Research Paper: a Good Man Is Hard to Find

A good man really is hard to find. But what is the real definition of a real man? Maybe it is not just the prince charming you see in fairy tales or the perfect guy walking down Sixth Ave. that you pass by everyday to work. Maybe a good guy is simply someone that is good what they do. In this case the relationship between the grandmother and the misfit is just that. The only thing is if the reader sees it as clearly as the author would like them too or simply as she does. The setting of the story is never really clear to the reader. The author never really comes out and says where and when the story takes place, but with a few clues an idea is given on a pretty clear setting of â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find. † The time period begins in the mid-twentieth century. In the first half of the story, the family is at their home in Atlanta, Georgia. The author never really says that they are in Atlanta, but in the story the grandmother writes down that it will take them approximately take them 20 minutes to reach the outskirts of the city. When the family begins on their trip to East Tennessee instead of Florida early that morning, the grandmother observes it’s a beautiful day, not to hot nor cold. They pass up many old plantations and open fields. The grandmother also observes the details in the scenery she describes â€Å"the Stone Mountain; the blue granite that in some places came up to both sides of the highway; the brilliant red clay banks slightly streaked with purple; and the various crops that made rows of green lace-work on the ground. The trees were full of silver-white sunlight and the meanest of them sparkled†. O’Conner. They are obviously in the open country and used to seeing the old plantations because there was really no excitement from the family with the children reading magazines and the mother falling asleep, so with this clue as well gave a hint on where the family was from. During their long road trip the family decides to stop at Red Sammy’s Barbeque Joint to grab a b ite to eat. Red Sammy’s was a little hole in the wall barbeque stand on the side of the road next to a big tower with a very welcoming sign in front. In the second half of the story later on in the day the family ends up in a ditch in the middle of nowhere after a car accident caused by the grandmother and her cat. There is a dark, shadowy forest on both sides of the road. The scenery is so dark the only way the viewer can tell what’s going on is the screams and the gun shots coming from the characters. Landscape descriptions and the apparel of the characters also indicate that the action occurs during the warmer months. There is no sun in the sky; this could mean the time period could be around sunset. The setting of the play was a little hard to decipher but a couple of clues gave it away. This play wasn’t very long and it was written mainly in dialogue. The story went from one extreme to another, quickly changing moods as the story progressed. To really understand this story it would be a good idea to understand Flannery O’Conner. † Flannery O’Connor lived but 39 short years. The body of work she left may be small in size, but the stories and two novels are deep in meaning and boundless in importance for the modern reader. †-Welborn. Her stories were never really clear but meaning came clear in the end. Sometimes they had to be put together like a puzzle. O’Conner was an only child and raised in a Savannah and attended nothing but Catholic Schools. This was very odd in deed because a lot of the stories she writes about were about death and the deaths were usually due to murders so with her being so catholic it was odd. Also in this play the conversation between the grandmother and the Misfit was about their beliefs and the misfit not knowing what he believes is weird to me because the reader is indeed catholic. The self-satisfied are attacked, those who fancy themselves as earthly saviors find themselves capable of great evil, intellectuals discover their ideas to be useless human constructs, and those bent on â€Å"freedom† find themselves left open to be controlled by evil. † – Welborn. This could have been the case between he misfit and the grandmother both. But it’s never really clearly said. The misfit could have been known as the evil villain of the story. The grandmother was slowly beginning to turn into one but never made it all the way. So take a chance, and take a look at Flannery O’Connor. Prepare to laugh, to be shocked, and to think. But most of all, be prepared to see. † –Welborn. There are many symbols in A Good Man is Hard to Find. â€Å"A Symbol is something that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention, especially a material object used to represent something invisible. † –Symbol. The first most obvious symbol is the Grandmother’s hat. She wears the hat for one sole purpose; if she were to die she would want the ones who found her body to be able to identify her as a lady. When she prepares for the car trip, she prepares for any accident that may occur. For the grandmother the only thing that seems to matter to her is that she is recognized as a lady, this reveals her selfishness and flimsy moral convention. When the grandmother first gets ready for the trip, the hat is in perfect condition. No tears, no nothing. When the grandmother gets involved in the car accident, just like her moral convictions, her hat begins to fall apart. The rim of the hat begins to tear as she faces the misfit and is thrown from the car. When the grandmother is finally shot after a while of trying to convince the misfit to look deeper into himself her hat falls completely apart and falls to the ground along with the grandmother. â€Å"She drops the broken hat as her self-conception as a lady dissolves. † –Shmoop. Another symbol in the play is the Misfits vehicle. He drives a big black battered hearse like automobile. This is the description of the car the family gives it as it approaches. The car symbolizes a hearse because the misfit is known as a killer, so by giving him this type of vehicle symbolizes what he is known for. A hearse is an automobile or carriage, used in a funeral for carrying the corpse. † –Hearse. This is an image of intimate death for the fate of the family before the misfit and his companions get out of the car. One last symbol out of the many in the play is the scenery and the environment. The dark gloomy day signifies the day the family is about to have. The cloudles s, sunless sky. This was mentioned many times after the family was in the car accident and even more when the misfit came into the picture. The sky was also notified when the grandmother was shot and the misfit walked away. The narrator never mentions the weather or the time of day but the clues he gives already tells a lot of the kind of day the family is about to have. In this play the grandmother and the misfit really have a lot in common than we think. Even though their social status and ages are very different their similarities that they share are rather similar. For instance they are both missing important spiritual bonds. The grandmother tries to get the misfit to understand the meaning of why god kills and in odd ways they agree on similar terms. They both really don’t understand the meaning of why he did what he did but they both have their own perspective on why. Nowhere in the play before the accident does the narrator show the grandmothers spiritual side. When the grandmother talks to the misfit about this topic it is kind of struck out of nowhere, kind of like a last resort to try to save her own life. Neither the grandmother nor the misfit had truly gotten what it means to be saved and true salvation. The misfit doesn’t hold any respect for human life and sees the means of all human life coming to an end at some point. Neither of them believes in any such thing as resurrection even though god himself was resurrected. When the grandmother talks to the misfit he shows a whole other side to himself. The way he talks about his family and himself shows he isn’t as bad of a man as they come to think of him. The grandmother is also the same way, even though she seems selfish, she really does care for her family. At the end of the play the grandmother tries to reach out to the misfit spiritually and tries to get him to understand her faith, but the misfit just doesn’t want to hear it and shoots her himself. So what is a definition of a real man? What makes a good person in general? The title of the story is kind of misleading from the very beginning. â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† gave me the impression of a women who is having trouble finding a good man for her, I never thought it was going to be about a criminal on the run killing people. This really made me think twice on what the author was deciphering as a â€Å"good man. † In this play the misfit did say he came from a good family and was raised like a normal boy. I believe what the author was trying to say in the title was that he was so good at who he was, which was being a criminal. We never really knew what kind of person the criminal aside from his actions and the conversation he had with the grandmother. He was religious in his own kind of way. His beliefs were indeed different but he did believe there was a God, he just didn’t believe in the miracles he performed. From the way the Misfit talked to the grandmother he was pretty respectful and listened to what she had to say, he disagreed, but he still listened and was able to hold a conversation with her. We could never really tell if the Misfit was being honest and truthful from the things he was saying but his actions could point out that they might have been. In this play we never know if the misfit is a compulsive liar, it is possible because he is pretty good at it but like I said, we never know. The Misfit isn’t the only one we may hold second thoughts about. The grandmother is right along with the Misfit. In the beginning of the story, she was the perfect kind of grandmother who looks out for the safety of her family and puts them first. Towards the middle of the story when the family is on their road trip, she became very selfish on the things she wants. For example in the beginning she told the family they should go to Tennessee instead of Florida because of the Misfit and then throughout the road trip she decided she wanted to go see a certain plantation even when the family disagreed. She stated to only think about herself and it got even worse when the misfit came into the picture. When he came into the picture the grandmother seemed to forget about everyone else and only thought about her. Just having lost her family and threatened her own death, the grandmother seemed to undergo a sudden and miraculous change of heart. She starts to reach out to the one who killed her family to try to save her own life instead of trying to save her families. She never showed emotion towards the death of her family. She only became concerned when her own life became threatened. Perhaps at this point in someone’s life, they experience transformations because of the moment they are in. That is the only real explanation I could come up with for why the grandmother did what she did. And in my opinion neither the grandmother nor the Misfit were very good people, they were just good at what they did. This play over all was a great story to read. It gave a whole different perspective on the way a paper could be read. It showed that the title can have a whole different meaning and how fast characters can transform to defend for themselves when they undergo life changing experiences. This story was one of those ionic experiences in everyone’s life; a family vacation from hell. It had everything you would find in a normal family has, annoying kids, an ungrateful selfish grandmother, pretty normal parents, a car accident and a twist; a serial killer. Not every story has a happy ending or an ending we want. This story kept you wanting for more. In a way the events were predictable, but the exaggeration of the events made it most enjoyable to read on. This play was really, truly about the vacation from hell!

Language Barriers

Language barriers can impede the educational progress of minorities. The United States is facing the challenge of language barriers in the way of educational progress of minorities. There are approximately 3.5 million children who are not proficient in English language due to their different native language. The United States has received maximum number of new arrivals in 1960s. these arrivals included refugees, illegal and legal immigrants and migrants. As a result, number of enrolled students increased significantly and a large number of new comers were admitted in the public schools of the United States. These newly enrolled students were from different nations so they were proficient in their native languages but their proficiency level regarding English language was very low or none. There were not/hardly able to speak English. To overcome this challenge, several educational policies, and legislation and court decisions were made (Berman et al, 1992). The Bilingual Education Act of 1968, Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Act was the first step that was taken to overcome the challenge of language barrier. The purpose of this Act was to make sure that all the Mexican American children learn to speak English to an extent that can enable them to actively participate in their educational activities. The role of this Act was later expanded to overcome the language barrier of all non-English speaking children. It is shown in Chavez, (1991, p. 11-12): â€Å"It is not the purpose of the bill to create pockets of different languages through the country †¦ but just to try to make those children fully literate in English†. Several steps were taken to overcome the language barrier. The purpose of all the steps was to enable all non-English speaking children to speak English fluently. An example of such as decision was made in Lau v. Nichols (1974) when the United States Supreme Court declared that every non-English speaking child has got the right to get special assistance in learning English. It stated: There is no equality of treatment merely by providing students with the same facilities, textbooks, teachers, and curriculum; for students who do not understand English are effectively foreclosed from any meaningful education. †¦ Teaching English to the students of Chinese ancestry who do not speak the language is one choice. Giving instruction to the group in Chinese is another. There may be others. (Chavez, 1991, pp. 14-15) A large number of Limited English Proficient students are enrolling in the 10th grade test. It was also found that the number of Hispanic high school graduates was very less all over the country. This was due to large number of students who were dropped out of the school. Although there have been several efforts to improve the English language of non-English speaking students specially Hispanic students but it is found that despite all these efforts, the drop out rate of Hispanic students has not decreased to a significant extent (Hispanic Dropout Project, 1998). Conclusion English language learners are usually exempted from appearing in the assessments that are done for native English speakers. It is quite unfair because non-English speaking students are left behind. It is suggested that non-English speakers should also be allowed to appear in the same assessment programs that are done for English speakers. This will help the non-English speakers to get out of the feeling of left out and they will progress a breast with native English speakers. References Berman, P., Chambers, J., Gandara, P., McLaughlin, B., Minicucci, C., Nelson, D., Olsen, L, & Parrish, T. (1992). Meeting the challenge of language diversity: An evaluation of programs for pupils with limited proficiency in English. Berkeley, CA: BW Associates. Chavez, L. (1991). Out of the barrio: Towards a new politics of Hispanic assimilation. New York: Basic. Hispanic Dropout Project. (1998). No more excuses: The final report of the Hispanic dropout project. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. Lau v. Nichols, 414 U.S. 563 (1974).                        

A comparison between the American Psycho and A Clockwork Orange

A comparison between the American Psycho and A Clockwork Orange The controversy surrounding Brett Easton Elliss American Psycho and Anthony Burgesss A Clockwork Orange relates primarily to the central themes that are explored in both books. Nevertheless, the brutality and explicit expression that drench these novels is imperative in shocking the readers. Although it is not solely the violent content of the books that shocks, it is a matter of form and style and the methods used by both authors in their portrayals of monstrosity. Both Burgess and Ellis employ literary techniques in their novels that are significantly directed toward provoking a controversial response from readers upon publication. However, this is not to say that the principal purpose of these novels is to shock; arguably, this is merely an effect generated by the form in which these books are presented. It can be said that Elliss presentation of a consumer society is fundamental in driving Bateman, Elliss protaganist, to act in the way he does. Likewise, Burgesss depiction of an oppressive, totalitarian society is also crucial in understanding Alexs desire for sadomasochism. American Psychos bizarre mixture of yuppie satire and splatter horror caused reactions of scathing criticism, indignation, yes, even murder threat. The shocking nature of the novel is engineered by Ellis’s use of graphic content, imagery, and detailed description; in conjunction with the other themes that are invoked, it is clear why American Psycho received such a controversial reception. Ellis refers to Dantes Inferno in the opening line of the novel: ABANDON ALL HOPE YE WHO ENTER HERE; this caption, inscribed on the doorway to hell, is proleptic of the content of the book, acting as a caution to the reader, who will be subjected to The hell of endless presentations of consumer goods combined with scenes of gut-wrenching violence. The graphic content alone in American Psycho is shocking; however, Ellis carefully contrasts nauseating detail of brutal acts performed by the egotistical narrator, Patrick Bateman, with some of the emptiest dialogue ever committed to print. Endles s description of male grooming products (such as the Greune Natural Revitalizing Shampoo), home electronics, and designer fashion brands not only emphasizes the significance of consumer society in ’90s America, but appears in such stark contrast to the horrific scenes of mutilation that the sadistic behavior of Bateman appears all the more appalling to readers. In conjunction with this, scenes of brutality take up only a small proportion of the novel: Batemans first act of violence does not take place until a third of the way through the book. Furthermore, the monotonous uniformity of Batemans incessant descriptions of brand names and consumer products leaves the reader simply unprepared for the bloodshed that follows. For example, Ellis dedicates entire chapters of the novel to the history of bands such as Genesis and Huey Lewis and the News. These tedious, droning descriptions of Genesis albums such as the concept-laden And Then There Were Three are of almost no relevance t o the rest of the novel; however, they are significant in provoking the effect Ellis is intending to pursue. The tiresome depth of detail that Ellis uses generates a false sense of security for the reader, therefore accentuating the more ghastly content of the novel. Correspondingly, a similar motif is employed in A Clockwork Orange. Alex’s ardor for classical music most significantly, Beethoven’s famous Ninth Symphony generates a comparable impression to that produced by Ellis in his use of language; moreover, it is mimetic of Burgess’s approach to structuring the novel. Beethoven begins his Ninth Symphony with a mellow, placid tone that slowly develops to create maximum tension before erupting into a much sharper, more dominant sound that, like the juxtaposition of language in American Psycho, is responsible for creating such a dramatic effect. Similar techniques are put to effect in J.G. Ballards Crash, which was castigated by various critics for the violent behaviour and perverse desires of some of its characters. Ballard, like Ellis, exercises an extensive and unnecessary quantity of detail; however, unlike American Psycho, there is no contrast between the violence and the rest of the book. Ballard blends endless descriptions of mechanical structure, listed exhaustively in precise technical prose for example, the jutting carapace of the instrument panel and stylized sculpture of the steering column shroud with the perverse behavior of characters such as Ballard and Vaughn. In the case of Crash, the relentless use of mechanical jargon amplifies the erotic and violent nature of the book itself and, when used in conjunction with descriptions of every pornographic and erotic possibility and every conceivable sex-death and mutilation, is very effective in generating a controversial effect. Ballard portrays his distinctive i nterpretation of the culture of modernity through the means in which he unifies sex, death, and metallic structure in his language. Ballards view on society is similar to that taken by Ellis, who drenches American Psycho with contemporaneous detail; the reflection of a semi-realistic society in both Crash and American Psycho leads them to appear more shocking to readers. In contrast, the dystopian world of imagination created by Burgess in A Clockwork Orange contains elements of a futuristic culture, which can be seen to appear less offensive to the public. Ballards title, Crash, is relevant to the content of the novel; it is also metaphoric of his view of society as sordid and headed for disaster, a point argued by Virginia Brackett. The language of A Clockwork Orange, a neo-Slavic Nadsat, is hugely significant in addressing the violence of the novel, and is described by Esther Petix as the jargon of rape, plunder and murder veiled in unfamiliarity. The typical tongue spoken between the narrator, Alex, and his â€Å"droogs† is important in considering how Burgess intends to depict violence as both a theme and a way of life for the gang. It is imperative to take into account, when interpreting the Nadsat lexis, the distinct lack of connotations for love, emotion, and compassion that are typically applied in a natural domestic environment. In contrast, Alexs dialogue contains a huge variation of words implicating brutality, violence, and misogyny: for example, Krovvy for blood and Groody for breast. This in itself represents the extent to which bloodshed and brutality are normal to Alex; A bit of dirty twenty-to-one or Ultra-violence is routine for Alex and his Droogs. Similar to American Psycho, A Clockwork Orange also uses a contrast in language to amplify the violence recorded in the book, thus provoking a more deplorable effect. The Nadsat lexis, in offering a variety of misogynistic and violent terms, also includes a number of conflicting phrases. Burgess flecks his dialogues of evil with endearing traces of childhood in words such as appy polly loggies and skolliwoll; this juxtaposition of infantilisms and violent terms aids in repeatedly shocking the reader. In conjunction with this, the Nadsat dialogue is also significant in personalizing the reader with the narrator, implicating us in the sadistic violence he commits. The narrative stream of consciousness we see from Alex constantly incorporates us in his violent behavior. On the other hand, the personalization and interaction between the reader and Alex leads us to empathize with him, raising the argument that the principle of A Clockwork Orange is not purely to shock, but also to pursue other themes. All three books A Clock work Orange, American Psycho, and Crash have been produced into relatively recent films, all of which provoked controversial receptions; the most shocking, A Clockwork Orange, was banned upon release. This illustrates the contextual significance of the novels and represents how the shock of language has dissipated in modern society after exposure to media and film culture. Furthermore, this signifies why the explicit nature of American Psycho generated less of a response than the more subtle motifs of A Clockwork Orange that upset many when it was released. Ellis’s use of language in American Psycho is clearly of great significance in provoking shock; however, it is the illustration of violence that is the substance of the novel. The gut-wrenching depth of detail and graphic imagery thrown at the reader is almost difficult to comprehend. The first act of violence performed by Bateman is a representation of class hatred perpetrated on a black homeless man named Al, which suggests that the encounter is merely an embellishment of the racial prejudice that underlies the novel. However, Ellis images the victims body with tremendous specificity, and the gruesome imagery of Als mutilation traumatizes the reader. The illustration of Als eye as a red, veiny egg yolk oozing over his screaming lips in thick, webby strands paints such a repugnant image that it becomes almost nauseating for the reader. Ellis continues to express such explicit detail regarding almost every act of brutality that Bateman performs. In the second half of American Psycho, the disturbing nature of the novel heightens, as readers are introduced to the first of Batemans sexual attacks. Unlike Burgess, Ellis produces a narrator that readers are unable to empathize with due to the barbarous and sadistic acts that he commits. The perverse scenes of erotic vulgarity involving various prostitutes and hardbodies that Bateman lures back to his apartment are critical in generating the level of controversy that arose upon publication. In particular, Ellis describes a scene where Bateman forces a Habitrail tube up into this bitches cunt before inserting and trapping a starved rat inside her for personal satisfaction. Ellis continues to describe Batemans animalistic brutality, using sickeningly graphic imagery of skin and muscle and sinew and bone before he hack[s] the bone off her chin. Although it is clear from the fierce descriptions of various mutilations and murders that Ellis wanted to disturb his readers, there is a definite correspondence between Batemans victims that represents a portrayal of ’90s American society. This is reflected in Batemans choice of targets, which progresses from Al (The bum, a black man) to an old queer and his Shar-Pei and then onto various escort bimbo[s]. Julian Murphet argues that what Ellis presents as acts of brutality should actually be considered as, â€Å"The cinematically projected fantasization of general class violence toward everything that is not white, male and upper middle class.† To a certain extent, Murphet’s statement is accurate: both misogyny and racial prejudice are expressed explicitly in the lives of Bateman and almost all of those embedded in â€Å"yuppie† culture. The uniformity of such a mundane routine pursued by Bateman drives him toward exorbitant methods of gratification. Carl Tighe supports Murphet’s argument, stating that Ellis’s portrayal of women in American Psycho is that â€Å"they are not intellectuals, they are barely even people.† Furthermore, the dialogue exchanged between Bateman and his associates Van Patten, McDermott, and Price in pretentious restaurants and bars such as â€Å"Nells† and the â€Å"Yale Club† clearly illustrates their materialistic and misogynistic views of women in society. Any females are merely referred to as â€Å"hardbodies† or â€Å"bimbos†; Bateman fails to gauge anything behind the faà §ade or initial impression of a woman. Ellis exaggerates the significance of appearance in American Psycho to such a degree that a waitress becomes intolerable to our protagonist when he perceives that her left kneecap is â€Å"almost imperceptibly thicker† than the right. At â€Å"Harry’s,† Bateman and two â€Å"friends† concur that a good personality in a woman consists of someone who will â€Å"satisfy all sexual demands† and â€Å"essentially keep her dumb fucking mouth shut†; the consistent and deliberate level of yuppie satire and offensive dialogue is a reflection of Ellis’s outlook on the consumer society of ’90s America. Therefore, in Bateman’s egotistical routine of habitual violence, monotonous monologues, and cocaine, it can be seen that Ellis is raising fundamental social and racial problems, which were rife in America during the era of Reagan’s presidency. However, the extent to which racial prejudice and misogyny are adopted by Bateman and his acquaintances enhances the shocking nature of the book, leading numerous feminist groups to berate Ellis with scathing criticism. Similarly, A Clockwork Orange contains indications of misogyny that are apparent throughout the novel, with our narrator regularly partaking in â€Å"a bit of the ultra-violence,† raping and beating young women for his own amusement. The numerous derogatory terms encompassed in the Nadsat dialect regarding females also reinforce such indications, suggesting that A Clockwork Orange was not published solely to shock. The violence of A Clockwork Orange is presented in a very different manner. Despite the lack of specificity regarding every detail of the victim’s injuries, the violence committed by Alex and his gang of â€Å"droogs† is â€Å"both appalling and appealing.† We are able to empathize with the 15-year-old narrator through Nadsat and through his presentation as a typically mischievous teenager in a way that we could not connect with Bateman. Therefore, when Alex and his gang assault, strip, and rob an â€Å"old veck† and â€Å"viddy† him swim in his own blood in the opening chapter, we are shocked to discover Alex finds it â€Å"real beautiful.† Our 15-year-old protagonist takes aesthetic pleasure in the merciless beating of an old man and finds it â€Å"a source of comedy†; this is consistent in Burgess’s attempts to create distress in the readers. A Clockwork Orange does not contain the same level of specificity as American Psycho . However, Alex is presented as an artist in his violence, and Burgess describes his behavior with a surreal and almost facetious detachment. Midway through a brutal gang fight, Alex begins to â€Å"waltz left two three, right two three† before slicing the face of his nemesis, â€Å"Billyboy,† whose â€Å"blood poured in like red curtains.† This illustrates the pleasure that Alex takes in violence and brutality. Similarly, in American Psycho, while torturing a young woman, Bateman is â€Å"grimly lip-synching† to â€Å"The Worst That Could Happen† while it plays on the jukebox. Both Alex and Patrick Bateman are embedded in their own routines of cursory periodic violence, which they perform for no other reason than their individual enjoyment. Arguably, there is a distinct political motive behind A Clockwork Orange: Burgess’s observations during his visit to Leningrad in 1961 inspired the dystopian elements drawn on by the novel. The oppressive, state-regulated nation that Burgess witnessed is arguably what prompted the Ludovico technique, a government program consisting of a variety of ultra-violent films engineered to revert the malicious desires of a young criminal such as Alex. The technique is a clear reflection of the totalitarian society of A Clockwork Orange and that observed in Leningrad. Burgess opposed the infamy and repressive nature of the prevailing Communist governments, and it is evident that his political ideology was influential in the writing of his novel. Critic Esther Petix offers a supporting argument involving the contrast of the government advocates representing the Communist regimes witnessed by Burgess in Eastern Europe subsequent to the Second World War. The Ludovico technique itself is a paradox, supposedly a method of rehabilitation; it instead manipulates our protagonist into a piece of pulpless, juiceless flesh that acts upon command and not out of will. The Ludovico technique is a clear example of the political message that underlies A Clockwork Orange and is critical in presenting the idea of the intrinsic evil of government and the purity of free will, both of which are key themes throughout the novel. However, the inhumane procedure that Alex is subjected to is also fundamental in generating shock, in conjunction with the portrayal of a totalitarian society. Ellis, in his representation of ’90s America, takes us into a decadent cocaine-addicted world that basically revolves around the hunger for parties and sex. This is illustrated in the temporal depiction of a consumer society where clothing possesses more significance than those wearing it. The extent to which Bateman is preoccupied by commodities leads him to become subservient, a commodity himself. It is critical to consider the importance of physical demeanor and possession in American Psycho, for it is imperative in exposing the â€Å"Psycho† of the title. Bateman identifies that physical brutality, torture, and rape have become his only way of escaping his hollow life in consumer society; arguably, the drug-fueled, materialistic world that surrounds our protagonist is the basis for the shock that is that is implicated in Ellis’s writing. Similarly, A Clockwork Orange sees Alex and his â€Å"droogs† habitually drinking from the Korova Milkbar, which ser ves milk plus something else. The drug-laced milk cocktails that are consumed by our humble narrator prior to an evening of physical brutality and sexual animosity would sharpen you up and remove any resemblance to human compassion. Once Alex and his â€Å"droogs† â€Å"feel the knives in the old moloko starting to prick,† they are â€Å"ready for a bit of twenty-to-one† and are able to commit senseless violence with no feelings of remorse. Hence, the drugs consumed by Alex and his gang, as in American Psycho, form the foundation of the gang culture and â€Å"ultra-violence,† two key implications of shock incorporated into the novel. Comparatively, a further representation of drug use in literature as a basis for shock is Hunter S. Thompsons postmodern novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which generated a contemptuous response when it was published in 1971. Thompsons exertion of surrealist imagery is significant in emphasizing the savage nature of drug use and the pursuit of the â€Å"American Dream† reflected in high-powered blotter acid and a whole galaxy of multi-coloured uppers, downers, screamers, laughers. The absurd excursions of Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo, the language compounded with a blend of political satire, and the plentiful hoard of drugs all reflect Thompsons perspective on American society and the American Dream. Thompsons use of language and imagery twists a pretentious Las Vegas cocktail lounge into a fucking reptile zoo! Furthermore, our protagonists correspondence to readers from the midst of a drug coma led Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas to be excoriated by various critics for its unfettered plot and adjudicated by readers for its drug use. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas has been named a classic in the literature of depravity as a result of its sardonic depiction of ’70s America; allusions to The San Francisco Acid wave illustrated an endorsement of a drug-charged nation and triggered controversy when it was released to the public. Implications of drug use are included in all of these postmodern novels and form a fundamental basis for the society that the authors are presenting, which consistently creates controversy. Whilst A Clockwork Orange may appear shocking in content, there is arguably an overt philosophical and political purpose behind it. Hence, it was not published purely to generate controversy; that controversy is merely a tool in conveying a greater message. It can be argued that American Psychos â€Å"disturbing thematics are the product of an apocalypse culture, a culture that Ellis depicts as corrupted by consequence of its lust for cocaine, its impulsive drive for glamour, and its prejudice regarding those who do not tailor to its idealistic optimum. However, it is difficult to justify the books provocative and offensive nature without the development of a prevailing theme, other than implications of consumerism and misogyny. In the explicit portrayal of the life of Patrick Bateman, Ellis is fundamentally endeavoring to evoke shock among readers, and it is evident that this is the principal purpose of the novel. Bibliography 1. Alighieri, Dante. Inferno. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 2009. 978-0-87220-918-3. 2. Bloom, Harold. Dark Humor. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2010. 978-1-60413-440-7. 3. Brackett, Virginia. Beginnings through the 19th Century. New York: Facts on File, 2006. 978-0-8160-7497-6. 4. Buchholz, Sabine. â€Å"At the Edge of Art and Insanity: Postmodern Elements in Brett Easton Ellis’s American Psycho. Norderstedt, Germany: Druck und Bindung, 2006. 978-3-638-90456-8. 5. Frank, Michael. â€Å"Violence and Consumerism in Brett Easton Ellis’s American Psycho and Chuck Palahniuks Fight Club.† Norderstedt, Germany: Druck und Bindung, 2009. 978-3-640-46678-8. 6. Gerhmann, Tim. â€Å"Parallelism of Character and Concept in American Psycho and Cosmopolis.† Norderstedt, Germany: Druck und Bindung, 2006. 978-3-638-76862-7. 7. Murphet, Julian. â€Å"Brett Easton Elliss American Psycho.† New York: The Continuum international Publishing Group Ltd, 2002. 0-8264-5245-0. 8. Petix, Esther. â€Å"Linguistics, Mechanics, and Metaphysics: A Clockwork Orange.† New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. 0-87754-676-2. 9. Schiel, Anja. Abandon All Hope: Consumerism and Loss of Identity in Brett Easton Ellis’s American Psycho.† Norderstedt, Germany: Druck und Bindung, 2005. 978-3-638-93642-2 10. Tanner, Laura. â€Å"Intimate Violence: Reading Rape and Torture in 20th-Century Fiction.† USA: The Association of American University Presses Resolution, 1994. 0-253-35648-2. 11. Tighe, Carl. Writing and Responsibility. London. Routledge, 2005. 9780415345637 12. Torrey, Beef and Simonson, Kevin. Conversations with Hunter S. Thompson. Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi, 2008. 978-1-934110-76-8 13. Trawers, Martin. European Literature from Romanticism to Postmodernism: A Reader in Aesthetic Practice. New York: Continuum, 2001. 0-8264-9098-0.

Organization, Competition and Environment Assignment

Organization, Competition and Environment - Assignment Example In other type of markets which are not perfect competitive and these markets include monopoly, oligopoly, duopoly and competitive monopoly. In a monopoly market we have only one firm in an industry, the firm is a price maker and there are restriction to entry in the industry, the monopoly market the product produced by the firm has no close substitute and therefore the product is unique in nature.1 In a duopoly there exist two firms that produce the same product, there are still barriers to entry in this market, and both firms in the industry take into consideration the reaction of the other firm when making decisions about production and prices.2 In an oligopoly market the number of firms is few and the firm is faced with a kinked demand curve because any decision made by the firm will take into consideration the decision by other firms, if a firm raises its prices other will not follow and therefore the demand curve is kinked.3 Therefore in the transport industry the type of market that exists is competitive, firms in the industry are price takers and there is free entry and exit by firms. This means that the price of transport is determined by the demand and supply in this competitive market, in this market still the buyers and sellers have perfect information about products and services. The competitive market will respond to market forces, the first example we will illustrate is an increase in the supply of services, according to our case study about imperial transport shifts from transporting cars when the automobile industry expands to transporting materials for the construction industry, the reason why the organization responds by exiting the transportation of cars is because there was an in increase in the supply of lorries as the automobile industry expands, this resulted into higher supply than the demand for transport which resulted to lower prices therefore the firm did not experience optimal profits, this led to the firm to exit this industry to the transportation of building materials. Therefore a firm will exit an industry if it has zero profits due to the low prices set by the market forces when the supply for its products increases, the firm will exit and enter another industry which has less supply of the products produced. Another example of the response of the firm due to market forces is if there is an increase in the cost of production due to an increase in the price of inputs, in the case of the imperial transport the price level of diesel rose leading to an increase in the cost of transport, this forced the firms to increase the transportation cost, therefore the increase in diesel cost led to an increase in production or transportation, the firms were not in a position to accept lower profits due to high production cost and therefore they increased their transport charges to maintain high profits. An increase in the demand for transportation of certain goods makes the price of transporting those goods to be higher, therefore more firms will enter the industry, this is evident in our case where the imperial transport exited the beer transporting industry in order to gain more profits from transportation of more expensive goods such as cigarettes and electronics. Therefore when a firm in a competitive market if a

Summary and Response to the Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Summary and Response to the Article - Essay Example The journey towards â€Å"energy security† has proven hectic, but it is not late yet. Change is possible. Oil dependence has its share of challenges. First, oil prices are never stable. This situation leads to economic imbalance in the dependent state, making citizens suffer from high taxation, especially when oil prices increase in the world market. Secondly, United States as a major economy has to face stiff competition from other importing countries such as India and China whose economies are growing rapidly. Worst of all, U.S. becomes vulnerable to political whims of oil producing countries especially the Middle East that have for a long time threatened U.S. security. OPEC, for instance, is notorious for signing contracts with certain consumers coupled with political affiliations that distort the market. According to this report, U.S. can rescue itself from the hazards of oil dependence if it can reframe its foreign policies. The last decades have seen U.S. stressing on the importance of foreign markets, something that cannot solve the energy problem experienced now. If active public policies are introduced, the market will deliver smoothly on its own. U.S. cannot achieve energy security through foreign policy, but it can frame domestic policies that are in tandem with short- and long-term goals of international strategy on oil. The Task Force looking into the issue made three recommendations for the adoption of incentives, which would gradually minimize consumption of petroleum products. First is the taxation of gasoline, with the tax revenues directed to other purposes such as funding research and development of energy technology. Second is tightening Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) standards. Third is the use of tradable gasoline permits to cap the levels of gasoline consumed in the country. The above measures will facilitate energy efficient lifestyles of the citizenry, including the use of higher-efficiency vehicles, increased use of public

Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Research Paper - Essay Example Rate of Incarceration The United States has less than 5% of the world’s population, but incarcerate roughly a quarter of all the prisoners in the world. According to a report released by the Bureau of Prison Statistics, one out of every 32 adults in the United States was in prison, in jail, on probation, or on parole at the end of 2005. In fact, imprisonment has become the immediate response to far too many of the social problems that burden people who are ensconced in poverty. These problems often are veiled by being conveniently grouped together under the category "crime" and by the automatic attribution of criminal behavior to people of color. Homelessness, unemployment, drug addiction, mental illness, and illiteracy are only a few of the problems that disappear from public view when the human beings contending with them are relegated to cages. This system cannot last much longer, it’s stretched to the breaking point. There are too many prisoners for the system to be sustained. The only results are more violence, riots, racism. The system is failing because it was not designed to succeed. The criminal justice system disproportionately occupies people of color in the United States (Abramsky, 2008). According to Angela Davis, â€Å"Almost two million people are currently locked up in the immense network of U.S. prisons and jails. More than 70 percent of the imprisoned population are people of color. It is rarely acknowledged that the fastest growing group of prisoners is black women and that Native American prisoners are the largest group per capita.† We can see the impact socioeconomically by examining information from the Department of Justice itself, Irwin and Austin report that "Between 1980 and 1995, the prison population ballooned from 329,821 to 1,104,074--a rise of 235%" (Irwin & Austin, p.1). Zimring and Hawkins write "Never before has a prison system grown by so much in so short a time during a period of political and social stab ility" (Zimring & Hawkins, 1994 p.83). The incarceration rate in the U.S. increased from 138 per 100,000 in 1980 to 403 in 1995. "We now imprison at a higher rate than any other nation in the world, having recently surpassed South Africa" (Irwin & Austin, p.1). What we clearly see here is that mass imprisonment in local communities is continuing to grow faster and faster over time. The impact of this is astonishing when you consider the amount of individuals and families of non-caucasian decent who are harmed psychologically and physically because of a system clearly designed for the purpose of turning profit under the guise of helping the population. There are now about 1.5 million children in the U.S. who have a parent in prison. According to a report by Marc Mauer, â€Å"African American children, 1 of every 14 has a parent behind bars on any given day. Over the course of a year or an individual’s childhood, the figures would obviously be much greater. For these children, the experience of shame, stigma, and loss of financial and psychological support becomes a profound aspect of their life experience. The effect on these communities is compounded by the fact that imprisonment has become an almost inevitable aspect of the experience of growing up as a black male in the U.S. Government figures now show that a black male born today has a one in three chance of spending at least a year in prison at some point in his life. Thus,

History- African Health and Society Research Paper

History- African Health and Society - Research Paper Example Africans relied on traditional medicine emanating mainly from plants. There were other believes about health and healing and some Africans believed on praying their God for healing. Though Africans criticized certain features of Western biomedicine, there were a variety of compromises and accommodations. Conflicts The proponents of Western biomedicine espoused an uncompromising stance toward African healing strategies. Through the introduction of Western biomedicine, the colonizers aimed to supersede traditional values, beliefs, and knowledge that were vital to African therapeutic practices. The Africans and Europeans were involved in conflict where the Africans aimed at guarding their traditional health practices, whereas the West aimed at replacing these African traditional health practices. In Kenya, the conflicts were manifest in avoidance of public hospitals and drug prescriptions, formal protests, and indifference to the European public health campaigns (Ndege 2002, 4).2 One co nflict arose as a result of the interpretation of the causes of diseases. Western biomedicine came along with hospitals and medical laboratories. This introduction and institutionalization of Western biomedicine led to empirical and intellectual conversations among Africans and the state regarding issues and implications concerning health, sickness, and therapy. The colonizers relied on laboratory based system to examine the causes of diseases, whereas Africans relied on traditional explanations concerning causes of diseases. The colonial government conducted aggressive public health campaigns, and this weakened the attempts by Africans to comprehend the objective of the state officials (Ndege 2002, 2).2 The colonial state established commissions of inquiry to address the problems of race and conflict, injustice and equality, and the power of the rulers and the followers. The colonial state gave little attention to the function of such commissions on the issue of health care (Ndege 2002, 3). For example, there is an argument that such commissions in South Africa are established by the state with an aim of legitimizing citizens’ minds and what the government desires, which the government is incapable of accomplishing through formal policy proclamations. However, the appointing authority of these commissions determined the final report of the commissions. A conflict arose in regard to recognition of Western biomedicine and African biomedicine. The laboratory system of the Western biomedicine enabled the identification of the causes of the diseases through the examination of the blood and other tissues. The colonial state absorbed, extended, and customized the medical operation of blood and other tissues, thereby embracing this brand of medicine irrevocably to the administration of the colonies. The colonial state did not accord similar recognition to the African medicine. The instantaneous conflict originated from the refutation of indigenous curative kno wledge, agency, and personhood. The denial motivated a domestic, cultural critique, which questioned the very principles that Western biomedicine advocated (Ndege 2002, 5).3 In particular, this happened during the shadow-boxing era of medical

Hospitality Contract and Event Management Assignment

Hospitality Contract and Event Management - Assignment Example The key factor that leads to a person contracting a caterer is because of his expertise in the sector. The person believes that he is being involved with a professional in the provision of the various services needed. A keen caterer would not compromise on his/her quality of product and provision of his/her services since he/she is there to get another contract or be recommended for his quality of his products and services.(Judge Advocate General's School (United States. Army), American Bar Association. Section of Public Contract Law2007) Another crucial characteristic is the manner he/she offers his/her services. Apart from the fact that the services should be of high quality, they should be offered at a considerable price and at the right time. The pricing of a caterer’s product and services should be considerable and effective free from hidden charges. These ensure that the caterer remains competitive and wins most of the contracts in the market. Another key feature that is crucial as far as provision of services is considered is the punctuality of his/her services. The services should be at the right place, at the right time with the right people offering those services. Another main characteristic that features in a catering contract is the innovation and new brilliant ideas. Catering sector is a competitive sector that requires caterer to be on their toes. Due to the fact that it is a dynamic sector makes it paramount to venture into new ideas that will attract customer for your products and services. They should offer the latest recipe of food, the latest outdoor design and interior design that satisfies the customers (Judge Advocate General's School (United States. Army), American Bar Association. Section of Public Contract Law2007) What caterer should be interested in is the satisfaction of his/her client. He/she should be pay attention to the way he/she prices his/her products, the way they deliver their products the quality of their products a nd the way they remain relevant I the sector. External factors affecting planning and management in the event and contract sectors Introduction. A hospitality sector which includes event planners and caterers is affected by internal and external factors just like other business enterprises. Internal factors such as management, finances, the level of safety menu among other actors plays an important role in the functioning of this sector. There are other uncontrollable factors which are external but can be controlled by planning well and sound management. One of such factors is the performance of the economy of a country. A well performing economy with sable prices, availability of skilled labor, flexible tax policies, performance of macro institutions, ease to put and run businesses and stable foreign exchange usually affects the smooth running of a business in the catering sector. When foreign exchange is unstable, prices are high, reduced expenditure by the government usually affe cts hospitality sector in the negative since there is reduced transaction (Anton S, Bryn P 1987) Hospitality sector is established and operates within the laws of a country. The law gives the licensing and gives the guidelines on how to operate in the sector. There are different laws such as laws that govern the t environment that do affect the hospitality

Usability Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Usability Study - Essay Example Despite the slimness, Ipad 2 has a wide screen that makes it possible to view large images. Interestingly, Ipad 2 has only four press buttons. The touch screen technology makes it possible for users to command the Ipad 2 by touching the screen. Additionally, the machine has an inbuilt accelerometer technology that allows images to be viewed in portrait or landscape view. This means that, when the Ipad is rotated in different orientations, images remain upright. Ipad 2 is one of the quickest and fastest mobile application machines. This is made possible by the dedicated dual-core A5 microchip. Ipad 2 is therefore, able to multitask, provide high performance graphics, surf, and perform other multiple functions with exemplary speeds. Notably, the Ipad has two miniature cameras, one at the front and the other at the back. Although they are small, they are very powerful. The camera at the front is used for face time video calling. This means that the Ipad can be used for real time video conferencing. The other camera is used for taking photos and videos. It is worth noting that the hundreds of applications that are supported by Ipad 2 are made possible by its operating system. Ipad 2 uses the most advanced mobile operating system called iOS. The iOS operating system supports various mobile technologies such as the accelerometer, touch screen technology, iCloud among others. One of the most interesting applications features in Ipad 2 is iCloud. The iCloud technology enables the users to move files and data from the Ipad to other electronic devices without having to use a connecting device. The iCloud is a communication platform in which different electronic devices can communicate wirelessly with the Ipad. The Ipad 2 comes with a Wi-Fi and 3G connection technology, which can support UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA internet connections. This means that the device can connect to high-speed internet connection ports fast and seamlessly.

Communication plan for childhood obesity Term Paper

Communication plan for childhood obesity - Term Paper Example This essay "Communication plan for childhood obesity" outlines the draft how to reduce the growing rate of obese children in consequence of communication strategy. Parents have the greatest responsibility in bringing change to the current level of obesity among the young children in US. Parents have a duty to determine the kind of food their children eat and the involvement of children in physical activities (Williams, et.al, 2013). The mothers should be encouraged to breastfeed their babies adequately and avoid feeding them babies with foods containing high calories, sugar and fat. Parents should encourage their children to take part in physical activities regularly and limit the time which those children spend watching television, videos and playing computer games Teachers determine the kind of physical activities that children engage in which in school. In most cases, teachers are focused on academic performance of their schools and limit the time in which their students engage in physical activities (Williams, et.al, 2013). All training institutions should have a well structured program that specifies the time for students’ involvement in physical activities and time for class work. Therefore, teachers should give adequate time for physical activities to their students every day in order to improve their wellbeing. In addition, students take their meals at school during the day. Therefore, teachers have a duty to ensure that health foods are available for the students while in school.

The Controversy of Homosexuality Essay Example for Free

The Controversy of Homosexuality Essay I. â€Å"I now pronounce you husband and husband†, when many people hear this statement whether in real life or in movies, it brings about many different opinions and reactions. Same sex marriage is still a controversial issue, and it’s questionable in many societies, in fact it is acceptable in very few communities in the world. People who oppose gay marriage are actually opposing unethical behavior that goes against many beliefs and different religions.  Although some might think it is a person’s right to love and marry whoever he/she wants, gay marriages should be prohibited in all parts of the world for it goes against most religions, nature, ethics and humanity II. God created Adam; he created for him a wife, not a husband. God’s intentions were clear, and that meant that marriage and family would always be between man and woman. Many religious people, whether holy men or regular people who hold their beliefs close, argue that gay marriage should not be allowed to happen and that it destroys the sanctity of this bond between two people. III. Gay marriages are mostly considered to be unethical marriages that are not based on any moral grounds and therefore are frowned upon. Many believe that the idea of a gay marriage is utterly outrageous because it involves the bond between two people of the same sex which some might find disturbing or repulsive. IV. the children of gay marriages are always being denied either a father or mother. People who oppose gay marriages believe that the children of such gay couples deserve better, actually, they deserve more; all children deserve to have a mother and a father. V.  Some claim that same sex marriages should not be frowned upon and should eventually become a normal part of everyday life. They believe that homosexuality is not an abnormality; however is just another form of relationships. Just like women are attracted to men and men are attracted to women, men can be attracted to men and women can also be attracted to women. It is just as normal as any other phenomenon and might even make more sense than heterosexuality sometimes. However, how right can this point of view be? Same sex marriages are not only unethical, but also are against many eligions, defy the political and moral standards and are not beneficial for the future of our societies. In addition, homosexuality is a new phenomenon that is bringing about uprisings in many different societies. Also, marriages have always been based on the bonds of holy matrimony between a man and a woman and nothing more. VI. The world should not change its natural laws, its religions and its morality due to a group of people who claim it is only natural for them to be with the same sex. Abstract Media and celebrities has been increasing demand for gay marriage to be allowed like Angelina Julie and Brad Pitte.  Whereas gay marriage should be banned, since it is against most religions, nature, ethics, and humanity. â€Å"I now pronounce you husband and husband†, when many people hear this statement whether in real life or in movies, it brings about many different opinions and reactions. Same sex marriage is still a controversial issue, and it’s questionable in many societies, in fact it is acceptable in very few communities in the world. People who oppose gay marriage are actually opposing unethical behavior that goes against many beliefs and different religions. Although some might think it is a person’s right to love and marry whoever he/she wants, gay marriages should be prohibited in all parts of the world for it goes against religion, nature, ethics and humanity. When God created Adam, he created for him a wife, not a husband. God’s intentions were clear, and that meant that marriage and family would always be between man and woman. Many religious people, whether holy men or regular people who hold their beliefs close, argue that gay marriage should not be allowed to happen and that it destroys the sanctity of this bond between two people. Holy books have discussed this topic since the beginning of time by stating that God created man and woman to be fertile and to reproduce. Therefore, whoever believes in a God should oppose same sex relationships, as they are an offence to God. Edwards claimed â€Å"in Australia the religious right has advanced a number of arguments to isolate legally sanctioned heterosexual relationships in an inviolate conceptual and social space. † And then in the year 2004 the Australian government banned same-sex marriage. Thus, the simple act of being a homosexual and having same sex relations is considered a sin because it goes against what God intended, and therefore should be punished. Not only is homosexuality against religion, it is also unnatural. Moreover, heterosexual marriages are a natural and normal bond that agrees with nature and is considered good. However, nature depicts gay marriages as bad. Many people believe that marriage is a moral and social right that was instituted by God in nature. â€Å"Nature does not include same-sex relationships in its design and no biological imperative therefore exists for sex between women or between men. (Van Grend, 2007). In addition, marriage is not just any relationship between human beings. It is rooted in nature and therefore is governed by natural law. These natural laws are universal and immutable and generally apply to the whole human race, equally. The National Marriage Coalition in Edwards released a statement in 2007 announcing that to them marriage was the commitment between a male and a female; it is an expression of love and a beautiful sacred bond. It is not only unnatural to have homosexual relations; it also negatively affects the way children involved view the world. Furthermore, the children of gay marriages are always being denied either a father or mother. People who oppose gay marriages believe that the children of such gay couples deserve better, actually, they deserve more; all children deserve to have a mother and a father. The absence of parents with different sexes can affect a child’s view on the world, and their emotional stability. In many cases the presence of two gay dads can affect a little boy’s behavior or conduct in the world since the dads can’t provide what a mother can. This in itself removes the balance in the child’s life. Children adopted by or brought into gay families may not be aware of the life outside the family in their early years, but when they do start to understand, they may have a lot to face and a lot to adjust to. They tend to grow up with certain ideas about the world, taught by their foster parents, which may not be at all realistic or acceptable. Also, these children might eventually be bullied in school for having two dads or two moms. Being bullied is a major crisis in a child’s life and might therefore impact their ducation or social states. Moreover, children who grow up with parents of the same sex might inherit their personality traits and characteristics and might therefore think that being gay is what is meant for them to be. They might think that being gay is what is socially acceptable and therefore adopt these habits. Also, children need the compassion of a mother to be able to handle the difficulties in l ife. Yet, a father figure is also needed to make the children strong and have the right amount of security and protection in order for them to grow up properly. Thus, a marriage should provide both communal and assertive figures for the children. Heterosexual and homosexual marriages differ in gender-linked effects because of socialization pressures for women to be communal and men to be assertive. There is evidence that women are more expressive than men, develop more positive models, and are better integrated into social support systems then men are. Hence there is never a solidity and balance in a homosexual household since gay men see themselves as more communal and lesbians see themselves as more argentic and assertive. Lesbians and gays are not considered to be family members but only individuals. Such an issue as same-sex marriage isn’t only religious; it is also political. In many countries where politics and religion are tied together, a candidate can lose voters if they admit that he or she actually supports gay marriage. People with strong religious and ethical beliefs will protect themselves and their families from anyone they believe to be a bad influence, whether it’s actually someone who is gay, or just someone who supports the idea of gay marriage. These people’s beliefs are not subject to change, since normally they are active members of churches, and the community, and possibly traditionalists. In the 2012 presidential elections in the U. S, Mitt Romney announced that he was against same-sex marriage, as most Americans are. He believes that it isn’t a matter of tolerance, but about the â€Å"purpose of the institution of marriage†. And that won him many votes, mostly from the more conservative people. As many Americans believe, he also believes that marriage is between man and woman, and the sharing of domestic responsibilities falls on both sexes, which is the purpose of marriage. Gay marriages are mostly considered to be unethical marriages that are not based on any moral grounds and therefore are frowned upon. Many believe that the idea of a gay marriage is utterly outrageous because it involves the bond between two people of the same sex which some might find disturbing or repulsive. In contrast to heterosexual marriages which are considered a bedrock institution, homosexual couples in specific don’t really enjoy the support of their families and therefore may not benefit from any stabilizing influence such support gives. They are considered to be immoral and absurd for having gone out of the ordinary and irrationally choosing the same sex partner as a lawfully wedded man or wife. Families of such gay members might view the marriage as an end of the family name or a huge disgrace to the family name. A gay person’s own family might not accept the fact that he/she turned gay and might start questioning the reasons behind it bringing about many other questions. However, some might argue that every person is free to choose their own life partner because the heart wants what the heart wants. Some claim that same sex marriages should not be frowned upon and should eventually become a normal part of everyday life. They believe that homosexuality is not an abnormality, however is just another form of relationships. Just like women are attracted to men and men are attracted to women, men can be attracted to men and women can also be attracted to women. It is just as normal as any other phenomenon and might even make more sense than heterosexuality sometimes. People who support homosexuality state that lesbians and fays are more diverse, variable, resilient, and thriving than heterosexuals. Moreover, they sometimes make better fathers or mothers and better partners. In addition, supporters of gay rights believe that the children involved in same sex marriages are actually being saved from foster homes and given an education and a family rather than remaining among the millions of homeless or loveless parentless children. They believe that these children actually benefit more because they are being raised by such parenthood since the parents bring in new ideas and different views on life so that the children can learn never to be biased or restricted in thought and beliefs. However, how right can this point of view be? Same sex marriages are not only unethical, but also are against many religions, defy the political and moral standards and are not beneficial for the future of our societies. In addition, homosexuality is a new phenomenon that is bringing about uprisings in many different societies. Also, marriages have always been based on the bonds of holy matrimony between a man and a woman and nothing more. Therefore, homosexuality can’t just come and change that entity. A marriage cannot simply change its definition because of what’s happening in the world. The people should adapt to the world as it is, not the other way around. The world should not change its natural laws, its religions and its morality due to a group of people who claim it is only natural for them to be with the same sex. In conclusion, there will always be a controversy between the two different points of view about same sex marriages, but the truth is life has always been a certain set of rules and regulations and should not, could not, and will not change for the purpose of homosexuality. Same sex marriages should be prohibited because they do not belong to any religious concept, moral ground or ethical conduct. Heterosexuality has always been what’s right and should remain the same way throughout all of history.

The Walt Disney Company and Pixar Inc. Essay Example for Free

The Walt Disney Company and Pixar Inc. Essay To Acquire or Not to Acquire? In November 2005, Robert Iger, the newly appointed CEO of the Walt Disney Company, eagerly awaited the box office results of Chicken Little, the company’s second computer-generated (CG) feature film. He knew that, for Disney as a whole to be successful, he had to get the animation business right, particularly the new CG technology that was rapidly supplanting hand-drawn animation.1 Yet the company had been reliant on a contract with animation studio Pixar, which had produced hits such as Toy Story and Finding Nemo, for most of its recent animated film revenue. And the co-production agreement, brokered during the tenure of his predecessor, Michael Eisner, was set to expire in 2006 after the release of Cars, the fifth movie in the five-picture deal. Unfortunately, contract renewal negotiations between Steve Jobs, CEO of Pixar, and Eisner had broken down in 2004 amid reports of personal conflict. When he assumed his new role, Iger reopened the lines of communication between the companies. In fact, he had just struck a deal with Jobs to sell Disneyowned, ABC-produced television shows—such as â€Å"Desperate Housewives†Ã¢â‚¬â€through Apple’s iTunes Music Store.2 Iger knew that a deal with Pixar was possible; it was just a question of what that deal would look like. Did it make the most sense for Disney to simply buy Pixar? Walt Disney Feature Animation Walt Disney Feature Animation began with the production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1934. Toys and memorabilia based on the movie’s characters were stocked in stores such as Woolworth’s around the film’s release, a move that became a trademark of Disney’s strategy. After many early successes, the animation division struggled for decades after Walt Disney’s death but  was rejuvenated with the arrival of Michael Eisner, as well as Jeffrey Katzenberg as chairman of Walt Disney Studios, in 1984. Under them, the studio produced a string of hit films that included The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, up to the enormous success of 1994’s The Lion King, which alone generated over $1 billion in net income for the company. The Walt Disney Company and Pixar Inc.: To Acquire or Not to Acquire? Eisner believed in making clear who was good at their job, and who was not so good, and wanted to give control to leaders who had a sense of judgment about creativity and business. Seventy-five percent of the time, he was able to find a director who had these skills and wanted to work on a particular movie; the rest of the time directors would be told to â€Å"just do it.†6 Katzenberg, who was known for his grueling work ethic and passion for animation, made it his personal mission to bring the studio back to its former glory. He supervised every aspect of the studio’s films. According to one former Disney executive, â€Å"Jeffrey is the sheep dog and the wolf. He’s the sheep dog guarding us, and the wolf hunting us.†7 Katzenberg was credited with hammering out the storytelling of each film and ensuring that each film had a moral resonance. He also brought on external talent to each movie, such as Elton John, who contributed songs for The Lion King. Recent Box Office Performance After The Lion King in 1994, every Disney-produced animated film fell below expectations (see Exhibit 1). When asked in 1997 about the division’s disappointing performance, Eisner replied, â€Å"I don’t think people quite understand our company. We have many avenues to make money from one of our animated films. The video revenues from one of our films are large, the consumer products huge.† Some of the same features that observers credited for Disney Animations’ success—large staff, large budgets, and lots of time—were also blamed for its demise. Disney Animation had just 275 employees in 1988; about 950 in 1994 for the release of The Lion King; and 2,200 at its peak in 1999.9 Competition for animators in the 1990s also caused salaries, which accounted for 80% of each film’s cost, to balloon, with top animators’ pay rising from $125,000 in 1994 to $550,000 in 1999.10 And these pay increases affected employees across the board. In 1994, Eisner refused to promote Katzenberg to president of the company, prompting his swift departure. The absence of Katzenberg, who was generally considered to be the studio’s creative force, struck many as the cause of the decline. As one commentator noted, â€Å"the company’s once-invincible animation studio has fallen on hard times since studio chief Jeffrey Katzenberg left.†11 In 1997, Katzenberg, along with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen, started rival animation studio DreamWorks. According to reports, in the years that followed, DreamWorks attempted to lure away some of Disney’s best animators. Joe Roth, former chairman of 20th Century Fox, became chairman of Walt Disney Studios after Katzenberg’s departure. In charge for six years, he focused the studio’s energy on live action films.13 Peter Schneider, former head of Disney Animation, took over in 2000 after Roth left. Schneider’s goal was to deliver â€Å"emotional, thematic stories.†14 He worked solely with established Disney directors and producers and relied on his younger development staff to broker deals with up-and-coming filmmakers, in contrast to the hands-on deal-making style of his predecessors, Katzenberg and Roth.15 The product development group assigned directors for each animated movie. In the late 1990s, Disney set up a â€Å"Secret Lab† in an old Lockheed plant near Burbank Airport as a response to the growing popularity of three-dimensional (3D) CG films. The group’s first CG project was the costly Dinosaur, which was released in 2000 to a strong opening weekend, but which ultimately disappointed at the box office. The Lab was shuttered in 2001 after Roy Disney viewed and rejected the second project underway, Wildlife, which he thought was packed with adult themes and strayed too far from Disney’s family-friendly brand offering. Disney then focused its animation efforts on traditional two-dimensional (2D) projects  such as 2001’s Atlantis: The Lost Empire.16 In 2002, under new feature-animation chief Thomas Schumacher, Disney embarked on an aggressive cost-cutting mission. Lilo Stitch, the first movie made in the new environment, cost about $80 million to make, versus $150 million for the 1999 Tarzan. Instead of 573 animators crafting 170,000 individual drawings, a crew of 208 rendered 130,000 drawings.17 Cost-cutting efforts took Disney’s animation department from its high to around 1,100 in 2003. At that point, as rival studios, such as News Corp.’s 20th Century Fox, exited the market, salaries slid precipitously. The market rate for the animator who brought home $550,000 in 1994 was half as much by the early 2000s.18 Apart from omitting redundancies, Disney Animation kept costs down by cutting corners where it could, in ways that were imperceptible to audiences. For example, the group eliminated things such as the number of characters seen in each frame or the amount of motion in the background.19 The televisionanimation unit also produced very low-cost films, like The Tigger Movie, which could make money with only $45 million in box office receipts, since the production cost was kept down to $15 million.20 In 2003, Disney Studios finally set up its own CG animation department. However, many staff members needed to be retrained in the new technology, which cost Disney money, heightened tension, and depressed morale within the studio. Disney decided to slow production on its animated films to give the staff more time to work on them and hammer out the story lines. American Dog and Rapunzel Unbraided, the second and third releases after Chicken Little, were both pushed back.21 Throughout this period, Disney came to rely on revenue and characters produced by its partner, Pixar. Between 1998 and 2004, Pixar CG movies contributed a total of more than $3.5 billion to Disney Studio revenues, and more than $1.2 billion to Disney’s operating income (Exhibits 2 and 2a). Pixar’s contribution represented 10% of revenue and over 60% of total operating income over the period. In 2005, Disney even set up a group known as Circle 7 to produce sequels to Pixar movies. The 40-person staff working on Toy Story 3 in March 2005 grew to 160 people during the followi ng year. Movie Economics While box office revenues from the theatrical release were the typical  measure of a movie’s success, financial success actually came from other revenue streams generated by the movie. By 2005, such sources included home video sales (originally on cassette tapes, but increasingly on DVD); payper-view and video-on-demand on cable channels; television showings, whether on free channels, such as NBC and CBS, or on cable channels; merchandise sales including toys, apparel, books, etc.; and video games and other electronic uses of the characters (see Exhibit 3). By 2005, the largest of these revenue sources was not theatrical box office but home video. Because character-related sales had such a long tail, revenue for a hit animated movie would come in over many years—up to decades for classic movies that were re-released theatrically and in home video form. Given the longevity of a great movie, film libraries were valuable assets. DreamWorks’ film library, for example, was about to be sold to Paramount for $900 million.23 Sequels to successful movies were another important source of revenue. The sequels to Toy Story, Shrek, and Ice Age, for example, generated between 30% and 90% more box office revenue than the originals. Once a character had been established, the existence of a built-in audience for subsequent  movies reduced marketing costs. Successful sequels would also extend the life of the original movie, particularly for animated features that appealed to successive generations of young children. Pixar Inc. Pixar was unusual among movie studios in generating a succession of box office hits. Its first five full-length films each grossed over $350 million.24 Steve Jobs said, â€Å"Everybody has tried to break into the animation market since Snow White was released in 1937. So far, only two companies  have ever produced a blockbuster production grossing more than $100 million, Disney and Pixar.†25 Pixar’s animation broke from the traditional model because the company did not use hand drawings but rather 3D computer-generated models. In 2D traditional animation, frames comprised hand-drawn cels, which required the skills of hundreds of people working for two to three years. Traditional animation constricted artists’ flexibility, too—if a change needed to be made to a character or scene, all subsequent frames had to be changed. Three-dimensional CG, on the other hand, used mathematical models to redraw each cel and mimic camera angles in ways that traditional an imation could not. Pixar used its own proprietary computer animation technology to generate incredibly lifelike 3D images and backgrounds, although CG still could not quite make human characters look perfectly realistic. Said Jobs, â€Å"We have 10 years of proprietary software systems that you cannot buy anything close to in the marketplace. You have to build them yourself.†26 Pixar’s technology allowed animators to manipulate hundreds of motion control points within a single character, to reuse animated images, and to edit easily.27 These technologies enabled Pixar to make animated films faster than its competitors and at a fraction of their cost. For example, the company made Toy Story with just 110 staff members, who spent the time saved on animation to focus on story and character development, as well as fine-tuning visual details. History Pixar traced its origins to the University of Utah in the 1970s, where a young Edwin Catmull studied computer science in a program renowned for creating the new field of computer graphics. Around the same time, Alexander Schure, president of New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), hired a team of animators to make a film version of â€Å"Tubby the Tuba,† a children’s record. Frustrated by the limitations of hand-drawn animation, Schure flew to the University of Utah, where he met and recruited Catmull to work at the Institute. Catmull and his hand-picked team spent four years at NYIT, where they made inroads into the field despite never producing the Tubby the Tuba movie. In 1979, George Lucas approached Catmull’s team with an offer to work on special effects for Lucasfilm, producer of the wildly successful Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises. While working there in the early 1980s, Catmull met John Lasseter at a computer graphics conference and the two became friends. Lasseter, a young animator from Disney, had studied at California Institute of the Arts with the likes of Tim Burton. Skilled in art as a young boy, Lasseter read a book on the art of animation and Disney during his freshman year of high school and realized what he wanted to do with his life. After graduation, he joined the ranks at Disney and worked on Mickey’s Christmas Carol. He commented, â€Å"I felt that Disney was, at the time, doing the same old thing. They had reached a certain plateau technically and artistically with, I think, 101 Dalmatians, and then everything had been kind of the same ever since then, with a glimmer of characters or sequences that were special.†30 In 1984, Lasseter went to Lucasfilm’s computer division under Catmull. In 1986, Steve Jobs—who had left Apple Computer the year before—bought the Lucasfilm computer business, then called Pixar, for $10 million.31 Initially, Jobs intended Pixar to be a computer hardware and software company. He spent the next several years subsidizing the company to the tune of nearly $50 million from his personal funds. When the graphics computers did not sell, Jobs cut a third of Pixar’s staff in 1991 and left only the animation division.32 Jobs said, â€Å"If I knew in 1986 how much it was going to cost to keep Pixar going, I doubt if I would have bought the company. The problem was, for many years the cost of the computers required to make animation we could sell was tremendously high. Only in the past few years has the price come down to the point that it makes business sense† (see Exhibits 4 and 4a).33 Software Pixar initially developed three proprietary technologies: RenderMan, Marionette, and Ringmaster. In 1989, the company released RenderMan, a software system that applied texture and color to 3-D objects and was used for visual effects. Pixar used RenderMan itself and sold it to Disney, Lucasfilm, Sony, and DreamWorks, which used it to create effects like the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. The program served as Pixar’s main source of revenue during the company’s early years. As of 2005, it had developed special effects for 100 films, and 44 of the last 47 movies that won the Oscar in visual effects had used RenderMan. In 2001, Catmull, along with two other Pixar scientists, won an Oscar for RenderMan and its advancements to the field of motion picture rendering. Marionette, the primary software tool for Pixar animators, was designed specifically for character animation and articulation, compared with other animation software that was designed to address product design and special effects. Ringmaster was a production management system used to track internal projects and served as the overarching system to coordinate and sequence the animation, tracking the vast amount of data employed in a three-dimensional animated film.

Differences between Refugees and Migrants

Differences between Refugees and Migrants How do refugees differ from migrants? Is the distinction important? Why? In the current public frenzy and political debate, the terms ‘refugee’ and ‘migrant’ are perceived as synonymous and are used interchangeably by political leaders and journalists. People choose to travel across borders due to a variety of reasons and under different circumstances. While political instability due to ongoing civil wars in some countries forces people to leave their homes, others voluntarily choose to migrate to another country in search of better economic conditions. This distinction, although undermined, holds severe legal consequences that can have a dire impact on the people in question. According to the 1951 Refugee Convention, a refugee is someone who flees their home country, and is reluctant to return, due to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, (Castles, 222). Refugees are protected under international law, which includes the right to not be instantly deported to their home country and into harms way. On the other hand, a migrant is someone who makes a conscious decision to move to another country for economic reasons or for family reunions. Anyone who is not specifically fleeing war or personal prosecution is considered a migrant. The reason behind people’s decision to immigrate is one of the main differences between migrants and refugees; â€Å"while migrants may seek to escape harsh conditions of their own, like dire poverty, refugees escape conditions where they could face imprisonment, deprivation of basic rights, physical injury or worseâ₠¬  (Martinez). Creating a distinction between ‘migrants’ and ‘refugees’ is important since each has different implications for the host country. Under the regulations of the 1951 Refugee Convention, refugees cannot be refused asylum and sent back to their home countries where their lives would be in danger. Since refugees don’t have the option to return to their homelands, they are more likely to invest in the host country-specific trends and culture. This is done mainly through learning the native language, becoming naturalized citizens or by enrolling children into local schools. Since refugees flee from their countries due to political instability, they are unable to keep in contact with family members in their home countries, which makes it more likely for them to create social connections in the host country. â€Å"This line of reasoning suggests that refugee immigrants are more likely to assimilate into the earnings growth path of the native-born population,à ¢â‚¬  as well as the culture (Cortes). Economic migrants usually aim to simply earn money to improve their living standards and support their families. Since these migrants did not flee from their homes, they are able to maintain ties with their families in their home countries. The ability to maintain hereditary social connections prevents them from wanting to integrate into the local society. While the willingness of the refugees to assimilate into the society is very evident, their ability to do so might be questionable. More often than not, refugees stand as a starkly different section of the society and this hindrance in their ability could be subjected to their different social and cultural backgrounds. On the other hand, since the entry of migrants is more filtered, it could be easier for the government to ensure that these individuals are capable of integrating into the society. Many refugees who flee to the United Kingdom (UK) lack fluency in English, which is one of the main barriers to social integration. The UK government introduced English for speakers of other languages (Esol) classes, which provide refugees with eight hours of free English tuition in the initial year to help them overcome their language barriers. However, these classes have not weaved the results that were expected. This is primarily because refugees belonging to the same country are grouped together and as a result, someone who has never learned to read or write English ends up in the same class as someone with a University degree and intermediate knowledge of English. Conversely, migrants are required to have proficiency in English before applying for a UK visa, which essentially eradicates the language barriers for them, thus making it easier for them to be able to integrate into the British society. Since 2015, the European Refugee Crisis has induced a large-scale movement of refugees to the European Union (EU). Female women are often overlooked while devising policies to ensure proper integration of refugees into the host countries. While female refugees find it difficult to socially integrate into the society of the host country, female migrants find it harder to economically integrate into the host country’s labor force. According to a report published by the United Kingdom’s Survey on New Refugees (SNR), female refugees usually faired worse than male refugees in terms of literacy, health, housing and fluency in English. These drawbacks delay their integration into the British society by up to 21 months and marginalize them further. On the other hand, female migrants face challenges in the UK in terms of wage and job inequality. In 2018, employment figures published by public sector organizations in the UK reveal that â€Å"nine in 10 paid men more than women, with an overall gender pay gap of 14%† (Barr).   This pay gap is despite the fact that both male and female migrants are required to go through the same screening test, which deems them qualified to work in the UK in terms of literacy and fluency in English. These issues faced by migrant women prevent their climb up the social ladder. Thus, women belonging to both groups face recognizably different difficulties when they migrate to the UK and require different policies to target their specific needs.   Migrants that pour into a country often directly contribute to the labor force and easily assimilate into the society. Their skill sets often align with the needs of the economy and this not only lands them good jobs but also makes them independent. The picture might not be as rosy for refugees who are often ‘dependent’ on the government. In the UK, although, many of them are highly educated â€Å"(38% have a university education), unemployment is very high (82%) and of those who are unemployed, nearly all rely mainly on government support† (Betts). Those willing to work are limited to only serving at ‘low-end’ jobs due to lack of language skills and knowledge of the British labor market. Moreover, most of them â€Å"have been traumatized by war, and arrive in vulnerable conditions; these factors complicate their integration into local markets† (Rozo). Host countries are forced to invest their resources to fulfill the crucial task of reliev ing the suffering of the refugee community and ensuring their security by providing asylum and bearing the additional expenses of accommodation. In doing so, they divert manpower from the national developmental activities, thus pressurizing the local administration. However, migrants do not need special assistance from the host government to ensure their settlement and security. They contribute positively to â€Å"demographic trends, and – depending on their skills and willingness to work – improve the ratio of active workers to non-active persons (e.g. pensioners), whilst also contributing to innovation, entrepreneurship and GDP growth† (Karakas). The time gap between when the refugees are allowed to use welfare benefits and when their work actually begins to contribute to an economy’s productive potential is significant. On the other hand, one can see an immediate effect on the host economy’s output when migrants begin to work. Moreover, economic migrants tend to work at high-skilled jobs, in fact, migrants fill â€Å"one in five skilled British jobs† (Paton). While migrants occupy the higher level jobs in the labor market, refugees are confined to the lower strata of the labor market. Migrants earn more and contribute more in terms of taxes and utilize fewer welfare resources, whereas refugees pay lower taxes and utilize more social benefits. â€Å"Altogether, international forced migration may have drastically different implications than the integration of economic migrants through an established migration system in developed countries† (Rozo). Thus, the net economic impact of migrants is usually positive, while that of refugees is negative. These days, the definitions of the terms ‘refugee’ and ‘migrant’ are seen to converge to mean the same thing. This confusion may arise because the term ‘refugee’ has been defined by international law while there is no legal definition for the term â€Å"migrant† and so policymakers, media and the government do not pay attention to the difference in the denotations and connotations of the two varying groups of people in an economy. â€Å"Blurring the terms ‘refugees’ and ‘migrants’ takes attention away from the specific legal protections refugees require, such as protection from refoulement and from being penalized for crossing borders without authorization in order to seek safety† (UNHCR). Given the vagueness in definitions, the significance of seeking asylum within the two groups is also called into question. Particularly in today’s times with an increase in various refugee crises, public support f or refugees and the institution of asylum is becoming all the more necessary. While governments must ensure that the human rights of migrants, as well as refugees, are respected, the legal and operational response for refugees must be given more importance because of their higher comparative vulnerabilities. Refugees lack protection from their country of origin while migrants have a fallback in terms of national embassies that are willing to protect their rights in cases of possible infringements. While refugees are processed under the regulations of international law, migrants fall under the umbrella of domestic laws. Governments in the host countries can choose to deport the latter, while because refugees cannot be denied asylum, governments do not have the authority to send them back to their countries of origin. Having ratified the 1951 Refugee Convention, the UK is obliged to follow its protocols that define the responsibilities of nations that grant asylum to refugees. Due to this treaty, the recent decision of the UK to leave the EU will not have a major impact on the refugee movement. However, it will have a significant impact on migrants traveling to the UK. Brexit will allow the UK to modify its existing immigration laws and make them more stringent to make it exceedingly difficult for migrants to live in the UK. In this case, if the policymakers confuse a refugee as a migrant and deport them under the regulations of domestic law, they are in effect giving them a dea th sentence. Thus, the seemingly insignificant difference in the definitions of the two terms is, in fact, the difference between life and death for millions. â€Å"For this reason, United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees always refers to ‘refugees’ and ‘migrants’ separately, to maintain clarity about the causes and character of refugee movements and not to lose sight of the specific obligations owed to refugees under international law.† Understanding the difference between ‘refugees’ and ‘migrants’ essentially saves millions of lives by allowing people belonging to the two groups to be processed under suitable laws. Refugees and migrants follow different patterns of social integration into host nations. Lack of proficiency in the local language is one the main obstacles to the social integration of refugees. If the government blurs these two terms and formulates policies that don’t specifically address the individual needs of each of these groups, social integration of refugees will be extremely difficult, despite their unrelenting willingness to do so. Moreover, gender-specific policies are required to address the additional problems that are faced by female refugees and migrants. Despite their distinct initial needs, refugee women eventually face similar problems as migrant women do with economic integration. Economically, the situation for migrants is much better as compared to th at of refugees. Despite having high skill sets, refugees are unable to work at high paying jobs due to language barriers. As a result, they end up utilizing more benefits and contributing less to the economies of the host nations. Thus, refugees differ from migrants in terms of their impact on the host countries and this distinction is clearly important because it not only affects the lives of the two groups but also affects the host countries. WORKS CITED: Barr, Caelainn, et al. â€Å"Gender Pay Gap Figures Reveal Eight in 10 UK Firms Pay Men More.† The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 4 Apr. 2018, www.theguardian.com/money/2018/apr/04/gender-pay-gap-figures-reveal-eight-in-10-uk-firms-pay-men-more. Betts, Alexander, et al. â€Å"Talent Displaced: The Economic Lives of Deloitte US.†Ã‚  Deloitte, University of Oxford, www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/About-Deloitte/talent-displaced-syrian-refugees-europe.pdf. Castles, Stephen, and Mark J. Miller. The Age of Migration: International Population Movements in the Modern World. 4th ed., Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. Cortes, Kalena E. â€Å"Are Refugees Different From Economic Migrants? .† The Review of Economics and Statistics, May 2004. Karakas, Cemal. Economic Challenges and Prospects of the Refugee Influx. European Parliamentary Research Service, Dec. 2015, www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2015/572809/EPRS_BRI(2015)572809_EN.pdf Martinez, Michael. â€Å"Migrant vs. Refugee: Whats the Difference.† CNN, Cable News Network, 8 Sept. 2015, edition.cnn.com/2015/09/08/world/what-is-difference-migrants-refugees/index.html. Paton, Graeme. â€Å"Immigrants Fill One in Five Skilled British Jobs.† The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 3 Nov. 2013, www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10424148/Immigrants-fill-one-in-five-skilled-British-jobs.html. Rozo, Sandra V., et al. â€Å"Blessing or Burden? The Impact of Refugees on Businesses in Host Countries.† 16 Feb. 2018. UNHCR.  Ã¢â‚¬ËœRefugees’ and ‘Migrants’ Frequently Asked Questions. 15 Mar. 2016, www.unhcr.org/hk/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2016/04/FAQ-ahout-Refugees-and-Migrants.pdf.pdf