Market Competitiveness for SOEs in China Essay

Market Competitiveness for SOEs in China - Essay Example However, in spite of its attractions and potential, Western businesses are still apprehensive about the business environment in China. Its huge population has resulted in unique problems for China. Thus, the government has had to adopt a very cautious approach to guide the country towards its future. One such assiduous yet formidable step towards reassuring the world community about the intentions of Chinese government is the Reforming of the ‘State Owned Enterprises’ (SOE). Despite China’s future potential, there are still some strict regulations, political interference, guanxi (a need for relationships to operate in the market) and low disposable incomes of the Chinese consumers. Hence, China’s recently opened market presents both challenges as well as opportunities for the foreign businesses. This dissertation examines the status of SOEs and recommends some positive steps to make these enterprises more competitive. Further, the author analyzes the effect of the removal of the excessive state cover over the business enterprises which pave the way for a competitive environment in China. Industries that provide better employment opportunities for the people and a reliable source of income for the poor have been established to reduce poverty and to achieve equitable and sustainable development. Therefore, it is imperative that the growth of labour-intensive industries be a central theme of development economics and policies. The proponents of liberalization and globalization claim that globalization has granted access to newer vistas of trade and business all around the globe. Interestingly, several theorists believe that the launching of these economies have tilted the balance in favour of market forces. This is no doubt helping the consumer by way of providing quality at reasonable prices but at the same time the profit motive is leading to some aberrations where the welfare measures

Pope John Paul II and the Dogma of Mariology Essay

Pope John Paul II and the Dogma of Mariology - Essay Example Since in the times of the early Catholic Church, church fathers have endorsed Mary's elevated status as mother of God. Standing as a paragon of womanhood and motherhood, Mary represents purity, compassion, female perfection and even salvation. The Catholic movement also forwards scripture for its Marian adoration.  Ã‚   The Catholic Church has endowed on Mary supreme regard, remaining  a fundamental and distinctive doctrine. With titles such as Madonna, Mother of God, Mediatrix, co-Redemprix, Lady of Guadalupe, Virgin of Virgins, Queen of Heaven, Queen of Sorrows, Star of the Sea, Blessed Virgin, Blessed Mother, Holy Virgin, Saint Mary, Immaculata, Our Lady and the Seat of Wisdom, Mary is distinguished as a deified woman2.  These references all explain dimensions of Mary's personality and her function.  Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ, the Son of God as a virgin and remained untainted and holy throughout her life. Her sinless existence entitles her to heaven where she stands as Mediatrix, the way to God for man. Through Mary, the devotee has access to all the graces of God, just as the maternal love expressed towards her children grants them great benefits. She is not only conceives Christ, but she ministers along with Christ in the plan of redemption, thus she is accoladed as co-Redemptrix.   From the onset of his pontificate, on 17 October, 1978, Pope John Paul II makes clear his unswerving allegiance to his Marian faith. In his inaugural  Urbi et Orbi  message at the Sistine Chapel, he sermonizes on the necessity to â€Å"turn our mind with filial devotion to the Virgin Mary who always lives and acts as a Mother in the mystery of Christ and repeat the words ‘Totus tuus’ (all thine) which we inscribed in our heart3.† This papal exhortation is derived from a deep sense of Mariological fervor in which he desires congregants to abide and always pay faithful and sincere homage to Mary.   Two weeks later on Oct. 29, 1978 Pope Jo hn Paul II conducts his very first pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Mentorella where he proclaims, â€Å"I wanted to come here, among these mountains, to sing the Magnificat in Mary's footsteps4.†She remains Pope John Paul II‘s paragon of blessed and divine motherhood, exemplifying her pilgrim fidelity. Pope John Paul II shows deep and reverential sincerity in his devotion to Mary, even naming her â€Å"the second Eve† in anther of his pilgrimages.5 Heading the documentary evidence of Pope John Paul's espousal of Mariology as key in Catholic doctrine is his encyclical named, Redemptoris Mater  of the Supreme Pontiff on the Blessed Virgin Mary  in the Life of the Pilgrim Church  (1988). In no uncertain terms, Pope John Paul II outlines over 50 points enumerating the reasons for and benefits of Mariology. Divided into three sections: Mary in the mystery of Christ, the Mother of God at the Center of the Pilgrim Church and Maternal Mediati on, Pope John Paul II in his encyclical, expounds using scriptural evidence, drawing on the authority of the Vatican Council, church fathers such as Saint Augustine, Saint Origen, Saint Ambrose, Saint John Chrysostom and the constitution of the Church to uphold Mariology as in effect. Topics such as the Blessedness of Mary, the divine, mystical union of Mother and Son, the union of Mother and the Holy Spirit and Mary's Advocacy for Mankind are key. The encyclical commences with the poignant words: "the Mother of the Redeemer has

Market analysis of Stratsim management simulations

Market analysis of Stratsim management simulations StratSim management simulations are on-line games pioneered by Michael Deighan and Stuart W.James from Virginia USA aimed at giving students a wider exposure in the real world business arena. The initiators perceived students to view the simulations as a unique learning event where the knowledge gained so far within the academic years could be now made into practices. Quintessentially, apart from being a learning experience it was anticipated to bring a challenge to both managers and executives. According to the case, This is far easier to say than to achieve. 1.1. Industry Overview StratSim management simulation was a game-like, all about different firms operating in an automobile industry whose managers compete to the maximum by setting goals and objectives that are intended to outwit its immediate and within industry competitors. The managers used efforts to the best of their abilities so as to ensure right decisions are put forward just to earn superb profits due to greater sales ascribed by the management. Altogether, throughout the simulations there had been a total number of seven (7) firms ranging from firms A, B, C, D, E, F A and G. The initial alphabets of each firm meant that its respective vehicles began with either of them from A until G. All these firms had a similar starting point to commence its operations including funds. Among the firms, the best one was to be judged on performance bases mainly in terms of market share, market value, income generated as well as efficiency in playing with the marketing tools i.e. marketing mix (4 Ps). 1.2. Firms Overview Firm F was a group formed by four members who are Raya Nassor, Sarah Alley, Shahista Hasmani and I, the author of this report. Firm F comprised of three (3) vehicles which were Fantasy, Fast and Fish while their classes were Family, Truck and Economy respectively. I worked hand-in-hand with my colleagues in making the best decisions for our firms survival in an ocean of high waves of competition. The firms utmost intention was to position itself as a market leader by entering new markets and meeting the needs and desires of customers through vehicle attributes. However, there was a class which wasnt served by almost all the rival firms. It was known as AEV which must be addressed as technology modern with integrated marketing efforts. As far as Firm F is concerned, my colleagues and I decided not to opt for it as our firm was keen enough on cost minimisation and not spendthrifts of resources. 2.0. Mission and Vision Mission Statement Mission statement aims to provide employees and stakeholders with clarity about the overall purpose and raison dà ªtre of the organisation. (Johnson et al 2009, p.112) According to Peter Drucker (father of modern management), what is our business? is all about its mission. It is also known as creed of statement. Firm Fs statement of purpose could be: To address different consumer segments desires through value creation with respect to their financial capability when it comes to automobiles and eventually ending-up with immense profits generated from sales. Vision Statement A vision statement is concerned with what the organisation aspires to be. Its purpose is to set out a view of the future so as to enthuse, gain commitment and stretch performance. (Johnson et al 2009, p.112) Therefore, firm Fs dream is as follows: To be a company of the people, for the people and by the people in the automobile industry. 3.0. External and Internal Analysis These are the frameworks used to carry out an analysis of an organisations progress by examining two major extremes, the inner (internal) as well as the outer (external) environments. 3.1. PESTEL The PESTEL framework categorises environmental influences into six main types: political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal. (Johnson et al 2009, p.25) The external environment is much more complex than internal because the earlier could exert enormous pressure to firm F to the extent of determining its ways to carry on its operations. Now let me examine all the six factors while reflecting firm F. Political This refers to the roles played by the government together with the degree of countries stability which will influence production of the motor vehicles for firm F to move on or lag behind. Also, this factor will determine whether the firm is undermined by a particular set of restrictions in its business such as not manufacturing vehicles which are similar to those possessed by the government. Throughout my analysis, all the firms including firm F were operating in a peaceful environment for the following reasons: Firms were increasingly thinking on product development and further production. Various customer categories continued to buy automobiles of their desire as they did not doubt the political situation in their areas. Increase in the number of dealers in all the extremes of a compass direction. Economic Within the course of the game, the business cycle wasnt predictable due to the fact that pricing structures employed by the automobile firms was different to one another. Firm F and other were aggressive towards increasing the dealer discount rates thinking that it would boost its motor vehicle sales and hence increase its profitability. However, the economy of the firms operating in the simulation kept on deteriorating with reference to the starting market shares, market values, stock price and overall net income. At the end, economies were badly shaped. Social This refers to the society in which the firms are operating their automobile business. Within the society, people differ in culture and demography. Some had been considering others as their point of reference in buying certain cars. Also, its obvious that as there are many automobile firms means more vehicles down the roads and hence more traffic collisions to the extent of delaying people planned activities during the day. Technological Advancement in technology was restricted among the firms as there were maximum limitations of technological capabilities in interior, styling, safety and quality extremes for which not a single firm could exceed. Above all, the firms were given an opportunity to make developments and marketing for a new class i.e. AEV which at the start had no introduced vehicle. The AEV being technology-driven, it is possible that it could use electricity, gas or other means. From my narrow view, I perceive AEV development to be more risky. Environmental Here Im greatly concerned because while vehicles are developed who knows how the waste materials are damped. This may have greatly deteriorated the soil and the species inhibiting in and on. These vehicles emit green house gases which add more health concerns to its own users through pollution after the fuel has been burnt in the engines. Legal It is up to the government to make sure that, a firm which goes against the labour laws, health and safety regulations, environmental preservation and trade practices are debarred from operating in the automobile industry. The government should enact laws which limit the number of vehicles to be owned by a single person unless it is big company with large operations in-order to minimise pollution on air, land and water sources. 3.2. Porters Five Forces Model According to Michael Porter, there are five cut-throat forces that demonstrate the rules of competition within the automobile industry and which determine both industry attractiveness and the degree of profitability. These forces are: Threat of new Entrants Throughout my analysis, I realised that for a firm to enter into automobile industry is not that much easy due to the reasons that, too much investment funds will be required to have a successful starting point as a matter of fact its not all about producing but knowing the needs of the market through Research and Development (RD) which costs greatly. For late movers, enjoying economies of scale will be highly minimal because there are giants already operating in large scales. Some of the giants may have done either backward or forward integration which may distract new entrants. Hence, the threat of new entrants in the automobile industry is low but firms need to be extra careful as the world is dynamic. Threat of Substitutes There are plenty of substitutes to vehicles but it doesnt mean people will shift towards them i.e. bicycles, scooters and walking. I dont expect people to abandon automobiles due to increasing costs instead people will shift to more economical ones from luxurious. Hence, the threat of substitutes is medium. Bargaining power of Suppliers Suppliers degree of power is low due to the existence of a big number of components and parts distributors in the automobile industry. It is likely for a manufacturer to switch from one supplier to the other. On the other side, firms at StartSim are likely to enjoy low prices of components because suppliers are many. Bargaining power of Buyers In the StratSim world, this is high as customers are likely to navigate from one manufacturer to another if their needs and desires are not well addressed considering the fact that, there are almost seven (7) firms operating in automobiles. Reluctantly, firms will be forced to stick on customers decisions on the requirements, pricing and other vehicle attributes. Customers are the core and a major reason for the firms existence. Rivalry Intensity This is very high because of the presence of many firms including firm F operating in the automobiles. These firms used various business strategies which have got differing effects to the competition intensity. Hence, the degrees of profitability and market shares will differ at large. 3.3. SWOT ANALYSIS This is a framework used to examine internal and external environment. Strengths (Internal) Firm Fs names of its motor vehicles were unique i.e. Fantasy, Fast and Fish which couldnt be easily imitated by its rivals. Weaknesses (Internal) Mismanagement of stocks which had a greater fall in value together with more inventory days. Failure to make proper use of the marketing tools i.e. promotions and prices. Firm Fs product ranges didnt compete effectively with those of its competitors. Opportunities (External) The AEV class vehicles could be a platform for firm F to maximise its market share and sales growth. Poor performance in other firms could allow firm F to gain more customers who couldnt benefit from the earlier firms. Moving into markets which were not served before through market and product development. Threats (External) Continuous technological developments for which firm F couldnt cope. Global economic recessions resulting to fall in currencies and slowing vehicles demands. Automobile industry being competitive, firm Fs employees may have been head-hunted by other rival firms leading moving away the company secrets. 4.0. Strategic Planning Strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term, which achieves advantage in a changing environment through its configuration of resources and competences with the aim of fulfilling stakeholder expectations. (Johnson et al 2009, p.3) Planning refers to making decisions on which strategic choices to carry forward in the course of the business. 4.1. Basic Strategy Firm Fs long term strategy is to offer vehicles with the lower possible investments but in maximum numbers with the intention of increasing the net cumulative income and market share from period 1 until period 4 with much focus on the Family class. 4.2. Technology Firm F thought that to go hand-in-hand with advancing technology as not necessary because it could lead it away from high profitability. Instead minor upgrades in the vehicle attributes are considered. Technology will be used to minimise wastage so as to increase productivity. 4.3. Financial Control The management of firm F aspires to have immense sales and increasing profitability but at same time controlling Research Development as it wont like to spend a lot for it. It looks forward to increase assets held while decreasing liabilities including debts. 4.4. Marketing Firm F intend to create awareness to both society and potential customers through advertisements and promotions. Also, efforts will be done to review pricing structures and the vehicles with related products to be of value to customers. Distribution points will be monitored too. 4.5. Future Development The management of firm F looks forward to do major upgrades in its motor vehicles if the level of profitability will permit it to do so. Otherwise, the kind of development which is expected could be maximising of the firms plant production capacity. 5.0. Lesson I learnt from simulation exercise I came with a mindset that a firms market share could be inversely proportional to net cumulative income. Also, it wasnt a good idea at times to discuss with members from rival groups as my group was at last decision mislead by another group leading to its low income and stock price too. Teamwork is the essence towards achieving success as decisions were jointly made by group members who differed in knowledge, background and experience. 6.0. Conclusion To me, it was much lucrative due to the fact that I had been exposed from theoretical to practical because the simulations made me think outside the box as to whether the strategies I took part in could outwit competitors. Finally, I agree that a business without strategy wont have a direction.

Marketing Mix :: essays research papers

The Marketing Mix Marketing strategy is integrated with the marketing program, or marketing mix. The marketing mix traditionally includes variables such as price, product, promotion, and place. For this reason, the marketing mix deals more with implementation, and is not defined specifically as part of marketing strategy. Marketing mix is frequently used in combination with strategy to help marketing managers promote their product and/or service and it provides a useful framework for decision-making. The customer is the target of all marketing efforts. There are many possible ways to satisfy the needs of target customers and these variables are organized into the marketing mix or â€Å"the 4 P’s† (Product, Price, Place, and Promotion). †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Product: A product is the need-satisfying offering of a firm including physical goods or services †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Price: The price is the amount of money that is charged for â€Å"something† of value. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Place: The place is the making of goods and services available in the right quantities at the right locations. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Promotion: Promotion is the communicating of information between seller and potential buyer or others. The Product area is concerned with developing the right â€Å"product† for the target market. This may involve a physical good, a service, or a blend of both. The important thing to remember is that the good and/or service should satisfy some customers’ needs (Perreault, 2002). Place is concerned with all the decisions involved in getting the â€Å"right† product to the target market’s place. A product isn’t much good to a customer if it isn’t available when and where it’s wanted. The third P (Promotion) is concerned with telling the target market or others in the channel of distribution about the â€Å"right† product. Sometimes promotion is focused on acquiring new customers, and sometimes it’s focused on retaining current customers. Promotion includes personal selling, mass selling, and sales promotion (Perreault, 2002). In addition to developing the right Product, Place, and Promotion, marketing managers must also decide the right Price. Price setting must consider the kind of competition in the target market and the cost of the whole marketing mix (Perreault, 2002). A manager must also try to estimate customer reaction to possible prices. If customers won’t accept the price, all of the planning effort is wasted. All four Ps are needed in a marketing mix. The four Ps must be productively combined, so that a company develops the best mix for its target market. In other words, each decision must work well with all of the others to make a logical whole. Marketing Mix :: essays research papers The Marketing Mix Marketing strategy is integrated with the marketing program, or marketing mix. The marketing mix traditionally includes variables such as price, product, promotion, and place. For this reason, the marketing mix deals more with implementation, and is not defined specifically as part of marketing strategy. Marketing mix is frequently used in combination with strategy to help marketing managers promote their product and/or service and it provides a useful framework for decision-making. The customer is the target of all marketing efforts. There are many possible ways to satisfy the needs of target customers and these variables are organized into the marketing mix or â€Å"the 4 P’s† (Product, Price, Place, and Promotion). †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Product: A product is the need-satisfying offering of a firm including physical goods or services †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Price: The price is the amount of money that is charged for â€Å"something† of value. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Place: The place is the making of goods and services available in the right quantities at the right locations. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Promotion: Promotion is the communicating of information between seller and potential buyer or others. The Product area is concerned with developing the right â€Å"product† for the target market. This may involve a physical good, a service, or a blend of both. The important thing to remember is that the good and/or service should satisfy some customers’ needs (Perreault, 2002). Place is concerned with all the decisions involved in getting the â€Å"right† product to the target market’s place. A product isn’t much good to a customer if it isn’t available when and where it’s wanted. The third P (Promotion) is concerned with telling the target market or others in the channel of distribution about the â€Å"right† product. Sometimes promotion is focused on acquiring new customers, and sometimes it’s focused on retaining current customers. Promotion includes personal selling, mass selling, and sales promotion (Perreault, 2002). In addition to developing the right Product, Place, and Promotion, marketing managers must also decide the right Price. Price setting must consider the kind of competition in the target market and the cost of the whole marketing mix (Perreault, 2002). A manager must also try to estimate customer reaction to possible prices. If customers won’t accept the price, all of the planning effort is wasted. All four Ps are needed in a marketing mix. The four Ps must be productively combined, so that a company develops the best mix for its target market. In other words, each decision must work well with all of the others to make a logical whole.

History Coursework – The American Civil Rights Movement

Question 1a: What type of discrimination is shown in source 2? Question 1b: How does source one support what's happening in source 2? In Source 2 we see racial discrimination in the form of segregated drinking fountains for white men and black men. Source 1 states â€Å"you would eat in a separate place and use a drinking fountain labelled coloured† and in source 2 we see visual evidence of this happening. Question 2: What types of discrimination are shown in sources 1-5? In source 1 Martin Luther King tells us that the black man suffers segregation in hospitals, schools, parks, pools, waiting rooms and are treated unjustly in the courtrooms. We are told this in this source 5. In source 3 we find that vehicles carrying black passengers had to wear a colour different and contrasting to the whites'. We also find that airport facilities were segregated along with seating and betting when concerned with sport. Inter-racial boxing and wrestling was prohibited. In source on the black right to vote was denied and promotion in a job went to your white co-worker, regardless of how much more talent you had. Most blacks could only get jobs concerning menial manual labour. The formation of ghettos of blacks was encouraged and this shows discrimination in housing. In source 4 we are told that a black person fears death because she is black even more than ‘hunger hell and the devil'. This is mental intimidation. In source 5 we are told that a black woman is killed simply because she spilt a drink over a white man. This is intimidation. Question 3: How reliable are sources 7-10 as evidence of white peoples reaction to desegregation is schools? Source 7 is a limited source. This is how I came to this conclusion: The New York Times is a reputable, famous newspaper. It is renowned for its neutrality, and it thinks that segregation is not the way to go. I am forced to ask, did the newspaper cut out a pro-black section from the whole caption of text? If so, why? Would it have been to please the main readers who share the view of the newspaper? Would it have been to curry up support or more readers? (Black readers). Is the newspaper politically biased? Is it voicing its opinion through careful selection of racist sources? Is it an eyewitness account? If so, who was this witness and if not then how long afterwards was this account written and how accurate are the words in the text? Is the text taken out of context? Was this all that happened on this day? The answer is more than likely no because the conversation recorded seems only to last a few seconds. Source 8 is another unreliable source. This is because the photo could have been cut down to focus in on Eckland when something relevant could have been happening outside the frame. Photographers are sometimes biased and they might zoom in on a particular section or area in the photo that has a lesser importance than others etc. Was the photographer biased? We cannot tell for sure whether the helmeted guard is stopping Eckford from entering Little Rock or clearing whites from her path. We also cannot be sure if the people behind her are shouting abuse or support still expressions are usually very difficult to interpret, like these. The New York Times might use this image in its news report on this incident to increase support further and to please its majority audience, anti-segregationist whites. If a caption were included in this image, then it would convey a different image than it does captionless. In a caption, a writer could highlight the helmeted guard on the extreme left, the crowd behind the black schoolgirl or Eckford herself. If they presented a bad image of Eckford then it would make believable evidence (If collected from a reliable source). This source does not necessarily sum up the view of all whites, as only a small minority are shown. One could predict that a lot of whites had this same view or one could also predict that the students at Little Rock were the only racists in America at the time. Source nine is a direct, factual eyewitness account of what happened in source eight. Everything that is said is factual. There is no opinion and therefore no bias. I might ask was she really spat at or did she make that up for sympathy/pity? But if she lied, then why would she add in the part about that sympathetic white man at the end if she wants to portray a negative image of whites in general? The check up on the reliability of this source, check out sources 7 and 8. 7 tells us that the whites disapproved of the black girl going into the school and 8 proves to us that Eckford was going into Little Rock, Arkansas with a crowd of whites and a guard present. Question 4: How useful is source 11 to an historian studying segregation in the south? Source 11 is a biased source. We can tell this through the statement that was made: â€Å"segregation is desired and supported by the majority of both races in the South, who dwell side by side under harmonious conditions† This is a blatant lie. Everyone around at that time new what a lie it was. Blacks do not live harmoniously with whites in the South. Eastland defends segregation in a very open manner. â€Å"Segregation promotes racial harmony†¦segregation is not racial discrimination.† We must take into consideration that the person speaking has authority and is in the US Senate and is a Senator for the Southern State of Mississippi. A similar view to this is probably accepted by 80-90% of the southern population. White Anglo-Saxon Protestants take up most of the Southern states. This source is unreliable because of its obvious bias but it is still useful. It shows us how southern W.A.S.P.s felt; it tells us that they would try to justify the discrimination against blacks in America any way they could.. I would gamble that Eastland did not even believe the words he said during that speech. Blacks certainly wouldn't and southern Whites would see it as an excuse to continue discriminating and justifiably, in their eyes. This man objects to the supreme court ruling and the involvement of the Federal Government. To prove this here is a quote: ‘Free men have the right to send their children to schools of their own choosing, free from governmental interference.' This source does not represent all southern senators. We only have evidence that this represents one southern senator. To get the full picture we need the entire speech that he gave. He could have changed his tone further on in the speech for all we know. He is even prepared to introduce the states rights issue to win his argument: ‘ Free men have the right to send their children to schools of their own choosing, free from governmental interference.' There is a certain warped kind of logic found in his argument. It is useful because it shows us how some Whites defend segregation as a good idea. Question 5: How is the behaviour of white people towards black people shown in sources 8 and 12? Source 8 shows a crowd of Whites behind Eckford (on her way to school) shouting at her and Source 12 shows 3 civil rights supporters sitting at a lunch counter designated for Whites only, being smeared with mustard, ketchup and paint. The offending crowds in both photographs portray accurately the views of bigoted whites at the time and the victims in each photograph demonstrate the view of liberal Whites. Question 6: `Bob Dylan promoted the civil rights movement.` How accurate is this view of Bob Dylan's motives for writing `The lonesome death of Hattie Carrol?` This source induces a lot of questions such as what motives did Bob Dylan have for writing this song? His motives were more than likely for financial gain, to become famous and to convey his message to all his fans. This source lacks an essential item-Dylan's own view. It has the views of his ex-girlfriend, Joan Baez, Bernice Reagan, a black student activist from Albany and Patrick Humphries, author of numerous books on Dylan. But no Dylan. However this does not affect reliability. When Humphries criticises Dylan by saying ‘He hi-jacked the folk bandwagon to his own ends to make a career'. I think he means that Dylan used the work of others to further his career. He also implies that he is not only in it for a good image and that he is sincere. I agree to the extent that I think Dylan used the influences of folk artists but not their worl itself. He also implies that Dylan is temporarily involved in politics. Joan Baez does not doubt Dylan's motives. She says she was the politically involved one of the couple while Dylan was simply in search of fame. Contrary to this statement, Baez also states that he put his principles before profit. Because she is the ex-girlfriend of Dylan, this source is not entirely reliable. She may be bitter towards Dylan because the relationship did not work out or she may be biased against him for the same reason. Another reason could be jealousy that Dylan was rich and she was not as a result of the break-up. She would be the most likely candidate to know Dylan's motives because she was so close to him but she would also be most likely to be biased against him because their relationship failed. Reagan presumes that Dylan has integrity and is not a user. Also, she says he risked his career and that he was a power with a voice. She was impressed by Dylan and this shows he has a definite impact on people through his song writing. This song could be useful to a civil rights supporter like Bernice Reagan because it could be used, as evidence against racists and it would be a popular support for their case. Personally, I think Dylan was writing this song primarily to get the message across, very closely followed by his desire for money and fame. If it was to be a money making song he would have had it neutral or anti – Hattie Carrol because the Whites were the people who spent money on records at the time. Aiming the song at Blacks would not have been the smartest thing to do if he wanted to make money in 1930's America. Question 7: `The life of American Blacks has undoubtedly improved since the 1950's`. Using all the sources and your own knowledge, how far do you agree with this interpretation of the changes in the lives of American Blacks? Between the 50's and today, life has definitely improved for blacks living in America. They have the right to vote in both federal and state elections and were protected to vote. They had been released from the shackles of segregation and had achieved legal equality by the four civil rights acts passed in the 1960's – o 1964 – civil rights act o 1965 – voting rights act o 1967 – ruled by Supreme Court that state laws forbidding inter-racial marriages was against the constitution o 1968 – civil rights act (fair housing act) But although laws were made and systems and procedures were changed it would take a lot longer to change the minds of racist whites. These achievements however do not prove that economical and social equality exists. A lot more work needs to be done i.e. attitudes of racists white towards blacks and those of blacks towards racist whites etc. The evidence used in these sources is limited and the implications made are determined by personal interpretation and above all most of the evidence is biased either towards or against blacks. Because the evidence is biased, either towards or against blacks. Because the evidence is biased and some sources contradict others it is made very hard to conclude with this evidence. Also, concerning personal interpretation it all depends on the attitude of the historian and attitudes will change undoubtedly over the next decade or so and will probably continue to change until the end of that historian's life. Despite the improvement blacks have experienced, a lot more improvements need to be made. Source 2 is an easily analysed source. It shows a segregates drinking fountain. This is not likely to be biased but we must still ask who took the photo? , Was he/she biased? , Has he/she left anything out of the picture for any reason? Also, what was the photograph taken? It is possible it was taken for a neutral source, as there is no caption. Given the right caption, this image could have a very different meaning where the photo is concerned. Source 3 tells us of the various different forms of segregation in waiting rooms, seating where sport was concerned, transport, inter-racial boxing and in other airport facilities. It simply states what the laws were.

Rules of Relationships in of Mice and Men and the Breakfast Club

Rules of Relationship Kyle and I decided to research relationships as they are portrayed in movies for our presentation. Between us, we watched â€Å"The Breakfast Club†, â€Å"Dead Poets Society†, â€Å"Fried Green Tomatoes† and â€Å"Of Mice and Men. † Today I'm going to discuss how rules of relationships were used in â€Å"The Breakfast Club† and â€Å"Of Mice and Men†. I will list the rules portrayed in these movies and provide you with insight on the happenings of each movie. I think that â€Å"The Breakfast Club† and â€Å"Of Mice and Men† did an excellent job of demonstrating the rules of relationships. Of Mice and Men† is a classic story with a timeless message. It's very good movie and novel. This movie is great drama for anyone from thirteen to ninety-nine years of age. In â€Å"Of Mice and Men†, there are two rugged men, Lenny and George, who are good friends. Lenny, played by John Malkovich, is a soft sp oken, big, and gentle character, who is unfortunately mentally disabled. Because of Lenny's problem keeping a job, the brothers are forced to move frequently. Lenny likes to touch things that appear to be soft or comforting to touch: hair for example.Lenny loves animals. George, played Gary Sinise, tries his hardest to be a good friend. He seems to be trapped by the fact of having a life that is full of unhappy things. George is about 35-40 years old. He is hard working, trustworthy, patience, caring, and a very responsible man. Throughout the movie, George seems to have gotten the short end of the stick. At the same time, I feel that George's meeting Lenny also had a positive impact on George. George learned a great deal of patience from his friendship with Lenny. This story ends in trajedy.George is forced to do what he thinks is best for all by killing Lenny after Lenny accidently killed a woman. With Lenny's death, George is given a chance to move on with his life and not have t o worry about taking care of his friend. The other movie I'm going to discuss is â€Å"The Breakfast Club†. This movie would be enjoyed by people ranging in age from junior high to middle aged. It's more of a younger portrayal of how life was and is in high school. It's a story of how five supposedly completely different students end up in detention on a Saturday and how they discover and use their similarities to make the day more enjoyable.As the story progresses, they learn not only about each other but also about themselves. In â€Å"The Breakfast Club†, Andrew Clark, the jock played by Emilio Estevez , always seems to be pleasing other people: his father, his coach, his friends. They all see him as a person that he doesn't necessarily WANT to be. Rather than disappoint them, he simply becomes who they think he is. This creates a lot of internal anger, which surfaces often throughout the movie. Brian Johnson, Anthony Michael Hall, excels academically but has little self-confidence to show for it.He tends to be hard on himself, and can't handle failure. Straight-laced and timid, he rarely bends the rules. My favorite character in the movie, by far, is John Bender, played by Judd Nelson. He has a lot of issues he doesn't care to talk about, and he deals with them by using dry humor and sarcasm. Allison Reynolds is a basket case. She's screwed up. One thing's for sure, Allison Reynolds, played by Ally Sheedy, LOVES attention. So she's got her quirks. She uses dandruff as â€Å"snow† on a picture she's drawn. She eats Cap'n Crunch and sugar from a Pixie Stix on bread as a sandwich.She doesn't speak for the first half of the movie, and when she finally does start talking, she doesn't stop. Allison leaves you wondering who she really is, but weird or not, she's certainly likable! Claire Standish, the spoiled brat played by Molly Ringwald, reminds me of the girls that I couldn't stand in high school! She places herself above everyone else in the movie. Sure, she's got her problems, just like all teenagers. But somehow, to everyone else, her family's wealth and power and her alliance with the â€Å"in† crowd seems to diminish whatever problems she may have.To the other characters, she's just conceited Claire. â€Å"The Breakfast Club† takes place Saturday, March 24, 1984 in Shermer High School. Shermer High School is located in the town of Shermer, Illinois. â€Å"Of Mice and Men† takes place in California sometime in the 1800's. It was never exactly stated when it took place, but it was when slavery was still in use. I chose to apply the â€Å"Rules of Relationships† according to Argyle and Henderson. The â€Å"Rules of Relationships† is defined in eleven rules, listed on page 261 of the Communications Mosaics textbook.A few of the rules are as follows, stand up for a friend when they aren't around, share your successes and how you feel about them, give emotional support, and trust and confide in one another. In â€Å"Of Mice and Men†, I found that eight of the rules were used. For the most part George is always sticking up for and defending Lenny, giving support, trust and confiding in Lenny, helping him, making him feel good, is not too critical of Lenny, protects Lenny's confidences, and leaving his faults alone. Lenny uses what he knows as far as rules of relationships go.Lenny is mentally challenged, so he does what he can by giving support and just being a good guy. In â€Å"The Breakfast Club†, three of these rules are used. They all give one another emotional support, they trust and confide in each other, and they make each other feel good. In â€Å"The Breakfast Club†, they fight, but now matter what they're talking about, they seem to take sides and defend their case. Although Bender made Claire cry, he gave her support soon there after. All the teens trust and confide in each other by telling what they did to end up in detention.Ea ch of them seems to have a terrible story of why or how they ended up in detention. Each story has great weight on ruining who they are or ruining their reputation. To help his new friends feel good, Bender gets everyone high off of smoking weed in the movie. In â€Å"The Breakfast Club† not many of the â€Å"Rules of Relationships† were displayed, but that is greatly due to the fact that they began as strangers put together by circumstances beyond their control and grew to become friends through the course of the movie. â€Å"Rules of relationships† describe how an ideal relationship would be.A movie uses some of these rules, but for dramatic and real-to-life purposes relationships like this aren't usually seen. I think that â€Å"The Breakfast Club† shows us what more modern relationships act like. â€Å"Of Mice and Men† gives us a more sincere, true-to-life feeling of true friendship. I think that a movie like â€Å"The Breakfast Club† ma y not have a profound impact on the American way of life, but for now and maybe for another short while longer, this movie will display how high school's function. â€Å"Of Mice and Men† is a timeless movie, which displays friendship to be a great thing. The ethics of both