Pip grows Essay

Pip grows up as a blacksmiths assistant yet he had always truly wanted to be a ‘gentleman’. He is stunned when he receives a copious amount of money from an unknown source. Pip quickly jumps to the assumption that his new found wealth had been provided by Miss Havisham. He goes to thank her and she carries on leading him down the wrong belief that this wealthy benefactor is her. Pip wishes to become a gentleman and traveled to London to complete his learning. He meets many characters that help him on his way through life. Pip becomes a stuck up snob who cares for nothing but himself and though he believes he is becoming a ‘gentleman’ he is only becoming rude, self obsessed and unable to see clearly once again. His actions were idiotic and lead to his own destruction when he becomes in debt and unable to help himself. He then find out to his surprise that the convict he helped so long ago when he was simply a troubled little boy is his benefactor and not Miss Havisham. I feel it is now that Pip comes to the realization that his images of Estella and Miss Havisham were only illusions and did not tell the truth that lay deeper in their dark hearts and personalities. Pip, however, is still obsessed with Estella and will not admit it because of his pride and snobbery. Miss Havisham repents her cruelty and also allowing Pip to believe she was something that she was not. Miss Havisham wishes for forgiveness and begs it from Pip. He however, he does not give it to her and she dies violently in a fire while Pip is with her in her house. Magwitch is then sentenced to death because of his return to England, Pip and two others then plan to help Magwitch by getting him abroad and out of danger but they fail to save him because they are stopped by the river-police and they find Compeyson onboard. Magwitch and Compeyson fight and struggle Compeyson drowns and Magwitch escapes with brutal injuries. He then dies later in prison and on his death bed tell pip that his daughter and Pip are in love. Magwitchs daughter is Estella. This news hits Pip and he is left alone while he sets up his own business with the very little money he had sense to save. Unfortunately he becomes ill but lucky for him Joe rescues him and pays off his debts. It is now Pips turn to repent his snobby actions and returns to Kent with the hope to marry Biddy. He find out that she is already married to Joe. Pip then goes abroad and returns seven years later only to meet Estella in the ruins of Satis House. It is there that they hint that they will be united. This is The story after his first two life changing encounters. Pip develops his character in many ways, especially in ways that were unexpected as when we first met him he seemed to be a boy who at such a young age had understood the identity of things and was kind and caring even through the hardship so early in his life. This does show that the money he received not only changed him but later helped him to see clearly in the way he had when he was just a young innocent boy. He suffered so much in his life but we as an audience must realise he did bring the majority of it on himself. It was brought through his snobbery and rejection of those that would have always been true to him no matter what and the reality that they did stay true to him. In a twisted way his money, snobbery and later suffering helped him in appreciating his life. If it was not for the late suffering he endured however her would not have redeemed himself and this point is crucial. Although it is hard to believe Miss Havisham and Estella could have experienced true feelings we do see that they learn to have genuine feelings of love and sadness. Miss Havisham shows her feelings with many thanks to Pip. The reason I say this is because when Miss Havisham realises the depth of Pips love for her adopted daughter Estella who she taught to hate and destroy men she remembers her love with Compeyson. She then remembers herself and understands her sins and does the only thing she thinks she can do. She takes responsibility for her actions. Miss Havisham asks for Pip’s forgiveness, helps Herbert Pocket and leaves and fortune to Herbert’s father. All of these self less acts show Miss Havisham, for on last time, became in touch with her feelings that she left behind so long ago. Estella not only show that she has feelings but she is understood as someone similar to Pip. Ignore her disdain and the audience will understand that she too was an orphan and a victim. They share so many similarities yet are separated so much by different positions in both life and society. They both use their surrogate parents to extract revenge from society. Pip uses Magwitch and Estella, of course, uses Miss Havisham. Estella is presented as a hated character because of her lack of care and love but she is to no extent evil she is only living and acting how she thinks she should because of what Miss Havisham taught her. Estella was taught many lessons but not to love. She is honest in admitting this and does not try to deny it. She tells Pip that she will toy with all men but not him and this presents a type of loyalty. I am certain that Estella knew of Pips love for her but she did not love him back because if the simple reason that she did not how to. Estella did show that she had some feelings for Pip when she allowed him to kiss her in their childhood. After her failed marriage I think that She came out of it scared of the world and the things she did not understand like love and I think she was scared of herself because she did not know how top react to situations due to the lack of information she was granted by Miss Havisham when she was young and innocent. Estella was a strong and proud character but she needed to be loved by someone that was not using her to succeed where they did not (Miss Havisham) or to just use her (Drummle). Although this novel was written more than 150 years ago its themes of love, snobbery, suffering and redemption are still relevant today and will still be relevant in another 150 years. I think that Charles Dickens was not ahead of his time when he wrote this, I feel he was at a point in his life were he had realised ‘†¦ the identity of things.. ‘ for himself. He knew like anyone who reads this book that these characters are not one person they represent so much more than that, society as a whole. Their suffering can be read into and developed more to explain difficulties we, the audience, go through today during our life. I can guarantee you that each and every character and their story will relate to another person in this world today and a person in the future too. Charles Dickens wrote this novel to help us understand what he did. This book is about life and death and all the pieces in between. A griping novel and a book which has one page to relate to a different part of life or a different life all together.

Branches of Philosophy Essay

There are five types of branches in philosophy. These branches can be categories as Metaphysics, Epistemology, Ethics, Politics, and Estetics. The first branch of philosophy is Metaphysics, also known as the study of existence. Metaphysics act as a foundation in philosophy as well as the foundation of the view of our world. Metaphysics is very important to all of us as it help us to deal with reality by explaining and interpreting the world and nature around us. As you can see, without Metaphysics in our life, we will be unable to preserve our life as well as being ambiguous toward the information and knowledge around us, if this happen, we will have difficulty to live and comprehend the world. Therefore, Metaphysics is very important in our life. There are also some key elements of a rational metaphysics, one of the most important element would be reality. From a metaphysical side of view, reality must be understood perfectly and correctly because reality can be said as absolute and consistent. It has a specific nature independent of our thoughts or feelings. Besides reality, causality also play an important role in metaphysics. This is because everything happens for a reason and also an effect. Every entity has a specific nature and act according to that specific nature. Therefore, we can define that causality is means by which changes occurs, but the changes occurs depending on a specific nature. The next branch of philosophy is Epistemology, which is also known as the study of knowledge. This branch of philosophy is used to address the question â€Å"How do I know about it† as Epistemology is the study of our method or ways to acquired knowledge. It also relates our minds to reality by concerning how are they related to each other before determine whether these relationships are valid or invalid. Epistemology also encompasses the nature and construction of concepts. All mental things such as idea and emotion are also compasses by Epistemology. We need to have Epistemology in order to identify the true and false in our daily life and also the method or ways of evaluating certain things to acquired knowledge and experience toward the world around us. Epistemology is important because we will not be able to identify right from wrong as we are unable to think properly without Epistemology. On the other hand, we will be able to achieve our goal as well as acquired more understanding toward reality if we got enough degree of Epistemology. Flaws in epistemology will make it harder to accomplish anything. One of the key elements of a proper Epistemology is our own senses. Our five senses are valid and also are the only way we can gain information about the world around us. Besides that, logic help us to maintain consistency within our knowledge. Validity is determined by objectivity while concepts are abstraction of a certain details of reality. These are all the key elements for a rational Epistemology. Ethics, also known as the study of how a person acts in his daily life, is dependent on Epistemology because it is impossible to make choices without knowledge. From a fundamental point of view, ethics is a method or way to categorized and pursue our own values. Human needs Ethics to live. This is because without ethics, the whole world will become chaotic as all our action will be aimless and random as all of us are unable to decide a course of action. Ethics will not be able to completely help us to pursue our goal if rationality is ignored. We must all have a rational ethical standard at a certain degree which we are able to identify our goal clearly in order to accomplish our most important values. Every branches of philosophy have their own key element to achieve certain level of value. For ethics, it requires a standard of value to which all goals and actions can be compared to. The ultimate standard of value is none other but the value of our own lives. If a person is able to recognize his importance not only to his physical survival, but to his well-being and happiness, that certain person can be said to have a very good and proper ethics in his life. One of the subset of ethics will be the next branches of philosophy known as Politics. Politics can be defined as the study of how men should interact in a proper society and what constitute proper in life, in other words, it is the study of Force which answer the question ‘What action are permissible’. Politics can be applied to every single person or a group of people. A society is set up by Politics as politics tell how a person should act or behave within a certain society. Politics is very important in a society and even a country itself, this is because a political system in a society or country will greatly affect the individuals within that specific area. The people within that system are allowed to function or act according to the nature of the politics that is applied there. If the system is unable to work out, it will either collapse such as the Communist Russia or it will cause rebel such as in Czarist Russia. The main goal of Politics must be the faculty of reason. This is because reason is the main means of survival for a man as ones cannot survive in an ineffective environment. In a moral political system, coercion must be banned because reason does not function under it as man cannot be forced to think about what is right or wrong. Society cannot be forced to think, but, government plays an important role here as governments can objective laws and also monopoly retaliatory force to prevent one person from doing illegal things that might harm the society. The last branch of philosophy is also known as the study of arts and the sense of life which is called Esthetics. Esthetics also studies the methods of evaluating arts and also the judgment of arts itself. This branch of philosophy depends on the previous branches of philosophy which is Metaphysics, Epistemology, and ethics. It is important to study art because art existed through all of recorded human history. Human’s unique ways of thinking and evaluating makes art unique as well. A person ability to abstract the concept of art can determined the standard of one’s life as well as satisfying his personal intellectual needs. This is why Esthetics is very important as it delves into the reason why does art existed. The main key element of a proper Esthetics is none other than a person’s value judgment of the creator. With the field of ethics, these value judgments can be evaluated as well as observed because art is a selective recreation of reality.

To What Extent Is There a Democratic Deficit in the Uk?

Government & Politics Essay To what extent is there a democratic deficit in the UK? There is an argument that the government has the power and right to change laws and represent people without necessarily having to be elected. This can also be known as ‘Democratic deficit’. An example of democratic deficit is the House of Lords. The members in the House of Lords aren’t elected but they get to make laws and represent the people. The members in House of Lords are usually given their seats hereditarily so many people found it unfair that they’re not elected into the Parliament but they can make decisions and laws on our behalf.On the other hand, people may argue with the fact that there is the House of Commons as well as the House of Lords and the House of Commons has more power than the House of Lords has. H of C can make laws and policies without consulting H of L, whereas H of L has to consolidate H of C with the policy or law they want to pass. There has a lso been some sort of reform in the H of L to make it fairer, there are only 92 hereditary lords left in the H of L so people may say this is an example of the UK not being a democratic deficit. In this essay I will be assessing for and against views of the UK being a democratic deficit.Some people agree with this view that there is a democratic deficit in the UK because as I mentioned earlier the members in House of Lords aren’t elected, the head of state (Queen) can decide whether or not laws can be passed and practiced in the UK but she’s not elected and can reign as long as she stays alive for which some people find unfair because the laws she passes affects them. Another example of Democratic deficit is the European Union who makes regulations and decisions that has an effect on all the countries across Europe which includes the UK.Some people think this is unfair because they make decisions that affect the way we live in the UK and they haven’t even been e lected to do so; however others may say that they may not be elected but they do make laws and decisions that help the UK such as health, education, social security and social services. The EU being an example of democratic deficit can be argued both ways one being bad for people because they can make laws that the people don’t like but they have to follow them regardless and the other being the fact that the EU makes laws that helps the country as a whole such as education and health.Judges can be said to be an example of democratic deficit because they aren’t elected by the people but they can make decisions that affect people’s lives. Judges can direct a verdict, they can interpret and apply the law and they can even make laws in some cases and all without even being elected. Some people may see this as unfair because judges can be biased and judgemental and sentence someone to more years than they deserve because they know that they can’t be fired.How ever, some people may disagree with this because judges do what’s best for the society and for the people and if they didn’t sentence harshly or fairly, criminals would be out in the public repeating their acts. However, some people may argue against this by saying that there are juries there in the court to make sure that the sentencing is fair and the trial isn’t sabotaged or biased. Juries also give their verdict on how they found the criminal/defendant so the decision isn’t fully dependent on the judge. Low participation rates in the UK are one of the features of democratic deficit.In the 2010 general elections more than 16 million% of people could have voted but chose not to. The overall turnout in the UK as a whole was 65%. In 2005 the voting turnout was 61% approximately, which means over a period of 5 years the percentage has risen by 4% over the UK. This shows that there is an in fact low participation rate in the UK and this is due to situations such as First Past the Post. On the other hand, others may disagree because the turnout of participation has increased in the last two general elections. In 2001 the overall turnout of participation was 59%, and in 2005 the overall turnout of participation was 61%.This shows that the participation in the UK is rising. There is also some other forms of participation in the UK that have increased such as boycotting, petitions etc. These have gone up over the past years with more people becoming more interested in politics. FPTP is an electoral voting system based on constituencies, for a party to win a general election outright they must win an absolute majority of constituencies. FPTP is used for elections to the House of Commons. FPTP has some advantages like the results can be calculated quickly and makes the transfer of power from one party to another much easier.However, it also has some disadvantages like smaller parties are disadvantaged because the number of votes they get is n’t reflected in the number of seats they gain. Also, tactical voting which is not voting for a preferred party but to defeat a bad party or to vote for a least bad one will become more likely and there will be wasted votes which is a vote that doesn’t affect the outcome of the election either because it’s for a losing candidate or because a candidate already has lots of votes which can lead to voter apathy.This can be seen as unfair because third parties are usually disadvantaged because of the number of seats they get compared to the number of votes and because some voters’ votes may not be counted because it is for the losing candidate or because the candidate already has enough votes. This gives voters reason to tactically vote instead. As you can see throughout the essay there have been a lot of arguments for and against the view that the UK is becoming a democratic deficit.However, for arguments have seemed to outweigh against arguments by a cm. We have heard that House of Lords not being elected, the Head of State, The EU, Judges, Low participation rates and voting turnouts, and First Past the Past have all been examples of why there is a democratic deficit in the UK, while Juries, Increased turnout rates, Forms of participation increased, House of Commons, and reform of House of Lords have all been examples of why there isn’t a democratic deficit in the UK.In my opinion, I think that the UK does have a democratic deficit and my reasons for thinking so are revealed in this essay. I think the UK does have a democratic deficit in the UK but it only has it to a certain extent which is where the arguments against it balance it to not make it a democratic deficit.

Anabolic Steroids Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Anabolic Steroids - Essay Example While some athletes like Michael Johnson, a sprinter who won a couple of gold medals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, love pressure and enjoy it, others like Martina Novratilova, a Wimbledon champion find it difficult to handle pressure (The Creative Athelete, n.d.). Pressure arises because of the desire to win, to meet the expectations of the spectators and sponsors and also to remain in sports. It is because of the pressure to perform that some sportsmen resort to other methods of building their strength and endurance, mainly drugs. The most commonly used drugs in sports are erthropoietin and anabolic steroids. Drug associations all over the world have banned these drugs and intake of these drugs in any form amounts to cheating. These drugs can be detected easily by various modern tests. This article gives a crisp purview about anabolic steroids. Young athletes who aspire to become great heroes must know about the disadvantages of these drugs so that they dont take the easier route to success. Anabolic steroids are a class of synthetic steroid hormones that are related to testosterone. When administered into the body, they cause many physiological effects which are mainly anabolic in nature. The effects include increased synthesis of protein and increased appetite. Increased protein synthesis results in increased muscle mass and strength and increased bone growth. Anabolic steroids also have virilising androgenic properties and thus can cause increase in masculine features like growth of vocal cords and body hair. It is for these reasons that these drugs are popularly known as anabolic-androgenic steroids or AAS. Due to the muscle building properties of these drugs, there is a tendency for sportsmen and body builders to take them. Worldwide, most of the sports bodies have banned the usage of these drugs and intake of these hormones is considered illegal and called doping. Medically, anabolic steroids have an important role in the treatment of osteoporosis,

Hong Kong Tradition and Modernization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Hong Kong Tradition and Modernization - Essay Example While the ordinary mainland Chinese is traditional, the Hong Kong Chinese is modern, while the former speaks only Chinese, the latter is bilingual, speaking both Chinese and English, and while the Chinese is not exposed to Western culture, the citizen of Hong Kong is perfectly at ease in both the cultures. The citizen of Hong Kong represents the spirit of Hong Kong , with its resilience, its enterprise and its multi-lingual, multi-cultural strength. No city in China, be it the capital Beijing with its magnificent roadways or the bustling city of Shanghai with its skyscrapers compares to this beautiful island city of Hong Kong in aesthetics, modernity , safety and amenities for its citizens. As Wong says, Hong Kong is a model for the rest of China.(Wong 325) In the thesis "The Future of Hong Kong", published in the Geographic Journal I, Vol 150, Part 1, Dwyer talks about the history of Hong Kong, and its future as he sees it after its annexation by China. He dwells extensively on the part played by the British in acquiring the island from the Chinese , and the various ways in which the culture of Hong Kong and then of China were influenced by the western way of thought. The thesis was written mote than a decade before Hong Kong reverted back to China. After it became a part of China, it did not follow the dire predictions made by different authors. The Hong Kong of the early twenty first century has belied all e... Clyde Haulman, in his article, "An Asia-Pacific Economic Links and the Future of Hong Kong says that the best that Hong Kong can hope for is not to have any change. He writes about the economic change which is bound to happen in Hong Kong as a result of Chinese takeover. Although his article was written much before the Handing over of Hong Kong to China, his arguments are sound. This beautiful island on the south of China was the prize possession of the British Empire till it reverted back to China in 1997.It was named Hong Kong- the Sweet smelling Harbor - because of its magnificent harbor. The British with their expansionist ideas, seized the first opportunity after the first Opium war with China , to sign a treaty with China in which Hong Kong was ceded to Britain in 1842. It was declared a British colony in 1843. Realizing the strategic importance of the magnificent harbor, the British wanted more territories for the purpose of its defense. So, in 1860, Britain secured a lease in perpetuity of the tip of the peninsula comprising of Kowloon. Since Britain was the greatest super power at the time, with a vast disparity of military strength between China and Britain, not surprisingly, the treaties entered into were blatantly favorable to Britain. The British colony still felt the need for expansion - to supply farm produce for the British and other inhabitants of Hong Kong, and to provide farming land and pastures to the farmers. This need for land resulted in The New Territories, a vast area, which were secured from China by means of a 99 year lease agreement in 1898.These expansions of the British territory were done by those that were in seats of

Flower Girl in Holland George Hitchock 1887 Term Paper

Flower Girl in Holland George Hitchock 1887 - Term Paper Example Hitchock uses unique materials in designing his works making his works to be presentable in the field of artistry. For instance, in the design of this work, he exploits the vast landscape as shown by the thick and firm brushwork, which he uses as the main apparatus in his work. The thick and firm brushwork indicates constant flow of motion in the painting. This illustrates the working routine of the flower girl in an evoking way. The painter illustrates the authenticity of his work in using something that everybody could have thought as having no use. Work of arts mainly depends on the authenticity of the artist that off course is an attribute of in this work. Hitchock also had a strong relationship with the women suggesting the inclusion of a flower girl as the protagonist of his work. His work is full of decorations making the sculpture to look even presentable. The work above is an exceptional for study because it provides a form of cleverly orchestrated tableaux. The painter uses the technique of gouache as shown by the squares and isosceles triangles. The squares and isosceles triangles depicts a sign of stability. A keen look at this painting shows that there is a deep meaning and reason to the idea of the painter. The motion depicted between the girl and the building conveys the exhausting rhythm which serves in showing the state of the subject. There are trees on the outside of the building making the setting seem remarkably peaceful. This is a representation of the human mind.

Research PAPER on Greasy Lake Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

On Greasy Lake - Research Paper Example Evidence of being wealthy is because firstly, Digby’s parents pay his tuition at Cornell. Secondly, the narrator’s parents bought him a nice car. Thirdly, the boys live in a town with â€Å"housing developments, shopping malls and street lights, (Boyle, 396). Lastly they abuse drugs like coke and cocaine which are not cheap. The boys being nineteen years old think they are now adults and can do whatever they want, and they choose to be known as horrific boys in the small town (Youngs, 23). In my view, the boys option of being dreadful may have been brought about by the fact that they were living in a wealthy neighborhood where nothing much happens so they were bored (McDowell & Hostetler, 24). The narrator describes himself and his friends as appallingly awful characters. Their outrageous reputation is revealed by their clothes, the narrator says, â€Å"we wore torn up leather jackets, slouched around with toothpicks in our mouths, sniffed glue and ether and what some body claimed was cocaine (Boyle, 125).† Parents want their young children to be clean shaven, but in this case, â€Å"†¦Digby wore a gold star in his right ear†. To further characterize their gross character the narrator describes the manner in which the three boys lived their daily lives. He says â€Å"...Able to mange a ford with lousy shocks over a rutted and gutted blacktop road at 85 while rolling a joint (Boyle, 124).† This illustrates how the boys were living recklessly and dangerously, but they are not terrible as they try to prove. This is evidenced when Digby allows his parents to pay his tuition fees to Cornell because he wants to go to school. These actions get the boys think they are the toughest boys around. In my judgment, I reckon the boys to be small adults who are rebellious and aggressive (McDowell & Hostetler, 25). This is a stage of life that everybody has to go through just like the three teenagers were experiencing. The boys in Greasy Lake situation are made worse because of boredom and resources they can afford to spend around. The night the reality of the consequences of being horrible dawns on them is when they run into much trouble than they anticipated. The boys are troublesome as well as naughty; thus they decide to play a grim trick on their friend. It is three days after the summer break and the boys go â€Å"in search of thrills†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Boyle, 120). They go into their usual place where a majority of people like to hang out during the day, but they go at night. The boys are soon to realize that bad boys are those born in the streets and who fend for themselves on the streets. As for me, I think the boys are not that tough they are just naive. This is because they are still young and have no clue as to the realities of life (Youngs, 24). Furthermore, they own nothing as they drive their mother’s cars and use their dad’s money. They are just trying to prove what they are not. Greasy La ke was once a clear and magnificent water body, but time has deteriorated it the author describes the river as â€Å"... Now it was fetid and murky, the mud banks glittering with broken glass and strewn beer cans and the charred remains of bonfires. .. So stripped of vegetation, it looked like the air force had strafed it† (Boyle, 125). The place is just awful, but I can relate the symbolism depicted by the author. Just like the boys were courteous sometime before, as one confesses that he has never had to fight since sixth grade, they are now filthy, just

Employee relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Employee relations - Essay Example It is possible that major changes in the work shift schedule that these employees have to go through combined with a high level of work-related stress could endanger the physical health of the employees. Stressors at work can either be external or internal. (Ward et al., 2003) External stressors include extreme physical condition such as hot or cold room temperatures. An evidence-based research was conducted by Gershon et al. (2007) shows that there is a significant relationship between organizational climate and musculoskeletal disorders. In some cases, poor working environment related to insufficient lighting or the presence of noise pollution could also lead to stressful working condition. Several studies suggest that one of the risk factors that may have contributed to call centre agents’ upper limb discomfort includes the insufficient mobility while at work. (Lynn et al., 2001; Greening et al., 1999) Particularly the work-related ‘social demands’ such as the personal interaction of call centre agents with the clients and ‘organizational demands’ which includes excessive work load and responsibility could contribute to neck and lower back pains. (Daraiseh et al., 2003) Poor body posture at work also increases the workers’ risk of having a chronic ne ck pain. (Aptaker, 1996) Considering the large number of young mothers who are working with the company, it would be very difficult to force this group of employees to work during school holidays especially when there is nobody to take care of their children. Requiring sick employees and worried mothers to be present at work is not a good idea since employees will not be able to deliver a good quality customer service to the Phone-us clients. Implementing a strict organizational rule on absenteeism may only cause these employees to become de-motivated from working with the company. As a result, it is expected that the quality

Internship in Valentino Fashion Group Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Internship in Valentino Fashion Group - Essay Example The essay "Internship in Valentino Fashion Group" talks about working in the Valentino Fashion Group as an intern. From an overarching context I have gained a greater understanding of how classroom elements oftentimes imperfectly reflect occurrences in the business world. In these regards, while my classroom experiences have undoubtedly prepared me for the internship it has been in a process where I have had to consider the underlining critical thinking elements. For instance, one of the major structural elements I came to consider throughout my internship was supply chain management. The Valentino Fashion Group has a number of inputs from outside sources and my study of supply chain procedures greatly heightened my analysis of these processes in this business context. The nature of the internship in terms of retail sales also made it such that I incorporated much of my course experience from business management and leadership. I came to recognize the importance of transactional lead ership in terms of employee relations as this model is perhaps the most effective in taming the diverse interests and desires of these individuals. Conversely, my study of situational leadership models also helped me in dealing with consumer relations as the multi-varied challenges I encountered necessitated that one not assume a too rigid approach to problem solving. The experience greatly influenced my perspective on career options and future plans. I believe that a person’s career approach should be linked.... Another consideration is the nature of this business as specializing in higher end retail sales. I believe that this distinction is important in my career as I am more interested in these aspects of fashion. I believe customers in this retail environment place a higher level of concern on the fashion aspects of the clothing and demonstrate a much higher commitment to the product. I believe my interest in fashion is better suited to this environment than a large-scale retailer that would be more concerned with widespread appeal and business models over fashion trends. There were many aspects of this internship that affected different areas of my life. In these regards, my experience in this internship greatly focused my future academic interests. My participation in the business department before this occurrence had been motivated by a desire to gain a broad understanding of business theory and management models without consideration of any specific course of action. Now that I have h ad this internship experience I am increasingly interested in merchandising practices and marketing. One of the major experiences I had at the Valentino Fashion Group was product placement in the store, as it was believed this greatly contributed to customer interest and purchasing. I believe such models are an essential aspect of all businesses and I am interested in learning more about them in the business environment. Perhaps the most transferable skill I gained in this experience was the ability to read and distinguish customer’s character and desires. I believe that to a great degree the I reached the goals I set for myself. My goals were to be a conscientious employee: remain punctual and work well in groups.

Self-Analysis of Leadership Abilities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Self-Analysis of Leadership Abilities - Essay Example This paper discusses that  the leadership style survey test helped to assess the leadership style I normally operated out of.   After taking the self-assessment test, I computed my highest score to be that of a participative or democratic leader.   Clark explained that the best leaders â€Å"operate out of the participative mode and use the other two modes as needed†.   He cites an instance when the firm would have a new crew or a temporary work force.   Such a leader has to practice a more authoritarian type of leadership in order to get the crew to work efficiently. But for a leader who is already working with professionals or a crew which knows more about the work than he does, then a leader can best apply a delegative style of leadership.   For these instances, a participative leader makes the necessary adjustments in leadership styles based on the situation he or she is faced with.This study declares that  for the leaders who want their members to grow beyon d their employee status and knowledge, the participative leadership style helps these employees adjust and grow into their jobs.   In the interim, these employees are usually given more authority over their jobs.  Some leaders may exemplify with an impoverished leadership style, where they are weak on both tasks and on people skills; some may be authoritarian, where they are strong on tasks and weak on people skills; some may be socialites and be weak on tasks and strong on people skills; and the rest may be on the middle-of-the-road leaders, and with more experience can later manifest with good team leadership skills.

International business final exam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

International business final exam - Assignment Example The conditions imply that cotton in Africa is cheaper than in the United States in production. In fact, Dunavant pays about half of the world prices for the African cotton. This strengthens that assertion that the low cost of production translates to lower prices. The low cost are brought about by abundance of land to grow cotton, labor, and low barriers to trade in the commodity. Also, the availability of professional advice and microfinance services from Dunavant has increased production. Trade between Dunavant and Africa is beneficial to various parties which in include the farmers, the company and textile industries across the world. Unlike the US farmers who rely of subsidies, African farmers are reliant on financial services extended by companies like Dunavant (Zachary 2007). The price benefit derived by the company extends to other firms that buy the cotton from it. This has the effect of bringing the world cotton prices down. Consequently, it raises competition among cotton producing regions. The information can be explained by porters diamond of national advantage whose interest in factor conditions, structure and rivalry in the industry, available demand, related and supporting industries Factor conditions include skilled labor and technology. Cotton in Africa is labor intensive and thus benefits from a large population. Moreover, availability of funds from companies and governments aid the industry. A local market is preferable as it triggers more production. The industry becomes more competitive thus deriving better services to farmers. Global companies acting on a national stage opens up the country for international demand that further enhances cotton farming. The cotton industry is competitive. Production in Africa closely follows the United States, placing Africa as a strategic player in the industry. The advantage is that many international suppliers have ventured into the region to provide market

Intelligence oversight Essay Example for Free

Intelligence oversight Essay Introduction: MEK Overview The Mujahadeen-e-Khalq (MEK) is also known as the Peoples Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI). MEK has been sporadically active in attempting to overthrow the Iranian government since the early 1960s, and its members have used a variety of tactics to achieve their political ends including political campaigning, subversion, and violent attacks targeting civilians. Due in part to their targeting of American civilians living in Iran during the 1970s and their support of Saddam Hussein, the United States State Department has listed MEK as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. In October 2012, the U.S. State Department will decide whether to remove MEK from the FTO list based on MEKs denouncing terrorist tactics and devotion to diplomatic means to gain power versus violent attacks (Masters 2012). Origins, Ideology and Goals MEK was born out of a student-group resistance to Shah Pahlavi in 1965. The founding members of MEK in Tehran regarded the Shah as a U.S. puppet, and they felt that his westernization of Iran went against Irans traditional Islamic values. They believed in a violent overthrow of the Shah to return Iran to Islamic rule. In 1979, the group aligned itself with Ayatollah Khomeini in hopes that it could run for office after Shah Pahlavis exile, but Ayatollah Khomeini succeeded in overthrowing the Shah and he crushed any opposition to his new government. Since 1979, MEK has been trying to gain the opportunity to run for office in Irans government by shifting alliances and violently attacking the forces, which have prevented its political ambitions (Goulka 2009). In 2003, the group publically denounced violence in an attempt to foster global political support, but its place on the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) list is blocking it from achieving its desired global support. According to MEK, it has strived for freedom and human rights, first against the despotic reign of Shah, and now the theocratic tyranny of the ayatollahs (MEK n.d.). It is an anti-fundamentalist Muslim  organization which believes in a democratic, progressive, and tolerant interpretation of Islam, according to which elections and public suffrage are the sole indicators of political legitimacy. The PMOI endeavors for a secular, democratic, and non-nuclear republic, and is committed to free elections, gender equality, and abolition of all discrimination against national and religious minorities (MEK n.d.) Non-nuclear is a key consideration for the United States and other western powers. Iran has increasingly taunted the world with its nuclear program and refuses to deescalate military tensions. In bold statements of aggression, in 2012 alone, Iran has announced two new missiles, an air defense site, and a fleet of ultra-fast gun boats designed to zip into battle against larger wester n fleets. In a twist of fate, MEKs future may lie in the hands of the United States. The United States has until October 1, 2012 to decide if it will delist MEK from the FTO. If MEK is delisted it will enjoy much more freedom of movement around the world and it will be able to legally receive funds from U.S. based sympathizers. It is not unreasonable to think that the U.S. will delist MEK in an effort to undermine the Iranian Government, much like Saddam Hussein offered MEK a home in 1986 to undermine Iran during the Iran Iraq war. Leadership, Funding and Capabilities Most of MEKs original leadership was arrested and executed in 1971, but Massoud Rajavi escaped death and remains a leader of MEK. Though he has not been seen publicly since 2003, his wife, Maryam Rajavi, is the public face of the MEK in her role as president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (Jones 2012). In the past four decades the group has used several methods to raise funds for its campaign. Some methods have made the group infamous and add to the list of reasons that the U.S. and several other nations have classified it as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. MEK has long been skilled in deception and has used that skill to affect its fund raising efforts. For example, its solicitation of funds for Iranian refugees, child welfare, and childrens medical services proven to be fraudulent (FBI n.d.). Until 2003, MEK had a substantial armory due to its previous relationship  with Saddam Hussein. Its inventory often included artillery, tanks, aircraft, rocket launchers, rifles, mortars, shells, rockets, land mines, and bullets (FBI n.d.). In 2003, the United States bombed MEK camps and bunkers based on their relationship to Saddam Hussein and the idea that they posed a significant threat with their armaments. MEK members no longer have easy access to such large stockpiles of arms. MEK is now facing deportation from its Iraqi camp Ashraf and remains disarmed. Operating Bases, Support Bases, Strengths MEK has moved its headquarters over the years as a necessary part of survival. Originally founded in Tehran, it moved to Paris after the 1979 Iranian Revolution. The group had allied with the Ayatollah Khomeini, but Khomeini forced the group out in fear of opposition. In 1986 Saddam Hussein invited the group to relocate to camp Ashraf. Iraq was at war with Iran, and relocating the group from Paris to Iraq was Husseins method of undermining Iran. At the start of the U.S. led war in Iraq under Operation Iraqi Freedom, the group was classified as enemy combatants and subsequently confined to Camp Ashraf, where approximately 3,000 MEK now live (Carter 2011). The new government of Iraq has declared that all members of MEK must leave the country, and the U.N. is currently working to resettle the group elsewhere. For the moment MEK enjoys limited support from sympathizers around the world, but it is stateless which is both a strength and a weakness. The U.N., citing international law, will not allow the Iraqi government to force members to leave Iraq or force repatriation until members have a suitable place to live. This predicament brings MEK some publicity and sympathy for their cause, but Iraqs determination to expel MEK could not have occurred at a worse time. With June 2013 elections nearing, increasing tension with western military powers, and an imminent Israeli preemptive strike against Iranian nuclear targets, MEK leadership must act swiftly to ensure its place in the 2013 elections. PART II RED TEAM ANALYSIS Why Use Red Team Analysis? Given the complex dynamics of the Iranian situation, analysts should use  the Red Team Analysis technique in order to best predict what course(s) of action MEK leadership will take to assume control of the government. By empathizing with the MEK leadership analysts can gain better insight to most likely courses of action. The end state of this analytic technique is to provide Congress and the President with an accurate forecast of MEKs courses of action so that the United States may apply the appropriate short and long term foreign policy in the Middle East. Since MEK desires a peaceful, tolerant Iran that can only be legitimized via free elections and public suffrage, it cannot take control of the nation by force. Therefore, MEKs options are limited and it must patiently await the 2013 elections regardless of the growing concern of military action and economic sanctions. As President Ahmadinejad continues to escalate military tension with western nations and Israel, through missile, nuclear, and naval programs (Torbati 2012). MEK leadership must carefully calculate how to win popular Iranian support, world support, and financial backing all without ever appearing to be influenced by western powers as previous Iranian leaders had. Restate Current MEK Goals Red Team Analysis must begin with placing oneself in the shoes of MEK leadership. The key to determining any viable course of action is to outline clear goals or milestones. With clear goals, analysts can categorize what actions and strategies are available and likely. According to MEKs official website, its current goals, rather, solution to the western-Iranian strife is to rid the region and the world of the nightmare of the Islamic fundamentalists armed with nuclear weapons [by] democratic change in Iran by the people and the Resistance (Rajavi 2010). This stated goal remains largely unchanged from its 1970s goal. The main difference now is that MEK is more tolerant of western aid, albeit, so long as they do not become overly influenced by it. Key Assumptions Check Paramount to the analytic process is a key assumptions check. This step allows analysts to clearly document the start point of their cognitive map as well as allowing time to consider information that challenges cognitive  biases. The key assumptions must be listed in such a way that analysts feel like MEK leaders would if trying to decide how to realize their stated goal of taking control of the Iranian government. Below is a list of key assumptions in this Red Team Analysis. Previous Failures. All previous attempts to control government have failed beginning with the overthrow of the Shah in 1979. This assumption is critical because the MEK believed the Ayatollah Khomeini was their ally. They were betrayed. They banded together only to be exiled within two years and many members were arrested and executed while Khomeini consolidated power. The experience likely taught MEK to distrust any potential allies within the current regime. History of Violence. During the 1960s the Shah used force and violence against government opposition. Uprisings in the 1970s culminated in the exile of the Shah, but into the 1980s MEK fought the new Iranian government. During the Iraq-Iran war that began in the early 1980s, MEK settled just north of Baghdad and fought a cross border war with the clerical regime for twenty more years. Only at the turn of the century did MEK publicly denounce violence and terrorist tactics. The significance is that, while MEK members are accepting of risk and violence, they have matured and realize that they do not operate in a vacuum. MEK understands the need for global acceptance. HUMINT Value. MEK can offer HUMINT to the U.S. No other organization with detailed knowledge of Iran and its military and political system is willing to provide such information to western powers. The U.S. has had extremely limited success installing or recruiting agents in Iran because of extreme scrutiny that outsiders face, and CIA informants are usually discovered due to poor tradecraft (Hosenball 2011). MEK however, has family, friends, sympathizers and safe houses inside Iran. As well, since the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 MEK has received training, equipment and funds to carry out attacks inside Iran and to collaborate with U.S. and Israeli intelligence services (Joshi 2012). MEKs HUMINT value is possibly the most important aspect for western powers. MEK leadership understands the power they hold and must leverage it wisely. Knowledge of U.S. Tactics Techniques and Procedures. MEK leaders are aware of U.S. TTPs at the small unit tactics level up through executive branch policymaking. They will play on the American and Israeli fears of a nuclear armed Iran while leveraging their HUMINT and political value to affect their delisting from the FTO. Once  delisted they wi ll be able to receive more funding from international sources, thus requiring less U.S. support and will become less responsive to U.S. demands. Western Support: Critical For Financing, Opposite of Ideology Being listed on the U.S. Foreign Terrorist Organization list impedes MEKs financing efforts. In order to gain power they must be delisted decade long endeavor thus far. Its members have cooperated with Israeli and U.S. intelligence services since 2003 in an effort to gain support and take over the political regime in Iran, but its original ideology was very much opposed to any western influence. MEK must exercise extreme caution to ensure that the group does not appear to be another puppet regime of the U.S and especially not in collaboration with Israel. If threatened with defeat, the current regime will likely try to depict MEK as a puppet regime, and if the U.S. loses influence it may also try to publicize MEKs cooperation in an effort to decrease its credibility among Iranians. Enormity of the Situation. MEK is currently stateless. Though the U.N. has petitioned several governments to accept MEK members, most have declined to accept them. With nowhere to go MEK is desperate to g ain power in Iran because it belongs to no other state. If they fail the Iranian regime will likely execute them, despite President Ahmadinejads amnesty offer. Data Collection Options Of the many collection options the United States has at its disposal, a handful stand out as being the most practical. HUMINT may be the best collection option because it offers an inside look at MEK and the status of the Iranian nuclear and defense programs as well as the mentality and plans of regime leaders. For example, an undercover agent, code named Wally, joined the Revolutionary Guard in the 1980s and gave the CIA plans, ideology, weaponry etc, and he was able to recruit several more members of the Revolutionary Guard to turn informer for the CIA (Zucchino 2012). OSINT is another extremely useful collection option, which can provide detailed atmospherics and help depict the support, or lack thereof, of the general public to the current and possible successor regimes. OSINT can also offer information on Irans defensive and offensive capabilities as depicted  in the recent revelation that Iran has cloned a fleet of ultra-fast gun boats. Originally produced in England, the Bradstone Challenger (Bladerunner) is a speedboat with a revolutionary hull design that affords it great stability at high speeds. Iran illicitly purchased a Bladerunner in 2009, reverse engineered the design, and manufactured its own fleet which the Navy modified to launch torpedoes and missiles at full speed. The Bladerunner fleet, combined with an array of heavily armed small craft, including unmanned high-speed Ya Mahdi vessels, Bavar 2 flying boats, Seraj-1 high-speed patrol boats and Zolfaghar fast attack craft (Stock 2012) poses a significant threat to the Strait of H ormuz and western naval forces with much larger and slower vessels. SIGINT and MASINT will likely have to wait until military confrontation begins in order to be relevant. MEKs equipment inventory is very limited, so SIGINT and MASINT should not be a top priority. GEOINT is relevant in that it depicts the correlation of key terrain to strategic targets and political issues. For example, GEOINT can depict which routes MEK would likely take in order to transit to Tehran or flee Iraq in other ways. It also helps answer contingency operation questions such as, what if MEK takes control of the military and attempts to hold the Strait of Hormuz ransom? In a more tactical situation GEOINT can provide detailed dimensions of hideouts and buildings for the U.S. to plan an attack should the need arise. Use of the Intelligence Community The CIA is the best is the best agency to use to handle collection on MEK. The agency has more than half a century of experience in working with sources and is best trained in managing counterintelligence and misinformation techniques. Already, the CIA has worked with MEK members since 2002 when MEK publicized Irans underground Uranium enrichment program. Training MEK members in tradecraft techniques and supporting their cross-border subversion tactics allows the CIA to wage a proxy war with Iran while strengthening its relationship and gaining more human intelligence on both MEK and Iran. No other agency within the United States has the resources to foster this type of relationship with MEK. Most Effective Intelligence Analysis Strategies The effective intelligence strategy to use for evaluating MEK and forecasting its actions is to begin with Analysis of Competing Hypotheses and follow those results with the Devils Advocacy method. Analysis of Competing Hypotheses. ACH is ideal for evaluating MEK because there are diverse dynamics involved in forecasting MEK actions. Considering that the U.S. must decide to keep or delist MEK from the FTO on October 1, 2012, ACH would provide decision makers with a documented line of reasoning to support an Intelligence Forecast. Devils Advocacy. The prevailing consensus in Washington is that MEK has morphed from a militant group to a political group in the past decade and will be a more western friendly regime if it comes to power. But what if MEK is playing the west to gain power now, while secretly planning to spread its 1979 revolutionary ideology across the Middle East and North Africa in an attempt to reestablish Persian dominance? It seems that the west is focused first on cou ntering a nuclear threat and second on countering any blocking of the Hormuz Strait. No additional talking points regarding Iran or MEK have received much publicity since 1979. Conclusion MEK is a wild card in the Iran standoff. The United States and other western powers, as well as Israel, must carefully consider how to proceed with MEK relationships. The organization has shown a history of changing allies in order to advance its goals, making it predictable in the sense that they can be counted on to do whatever it takes to survive and take control of the Iranian government. To brush MEK aside may mean dealing with a nuclear armed Iran later, and to support MEK may mean dealing with a provoked Iran now. No matter the decision, each carries its own implications for U.S. foreign policy. Washington must ultimately decide between the lesser of two evils. Bibliography Carter, Chelsea. U.N., Iraq agree to temporary relocation of Iranian exiles. CNN, December 26, 2011. http://articles.cnn.com/2011-12-26/middleeast/world_meast_iraq-camp-ashraf-re location_1_camp-ashraf-ashraf-residents-mek/2?_s=PM:MIDDLEEAST (accessed July 28, 2012). FBI. Seven Plead Guilty to Providing Material Support to Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. FBI. http://www.fbi.gov/losangeles/press-releases/2009/la042809a.htm (accessed July 29, 2012). Goulka, Jeremiah, et al. The Mujahedin-e Khalq in Iraq: A Policy Conundrum. RAND Corporation: Santa Monica, 2009. Hosenball, Mark. Hezbollah, Iran uncover CIA informants. Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/21/us-cia-hezbollah-idUSTRE7AK2MQ20111121 (accessed August 23, 2012). Jones, Owen Bennet. An Iranian mystery: Just who are the MEK?BBC News. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17615065 (accessed July 30, 2012). Joshi, Shashank. Iran and the Mujahedin e Khalq (MEK). Harvard University Department of Government. http://shashankjoshi.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/iran-and-the-mujahedin-e-khalq-mek/ (accessed August 24, 2012). Masters, Jonathan. Mujahadeen-e-Khalq (MEK) (aka Peoples Mujahedin of Iran or PMOI). Council on Foreign Relations, July 18, 2012. http://www.cfr.org/iran/mujahadeen-e-khalq-mek-aka-peoples-mujahedin-iran-pmoi/p9158 (accessed July 24, 2012). MEK. Camp Ashraf: About Us. MEK. http://www.campashraf.org/about/camp-ashraf/ (accessed July 30, 2012). Rajavi, Maryam. Comprehensive sanctions is the essential first step, regime change is the final solution. Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran. http://www.mojahedin.org/pagesen/detailsNews.aspx?newsid=9551 (accessed August 22, 2012).

The arc welding of mild steel

The arc welding of mild steel Introduction The microstructure of a material is significant when it comes to the properties and characteristics of a particular material. It would be perfect if the properties and characteristics, which are related to the microstructure, of the parent metal, heat affected zone and the weld metal is the same. However the probability of occurrence of such a situation is very less since the parent metals are used in the wrought form and the weld metals are used in the cast form. Wrought materials got superior strength, ductility and toughness when it is weighed against the materials in the cast form. Even then the weld metal properties draws near the properties of the wrought material, since it is a minuscule casting which is rapidly cooled. This situation is particularly related with the ferrous materials, which includes mild steel also (Houldcroft and John, 1988). The report holds the information regarding the development of microstructure during the arc welding of mild steel plate, changes which occur in the heat affected zone and the change in the structure of the steel when the carbon equivalent of the steel was increased. Mild steel Steel with a low carbon content of 0.25% is known as mild steel. Mild steel is easy to weld and fabricate because of its low carbon content since it would not get harden by heat treatment. This leads to the lack of hardened zones in the heat affected zones and welds, even though there is quick cooling. As the carbon content increases, the ease in welding reduces because of the quenching action (Davies, 1993). Welding Welding is primarily classified into two welding methods and they are (1) Plastic welding and (2) Fusion welding. It can be further fragmented into eight divisions on the basis of its specific processes and they are (1) Cold welding, (2) Thermit Welding, (3) Gas welding, (4) Resistance welding, (5) Arc welding, (6) Braze welding, (7) Forge welding, (8) Induction welding. The welding processes such as Cold welding, Pressure welding, Resistance welding and Forge welding comes under the Plastic welding division whereas the welding processes such as Gas welding, Thermit welding, Induction welding and Arc welding belongs to the Fusion welding processes (Clark, 1962). Arc welding The electrode material and shielding technique are the basis of classification of Arc welding processes. In mass production, the automatic welding technique is very important and the Arc welding technique is well adapted to it. Added on to this, Arc welding technique imposes a lot of flexibility to the joining of both thin and heavy sections of a material. Another trait of Arc welding process is that the heat application in this particular welding process is highly concentrated when compared to other welding processes (Clark, 1962). Microstructure of weld metal The microstructure of the weld metal is primarily dependent upon the alloy content of the carbon steel. Whereas in carbon, carbon manganese and micro-alloyed steel, the weld metal microstructure is mainly affected by the welding procedure and composition of the weld. According to Lancaster, 1999, the microstructure of Carbon-Manganese alloy steel is affected by the aspects such as cooling rate, composition, plastic strain and the presence of non-metallic nuclei. Figure 2.1 shows the effect of cooling rate and composition on structures produced in the weld. The above details show that the steel containing less than 0.30% C will have similar microstructures after the welding process. During the Arc welding of mild steel a number of discrete structural zones, such as unaffected, transition, refined, coarsened, fusion and deposited metal zones are formed. These zones are shown in the diagram and it is compared with the relevant section of the iron-iron carbide diagram. Many of these zones will not be having discrete line of demarcation and they appear to be merged together (Clark, 1962). Unaffected zone In the unaffected zone, the parent mild steel is not heated to an adequate amount to reach the critical range. Therefore, the structure is unchanged and the unaffected zone represents the archetypal grain structure of the parent mild steel. The figure shows the microstructure of the unaffected zone of mild steel. It consists of a typical combination of ferrite and pearlite (Clark, 1962). Transition zone Next to the unaffected zone, there exists a region where there is a temperature range, between the A1 and A3 transformation temperatures, in which a limited allotropic recrystallization takes place and this particular zone is known as the transitional zone. The transition zone has a microstructure of both ferrite and pearlite. But the size of the pearlite region will be different from that in the unaffected zone. The pearlite region will be much finer which is due to the heating of the mild steel to the critical range and due to the cooling after the heating process. During the heating process, the pearlite will be transformed into austenite and then transformed into finer pearlite grains on cooling (Clark, 1962). Refined zone After the transition zone, comes the refined zone. In this zone, the temperature is heated just above the A3 temperature and the finest grain structure exists in this region as a result of the extensive grain refinement. The figure shows the microstructure of the refined zone of the mild steel. The microstructure consists of much finer structures of pearlite and ferrite. These structures are formed from the austenite which existed at a temperature just above the upper critical temperature (Clark, 1962). Coarsened zone The region next to the refined region is known as the coarsened zone. In this zone, the temperature is higher than the A3 temperature and the grain structure will be coarsened. When it comes to the coarsened zone, the microstructure will be dominated by pearlite grains and ferrite will be of smaller grain. Due to the prevailed rate of cooling, the pearlite will show a higher rate of finer grains than that existed in the original pearlite areas, when it is magnified (Clark, 1962). Fusion zone The actual melting of the parent metal takes place when the temperature is higher than the solidus and the zone in which this takes place is known as the fusion zone. In the fusion zone, the microstructure will be of a very coarse structure. This type of structure is common in mild steel where the particular structure is formed from the large austenite grains when the cooling rate is of a medium pace. The following figure shows the microstructure in the fusion zone (Clark, 1962). Deposited metal zone The deposited metal zone is a zone along with the fusion zone where there is a coarse grain structure and it happens when a filler metal is added to the weld. The structure of deposited metal zone is shown in the figure. As you can see in the figure, the microstructure consists of columnar structure of ferrite and pearlite (Clark, 1962). Heat affected zone The possibility of performing a welding process without building up a thermal gradient in the parent metal is almost negligible. The temperature and the speed of the welding process is very influential in deciding the spread of heat into the parent metal. The thermal gradient will get compressed by the high power welding at high speed (Houldcroft and John, 1988). The schematic sketch of a weld, heat affected zone and relevant portion of the iron-carbide phase diagram is shown in the figure 3.1. The base metal is heated up to a peak temperature and it varies along with the distance from the fusion line. If the lower critical temperature, A1, was surpassed by the peak temperature, then there will be a transformation from ferrite to austenite. This transformation will be complete and an austenitic microstructure is formed when the temperature goes beyond the upper critical temperature, A3. The ferrite structure is stable at room temperature and has bcc crystal structure whereas the austenite structure is stable at high temperature and has fcc crystal structure (Raj et al, 2006). The heat affected zone of an arc weld in steel is classified into three regions, such as supercritical, intercritical and subcritical regions, from a metallurgical perspective (Lancaster, 1999). The supercritical zone The supercritical zone can be classified into the grain growth region and the grain refined region. Coarse grain heat affected zone (CGHAZ) is the term which is used to refer to the region of heat affected zone where extensive growth of austenite grains takes place when the temperature goes beyond the temperature of 1300 degree Celsius. The region next to the CGHAZ, which is at a temperature range of 900 to 1200 degree Celsius, is known as the Fine grained heat affected zone (FGHAZ). In this region of the steel, the austenite grain size remains small (Raj et al, 2006). The intercritical zone The intercritical region is narrow when compared to other zones and partial transformation takes place in this zone. The region of HAZ, which is having a temperature range in between the critical temperatures A1 and A3 is referred as Inter critical heat affected zone (ICHAZ) (Raj et al, 2006). The subcritical zone In the subcritical zone, not much observable alteration in the microstructure will be there except the occurrence of a small region of spheroidization, which is difficult to detect. The tempered zone and unaffected base material comes under this zone (Raj et al, 2006). The microstructures such as ferrite and other metastable phases are formed during the cooling cycle of a welding process, from an austenite microstructure which was formed at high temperatures. For welds produced with adequate pre-heat or for high heat input welding, the cooling rate will be less and this leads to the formation of a mixture of ferrite and carbides whereas in a high cooling rate scenario, microstructures such as bainite or martensite are formed from austenite. The formation of bainite and martensite is also affected by the amount of carbon content and alloying elements. This particular trait of steel to form a hard microstructure such as bainite or martensite from austenite phase when cooled at high rate is generally referred to as hardenability and this increases with the austenite grain size and alloy content of the steel. Therefore in the case of mild steel, the microstructure of the heat affected zone (HAZ) is of carbide and ferrite after performing an arc welding even if it is performed without any preheating (Raj et al, 2006). The effect in the increase of carbon-equivalent of steel The carbon equivalent plays an important role in deciding the microstructure of the steel. Along with this, the cooling rate during the welding process too plays a decisive role in this regard. The probability of formation of martensite or bainite in high carbon equivalent steels is high and in order to avoid that situation, use of distinctive techniques, such as preheating and post-heating are required (Clark, 1962). Carbon equivalent calculation In order to discuss about the effect of carbon equivalent in deciding the microstructure of mild steel during the arc welding process, first we have to discuss the formula which is used to calculate the carbon equivalent of steel. The carbon equivalent can be calculated by the formula. CE= C% + (Mn%)/6 + (Cr%+Mo%+V%)/5 + (Ni%+Cu%)/15 (Davies, 1993). This formula is relevant to the plain carbon and carbon manganese steel but it is not applicable to micro-alloyed high strength low-alloy steel or low alloy Cr-Mo type. Due to Ito and Bessyo, the formula used by Japanese Welding Engineering Society is Pcm= C + Si/30 + (Mn+Cu+Cr)/20 + Ni/60 + Mo/15 + V/10 + 5B (Lancaster, 1999). As mentioned in the previous sections, the formation of hard microstructures such as bainite and martensite is dependent upon the cooling rate as well as the carbon equivalent in the steel. During the welding process of mild steel, the heat will be absorbed faster by the steel and creates a sudden fall of temperature (Raj et al, 2006). Here, steels with three different carbon contents are compared with the help of an Iron-Iron Carbide Equilibrium diagram. The steel with less than 0.83 percent carbon content is known as hypo-eutectoid steels, steel with 0.83 percent carbon content is known as eutectoid steel and steel with more than 0.83 percent carbon content is known as hypereutectoid steel (Clark, 1962). Steel with 0.1% carbon content This type of steel belongs to the hypo-eutectoid steel. As you can see from the Iron-Iron carbide diagram, when a 0.1% C steel is cooled at an appropriate rate from 2800 F to room temperature, a mixture of austenite and delta solid solution is formed from the delta solid solution and liquid. On further cooling, grains of austenite are formed from the former followed by formation of ferrite and austenite. By the time the cooling is done till the room temperature, a microstructure of ferrite and pearlite will be formed (Clark, 1962). Steel with 0.8% carbon content This form of steel has a composition which is very near to the composition of eutectoid steel. During the process of cooling of this steel from 2800F, the transformation starts from the molten state into a liquid and austenite form. Then on further cooling, formation of austenite followed by the eutectoid called pearlite will occur (Clark, 1962). Steel with 1.2% carbon content This form of steel belongs to the hypereutectoid steel. During the cooling process of this steel from 2800F, the transformation starts from the molten state of steel into a liquid and austenite form. Then on further cooling, there will be formation of austenite, combination of austenite and cementite, and ends with ferrite and cementite at room temperature (Clark, 1962). Conclusion Microstructure of steel is a very important deciding factor when it comes to its properties and behaviour. It is obvious from this report that the cooling rate during the welding process, composition of weld metal and the type of welding process plays a vital role in the formation of the different form of microstructures in the weld metal. The weldability and hardenability of the steel depends a lot on the carbon content of the steel to be welded. As the carbon content of steel increases, the weldability of that particular steel decreases and its hardenability increases. This proves that the composition of the weld metal plays an imperative role in the characteristics of a welded material. This report illustrates that the weldability of mild steel is quite good and the role of composition of mild steel in achieving so. It also gives you an idea about the various changes that occur to the microstructure of the mild steel during the arc welding process. References Clark, D. and Varney, W. (1962) Physical metallurgy for Engineers. 2nd edition New York: D Van Nostrand Company. Davies, A.C. (1993) The science and practice of welding, vol 2, The practice of welding. 10th edition Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Houldcroft, P. and John, R. (1988) Welding and cutting. 1st edition Cambridge: Woodhead-Faulkner Limited. Raj, B., Shankar, V. and Bhaduri, A. (2006) Welding Technology for Engineers. 1st edition Oxford: Alpha Science International Limited. Lancaster, J.F (1999) Metallurgy of Welding. 6th edition UK: Abington Publishing.

Silvio Napoli At Schindler India Management Essay

Silvio Napoli At Schindler India Management Essay Schindler, a Swiss elevator company, had decided to develop and grow its international market share by planting a fully owned subsidiary in India. Its primary goals were to achieve 50 orders in its first year and break even after four years of trading. It also planned to win 20% of the market share inside of 5 years. Silvio Napoli, had been carefully selected as he was the author of the business plan which had documented this take-off. The mindset was that Silvio could replicate his winning Swatch strategy in a rising market that had strong growth prospects. The two key elements of his business plan strategy was (a) the introduction of a line of standardised and non-customised S001 and S003 elevators and (b) the local supply of materials and components. It had been eight months since he took up office and there hadnt been a single sale. Things had gone pear shaped frustrating Silvio as they had hindered his attainment of the targets set for him. Firstly, selling non-standard elevators in India was myopic where customised elevators were critical to new entrant strategies. Secondly, his strategic expansion highlighted cost reduction instead of focusing on product customisation. Thirdly, communication problems and lack of vital support beleaguered the new low-cost subsidiary from its parent company. Finally, it appears personnel were not listening. Introduction The Schindler dynasty had been established 1874 in Switzerland by Robert Schindler. Fifteen years later they were manufacturing elevators. The current successor was a fourth generation Schindler who had chosen to change the companys cultural orientation from an engineering based manufacturing model to a customer centric service company. Over time it had grown into a world class technology leader in elevators and at the time of study was second to none in the production of escalators worldwide. With such accolades it was amazing that it had no operations of its own in the second fastest growing market in Asia India. Schindler had collaborated with a couple of companies to sell its elevators in this market but terminated both agreements due to irreconcilable differences. So, after a long and drawn experience in the Indian market without much success, Schindler has now concluded its best option would be to utilise a Greenfield strategy. This would offer lower risks and higher control. The time was ripe, as in early 1990s Indias economic liberalisation was designed to welcome international competition and foreign investment . In line with this market entry strategy the corporate executive committee appointed Silvio Napoli to head the launch into India. Their decision was based on Silvios strong knowledge of the project derived from the various assignments he had undertaken for them. Other factors swung in his favour including his trustworthiness, flexibility, and more to the point, who was better qualified to realize the business plan than, him, the originator? The strategic implementation of the business plan was not as easy as anticipated. Whilst Silvios myopic vision may be partially blamed he cannot be impugned for other factors beyond his control. This report seeks to clearly show on conclusion that Silvio Napoli was suitable for the General Managers job. It evaluates his first seven months in this position as a leader and offers advice on resolving the challenges and issues that threaten to derail his thorough business plan. Finally, it will provide recommendations to Silvio Napoli for rectification of operational dysfunction and addresses actions Luc Bonnard should take with Silvio to move forward. Silvio Napoli and his Leadership Style Silvio comes across as a young dynamic leader, a company man at that, who leads from the front. Having graduated from Harvard with an MBA and his former semi pro rugby play makes it feasible to say he was gutsy, energetic, well-disciplined and not averse to strong challenges. These leadership qualities were no doubt essential in taking, what his contemporaries called a high-risk decision to spearhead a start up in a cross cultured environment like India. His leadership style isnt democratic which would have suited the task in hand. It seems a hybrid between bureaucratic and laissez-faire with more of a slant towards the bureaucratic. Leaders exploit or employ different power bases. Silvio opted to use the power of position and control. A pedigree from Harvard, he would have known the best leadership style to suit the situation. It seems he wanted to retain responsibility rather than comprehensively delegate otherwise, probably, this style gave him increased control. Whilst it could be used to indicate poor leadership skills, the authors view is that he may have adopted this tight control style to assist in cost cutting and productivity. Different styles offer different degrees of advantages or disadvantages. A negative side of this mixture of leadership style is the blocked contact aspect which creates barriers to communication which can, as seen in the case, hinder success. This is a classic example of a company charging forward wit h an ill-fated product solely because staffs are afraid to pass on negative customer feedback messages. Getting no feedback, positive or negative, should have set alarm bells ringing. At least positive feedbacks can be advantageous as they have a likelihood of producing increased returns. His hyper-focused work style would leave staff in unhealthy positions of weakness and demotivated. Leadership examination would be incomplete without considering the motivation of the leader or the role or motivations of their followers (Kellerman 2004). The mixed views of his team sum him up. His subordinates see him as impulsive, hard-driving, impatient and over-communicative and angry when deadlines are not met. The authors view is that he is not that kind of leader. He has set high targets for himself and knows he will be able to get his staff to emulate him. It could be that as a first time foreign manager he wants to set the boundaries for his new team but has clearly not communicated it well. Another plausible reason may stem from a clash of cultures both national and organisational because these underpin the attitudes, values and beliefs of the staff. Such differences can create misunderstandings, conflicts and tensions. Punctuality is important in Swiss culture where Silvio has begun his working life. However, in the host country the culture is a laid-back attitude. His contemporaries see him as focused, resolute and strong-headed. Such assertiveness does not help his team who are excellent world class professionals. This leader has a lot to learn. His actions suggest he has not quite understood the culture and the market he has been asked to tap into. To, make matters worse hes not ready or willing to change his views. Silvio knows his weakness in relation to the survival of Schindler India, which is a good thing. He sees himself as a warrior with need to have monk tendencies. He knows his controlling nature requires an infusion with patience. Luc Bonnard sums it neatly when he advices him to work on his monk part. As Silvio is a fledgling GM his priorities need to be more relationship-oriented than task -oriented. Getting this issue right would reduce his problems dramatically. Schindlers Penetration into India Alfred Schindler made an excellent choice of starting his own operation in India. His vision was that India would be testing ground for new products and if the project was a success it would be rolled out with modifications for various markets including China. His organisation had all the activities I the value chain (marketing, production, installation design and service) so having a subsidiary in India to design and test the market was a logical step of its evolution. As mentioned earlier, Schindler India planned to use standardisation to penetrate the market quickly utilising economies of scale. Their simple standard product lines had no allowances built in for customisation. It was strangely in direct contrast with the usual modus operandi employed by other Schindler subsidiaries and, in fact, their competitors who also had more product lines. Instead of using Schindlers successful strategy of offering custom equipment, they chose this entry method. Furthermore, to cut costs it would subcontract the manufacturing of the bulk of its component to local suppliers with the rest being supplied through its European counterparts. Many successful companies entering India create long term investments and a strong organisation obligation by assigning senior executives to work with established local personnel. Conquering this market would require recognition of Indias changing elevator landscape. Such knowledge would be instrumental in considering the next course of action where products can be tailored to budgets and tastes of the consumer base. To capture their custom and wallets successfully Schindler should adapt their business model to local environments. Schindler Indias Management Team Silvio has carefully selected from a set of personnel which have been recommended from a top recruitment firm. His core team were adept in their fields. Silvios real world experience on the platform of international trade is almost non-existent. One would argue that Silvio made up for this deficiency by the calibre of personnel he hired to make up his management team. He realised he was out of his comfort zone in India so he hired people that would complement his own weaknesses. Porter (1996) affirms it is possible to improve operational effectiveness by performing similar activities better than rivals through efficiency. It may be that he strategically hired the two people from Otis to pick their brains and share ideas to achieve this goal. Schindlers Key Problems The first error which snowballed into other areas was the decision to use the swatch plans of low-cost entry strategy to conquer India. The success of the low-end Swatch watches had impressed Alfred Schindler he commissioned Silvio to see if he could imitate their low-cost production approach. A big mistake!!! Schindler have always their markets and customers making them number one worldwide allowing them to maintain their strong position in the escalator market. Schindler didnt need to reinvent the wheel in India. The products were not meeting the needs of the market; as could be seen by their voting with their wallets. Drucker (1954) asserts there is only one valid definition of business purpose: to create a customer. Disregarding the opinions of the potential customer can be destructive. The choice as to how escalators should be sold should really be down to the market. Silvios strong- headedness and single mindedness, impatience and over communicative tendencies could breed foes or disgruntled subordinates and jealous colleagues. A variety of internal and external forces influence employee behaviour. Fig 1 shows the impact of top management behaviour and other forces on employees. Culled from Performance Measurement Management Control Fig 1. Forces influencing employee behaviour Another misaligned judgment is seen in how the Schindler Indias cost structures were developed. The strategy failed to take into account the corporate cost structures were based on a customisation model. It subsequently backfired as it meant he had to revise pricing for elevators to a point where building them would be sustainable. Increased costs sent Silvios budget rocketing. The unforeseen and unfavourable exchange rate hikes and hefty increase from 22% to 55% in duties created another problem. The increase in duty and custom tariffs were on the table. He just hadnt thought it through thoroughly. Likewise the increase in transfer pricing. Shipping the sub-assembly products become more expensive thus uneconomical and impractical. With his team, Silvio sought to find an alternate source locally to bypass the risen import duty. It took some time. Time which could have been utilised better if their European counterparts had warned them. This was a non-issue which could easily have been avoided. Silvio had to with resistance on two fronts. The conflict on the European subsidiaries side was based on change. There was no synergy as both sides had different goals. To cap it all two members of his team had sold customised models. Recommendations Solving this problem will entail Silvio Napolis re-evaluation of his strategy. Perhaps, even, he could opt for a new perspective. The swatch strategy is not compatible with the culture and the market they want to enter. Customisation will improve sales and offer higher gross margins. He should focus on orchestrating a new strategy for Schindler and its marketing of escalators in India. This means taking notice of what the customers want as opposed to what his Business plan says. Whatever strategy he chooses will rely heavily on quality business processes and systems. It will rely on synergy which may require training of personnel. To carry out any strategy would require further investment. This investment would be to cover some / all of the following options. One of their major problems relate to customisation. It therefore seems fitting that customisation is adopted to secure targets. Silvio should not digress from product development as it would detract from meeting Alfred Schindlers test track goals. Product development using latest technologies would allow them to stay at the forefront of their game and allow them to transform their vision into reality. The provision of a factory for these processes would be essential. Greenfield operations are particularly noted for the need for recruitment, management and training of local employees. Silvio organised some night-time training for his staff but he, as an expatriate, was not given cultural training. This would have alerted for example him to how cultures communicate differently through silent language. Being lonely in the middle is characteristic of an expatriate who has superficial familiarity of a territory and lacks cultural understanding. In such instances the local workforce manages operations. So his training will need to be done sooner than later. This will enable him to manage as he should as the current feeling of being in full control is illusory. Schindler must consider a merger with a local competitor to further improve local knowledge, offer an established customer base, and giving them access to local plant production units. Alfred Schindler needs to iron out a few issues relating to the structure of the new subsidiary in relation to Head Office. At the moment there uncertainty as to whether head office decides all global policy or if this Silvio has a say, or indeed if strategically the subsidiary operates autonomously. This uncertainty extends to whether Silvios subsidiary has been set up to access and evaluate long term opportunities in the region. He would also need to address cross-cultural management competencies. He will need to decide how various subsidiaries relate to each other. He will need to know if employees in his multinational teams share similar assumptions and causal relationships. A strong memo is required to the various branches to enforce cooperation. Coming from the CEO it will reshape the negative culture. In dealing with the non-standard glass elevator issue Silvio should be customer- centric and accept the order. It would reflect well and possibly give him a foothold to enter an otherwise dominated market if his company forward a superb service. Customers networking have been known to make or break companies. Again, the lack of support from his European counterparts should be reported to the CEO as it will continue to bug his strategy if he lets it fester. The transfer price issue and the lack of technical cooperation are detrimental to the organisation as a whole. It has far-reaching consequences that cannot be overlooked. A key component of his business model called for the outsourcing of manufacturing to Indian companies to give it the edge in the market through its cost differentiation. But if the supply of technical information is being withheld and transfer pricing is not being honoured then Alfred will need to know. Such Petty squabbles may ruin Schindler India especially if it fails to meet it targets constantly. As theres a lot of reverence for Alfred, his involvement could put Silvios backslide into reverse to progress and ultimately hit his set target. Conclusion Strategies are critical factors for the success and maintenance of competitiveness in any firm. All strategic components are vital, no matter how trivial, as all have impact on the implementation. Understanding the complexities of strategies for entering the Indian market was a tough lesson for Silvio who subsequently discovered planning and implementing the initial plans were different, especially where a lacking of inter-cultural competency and communication problems collided to misalign the strategy. His real-world experience to appreciate and recognise these threats were limited but these should in no way negate his qualification to manage the subsidiary in India. Hes the first to admit that the manager would be key to the success of the business plan and Alfred Schindler may have understood the situation and his company better when he predicted Silvio would feel what it means to be in a hostile environment where nothing works as it should. His first seven months may have been a painful lesson. Silvio has had to learn the hard way. It must be said these experiences have made him a better GM. He is made some positive strides since he took over. Juggling both family relocation and building corporate subsidiaries was not planned well. He should have focussed on one before the other as he wore himself out. Nonetheless, he had open two branches, hired the right calibre of people, especially as they were locals. From day one, he had positively tried to elicit commitment to his business plan. His decision to offer strictly standardised products without customisation was irrational especially in the face of customer feedback which indicated otherwise. Silvio should take time to reflect and reassess his business model with his team taking on board their views. He has failed this far because of his inflexibility and his failure to listen.

Section 3.1-3.2 Biology 1 Notes :: essays research papers

SECTION 3.1 WHERE LIFE HAPPENS 1. Living things can be either uni-cellular (one cell) or multi cellular. A bacteria is one type of unicellular. 2. About 8000 of the smallest bacteria could fit inside one of your red blood cells. 3. The longest cells are the thin nerve cells found in large animals and they can be more than a meter long. 4. The cell with the greatest volume is an unfertilized ostrich egg 5. A cell’s shape is related to its function. For example, a long nerve cell is long and it carries messages from your spine to your toes. The contraction and relaxation of muscle tissue is responsible for the movement in animals. A SMALL NEW WORLD 1. In the 1600’s people only knew about organisms they could see with the unaided eye. 2. A trio of Dutch eyeglass makers invented the microscope in the late 1500’s. It consisted of a tube with lenses ground from rock crystal, and it magnified objects up to 9 times their actual size. 3. In 1665 the British scientist Robert Hooke published a set of drawings illustrating what he had observed with a microscope. 4. In the early 1670’s Anton van Leeuwenhook, a Dutch fabric-store owner, began to grind lenses as a hobby. He used handheld microscopes to examine materials such as pond water and blood. BIOLOGISTS BUILD A THEORY 1. By the 1830’s many biologists were using the microscope as their chief investigative tool 2. Mathias Schleiden was a botanist, a scientist that studies plants. He found that plant parts he examined were made out of cells. In 1838 Schleiden made the generalization that all plants are made of cells. 3. Theodor Schwann was studying and animals. His microscopic investigations of animal parts led him to generalize that all animals were made of cells. 4. In 1858, a German doctor named Rudolf Virchow disputed the idea of spontaneous generation. Virchow reasoned that new plant cells arise only from existing plant cells, and new plant animal cells arise only from existing animal cells. 5. The cell theory consists of three principles:  Cells are the basic units of all life.  All organisms are made of one or more cells.  All cells arise from the existing cells. SEEING SMALLER 1. One of the most important tools used by biologists is the microscope. 2. Until the 1950’s microscopes were light microscopes—instruments that use either sunlight or artificial light to view objects. With the advantage of this it can magnify many microscopic objects while they are alive.

Stages of Nien Chengs Life :: essays research papers

Nien Cheng is the author of the autobiography, Life and Death in Shanghai. This book takes place in Shanghai, China, starting around the first few days into the Cultural Revolution. Nien Cheng was a widow in her 50's working as a senior partner for Shell in Shanghai. In late 1966, Nien Cheng was arrested and her house lay looted and vandalized. She was sent to the No.1 Detention House, where staying for six and one-half years, she was punished and pressured for a false confession that she was a spy for the imperialists. She consistently to confess refused and as a result, was tortured many times. She had a daughter named Mei Ping who, refusing to criticize about her mother, was murdered by the Red Guards. Nien Cheng was released in 1973 and was relocated to a house that had 2 bedrooms. (Which she had to live in with another family who spied on her) She stayed in China until 1980, and when she applied for a visa to the United States. She was accepted and she emigrated to Canada and v ery soon, Washington D.C. When Nien Cheng was transferred to the No. 1 detention house, she went through a big change in her way of living. Before going to the prison, she and her daughter, Mei Ping, had a lifestyle in which only a few dozen out of 10 million back in that time could enjoy. They had a three-story house filled with all sorts of antique furniture, books, and works of art. There was a piano, much entertainment, and three servants. In the prison, however, it was a single-celled room, very old and dirty. All that was in the room was a dirty toilet, a hard bed, a dusty window, and a tightly bolted door. Even with her efforts to clean the room, the room gave off an aura of depression and loneliness. The only companion she ever had during her six and one-half years was a pea-sized spider living on the rusty bars of the cell. As a result of these years, she became more conservative to what she uses, and even when she lived a good life in Washington D.C. many years later, she never bought more than wha t she would need or use. Before being sent to the No. 1 Detention House, Nien Cheng was a woman who didn't really care about the Cultural Revolution or people she didn't know.

What is the function of racist stereotype in Blackface Minstrelsy? Essa

Blackface minstrelsy became a popular form of entertainment in the early nineteenth century. Predominately, minstrel shows were performed to crowds of white working class men, by white actors who would use burnt cork, or shoe polish to blacken their skin and would create racist stereotyped characters of black people. These characters functioned to instill conceptions of white superiority into popular culture whilst at the same time oppressing black society. The characters invented were often portrayed as childlike, unintelligent and dependent on the civilisation of white society in the form of slavery. By examining the changes that minstrelsy underwent during the nineteenth century, the function that the racist stereotypes performed will become evident. Blackface minstrelsy was an established nineteenth century form of onstage entertainment most popular in the northern states of America which intentionally created exaggerated stereotypes of black people for prominently white working class male audiences . White performers would blacken their faces with burnt cork or black grease and perform skits, songs and dances and act out their image of black people. Rather than present an accurate depiction of African Americans and authentic portrayals of the qualities of ‘negro’ life, minstrelsy reflected the ideas and conceptions of white society . The content of the shows however was altered to create images of blacks and slaves that suited white northern public opinion . White actors now had the opportunity to manipulate black identity and reinforce notions of white superiority, and by portraying blacks as uncivilised it reinforced the need for slavery. This white produced black identity served to reinforce racial differences, and all... ... Cain: Blackface performance from Jim Crow to Hip Hop. Massachusettes: Havard College. Lott, E. (1993) Love and theft: Blackface Minstrelsy and the American Working Class. New York: Oxford University Press. Pfeiffer, K. (2002) Race passing and American Individualism. Massachusettes: University of Massachusetts Press. Pieterse , J. (1992) White on Black Images of Africa and Blacks in Western Popular Culture. London: Yale University Press. Sussman, R. (2001) The Carnavalizing of race. New York: Columbia University press. Toll, R. (1971) From Folktype to Stereotype: Images of Slaves in Antebellum Minstrelsy . Indiana: Indiana University press. Watkins, M. (1994) On the Real Side: Laughing, Lying, and Signifying—The Underground Tradition of African-American Humor that Transformed American Culture, from Slavery to Richard Pryor. New York: Oxford University Press.