Major Leagues with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Jackie became the target of white race criticism all around the league including players and coaches. His challenge with the racism around the league was to not fight back, but stay a quiet, polite, ordinary baseball player.After his astounding first season and World Series appearance with the Dodgers, he became a true aspiration to African Americans and portrayed that anyone from any racial background is capable of achieving their goals if they set their mind to it. Although he was the first African to play in the MOL, he earned the respect of members of the MOL organization and ended up being known as one of the most talented baseball players of all time.His amazing stats over his career such as leading the league in stolen bases, double plays as a second b aseman, his Impressive eating average, and his MAP award, led to his induction to the Hall of Fame In 1962. His most famous statistic in his baseball career is his 19 stolen bases home. In 1997, the MOL decided to retire the number 42 for all teams In Jackass's honor, which prevents a player from ever wearing the number 42 again in MOL history. After his career in baseball, Jackie continued to fight to Improve the quality of life not only for Africans but also for society as a whole.He also became Vice President of Chock Full Nut's in 1957 and became the first African to do so In a major reparation. Robinson became an activist and leader of the African community with the NAACP in 1957 to raise money and ultimately end segregation. In his attempt to end the discrimination, he gave speeches, encouraged new Ideas, marched and stood at protests fighting for a better life among society. Jackie came Into the league hoping to Impact the racial struggle, which he did, but ended up significa ntly Impacting U. S. Imperialism's political status on the world stage.In present day, the blacks that play Major League Baseball and other Major League sports around America would not be able to do what they do without Jackass's courageous fight to end discrimination against African Americans. Cackle made American society have a different perspective on the world of sports today. By J_acquiring Jackie Robinson was born in Georgia in 1919 to a family of sharecroppers. Jackie is leading the league in stolen bases, double plays as a second baseman, his impressive batting average, and his MAP award, led to his induction to the Hall of Fame in 1962. He MOL decided to retire the number 42 for all teams in Jackass's honor, which After his career in baseball, Jackie continued to fight to improve the quality of life Chock Full Nut's in 1957 and became the first African to do so in a major end the discrimination, he gave speeches, encouraged new ideas, marched and stood at protests fighting for a better life among society. Jackie came into the league hoping to impact the racial struggle, which he did, but ended up significantly impacting U. S. jackie robinson

Polo Ralph Lauren Performance Measurement

Notes on the slides. Agenda – Our agenda follows exactly the guideline that was given to us in order to carry out this assignment. The Company – Short overview of the firm. The Fashion Industry – It is based mainly on intangible assets, rather than capital or knowledge-intensive assets.Moreover, nowadays fashion companies are less affected by the problem of seasonality: indeed they experience sales that are pretty much stable over the year; in spite of this, PRL experiences different levels of sales in the different quarters, due mainly to wholesales shipments and in coincidence with holiday periods. Industry Analysis – We used the Five Forces Model to assess the characteristics of the industry in which PRL competes in.The fashion industry is a very competitive one, rivalry among firms is high: some competitors are bigger than PRL, so they also have more resources, but still PRL is a pretty strong name and the company has a large customer base. The threat of new entrants is low because there are strong incumbents, brand loyalty in the high-price segment is high and access to suppliers and distributors is limited.Even though PRL has a high brand recognition which makes end customers less price sensitive, the bargaining power of the buyers is high as the direct customers of the firm are mainly large department stores (and the gist of the company’s revenues comes from the wholesale sector). The threat of substitutes is moderate as loyal customers tend to buy only from them but in general people may vary their purchases and also buy from the competitors.For what concerns the suppliers, it’s important to specify that PRL does not manufacture its products itself, but instead relies on licensees and other manufacturers to do so. Its suppliers are therefore manufacturers which supply the company with the finished goods. The bargaining power of suppliers is moderate: as the company doesn’t actually manufacture anything th at it sells under his brand, it has to rely pretty much on manufacturers and licensees; high quality suppliers are few and there’s high competition among high-quality firms to find such reliable manufacturers.On the other hand though, PRL produces in many different countries, mainly outside the US, thus working with many different suppliers, and this lowers the suppliers’ strength in bargaining. In total they have 350 manufacturers, with none of them providing more than 8% of total production. Internal and External Factors – In order to get a better understanding of the competitive environment from the firm’s perspective as well as of firm-specific resources and capabilities, we conducted a SWOT analysis.The company has successfully grown and expanded its range of product lines and brands, as well as his presence in the international market. One of its main strengths is the brand: it inspires a precise lifestyle and virtually everybody knows it: this high brand awareness and recognition, as stated above, make the end consumer less sensitive to the price. They decided to leverage on their strong brand in order to increase the profitability of the business and expand it by further diversifying the range of product offerings and apparel brands, which are divided into Polo brands and Collection brands (the most expensive).The firm manages to have high margins on its various brands, especially in the Collection brands. They also have no problem in accessing the end consumers as their presence is considerably high, thanks to what they call â€Å"multiple channel distribution†: this means that they have both their own stores and sell to third parties such as department stores, specialty stores and factory stores.Their major weakness is the high dependence on department stores: as stated above, their revenues depend highly on this form of retail store, especially in the US and Canada (their biggest market, we will see that from a pie chart later): they have little influence on what the department stores buy and offer to their customers, no influence on the way the merchandise is displayed and in general no creative control over the marketing.Department stores may exercise pressure on the firm to obtain merchandise at lower prices (in order to increase their own margin). Moreover, fashion firms compete for the floor space in the department stores, and the company stated in its Annual Report of 2009 that there may be competitors with greater resources which could therefore represent a threat to them under this point of view.Other weaknesses are that PRL depends on manufacturers for what concerns the quality of its products (they have to implement strict quality checks) and they have no direct control over the licensing partners: they don’t get the full revenues from sales, they can’t manage the retail stores directly and a consequence of this is that they cannot get direct feedback from customers an d cannot respond to market trends since they’re not the ones who actually sell the finished goods.They face many opportunities: the Asian market is growing, especially China’s; they may expand their presence in prestigious sport tournaments in order to further promote their brand; moreover, we think it’s of fundamental importance that they expand their e-commerce by selling online also in Europe and Asia, and not only in the United States as it is now: their web-site has the great potential to increase their sales. They could also expand their range of product offerings and develop private labels in collaboration with department stores, as the latter are creating private labels themselves and this threatens PRL’s shelf space.Thus this could be a good solution in order to decrease the likelihood of seeing their space reduced. As this document is supposed to be just an explanation of some points that might not be clearly explained in the slides, we won†™t go through all of the weaknesses, but we cite the worrying fact that the major department stores in US are undergoing a wave of M&A, and the consequence of this will be a higher â€Å"customer† power (because the number of customers will be lower). We will add more to this subject when we will talk about one of the main organizational tensions: Reliance on department stores.The 4 Ps of Strategy – Strategy as a Plan: unfortunately the company doesn’t provide any quantitative indicator of success or specific time frames for their main objectives. They only talk more specifically about their plan to transform their wholesale and retail businesses in Southeast Asia from a licensed to a wholly owned operation in January 1, 2010. Balancing Tensions – This slide describes the five major tensions every company needs to balance in order to implement a performance measurement and control system effectively.Revenue Sources – Assessing their revenue distr ibution among segments and geographical regions, we see that two tensions already emerge: their dependence on the wholesale segment (as mentioned before) and the fact that revenues are not evenly distributed among countries. Specifically, we see that Japan only makes up 8% of total revenues. Financial Data – This slide shows a comparison between PRL’s and PVH’s most important financial indicators of performance.We chose PVH because some of PVH’s fashion companies compete directly with PRL (like Calvin Klein) and also because it’s one of the few peers of PRL that has public financial statements. Besides the fact that revenues are distributed unevenly among segments and regions, the financial data does not show any other indicators of tensions. Main Organizational Tensions – We have identified four tensions, which should be taken into consideration when implementing a performance measurement system.The first tension is Revenue goals for the As ia- Pacific region: when comparing PRL’s market share in Asia to the market share of its main competitors, we see that it has just 3% of the market share compared, for example, to the 60% market share of LVMH, a group that owns fashion brands such as Luis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs. The second chart shows that PRL generates small amount of its total revenue from Asia, while for example Hermes, which is a lot smaller than PRL comparing total revenues, manages to generate over 40% of their revenues in Asia.The high reliance on department store (second tension) is also negative because, as the chart shows, such retail stores are doing pretty badly, with their net income decreasing at a fast rate. If they have financial problems they would probably reduce their purchases and the likelihood of bad debt for PRL increases. The other two tensions are exhaustively addressed in the slides. How PRL Should Address These Problems – PRL should create its own Balanced Scorecard, and her e we explain why we think it’s the right performance measurement tool to use.The Balanced Scorecard – The Balanced Scorecard’s objectives address the main tensions that we identified in the company as well as provide guidance for future success. This strategic management tool anyways should be in line with the other performance measurement and control systems that the company implements. Control System – It is worth mentioning that we didn’t find any precise information about the performance measurement and control systems currently employed at PRL. Reading the Annual Report of 2009 we only found out that the company focuses on quality processes as well as licensee supervision.In addition, we believe that they should implement a control system for the wholesale segment (monitoring trends in consolidation and reacting to them, supervision of the department store’s financial situation etc. ) and for the Asia – Pacific market (benchmarki ng: how do competitors perform, adoption of best practice processes and strategies). Conclusion – With our Balanced Scorecard and the new control systems in place, we believe that PRL will be able to achieve its main goals and operate successfully in the next years.

Brian lopes

Brian lopes Brian Lopes: The best Downhill Dual Slalom Racer Ever Downhill dual slalom mountain biking is a combination of BMX racing, Downhill Mountain biking, and freestyle dirt jumping. The course is like that of a slalom course for skiing, but instead of one racer racing against the best time, there are two racers who race head to head on the same course. Dual slalom is one of the fastest growing, and most watched mountain bike events today. Brain Lopes has been dominating this event for the past three years, by winning the world championships three years in a row. Brain Lopes is the best dual slalom in the short history of the sport, because of his extensive BMX and dirt jumping background.Before racing Downhill Mountain biking, Brain Lopes was a celebrated BMX (bike Motocross) racer. He got bored with racing BMX bikes and decided to try something new, in the early 90's he exploded onto the Mountain bike scene.English: Dan Atherton during the first round match...

Macbeths Change of Character Throughout the Play

Macbeths Change of Character Throughout the Play Free Online Research Papers Throughout the play, Macbeth changes from a noble man to a merciless tyrant thirsting for power, due to the influences of those around him. From the overt sway of the Three Witches supernatural precognition of the future, to the subtle persuation of Lady Macbeth, his honorable disposition is slowly corrupted to that of a barbarous dictator, keen only on maintaining and progressing his power. By the second half of the play, his paranoia is so deeply ingrained that he seeks to distance himself from anyone who could threaten his reign even those he once held in high regard. At the beginning of the play (Act I Scene II), the Sergeant, fresh from the frontlines of battle with the Norweyans, is explaining the situation of the war to Duncan. He recreates a fanciful depiction of the onslaught, describing the unsurpassed exploits of Macbeth, who tore his way through battle, only to finish it by slaughtering the rebel Macdonwald, and decorating the armaments of his troops with his head. For Brave Macbeth well he deserves that name -, the Sergeant says, describing Macbeth as a brave soldier, well deserving of his title. Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution, he continues, portraying Macbeth with his sword, felling all those who stand defiantly before him. Like valours minion he carved out his passage til he faced the slave; Which never shook hands nor bade farewell to him, Till he unseamed him from the nave to the chaps, and fixed his head upon our battlement. The Sergeant describes Macbeth as a valorous fighter, who bravely stands before the rebel Macdonwald, never bidding him hello or farewell, before he slices him from the navel to the abdomen, killing him. He then delivers the head to his troops, adorning his armaments with it, signifying the death of the opposing forces leader, and the victory of the battle. Towards the end of the play (Act V Scene V), Macbeth is within his castle, awaiting the arrival of the Macduffs army. While accompanied by Seyton, he hears the cry of women in his castle. During this scene, the distinct change in Macbeth is overt. When confronted by the cry, he says, I have almost forgot the taste of fears: The time has been, my senses would have cooled to hear a night shriek; and my fell of hair would at a dismal treatise rouse and stir as life were in it: I have suppd full with horrors; Direness, familiar to my slaughterous thoughts, cannot once start me. He is stating that at one point in his life, he would have been awaken and concerned at the sound of a womans cry, but because of the time hes spent ruling by the sword, slaughterous thoughts overtaking his sensitivity, it no longer stirs him. Immediately after, Macbeth turns to Seyton to ask where the cry came from. Seyton then delivers the unfortunate news that Macbeths wife, the Queen, is dead. Just in line with his previous comment, he replies, She should have died hereafter; There would have been a time for such a word. If there was grief in his heart, he did not show it, for his words were that of a cold hearted man, saying that if not now, his wife would have succumbed to the inevitability of death at a later point regardless. From the beginning of the play, the light hearted and valorous Macbeth, a victim of his influences and circumstances, slowly allows himself to be corrupted. By the end, his veins seem full of ice, not even the death of his wife moving him. This is in stark contrast to the Macbeth we see in the beginning of the play, one who could barely sit upon the thought of killing another. However, as time progresses, even the thought of his own demise does not shake him, and he bravely meets his death, now branded a usurper, at the hands of Macduff. Research Papers on Macbeth's Change of Character Throughout the PlayThe Spring and AutumnHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionThe Hockey GameHip-Hop is ArtWhere Wild and West Meet19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Bringing Democracy to AfricaQuebec and CanadaOpen Architechture a white paper

Phillips Surname Meaning and Family History

Phillips Surname Meaning and Family History Phillips is a patronymic surname meaning son of Phillip. The given name Phillip comes from the Greek name Philippos which means friend of horses, composed of the elements philos, meaning friend and hippos, or horse. Surname Origin:  Welsh Alternate Surname Spellings:  PHILIPS, PHILLIP, PHILIP Famous People With the Surname Phillips Elizabeth J. (Magie) Phillips - American inventor whose The Landlords Game (patented in 1904) was the precursor to Parker Brothers MonopolyAlban William Phillips - New Zealand economist known for the Phillips Curve, a relation between inflation and unemployment. Where Is the Phillips Surname Most Common? The Phillips surname, according to surname distribution information from  Forebears, is the 819th most common surname in the world, and is especially prevalent in Wales (where it ranks 17th), the United States (46th), England (50th), New Zealand (48th) and Australia (56th). WorldNames PublicProfiler  data also has the Phillips surname as being especially common in Wales, particularly in the western half of the country. It is also common throughout England, as well as New Zealand, Australia, the United States, and Canada. Genealogy Resources for the Surname Phillips 100 Most Common U.S. Surnames Their MeaningsSmith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 100 common last names from the 2000 census? Phillips  Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Phillips  family crest or coat of arms for the Phillips surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. Phillips  DNA ProjectThis very active DNA project brings together individuals with the Phillips surname interested in combining DNA testing with traditional genealogy research to help identify Phillips ancestors. Phillips Family Genealogy ForumThis free message board is focused on descendants of Phillips ancestors around the world. Search the forum for posts about your Phillips ancestors, or join the forum and post your own queries.   FamilySearch - Phillips GenealogyExplore over 9.6 million  results from digitized  historical records and lineage-linked family trees related to the Phillips surname on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Phillips Surname Mailing ListA free mailing list for researchers of the Phillips surname and its variations includes subscription details and searchable archives of past messages. GeneaNet - Phillips  RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Phillips surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries. The Phillips  Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Phillips surname from the website of Genealogy Today. Ancestry.com: Phillips SurnameExplore over 14  million digitized records and database entries, including census records, passenger lists, military records, land deeds, probates, wills and other records for the Phillips surname on the subscription-based website, Ancestry.com References Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Persronal statment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Persronal statment - Essay Example Since then, I have always sought opportunities to improve on my learning through practical experience in the application of the skills learnt at college. Even though I do not have sufficient in the field due to the fact that I recently completed my course, I would like to take a challenging position as a network engineer. Specifically, I would like to gain hands on experience on network systems as I am very interested in the operation of networks. It is best for me to work in an environment of networking systems as I enjoy the work. This will tap into my creativity and make me establish new and innovative ways of handling the job. I do not wish to make the lack of experience an impediment to my career development. Instead, I wish to turn into a source of impetus for success in career development. Once established as a network engineer, I would be of benefit to the society by exploiting my talents and experience to the improvement of the society. I have already had a wonderful experience working as a volunteer in a program where I was involved in the installation of computer equipment in local schools. When I advance as a network engi neer, I will assist to install more of such systems in schools at affordable fees in order to give back to the society. I have demonstrated the ability to be innovative in the exploitation of knowledge acquired while studying electrical and electronics engineering. My friends and I developed a unique application that created an information exchange network without involving the internet. We were able to sell this application to a local company and earned a tidy first income from it. I believed that if I am exposed to a more favourable environment, I would be able to come up with more innovations as a network engineer to help make the society a better place for everyone. Putting my skills into practice has also enabled me to work effectively as a member of a team. For example, when working on the innovative application, we used

Journal summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Journal summary - Essay Example Some of the symptoms of the illness include either mood episodes that might constitute an overly joyful state, also known as manic episodes, or depressive episodes, which is an extremely hopeless or sad state (Saunders, 2010). It is possible to use several medications in the treatment of the disorder, which are inclusive of mood stabilizers used for the prevention of manic episodes that might be recurrent. Apart from the medications used, some of the other interventions applicable for controlling the disorder include psychotherapy sessions for the family members as well as the individual, support groups, and psychoeducational classes (Saunders, 2010). Some of the nursing interventions used for patients with the disease might involve the stabilization of acute symptoms, safety measures and crisis intervention mechanisms. However, the application of the interventions depends with the status of the patient. The responsibility of the nurse in this case would be to assess the behavior of the patient, his or her mood or thought processes, which is a consideration that will assist the patient in getting a positive perioperative experience (Saunders,

Telemedicine Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Telemedicine - Coursework Example Consumers need to be properly clarified on the key areas of health insurance. In our pilot market, we found out that consumers have difficulty in identifying key areas of health insurance due to excess of information in their websites creating confusion and misinterpretation of information about their health system policies. According to our research, we identified that the numerous information did not apply in most circumstances to the consumer. Most of the consumers did not even use the web sites to get information that they needed. Our telemedicine application entails the basic and most important information, these comprises of: pharmacy benefits,amount to be charged, yearly limit rates,PCP office copay and special care necessities for folks as well as individual health plan policies. This system will use a simple geographical interface which is user-friendly to consumers (Darkins 2000). In our research, we identified that the consumers had a hard task comparing insurance plans. The consumer should be able to compare different insurance health plans to be able to find the most suitable insurance health plan by using the telemedicine to plan for the future. This technology help professionals in different places exchange ideas and information without being in the same place or even have to travel to attend to patients this saves time for the consumers making it easy and cheap. Video telephony is mainly used by the deaf, speech-impaired, people with mobility issues and people who are far away and need telemedical services. Health information technology (HIT) is an umbrella that describes the management and information of health using computerized systems. Health information technology, decreases paperwork, cut the cost of health care services, reduce medical errors, increase administrative efficiency and improve health care

The Characteristics and Benefits of a Great System Programmer Essay

The Characteristics and Benefits of a Great System Programmer - Essay Example The role model of leadership will be Steve Jobs who was the former CEO of Apple Inc. I selected this field of study because of my interest in designing computer systems. I want to solve business problems using efficient computer information systems and that is only possible if I get a complete understanding of all issues related to this field of study. The expected year of completion of my graduation is 2015. I have selected Steve Jobs for the study because he has proved to be a great leader in the field of computer information systems. He is the person whose core ideas and leadership skills brought great success to Apple Inc. Do what you love to do, start small and think big, and entrepreneurial approach were such rules of Steve Jobs which made him extremely successful as the CEO of Apple Inc. (Hollands, 2009). A good leader is one who works for the continuous improvement in the system of the organization while keeping in view the concerns and benefits of the employees. Some of the main features of an effective leader include belief in the abilities, ability to energize and motivate the employees, high level of self-confidence, ability to create and sell the vision, and ability to transform the organization’s culture in order to ensure high levels of productivity and profitability. â€Å"A good leader will both inspire confidence and give a strong example of what we should aim for† (Pettinger, 2007). Steve Jobs had a number of effective leadership traits. Some of the positive leadership traits of Steve Jobs included clear vision, motivation, humility, thinking big, and entrepreneurial approach towards business (Hollands, 2009). Some of my personal strengths include perfectionism, responsible, applicable, ability to learn from mistakes, and visualization. Roles of critical thinking, leadership, and accountability are very

Communications Plan for Semiconductor Systems, Inc Essay

Communications Plan for Semiconductor Systems, Inc - Essay Example The gravity of the situation is very much apparent, that there are three casualties from the substance. This involves death of three people, and should be taken extreme measures to make sure that the crisis will not happen again. Apart from the fatalities, the organization and the public will be concerned about the physiological effects of this chemical agent, that apart from the fatalities, long-term damage to the health of other employees may have resulted in it. The organization should make sure to address this concern as well. Another major concern for the organization, as well as the other stakeholders will be what the incident costs the business. Apart from the monetary costs that entails the incident--pay to the families of the fatalities, the medical check-ups of the people who have been exposed to the chemicals to ensure there are not long-term damage to their health, installation of new security systems and reinforcement of new security measures, payment for publicity costs, etc—there are non-monetary costs to organization as well. This can includes: psychological tension to employees with the prospect of unsafe environment—thus either decreasing morale, productivity, or may result in increase in turnover; damage to brand equity when the news leaks to the public which will result in loss in potential talents, decrease trust in suppliers, customers and other stakeholders, and potential capital flight from investors. Employees are the target public, who are most directly concerned with the incident. Because the safety of the work environment will be a factor in the employees’ morale, productivity—this tension should be first calmed among them. Because of this incident, there will be several versions of the story when it leaks out to the public. Therefore, it is crucial to address this brand crisis and address the reality of what has happened in order to clear out future misconceptions about it. This

Schoolbased HIV Prevention Programs Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Schoolbased HIV Prevention Programs - Article Example The objectives of the curriculum are that students will be able to set a personal sexual limit, describe their reasons for maintaining their sexual limit, identify problems that may arise in maintaining their sexual limit and describe how they will address those problems and maintain their limit. The classroom curriculum was developed over a two year period. The researchers used theories about what students needed to postpone sexual activity, we developed activities and then tested them in the classroom. Student reactions to the lessons were observed and they were asked for comments at the end of each lesson. The Healthy Oakland Teens Project (HOT) established by the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies began providing innovative HIV prevention education in Oakland, CA in 1989. The project's goal was to reduce adolescents' risk for HIV infection by using peer role models to advocate for responsible decision making, healthy values and norms, and improved communication skills. The HOT program educated ninth grade students during a one semester, daily class to become HIV peer helpers for seventh grade students. After extensive training, the ninth grade peer helpers delivered weekly interactive sessions in seventh grade science classes, focusing on values, decision-making, communication, and prevention skills. The program trained 30 ninth grade peer helpers who in turn taught 300 seventh graders each year.A parent education program was also implemented for AIDS prevention. Saving Sex for Later is an audio CD program that educates parents about helping their sons and daughters navigate normal p ubertal changes and the challenges of becoming a teenager and supporting them in staying abstinent during the critical early adolescent years. Developed with extensive input from parents and youth, Saving Sex for Later used engaging and dramatic stories to model how parents can communicate effectively with their children. The results showed that listening to the Saving Sex for Later CDs helped parents talk to their children about puberty, romantic relationships, and delaying sexual activity. Youth whose parents received the CDs reported more family rules, greater family support, and less risky behavior.Some interventions to reduce the risk of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) that target youths have resulted in short-term increases in self-reported condom use. BF Stanton et. al (1997) carried out a randomized, controlled trial of a community-based intervention delivered in eight weekly sessions which involved 76 naturally formed peer groups consisting of 383 (206 interve ntion and 177 control) African-American youths 9 to 15 years of age. A theory-based, culturally and developmentally tailored instrument that assessed perceptions, intentions, and self-reported sexual behaviors was administered to all subjects at baseline and 6 and 12 months later. At baseline, 36% of youths were sexually experienced, and by 12 months of follow-up, 49% were sexually experienced. Self-reported condom use rates were significantly higher among intervention than control youths (85% vs 61%; P

Communications Plan for Semiconductor Systems, Inc Essay

Communications Plan for Semiconductor Systems, Inc - Essay Example The gravity of the situation is very much apparent, that there are three casualties from the substance. This involves death of three people, and should be taken extreme measures to make sure that the crisis will not happen again. Apart from the fatalities, the organization and the public will be concerned about the physiological effects of this chemical agent, that apart from the fatalities, long-term damage to the health of other employees may have resulted in it. The organization should make sure to address this concern as well. Another major concern for the organization, as well as the other stakeholders will be what the incident costs the business. Apart from the monetary costs that entails the incident--pay to the families of the fatalities, the medical check-ups of the people who have been exposed to the chemicals to ensure there are not long-term damage to their health, installation of new security systems and reinforcement of new security measures, payment for publicity costs, etc—there are non-monetary costs to organization as well. This can includes: psychological tension to employees with the prospect of unsafe environment—thus either decreasing morale, productivity, or may result in increase in turnover; damage to brand equity when the news leaks to the public which will result in loss in potential talents, decrease trust in suppliers, customers and other stakeholders, and potential capital flight from investors. Employees are the target public, who are most directly concerned with the incident. Because the safety of the work environment will be a factor in the employees’ morale, productivity—this tension should be first calmed among them. Because of this incident, there will be several versions of the story when it leaks out to the public. Therefore, it is crucial to address this brand crisis and address the reality of what has happened in order to clear out future misconceptions about it. This

Feminist Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Feminist Philosophy Essay Mary Wollstonecraft was no doubt a great feminist and deserved to be called grandmother of the feminist thought. Her early experiences of an unsuccessful family life as well as the prevailing notion of the philosophers at that time about women shaped her views to become authentic feminist grand mother. Wollstonecraft’s feminist ideas affected the first wave of feminism through her arguments against the prevailing views on women most notably that of Rousseau’s which categorized women as subservient to men. Rousseau held that women’s education should be designed entirely to make them pleasing to men. Rousseau reflected â€Å"to please, to be useful to us, to make us love and esteem them, to educate us when young and take care of us when grown up, to advise, to console us, to render our lives easy and agreeable—these are duties of women at all times†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Feminist Philosophy). Against this view, Wollstonecraft work hard to emphasize that the role of women in the society were not simply an ornaments and playthings of men as they are also capable of attaining masculine virtues of wisdom and rationality â€Å"if society would allow those value to be cultivated† (p.475-476). Wollstonecraft pointed out that the prevailing views on women had bad implications not only on women but on society as well as they will only breed bitterness, jealousy, and folly. She affected the first wave of feminist by encouraging them â€Å"to restore women to their lost dignity by encouraging better ideas of woman hood† (p. 476). How did Simone de Beauvoirs writing shape the second wave? The second wave of feminism was a resurgence of early feminism as a result of various works of feminists during the 1940s such as her works. De Beauvoir writings shaped the second wave of feminism by shedding light about what is a woman in the concept of being other, and how men views women during this period. In her writings de Beauvoir shed social understanding on womanhood. She pointed out that the fundamental social meaning of woman is Other. She explained, â€Å"No group ever sets itself up as the One without at once setting up the Other over against itself† (p. 479). The thought that de Beauvoir was pointing out was that men do not view women as human being like them but as Others who are to be treated as stranger that do not deserve equal treatment. The implication of men’s treatment of women as Others according to de Beauvoir was that because women are others, they do not need to be given â€Å"equal weight to their preferences† simply because they are others (p. 480). Debeauvoir’s writings shaped the second wave of feminism through her unique way of providing social understanding about how women were regarded by men during this period. How did the events of the first and second wave affect each other? Apparently, the event of the first and the second wave of feminism affect each other in a way that they connect the second wave to the first. The second wave feminist was inspired by the events during the first wave to tag along their path of pushing for the recognition of women’s rights. Apparently, the events of the first wave feminist shaped the understanding of the second wave feminism about women’s rights, against the existing social and philosophical views on women. Thus, the events of the first wave serves as mirror for the second wave, and as inspiration for them to continue women’s struggle for the restoration of their lost dignity as women equal with men in many aspect, especially on human rights. Reference More-Bruder: Philosophy: The Power of Ideas (2008) Feminist Philosophy The McGraw-Hill Companies

Midaq Alley, Naguib Mahfouz | Character Analysis

Midaq Alley, Naguib Mahfouz | Character Analysis Midaq Alley, a novel written by Mahfouz, tells us the story of different characters living in a poor alley in Egypt during World War II, a time of change for Egypt when under British rule. The reader finds the emphasis on change experienced by the arrival of foreigners to Egypt is best shown by the women in the alley, specifically through the life Hamida, a character who wants to break through the boundaries set by society. Mahfouz shows the change in Midaq Alley through Hamida and her actions by characterization and by contrasting Hamida to others in the alley, usually the older generation. Mahfouz use of Hamida shows change in all aspects of Egyptian life including religion, monetary and traditions. Mahfouz creates Hamida to be such a rebellious and strong-willed character that he shows the changes and differences between the traditional and the new. Hamida was born in a poor alley in Cairo and has devoted her life towards two objectives, money and freedom. Hamida is a character who will do what she can to better her opportunities to be free from the traditional bonds set by the religious society in which she lives in and to gain more wealth. She has no fear in showing her aggressive behaviour and plans on marrying a successful man who can take her out of the poor alley. Hamida is not afraid to bend cultural traditions if it means making more money as is the case when she becomes a prostitute. Characterization is an important technique used by Mahfouz in his novel. No character stands out as much as Hamida. Mahfouz writes that when she set her delicate lips and narrowed her eyes, she could take on an appearance of strength and determination which was most unfeminine. (24) Gender roles is an important theme in the novel. Females have the traditional roles of housekeeping and taking care of children. However Hamida wants freedom and escape from tradition because of this she is considered unfeminine. Her actions and physical descriptions suggest being unfeminine. Throughout the novel, Mahfouz repeats Hamidas unfeminine qualities like when he writes Perhaps the most commonly said thing about her was that she hated children and that this unnatural trait made her wild and lacking in the virtues of femininity. (40). The reader is shown the contrast between the traditional women, who takes care of children, and Hamida who hates children. Mahfouz uses characterization of Hamida and dialogue to show change in perception of people in the alley, specifically the contrast between the old and young generations. Hamida is the main character who stands out for her desire to escape tradition and social status. Mahfouz shows through dialogue Hamidas jealousy of women who are free from traditional bonds. She tells her mother, You should just see those Jewish girls who go to work. They all go about in nice clothes. Well, what is the point of life then if we cant wear what we want? (Mahfouz 27). For Hamida, money and clothing are the most important thing simply because she views it as a form of gaining freedom. Hamida wished the wealthy Sheikh Darwish would be her husband but only because he was wealthy. Hamida asked herself whether it would be too mean for Darwish to give her ten thousand pounds. Money is clearly the main thought in Hamidas mind. The thought is not uncommon amongst the younger generations and ambition is a very important theme in the novel that is intertwined with money. Both Hussain and Abbas join the British army for money. Mahfouz shows Hamidas yearning for independence through her actions that are considered different to society. Later on in the book, Hamida eventually agrees to marry Abbas, a neighbourhood barber who she really does not care for, but she believes is her way out of her mothers household. Not only is he poor, he is a failure in Hamidas eyes. Hamida wanted to break that cycle of sacrificing her own personal happiness, she was already independent by taking walks on her own during a time when Muslim could not do so. She listened to Abbas when he says, I am going to work for the British Army and I might be as successful as your brother Hussain! (85) Abbas leaves Midaq Alley to join other local residents enrolling in the British army. Many Egyptians benefited from the war. The presence of troops brought many jobs. Hamida as a result gives Abbas a chance because he could succeed, however, keeps an open eye for other wealthier suitors that could suit her wants. The author shows us how Hamida deals with tradition and marriage threw characterization and dialogue. Hamida searches for marriage that will bring her wealth. When Abbas promised that he would make money from the army she was more reluctant to accept his proposal. However money is all that Hamida wants and when the wealthy Salim Alwan took interest in Hamida she quickly forgot about accepting Abbas proposal to marriage. Mahfouz shows Hamida forgetting Abbas through imagery of her eyes and heart. Hamidas heart beat furiously and her eyes show so that their whites flashed.(142) Mahfouz description of the heart makes the reader feel Hamidas thoughts are only in the present and not the past because when the heart beats fast it is usually do to a reaction that presently occurred. Mahfouz also shows Hamidas blindness when he describes the whites(142) of Hamidas eyes flashed(142). Hamida is blinded by greed and she doesnt care for Abbas. For Hamida, Salim was at last the man who could give her all the luxury and freedom she prayed for. Mahfouz shows through listing and repeating Hamidas view of marriage. The greedy Hamida believes that marrying a wealthy man would bring her dignity, beautiful clothes, jewellery, pride, and a whole new world of secure and happy people. (142). Hamida is willing to break tradition and her marriage to Abbas for the wealthy Salim. The repetition of beautiful clothing and jewellery by Mahfouz, throughout his novel, suggest that Hamida wanting to change since she has ragged clothing. Wearing beautiful clothing to Hamida is a sign of freedom because clothing expresses an individual especially when that individual can chose what to wear. When Umm Hamida asks Have you forgotten that you are engaged? And that I confirmed it by reading the Quran with Abbas? Hamida shouted in full, angry scorn, that barber!. Mahfouz shows that Hamida does not care for Abbas despite the fact that he truly cares for her. Mahfouz shows the reader that marriage in Egy pt is about transactions and gaining money not about true love as it should be. Hamida tells her mother He must go. She only wants to succeed in life. Hamida would be violating the Quran because she has already committed herself to Abbas. Mahfouz shows the importance of religion in the alley when Umm Hamida tells her daughter that punishment for violating the Quran is harsh (146). Hamida, a rebellious character, does not allow anything to interfere with [her] happiness. Mahfouz shows through Hamida how the change in society has affected her and others. Hamidas pimp Ibrahim Faraj advises her how to be more attractive to his clients. She agrees to be called Titi from now on, a name that will amuse Englishmen and Americans and one which their twisted tongues can easily pronounce. (217) Hamida accepted this change and everything else that goes with it. Mahfouz shows through similie all that Hamida will give up in order to gain money. She realized that he considered her name, like her old clothes, as something to be discarded and forgotten. (216) Hamida is willing to give up her own name so she can gain wealth and beautiful clothes. Ibrahim provides his whores with English teachers telling them: I keep telling them that they cant learn a language just by memorizing words and phrases. (221) The fact that the prostitutes need to learn English for their job shows the rise of multiculturalism in the Middle East as foreign languages make their way into societ y. Eventually when Abbas discovers Hamida with British troops at a local tavern, he allows all the despair he has suffered to explode. He throws an empty beer glasses at her face and the troops murder him. The irony is that Hamida returns to the alley and once again keeps to the original way of life. To conclude Mahfouz use of Hamida shows change in the alley because Hamida as a character does not follow traditions. She breaks the commitment to Abbas despite confirming with the Quran. She is void of feminine features with her violent nature and her greed for wealth. Her need to be free encourages her unfeminine nature and was something common during the 20th century when females had to take up male jobs when the men were fighting in World War II. Females as a result gained more freedom on the global scale just as Hamida wished to gain. Research: Investigation of a problem Research: Investigation of a problem 4.1 Introduction The process of finding a solution to a problem after a thorough study and analysis of the situational factor is known as research (Sekaran-2000). This implies that research is an organized and systematic investigation of a problem. In a research, there are various methods, techniques and instruments been use to gather the information. After gathering the informations, those informations need to be analyzed and evaluated align with the research aim to recommend a solution for the problem. This chapter outline the various research designs and methods been used in this research. 4.2 Research Philosophy: During choosing the research methodology, the researcher needs to adopt one which aligns with the research objective. Research philosophy mainly depends on how the researcher wants to carry out the research. The researcher can use multiple approaches to find out the best possible answer from the various dimensions. Saunder et al. (2003) approach appear reasonably logical as they compare research process with an onion layer and arguing about different layers. The onion shows there are three research philosophies. Research process onion Source: Saunders et al (2003, p 83) According to Saunders et al. (2003) research process onion, there are three types of research philosophies. They are Positivism, Interpretevism and Realism. Comprehensive analysis of all the philosophies been carried out by the researcher to selecting the most suitable methodology for this research. 4.2.1 Positivism: According to Saunders et al. (2003), The researcher in this tradition assumes the role of an objective analyst, coolly making detached interpretations about those data that have been collected in apparently value free manner. This methodology is mostly carried through observation and focus on lightly structured methodology. The result of this philosophy is totally based on the real fact and gathered data rather than just interpretation of different opinions. 4.2.2 Interpretivism: This method of research philosophy is based on the ways, people think about various aspects of a particular topic. As different people analyze the same thing in different ways, the researcher can gain the different view of the particular topic. 4.2.3 Realism: Saunders et al. (2003) Realism is based on the belief that a reality exists that is independent of human thoughts and beliefs. It implies that, there could be forces on factors that could affect people and it does not matter whether the person aware about the presence of the factor or not. Saunders et al. (2003) claimed that, often business and management research is a mixture of positivism and interpretivism and reflect the attitude of realism. It shows researcher(s) show not bound one self to just one type of research philosophy. For this research, the researcher use realism and interpretivism research philosophy and these were considered most appropriate by the researcher, though positivism approach was also used to get an unbiased result. 4.3 Research Approach: Saunders et al. (2003) showed, there are two types of research approaches. They are Inductivism approach and Deductive approach. 4.3.1 Inductivism approach: In this approach the researcher need to develop own theory after data collection and analyze those data. It is important for the researcher (s) to know the previous work in the same field. 4.3.2 Deductive approach: is such an approach where the researcher(s) need to create a theoretical model and framework and try relating with the relevant discipline and finally collecting the data to test the created model or framework whether it match the researcher (s) expectation or not. For this research, the researcher used inductive approach of research due to the limited time scale. The researcher tried to develop an own theory, collected data through different data collection method (questionnaire, interview and observation) and also tried to find out any previous research on the same field, though there were several on the same topic but none were done in the same organization. 4.4 Access to the data: As a previous employer, the researcher explains the benefits, nature and the process of the research to several managers and enrollment officers. The researcher formally invites them to participate in the interview and fill up the questionnaires with the employers. The researcher used existing contacts strategy to gaining access to the organization. 4.5 Sampling: According to the Jankowicz (2000), Sampling is the deliberate choice of the number of people who are to provide you with the data from which you will draw conclusions about some larger group whom those people represent. It means that, sampling is a segment from a large group of people who will provide the data on behalf of the whole group. As the population using to identify the practices and the major elements of recruitment and selection process at Grameen Phone and examine the effectiveness of the recruitment and selection methods used by Grameen Phone. The researcher chooses several Grameen Phone managers and enrollment officers as sample group for this research. Due to get the different view of the topic the researcher include HR Executives into this research as the managers may only think about the organizations point of view. Figure: 4 Total numbers of the samples for this research (%) Total population size for this research was 125. However a Total number of 97 respondents including 72 HR Executives, 18 training and development officers, 5 Selection and Recruitment Officer, 1 Deputy Manager and 1 HR manager are in sample size for the questionnaire from the Grameen Phone. Sample size was cut down to 97 from 125 populations due to their different time shifts of work and incomplete questionnaires. 3 Selection and Recruitment Officers and 2 Training and Development Officers were the sample size for the semi structured interview. The researcher followed the simple random sampling process to run the questionnaire. 4.5 Source of information: There are two sources of information, these are primary and secondary sources and the data gathered through those resources are called primary data and secondary data. 4.5.1 Secondary Data: Anderson (2004) describes secondary data as Data which has been generated else where for other purpose. It implies that, secondary data is the data which is already exist and gathered by some other people for different reasons. This type data include both raw data published summaries. Secondary data were mostly used by the researcher in the literature review to gain an in depth knowledge and to get a clear understanding of the subject area. Gathering the secondary data is time consuming and time effective for the researcher as most of the findings from previous researches already existed in form of books and journals etc. Moreover, as existing high quality data collected and analyzed by following well established procedures, the reliability and validity of the secondary data remains high. Stewart and Kamins (1993) said, secondary data are likely to be higher quality data than gather by the researcher himself. 4.5.2 Primary Data: according to Anderson (2004), Primary data is information that is collected by the researcher, usually for the purpose of particular research project. It means that, for any specific project when the researcher collects data are known as primary data. To achieve a great acceptability and to find the best possible result of this research, researcher used both primary and secondary data. 4.6 Research Design: According to Smith et al (2003), a research design is organizing research activity, including the collection of data, in ways that are most likely to achieve the research aims. Data can be collected by using quantitative techniques or qualitative techniques. Both the qualitative and quantitative methods been employed to carry out this research. 4.6.1 Quantitative Technique: According to Hair et al. (2003) said, Quantitative data are measurements in which numbers are used directly to represent the properties of something. Babbie (1992) describes the quantitative research as the numerical representation and manipulation of observations for the purpose of describing and explaining the phenomena that those observations reflect. It implies that in quantitative technique researchers observation and finding are present through numerical form. Generally quantitative technique focus to measure the phenomena. By using this technique, researcher will get the result in numerical or statistical form. Responses in quantitative method are not as explanatory as qualitative method. Quantitative method are often most appropriate for conducting needs assessments or for evaluations comparing outcomes with baseline data. Finally Denzin and Lincoln (1994) said that, quantitative studies emphasize the measurement and analysis of causal relationships between variables, not process. 4.6.2 Qualitative Technique: According to Mason (1996), qualitative research usually does use some form of quantification, but statistical forms of analysis are not seen as central and should be conducted as an ethical practice. It implies that the research involves more peoples understandings and interactions. Though qualitative research is not always appropriate for every research problems and there is more chance of sacrifice scope for detail. . Mariampoliski (2001) said, Qualitative technique provide competitive tool for advancing the state of knowledge and pushing insights. This type of data can obtain through interview or observation. This method can be expensive and could long time to finish the process. This technique is used when the researcher wants to understand any phenomena in a descriptive way rather than any numerical figure. Due to its exploratory nature, this technique tries to describe, decode and translate any phenomena. Mixed methods were used in this research. Cresswell (1994) also said, researchers should make the most efficient use of both paradigms in understanding social phenomena. A positive approach for data collection in the Questionnaires was carried out with both for lower level employees and members of management officer. Semi structured (face to face) interviews were carried out with 3 HR Managers and, Recruitment and Selection Officer of different GP Center. Four interview observations were done by the researcher as well. This study is designed in such ways that helps in collecting necessary data for confirming or contradict the above mentioned hypothesis. 4.7 Questionnaire: According to DeVaus (1991), A questionnaire is a data collection tool, which requires each research participant to respond to the same set of questions in a pre-determined order. It implies that all the respondents answer the same questions by themselves and the researcher make sequences of the question previously as per requirement to gather data. The questionnaire was structured with questions based on both employer and employees perception about the existing recruitment and selection process are used by Grameen Phone and their effectiveness. The questionnaires were distributed to both employer and employees at several GP customer care branches. The questionnaire was standardized without any kind of bias from the researcher and was logical. The researcher try not to design the questionnaire too long and complicated as the respondents might feel bore or misunderstand the questions. To prevent the respondents from any misunderstanding, clear instructions were given in the questionnaire. According to Saunders et al (2003), the use of questionnaires to survey a sizeable population is a highly economical way of collecting data in a relatively short time, and therefore a popular and common data collection method in business and management research. Data collection through this method is time consuming and there is a scope that respondents can express their thoughts. On the other hand, low response rate is the big disadvantage of this method, as this rate may affect the validity of the result. Oppenheim (1986) said, there is no opportunity for additional explanations and Bell (1999) said poor questionnaires result in poor answers. 4.8 Semi Structured Interview: Semi structured interview help interviewees to express their thoughts and concern freely. According to Saunders et al. (2003), interview is a good instrument for collecting valid and reliable information relevant to research objective. This type of interview helps the managers to display their concern about the existing recruitment and selection process of Grameen Phone. In this study, interviews carried out were semi structured in nature, contained few numbers of open ended questions were asked. Interviewees been given enough space and time to elaborate the answers and the interviewer can identify the meaning behind the replies. Time and the length of the interview were taken into account to prevent the interviewee from being carried away from the interview. 4.9 Observation: According to Cooper and Schindler (2003), Observation alone can capture the whole event as it occurs in its natural environment. It means that observation is a systematic, proper controlled and scientific method of data collection. This method has high validity in research conducting. There is less possibility in this method that participants ideas would be influence the data since there is no interaction between the observer and the participants. Data can be gathered in real time through this method. However, Collins and Hussey (2003) said, there are some drawbacks of this method like ethics, visibility, restriction in the use of technology are major and for large sample group observational studies are difficult. Moreover, accuracy of the data collection depends on the skill of the observer. For this research, the researcher observed several different recruitment interviews of employers at Grameen Phone. In most cases, participants were informed by the manager that the researcher would be present during the interview to gain some practical knowledge regarding recruitment interview, hence,the collected data were not influenced by the researchers presence. 4.10 Ethical Issue: Saunders et al. (2003) said, ethical issues to be anticipated and corrected during the research design stage. Researcher need to be cautious about his / her own action and those affected by it during the research. In this research, the researcher try to avoid any kind of bias during prepare the questionnaire. Both open and close ended questions were asked. Open ended questions gave the researcher chance to gain an insight of the provided answers, however due to their ambiguity nature qualitative answers are not easily evaluated. During the interview observation stage, the researcher was not allowed to use any recording device by the Enrollment Officer to ensure the organizational privacy. However, the researcher was allowed to take notes. Privacy of the respondents and the organization is another ethical issue. According to Robson (1993), The researcher needs to observe certain privacy rights for those who become subjects of the research. To protect their employment relation, the employers completing questionnaire need privacy. Those who did not want to be a part of the research, their refusal were accepted. The researcher had to make sure all the information received will kept anonymous to protect the confidentiality. Before gathering the secondary data, the originality of the sources were double checked by the researcher. 4.11 Reliability and Validity: Robson (1993) said, Subject error is an issue of reliability and this happens as a result of carrying out questionnaires on employers at different times can lead to different results. It implies that, if the researcher gets different results in different time by using the same questionnaire then the subject error could take place and that is a matter of reliability of the process. Saunders et al. (2003) said, reliability can be measured based on the similarities between the results taken by different occasions and by different researchers. If the results are similar, the research is reliable. Again, Robson (1993) said, Reliability of the research can be measured by how accurate the researcher is with the actual findings. For this research, the researcher used various sources of evidence which have been documented and it was essential for the researcher to achieve both reliable and valid result. What Do We Mean By Political Authority? What Do We Mean By Political Authority? INTRODUCTION Political power or sovereign power is exercised through a man or an assembly of men. Commonly, we recognize that its mission is to ensure social cohesion and the development of the prosperity of the State. This is possible under the condition that its authority is established and maintained. If the State had no recognized authority, it would not have power and could not fulfil its mission; it would not rise above other forms of power. It would not exist. If all political power supposes authority, it is however not very clear to determine what can ensure this authority and therefore how to establish the base of the political power itself. We see that a State has always many rivalries. And who says rivalries, says conflicts to resolve before a higher court. Isnt the essence of power, to resolve conflicts? Does it only exist by the fact that it exercises a constraint? Our line of analysis will therefore be focusing on the consideration of power in its exercise.   Power is a term with a meaning that exceeds politics. It designates a capacity which is superior and that could eventually turn into act. Political power has a particularly important place, because it is a symbol of power in this world, a kind of temporal power, because it is highly coveted due to its rarity, because it is how men can express a will of supremacy through the domination of other men, and an insatiable desire for recognition, that of the egocentric and the tyrant. Political power is historically formed through a process by which it acquires an authority in the name of the people to whom it applies. However following the guarantee of authority that it receives, it has a different meaning. In other words one needs to understand how the power is legitimised. Let us therefore analyse the different factors of political power legitimisation. TRADITION Tradition was once, and still is in some remote areas of this world, the sufficient guarantee of the authority. In a traditional society or absolute monarchy, the social and political powers are blended. The Chief or the King embodies the main political powers be it legislative, executive or judicial. This is not so much a question of person, but a sanctification of power that comes from the inertia of the habits and customs. It is the custom that requires that the chief passes its power to his son. It is the custom that requires that the heir becomes King, because it has always been done this way. It is the custom that says that it is just, so be it. A person who has a great respect for tradition does not alter the power of custom, but it perpetuates it. The strength of habits transforms in law what has always been practised until then. Traditional power is derived from customs. That is how a child is sacred King, by mere line of descent, without any other legitimisation of power than the one of the authority of the past, the seniority of the custom and traditions. The tradition has its own authority; it is a reference to the memory of men because it carries values worth of high respect. Tradition confers the force of continuity to time. RELIGION In the same sense, religion, far from opposing this conservation of the past; just adds its weight of authority to tradition. It gives the authority a sacred value: it teaches that all authority comes from God and not from men. Disturbing tradition, means to attempt to a sacred order, undermining the sovereign person is a blasphemy. The traditional sovereign is here endowed with political power by taking on an aura of cult prestige. In the eyes of individuals in society, he is much more than a man. He embodies a divine power and it is this aura of sacred power that makes him respectable, not only the constraint that he exerts. The link between the subject and the sovereign is shadowed not only by a superstitious fear, but also by a respect for the sacred. We lend to the sovereign some magical powers, the same way we could lend them to religious prophets. Religion reassures people, it reinforces the established hierarchies, it does it so well that it tends to turn the established order into a sacred order, which cannot be changed without being considered a desecration of the established order. Like in traditional societies, the distinction between spiritual and temporal powers does not occur; the sovereign has all of them imbedded in him. He is regarded as a leader and the representative of God on Earth. In this case again, tradition is the social factor that legitimizes power. However we shall note that tradition does not refer to a particular regime, but above all it refers to the trust and attachment of a people to a singular system. Nowadays and in the West, this form of power no longer seems to be at the forefront, as it could be the case in other continents. Nevertheless the power of tradition is considerable. It is at the same time the preservation of the past and the force of continuity at the heart of evolution, while also having the character of maintaining a rigid straitjacket that endures practices sometimes morally controversial. The rigidity of traditions and their corruption calls for the need of revolutions. INDIVIDUALISM The decline of the tradition, the rise of individualism witnessed during modern times, has promoted another form of legitimization of power, namely the charisma. Originally however, charisma had a religious sense; it was the personal grace that God granted an elected, which gave him an extraordinary power. In the political sphere, the idea remains that some men are called to be heroes of history. Charisma is the power that emanates from the radiation of a personality. The charismatic power comes from the recognition by the peoples collective consciousness, of a politician persona, and enforces the idea that the personal will of a man can be identified with the will of the State, as if he could embody the spirit of a nation. In peoples mind, the power of a man becomes legitimate when after a revolution; he is converted into a saviour, a chief, a supreme guide, a fà ¼hrer, a great leader, etc. The people saw in him an actor who has the vocation to take in hand the reins of power in order to lead the nation towards a better future. The charismatic leader is meant to play a role on the stage of history. Through him, a nation feels like receiving a call from destiny. If power acquires then legitimacy, it is no longer due to habits and custom, or to the normal functioning of institutions, but it is for some psychological reasons, because it is perceived as symbolic through the figure of a charismatic leader. It is undeniable that this form of power has always existed. At all times, charismatic leaders such as Caesar, Lenin, Stalin, Mussolini, Hitler, Mao Tse Toug, Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, and even De Gaulle, have in common an incontestable charisma. First and foremost a politician is muscled by the strength of his character. An elector often votes for the man more than for his ideas. If the charisma is the important psychological factor for the legitimisation of power, one can ask however to what extent such an assumption can support itself. The fact that many voters vote more for a person than for his ideas is totally absurd. In practice, charisma is irrational. Power excessively personalised may be abusive, precisely because it is customised, while in reality it only achieves an impersonal function of the State. THE RULE OF LAW Legal authority is based on a legitimisation of power resulting from the authority of the laws. It is the only factor of legitimisation that can be accepted in a rational manner. Power in the modern sense of our democracies, is regulated by a process of recognition provided by our institutions. It is the only one that corresponds to the democratic State and its ideals, where the citizen can rationally accept a power which he himself has delegated. The citizen rationally submits himself to laws that he considers right and valid for all. The legality is based on established rules that have been discussed and agreed upon. It implicitly assumes a social contract that everyone is able to recognize. Habits and custom are not justified, they simply repeat themselves, charisma imposes a personal will, but it only contains dominance which is also a constraint, while laws are discussed, reasoned and voted. It does not compel the citizen; it binds it, which is different, the approach is not coercive. Since the State has to neutralize violence, it can only do it rationally by using the authority of the laws. If the State exerts some kind of violence, it will have to justify in the name of the respect of the laws. The citizen can recognize the authority of the law and as a result, the use of force on behalf of the law. Max Weber admits that the State has the monopoly of legitimate violence. The political power that is at the base of the modern State is the power of the rule of law; its legitimisation comes from the collective consent of accepted laws. This means that the governing body when performing its leading duties is not the possessor but only the trustee of the laws. Rousseau said that politics are a Minister of the people. This distinction cannot be marked in the legitimisation of the habits and custom and charisma, where, on the other hand, the sovereign is felt as the owner of the power. In addition, founded on a legal basis, a sovereign cannot use power to accommodate freely his personal wishes. However the existence of the traditional power and charisma shows us that we would be wrong to have an idea too rational of power. Political power is not a power, whose springs are fully rational nor is economical power. Legality is in principle a formal way that covers in reality the collective consciousness of a nation. What we can say is that the exercise of the power in our democracies is in the hands of institutions that are independent from the will, passions and interests of those who govern. Therefore, ideally, political power is in fact the expression of the general will of a nation. This power is legitimised by the authority of the establishment of rules and laws that have been voted by universal suffrage.