Childhood Obesity Essay - 943 Words

In order to impede the epidemic of childhood obesity, the actual causes of the problem need to be evaluated and dissected. Obesity in children is becoming a huge problem in American society. In the past three decades, the rate of overweight children has increased by 300%. This is an alarming rate that is only climbing higher. Every member in society should take steps to becoming healthier. This would help the present generations as well as future generations to come. The lifestyle of Americans keeps us too busy to be a healthy society. With the expansion in technology, children are hastily becoming more and more inactive. In the past century, kids would play outside from sunrise to sunset. Little did they realize, that playtime served†¦show more content†¦To slow this epidemic of childhood obesity, physical activity needs to be put back in these children’s lives. The fast-paced lifestyle of Americans today results in unhealthy frozen T.V. dinners and take-out meals. In present day society, the role of woman and men are virtually equal. With this making both the mother and father of families busy, there is little time for home cooked meals. A hardy breakfast is replaced with sugary pop-tarts, hand packed lunches is replaced with money for fast food, and frozen T.V. trays take the place of a healthy dinner. These foods may all taste good, but they are not healthy. By giving children lunch money, the children are having the choice to buy whatever foods they please. It could be easily assumed that a child would choose a candy bar, chips, and a soda over a school lunch. Again, the children are not the only ones to be blamed here. The parents need to take time to guide their children towards what food is healthy and what food is unhealthy. By taking a little more time out of the day and making healthier food choices, the rate of childhood obesity c ould slow down, if not stop altogether. Fast food advertisement agencies take advantage of the ignorance of children to scam them into wanting unhealthy meals. Each year, the fast food industry spends over $3 million of advertising targeted towards children. Half of television advertisement is used during children’s shows and with cartoons. Out of all the factorsShow MoreRelatedChildhood Obesity : A Obesity1247 Words   |  5 PagesChildhood Obesity: A Review to Prevent the Risk Factors of Childhood Obesity in Our Community. The rates of childhood obesity Worldwide are alarmingly high! Obesity is a global nutritional concern and leads to horrible consequences on our children and becomes a worldwide pandemic. Worldwide estimates of obesity are as high as 43 million, and rates continue to increase each year. In this study, people will find healthy tips to prevent childhood overweight or obesity to help children in our communitiesRead MoreThe Prevalence Of Childhood Obesity1678 Words   |  7 PagesThe prevalence of childhood obesity has remained a serious matter in the United States over the years despite its recent decline (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). Children who are obese can experience the same devastating health effects as adults who are obese – cardiovascular issues, diabetes, breathing problems, and so forth. In addition, children who are obese are more than likely to become obese as adults, therefore the development of a health fair that would highlight increasedRead MoreThe Effects Of Obesity On Childhood Obesity Essay1953 Words   |  8 Pagesfind out what has caused or what the leading factors to obesity are. Researchers are currently still doing research to find out what causes or what may be the lead to obesity. Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition which considers a child to be obese if their Body Mass Index (BMI) is at or above the 95th percentile for children and teens of the same age and sex. (Rendall., Weden, Lau, Brownell, Nazarov Fernandes, 2014). Obesity is on a rise in the Unites States and all over the worldRead MoreEssay on Childhood Obesity1599 Words   |  7 PagesChildhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. The problem is global and is steadily affecting many low- and middle-income families particularly in the United States. The socioeconomic status of these families contributes to the childhood obesity epidemic. Summary of Article 1 The article, â€Å"Beliefs about the Role of Parenting in Feeding and Childhood Obesity among Mothers of Lower Socioeconomic Status† is a study that was conducted by Alison KalinowskiRead MoreChildhood Obesity : Obesity And Obesity Essay1671 Words   |  7 PagesFight to End Obesity Childhood obesity has increased drastically over the past years and has become a health risk to children. In fact, childhood obesity has doubled in numbers in the past thirty years (Childhood Obesity Facts). Obesity occurs when an individual becomes overweight and can be diagnosed by using the body mass index or BMI scale. Obesity causes many diseases in children which cannot be cured without a doctor, in result, childhood obesity drives high health care costs. The existenceRead MoreChildhood Obesity and Its Effect1260 Words   |  6 PagesChildhood obesity is considered to be a serious issue among our youth. Obesity can cause many types of physical problems, which most are aware of, but it can also cause some undesirable internal feelings within children and adolescents who suffer from it. Self-esteem, or self-worth, is important as it helps develop personality and is a major ingredient to our mental health status (Wang, F. and Veugelers, P. J., 2008). Some have said obesity may e ven have a negative effect on cognitive developmentRead MoreChildhood Obesity : The Adolescent Essay3626 Words   |  15 PagesChildhood Obesity: The Adolescent The Finale Paper Presented to: GEN499: General Education Capstone Instructor: Robert Bass Ashford University By: Ranita Wallace March 27, 2015 Childhood Obesity: The Adolescent Obesity is a growing health problem. Obesity is when individuals are overweight, it causes health problems and is a threat to their lives. Usually obesity is a result from over eating and lack of exercise. Obesity is the cause of many health problems such as diabetesRead MoreChildhood Obesity Essay976 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to a 2010 report by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the prevalence of childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past thirty years. As well as having an impact on health, studies have cited a relationship between obesity and poor school performance as well as a child’s readiness for learning and education. This can be correlated with studies finding â€Å"obese children have a greater risk of social and psychological problems, such as discrimination and poor self-esteem†Read MoreChildhood Obesity : Obesity And Obesity1505 Words   |  7 PagesChildhood Obesity Introduction Childhood Obesity has become more critical public health issue worldwide. However, obesity ratio varies from country to country. In addition, up to a quarter of Australian children are suffering from childhood obesity and obese children are at higher risk to become obese adult. For this reason, child’s weight always matters because it can impact on their health in future. There may be many reasons which affect childhood obesity including sedentary life style, lack ofRead MoreObesity : Childhood Obesity And Obesity955 Words   |  4 Pageswhere the life expectancy of today’s generation is being threatened. Prevention of overweight and obesity is imperative. Parents, especially mothers play a major role in preventing overweight and obesity among the children. Their knowledge of nutrition, food selection and family meal structure has major impact on their children’s food habit. The preschool age is crucial for the children to learn and develop their lifelong hab its. Education starts from home, where parents are the primary source

Environmental Relativism And The Environment - 888 Words

There is a myriad of varying definitions for the word ‘culture.’ Instead of defining culture in general terms, it is often defined by how it is related to the environment; and consequently, how it is affected. Culture provides direction, and reason. Throughout history, people have remained stalwart and true to their roots and traditions. However, it has become evident that, with the changing environment, many traditional practices have had to adapt. Climate change is a key component causing this adaptation. Through reflecting upon environmental relativism, and cultural aspects, such as subsistence patterns, economic systems, and religion and world view, it can be concluded that the natural environment influences culture by causing†¦show more content†¦An example of organization in a culture would be its pattern of subsistence. Though often secluded in its own category, subsistence patterns are a form of social control. Nomadic pastoralism is a subsistence patter n used by the Sami Reindeer Herding tribes, in Scandinavia. These groups survive through herding deer, and performing what is necessary to ensure their herd’s survival. The Sami migrate to different locations in Scandinavia upon the change in weather patterns, hence the term ‘nomadic.’ (Sara, 2009, p.152) Therefore, moulding their pattern of subsistence based upon the changing environment is essential to their survival and prosperity. However, in 1978, The Reindeer Act was passed. This act, ‘introduced the administrative deer herding license as a means to control access to reindeer herding management’ (pg. 156) Consequently, each Sami tribe was secluded to one specific area of Scandinavia, as it was their ‘Norwegian right’ to a stable occupation, and a ‘raised standard of living.’ (Paine, 2004, p.30) Being secluded to a specific patch of land, all year round, did not work in favour for the Sami. The physical environment in w hich they were placed did not suffice their nomadic pastoralist needs consistently. The summer pastures did not suffice in winter, and winter did not suffice in summer. The organization and control necessary for cultural prosperity began to diminish; their culture began to suffer at the hands of the physical environment, andShow MoreRelatedEthical Ethics And Normative Ethics1078 Words   |  5 Pagesbe able to create an environmental ethic, one must have a sense of moral conclusion. Whether these morals are categorized through self-interest or obligation, meta ethics and normative ethics try to decipher these notions. To derive a normative ethic, meta-ethics needs to explain the language of morality, and how do humans come to a consensus of specific actions and thoughts. Ethics, by short definition, is how we (humans) relate to other beings (humans, animals, environment, etc.). Language suchRead MoreSchools of Thought Worksheet Essay1199 Words   |  5 Pagessource. General Terms Ecology A science that deals with the relationships between groups of living things and their environments (Merriam-Webster,  2014). Environmental justice A recognition that access to a clean, healthy environment is a fundamental right of all human beings (McGraw-Hill,  2003). Environmental science The systematic, scientific study of our environment as well as our role in it (McGraw-Hill,  2003). Ethics An area of study that deals with ideas about what is good andRead MoreWhat Are The Four Primary Types Of Human Adaptation?1685 Words   |  7 Pagesof human adaptation: genetic change, developmental adjustment, acclimatization and cultural adaptation. Individuals may develop a successful adaptation with the help of biological evolution. i.e. genetic change, that is caused by the constant environmental stress, experienced by many generations. It is a well-known fact that those who can respond to certain stresses have better chances to survive longer and pass on their dominant genes to the future generations. Such evolution is also known as theRead MoreCultural Relativism in Business1590 Words   |  7 PagesCultural Relativism In Business Submitted to: Mr. Mehmood Ul Hassan Khalil Submitted by: Waqas Shehzad Class: BBA 5D Cultural Relativism: Cultural relativism is the view that all beliefs are equally valid and that truth itself is relative, depending on the situation, environment, and individual. Those who hold to cultural relativism hold that all religious, ethical, aesthetic, and political beliefs are completely relative to the individual within a cultural identity. Cultural relativism (CR) saysRead MoreEthical Ethics Of The Environment1447 Words   |  6 Pagesethical decisions, especially ones that deal with the environment, should be made per the ethical egoist’s standpoint. However, I believe that is wrong, and in the end, will destroy our planet. Ethical egoist are people who make moral decisions based on their own interest, and the only thing to have moral standing is â€Å"me†. Basically, meaning that â€Å"I ought to do this, for what is best in my interest and my benefit.† I believe this is bad for the environment because, not everyone thinks the same way. NotRead MoreEthical Concepts An d Principles Of Business Ethics1673 Words   |  7 Pages The increasing complexity of today s economy has heightened businesses responsibilities to protect consumers and the environment. Businesses have product knowledge and expertise far in excess of that held by consumers, and so they have an obligation above and beyond the sales contract (and let the buyer be aware) to exercise due care in preventing consumers and the environment from being harmed by their products. Organisations that follow Utilitarian ethics assess economic externality factors relatingRead MoreOrder Of The Public Realm1214 Words   |  5 PagesPlan 749 Urban Planning, Exam 1, Kansas City Design Center September 30, 2016 2 Without order in the public realm the world we live in would be a very unorganized environment. When it comes to order within the public realm we have to thank planning, zoning, transects, and urbanism theories, because these strategies shape our environment as to what it is today. Authors such as Leon Krier, Emily Talen, Cliff Ellis, and Douglas Kelbaugh are theorist who have discussed problems with urban design and provideRead MoreEthics in the Workplace1201 Words   |  5 Pagesthe integrity of the company. The ends justify the means is the common thinking in business but in terms of ethics what is considered morally right is the one that counts. Classical normative ethical philosophies include relativism, pragmatism, behaviorism and positivism. Relativism as a philosophical doctrine pertains to the denial of ethical absolutes. In business it asserts that all practices or beliefs can be equally valid and good or that moral values are relative to particular standpoint or cultureRead MoreShould International Businesses Do As the Romans Do When in Rome1541 Words   |  7 PagesMultinational companies face many challenges in their international business dealings due to the environments they operate in which are commonly less regulated, are not democratically governed with legal systems to solve ethical and social responsibility dilemmas and are full of corruption. Managers are consequently faced with many unfamiliar economic conditions, cultural values and competitive variables (Grace and Cohen, 2000:180). Wild, Wild Han (2010:128) define ethical behaviour as personalRead MoreYeah717 Words   |  3 Pageswater pollution? The tragedy of the commons was written by Garret Hardin. Hardin argued that unregulated exploitation would cause environmental depletion. What is environmental science? Name several disciplines involved in environmental science. Environmental Science is the study of how the natural world works and how humans and the environment interact. Environmental Science in an interdisciplinary field which requires expertise from ecology, earth science, chemistry, biology, economics, political

The galatians of the new testament Free Essays

string(114) " was non based on trade or commercialism ; what trade took topographic point was mostly in the signifier of swap\." While text editions stress the descent of Europe from classical civilization, the face of Europe throughout most of the historical period was dominated by a individual cultural group, a powerful, culturally diverse group of peoples, the Celts. By the start of the Middle Ages, the Celts had been struck on two foreparts by two really powerful civilizations, Rome in the South, and the Germans, who were derived from Gaelic civilization, from the North. Through the period of classical Greece ( matching to the La T A ; ecirc ; ne civilization in cardinal Europe ) to first centuries AD, most of Europe was under the shadow of this civilization which, in its diverse signifiers, still represented a reasonably incorporate civilization. We will write a custom essay sample on The galatians of the new testament or any similar topic only for you Order Now This massive civilization spread from Ireland to Asia Minor ( the Galatians of the New Testament ) . The Celts even sacked Rome in 390 BC and successfully invaded and sacked several Grecian metropoliss in 280 BC. Though the Celts were preliterate during most of the classical period, the Greeks and Romans discourse them rather a spot, normally disfavorably. From this great civilization would originate the Germans ( we think ) and many of the cultural signifiers, thoughts, and values of mediaeval Europe. For non merely did mediaeval Europe expression back to the Celtic universe as a aureate age of Europe, they besides lived with societal constructions and universe positions that finally owe their beginning to the Celts every bit good as to the Romans and Greeks. The period of Gaelic laterality in Europe began to unknot in the first centuries AD, with the enlargement of Rome, the migrations of the Germans, and subsequently the inflow of an Asiatic immigrant population, the Huns. By the clip Rome fell to Gothic encroachers, the Celts had been pushed west and north, to England, Wales and Ireland and subsequently to Scotland and the northern seashore of France. The Celts are traditionally ignored in universe history text editions and class, but the Celtic manner of life, Celtic establishments, and the Celtic universe position were superimposed onto Germanic and classical civilization. The ulterior massive European civilization is greatly influenced by these early peoples. Most of what we know about Celtic life comes from Ireland-the largest and most extended of the Celtic populations, the Gauls in cardinal and western Europe, we merely know about through Roman sources-and these beginnings are unquestionably unfriendly to the Gauls. We know that the early Gaelic societies were organized around warfare-this construction would normally qualify civilizations in the procedure of migration: the Celts, the Huns, and subsequently the Germans. Although classical Greek and Roman authors considered the Celts to be violently insane, warfare was non an organized procedure of territorial conquering. Among the Celts, warfare seems to hold chiefly been a athletics, concentrating on foraies and runing. In Ireland, the establishment of the fianna involved immature, blue warriors who left the tribal country for a clip to carry on foraies and to run. When the Celts came into contact with the Romans, they changed their mode of warfare to a more organized defence agains a larger ground forces. It was these groups that the classical authors encountered and considered insane. The Gaelic method of warfare was to stand in forepart of the opposing ground forces and shriek and crush their lances and blades against their shields. They woul d so run headfirst into the opposing ground forces and screamed the full way-this frequently had the consequence of frightening the opposing soldiers who so broke into a tally ; contending a fleeing ground forces is comparatively easy work. If the opposing ground forces did non interrupt ranks, the Celts would halt short of the ground forces, return to their original place, and get down the procedure over agina. Gaelic society was hierarchal and class-based. Tribes were led by male monarchs but political organisations were unusually fictile. Harmonizing to both Roman and Irish beginnings, Celtic society was divided into three groups: a warrior nobility, an rational category that included Druids, poets, and legal experts, and everyone else. Society Society was tribal and kinship-based ; one ‘s cultural individuality was mostly derived from the larger tribal group, called the tuath ( â€Å" too-awth † ) in Irish ( intending â€Å" people † ) but finally based on the smallest kinship organisational unit, the kin, called the cenedl ( ke-na-dl ) , or â€Å" kindred, † in Irish. The kin provided individuality and protection-disputes between persons were ever differences between kins. Since it was the responsibility of the kin to protect persons, offenses against an person would be prosecuted against an full kin. One of the outstanding establishments among the Celts was the blood-feud in which slaying or abuses against an person would necessitate the full kin to violently exact requital. The blood-feud was in portion avoided by the establishment of professional go-betweens. At least an Ireland, a professional category of legal experts, called brithem, would intercede differences and exact reparations on the offending kin. Even though Gaelic society centered around a warrior nobility, the place of adult females was reasonably high in Gaelic society. In the earliest periods, adult females participated both in warfare and in kingship. While the ulterior Celts would follow a rigorous patriarchal theoretical account, they still have a memory of adult females leaders and warriors. Gaelic society was based about wholly on pastoralism and the elevation of cowss or sheep ; there was some agribusiness in the Celtic universe, but non much. The importance of cowss and the pastoral life created a alone establishment in Celtic, peculiarly Irish, life: the cattle-raid. The larceny of another group ‘s cows was frequently the turn outing point of a group of immature warriors ; the greatest lasting Irish myth, the T A ; aacute ; in B A ; oacute ; Cualingne, or â€Å" The Cattle Raid of Cooley, † centers about one such mythically-enhanced cattle-raid. There was no urbanisation of any sort among the Celts until the coming of Roman regulation ; in Ireland, urbanisation did non happen until the Danish and Norse invasions. Society was non based on trade or commercialism ; what trade took topographic point was mostly in the signifier of swap. You read "The galatians of the new testament" in category "Essay examples" Gaelic economic system was likely based on the economic rule of most tribal economic systems: reciprocality. In a mutual economic system, goods and other services are non exchanged for other goods, but they are given by persons to persons based on common affinity relationships and duties. ( A household economic system is typical of a mutual economy-parents and kids give each other stuff goods and services non in trade but because they are portion of a household ) . From the 19th century onwards, Celtic faith has enjoyed a captivation among modern Europeans and European-derived civilizations. In peculiar, the last few decennaries have seen a phenomenal growing non merely involvement in Celtic faith, but in spiritual patterns in portion derived from Gaelic beginnings. For all this involvement, nevertheless, we know following to nil about Celtic faith and patterns. The lone beginnings for Celtic spiritual patterns were written by Romans and Greeks, who considered the Celts little more than animate beings, and by subsequently Gaelic authors in Ireland and Wales who were composing from a Christian position. Simply put, although the Celts had a rich and permeant spiritual civilization, it has been for good lost to human memory. We can do some general remarks about Celtic faith based on the often-hostile histories of classical authors. The Celts were polytheistic ; these Gods were finally derived from more crude, Indo-germanic beginnings that gave rise to the polytheistic faiths of Greece, Persia, and India. The Romans in seeking to explicate these Gods, nevertheless, linked them with Roman Gods as did the Romanized Gauls-so we truly have no thought as to the Celtic character of these Gods and their maps. We do cognize that Gaelic Gods tended to come in 3s ; the Celtic logic of deity about ever centered on threes. This triadic logic no uncertainty had enormous significance in the interlingual rendition of Christianity into northern European cultural theoretical accounts. Religion It is about certain that the material universe of the Celts was suffused with deity that was both advantageous and harmful. Certain countries were considered more charged with deity than others, particularly pools, lakes and little Grovess, which were the sites of the cental ritual activities of Celtic life. The Celts were non-urbanized and harmonizing to Roman beginnings, Celtic ritual involved no temples or constructing structures-Celtic ritual life, so, was centered chiefly on the natural environment. Gaelic ritual life centered on a particular category, called the druides or â€Å" Druids † by the Romans, presumptively from a Gaulish word. Although much has been written about Druids and Celtic ritual pattern, we know following to nil about either. Here ‘s what we can garner. As a particular group, the Druids performed many of the maps that we would see â€Å" priestly † maps, including ritual and forfeit, but they besides included maps that we would put under â€Å" instruction † and â€Å" jurisprudence. † These rites and patterns were likely kept secret-a tradition common among early Indo-germanic peoples-which aid to explicate why the classical universe knows nil about them. The lone thing that the classical beginnings attest is that the Druids performed â€Å" barbarian † or â€Å" horrid † rites at lakes and Grovess ; there was a just sum of consensus among the Greeks and Romans that these rites involved human forfeit. This may or may non be true ; there is some grounds of human forfeit among the Celts, but it does non look to hold been a prevailing pattern. Harmonizing to Julius Caesar, who gives the longest history of Druids, the centre of Gaelic belief was the passing of psyches from one organic structure to another. From an archeological position, it is clear that the Celts believed in an after-life, for material goods are buried with the dead. The earliest Kelts who were major participants in the classical universe were the Gauls, who controlled an country widening from France to Switzerland. It was the Gauls who sacked Rome and subsequently invaded Greece ; it was besides the Gauls that migrated to Asia Minor to establish their ain, independent civilization at that place, that of the Galatians. Through invasion and migration, they spread into Spain and subsequently crossed the Alps into Italy and for good settled the country South of the Alps which the Romans so named, Cisalpine Gaul. The Gauls were a tribal and agricultural society. They were ruled by male monarchs, but single male monarchs reigned merely over little countries. Occasionally a individual powerful male monarch could derive the commitment of several male monarchs as a sort of â€Å" over-king, † but on the whole the Gauls throughout Europe were mostly an cultural continuity instead than a individual state. Cultural individuality among the early Gauls was really unstable. Cultural individuality was foremost and first based on little affinity groups, or clans-this cardinal cultural individuality frequently got collapsed into a larger individuality, that of folks. The chief political constructions, that of kingship, organized themselves around this tribal cultural individuality. For the most portion, the Gauls did non look to hold a larger cultural individuality that united the Gaulish universe into a individual cultural group-the â€Å" Gauls † as an cultural group was mostly invented by the Romans and the Greeks and applied to all the diverse folks spread across the face of northern Europe. The Gauls did hold a sense of territorial ethnicity ; the Romans and Greeks tell us that there were 16 separate territorial states of Gauls. These territorial groups were divided into a series of pagi, which were military units composed of work forces who had voluntarily united as fellow soldi ers. The Gauls The Gauls, nevertheless, were non the original Europeans. Get downing in an country about Switzerland, the Celts spread westward and eastward displacing native Europeans in the procedure. These migrations begin around 500 BC. The Gaulish invasion of Italy in 400 was portion of this larger out-migration. The Romans, nevertheless, pushed them back by the 3rd century BC ; native Europeans in the North, nevertheless, were non so lucky. Two Gaelic folks, the Cimbri and the Teutones ( â€Å" Teuton, † an cultural for Germans, is derived from the Celtic root for â€Å" people † ) , emigrated E and settled in district in Germany. The centre of Gaelic enlargement, nevertheless, was Gaul, which lay North of the Alps in the part now within the boundary lines of France and Belgium and portion of Spain. The earliest history of the Gauls comes from Julius Caesar. In his history of his military expedition foremost into Gaul and so as far north as Britain, Caesar dexcribed the tribal and regional divisions among the Gauls, of which some seem to hold been original European populations and non Celtic at all. The Gaulish folks or districts often built munitions that served as the military and political centre of the part. These bastioned centres took their names from the larger tribe-for case, Paris took its name from the folk of Parisi and Chartres was originally named after the folk, the Carnuti, which had built it. India Glossary Gaulish society, like all of Celtic society, was stiffly divided into a category system. Similar category systems predominated among the Indians every bit good with mostly the same classs. Harmonizing to Julius Caesar, the three categories of Gaulish society were the druides, equites, and plebs, all Roman words. The Druids were the educated among the Gauls and occupied the highest societal place, merely as the Brahmin category occupied the highest societal place among the Indians. The Druids were responsible for cultural and spiritual cognition every bit good as the public presentation of rites, merely as the Brahmins in India. However vague these spiritual maps might be, the Druids were regarded as powerful over both society and the universe around them. The most powerful tool the Druids had was the power of excommunication-when a Druid excommunicated a member of a folk, it was tantamount to kicking that individual out of the society. Brahmin Caturvarnas The British did non look in history until Julius Caesar crosses the English Channel from northern Gaul and began his failed conquering of Britain. The Romans returned in 43 AD and began a systematic conquering of the island until they reached the Pictish folks in the Scots Highlandss. Rome would abandon northern England, nevertheless, in 117 Ad The Romans found a disunified group of tribal lands organized around the same logic of warfare as the Gauls. Most of the folks were new arrivals-the majority of southern Britain had been conquered by the Belgae from northern Gaul. In the procedure of emigrating to the island, the Celts pushed the native populations north-these refugee tribal groups would go the cultural ascendants of the Picts, a cryptic civilization that dominated Scotland until the Irish invasions. Many of the folks, peculiarly those in Wales, nevertheless, were edgy. The Romans were beset by rebellions by some Celtic folks and depredations by the northen Picts-throughout the 4th century, as the Roman imperium was strained in every one-fourth, the Romans easy lost control of Britain. The official interruption came in 446 when the Romans in response to a British supplication for aid against the Picts and the Scots, declared Britain independent. Bratain As in Gaul, the Romans brought Roman urban and military civilization ; nevertheless, other than southern England, Roman establishments and civilization were non tremendously influential on the British Celts. The Celts in the North and in Wales ferociously resisted Roman civilization, and the Romans ne’er even put pes in Ireland. On the whole, the Romans more greatly respected and tolerated Gaelic establishments and faiths in Britain, so there was well less assimilation than in Gaul. Because of this, when the Romans left Britain, there was a Renaissance of Gaelic civilization. The British, nevertheless, had learned a really of import construct from the Romans: political integrity. The most celebrated of the Celtic princes was Vortigern, who ruled over eastern Britain. In order to contend against the Pictish invasions, he sent across the channel to acquire aid from the Saxons, a Germanic folk that had begun emigrating into western Europe in the 5th century. The Saxon soldier of fortunes, nevertheless, grew in figure as more and more Saxons came to Britain. Whether or non the narrative of Vortigern is true, Britain fell prey to the same Germanic out-migrations and invasions that spread across Gaul, Spain, and Italy. The Saxon out-migration began in eastern England until they spread wholly across lowland England. The cragged countries to the West ( Wales ) and the North ( Scotland ) , nevertheless, remained Celtic, as did Ireland. By the terminal of the 5th century AD, merely Wales, Scotland, and Ireland remained of the great Celtic tribal lands that had dominated the face of Europe. It was in Ireland that Gaelic civilization and establishments lasted the longest-although Christianity was introduced at an early day of the month, Ireland did non endure any major invasions or cultural alterations until the invasions of the Norwegians and the Danish in the 8th century. The Irish besides represent the last great migration of Celtic peoples. In the 4th and 5th centuries, the Irish crossed over into Scotland and consistently invaded that district until they politically dominated the Picts who lived at that place. The subsiding of Scotland in the 5th century was the really last moving ridge of Celtic migration. For Gaelic civilization, Ireland is much like Iceland was to the Norse. It was sufficiently removed from mainstream Europe to protect it from invasions and to insulate it from many of the cultural alterations which wracked the face of early Europe. It allowed a remarkable prolongation of heathen Gaelic civilization to blend with Christian and the emerging European civilization. This alone synthesis would supply the individual most productive line of cultural transmittal between Gaelic civilization and the European civilization which grew out of classical and German beginnings. Written history in Ireland began in the 5th century when Patrick came to Ireland and introduced literacy. Patrick came to the Celtic tribal land of Tara, which was ruled by Leary, the boy of Niall No amp ; iacute ; gallich. The boies of Niall ruled over two lands in northern Ireland ; these swayers formed a dynasty that would be called the U A ; iacute ; N A ; eacute ; ailment ; the South of Ireland was mostly under the control of Munster. Patrick himself confined all of his activities to northern Ireland and the U A ; iacute ; N A ; eacute ; sick, peculiarly around the country of Armagh. Because he introduced the Irish to Christianity, European civilization, and authorship, he became the frequenter saint of Ireland. In the 700 ‘s, Ireland became capable to Norse foraies and out-migrations, merely as most of the remainder of Europe. The first to get were the Norwegians who attacked assorted islands and some of the promontories ; in the 800 ‘s, nevertheless, the Norwegians began to assail the western seashore of Ireland. In the mid-800 ‘s and all through the 900 ‘s, the Norse actively began to construct bastioned towns along the eastern seashore of Ireland. In 841, they built the bastioned town of Dublin ( which the Irish called Ath Cliath, or, â€Å" the hurdle Ford † ) , and would subsequently set up munitions at Cork, Waterford, and Wicklow, some of the cardinal towns of ulterior Irish history. Of these towns, nevertheless, Dublin was the centre of all the Norse activity and served as their cardinal base for foraies all around Ireland and the Irish Sea. The Irish at this clip did non concentrate their population along the seashore but lived inland-the Irish besides did non populate in big and bastioned towns. The debut of both munitions and something resembling urban life was originally introduced by the Norse. Finally, nevertheless, the Norse would come in struggle with the Danish and the country around Dublin became portion of the Danish land that had been established in northern England. The Irish, nevertheless, lived in single tribal groups that were non united-it was n’t until 1014 that Munster Irish under the leading of Brian B A ; oacute ; ruma defeated the Danish at Clontarf and eventually expelled the Norse for good. The Norwegians and the Danish, nevertheless, had mostly stripped Irish civilization of its greatest cultural artefacts. The lone histories that were written of the Norse in Ireland were written by the Irish-these historiographers were far from sympathetic to the encroachers! Ireland, nevertheless, gained a cardinal displacement in its cultural and economic patterns. The Irish inherited from the Danes and Norwegians fortified coastal towns and a new economic system based on trade and commercialism with other Europeans. They besides gave to the Irish more sophisticated accomplishments in ship-building and travel. Irish republic The most of import bequest that the Irish bequeathed to Europe was Irish Christianity. When Patrick came to Ireland in the 5th century, Christianity had spread across the face of Gaelic civilization but had n’t truly penetrated the assorted Gaelic civilizations. It was dispersed really thin and practiced by a perishingly little minority in Gaul and Britain. It was besides presuming a new, distinguishable character among the Celts, who combined Christianity non merely with native Celtic establishments and faiths, but with a overplus of eastern enigma faiths. ( Much of what we call modern â€Å" pagan religion † which points to Gaelic beginnings really originates in eastern, mystery faiths that had been imported into Gaelic civilization. ) It was this Celticized version of Christianity that Patrick brought with him to Ireland. The Saxon invasions, nevertheless, wiped out Christianity in England, but non in Wales or Ireland or Scotland, where the faith had been introduced by Columba, an Irish saint. It was n’t until the late 6th century that Christianity was reintroduced into Britain ; this trade name of Christianity, more aligned with the patterns of the Roman church, came into struggle with Celtic Christianity and its alone patterns. By the 10th century, the alone Celtic Christianity of Britain had mostly been subordinated to Saxon Christianity. It was in Ireland that Celtic Christianity thrived during the Germanic invasions and so the ulterior subordination of Celtic Christian patterns to Saxon patterns. The Christianity that Patrick brought to Ireland was Episcopal or diocesan Christianity-the standard signifier of Christianity in Roman occupied districts. Episcopal Christianity is oriented around the organisation of Christians as laic people under the religious and partiall secular control of a bishop ( â€Å" episcopus † in Latin ) . Episcopal Christianity, nevertheless, was entirely ill-sorted to Ireland, for it relies on a certain degree of urbanisation. For the mostly rural, disorganized, and tribal nature of early Irish society, the Episcopal construction had nil to work with. So Irish Christianity shortly developed into cloistered Christianity, which is oriented around the centralisation of a little Christian community under the leading of an archimandrite. This would go the uniquely Irish signifier of Christianity that in spirit and in pattern was much different from the preponderantly Episcopal character of Roman Christianity. The cloistered centres became the countries where Irish Christian civilization thrived-they besides introduced some political stableness and agribusiness into Irish society. While they were nominally under the authorization of Rome, because they were so removed they operated with comparative independency. This would finally convey them in terrible struggle with the Roman church. Before that, nevertheless, Irish missionaries would distribute Gaelic civilization and Christianity all over the face of Europe. Even though the Irish Christians finally submitted to Roman force per unit areas, Irish Christianity had diffused across the face of Europe. This is because the most advanced and distinguishable characteristic of Irish Christianity was rolling, called perigrinatio in Latin. While many Christians became monastics in monasteries, some became hermits, that is, lone monastics. The Irish hermits, nevertheless, saw their mission non as life in isolation, but as rolling around by themselves. These were non specifically missional rovings, but they had that consequence. In the 6th century, one of Ireland ‘s greatest saints, Columicille ( or â€Å" Columba † in Latin ) , successfully introduced Christianity to Scotland. As the in-between ages progressed, nevertheless, the unambiguously Gaelic character of the Irish church, with its profoundly superb merger of Celtic art with Christian art, its merger of Celtic societal organisation and Torahs with cloistered life, and its alone perigrinative character disappeared into the homogenising tendency of the higher center How to cite The galatians of the new testament, Essay examples

The Bermuda Triangle free essay sample

A discussion surrounding the mystery of the feared Bermuda Triangle. This paper presents a geographical explanation of the Bermuda Triangle. It then examines the history of this mystery and mentions several disasters or unexplained events that have happened in the skies and waters of this area. The paper also discusses the literature available on these mysteries and the form of documentation. The Bermuda Triangle is a region in the Caribbean believed to contain some mystery which causes ships and planes to disappear at a higher rate than in other regions of the globe. The idea of a Bermuda Triangle is of relatively recent origin, though researchers have identified many disappearances from the area dating back centuries. The greatest part of the mystery is the question of whether there is a mystery at all, for many scientists state that the rate of disappearances in the region is no any higher than in other similar areas and that there is no reason for the speculation about everything from satanic influences to extraterrestrials in the area. The Bermuda Triangle is located off the Southeastern coast of the United States in the Atlantic Ocean, with its apexes in the vicinities of Bermuda, Miami, Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. It covers roughly 500,000 square miles. The area may have been named after its Bermuda apex since Bermuda was once known as the Isle of Devils. Treacherous reefs that have ensnared ships sailing too close to its shores surround Bermuda, and there are hundreds of shipwrecks in the waters that surround it. Over the past 100 years, the Bermuda Triangle has seen what some say is a significant and inordinately high number of unexplained disappearances of planes, ships and people. Some reports say that as many as 100 ships and planes have been reported missing in the area and more than 1,000 lives have been lost. The U. S. Coast Guard, however, maintains that the area does not have an unusual number of incidents. The mystery of the Triangle probably took hold with the first well-publicized disappearance in 1945, when five U. S Navy Avengers disappeared in the area. The cause of the disappearance was originally pilot error, but family members of the pilot leading the mission couldnt accept that he had made such a mistake. Eventually they convinced the Navy to change it to causes or reasons unknown. Many reports regarding the Bermuda Triangle include long lists of missing ships and planes. But many of those were nowhere near the Triangle when they disappeared or they turned up later with rational explanations for their disappearances. For example, the Mary Celeste, found floating in 1872 with not a person on board and everything exactly as they had left it, is on nearly every list of losses blamed on the Bermuda Triangle. But in reality, it was many hundreds of miles from the Triangle at the time. Here is a sampling of the some of the most notable incidents. As youll see, some of these have reasonable explanations although theyre still attributed to the strange and unknown powers of the Bermuda Triangle. The U. S. S. Cyclops, 1918 During World War I, the U. S. S. Cyclops served along the eastern coast of the United States until January 9, 1918. At that time, she was assigned to the Naval Overseas Transportation Service. The Cyclops was scheduled to sail to Brazil to refuel British ships in the south Atlantic. She set out from Rio de Janeiro on February 16, and, after a brief stop in Barbados from March 3 to 4, was never seen or heard from again. All 306 passengers and crew were gone without a trace. A U. S. Navy Grumman TBF Avenger Image courtesy  U. S. Naval Historical Center U. S. Navy Avengers Flight 19, 1945 The most famous Bermuda Triangle story is the mystery surrounding five missing Navy Avengers in 1945. The story of Flight 19 is usually summarized this way: a routine patrol set out on a sunny day with five highly experienced student pilots. Suddenly, the tower began receiving transmissions from the flight leader that they were lost, compasses were not working, and everything looked wrong. They were never seen again, and extensive Navy investigations turned up no clues to explain the disappearance. Lieutenant Charles C. Taylor led the mission, which included several planned course changes. They departed at 1:15 p. m. on December 5, 1945. At 3:00 p. m. , Lieutenant Robert F. Cox was flying over Fort Lauderdale, Florida when he heard a signal that he thought was from a boat or plane in distress. He called Operations at the Naval Air Station to report what he had heard. Cox told Taylor to fly with the sun at his left wing and up the coast until he hit Miami. Taylor then said that they were over a small island with no other land in sight. If he was over the Keys as he had said, however, he should have seen several islands as well as the Florida peninsula. With less than two hours flying time until they ran out of fuel, Taylor described a large island to Operations. Assuming this was Andros Island, the largest in the Bahamas, Operations sent Taylor a heading that would take him to Fort Lauderdale. Apparently this heading was correct, because once Flight 19 assumed the new course, Taylors voice began coming in stronger over the radio. Taylor, however, didnt believe this course was right and after a few minutes said that they didnt go far enough east. Turn around again and go east. We should have a better chance of being picked up closer to shore. With this move, transmissions began to weaken as they flew out of radio range in the wrong direction. For unknown reasons, Taylor ignored the standard flying procedure of flying west if over water and east if over land. Two PBM-5 Mariner seaplanes went out to search the area, but one exploded soon after takeoff. The other never located Flight 19. Aliens and Atlantis As an area with one of the h ighest incidences of UFO sightings, its no wonder that alien abductions have been a popular explanation for disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle. But abductions arent the only theory; some also have theorized that the Bermuda Triangle area is a portal to other planets. But why this area? Many believe that the Bermuda Triangle area is home to the lost city of Atlantis and remnants of its advanced technologies. Famous psychic Edgar Cayce said that Atlantis had many modern-day technologies, including a death ray weapon, which he claims ultimately destroyed the city. Some even say that the people who lived there were an alien race from the Pleiades star cluster. Cayce had predicted that researchers would discover the western edge of Atlantis near the coast of Bimini, in the Bahamas, and they did find a road of stones there in 1968. The initial researchers and archeologists who studied the site, known as the Bimini Road, immediately regarded it as naturally occurring. Recent investigations, however, have found evidence that appears to support the idea that the stones were shaped and placed there as a wall. The additional finding of a possible underwater city near Cuba adds fuel to the fire for those supporting the Atlantis idea. According to legend and speculation, the city of Atlantis relied on the power of special energy crystals that were extremely powerful. Cayce supported this idea, and the discovery of a great underwater pyramid and crystal by Dr. Ray Brown in 1970 reinforced it. Brown was scuba diving in the Bahamas when he claims to have found a large pyramid made of mirror-like stone. He entered the pyramid and saw a brassy metallic rod with a multi-faceted red gem hanging from the apex of the room. Directly below this rod was a stand with bronze hands holding a crystal sphere four inches in diameter. Brown removed the crystal and kept it secret until 1975, when he exhibited it at a psychic seminar in Phoenix, Arizona. He reported that when gazing into the crystal form, you can see three pyramidal images, one in front of the other with each decreasing in size. Some people have seen a fourth pyramid in front of the other three after entering into deep meditative states. Brown believes that the fractured lines seen when looking at the crystal sphere from the side may be electrical in nature, similar to a form of microscopic circuitry. The speculation is that these energy crystals are in an altered state of some kind and send out rays of energy that either confuse navigational instruments or disintegrate vehicles all together. Compass Malfunctions In almost every account of the mystery surrounding the Bermuda Triangle, youll see reference to the fact that it is one of only two places on Earth (the other being the Devils Sea off the coast of Japan) where a compass points to true north rather than magnetic north. Theorists say that this causes compasses to malfunction and ships and planes to get off-course. A  compass  works because its magnetic needle is attracted by the magnetism of the Earth, which draws it to point to the constantly shifting Magnetic North Pole. The Geographic North Pole, on the other hand, is static and is located about 1200 miles north of the Magnetic Pole. The variation between the two readings is known as  magnetic declination  (or compass variation), which can change by as much as 20 degrees as you move across the globe. The  agonic line  is an imaginary line where true north and magnetic north are in perfect alignment there is no magnetic declination. At points west of the agonic line, a magnetic needle will point east of true north (positive declination). At points east of the agonic line, a magnetic needle will point west of true north (negative declination). Extended lines that mark the constant magnetic declination away from the agonic line are called  isogonic lines. In the early 18th century, Edmund Halley noticed that the agonic line was slowly moving westward. Since then, scientists have noted a westward drift of the agonic line with an average velocity of about 0. 2 degrees per year. The drift is not equal in all places, however. It is stronger in the Atlantic Hemisphere than in the Pacific Hemisphere. Navigators must always compensate for magnetic declination when charting their courses. While the agonic line once passed through the Bermuda Triangle, it now falls within the Gulf of Mexico, rendering claims that it can contribute to disappearances in the Triangle inaccurate. Calculation errors anywhere could cause a plane or ship to go off-course. This theory also assumes that experienced pilots and captains passing through the area were unaware of magnetic declination, which is unlikely. Blue Holes Blue holes are water-filled caves and cavities with blue coloration. These caves may be simply a hole in the ground in the interior of islands (inland blue holes) or holes in shallow waters on the banks (marine or ocean blue holes). British scuba diver Rob Palmer directed a blue holes research center in the Bahamas for a number of years. In July 1997, he failed to surface after a dive in the Red Sea and was presumed dead. Some think that the blue holes may be related to (or even formed by) micro-wormholes believed to exist in the area and might even be transit points for UFOs arriving here from other dimensions. Plausible Theories Most rational explanations for the incidents in the Bermuda Triangle, including the explanations given by the U. S. Navy and Coast Guard, include human error and environmental effects. The area is one of the most highly trafficked for amateur pilots and sailors, so more traffic leads to more accidents and disappearances. Weather Patterns and Topography The area is subject to violent and unexpected storms and weather changes. These short but intense storms can build up quickly, dissipate quickly, and go undetected by satellite surveillance. Waterspouts  that could easily destroy a passing plane or ship are also not uncommon. A waterspout is simply a  tornado  at sea that pulls water from the ocean surface thousands of feet into the sky. Other possible environmental effects include underwater  earthquakes, as scientists have found a great deal of seismic activity in the area. Scientists have also spotted freak waves up to 100 feet high. The underwater topography of the area may also be a factor. It goes from a gently sloping continental shelf to an extremely deep drop-off. In fact, some of the deepest trenches in the world are found in the area of the Bermuda Triangle. Ships or planes that sink into these deep trenches will probably never be found. The Gulf Stream, where the Triangle is located, is extremely swift and turbulent. It can pose extreme navigational challenges, especially for inexperienced sailors. The Gulf Stream has been reported to move faster than 5 mph in some areas more than fast enough to throw sailors hundreds of miles off course if they dont compensate correctly for the current. It can also quickly erase any evidence of a disaster. Methane Gas Hydrates This theory appears to hold promise for at least some of the disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle. Scientists at Cardiff University have discovered the presence of large concentrations of methane gas trapped in the ocean floor. This gas is due to dying and decomposing sea organisms. The sediment contains bacteria that produce methane, which accumulates as super concentrated methane ice, calledgas hydrates. The layer of ice traps the methane gas, and scientists are studying it as a potential energy source. Within seconds of a methane gas pocket rupturing, the gas surges up and erupts on the surface without warning. If a ship is in the area of the blowout, the water beneath it would suddenly become much less dense. The vessel could sink and sediment could quickly cover it as it settles onto the sea floor. Even planes flying overhead could catch  fire  during such a blowout. Although he doesnt agree with the methane hydrate theory as an explanation for the Bermuda Triangle, Bill Dillon, a research geologist with the United States Geological Survey said that, On several occasions, oil drilling rigs have sunk as the result of [methane] gas escape. Pirates While historical pirates like Blackbeard or the fictional Captain Jack Sparrow of Pirates of the Caribbean may not be likely candidates for disappearances, modern pirates might be. In the 1970s and 80s, drug runners often pirated boats to smuggle drugs. This theory could also bear some truth during wartime. Check outHow Pirates Work  for more information about piracy and real-life pirates. Although these theories (among others) probably account for disappearances in the area known as the Bermuda Triangle, many people still prefer to believe that aliens, electronic fog or another supernatural phenomenon must be the cause. As long as those theories exist, the Bermuda Triangle will remain a source of fascination and mystery.

Moby Dick Analysis Essay Example

Moby Dick Analysis Paper Literary Analysis of Moby Dick by Herman Melville Introduction The narrator in the beginning, Ishmael, announces his intent of becoming a whaler, and thus the story begins. Ishmael signs on to the Pequod under Captain Ahab, to hunt the legendary white whale, Moby Dick. After leaving the port in Nantucket, Ahab’s smuggled-on crew of harpooners emerge, one of which is valued for his prophetic abilities. The Pequod meets the Jeroboam, and doom is predicted for all that hunt Moby Dick. During another whale hunt, the slave boy Pip is left for dead, and goes insane, becoming the insane jester of the ship. Ahab meets a fellow victim of Moby Dick, and has a harpoon forged, baptizing it with the blood of the ship’s three harpooners. Feldallah predicts Ahab’s death by hemp rope, Ahab dismisses it, thinking he won’t die at sea. Ahab continues to push forward, and the first mate Starbuck, considers murdering Ahab in his sleep, but doesn’t. Pip is now Ahab’s constant companion. The Pequod meets two other whaling ships, being warned off Moby Dick’s trail each time and ignored. The whale is sighted, ships lowered, and Ahab’s ship is destroyed, and the second day Feldallah is killed. We will write a custom essay sample on Moby Dick Analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Moby Dick Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Moby Dick Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer On the third and final day of the chase Moby Dick rams the Pequod, sinking it, and taking Ahab with it. The crew in the whaling boats are killed in the vortex created by the sinking ship and Moby Dick, and are pulled under to their deaths. Ishmael alone survives, having caught hold of the coffin life-buoy from the Pequod. This book really made me think about humanity and how easily it is damaged, and for that, I enjoyed it. Herman Melville and his times Herman Melville was born in New York City on August 1, 1819, the son of a wealthy merchant family, which later lost its money. Melville received the best education his father could afford, at the New York Male School. Melville possessed a roving disposition, and desired to support himself, independent of his family. He worked as a cabin boy on a New York ship bound for Liverpool, and after returning, wrote Redburn, based on his experiences while workingas professor at the Albany Academy. After three years as a professor, he embarked on a year and a half long whaling voyage. He deserted the ship and lived among cannibals, an experience on which he based Typee. He escaped with an Australian trader, and was imprisoned in Tahiti before returning to the U. S. These experiences were the inspiration for Moby Dick. After serving as a seaman in the U. S. navy, he married Elizabeth Shaw, and had four children. He lived for 13 years after marrying her, during which he wrote Moby Dick. The novel was originally not accepted, but the greatness of the novel was realized during the Melville Revival in the 1920s. Melville’s works fell on many unwelcoming ears; The ‘London Athenaeum’ reviewed it as being [A]n ill-compounded mixture of romance and matter-of-fact. The idea of a connected and collected story has obviously visited and abandoned its writer again and again in the course of composition. The style of his tale is in places disfigured by mad (rather than bad) English; and its catastrophe is hastily, weakly, and obscurely managed. Characters Ahab is a obsessed soul, much like the heroes of old Greek and Shakespeare. Ahab’s one fatal flaw is his obsession with the whale that took his leg, and the removal of the embodiment of evil from the world. Ahab’s obsession is best shown when he tells the captain of the Rachel â€Å"I will not do it [help him search for his lost son]. Even now I lose time. Good bye, good bye. God bless ye, man, and may I forgive myself, but I must go. † (579) As the captain of the Pequod, Ahab had the opportunity to save several fellow humans lives, and could not, or at least would not, because of his obsession with Moby Dick. He is sad man, as seen when Starbuck â€Å"saw the old man; saw him, how he heavily leaned over the side; and he seemed to hear in his own true heart the measureless sobbing that stole out of the centre of the serenity around. (590) Ahab realizes he is obsessed, but chooses to push on, feeling that he is responsible for freeing the ocean of this evil. Ahab is thoughtful in a sad manner, but also proud and egotistical, believing only he is capable of taking on Moby Dick. Ahab is a good human being, despite the detriments that are presented because of his physical and psychological scars. He wishes he could help Captain Gardiner find his lost son, but feels that it is his ultimate duty to pursue Moby Di ck and kill him, removing his evil from the world. While it seems that he is being coldhearted and leaving the son of Captain Gardiner to die, he is truly doing what is right for the good of the world. In his own mind, he has been charged with this monumental task, and can not allow the evil to threaten anyone else. This obsession is only reinforced when he meets the captain of the Jeroboam, who lost an arm to Moby Dick. Ahab sincerely believes that the best thing he can do is remove Moby Dick from existence, and so focuses on this goal of ultimate good, that he becomes blind to the damage he is doing, and the danger he is placing his crew in. Ahab functions as the driving force of the novel, bring up action and moral deliberation. Starbuck is the first mate of the ship, and serves as a foil of sorts to Ahab, a philosophical comparison to Ahab’s megalomaniac choices and personality. Starbuck, unlike Ahab, has family, and is a religious man. He is sober and conservative, and relies on his faith to determine what he should do and how to do it. He often tells Ahab that no good will come of his single-minded pursuit of the whale, arguing that the crew, in particular his own, safe return to family is the most important thing. Tis my Mary, my Mary herself! the boy’s hand on the hill! † (592). Starbuck is once again using his family and the impact that his death would have on them to try and convince Ahab that it would be better to let go of his obsession with Moby Dick. Flask simply enjoys the thrill of the hunt and takes pride in killing whales. He serves to show the other side of Ahab to the extreme. Flask is a short, stout, ruddy young fellow, very pugnacious concerning whales, who somehow seemed to think that the great Leviathans had personally and hereditarily affronted him (129). Flask shows how an obsession can consume the individual, to the point where they not only live and breathe that obsession, but fail to see that it is a bad thing that they are obsessed, instead enjoying it. Ahab knew that he was obsessed, to the point where he was beginning to lose himself. Flask, on the other hand, shows how that obsession can become a way of life, and how inhumane the obsessed individual can become. Point of View The novel is split into three main parts, the introduction and lead-up, the main story, and the epilogue. The first part is written in first person, with Ishmael as the narrator. It is reminiscent, written in past tense, as it occurred â€Å"some years ago† (3). Ishmael seems to be somewhat autobiographical, in that Melville worked on a whaling ship for 18 months before being seperated from it. The way in which Ishmael is introduced gives the reader the impression that they are reading an autobiography, which in point of fact, they kind of are. Melville opens the book by making it clear that he had experienced parts of the story. â€Å"Call me Ishmael. Some years ago nevermind how long precisely having little or no money in my purse (3). We know that Melville experienced the same conditions, and joined a whaling ship under those conditions, as he makes Ishmael. This makes it clear that Ishmael is an autobiographical representation of Melville’s experiences, if a little exaggerated. The second part forms the rest of the novel, and is in third person, with the exception of a few chapters, such as 44, that are written in second person. This part is written in both past and present tenses, leading the reader to the conclusion that it was abandoned and come back to many times. In this part the narrator is omniscient, so â€Å"these chapters sometimes, but not always, contain information that Ishmael can’t logically know, and yet, they still seem to use his voice or tone (Team). The Epilogue is written in first person again, bringing Ishmael back from oblivion. It is written much the same as the first part, in a reminiscent manner and with a personalization that leads the reader to believe that Melville is using Ishmael as an autobiographical outlet. Setting The novel is set on the oceans. As Ishmael put it, you could look over the side of the Pequod and see nothing but water; considerable horizon though, and there’s a squall coming up (16. 37). The Pequod sails over three oceans, and meets many other ships. However, the setting is always at open sea. This creates the atmosphere and feeling of singularity and loneliness, heavy with fear, doubt, and anger, because when sailing, the ocean appears to stretch on forever, leaving one feeling small and insignificant, which can instill fear into that individual. On top of this, there is the ever present nervous tension that whalers experience, knowing hey could easily die while chasing a whale. Form, structure, and plot Moby Dick is organized into 135 chapters and an epilogue, all of which follow a basic chronological order of events, although within the chapters themselves there are repeated references to past events, some of which were never seen in the novel because they occurred before Ishmael introduced himself an d began the voyage that forms the story. There are also multiple allusions to the Bible, Shakespeare, and other well-known literary works of that time in the majority of the chapters. The novel is obviously written with the use of stream of consciousness, a literary device that presents the thoughts and feelings of a character as they occur. This is a good thing, as far as drawing the reader into the story, but it also reveals that Melville abandoned the work and returned to it, multiple times. These gaps, which are often created in works that employ the stream of consciousness that are written in spurts, can be extremely noticeable and create confusion for its readers. This confusion is entirely unnecessary for the reader to experience, however, because the plot is fairly simple and straightforward. Melville’s story appears complicated, but it is rather simple when one overcomes the confusion that is created by stream-of-consciousness writing. There is no initial conflict, although we know that the entire chain of events was set into motion by the loss of Ahab’s leg to Moby Dick. The action rises almost imperceptibly until the chase of Moby Dick begins, and the action climaxes with the sinking of the Pequod. Style and diction Herman Melville makes his ideas come alive by writing in stream of consciousness, and the use of words associated with sailing and whaling, and vivid imagery. There is a lot of dialect use to allow the reader to get the full mental picture of the people in the novel. In consequence, the language comes off as flowery: â€Å"a sweet an unctuous duty! †¦ and spiralize† (455). The language of this novel is often rough around the edges, but not to the point of being lewd. The choice of words and dialect for each character is such that you can infer, with some accuracy, the social status and region that that particular character is supposed to be from. Their education, however, is more difficult to assume. Although Ahab’s language is not the best, we assume him to be educated to a higher level than other characters, such as Flask. This is due to the subject and content of his speeches, that we assume him to have a superior education. Themes (at least 3, at least 2 critical reviews of the novel which reinforce selections) There are four major themes in Moby Dick, defiance, friendship, duty, and death. Defiance is best shown by looking at Ahab, who is constantly trying to defy God, or the rules of nature, or the so-called â€Å"evil authority† of Moby Dick. After Starbuck tells Ahab that it is blasphemous to seek revenge on a brute such a a whale, when it was only following instinct and protecting itself, Ahab responds that he would â€Å"strike the sun if it insulted me† (178). Ahab continues on to explain how Moby Dick represents an authority with power over Ahab that must be removed. Ahab’s refusal to accept this authority is constant throughout the novel, showing the theme of defiance. â€Å"It [the novel] is about one man’s maniacal obsession with vengeance. It’s about finding an object on which to pin all your anger and fear and rage, not only about your own suffering, but also about the suffering of all mankind. It’s about the inability to understand that you can’t punish the natural world, and that Nature isn’t specifically malicious, just impersonally brutal. It’s about the way that the desire for revenge can eat away at you until it becomes something inhabiting your body, something separate from your own personality. † (Team). Ahab’s refusal to understand that nature is not responsible for the bad things that happen to one, and that that person has to put it behind them, and give up on revenge, is perhaps his biggest act of defiance. The second theme, friendship, is primarily found when looking at Ishmael and Queequeg, who meet under awkward circumstances while sharing a bed at the Spouter Inn. Their friendship starts of on rocky straits, after Queequeg threatens Ishmael’s life. However, having similar backgrounds, they begin talking and come to accept each other. â€Å"They smoke together, and are clasped in each other’s arms. The friendship is finally sealed when Ishmael offers a sacrifice to Queequeg’s little doll, Gogo† (Selby 37). Friendship and camaraderie are felt by all members of the crew, as described in the scene about the crew’s actions when dealing with whale blubber. Duty is shown in both Starbuck and Ahab. Starbuck is a religious man, and feels duty to both God, and his family. Ahab feels duty to find and kill the white whale. The entire crew has allotted duties, as shown when the first â€Å"Nantucket sailor, who objected to them, sings a song of a practical character, descriptive of the work expected of whalemen, which is indicative of duty† (Gleim 143). Unfortunately for the entire crew, Ahab is the captain, and so his duty is the one that is the first duty fulfilled. While Starbuck and Ahab often clash over which duty is the right one, and which one is to be fulfilled, Starbuck’s wiser choices are pushed aside because of Ahab’s superior rank, leading to death of the entire crew. Death is also a constant theme for the duration of the novel. The inn-keeper at the beginning of the novel is named Coffin, and in the end the only surviving piece of the Pequod is the coffin lifebuoy. While death is not the most prominent, or thought about theme, it is also fairly obvious. Throughout the novel both whales and whalers die, and in the end everyone buy Ishmael dies. This theme is fairly easy to see when thought about. Conclusion This novel is definitely a classic in my opinion. It has managed to outlast many generations, and is still esteemed as a great novel and reflection on humanity, obsession, and death. I would say that, while this novel is one of my favorites, it is definitely not my favorite. East of Eden, by John Steinbeck, would be my favorite. But Moby Dick definitely comes in as a close second. I enjoy novels that make the reader think about humanity, and reflect on his or her own individuality, flaws, and possible ways to improve oneself. Moby Dick most certainly does that. Bibliography Shmoop Editorial Team. Moby-Dick Narrator:. Shmoop. com. Shmoop University, Inc. , 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 13 Dec 2010. Nick Selby. â€Å"Herman Melville, Moby Dick. † Columbia University Press, 1999 William S. Gleim. â€Å"The Meaning of Moby Dick. † Kessinger Publishing, 2006

How useful is the term avant-garde in explaining the development of art in Europe between

How useful is the term avant-garde in explaining the development of art in Europe between 1900-1939? Between 1900-1939 there were many different movements in art mainly due to two reasons, modernisation and the First World War. The term avant-garde does not have one single meaning and has become synonymous with the evolving modern movement of art. Although art for arts sake is a term not often used positively today this modernist sense of the avant-garde relates to that tradition insofar as art is not seen to require any external justification ethical or political for its products . However looking at the term in historical context the term has a different provenance. The term was used for the first time in the 1830s not in a debate concerning art but in the early socialist tradition as left-wing intellectuals and politicians tried to think through concepts of progress and freedom in emerging modern societies . In his book Opinions litteraires, philosophiques et industrielles Henri de Saint Simon the French Utopian Socialist philosopher used for the first time the term av ant-garde in the relation to art. Saint-Simon constructed an imaginary debate between an artist, a savant (a scie!ntific or technical intellectual) and an industrialist. The artist proposes that he, the savant and the industrialist should join forces and ensure social progress rather than relying on ruling classes to exercise leadership in society. We, the artists, will serve as the avant-garde: for amongst all the arms at our disposal, the power of the Arts is the swiftest and most expeditious. When we wish to spread new ideas amongst men, we use, in turn, the lyre, ode or song, story or novel; we inscribe those ideas on marble or canvas, and we popularise them in poetry them in poetry and in song.... If today our role seems limited or...

Affects of the cycle of poverty on children in Victorian England Research Paper

Affects of the cycle of poverty on children in Victorian England - Research Paper Example In the play viewers come across the topic of confrontation between working class and bourgeoisie. In order to understand the depth of these processes it is necessary to resort to Marxist criticism. Thus, Marxist approach is based on the idea that it is necessary to equate different social classes, or in other words – to empower lower class. Working class is considered to be on the bottom of the society, while the authorities are referred to as those who control all the aspects of social life. Marxist criticism refuses from such a position. According to its principles, the control over economic, financial, and cultural life should first and foremost belong to working class. Viewers may observe characters of the play attempting to rebel against social realities. Thus, social inequality is one of the most acute and challenging issues of the Victorian era. Toby Ragg, Todd’s apprentice, and Sweeney Todd himself may be seen as representatives of the lower class, while Judge Turnip represents the ruling class. It is possible to see that lower class is morally opposed to the higher class. Thus, Judge Turnip represents evil. It is difficult to say that Toby represents goodness, though partially he does. This is just an innocent child who becomes a victim of circumstances. Toby is too weak to resist the flow of life. His biography may illustrate this. This is an orphan, hired by Mrs. Lovett  after his previous employer was murdered by Todd. Very soon the boy becomes deeply attached to Mrs. Lovett – he accepts her as his surrogate mother. Todd’s business is flourishing, which means that Toby is not hungry and has a roof over his head. A lot of children of the Victorian era could be envious with him. However, his life changes soon. Todd and Mrs. Lovett start hunting for him as he discovers their secret. Toby is shocked and astonished with atrocities Todd has

Subcontracting strategy for future SBM offshore projects and its Dissertation

Subcontracting strategy for future SBM offshore projects and its implemetntation - Dissertation Example Subcontractors have increasingly become important players in enhancing the productivity and economic strategies of a company. However, not much empirical studies have been done on these issues. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the process of subcontracting and find options for optimizing the value chain in the oil & gas industry by reviewing and analyzing previously written literature on the chosen topic for the research. In the literature review section, the concepts of subcontracting, risk management, contracts, project management, supply chain management, value chain and transaction cost theory are discussed. A single case study was applied in this thesis. The company chosen for the case study is SBM Offshore and is located in Netherlands. To carry out the research, a qualitative research approach was implemented. Primary data was collected through semi structured interviews. In addition to this, secondary data from different sources such as articles, journals, boo ks and company resources were used to construct or build the theoretical frame of reference for the thesis. The subcontracting philosophy should stipulate that the scope of the work to be subcontracted will be determined by risk assessment and performance of subcontracting companies. Also, contract requirements will meet regulatory compliance of safety and performance along with meeting the company’s standards. Table of Contents Acknowledgements 2 Abstract 3 List of Tables 6 List of Figures 6 CHAPTER ONE 1 1.0 Introduction 1 1.2 Background of the Study 2 1.3 Statement of the Problem 3 1.4 Purpose of the report 3 1.5 Introduction to SBM Offshore 4 1.6 Overview of Operations 4 1.7 Project Aims and Objectives 5 1.8 Project Objectives 5 CHAPTER TWO 7 2.0 Literature Review 7 2.1 Project Management 7 2.2 Subcontracting 8 2.3 Contracts 8 2.3 Risk Management 9 2.4 Theoretical and Conceptual Framework 11 2.4.1 Transaction cost analysis (TCA) 11 2.4.2 Supply chain management theory 14 2.4.3 Porter’s value chain 15 CHAPTER THREE 17 3.0 Research Methodology 17 3.1 Research Design 17 3.3 Research Strategy 18 3.4 Case study Approach 18 3.5 Population 19 3.6 Data Collection and Instrumentation 19 3.7 Data Analysis 20 3.8 Ethical Considerations 21 3.9 Limitations and De-limitations 22 CHAPTER FOUR 23 4.0 Data Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation 23 4.1 Quantitative Study 24 4.1.0 Participant Demographics 24 4.1.1 Subcontracted work 25 4.2 Case Study Analysis 26 4.3 Subcontracting Scope of Work 28 4.3.1 Structural topsides 29 4.3.2 Piping 30 4.3.3 Electrical 30 4.3.4 Instrumentation 30 4.4 Subcontracting Strategies 30 4.4.1 Lump sum or reimbursable contract 31 4.4.2 Subcontract strategy 31 4.4.3 Scope control 32 CHAPTER FIVE 35 5.0 Conclusion 35 References 36 Appendix I – Engineering deliverables by design phase 41 List of Tables Table 1: Demographics of the study participants....................

Ballet Don Quixote Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ballet Don Quixote - Essay Example Th first Russin production ws producd by Chrls Didlot in two cts in St Ptrsburg in 1808, nd in 1809 vrsion ws mountd in nglnd by Jms Hrvy D'gvill. Pul Tglioni (brothr of bllrin Mri Tglioni) prsntd vrsion in Brlin in 1839 nd his uncl Slvtor Tglioni st production t th Ttro Rgio, Turin during th 1843/44 sson. lthough ll ths rly bllt vrsions of th story wr bsd on th first pisods of Crvnts story thy vrid grtly in styl nd th mtril thy chos to includ. Th first tim tht th mor comic pisods, tht rvolvd round Quitri (Kitri), Bsilio nd Cmcho (Gmch) wr usd succssfully ws in th Pris Opr production of 1801 with chorogrphy by Louis Milon. It ws titld Ls Nocs d Gmch. Th rol of Bsilio ws dncd by ugust Vstris. Th librtto tht ws followd by ugust Bournonvill in 1837 for his 3 ct Don Quixot t Cmcho's Wdding in Copnhgn for this production bcm populr nd it ws chorogrphd to mlng of music by Giocchino Rossini, tinn Mhul, Gspr Spontini, Jn Schnitzhoffr nd mor, rrngd by Otto Zinck. Milon's librtto ws lso usd by Brnrdo Vstris for his 1844/45 production t L Scl, but most notbly it ws th inspirtion for Mrius Ptip's vrsion for th Bolshoi Thtr in 1869. Ptip's vrsion of Don Quixot, to th music of Minkus who ws commissiond to writ dditionl music for nw fifth ct consisting of thr scns into which th court of Duk nd Duchss ws introducd ws to bcom th stndrd bllt vrsion of th tl. Ltr on Don Quixot ws introducd in Moscow, nd this xplins lot. Th 19th cntury critics lvishd pris on th prmir, clling th nw bllt " vision of rsplndnc, splndor nd luxury throughout" - in thtricl crnivl ur, torrid Spnish moods, pripthis of plot nd crtinly, th flming dncs, by which Ptip in th brk of his crr clbrts victory ovr his jlous comptitors. In 1900 th bllt xprincs rnissnc whn lxndr Gorsky crts his own vrsion for th Mriinsky Thtr in St Ptrsburg. Th honstly positiv plot of Lo Minkus' bllt Don Quixot in 1869 is difficult to compr with Crvnts' novl, which cn b clld th grtst stir on humn nthusism. Th chrctrs of th sddst of th knights nd his fithful squir r dpictd in too gnrl stroks. Both bllt composrs - th chif Kpllmistr of th Moscow Bolshoi Thtr, th outstnding violinist nd uthor of 16 bllts Lo Minkus nd th Chif of th Impril bllt, n dvnturr nd wndrr, th lgndry chorogrphr Mrius Ptip - vn did not try to sk sthticlly idlistic dpth in Crvnts' litrry work. Thir prtnrship is missing logicl progrss of plot. Th succss nd nduring ttrction of th bllt Don Quixot lis in th lmnt of dnc. dnc phrs cn somtims ovrlp its ssocitd music. " Sinc thn, Don Quixot hs continud to b forgd in mny chorogrphic nd musicl vrsions. Th Octobr Rvolution of 1917 incrsd trror nd slughtrs cross Russi. In its wk, Nichols Srgyv fld to th Wst. H could only tk wht ws ssntil: food, clothing nd th chorogrphy to th clssic bllts. fw yrs ltr, thnks to Srgyv, Wstrn udincs got s th full lngth vrsion of Don Quixot for th first tim. It ws not wht thy xpctd. Th Spnish pnch nd fir is no doubt wht involvd chorogrphr Mrius Ptip to th proprty in th first plc. nd it's ttrctd just bout vry dncr sinc. Ordinrily, this typ of dncing isn't tht much of posr for dncr - but in Don Quixot, thr's n ddd twist. Ptip's chorogrphy isn't ntirly fithful to th idiom. It's mor lik 'brokn Spnish.' Ptip's bility

Dixons Takeover of Elkjøp

Dixons Takeover of Elkjà ¸p The agreed takeover of Elkjà ¸p by Dixons Contents (Jump to) Abstract Chapter 2 – Literature Review Chapter 3 Sources of Data Chapter 4 Research Design, and Statistical Analysis Chapter 5 Conclusion Bibliography Abstract The roles and responsibilities of the Board of Directors, Chief Operating Officer, or Managing Director, Chief Financial Officer and the remainder of upper management of a listed company, as stated by Jayne Mammatt, Senior Manager at Ernst and Young, â€Å"†¦ have become increasingly onerous in recent years† (Ernst Young, 2006). The key purpose of the Board of Directors is â€Å"†¦ to ensure the †¦Ã¢â‚¬  prosperity of a company by â€Å"†¦ directing the company’s affairs whilst meeting the appropriate interests of its shareholders †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (BREFI group, 2006). The role of the Board of Directors is to (BREFI group, 2006): Establish vision, mission and values, Set strategy and structure, Delegate to management, and Exercise accountability to shareholders and be responsible to relevant stakeholders. The preceding statement bears particular relevance concerning the subject of the acquisition of Elkjà ¸p by Dixons and whether said acquisition will result in a gain in shareholder wealth. The question posed as to the fact that there is evidence that domestic acquisitions do not lead to shareholder wealth gains is borne out in studies conducted by Doukas and Travlos (1988, pp. 1161-1175) and Markides and Ittner (1994, pp. 343-366). Thus, in the case of the acquisition of Elkjà ¸p by Dixons the question to be examined is, if there is any reason to suppose that a cross-border acquisition would be different in terms of leading to shareholder wealth gains? Dixons is one of the largest retailers of electronic products in the Europe, operating in over 12 countries (DSG International plc, 2006a). The company, Dixons Group plc, is presently known as DSG International (UK Business Park, 1999), however it shall be referred to as Dixons in this examination. The company operates in the following sectors under a number of brand names which the company has acquired or set up operations under its own brand (DSG International plc, 2006b): Electricals Currys Electro World Elkjà ¸p Kotsovolos Partmaster Direct UniEuro DSG Insurance Services Computing DSG Business Services Genesis PC City PC World PC World Business The TechGuys e-commerce Dixons.co.uk Pixmania.com The company earned  £7,072,000,000 during 1005 – 2006 and generated  £317,600,000 in profits before tax (DSG International plc, 2006). Elkjà ¸p ASA is the largest wholesale and retail seller of electronic equipment in the Nordic Region with outlets located in Norway, Sweden and Denmark (Business.com, 2006) generating approximately  £475 million in sales in 1999 (Dixons Group plc, 2000/02, p. 3). Dixons has been an acquisition minded company, utilizing this technique to expand into new markets as well as broaden its base of operations in the same mode as Wal-Mart which utilizes the buy in approach to enter markets as opposed to setting up new operations from scratch. The foregoing is evidenced by its acquisition of ASDA in the United Kingdom and planned acquisition of Taiwanese retail Trust-Mart in China (Barboza and Barbaro, 2006). In 1999 Dixons acquired the Norwegian electrical retailer Elkjà ¸p for  £444 million to establish a significant foothold in the markets o f Denmark, Norway and Sweden, as well as a platform for the launch of other branded stores in its portfolio (UK Business Park, 1999). The expansion represents a long standing policy of the company which has acquired (UK Business Park, 1999): 1996, DN Computer Services, a mail order computer company for  £9.7 million 1998, Byte, a computer retailing business acquired from Specialist Computer Holdings for  £7 million to add its 16 outlets to the chain of 50 PC World stores 1999, a chain of 39 electronic retail stores from Seeboard for  £20 million 1998, a stake in with Planet Online to aid in Internet computer sales 1999, an investment in U.S. based Telepost Holdings for  £6 million to expand its Internet based business services 1999, acquisition of Elkjà ¸p for  £444 million 2000, acquisition of Ei System Computer in Spain for  £16 million to add 12 stores to its business line 2000, a 15% stake in Greek electronics retailer P. Kotsovolos for  £44 million 2001, the acquisition of the Danish company SuperRadio, a chain of electronics superstores 2001, the acquisition of a 24% stake in the Italian electrical retailer UniEuro for  £64 million, 2002, the acquisition of Direct Telephone Services, a mobile phone provider for  £31 million 2002, the acquisition of the remaining shares of UniEuro’s 88 stores for an additional  £231 million 2004, the acquisition of WHSU, known as Micro Warehouse, to expand its PC World operations 2005, Dixons changed its name to DSG International The indicated deals point to the management strategy of expansion through acquisition as a long term business plan, of which Elkjà ¸p was another link in that process. This examination shall seek to examine the statement as to whether the instance of the cross border acquisition of Elkjà ¸p by Dixons has lead to a gain in shareholder wealth in light of the statement that there is a sufficient body of evidence in domestic acquisitions that such transactions do not, in most instances, lead to gains in this area. The foregoing question shall be examined through research conducted into the pre and post merger standings of Dixons, as well as other indicators of shareholder values as represented by stock prices, assets, and revenue growth. As stated by Broxterman and Murad (1999, p. 3) the objective and concern of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer and upper management staff is to â€Å"†¦ increase shareholder value†. They state that this is measurable through the following means (Broxterman and Murad (1999, p. 3): Return on Capital Invested, or EVA (Economic Value Added) This term has become a popular metric that measures the trend of an improvement or a decline in shareholder value, and in the instance of public companies this is reflected in the stock price. Accordingly, an increase in shareholder value moves stock prices upward, whereas a decline in this metric sends them downward. Groves (2006) states that in simple terms, a company increases shareholder value through either a reduction in â€Å"†¦ its cost base whilst maintaining revenue †¦Ã¢â‚¬  and or through increasing â€Å"†¦ its revenue whilst maintaining or reducing its cost base†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Bierman (2006, pp. 1-2) makes the same argument, stating that â€Å"Business corporations attempt to make profits and increase the value of the stockholder’s position†. These theories apply to acquisition activity as well, as these transactions represent a facet of corporate strategy to expand their operations and to increase their profit Rappaport, 1997, pp. 14-29). Such can also result, increased profits, from economies of scale, which is the reduction of duplicate operations that thus lowers costs in administration, warehousing, manufacturing, delivery, supply chains and allied functions. Utilizing the foregoing as a guide, research into these aspects will provide definitive in formation to equate whether an acquisition has met these conditions as indicated above. Dixons’ management strategies have functioned in much the same manner as the fabled John F. Welch, Jr., the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of General Electric during their storied years in that â€Å"Who knows what they’ll buy or sell next?† (Higgins, 2000, p. 10). This illustration has been utilized because between 1987 and 1988 General Electric’s â€Å"†¦ return on shareholders equity increased from 17.6 percent in 1986 to 18.5 percent in 1987 and to 19.4 percent in 1888 †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Higgins, 2000, p. 9). Furthermore â€Å"†¦ the company’s balance sheet and cash flow remained strong during this period †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Higgins, 2000, p. 9). Despite the foregoing the company’s share price did not reflect this performance as a result of the â€Å"†¦ perception of outsiders †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Higgins, 2000, p. 9). The foresight of Welsh and General Electric was acknowledged nearly a decade later when Noel Tichy, a corporate analyst said â€Å"The two greatest corporate leaders of this century are Alfred Sloan of General Motors and Jack Welsh of GE† (Higgins, 2000, p. 10). The preceding represents the spirit of the examination of Dixons, in that their acquisition minded strategy is seemingly challenged in the same manner. Chapter 2 – Literature Review In researching the subject as to whether there is any reason to believe that the cross border acquisition, as represented by Dixons of Elkjà ¸p, should or does represent a difference between domestic acquisitions which by and large have proven not to lead to an increase in shareholder wealth, there is evidence to prove such is not necessarily the case. Jarrel and Poulsen (1889, pp. 12-19) support the analysis that domestic acquisitions do not generally lead to shareholder increases in their analysis as reported in â€Å"The Returns to Acquiring Firms in Tender Offers: Evidence from Three Decades.†, as does Loder and Martin (1990, pp. 17-33) in â€Å"Corporate Acquisitions by Listed Firms: The Experience of a Comprehensive Sample†. Doukas and Travlos (1988, pp. 1161-1175) in â€Å"The Effects of Corporate Multinationalism on Shareholders’ Wealth†, Markides and Ittner’s (1994, pp. 343-366) Shareholder Benefits from Corporate International Diversifica tion:† as well as Yeung and Morck (1992, pp. 41-56) in â€Å"Internationalization: An Event Study Test† point to evidence that companies in comparison achieved better result from international acquisitions. The preceding authors explain the improved results concerning gains as being a factor of market synergies. A review of the Annual Reports of Dixons and Elkjà ¸p for the periods between 1999 through 2005-2006 represented a key source of direct information concerning the earnings of the firms which in term could be correlated against the stock prices for said periods. As stated by Higgins (2000, p. 9) in his book â€Å"Best Practices in Global Investor Relations: The Creation of Shareholder Value†, the activity registered by stock prices might not accurately reflect the performance of the company, however, the preceding analogy referred to the inception of diversified merger and acquisition strategy in the 1980’s by Jack Welsh of General Electric, whose principle are understood now. Chapter 3 – Sources of Data In equating whether Dixons management strategy in the acquisition of Elkjà ¸p has added to shareholder value, the analysis of a number of sources shall be utilized to bring forth data to enable a determination to be reached. Past history as represented in the Annual Reports for both companies represents the most relevant data concerning revenues, profit and related data. Internet sources present the opportunity to examine stock prices from a present day and historical basis to correlate against the revenue result achieved in various years to reach a determination of the preceding in generating shareholder wealth. The utilization of books and journal articles represent sources that will aid in reviewing theory as well as foundational and theoretical information on shareholder wealth as well as the duties and responsibilities of the Board of Directors and upper management in this regard. Internet sources represent the means to seek information not only on theoretical aspects as mentioned previously, but information on company activities as reported in various newspapers and press releases. The combinations of these sources will permit a balanced view as to equating the examination of the question, thus all shall be utilized. Chapter 4 – Research Design, and Statistical Analysis The design of the research is to present the factual accounting and stock share price data as the conclusive means via which to reach a determination as to if the acquisition of Elkjà ¸p by Dixons has or has not resulted in gains to shareholder wealth. This approach has been taken as a result of studies and information as provided by Doukas and Travlos (1988, pp. 1161-1175) and Markides and Ittner (1994, pp. 343-366) on international acquisitions, as well as the internet source of BREFI (2006) that outlined the roll of the Board of Directors, along with Broxterman and Murad’s (1999, p. 3) insights into ‘return on capital invested, or EVA (Economic Value Added). The summary of financial activity with respect to Dixon’s acquisition of Elkjà ¸p is contained in the following Table: Table 1 – Dixons Acquisition of Elkjà ¸p Financial Summary 1998 through 2006 (in  £millions) (Dixons Annual Reports, 1999 through 2005/06) The foregoing statistical figures have been compiled in keeping with the stated aims and objectives of this examination as well as to present the actual results of operations. This Table effectively indicates that Dixons share prices have increased since its acquisition of Elkjà ¸p, as have revenues. Chapter 5 Conclusion Dixons acquisition of Elkjob represents one of a string of acquisitions performed by the company since 1999. Elkjà ¸p’s revenues during the period 2004/05 were  £1,003m (Dixons, 2004/05) with 2005/06 sales registering in excess of 1,500m (contentmanager.net, 2006). Considering that Dixsons paid  £444 for Elkjà ¸p in 1999, the earnings clearly indicate that Dixons has received more than its money’s worth in return. The stock price and revenues figures clearly prove that in this instance Elkjà ¸p’s as well as Dixons shareholders have benefited from this acquisition, as well as the other acquisitions and company actions since 1999. Given that Economic Value Added, as stated by Broxterman and Murad (1999, p. 3) is the key determinant of shareholder vale, Dixons has demonstrated that their concern for shareholder value has been met. The dramatic gains made by the company are a result of its overall approach to management of the firm’s resources, as well as continued expansion and growth. These principles have boded well for Elkjà ¸p’s shareholders, as well as Dixons. Bibliography Barboza, D., Barbaro, M. (2006) Wal-Mart said to be acquiring chain in China. 16 October 2006. The New York Times Bierman, H. (2006) Increasing Shareholder Value. Springer Publications BREFI group (2006) The Board of Directors – roles and responsibilities. Retrieved ion 22 November 2006 from http://www.brefigroup.co.uk/resources/board_roles.html Broxterman, W., Murad, D. (1999) Enhancing Shareholder Value. 23 September 1999. FEICA 1999 Conference, Lucerne, Switzerland Business.com (2006) Elkjà ¸p Asa. Retrieved on 22 November 2006 from http://www.business.com/directory/retail_and_consumer_services/consumer_electronics/Elkjà ¸p_asa/profile/ CNN Money (1999) Freeserve IPO: Get on line. Retrieved 25 November 2006 from http://money.cnn.com/1999/07/23/europe/freeserve/ CNN Money (2000) Wanadoo buys Freeserve. Retrieved on 25 November 2006 from http://money.cnn.com/2000/12/06/europe/wanadoo_freeserve/index.htm Contentmanager.net (2006) Intershop Successful in Scandinavia. Retrieved on 25 November 2006 from http://www.contentmanager.net/magazine/news_h13704_intershop_successful_in_scandinavia.html Dixons Group plc (2000/01) Annual Report Accounts. Retrieved on 22 November 2006 from http://www.dsgiplc.com/Uploads/{2d89b6c1-29a2-4221-a5de-d6aff784de21}/annual report 2000_2001.pdf Dixon (2003) Annual Report. Retrieved on 23 November 2006 from http://images.dixons.com/corporate_new/images/annual_reports/Annual03_04/Elkjà ¸p.htm Dixons (2004/05) Annual Report. Retrieved on 25 November 2006 from http://www.dsgiplc.com/Uploads/{2fbeed95-0410-4b7c-b306-d433c8d5424b}/Annual report 2004 05.pdf Doukas, J., Travlos, N. (1988) The Effects of Corporate Multinationlism on Shareholders’ Wealth: Evidence from International Acquisitions. Vol. 43. Journal of Finance DSG International plc (2006) Annual Report and Accounts 2005/06. Retrieved on 22 November 2006 from http://www.dsgiplc.com/Uploads/{b1ce5112-673c-45f2-a4cd-989bab7feda2}/fv ar0506.pdf DGS international plc (2006) Our Brands. Retrieved on 22 November 2006 from http://www.dsgiplc.com/Layout.aspx?CatID=9c8bcdca-948a-44e5-b7a7-60bd761d7017ID=7df99862-91cb-490d-ad89-38ac1764e880 DSG international plc (2006a) Our History. Retrieved on 22 November 2006 from http://www.dsgiplc.com/layout.aspx?ID=6568d063-24f8-4c3d-a7b7-6aa675e64775CatID=86e81cbe-a91d-4490-8726-5d37e765e6c2 Ernest Young (2006) Ernst Young Launches Company Director’s Handbook. 24 March 2004. Retrieved on 22 November 2006 from http://www.ey.com/global/content.nsf/South_Africa/Governance__Sustainability_-_Company_Directors Google (2006) DSG International plc. Retrieved on 25 November 2006 from http://google.com/finance?cid=3785532 Groves, J. (2006) Maximizing Shareholder Value. Retrieved on 24 November 2006 from http://www.captive.com/service/marsh/shareholder_value.html Higgins, R. (2000) Best Practices in Global Investor Relations: The Creation of Shareholder Value. Quorum Books Jarrell, G., Poulsen, A. (1989) The Returns to Acquiring Firms in Tender Offers: Evidence from Three Decades. Vol. 18. Financial Management Loderer, C., Martin, K. (1990) Corporate Acquisitions by Listed Firms: The Experience of a Comprehensive Sample. Vol. 19. Financial Management Markides, C., Ittner, C. (1994) Shareholder Benefits from Corporate International Diversification:: Evidence from U.S. International Acquisitions. Vol. 25, Issue 2. Journal of International Business Studies Rappaport, A. (1997) Creating Shareholder Value: A Guide for Managers and Investors. Free Press UK Business Park (1999) Dixons. Retrieved on 23 November 2006 from http://www.ukbusinesspark.co.uk/dixonsaa.htm VNU Network (2006) EB Beats Dixons to make bid for Game. Retrieved on 25 November 2006 from http://www.vnunet.com/articles/print/2005144 Yeung, B., Morck, R. (1992) Internationalization: An Event Study Test. August 1992. Journal of International Economics