Modernism in “A passage to India”

Modernism refers to a classification of literature that was written between 1914 and 1965.   E. M. Forster's A Passage to India was published in 1924, placing it in the early years of the Modernist Period as well as within the Georgian Age (Harmon 597).   In art and literature, Modernism paralleled the rise of industrial technology and advances in science. In music, atonalism – that is, music which deliberately avoids key centers and is often dissonant – was produced by composers such as Arnold Schoenberg. Visual art found expression in cubism. Theories by Sigmund Freud also had a powerful influence on this movement. In literature, the Modernistic writing style is characterized by breaking with tradition.   It is inner-self oriented, and that inner-self is often explored using a stream of consciousness manner.   Modernism rejects traditional values and assumptions.   The individual takes pride of place while the social and outward are cast aside.   Some scholars see Modernism as a reaction to the practical and systematic sensibilities of Realism and Naturalism (Harmon 326). Not surprisingly, the Modern Era was also when Existentialism came into prominence – a related philosophy in which human beings are expected to create their own meaning for existence.   Forster's â€Å"Oriental-leaning† characters in this novel provide examples of a Modernistic mindset contrasting with the traditional English Imperialist mindset provided by other characters. Forster uses the symbol of water to represent the idea of renewal in the â€Å"Temple† chapter. There is an event in which the Hindus are â€Å"preparing to throw God away† (Forster 308), and part of the ceremony involves a replica of the village of Gokul that is placed on a tray and is to perish.   Meanwhile, the British and others are in boats out in the water, observing the festivities, and the boats collide, expelling the passengers.   The symbolic village perishes so that it can be renewed, and is representative of the renewal of mindsets of some of the passengers in the boats. Aziz in particular in the latter portion of the â€Å"Temple† section, exhibits several examples of stream of consciousness thinking.   In one instance Fielding asks Aziz to meet with Stella and Ralph, and Aziz does not reply.   Instead, the reader is allowed into his thoughts, which are not linear but circular, and is one example of how a human mind jumps around from topic to feeling to emotion and back (Forster 314). Because Forster is examining traditional values through a Modernistic lens in this novel, material detail is much less important than what the characters are thinking.   The action in this story is in each character's mind, and how they grapple with new ideas concerning culture, religion, and morality. Professor Godbole and Mrs. Moore express their inner character and the workings of their minds in an â€Å"Oriental† manner, embodied in the Hindu sensibility.   Mrs. Moore, although a Christian, is accepted into Oriental culture, and she clashes with Heaslop prior to Aziz's trial.   Heaslop does not understand his mother because he does not recognize her spirituality, and he sides with the English Imperialist mindset against Aziz, the Oriental.   Mrs. Moore will have no part in helping her son succeed to the detriment of an Oriental.   She ultimately leaves India and the trial (Forster 201). In A Passage to India, Forster uses Modernism to explore the inclusive attitude of the â€Å"Oriental† and how diverse people make their passages in coming to terms with this sensibility.   Forster makes use of a Modernistic approach to help him tell a story with great depth, complexity and surprise. Works Cited Forster, E. M.   A Passage to India.   New York:   Harcourt, 1924. Harmon, William and C. High Holman.   A Handbook to Literature. 7th ed.   Upper Saddle River, New Jersey:   Prentice Hall, 1996.   

Dengue fever is a painful Essay

1.Description of the disease or condition The Dengue fever is a disease caused by a family of viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes. Dengue is prevalent throughout the tropics and subtropics. Because dengue fever is caused by a virus, there is no specific medicine or antibiotic to treat it. For typical dengue fever, the treatment is purely concerned with relief of the symptoms. The acute phase of the illness with fever and myalgias (muscle pain) lasts about one to two weeks. Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is a specific syndrome that tends to affect children under 10 years of age. It causes abdominal pain, hemorrhage (bleeding), and circulatory collapse (shock). The Dengue fever is a painful, debilitating mosquito-borne disease caused by any one of four closely related dengue viruses. These viruses are related to the viruses that cause West Nile infection and yellow fever. 2. Symptoms Symptoms include headache, fever, exhaustion, severe joint and muscle pain, swollen glands and rash. The presence of fever, rash, and headache (and other pains) is particularly characteristic of dengue fever. Fever A red, raised, lattice-like rash, usually on the chest, back, and abdomen Swollen, tender, red, and extremely painful joints — particularly the knees or ankles Nodules, or small protuberances, over the swollen joints Sometimes, weakness and shortness of breath caused by heart involvement Sometimes, uncontrolled movements of arms, legs, or facial muscles called chorea. These symptoms often begin one to six weeks after a strep throat infection has appeared to clear up†¦.Symptoms, which usually begin four to six days after infection and last for up to 10 days, may include: †¢Sudden, high fever †¢Severe headaches †¢Pain behind the eyes †¢Severe joint and muscle pain †¢Nausea †¢Vomiting †¢Skin rash, which appears three to four days after the onset of fever †¢Mild bleeding (such a nose bleed, bleeding gums, or easy bruising) Sometimes symptoms are mild and can be mistaken for those of the flu or another viral infection. Younger children and people who have never had the infection before tend to have milder cases than older children and adults. However, serious problems can develop. These include dengue hemorrhagic fever, a rare complication characterized by high fever, damage to lymph and blood vessels, bleeding from the nose and gums, enlargement of the liver, and failure of the circulatory system. The symptoms may progress to massive bleeding, shock, and death. This is called dengue shock syndrome (DSS). 3. Cause/ risk factors Each year, an estimated 100 million cases of dengue fever occur worldwide. Most of these are in tropical areas of the world, with the greatest risk occurring in: †¢The Indian subcontinent †¢Southeast Asia †¢Southern China †¢Taiwan †¢The Pacific Islands †¢ The Caribbean (except Cuba and the Cayman Islands) †¢ Mexico †¢ Africa †¢Central and South America (except Chile, Paraguay, and Argentina) Most cases in the United States occur in people who contracted the infection while traveling abroad. But the risk is increasing for people living along the Texas-Mexico border and in other parts of the southern United States. In 2009, an outbreak of dengue fever was identified in Key West, Fla. Dengue fever is transmitted by the bite of an Aedes mosquito infected with a dengue virus. The mosquito becomes infected when it bites a person with dengue virus in their blood. It can’t be spread directly from one person to another person. 4. Treatment of the disease or condition The prevention of dengue fever requires control or eradication (elimination) of the mosquitoes carrying the virus that causes dengue. There is currently no vaccine available for dengue fever. There is no specific medicine to treat dengue infection. If you think you may have dengue fever, you should use pain relievers with acetaminophen and avoid medicines with aspirin, which could worsen bleeding. You should also rest, drink plenty of fluids, and see your doctor. If you start to feel worse in the first 24 hours after your fever goes down, you should get to a hospital immediately to be checked for complications. To protect yourself you can: †¢Stay away from heavily populated residential areas, if possible. †¢Use mosquito repellents, even indoors. †¢When outdoors, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants tucked into socks. †¢When indoors, use air conditioning if available. †¢Make sure window and door screens are secure and free of holes. If sleeping areas are not screened or air conditioned, use mosquito nets. †¢If you have symptoms of dengue, speak to your doctor. To reduce the mosquito population, get rid of places where mosquitoes can breed. These include old tires, cans, or flower pots that collect rain. Regularly change the water in outdoor bird baths and pets’ water dishes. If someone in your home gets dengue fever, be especially vigilant about efforts to protect yourself and other family members from mosquitoes. Mosquitoes that bite the infected family member could spread the infection to others in your home. 5. Body systems involved The whole body is affected as the dengue virus effects immune system. Liver is damaged after the disease is over. Most of the patients feel the body pains even after the virus is over. The blood platelet count is decreased and the bleeding problems are very frequent among the dengue patients. Skin marks caused by dengue disappear with the passage of time. People with weakened immune systems as well as those with a second or subsequent dengue infection are believed to be at greater risk for developing dengue hemorrhagic fever. 6. Countries where the disease or condition is found Outbreaks have occurred recently in the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Cuba, and in Paraguay in South America, and Costa Rica in Central America. Although the dengue fever rarely occurs in the continental United States, it is endemic in Puerto Rico, and in many popular tourist destinations in Latin America and Southeast Asia; periodic outbreaks occur in Samoa and Guam.

Investment and Pioneer Petroleum

Pioneer Petroleum Case I. Statement of Problem As Pioneer Petroleum continues to progress as a company, they are trying to determine the best way to approach a minimum rate of return. As of right now, they have two approaches they can take. The first would be taking a single cutoff rate based on the company’s overall WACC. The second, rather than a single cutoff, there would be multiple cutoff rates due to the risk-profit characteristics. II. Statement of Facts and Assumption Pioneer Petroleum’s approach to capital budgeting was to only accept investments with positive net present value.Currently, Pioneer Petroleum calculated their WACC at 9% shown in Figure 1 below. In calculating their WACC, PPC uses book value weights. When dealing with practicality, it is better to use market value weights because it provides what the expectations of the market and the investors have. By using this information, it can show what a company needs to do to gain new capital. III. Analysi s Pioneer Petroleum was created after merging with multiple firms causing it to branch out into different markets.With multiple projects, the most effective thing PPC could do is to implement using single corporate cost of capital to evaluate their multiple projects. By doing this they can interpret different risk associated with different industries. Pioneer Petroleum’s other option would be to use multiple cutoff rates, but going in this direction may not provide the most accurate information since there are many components associated with different industries. IV. Recommendation My recommendation for Pioneer Petroleum would be to use a single cutoff rate and each individual division.It would be wise for them to do this rather than looking at the company as a whole. Not only should Pioneer only invest in projects with positive net present value, but they also need to assume the different risks associated with it. Something else they might consider is the length of the matur ity for the project. More risk could be found in younger projects and older projects as well. By using a single cutoff rate, they can analyze more precisely how much it will effect their decisions in the future. Figure 1 WACC = Rdebt(1-TC)(D/V) + Requity(E/V) 9% = . 12(1-. 34)(. 5) + (. 10)(. 5)

Energe policy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Energe policy - Research Paper Example (Fox-Penner and Peter S, 2010) A huge sum of monety is required before their implementation is attained. This may lead to tax rate increament. Although the regulations may affect people in terms of employment and costs, it is implemented for the advantage of the people. This is due to the health risks caused by these energy productions and also the environment. The life of a human being is more important than the money or the living standards of people. (Fox-Penner and Peter S, 2010) People should gauge the advantages and disadvantages in order to react to the effect of energy from Obama’s administration. In this paper we will be able to see two policies which should be considered and be implemented immediately and one which is not necessary for it to be implemented. Ozone is a combination of chemical reaction which includes methane, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and other volatile organic compounds. The Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards should be implemented in order to prevent its effects to the living things both animals and plants. This is in section 109 of the clean Air Act which includes both primary and secondary standards .The primary standards are used to protect the health of the citizens while the secondary standards are used in protecting the animals, vegetation, visibility and buildings. This act thus suggests that there should be control measure implemented on sources of air pollutants like industries and vehicles among others in order to reduce the effect of air pollution to the environment. (Implementation of the Clean Air Act National Ambient Air Quality Standards, 1998) This is because there effect will lead to an increase in health complication amongst the citizens subjected to the pollutants. The result of this will include spending money in solving these issues and many people might lose their lives. This will cost the government of about $19 to $90 dollars in order to be implemented which is high but it should also be considered that its effect will be affecting everyone. The effect of the ozone will affect the ecosystem at large as most of the plants will not be able to survive and humans will immune system will decrease increasing the chances of its effect to the human system. Emission reduction strategies should be used in both the local, state tribunal agencies from the menu of control measures in order to attain the national Ambient Air Quality standards on attaining a new primary ozone standard. Coal is a major producer of electricity in America by producing 54% of electricity supplied in the market. It is also used for cement among other purposes at home. Although it is useful to the American citizen it also has effects both to the health and the environment. The use of coal ash has many effects during combustion as they affect the human health for example they cause cancer and respiratory complications. They also affect the environment as it contains toxic elements like sulfur, mercury an d fluorine among others which also affect the environment. Coal plants emit carbon dioxide which affects the climate change as it prevents the emission of heat from the Earth surface which leads to the global effect. This can be seen by the reducing level of waterways as a lot of water evaporates. The percentage of coal production is over million tons and about 78% million are disposed while the rest is sold. Coal also causes aid

ORGANISATION AND THE ENVIROMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ORGANISATION AND THE ENVIROMENT - Essay Example The brand was successful as for the first time it introduced direct business to consumer transactions. As the first no frills airline, it charges even for meals onboard. Its revenues were reported at $2786 million by the end of 2006. In the year 2007, it posted pretax profits of 48% up to September. A new financial system will be installed by Agresso in 2008 to match its 15% annual growth rate of passengers. Stelios, who began EasyJet in 1995, is the single largest stakeholder in the brand. Many prefer EasyJet for its low costs, easy booking and network of routes to both holiday and business destinations. Its ancillary services of car hire, travel insurance, food and excess baggage, attract many. People are also attracted to offers like the one given on Thameslink trains where customers can avail discounts for traveling between Central London and the Luton airport. The EasyJet fleet operates with 107 Airbus A319-100 and 30 Boeing 737-700. Booking is allowed to be done online through the site easyjet.com. However immediately two weeks before a flight is scheduled, phone booking can also be availed. The organization interacts with the UK government and has a United Kingdom type A operating license that allows its aircrafts to carry passengers, cargo and mail with a seating capacity of twenty or more. The public limited company is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Its top competitors are British Airways Plc and Ryanair Holdings Plc. The industry is the largest in UK that operates on low fares. Meeting the APD and high fuel prices are their major economic challenges. It opposes Air Passenger Duty (APD) tax and suggests a new tax that depends upon distance traveled and the type of flight used. In October, the company agreed to acquire GB airways. The UK office has invited comments to check whether the merger would reduce competition within UK. The airline connects various important destinations in UK which include England, Belfast in

14 th amendment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

14 th amendment - Research Paper Example The 14th amendment to the American constitution is highly pertinent because it explicitly addresses immigration and nationality act to give equal protection to its citizens across race, color and culture. 14th amendment was also designed to strengthen the Civil Rights Act of 1875. This is one of most important amendments that helped to declare the Afro-Americans as rightful citizens of America and promoted equality across race, color and culture. When civil Rights had come into force, the color of the skin played a major role in the social status. The whites had maintained a racial divide within the society through deliberate use of powerful lobby of the whites and financial advantages that they enjoyed. The blacks were not allowed to become part of mainstream society so that they remained socially and economically unequal. The Amendment was a huge step towards bridging the socio-cultural and racial gaps in the American society. The equal protection is a critical part that gives legal rights of citizenship to the non white population of America. It clearly established that ‘all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States ... nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws’ (US constitution). It paved way for tranquil growth of new American society that valued democratic framework. It became a major propeller of social justice across the race and color and provided the former slaves with legal rights to fight against discriminatory social practices. Interestingly separate but equal was a highly controversial doctrine that the white population exploited to gain undue advantages. The words like privileges or immunities, due process of law etc. were misrepresented to favor white population against the non white individuals in the court

Change Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Change Management - Essay Example The numerous competitors in battery manufacturing industry and market have forced the company to invest in innovation, learn from experience and share information, plan and implement changes, and respond to the external environment. The company has invested in innovation to improve its productivity, efficiency, market share, and competitiveness. The managers and the R&D department promote innovative environment to enhance employee motivation, autonomy, creativity, and to build stronger teams. The company has been committed to fostering clarity in understanding of roles, strategic partnerships, organizational restructuring, investment in human resources, and increased responsibilities to enrich the organizational culture of innovation. By empowering employees to engage in innovative processes, PPS believes this will provide them (employees) with a sense of autonomy thereby boosting job satisfaction. The company’s HR department can also work closely with R&D department to offer training and tools that enhance employee efficiency in an effort to promote a culture of internal innovation and efficiency. Red vs. Blue Ocean Strategy will particularly help PPS create uncontested markets (blue oceans) for its new products and services. In contrast, competitors are often aware of the competitive rules of the game in red oceans, a highly contested market space However, PPS has been experiencing difficulties with achieving goals and purpose of innovation. For instance, the handling of electric batteries in gear rooms, dedicated electric battery rooms, isolated sites, and facts and figures centers have proved to be a major obstacle to internal innovation. The battery handling equipment has been around for several years, and its efficiency for the job has declined drastically. At some point, PPS lacked safer handling methods due to limited number of trained and qualified personnel for battery work. Apart from the current cell handling techniques at the

Video games Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Video games - Essay Example Video games can include profanity, criminal behavior, drug use, sexual themes, and graphic violence. Under U.S. law video games containing profanity, criminal behavior, drug use, sexual themes, and graphic violence are marked under the game rating label as MA, along with a V for violence and other appropriate warning labels. Specific games, like Grand Theft Auto, Doom, EverQuest, Need for Speed, and other popular titles promote the adverse behavior mentioned above. All of these titles are rated MA. Despite the mature rating children, teenagers, and adults make these titles best sellers. This can lead to the conclusion that video games including profanity, criminal behavior, drug use, sexual themes, and graphic violence are preferred by the public. The first example of video violence influencing real violence is the Columbine Massacre. On 20 April 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold arrived at Columbine High School, outside of Denver (Larkin, 1). Armed with an elaborate plan, bombs, and guns, the two shooters entered the school. In forty-five minutes, Harris and Klebold killed twelve students and one teacher. Twenty-four more students were wounded. After the forty-five minute rampage, Harris and Klebold committed suicide (Larkin, 8). The Columbine Massacre was one of the bloodiest school shootings in U.S. history. Before the Columbine Massacre, Harris and Klebold both played an online game called Doom (Larkin, 129). Doom is a first person shooting game for the computer platform. Doom can also be played online against other gamers. Harris even wrote levels of Doom. Manipulating Doom characters into violent scenarios was one of Harris’ hobbies (Larking, 130). The two boys bonded while playing this violent game. Harris even invented a Doom level that resembled Columbine High School. Many were quick to blame the Doom game for the violent attack. The violent video game,

Research Methods for Managerial Decisions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Research Methods for Managerial Decisions - Essay Example Therefore, the observed values would be different for each case, hence the difference in the results. Coming to the problem of optimization, the only variable that is used for estimating the optimal values is known as the coefficient of multiple determinations, which is denoted by R2. According to theory, R2 is used to determine the proportion of the variation in the dependent variable that is explained by the set of independent variables. For the above 2 cases, R2 was found to be 0.546 & 0.570 respectively. This signifies that in the analysis, only 54.6% and 57% of the variation in the revenue can be accounted for by the 3 variables taken into consideration. If indeed one were to make the solution optimal, then it can only be done if the model were to explain the results in terms of the largest variation in the dependent variables along with the use of the fewest number of independent variables. As such, it would be optimal to include all the lagged values in the regression equation (as they are dependent variables), but along with this it would also be necessary to include the normal values (current advertising expenditure as well as the price index). The estimated advertising costs (under normal values) must be excluded, as it is not required. Under this scheme, the R2 turns out to be 0,756, which is the largest obtained among all possible combinations, and hence the most optimal. Under the following scenario, we adopt the Normal distribu

Future of the Court POLS640.F.8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Future of the Court POLS640.F.8 - Essay Example For instance, President Eisenhower appointed both Chief Justice William J. Brennan and Justice Earl Warren. He was later disappointed by their broadminded inclinations on the Supreme Court and referred them to as â€Å"the biggest damned-fool mistakes† (Kommers et al 13). A justice can be appointed for life especially if he or she has a long and distinguished career in law and a good record of public service. Majority of justices start their careers as members of congress, aspires of presidency, and judges of lower courts (Gibson and Thurgood 111). There is a need to appoint justices for life when it comes to handling cases in the Supreme Court. This is because the longer the Justices remain in court; the more they become experienced when it comes to making decisions in Court. Deciding on which cases to be heard, requires effective decision making procedures. When petitions are reviewed and summarized by law clerks, the Chief Justice is required to make a good list of petitions to be discussed. In this stage the Justices agree on which petitions to reject and accept for discussion (Kommers et al. 18). The surviving petitions are then discussed in the conference at the beginning of Court’s term. The â€Å"Rule of Four† criterion is used by justices to decide on the cases to be heard. If four Justices disagree to hear a case, then the petition is dismissed (Gibson and Thurgood 85). Cases that qualify to be heard must always have various factors. These factors include the magnitude of the issue raised by the case; clarity of the involved issue; development of a complete and clear record of the case by the lower court; and the case’s potential impacts on the Court’s own prestige and credibility (Kommers et al. 18). Highly experienced Justices are able to make effective voting on cases, as well as, writing opinions. Each Justice reveals his or her views on the case being discussed and indicates how he or she intends to

Business strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Business strategies - Essay Example banking functions are the same, what is different is the service in each place (the bank has a service product) which assumes the customs of the place. HSBC is called â€Å"the world’s local bank†. HSBC offshore banks are multidivisional and organized around geographical region or country area – that is, they have a degree of autonomy within their host country, in order to facilitate compliance with local regulations. SABMiller owns several premium international beers, six of which are among the worlds top 50 beers.   It uses the multidomestic strategy to expand its growth, profitability and product offerings.   It uses a multidivisional organization structure with regional and divisional headquarters through different geographical locations. Avon previously uses the multidomestic strategy but changed to a global strategy when much of its sales was declining.   The analysis of its various products is done in the companys New York headquarters.   It uses this strategy to control costs and gain additional economies of scale to improve performance.   A functional organization structure is used at the company. The global strategy is apparent in SABMiller’s standardized products, namely their own portfolio of international premium beer brands. The global strategy is important to maintain brand exclusivity, while the multidivisional structure according to geography allows for efficient distribution to international markets. Avon also uses the global strategy and functional organization; it abolished its three international regional headquarters and instead established nine streamlined business centers in charge of sales, marketing and distribution worldwide. The managers of the nine functional units report directly to the Office of the Chairman, so the structure is horizontal. I think McDonalds uses a multidomestic strategy and Subway uses the global strategy which I have experience them both in different parts of the world.  McDonalds has offered

Gender Roles and the Perception of Women Essay Example for Free

Gender Roles and the Perception of Women Essay There was a time that having a daughter born to a family evoked more pity than congratulations from the community. Sons were valued more for they were viewed to bring practical help towards augmenting the family income through physical labor, as well as ensuring that the family name lives on with his progeny. (Feminism) Daughters were valued only for the potential honor they could bring the family with a good marriage. In olden days, a good marriage was not necessarily defined by the couples happiness but rather was deemed as such if both families stand to benefit from the union. Usually benefits would be measured in wealth, alliance or business. Marriages then were basically mergers. Women were not expected to accomplish anything other than the mastery of domestic duties and union with a suitable husband. After marriage, the only duties that a woman is supposed to fulfill are to look after the needs of her husband and give birth to as many children as possible with preference to the birthing of sons. The 1920s and 30s saw a wave of feminism that sought to overturn the traditional gender role assigned to women. They viewed patriarchy as oppressive to women and advanced the thinking that women are complements of males and therefore should be treated as equals. The 1920s also saw a major victory for women in the United States with the passage of a law that allowed for womens suffrage. (Feminism) The Second World War in the 1940s also provided women with the opportunity to prove their worth outside their duties as homemakers. They started signing up as army nurses, members of womens corps and workers in factories that provided supplies and ammunition to the boys overseas. Even with this however, women still experienced discrimination at the hands of employers who believed that it was the mens role to earn money for their families. Those that were hired still had to face inequality in wages as their work were deemed easier compared to the mens. (Acker 46) It has continually been an uphill climb for women in the assertion of their rights and the fight for identity and equality. Despite the many progresses made by women since the olden days, some cultures still place more premium on males. Sandra Cisneros account (Kirszner, 96-99) of being and born and living in a traditional, patriarchal society in the 1950s show that even with the many new freedoms and rights accorded to women, their roles were still defined by marriage and domestic duties. What I didnt realize was that my father thought college was good for girls good for finding a husband. After four years of college and two more in graduate school, and still no husband, my father shakes his head even now and says I wasted all that education. (Kirszner 97) The selection further goes on to relate the attempts made by Cisneros in getting her father to acknowledge her achievements and herself as more than only a daughter. She wanted to BE his daughter in every sense of the word and enjoy the same pride her father has in her brothers achievements. I often witness the hunch posture, from women after dark on the warrenlike streets of Brooklyn where I live. They seem to set their faces on neutral and, with their purse straps strung across their chests bandolier style, they forge ahead as though bracing themselves against being tackled. (Kirszner 242) In Brent Staples observations in the Black Man effect in altering a public space (Kirszner 240), he presents the image of a woman who is determined to move forward yet remains aware of the possible challenges to her progress. While in the story the context women is defined in is couched in terms of potential threat from street violence and crimes, one could almost picture the same description as applicable to the grim and set determination of the feminists who steadfastly battles for womens rights and progress. It has been many years since women achieved a major victory in suffrage and set about to establishing their identity in society. Yet in some cases, there seem to be some women who remain oblivious or at least, not benefited by the new stature and rights women have been able to claim through years of struggle with a male-dominated society. In Anna Deavere Smiths Four American Characters monologue (2005) she shares a conversation she had with an elderly philosopher friend she had, Maxine Green. In the conversation, Smith asked Green: What are two things that you dont know and still want to know? Green replies: Personally I still feel that I have to curtsy when I see the president of our University and I feel that I ought to get coffee for my male colleagues even though Ive outlived most of them. Smith follows this up with the characterization of Maryland convict Paulette Jenkins. Paulette Jenkins represents the women in abusive relationship who suffer in silence. She never spoke out because she didnt want people to know that there was something wrong with her family. She took her husbands abuse and allowed him to do the same to her children†¦children that she had in the belief that it would soften her husband. What would make a man do such a thing? At the same time, what would make a woman stand by helplessly as her husband beats up her children and herself? Conflict in relationships between men and women are believed to stem from four main reasons: mens jealousy, mens expectation of women and domestic work, mens sense of right to punish their women, and the importance to men of asserting and keeping their authority. Women on the other hand, are kept silent due to feelings of shame and responsibility (Dobash, and Dobash 4). More often than not, the women feel that they deserved whatever the husband did to them. This acquiescence may be due to their cultural orientation of women as subservient wives. Upbringing and cultural orientation can do much to influence a persons understanding and acceptance of gender roles. (Dobash, and Dobash 4) However, there is always the freedom of choice and personal introspection, which should allow individuals to reason out right and wrong and the applicability and rationale of traditions for themselves. The case of Sandra Cisneros is the perfect illustration of this. Despite being brought up in a highly patriarchal household and culture, she chose to follow her own desire and achieve in her own right. In the end, she managed to earn her fathers respect and acknowledgment that she, as a woman, can accomplish and gain honor and pride for the family. Regardless of background, doctrine or culture, everyone, man and woman, has that same choice in choosing how their manhood or womanhood will be defined in their lives. Works Cited Acker, Joan. What Happened to the Womens Movement? -An Exchange. Monthly Review Oct. 2001: 46. Questia. 28 Sept. 2007 http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=5002421932. Feminism. The Columbia Encyclopedia. 6th ed. 2004. Questia. 28 Sept. 2007 http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=101243850. Dobash, R. Emerson, and Russell P. Dobash. Women, Violence, and Social Change. New York: Routledge, 1992. Questia. 28 Sept. 2007 http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=107605974. Kirszner, Laurie. Patterns for College Writing 10th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martins. 2006. Mcneill, William H. Violence Submission in the Human Past. Daedalus 136. 1 (2007): 5+. Questia. 28 Sept. 2007 http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=5019968515. Smith, Anna Deveare. Four American Characters. 2005 TED. com. 27 Sept 2007 http://www. ted. com/index. php/talks/view/id/60

Symbolic Interactionism Case Study

Symbolic Interactionism Case Study Structure-functional paradigm also known as functionalism is a theory that sees society as a complex system or organisation and everything in society have a special function or contributes to maintain balance of the society (Macionis, 2012). Structural Functionalism is macro level analysis which focus on complex societies, large scale social structures, and social systems. It is origins in the works of Emile Durkheim. According to Herbert Spencer, society is like the structure of the human body (Macionis, 2012). Each part is like organs, bones, muscles in the body. The parts of the body are individually important, but they dependent on one another. Functionalism emphasizes on social stability. From this perspective, disorder in the system, leads to change because other parts must adjust to achieve stability. When one part of the system is not working or is dysfunctional, it affects all other parts and creates social problems, which leads to social change. In year 1957, American functionalist sociologists Robert K. Merton divide functions into two types, which are manifest functions and latent functions. Manifest functions are intentional and obvious consequences whereas latent functions are unintentional and not obvious consequences. He uses the term functions to refer to the positive consequences of peoples action. Functions help keep society or social system in equilibrium. In contrast, dysfunctions are consequences that harm society. They destabilize a systems equilibrium. Social Conflict Paradigm Social conflict is a theory that sees society as an arena of inequality which leads to conflict and social change (Macionis, 2012). Social conflict is a macro level analysis examines whole societies, large scale social structures, and social systems. This perspective is derived from the works of Karl Marx, who see society as segments that compete for social and economic resources. Based on conflict theory, society is ruled and control by the power elite and upper class. This elite and upper class not only want to maintain their dominance in society, they even like to increase upon it. Thus, they influence policy makers to form laws and regulations that legitimize their hogging of resources and wealth at the expense of all others. Symbolic Interaction Paradigm The symbolic interaction perspective, also called symbolic interactionism, is a theory that sees society as the results of interactions between individuals (Macionis, 2012). Symbolic Interaction is a micro level analysis, which focus on small and simple groups or community rather than large-scale social structures. According to symbolic interaction theory, all social interaction has a symbolic meaning. Anything that said by any individuals, behaviours of any individual, or what any individual wears has an underlying symbolic meaning to it. This perspective relies on the symbolic meaning that people develop and rely upon in the process of social interaction. Symbolic meanings are given importance because it is believe that people behave based on what they believe and not just on what is objectively true. Thus, society is thought to be socially constructed through human interpretation. People interpret one anothers behaviour and it is these interpretations that form the social bond. 2. Case study to explain/ elaborate each of the perspective associated with each school of thoughts. The topic that I use as my case study topic is prostitution. Prostitution is engaging in the sexual activity with another person in exchange for compensation, such as money or other valuable goods. From functionalism perspective, prostitution has still existed widely because it does somehow serve the society. From a functionalist perspective prostitution serves a need in society. If an act is not serving a societal need it wouldnt continue to exist. According to Erich Goode, social customs and institutions that persist over time tend to be those that are good for society because they serve one or more important functions (Goode, 2008). Now in terms of prostitution, it provides sexually repressed men with a sex life or an alternate sex life outside of their marriage. It also allows women to be entrepreneurs and make money independently without having to deal with any sort of start-up costs. Besides, prostitute does have manifest function, and that is a job because a prostitute makes living through the exchange and they can earn quite a number of money in a short period. Its latent function is to provide the sexual outlet for those who are not competitive in the marriage market, such as physically handicapped, mentally handicapped, and the poor. Moreover, in an exchange, the buyers needs are met without any responsibility to the seller. Besides, existence of prostitution can reduce the incidence of rape and sexual harassment. The evaluation of the dysfunction of prostitution is transmission of sexual transmission diseases such as AIDS. For instance, in countries such as Vietnam, prostitution is illegal. This is because prostitution are recognised generally as a risk factor in the transmission of HIV infection and it will particularly affects women and children. Now, lets look at social conflict perspective. From social conflict perspective, peoples race, ethnicity, gender, age, and social class are all linked to the unequal distribution of money. Thats why the majority of prostitutes are young, female, and poor. For example, large amount of low class citizens in country such as Vietnam, Thailand and Philippine are forced to be prostitutes. They do not know what to do, since they dont have any education. Thus, the only way that they can earn money without education is prostitution. Furthermore, pimps and madams also exist because of gender inequality in the sex industry. The pimps and madams take possession over prostitute and exploit the use of their bodies for sexual favours. Thus, when these women earn their money, they are oppressed by their pimps or madams who take a large portion of their earnings. So the economic inequality gap is widened. Hence, they need to perform sex continuously in order to live because of the social inequality. Now, lets look at symbolic interaction perspective. In Malaysia, prostitution is categorized into three forms which are escort, street and brothel prostitution. According to The Star Newspaper (http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/11/9/parliament/12294866sec=parliament), in Malaysia, about 47,000 foreign prostitutes are arrested from 2008 to 2012 for soliciting sex. From symbolic interaction perspective, prostitution in Malaysia symbolizes sexual revolution occurs drastically. Sexual attitudes have become so lenient that women are able capitalize upon mens sexual desires and engage in emotionless sexual activity with multiple partners in order to gain income.

Analysis of the Global Steel Industry

Analysis of the Global Steel Industry Steel Industry is a booming industry in the whole world. The increasing demand for it was mainly generated by the development projects that have been going on along the world, especially the infrastructural works and real estate projects that has been on the boom around the developing countries. The Asian countries have their respective dominance in the production of the steel all over the world. India being one among the fastest growing economies of the world has been considered as one of the potential global steel hub internationally. Over the years, particularly after the adoption of the liberalization policies all over the world, the World steel industry is growing very fast. Steel Industry was till recently dominated by the United Sates of America but this scenario is changing with a rapid pace with the Indian steel companies on an acquisition spree. In the last one year, the world has seen two big MA deals to take place:- The Mittal Steel, listed in Holland, has acquired the worlds largest steel company called Arcelor Steel to become the worlds largest producer of Steel named Arcelor-Mittal. Tata Steel of India or TISCO (as listed in BSE) has acquired the worlds fifth largest steel company, Corus, with the highest ever stock price. It has been observed that Steel Industry has grown tremendously in the last one and a half decade with a strong financial condition. The increasing need of steel by the developing countries for its infrastructural projects has pushed the companies in this industry near their operative capacity. The most significant growth that can be seen in the Steel Industry has been observed during the period 1960 to 1974 when the consumption of steel around the whole world doubled. Between these years, the rate at which the Steel Industry grew has been recorded to be 5.5 %. This roaring market saw a phase of deceleration from the year 1975 which continued till 1982. After this period, the continuous fall slowed down and again started its upward movement from the early 1990s. Steel Industry is becoming more and more competitive with every passing day. During the period 1960s to late 1980s, the steel market used to be dominated by OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countri es. But with the fast emergence of developing countries like China, India and South Korea in this sector has led to slipping market share of OECD countries. The balance of trade line is also tilting towards these countries. The main demand creators for Steel Industry are Automobile industry, Construction Industry, Infrastructure Industry, Oil and Gas Industry, and Container Industry. New innovations are also taking place in Steel Industry for cost minimization and at the same time production maximization. Some of the cutting edge technologies that are being implemented in this industry are thin-slab casting, making of steel through the use of electric furnace, vacuum degassing, etc. The Steel Industry has enough potential to grow at a much accelerated pace in the coming future due to the continuity of the developmental projects around the world. This industry is at present working near its productive capacity which needs to be increased with increasing demand. STEEL GLOBAL SCENARIO The biggest boom in history of steel industry is that of the 1950s and 1960s, when the steel industry was driven by the post-War boom in the developed world. Where as the current boom is being led by growth in the developing world, particularly China, India and Brazil. Indeed, the China factor is huge and gives the impression that the boom has a broader basis than it actually has. In 2005, China produced 349 million tonnes of crude steel, accounting for almost one-third of the global steel output. Even this was not enough to feed the countrys appetite for growth. It was the biggest importer of steel and the sixth biggest exporter of steel in the world; in 2005, its net imports amounted to 12 million tonnes and its consumption of steel also amounted to a little less than one-third of the world consumption. China is clearly the engine that has driven steel consumption in the Asian region. Its consumption, as a percentage of the total consumption in Asia, increased from 41 per cent in 1 999 to 57 per cent in 2005. Steel prices, primarily buoyed by the Chinese boom, hit their peak between 2002 and 2004. This ensured high profits from investments in steel. Despite the moves towards consolidation, steel capacities are still fragmented. The gap between Arcelor-Mittal and Nippon Steel, the second biggest producer, highlights this. Nippon produced 32 million tonnes of steel in 2005 less than one-third that of the industry leader. More significantly, although the Tata-Corus combine will be placed at number five in the global steel pecking order, its capacity would still not be very far ahead of most companies in the top 15. This implies that under the threat of further consolidation the Tatas may well come under pressure to acquire more capacities from rivals or expose themselves to attack from aggressive bidders. The point about consolidation is that it is only happening at the top. The top 10 companies produce about 25 per cent of the global steel output. The rest of the steel about 75 per cent of the global capacity is still widely dispersed over 62 countries around the world, in plants with much smaller capacities. Industry sources say that consolidation needs to happen at the bottom end of the steel market. The smaller producers, rather than the bigger ones, affect the market more, said a senior official in the Ministry of Steel and Mines. The pressure building up at the bottom can result in the bigger producers losing control of the market suddenly and quickly. In the year 2004, the global steel production has made a record level by crossing the 1000 million tones. Among the top producers in the steel production, China ranked 1 in the world. Production of steel in the 25 European Union countries was at 16.3 mmt in January 2005. Production in Italy increased by 11.5 per cent in comparison to the same month in 2004. Italy produced 2.5 mmt of crude steel in January 2005. Austria produced 646,000 metric tones. In Russia it increased by 4.0 per cent to reach at 5.5 mmt in January. In case of the North America region particularly in Mexico it was 1.5 mmt of crude steel in January 2005, up by 8.0 per cent compared to the same month in 2004. Production in the United States was 8.3 mmt. Brazil had produced 2.6 mmt of crude steel in January 2005. In South America region it was 3.7 mmt for January 2005 INDIAN STEEL INDUSTRY Post liberalisation Steel industry reforms particularly in 1991 and 1992 have led to strong and sustainable growth in Indias steel industry. Since its independence, India has experienced steady growth in the steel industry, successive governments that have supported the industry and pushed for its robust development. Further illustrating this plan is the fact that a number of steel plants were established in India, with technological assistance and investments by foreign countries. In 1991, a substantial number of economic reforms were introduced by the Indian government. These reforms boosted the development process of a number of industries the steel industry in India in particular which has subsequently developed quite rapidly. The 1991 reforms allowed for no licenses to be required for capacity creation, except for some locations. Also, once Indias steel industry was moved from the listing of the industries that were reserved exclusively for the public sector, huge foreign investments were made in this industry. Yet another reform for Indias steel industry came in 1992, when every type of control over the pricing and distribution system was removed, making the modern Indian Steel Industry extremely efficient, as well as competitive. Additionally, a number of other government measures have stimulated the growth of the steel industry, coming in the form of an unrestricted external trade, low import duties, and an easy tax structure. India continually posts phenomenal growth records in steel production. In 1992, India produced 14.33 million tones of finished carbon steels and 1.59 million tones of pig iron. Furthermore, the steel production capacity of the country has increased rapidly since 1991. In 2008, India produced nearly 46.575 million tones of finished steels and 4.393 million tones of pig iron. Both primary and secondary producers contributed their share to this phenomenal development, while these increases have pushed up the demand for finished steel at a very stable rate. In 1992, the total consumption of finished steel was 14.84 million tones. In 2008, the total amount of domestic steel consumption was 43.925 million tones. With the increased demand in the national market, a huge part of the international market is also served by this industry. Today, India is in seventh position among all the crude steel producing countries. THE Indian steel industry, in line with global trends, is at a crossroads, witnessing a resurgent phase of modernisation, expansion and consolidation, mainly through mergers and acquisitions. A sector that was moribund just about five years ago because of a worldwide slump in steel prices, the industry has turned the corner and has in fact been vibrant over the past two years. Domestic steel companies, both public and private, are surging ahead on the strength of an unprecedented buoyancy in the economy and the resultant boom in real estate and various infrastructure sectors such as roads and highways, ports and airports. The official figures speak for themselves. Powered by an increased demand for steel from neighbouring China, which has been clocking a 15 per cent sectoral growth annually on account of construction projects in preparation for the Olympics, the steel industry in India has grown by about 10 per cent in the past two years, compared with the global growth rate of about 6 per cent a year. The countrys production of crude steel in 2005-06 stood at 42.1 million tonnes, reflecting an increase of 7.1 per cent over the previous fiscal. On the other hand, the consumption of steel during the year was pegged at 41.43 million tonnes, a massive growth of 13.88 per cent when compared with the 2004-05 figures. Likewise, the production of sponge iron also increased sharply by 25 per cent, from about 10.3 million tonnes in 2004-05 to 12.9 million tonnes in 2005-06. Currently, India is the largest sponge iron producer in the world and ranks seventh among steel-producing countries. The growth in domestic steel consumption is, by and large, in keeping with the International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI) forecast of a 10 per cent increase in steel use in 2006. While the IISI has projected the global demand for steel to grow by 4.9 per cent in the medium term up to 2010, it has pegged its forecast for the 2010-15 period at 4.2 per cent annually for the entire world. The IISI says India will lead the consumption growth story with an annual demand of 7.7 per cent, followed by China with 6.2 per cent. More heartening is the indication that the exciting phase in the domestic steel industry is expected to continue for the next five to seven years at the least, in terms of both consumption and production. Already, the growth in steel consumption, as projected by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in the National Steel Policy (NSP) formulated in 2005, stands exceeded by a huge margin. The NSP had conservatively estimated the countrys steel production to grow by 7.3 per cent, with an annual consumption growth of 6.9 per cent. Considering that the past two years have already witnessed a demand growth of over 10 per cent, the government expects the healthy trend to continue during the Eleventh Plan period (2007-12), provided an annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 9 per cent is achieved during the period as projected by the Planning Commission. Clearly, for primary steel producers, India is the place to be in as it has the greatest growth potential. There are two other major factors. One, India is bestowed with the largest reserves of high-quality iron ore in the world. Secondly, the annual per capita consumption of steel in the country is still one of the lowest in the world, at 35 kilograms against the global benchmark of 250-400 kg. In effect, the growth story in India is here to stay for quite a few decades in view of the sheer disparity in consumption l evels. The three ore-rich States Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh threw open their doors, steel-makers of all hues jumped into the fray to sign memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with more than one State government. In all, more than 116 MoUs have already been inked, pledging a total investment of a whopping Rs.3, 57,344 crores in the coming years. If all the pledges materialise, the countrys installed steel production capacity will surge to anywhere between 150 million and 180 million tonnes by 2014-15, compared with the conservative NSP target of 110 million tonnes by 2019-20. Orissa signed 43 MoUs to hike its production capacity to 58.04 million tonnes. Not to be left behind, Chhattisgarh entered into 42 MoUs to augment its steel capacity to 19.32 million tonnes, while Jharkhand signed 31 MoUs to increase its capacity to 68.67 million tonnes. The extensive availability of rich iron ore the basic raw material for steel-making in the three States has attracted big global names too who, at the outset, made it clear that they would require captive iron ore mines to feed their greenfield steel projects. Initially, it was the home-grown Tata Steel that signed a MoU with the Orissa government, in November 2004 for setting up a six-million-tonne plant at an estimated cost of Rs.15, 400 crores after the government made a commitment that its ore requirement of 250 million tonnes for a period of 25 years would be met. Pohang Iron and Steel Company (POSCO), the South Korean major and the third largest global steel producer, approached the Orissa government, the terms turned out to be far sweeter. Under the MoU signed in June 2005, POSCO plans to set up a 12-million-tonne plant at Paradeep, with an investment of Rs.51, 000 crores. The initial proposal was for a 10-million-tonne plant, but there is a catch here. The government has committed itself not only to providing 600 million tonnes of ore on a captive basis for a period of 30 years but also allowing POSCO to export the quality domestic ore for use in its steel plants in Korea. It has demanded the raw material from mines in Sundergarh a nd Keonjhar districts. Lakshmi N. Mittal, the non-resident Indian (NRI) tycoon and the worlds biggest steel-maker following the merger of Mittal Steels with the Luxembourg-based Arcelor in June last year, did still better. He put Jharkhand and Orissa in competition by proposing a steel venture in either State, depending upon the terms and incentives and the swiftness in approvals. Jharkhand lost out owing to litigation over its Chiria ore mines and for other reasons to Orissa, which signed an MoU with Mittal-Arcelor in December last year for a 12-million-tonne steel plant at Keonjhar. The state-owned Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) also undertook a major exercise to retain its position as the leading integrated steel producer in the country. The steel behemoth announced its `Corporate Plan-2012, envisaging an outlay of Rs.37, 000 crores to upgrade its plants and modernise its operations. Under the plan, expansion programmes are under way in various SAIL units to enhance the total production capacity to 22.9 million tonnes of hot metal from the present 12.5 million tonnes by 2011-12. Late last year, following the merger of IISCO with SAIL, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone for the modernisation and expansion of ISP (IISCO steel plant) with an investment of Rs.9, 592 crores. Mergers of a few more state-owned units with SAIL are on the cards with a view to consolidating public sector share in the steel market. The other public sector steel enterprise, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd. (RINL), is already in the process of implementing an ambitious expansion programme for increasing its liquid steel capacity from the current three million tonnes to 6.3 million tonnes at an estimated cost of Rs.8, 692 crores. Launched on May 20, 2006, the project is scheduled for completion by 2008-09. Needless to say, the demand for iron ore has surged in view of the long-term supply commitments being given by the State governments at a time when the international market prices for the raw material are at a high. The government set up a committee under the Planning Commission, headed by Anwarul Hoda, to recommend changes in the National Mineral Policy. The existing policy permits free exports of iron ore with a ferrous content of less than 64 per cent. For exports of high-grade ore with higher ferrous content, a license is required and is currently canalised through the Minerals and Metals Trading Corporation (MMTC). The Hoda Committee recommended free exports of iron ore with a ferrous content of less than 65 per cent but advocated discontinuation of the existing regime of canalisation and export licensing for the high-grade ore. Instead, the panel suggested free exports of quality ore lumps with ferrous content of more than 65 per cent on payment of an export duty. TATA STEEL Tata Steel, formerly known as TISCO (Tata Iron and Steel Company Limited), is the worlds fifth largest and Indias largest steel company, with an annual crude steel capacity of 28 million tonnes. Ranked 315th on Fortune Global 500, it is based in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India. It is part of Tata Group of companies. Tata Steel is also Indias second-largest and second-most profitable company in private sector with consolidated revenues of Rs 1, 32,110 crores and net profit of over Rs 12,350 crores during the year ended March 31, 2008. Its main plant is located in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, with its recent acquisitions; the company has become a multinational with operations in various countries. In 2000, the company was recognised as the worlds lowest-cost producer of steel. The company was also recognized as the worlds best steel producer by World Steel Dynamics in 2005. The company is listed on Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange of India, and employs about 82,700 people (as o f 2008). On 2nd April, 2007, the Company completed the acquisition of Corus Group plc, Steel Company headquartered at UK for an Enterprise Value of USD 14.7 billion. Post the acquisition of Corus, Tata Steel Group is now the worlds 6th largest steel company with current steel deliveries of 32 million tonnes. Set up as Asias first integrated steel plant and Indias largest integrated private sector steel company, a century ago, it is now the worlds second most geographically diversified steel producer, with operations in 24 countries and commercial presence in over 50 countries. The Jamshedpur operations in India is increasing its capacity from 5 mtpa to 10 mtpa by end 2010 and the Company has also signed MoUs to set up four greenfield steel projects in the states of Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh in India and one in Vietnam. Few years back, Tata Steel embarked on a journey to pursue Growth and Globalisation through organic and inorganic strategy to increase its capacity in excess of 50 mtpa by 2015. The Company identified several strategic levers including building a stronger base in India, acquisitions in both growing and developed markets, strategic investments in raw material assets and focus on branding. TATA STEEL VISION MISSION STATEMENT Vision We aspire to be the global steel industry benchmark for Value Creation and Corporate Citizenship We make the difference through: Our people, by fostering team work, nurturing talent, enhancing leadership capability and acting with pace, pride and passion. Our offer, by becoming the supplier of choice, delivering premium products and services, and creating value with our customers. Our innovative approach, by developing leading edge solutions in technology, processes and products. Our conduct, by providing a safe working place, respecting the environment, caring for our communities and demonstrating high ethical standards. Mission statement Achieve sustainable, profitable growth in steel and related businesses. Create differential value for our customers through innovative offerings. Continuous improvement of business processes and technologies. Foster partnership with key stake holders. Enhance employees competencies to create a high performing and innovative organization. Be a responsible corporate citizen and enhance the quality of life of employees and key community. TATA STEEL FUTURE STRATEGIES Currently, the global steel industry is going through unprecedented times. The steel demand is strong with over 6% growth year on year over the last seven years unseen in the last several decades, primarily driven by robust growth in China, India, South East Asia, Middle East, Russia and Brazil. The iron ore and coking coal prices are at a record high both due to insufficient capacity creation for these and the heavy consolidation of minerals companies. Oil prices and ocean freight rates are at an all time high. The combined effect of all these have driven steel prices to a level higher than ever before though there is increasing pressure on margins of steel companies due to very high input costs. The new scenario both external, due to high raw material and freight costs and internal, called for a new Vision, strategies and action plans. The Company has co-created a shared Vision with its employees of becoming a global benchmark in Value Creation and Corporate Citizenship. Company has set goals for 2012 in terms of Returns on Invested Capital, Safety, Carbon dioxide emissions and of becoming the employer of choice in the industry. The integration with Corus is proceeding smoothly and is yielding better than the predicted results. Continuous improvement projects are being given focus in all companies sites and businesses. Greenfield projects in India are progressing, though somewhat slower than planned. Companys effort to enhance their raw material security has yielded positive results in Ivory Coast for iron ore, in Mozambique for coal and in Oman for limestone. There is greater emphasis on safety. They have well laid out plans to reduce CO2 emissions to benchmark levels. The Tata Steel Group will pursue strategic growth through capacity expansions and securing access to raw materials. The Group is expanding its capacity in India through the expansion of its operations in Jamshedpur to 10 million tonnes per annum and through the construction of a 6 million tonnes per annum greenfield site in Orissa. Other Greenfield opportunities in India and across Asia are being assessed. The Group is also looking at further integration upstream in raw materials with an ambition to achieve 100% self-sufficiency in India and around 50% self-sufficiency in Europe over time. Agreements for the exploration of iron ore in the Ivory Coast, coal in Mozambique and limestone in Oman have already been signed and opportunities are under review in India to support the Indian Greenfield projects; and in Africa and South America, primarily to support its European steelmaking assets Climate change is probably the biggest challenge ever to confront the steel industry. In response to this challenge, the Tata Steel Group will be part of the solution and is committed to minimising the environmental impact of its operations and its products. It has a goal to reduce its CO2 footprint by at least 20% by 2020 compared to 1990. To meet this objective, the Group will, for example, continue to improve its current processes, invest in breakthrough technologies and develop new products and services that reduce the environmental impact over the product lifecycle. To improve its processes, priority is given to energy conservation schemes; in technology break-through such as Ultra Low Carbon Steel making and in other innovative projects where the Group has proprietary technology. TATA STEEL SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS Tata Steels Indian operations are self-sufficient in the case of its major raw material iron ore through its captive mines. Very advanced Research and Development wing which is carrying out researches and experiments in the areas of raw materials, blast furnace productivity, steel making, product development, process improvement etc. Several thrust area projects were taken up Tata had a strong retail and distribution network in India and SE Asia. Tata was a major supplier to the Indian auto industry and the demand for value added steel products was growing in this market. The Company is on its way to reach a crude steel capacity of 10 million tonnes per annum by FY 2011. The first phase of reaching the crude steel capacity of 6.8 million tonnes per annum, Brown field projects, is nearing completion The Company has in place adequate internal control systems and procedures commensurate with the size and nature of its business. The effectiveness of the internal controls is continuously monitored by the Corporate Audit Division of the Company. Corporate Audits main objective is to provide to the Audit Committee and the Board of Directors, an independent, objective and reasonable assurance of the adequacy and effectiveness of the organisations risk management, control and governance processes. Corporate Audit also assesses opportunities for improvement in business processes, systems controls and may provide recommendations, designed to add-value to the organisation. It also follows up on the implementation of corrective actions and improvements in business processes after review by the Audit Committee and Senior Management Tata Steel has been on a path of accelerated growth with foray into several geographies and markets through aggressive mergers and acquisitions. Tata Steel now is in the process of implementing a structured approach in risk management called Enterprise Risk Management (ERM). The key objectives of the Company through ERM are : To enshrine the process of ERM as a usual Business Process and integrate into all decision making and planning processes. To ensure that all levels of Management identify and monitor risks through a properly defined framework. To provide periodic information and updates to the Board and the Shareholders on the significant risks and the ways of mitigating the same. Tata Steel addresses the risk of cyclicality of the Steel industry by marinating rich product mix and higher value added products whose volatility is lower. Moreover, the industry itself has been undergoing some structural changes with Consolidations. These changes are expected to bring in greater stability to prices. Tata Steel with its modernisation plans has ensured that it deploys the best technologies to ensure quality, cost-efficiency and environment-friendly processes. Through acquisition of Corus and with new Greenfield ventures, Tata Steel has ensured that it has diversified the concentration risk in single technology of Iron Steel making WEAKNESS Endemic Deficiencies These are inherent in the quality and availability of some of the essential raw materials available in India, eg, high ash content of indigenous coking coal adversely affecting the productive efficiency of iron-making and is generally imported. Advantages of high Fe content of indigenous ore are often neutralized by high basicity index. Besides, certain key ingredients of steel making, eg, nickel, Ferro-molybdenum are also unavailable indigenously. India is deficient in raw materials required by the steel industry. Iron ore deposits are finite and there are problems in mining sufficient amounts of it. Indias hard coal deposits are of low quality and the prices of coking and non-coking coal are ever increasing Raw materials for steel production are rapidly depleting and are non renewable, company has to come up with sustainable methods in steel production. Steel production in India is also hampered by power shortages. Insufficient freight capacity and transport infrastructure impediments too hamper the growth of Indian steel industry. Low Labour Productivity In India the advantages of cheap labour get offset by low labour productivity; eg, at comparable capacities labour productivity of SAIL and TISCO are 75 t/manyear and 100 t/manyear, for POSCO, Korea and NIPPON, Japan the values are 1345 t/man year and 980 t/manyear. High Cost of Basic Inputs and Services High administered price of essential inputs like electricity puts Indian steel industry at a disadvantage; about 45% of the input costs can be attributed to the administered costs of coal, fuel and electricity, eg, cost of electricity is 3 cents in the USA as compared to 10 cents in India; and freight cost from Jamshedpur to Mumbai is $50/tonne compared to only $34 from Rotterdam to Mumbai. OPPORTUNITIES The biggest opportunity before Indian steel sector is that there is enormous scope for increasing consumption of steel in almost all sectors in India. Unexplored Rural Market The Indian rural sector remains fairly unexposed to their multi-faceted use of steel. The rural market was identified as a potential area of significant steel consumption way back in the year 1976 itself. However, forceful steps were not taken to penetrate this segment. Enhancing applications in rural areas assumes a much greater significance now for increasing per capital consumption of steel. The usage of steel in cost effective manner is possible in the area of housing, fencing, structures and other possible applications where steel can substitute other materials which not only could bring about advantages to users but is also desirable for conservation of forest resources. Excellent potential exist for enhancing steel consumption in other sectors such as automobiles, packaging, engineering industries, irrigation and water supply in India. New steel products developed to improve performance simplify manufacturing/installation and reliability is needed to enhance steel consumption in these sectors It is estimated that world steel consumption will double in next 25 years. Quality improvement of Indian steel combined with its low cost advantages will definitely help in substantial gain in export market. The Tata Steel Group is leveraging the Groups collective Research and Development experience in the Groups various geographies to further enhance the Groups performance and also the integration process. Corus acquisition bring in a tremendous technological advantage by access to best practices in global steel industry Global MA brought in following synergies Greater productivity leading to increased output and market size. Greater economies of scale leading to cost reduction through combined buying Cross fertilisation of Research and Development capabilities and operational best practices, leading to greater innovation and operational efficiencies. Booming infrastructure has opened up high demand for steel worldwide THREATS In the developed world, industries have been facing rising environmental costs due to the increased concerns on Global Warming. It is, therefore, a challenge and responsibility for the Steel industry to be the trustee in conservation of nature for future generations It is recognised that the steel and aluminium industries are significant contributors to man-made greenhouse gas emissions as the manufacture of steel produces carbon dioxide (CO2), and th

Essay example --

A lens is an optical device that transmits or refracts light. Eyeglass lenses are glass or plastic items that are placed inside eyewear frames in order to correct the wearer’s vision. More than 80 percent of all eyeglasses worn today are plastic lenses. The glass lenses were popular in the 1945 until the plastic lens was introduced in 1952. Convex and concave lenses are known as spherical lenses. Convex lenses were the first lenses used to correct vision problems. They are used to correct hyperopia (farsighted vision). These lenses are thicker in the middle than at the edges. Concave lenses are used to correct nearsightedness. This is a condition that makes people see things that are close to them but struggle to see things far away. Concave lenses are curved inward like the inside of a spoon. Whether you have plastic or glass, concave lenses or convex lenses they are produced in much of the same way. Years ago opticians relied on separate optical laboratories to produce eyeglass lenses. However today optical outlets receive lens â€Å"blanks† (blanks received from optical laboratories) which are plastic pieces already formed to fit exactly into the front of the lens. The stages are grinding, polishing, and shaping. Materials used are plastic or glass blanks, which are thick in size to eyeglass frames, though slightly larger. Thickness may vary depending upon the prescription. Other raw materials used to make eyeglass lenses are adhesive tape, a liquid with a lead alloy base, metal, and dyes and tints. Eyeglass lenses are designed in many shapes in order to match the eyeglass frame. Assuming that plastic lenses are being made at an optical laboratory technician’s input optical prescription for a pair of lenses i... ... may also verify optics and optical prescription in the lensometer. The manufacturing of lens has progressed over the years. The labor-intensive nature of making glasses has made it hard for U.S. companies to make high-precision lenses to compete with forms located in countries with low labor costs. However the manufacturing process has become more automated which makes the process more capital intensive rather than labor intensive. American companies are able to compete on even ground. Now there is computer assisted grinding process using the Opticam. This machine is capable of surfacing, edging, and centering in one setup, which save so much time. Whether you use the old-fashioned labor-intensive approach or use newly developed technology it is important to know that the manufacturing of lenses requires strict adherence to guidelines and quality control.

The Prioress of The Canterbury Tales :: Canterbury Tales Essays

The Prioress of The Canterbury Tales    In the poem, by Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer depicts the people of the church and describes them as people who are not the sole embodiment of people who have sworn themselves to God, and to live by the four vows that the church requires them to commit themselves to. The Prioress, a Nun, is no exception, but Chaucer does not directly say how she represents the four vows but rather it is what he does not say that leads people to believe the Prioress is the exact opposite of what is expected of a nun that has committed herself to the four vows.    Men and women of the church are expected to live in poverty and hold no worldly possessions. The Prioress spoke of owning little dogs, which is strictly prohibited in a convent, and treating them exceptionally well and being extremely attached to them. By owing these dogs she violated the vow of poverty but the most apparent item that she owns is a gold broche that and leads the reader to believe that she was not entirely devoted to the church.    Chaucer spent a great deal of time explaining how she was extremely obsessed with her etiquette, that hints to the reader that she is more suited to be a beloved lady rather than a nun. In the days of Chaucer, women used excellent etiquette to attract and keep lovers. This indicates that the Prioress in not completely faithful to her vow of chastity, but rather a woman of promiscuity.    The vow of obedience, in reference to the Prioress, is probably the most odd vow of the four, since he never mentions it. While Chaucer is describing the Prioress he never once mentions how she serves God or nothing of that sort. This leaves the reader wondering if she serves God well or does not, but it is obvious that she has failed to follow the other vows and that this one is no exception.    A nun should pray, study, do service to God, and live a confined life free from temptation, but the Prioress has already violated the first three vows and those have to be followed to successful fulfill the vow of obedience.

Market Opportunities for Soft Drink Companies Essay

Companies in the soft drink manufacturing industry are facing intense competition from the domestic and foreign brands,resulting in rising promotional costs and sinking profit margins. The consumers are going for real â€Å"value† for their money ,choosing drinks with better health value. Acurrent ban on sales of carbonates shows in the trend analysis given below:- {draw:frame} COMPANY GROWTH RATE Our company has shown a declining growth rate due to change in value perception and behavioural differences of consumers due to governmental bans all over the country. A public clarification would help us change the consumer perception. We need to make our core value based products to be fresh and relevant. We also need to sharpen our focus in this industry for maximum effect. {draw:frame} The trends of our own product offerings in the market are shown in the graph as below. Here we can notice a declining trend. {draw:frame} This declining trend can also be seen as a loss of our market segment to healthier drink options like fuit juices and water . It is quite evident in the graph given below:- {draw:frame} High sales volume in the water drinking segment and health juice segment shows that customer want better value and there perception is based on the changes in the microenvironment brought about by our competitors. There is a possibility of high â€Å"customer churn† in the future as our company’s sales decline. A 5 percent reduction in the customer defection rate can increase profits by 25 percent to 85 percent. According to the expectancy value model we ned to look into altering the beliefs about our brand which is effected by physical risk perceptions. Here we are seeing intense segment rivalry in our eange of products. Also there is lower entry barrier. The companies point of view needs to be visible on active information search. A customer’s decision to be loyal or defect from buying our products depends upon the large number of small encounters of the company which should lead to memorable customer experience.

Commerce Study Notes Year 9

Commerce Law and Society Laws: * A rule that governs the way you live, with minimal standards. * Protects people and keeps peace. * Have freedoms, resolve disputes, protection. Anarchy: Without order. Mediation: a third person that ultimately decides, outside of court * * Registered person. * Two parties and mediator. * A compromise is made. * Mediations cheaper and voluntary. Matrimonial: property of marriage, everything is shared * * Matrimonial assets. * Court considers contributions of parties. * Child is child of marriage Government in Australia Governments make laws to control us. They set up systems to enforce laws. * Governments set up courts to decide upon breaches of laws. Jury decides whether the person is guilty or not, the judge decides the punishment Democracy: Demo=People, Cracy=State * People elected by the people under a free voting system. All have equal rights. * Provides laws and order, controls economic problems, and protects people / environment. Types of Govern ments * Communism: No private ownership. Government owns everything and provides the needs/ wants of the people. E. G. China, North Korea. Monarchy: The Monarch (king, queen, emperor, empress, sultan) E. G. Kuwait, Saudi Arabia. * Constitutional Monarchy: Powers of the monarch reduced by laws. Governor General represents the Monarch. E. G. Australia operates as a democracy. * Anarchy: Government has broken down. No laws or authority. * Socialism: Ownership of all production (farms and factories) controlled by the people. Government puts responsibility on people. E. G. Sweden * Federation: Involves Federal, State and local governments. Federal Government Issues * Customs * Currency * Defence Immigration/ emigration. * Aboriginal affairs. * Foreign affairs * Social security (makes people feel more secure) * Marriage/ divorce. The Australian Federal government is based on a bicameral system. * * Upper house – Senate76 people * Lower house – house of Reps 150 people State Government * * Each state divided into electorates * 93 electorates in NSW for lower house (legislative assembly- green room). * 43 electorates for upper house. * Voters elect a representative. * Each electorate contains 40,000 to 50,000 people.Jurisdiction * Each state in USA and Aus have legal jurisdiction. (authority in law) * Unity and centrality- POWER * Freedom of speech, same rights (equality), justice. 3 Areas of Power Legislation – parliamentary law – voting politician Executive – carries out law – police Judiciary – courts and judges – statue and case law Judiciary 1st level: Local Court (judge and magistrate) minor matters e. g. shop lifting 2nd District Court (judge)fairly serious matters e. g. armed robbery 3rd level: Supreme Court (Judge/ justices) serious criminal matters e. g. ife in-jailment 4th High Court (Judge) looks at paperwork, no evidence Federal Courts – deal with federal law * Federal magistrates court of Aus tralia * Federal court of Australia e. g. Family Courts Facts * Australian constitution sets out Federal powers. * Federal law prevails over state law. * Trade practices act: Federal * Bankruptcy Hierarchy of Courts in Australia – state courts * High court of Australia (up to 7 judges) * Federal court * Supreme court of appeal * Supreme court * District court * Local court Court Administration 1. Registry: Handles the paperwork of the court.Charges fees. 2. Registrar: Boss of the registry. What impact do fees have on justice? Fees restrict people’s access to the courts causing injustice and can be seen as discrimination. It also reduces the demand on the court system. It also deters frivolous or silly cases. Contracts * A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between parties, outlining the obligations. * Oral/ verbal contract: mouth (spoken). * Signed contract: written (signed by parties). * Most contracts are oral but are signed when involving large sums of mone y. Elements of a contract . Offer: A proposal where the person making an offer must clearly communicate. 2. Acceptance: Occurs when the person making an offer agrees to the proposal. 3. Consideration: Required to form a valid contract. Requires each party to give up something of value. * Implied term: nothing in writing but a code of conduct is established. Cases * PS of Great Britain v BBC Ltd (1953): Customers offer can be refused. (the check out accepts offers) * C v CSB Co. (1893): Misleading advertising can be a contract. (offer at large) * Chappel & Co. V Nestle Co.Ltd (1960): Even with no value something can be passed from one party to another forming a contract. (caveat emptor – buyer beware) The difference between Private law and Public law Private law (civil): laws that regulate people’s behaviour with other individuals. (non-criminal matters e. g. suing for civil wrongs) Public law (criminal): People’s behaviour within society. (criminal law, protects people from other people – e. g. robbery, homicide , drug offences) Courts * Juries are normally involved in serious matters. * For minor matters you only have a local court magistrate.The adversail system: two sides go against each other in an argument or a fight to argue their case. List the main courtroom officials * The judge (your worship) * The judge assistant * The lawyers * The transcript reporter * The jury (6-12 in criminal case) * The barrister * The magistrate (your honour) Robbery: taking property that belongs to someone else using threats/ violence. Civil law Civil law deals with no criminal matters. It allows an individual to sue other people Negligence Trespassing Defamation Nuisance Where a civil law is successfully proven in court, the wronged party will seek damages.The award of legal costs normally goes to the successful party that is either the plaintiff or defendant (but can be refused as these costs are discretionary – up to judge) Civil Law Tes t To prove their test they must win â€Å"the balance of probability† more likely/ no certainty of truth. Criminal Law Test â€Å"Beyond a reasonable doubt† approx. Equal to certainty (protects people from others who do the wrong thing). â€Å"Ignorance of the law is no excuse†. In criminal law you have a Prosecutor: In local courts usually police whereas in the higher courts prosecute is known as the Crown prosecutor. the Crown (R= Regina which means loyalty) v.Defendant In criminal matters the injured party is the State or the Crown. The offence is not against the person that has suffered at the hands of the alleged perpetrator but rather against the State (Crown). In criminal matters the victim cannot decide to punish the offender. This is for the Crown to make. Courtroom acts and definitions Indictable offences: Serious crimes that are determined or tried by a judge or jury. Summary offences: Less serious crimes which are relatively quickly dealt with by a m agistrate in a local court. Manresa: To have a guilty mind. If you are insane you cannot have mensrea.Quasi: Semi criminal. In between civil and criminal. Injunction: Order of the court to stop doing something. E. g. Stop playing loud music. Contempt of Court: Disregarding or breathing an injunction or court order. Statute Law: Law made by parliament. Restitution: paying for damage caused by contempt of court Case/ common law: Law made by judges. How laws are made Statute Law: made by parliament through the passing of a bill or a referendum. Common/ case law: Law is made by the courts of previous cases. 2 houses of parliament (legislative) 1st Lower house (house of reps) 2nd Upper house (senate)If a bill is continuously rejected than a double dissolution can be called meaning the public go to the polls to re-elect senators and representatives in the lower house. A courts primary role is to interpret and apply the laws of the parliament. Common law: A judge can alter common law as it has arisen through the judges in England and then Australia. Alters law when necessary to allow justice. What binds the Common Law Precedent in law means those principles that have been decided in the past that a court can rely on today. Higher courts make a precedent. How a bill becomes law The cabinet draft bills with senior ministers. cabinet is the prime minister) Bill is given to each member of parliament, then it gets read out loud for debate and voted in House of Reps. If majority in favour bill is passed to senate. If passed in senate it goes to executive (governor general) for Royal assent (Is now an ACT of Parliament). If senate rejects bill they send it back as is or with amendments. If rejected for a second time a double dissolution can be called. Common law Develops over time case by case. Each case represents a precedent. Precedent A strong example, defies what has happened before through principles of law. Judges RoleInterpret statute, common law, delegated legislati on (ministerial law), and to enforce laws. Equality: Enforcement of the law should be fair and should result in equal punishments or penalties. A judge cannot lean on the scale (meant to be impartial). Our system is adversarial system (each party represented by a lawyer). Justice: All people are equal before the law. Symbols of justice The blindfold: Justice is impartial (not influenced by wealth, race, sex, ect†¦ ). The scales: Represent the legal system (weighing up both sides of argument). The sword: The punishment to be imposed on any guilty party.

Cinema of India and Irish Pages

Irish Pages LTD Glorious Particularity Author(s): Mira Nair Reviewed work(s): Source: Irish Pages, Vol. 3, No. 2, The Home Place (2006), pp. 103-108 Published by: Irish Pages LTD Stable URL: http://www. jstor. org/stable/30057428 . Accessed: 09/11/2012 06:27 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www. jstor. org/page/info/about/policies/terms. jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive.We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email  protected] org. . Irish Pages LTD is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Irish Pages. http://www. jstor. org GLORIOUS PARTICULARITY MiraNalr Illumining the actual. I make images in my work. I don't pen words, esp ecially not words to be delivered from church pulpits.So I experienced great agony writing this essay, particularlysince it was also meant for publication, until I began to see it as an opportunity to think aloud with you on what has been possessing my mind of late, in this tumultuous past year since the watershed of 9/11/01. I have been reflecting on the torrent of ceaseless images flooding our lives: in the print media, TV and of course, in our popular cinema, ultimately asking myself the age-old questionsTer Braakraises in his still-radicalessay:what is the role of an artist in any society? What is the place and future of cinema in the world today?In the new â€Å"globalvillage†of incessant images, increasinglyI see the failure of mass media to impart actual understanding. This overactive pluralism gives one the illusion of knowing a lot about a lot when actually you know a smattering about nothing at all, leaving in its wake an audience so thoroughly bludgeoned by little bits of information that one is left confused and consequently apathetic politically. Perhapsthat is its intention. The fact is that while images have become more and more international, people's lives have remained astonishingly parochial.This ironic truth of contemporary life is especially troubling in today's war-mongering times, when so much depends on understanding worlds so different, and consequently totally divided, from one's own. In this post-9/11 world, where the schisms of the globe are being cemented into huge walls between one belief and way of life and another, now more than ever we need cinema to reveal our tiny local worlds in all their glorious particularity. In my limited experience, it's when I've made a film that's done full-blown justice to the truths and idiosyncraciesof the specifically local, that it crosses over to become surprisinglyuniversal. Take Monsoon edding,or instance. I wanted to make an intimate family W out of nothing, a love song to the city of Delhi where I come flick, something from, to return to my old habits of guerilla film-making. Except this time, fired m by the recent empowering of the Dogme ethod, I wanted to make a film in just 30 days. That was the original premise: to prove to myself that I didn't need the juggernaut of millions of dollars, studios, special effects and plenty of men in suits to make a good story in the most interesting visual way possible. I wanted 103 IRISH PAGES o capture, first and foremost, the spirit of masti(meaning an intoxication with life) inherent in the full-bodied Punjabi community from where I come, and then, to capture the Indiathat I know and love, an India which lives in several centuries at the same time. As Arundhati Roy put it, â€Å"as Indian citizens we subsist on a regular diet of caste massacresand nuclear tests, mosque breakings and fashion shows, church burnings and expanding cell phone networks, bonded labour and the digital revolution, female infanticide and the Nasd aq crash, husbandswho continue to burn their wives for dowry and our delectable pile of MissWorlds. It couldn't be said better. Such were the fluid pillars of the India I wanted to put on film – 68 actors, 148 scenes, and one hot monsoon season later, using paintings,jewellery, saris and furniture taken from relatives on the screen, with each member of my family acting in it, after shooting exactly 30 days, a film was born that then had a journey so different from any expectation (more correctly, non-expectation) that we might have had for it during its making.People from New Delhi to Iceland to Hungary to Brazil to America believed it was their wedding, their family,themselves on that screen – and if they didn't have a family,they yearned to belong to one like the people they saw on screen. I didn't make the film to educate anybody about â€Å"my culture and my people†- I believe that to be simply a cultural ambassadorof one's country is boring – rather, if it was made for anybody beyond myself, it was made for the people of Delhi to feel and laugh and cry at our own flawed Punjabi(a. k. a the PartyAnimals of India) selves. Uniquely for me, Monsoon edding as the first of seven films I'd made that W was completely embraced by the mainstreamBollywood film industryin India; producers, directors, movie stars, choreographers, musicians alike embraced the film, and for the first time in my 20-odd years as an independent film maker – independent really from both the Indianand the Americanmainstream – I felt the possibility of my work belonging somewhere. Although the style and form of Monsoon edding as radical for the Indianpublic (the entire film was w W hot with a hand-held camera,was reality-based, with a host of completely unknown faces mixed in with legendary actors, live singing, no studio shooting, using a mixture of old Indianpop songs with new original music, and dialogue simultaneouslyin Hindi, English and Punjabi) ,it continues to play in Indiaalmost a year after its release. Perhapsthis was because we took a familiar premise – that of an Indian wedding, and of the family drama that surrounds such an event anywhere – and made a â€Å"realitycheck†version of it so different from the normal Bollywood film.Bollywood, a term for the enormous commercial film industryin Bombay, refers to those grand, epic and over-the-top extravaganzas eplete with musical r 104 IRISH PAGES numbers and lavish production values, designed as escapist entertainment for the masses. It is what Ter Braak hilariously describes in his discussion of low cinema – â€Å"born among cigarette-chewing youths and giggling maid-servants, received with wild enthusiasm and the honest romanticism of a proletariat yearning for deliverance. â€Å"Despite its inimitable, distinctive style and its current arty-exotic cache, Bollywood is nothing like cinema of the art-house, New Wave variety, nothing like expr essionism – it does not have pretensions of purity. It is defiantly popular, made for the masses and for profit. Therefore, Bollywood as a cinematic form is necessarily adaptive and composite – a genre welcoming outside influences, not fearing them. In the first place, the filmmakers always aiming for the broadest possible audience – have had to accommodate the multiple interests of an extremely regional and diverse country.Certain unifying elements – Mahabharata and Ramayana, the foundational epic texts from which many stories derive, and the emphasis in all films on family tradition and local setting – give Bollywood films a broad resonance within Furthermore, Bollywood was born under colonialism and brilliantly survives in a post-colonial world. The Bollywood style is famously adaptive and absorbent, a sponge that had to respond to imperialist influences to survive pre-Independence, and willingly imitated them for profit in more recent years. A common phenomenon in Bombay are the so-called DVD India. irectors who pitch their stories to moviestars using cued scenes from wellknown Hollywood movies (e. g. , â€Å"it is basically a combination of Godfather meets Love Story meets When Harry Met Sally†). Western stories from Jane E re to Dead Poets'Societyare retold with Indian characters and production design that very often – ingeniously – play into both Westerners' and Indians' idealization of India. This suggests a border around India that is both porous and protective, flagrantly absorbing and copying all sorts of influences yet twisting them to make it finally seem inimitably Indian – or, to put it more accurately, inimitably Bollywood.There is much debate on the survival of local cinemas in a global age, and much consternation about the unstoppable wave of American culture, often accused of alternately dulling and diluting art and aesthetic sensibilities around the world. The French have been r ailing about cultural protectionism from Hollywood for years now. In this context of trying to preserve and cultivate local voices, it is fabulous to see the unflagging energy of Bollywood cinema. Bollywood's vigor, its staying power and its improbable, flexible hybridity, are all results of its huge internal market.Commercially and artistically – much like Indian culture itself. Bollywood is supple and muscular 105 IRISH PAGES The mass Indian audience for whom Bollywood films are made is evergrowing and makes the industry hugely profitable, even without taking into account the global reach it has attained. The first Indian film, Rala w Harishchandra, as produced in 1913. Thirty thousand films have been made since. Today,800 films per year are made throughout India, and 12 million people within the country's borders go to see a Hindi film daily.The booming Bollywood market is self-sustainingand runs parallel to – and undisturbedby – American film exhibition in I ndia. This is before taking into account Bollywood's huge market abroad, both as an export to other lands (such as Russia, the Middle East, Africa) and to the far-reachingIndian Diaspora. Growing up in India in the sixties and seventies in the fairly remote state of Orissa, I was not an aficionadoof Bollywood pictures. I did swoon over many of the popular love songs from the movies, but the films themselves did little for me. I was much more interested in stories of real people, the extraordinarinessof ordinary life.Initiallyinspired by jatra which is the form of traditionaltravellingmythological theatre in the countryside, I later became involved with political protest theatre in Calcutta. Then, with eyes focused beyond my own country, I became preoccupied with the Beatles and the antiVietnam War movement, the Western avant-garde, guerilla theater, etc. It wasn't until I went to America for college and began studying film that the â€Å"other†Indian movies first reached me: SatyajitRay, Ritwik Ghatakand Guru Dutt, whose emotionalism and visual stylization were actually pure independent film-making, but made from within Bollywood.The immediacy and grandeurof these films is a pillar for me now – I rely on seeing one of Guru Dutt's movies every six months before I make another one of my own. However, I was the last person to ever imagine that the commercial cinema of the Indian mainstream would have anything whatsoever to do with my own work. Yet the opportunity to give this lecture has given me a chance to reflect on my own trajectory, and I am surprised to find that my home cinema has had a strong influence on my body of work indeed, regardlessof my exploration of increasingly motley and disparatecultures.And in reflecting, I've seen that the influence of Indian films – specifically that unabashed emotional directness, the freewheeling use of music, that emphasis on elemental motivations and values – is a thread running consistently through every one of my films; even when exploring foreign worlds, I have taken the bones and flesh of those societies and tried to infuse them with the spirit of where I'm from. Much of post-imperial scholarship focuses on the Western gaze – and Bollywood itself, as I've said, had to adapt to and be constantly aware of the colonialist point of view. I find myself applying an Eastern gaze 06 IRISH PAGES to Western contexts now, and enjoying the reversal. Historically,Hollywood has alwaysbeen open to foreign directors, so long as we have the competence, craft and flair needed to make money. From Erich von Stroheim to BillyWilder to Ang Lee to PaulVerhoevento ShekharKapur, the doors have opened for us, so long as we understand the bottom line. In my most recent film, Hysterical lindness, working-class drama set in a B New Jersey in the eighties, I found that even in the drab and loveless confines of these bar-hopping girls' world, the Bollywood approachwas just as useful.Half- jokingly,I refer to the style of the film as â€Å"AmericanBleak, Bollywoodstyle†. Within the frame of â€Å"American Bleak,†understatement and mundane circumstances notwithstanding, the full-blown emotion was there, waiting to be made overt. People are people, after all, and no matter if we're trying to portray a loveless reality where desperate women comb neighbourhood bars looking for love, only to find heartbreak,audiences must feel their neuroses as if they are their own.And now, looking at pre-Victorian London to adapt Thackeray's gloriously entertaining saga, VanityFair, I find an enormous panorama of themes familiar to those of us steeped in Bollywood: a woman who defies her poverty-stricken background to clamber up the social ladder, unrequited love, seduction through song, a mother's sacrifice for her child, a true gentleman in a corrupt world . .. the catalog of human stories remains the same. Moreover, it is a story that comes down to basic human ambition, asking a spiritual, even yogic question:Which of us is happy in this orld? Which of us has his desire? Or, having it, is satisfied? The bold strokes of Indian cinema are ideal for this canvas,too. Culture-combining does not have to yield the soulless â€Å"Euro-gateau† lamented by Istvan Szabo in Zanussi's 1993 lecture here. Because, as Zanussi explained, those are films without a center, stories that take place in nameless, unrecognizable cities with a host of European actors desperately attempting a neutralAmerican/English accent, afraidof any eccentricities or distinctiveness that would distract from the mongrelization of the piece.The Bollywood form, itself an ever-growing collage of culturalinfluences, is making its way around the world, but retaining its soul. In fact, my only fear as Bollywood seems to cross over into Western commercial screens is that it waters itself down to suit the Western palate. Lately,Western culture has taken Bollywood styles and incorporated t hem into the mainstream Hollywood vocabulary:smash-hit movies and plays imitate Bollywood's musical form and ultra-theatricalstyle, adaptingthem to Western contexts (MoulinRouge, ombay B Dreams). Think of Thora Birch in GhostWorld, atching a 1950s Hindi dance w umber and dancing around her room gleefully. She sees a freshness and 107 IRISH PAGES lustiness totally absent from her Anytown, USA existence. The crazy dance number is delightfullyforeign to her, yet throughit we also see her small world with new, sharp clarity. Bollywood's pure emotional thrust and distinctive vocabulary has authenticity in itself, however manufactured and molded the form has been over the years. In this era of internationalmisunderstanding,as the threat of a global divide – culturally and politically – is more dire than ever, this distinctiveness is to be celebrated.I have always repeated to myself and to my students that â€Å"if we don't tell our stories, no one else will. â€Å"The â₠¬Å"we†and â€Å"our† in the best films is both local and universal. Cinema can mirror an individual's tiny world, yet reveal infinite other worlds in all their particularity. Film should not behave. It cannot. Cinema is too democratic to be lobotomized into a single way or style. I always say,There are no rules in making cinema – there is only good cinema or soulless cinema.And as long as there are films made like In the Mood or Love,Angel at My Table,Pyaasa,Battle of Algiers,Dekalog, Timeof the f Gypsies,we're doing all right. What is happening to the world lies, at the moment, just outside the realm of common understanding. The only revenge is to work, to make cinema that illuminates this common understanding,that destabilizes the dull competence of most of what is produced, that infuses life with idiosyncracy, whimsy, brutality, and like life, that captures the rare but fabulous energy that sometimes emerges from the juxtaposition of the tragic and comic. a F M L U Thisessaywasdelivered s the Cinema 2i1tans ecture t the Netherlands ilmFestival, trecht, in September002 It is published ereor the irst time. 2 hf f One of the world'sleadingfilmakers,Mira Nair has directedeightfeaturefilms since her celebrated ebutwith SalaamBombay! in 1988. Bornin 1957, shegrew up in Orissa, ndia d I and attendedHavardUniversity. Her mostrecentilms are Vanity Fair (2004), Hysterical f Blindness (2002) and Monsoon Wedding (2001) Hernextfilm, he Namesake, basedon a T i novelbyjhumpa Lahiri,will be releasedn the springof 2007 108