Henrik Isbens A Dolls House Essay -- A Dolls House Essays

A Closer look at Ibsens A Dolls House "Everything is relative" or so the flippant motto of the post-modern generation would say. Interestingly enough, this aphorism is brilliantly applied by Henrik Ibsen to enhance his characters in the acclaimed drama, A Doll’s House. Often, we see things relative to their surroundings, and as the contrast between objects heighten, each becomes more visible. Within the first act of A Doll’s House, we encounter Christine Linde, a childhood friend of the main character, Nora, and Dr. Rank, a friend of the family. Ibsen paints distinctive pictures of both Christine and Rank as individuals, and, having established them with the audience uses them as contrasts, or foils, for Nora and Torvald. Ibsen develops both Christine and Dr. Rank as individual characters and significant elements of the plot. Christine, left destitute by an unloving marriage, reflects a sense of endurance. She is enduring, wizened, and searching for a new beginning. Whereas Nora is girlish and petty, Christine is wise and observant. Commenting on Krogstad: "Still I think it is the sick who need taking care of" (p. 17) she shows her heartfelt concern for others. Christine is discerning, intelligent, and kind. Her amour-propre is based entirely on interactions with other people. Her livelihood is derived from being useful to others. Dr. Rank is jovial, but insightful, kind, but tainted. While at first glance he is a family friend, he is also in love with N...

Sociocultural Forces

Before starting to plan to franchise a Mc Donald’s in another country. They obtain the relevant information from the target market in addition to the individual customers of the organization. They find out the shifts in areas like the consumer behaviour and purchasing patterns of the market. Fundamentally, this is the key condition for executing a suitable customer relationship management system. Some of the Sociocultural forces from the countries where they were planning to enter that Mc Donald’s took into consideration Cultural Cultural: McDonald's international restaurants satisfy local tastes and customs by offering unique products, services and other items to the menu. Customers in Norway can order McLaks – a fresh grilled salmon sandwich with dill sauce on a whole-grain bun. McDonald's fans in the Netherlands can have vegetable burger and in Italy and Greece customers can help themselves at a fresh salad bar. Population Changes: Changes in population demographics have many potential consequences for organizations. As the total population changes, the demand for products and services also changes. When McDonald's opens restaurants in a new country, the jobs it creates stimulate the national economy and broaden the local tax base. Besides the new jobs directly linked with McDonald's restaurants, the company indirectly supports other segments of a country’s workforce by hiring local construction firms and purchasing from local suppliers, local farmers and local distributors. Educational Levels: All the staff and employees at McDonald's are given a handsome salary package and attractive incentives in accordance with the level at which the person is working. That’s why employees at McDonald’s in other countries are satisfied and motivated. Higher educational levels allow people to earn higher incomes than would have been possible otherwise. The increase in income has created opportunities to purchase additional goods and services, and to raise the overall standard of living of a large segment of the population. The educational level has also led to increased expectations of workers, and has increased job mobility. Workers are less accepting of undesirable working conditions than were workers a generation ago. Better working conditions, stable employment, and opportunities for training and development are a few of the demands businesses confront more frequently as the result of a more educated workforce. Norms and Values: McDonald's has an open-door culture; any employee can go to the Restaurant Manager and can discuss any problem or new ideas for the improvement of the restaurant. Nobody has any hang-ups; everybody does everything. McDonald's also believes in value to the customer, that is, why prices are value oriented â€Å"†¦ nothing sells forever unless it is value for money.† Norms (standard accepted forms of behavior) and values (attitudes toward right and wrong), differ across time and between geographical areas. Lifestyles differ as well among different ethnic groups. As an example, the application in the United States of Japanese-influenced approaches to management has caused firms to reevaluate the concept of quality. Customers have also come to expect increasing quality in products. Many firms have found it necessary to reexamine production and marketing strategies to respond to changes in consumer expectations. Social Responsibility : is the expectation that a business or individual will strive to improve the welfare of society. From a business perspective, this translates into the public expecting businesses to take active steps to make society better by virtue of the business being in existence. McDonald's is firmly committed to give back to the community where we operate. They are happy to become involved because they recognize that organizations have a role to play in helping communities to work successfully.

Not for Profit

Erin Powell Dr. Donald Roy PS 101 September 29, 2012 Martha Nussbaum: â€Å"Not for Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities† Martha C. Nussbaum is the author of the book, â€Å"Not For Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities. † The book begins by drawing the reader’s attention by explaining the â€Å"Silent Crisis. † She describes education in the eyes of the government, and in the eyes of the people. There is a connection made between education and the liberal arts. The title of the book, â€Å"Not For Profit,† are three simple words that when put together, have a deep meaning.In this case, Nussbaum is using the phrase to relate to education. The government sees education as a way to further our economic situation. Statistics say that a student that attends college will earn a great deal more than a student that has not attended college. When people earn more money, they usually spend more money. This stimulates our economy, and is the goal o f the government. Government aims to use education as a tool to better our economy, yet they continually decrease the amount of money they give to public schools each year.They take out the true classes that give a person their true identity. It seems as if people are slowly becoming uniform, in being that liberal arts are being taken away, and students are left to studying simply the core classes of what they call â€Å"education†. Martha is trying to explain that our education is not for profit! Education is supposed to let people explore different skills and talents. There is a difference between education for profit, and education for citizenship. Education is intended to enhance the lives of the students which receive it. Nussbaum 9). Martha quoted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, which said: Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It sh all promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups. I couldn’t agree more with this quote. This should be the true meaning and importance of education, not for the greediness of the government to use it for profit. Democracy truly needs the humanities.Liberal arts supplement education in making it better-rounded. Without the arts and humanities, we become the government’s puppets, only being used to increase the economy. Liberal arts have been a part of education for quite some time. However, they have never truly been an important part of education according to government standards. What are important to them are the four core subjects: math, science, social studies, and language arts. Martha Nussbaum seems to disagree. To her, the liberal arts are the parts of education that make each student an individual.It gives them their creativity, and it teaches their brains to think critically and analytically, rather than being confined to a box dictated by the core subjects. These ways of thinking are very valuable. They set apart each person, giving them their true identity. Liberal arts teach people to think for themselves. Without them people will rely on the government to do the thinking, and the government will no longer truly represent its people. The Socratic Way defines the way in which students â€Å"think and argue for themselves, rather than defer to tradition and authority,â€Å" and is â€Å"valuable for democracy. (Nussbaum 48). In terms of education this is important because thinking for oneself leads to critical thinking. Critical thinking causes students to also think analytically; therefore they get a better understanding of their material. Democracy is rule of the people. If the people cannot â€Å"think and argue for themselves,† then how can they rule their country? It would be difficult to choose representatives if the people could not make their own decisions. Also in the business world as well, it would be difficult to get anything accomplished.Tradition and authority have been important in history. However, Nussbaum does not seem to agree with them. When everything just goes by tradition, nothing is being changed. Things just happen the way they have always happened. Authority tends to stay similar as well. This is because people just go with the flow. They tend to not think for themselves, but instead make decisions based on tradition. Martha Nussbaum is a liberal; when things need to be changed, they should be changed, and I completely agree.We cannot live according to tradition, because there might be a critical thinker or two in this world whom can discover a better or more efficient way to do things. If we are to improve at all in our lifetimes, living by tradition is not going to accomplish the goal. In this world there are Americans, Europeans, Australians, Mexicans, etc. However divided, we still affect each other. We borrow, buy, and sell from other countries, as well as become allies or enemies. Martha describes a â€Å"world citizen† in her book.This means that despite our geographical and cultural differences, we should put these aside to work together. â€Å"The world’s schools, colleges, and universities therefore have the important and urgent task: to cultivate in students the ability to see themselves as members of a heterogeneous nation, and a still more heterogeneous world, and to understand something of the history and character of the diverse groups that inhabit it. † (Nussbaum 80. ) The idea of becoming a â€Å"world citizen† is wildly idealistic. There are so many people in this world that just cannot accept others.Power is a huge part of it, being that people want to be in charge. Some don’t want to be considered equal; they believe that some people are superior to others. It would take a humungous amount of effort to convince everyone on the planet to become a â€Å" world citizen. † Play is important in the lives of all people, but especially children as they begin to develop. Nussbaum talks about play in Chapter 6. It is essential to play in order to understand the value and worth of other people. Children’s stories and nursery rhymes cause children to put themselves in the shoes of another person.Therefore they learn that other human beings have feelings also, which helps children with a healthy development. It’s this healthy development in which play causes that Nussbaum believes is so important. As children grow into adults, however, they don’t necessarily â€Å"play. † They have â€Å"left behind the world of children’s games. † (Nussbaum 101). Therefore the arts become important. Whether it’s music, singing, painting, photography, etc. , the arts put people, fictionally, into the shoes of others. In doing this, people continue to grow in their concern for other human beings.As Martha describes our current situation, democratic education is truly â€Å"on the ropes. † Chapter seven talks about why this is true. Our economy is not doing so well. Every day our country goes further and further in debt. Apparently to our government, education is not very important, so they continue to make cut after cut of school funding. When the schools receive less money they have to make cuts on their spending. The humanities are always first to be reduced or eliminated. But when humanities, an important factor of a democratic education, are taken away we are certainly â€Å"on the ropes†!Without the humanities, schools cannot fully give students a democratic education. So what can we do about it? Nussbaum mentioned the alumni of schools. She claimed that some of them will send money or grants to their previous schools to help fund the humanities and liberal arts which they enjoyed having while they were in school. However, this cannot fund all parts of every progra m. Even in the core-subject classroom, we can encourage critical thinking. However, class sizes would have to be downsized. Schools would have to hire more teachers. Finances would obviously have to come from somewhere.But in decreasing the amount of students in each classroom, it is easier for the teacher to focus on their students rather than primarily on the material. Smaller groups of students also make it easier to have classroom discussions where all students can participate and think outside the box. Humanities and liberal arts are clearly important to Martha Nussbaum. They should be important to everyone, and I wish they were. This world would be a better place if education was taught around the arts, rather than the arts simply being an elective, or being eliminated due to funding cuts.I enjoy being able to think for myself and I’m sure all people do. Our government is not perfect, and there never will be a perfect government. We can’t rely on tradition to con tinue governing this country; we have to make changes in order for the government to best represent the people and to make good decisions. Neither can we submit to the authority, just because it’s there. If we don’t agree with something we have to have the audacity to stand up for what we believe in and never give up. Profits shouldn’t be the main influence for education, nor should it control how we educate our future generations.Instead we should focus on developing people as individuals, rather than people as money-makers. We all have feelings, and everyone deep down wants to feel important and competent. Simply ignoring our feelings is not an option. Drew Faust says it best, â€Å"Human beings need meaning, understanding, and perspective as well as jobs. The question should not be whether we can afford to believe in such purposes in these times, but whether we can afford not to. † (Nussbaum 124). Mistakes are made when we question whether or not to ke ep humanities in education. It’s obvious that democratic education needs the humanities.

History of Alwar Essay

The state of Alwar is located in the northeast part of Rajasthan. It is considered the oldest kingdom in Rajasthan. The history of Alwar is steeped into mythology and folklore. In ancient India it was a part of the Matsya Kingdom, which the Kauravas embarked on the cattle-rustling mission, which resulted in the famous war of Kurukshetra with the Pandavas. The history of Alwar dates back to 1500 BC when it was formed a part of the Matsya territory of Viratnagar. The region of Viratnagar also included Karauli, Bharatpur and Dholpur. Hence the very foundations of the district are rooted in the Hindu epic, Mahabharata. With a history that is 3500 years old the district of Alwar still stands tall as a popular tourist destination in Rajasthan. The name Matsya Desh simply means the `land of the fish`. It is in this place that the Pandavas spent the 13th year of exile. The local people of this land helped the Pandavas in their battle against Kauravas. During the medieval era Alwar rose to prominence. Because of its strategic location the state was a source of interest to the Mughals, Marathas, the Jats of Bharatpur, Nikumbha and Kachhawaha Rajputs and the British. All of these groups have ruled Alwar. As a result the cultural influences of Alwar are quite varied. The first to occupy the throne of Alwar was the Nikumbhas. They had also built a fort. The ruins of this fort are still visible within the district. As far as the Mughals are concerned they made Alwar their base and from here they had fought many crucial battles against Ranthambore. After the Mughals it was the turn of the Jats to rule this district. Finally Alwar received political stability in the hands of Thakur Pratap Singh belonging to the Kachhawaha Rajputs from Jaipur. Even with an average economic condition this ruling class was able to gift the district with splendid palaces and led a life in utmost luxury. However, such squandering nature resulted in the downfall of the Kachhawaha Rajputs. This disgruntled the masses. However, it cannot be denied that it was Pratap Singh who rescued Alwar from a political instability. He became an ally of the British and he was awarded the title of Maharaja by the British. In the year 1771 Alwar became the youngest Rajput Kingdom. After Maharaja Pratap Singh Bakhtawar Singh succeeded to the throne of Alwar. As historical evidence his chhatri is to be found in the city of Alwar. Raja Banai Singh is another commendable name in the history of Rajasthan. He ruled Alwar from 1815 to 1857 AD. He was a great lover of art and contributed significantly in the beautification of Alwar. However the greatest name in its history has to be Maharaja Jai Singh. the succeeded to the throne in the year 1902 AD. He ruled for 30 years and is well known for his sophisticated lifestyle†¦.He was deposed by the British.

Dolphins Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dolphins - Essay Example Another factor was that pent-up consumer spending from the Great Depression and war exploded into a period of economic dynamism that propelled American hegemony. 2. The Bretton Woods System is a landmark contribution to the world economy. In the mid-20th century this system worked as a means of establishing the rules and financial regulations for the world’s major industrialized countries. Major independent nations met in Bretton Woods in 1944 and agreed to establish a number of major institutions. Among these institutions are the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) (Boyer). The system required world nations to adopt a exchange rate that tied their currency to the US dollar, allowing the IMF the ability to correct transitory payment imbalances. 3. 1968-1971 witnessed the decline of Bretton Woods System. The decline of the Bretton Woods System was greatly linked to United States currency policy changes. While during the establishment of Bretton Woods the United States had been the unchallenged hegemonic power, by the late 1960s Japan and Europe had both gained considerable economic clout. Another factor was that the Vietnam and Cold War increasingly made the United States position as the world’s central banker untenable (Boyer). In the early 1970s the United States went off the gold standard in what has been termed the Nixon Shock, effectively ending this early period of Bretton Woods. 4. 1968 experienced worldwide revolutions that posed significant challenges to modern capitalism and communism. In large part the children of this era grew up in an environment where they had ready access to television with global reach. The ability to look into foreign nations engendered an environment of self-reflexivity and the 1968 protests were the incarnation of these changing perspectives (Boyer). Both capitalist and communist nations experienced these protests. While not

I need to support these results by theoretical and empirical Thesis

I need to support these results by theoretical and empirical discussion from the previous study - Thesis Example In practice also, an empirical study by Professor Michael R. Powers and Martin Shubik seems to suggest that for any given nation or region such as the GCC, the positional market should be approximated to be equated to the square-root of the number of primary insurers in that given active market (Bennaceur and Goaied, 2001). What this also seem to suggest is that the number of primary insurers in an active market is always instrumental to the reinsurance dependence that will bring about total returns, which includes stock returns. Whiles this remains a valid argument, the correspondence between reinsurance dependence and stock returns in GCC insurance companies can easily be judged as either being positive or negative and whether the relationship is significant or insignificant. Looking critically at the GCC as a regional market, it can be realized that the major motive behind ceding companies in their reinsurance bids have had to do with a need to exchange insurance risk for credit risk. Because of this, there is always much care in ensuring that the reinsurer has an optimistic financial rating. Meanwhile, the chat below shows that as far as the total gross written premiums of insurance companies for the past 4 years are concerned, there have been significant rise across the entire GCC. What this means is that ceding companies always have enough grounds to bid into reinsurance, knowing that there are favorable financial rating. On the part of the reinsurers however, they would certainly benefit from as much increased stock returns as there are increases in the premiums. This positive relation is however described to be insignificant as this has not led to growth in primary business (Judge, et al, 2000) as the backbone of the reinsuring trade deals. A well articulated discussion on the relationship that presently exists between affiliated investment and stock returns in GCC insurance companies could best be outlined if the discussion is taken from the