Evaluate the Causes of World War I Essay

World war one is one of the most important events in world history. It took place in Europe in 1914-1918. The whole world participated this war. So everyone had some responsibility. There are more than one reasons for the outbreak of this war. Mainly, it was the expansion form of nationalism & the alliances system. Other issues played a major part too, such as imperialism, the industrial revolution, naval race and domestic factors. One of the main long term causes as I said before is Nationalism. Nationalism is the patriotic feeling when people believe passionately for their countries. The extreme feeling of nationalism is called ethnocentrism and it leads to fascism. Nationalism also, promoted the war because nationalists wanted to reestablish their nation’s power. Th e majority of people before and during the world war one, wanted to have a larger territory. Flags are created to represent a country. The three countries that formed the Triple Alliance was formed by different ethnic groups. Above all, Austria’s – Hungary’s ethnic groups wanted their independence. These groups were, Slovaks, Serbs & Czechs. They wanted to rule themselves and have their own state. Particularly, many Serbs in different territories wanted to join the neighboring state of Serbia. Italy was also formed from a collection of smaller states, aiming at having its government established. The trigger cause of world war one was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinard & his wife also by a Serbian nationalist. This happened in June 1914 while they were in Sarajevo, Bosnia which was a part of Austria – Hungary. This assassination was in protest to Austria – Hungary having control of the region. This was the extreme form of nationalism as I said above, that killed the prince of Austria and world war one began. Another cause which cause the war is imperialism. In other words, the competition among powerful countries to extend their power. All the countries were looking for ways to conquer oversea colonies. There was a competitive feeling about it. They also needed more resources. Naval bases for Germany & Britain were also of paramount important. For example, France & Russia prepared to face any German invasion. Germany took from France an important industrial area of Alsace – Lorraine. In 1890 Germany has a New Kaiser who was very active. Germany seized control of Chinese ports & wanted more oversea colonies as Britain & France had. Italy also wanted more oversea colonies and that’s a reason it joined the Triple Alliance. Furthermore, there is another cause, the alliances. Alliances existed to support â€Å"friends† and threaten enemies. The promoted their own culture. Alliance’s movements are like gangs. They used violence and technology weapons. Alliances active role before the war was to understand the progress of the war & country’s movements. So before world war one Russia defended Serbia. Serbia’s territories were controlled by the state of Austria – Hungary. Serbia started the war against Austria – Hungary and Russia got involved. France & Russia had a close friendship. A response to get back its land Germany attacked France through Belgium. In 1884 the Triple Alliance we formed with Germany, Italy and Austria – Hungary to support each other militarily in case of an attack. The Triple Entente that formed in 1904 with Britain, France and Russia. The last cause of the war was the industrial revolution, in other words militarism. Militarism is associated with technology weapons. Such as cars, bombs, machine guns, submarines, bullets, dynamites etc. Industrial development was very important in order to be powerful. In this new war armies used cars and not horses. Another point is the radio, was used for propaganda. Everything was moving very fast. Military includes submarines, airplanes and machine guns. France & Russia worried a lot for Germany’s development. Loans from France helped Russia to develop industries. Germany’s navy plan named â€Å"Navy Code† was increasing their navy. This plan worked as a threaten to Britain. Germany’s development of their navy was apparent. It become one of the world’s most powerful navy in 1980 with Britain first. In 1914 German industries was second in the world only to that of the USA. Serbia was also becoming a powerful force in Balkans. France also built up their industries & army. Russia was the largest of all six powers however it was the most backward and least developed. As a result of this war there was devastation across Europe. Eight millions of people died & twenty – nine millions injured. The use of the word destruction includes issues we are not able to see. It’s not only the destruction of buildings, the lack of education and the economic decline. It’s also the lack of ideas, family issues, the psychology of the crowd, propaganda and much more. Even after the world war one for decades the leaders changing politics, changes & public opinions. In my opinion preserving the peace was neither Triple Alliance’s or Triple entente’s priority. What if the countries did not show off or compete for power? I believe that nationalism was the most important cause for causing the war. Consequently all the countries were reacting in extremely nationalistic ways and unreasonably. I also think world war one was a result of leader’s antagonism towards other countries which was sustained by the increasing nationalism of European nations. The assassination of Archduke worked as the immediate cause that triggered a domino effect of reactions among all these countries. If this wouldn’t happen, they would have find another cause to start the war. I suppose everything’s happened because of the selfishness leader’s had. They didn’t inspire the crowd & this prove that there was the failure of diplomacy.

Application of Background Methodology Essay

In addition, childhood obesity can adversely affect social and economic development and lead to adult obesity causing more adverse health conditions. The costs of treating obesity in the United States are steadily increasing. Estimates show the direct and indirect costs associated with treating obesity was near $139 billion in 2003 (Li, & Hooker, 2010). The focus of this paper is to examine a peer-reviewed research article conducted by Ji Li, PhD. and Neal Hooker PhD published in the Journal of School Health, to show how the application of background and methodology of the research process can be applied to problems in health care. By examining the purpose of the study, the hypothesis, the variables employed, and the framework used to guide the study, a better understanding of the research process will be gained. Study Purpose Schools have been the subject of many research studies regarding childhood obesity. Surveys have examined issues such as race, ethnicity, and gender-specific differences relating to issues such as how television viewing affects weight gain and how physical activity effects academic achievement. The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) School Breakfast Program (SBP) and have been the subject of many studies (Li, & Hooker, 2010). The studies examined food choices; comparing the nutritional content of program meals to other competitive food choices available in the cafeteria. A different study observed the effect of NSLP eligibility and food insecurities on child welfare. The results of the study indicated no evidence of benefit associated with participation in the NSLP and child well-being (Li, & Hooker, 2010). Past research, associating childhood obesity and school-related programs and activities have been limited. The research did not differentiate between either public or private school types or were only composed of public school findings. Moreover, past research studies have employed only limited perspectives on the issue. The purpose of this article’s study is to delve further into the effects family, school, and community play on childhood obesity in hopes of understanding better the correlation (Li, & Hooker, 2010). By doing so administrators of health care will be better equipped to advise parents, educators, and policies makers of the importance of wellness and nutrition among school-aged children. Research Questions Many questions are posed in this study. The main question asked is, what is the correlation, if any, between school type, physical activity, participation in the NSLP, and other independent variables on body mass index (BMI) of children living in the United States? In addition, does the type of school, public or private, make a difference in the BMI of children? Last, does the physical activity level of the parents have an effect on a child’s BMI (Li, & Hooker, 2010)? Hypotheses This hypothesis of the study is not clearly stated within the article although the reading suggests there are several. The study suggests that children living in lower socioeconomic households and qualifying for the NSLP have greater chance of becoming obese. Children who attend public schools are more at risk of becoming overweight than those who attend private schools. In addition, children whose parents are physically active have less chance of becoming overweight. Last, parental education levels, smoking habits, and employment status can affect a child’s weight (Li, & Hooker, 2010). Study Variables To analyze how various factors effect childhood obesity, information was gathered about the children’s schools, families, communities, and daily activities from the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH). These sociodemographic independent variables include such information as the child’s age, gender, race, primary spoken language, physical activity level, television use, time spend playing computer games, extracurricular ctivities, and participation in the free or reduced lunch program (Li, & Hooker, 2010). Information about parental activities such as smoking practices, employment status, and education, economic, and activity levels were also included. The dependent variable body BMI was used as the measure of obesity. BMI can be defined as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. This method of mea surement is widely used by health providers to determine physical development (Li, & Hooker, 2010). Conceptual Model or Theoretical Framework The conceptual model used to understand the results of the study and to determine its empirical and scientific effectiveness, studies the relationships between childhood obesity and factors that contribute to the problem. By considering the multidimensional perspectives surrounding the lives of children in the United States, the effects on BMI as a measure of obesity can prove probable correlations. This study first applied a nonlinear regression model to survey data to examine important relationships. Next, the study constructed three model specifications to investigate the effects of the NSLP (Li, & Hooker, 2010). Last, discoveries were analyzed regarding the factors influencing the child’s probability for becoming overweight (Li, & Hooker, 2010). The conceptual model of the study provides correlations between socioeconomic status (SES) and other factors and childhood obesity by providing supporting facts. Review of Related Literature A review of the literature cited supports the need for this study. Research by Ogden, Carroll, and Flegal (2008) proves the BMI of children and adolescents in the United States are increasing steadily. A related study by Bouchard (1997) shows the relationship between childhood and adult obesity. In addition, the reference to Dietz (2004) shows that obesity can cause serious illness in children such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The high cost associated with treating obesity in the United States proves the need for further study into the problems associated to childhood obesity (Finkelstein, Ruhm, & Kosa, 2005). Study Design The study design employed was quantitative, consisting of data gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 2003 and 2004 NSCH. The State and Local Area Integrated Telephone Survey Program was used to survey and investigate the physical and psychological health status of children age birth to 17 (Li, & Hooker, 2010). The households were randomly selected with the screening question of the presence of children under age 18 in the household was used. Observations of 62,880 children from different households living in the United States were studied through the value of BMI (Li, & Hooker, 2010). Conclusion The article from the Journal of School Health contains research collected from the NSCH conducted by the CDC to investigate the associations between children attending public and private schools, student eligibility for the free or reduced-cost meal programs, and family SES on children’s BMI (Li, & Hooker, 2010). Issues such as parent education and activity level in addition to child television and video game use are noted as possible associative factors that may lead to childhood obesity. The research further illustrates the implications for school health policy and its need for wellness curricula to promote healthy eating and physical exercise (Li, & Hooker, 2010). By examining the background and methodology used in the creation of this study, one can see how the data was used to help formulate and prove the hypotheses giving a greater understanding of the research process.

The car industry brought its decline on itself. Comment, with Essay

The car industry brought its decline on itself. Comment, with reference to the period since 1960 - Essay Example The government tried to play its role in curing the demise of the car industry in Britain. However, it ended up making decisions and policies that adversely affected the state of the British car industry. They include the steel rationing scheme, improper investments and development to support mergers, and unsuccessful regionalization policies. On the other hand, the management practices prevalent in the industry did not help its condition either. There was unsystematic authoritarian leadership, poor integration after mergers, and other improper strategies that also played their role in bringing down the growing car manufacturing industry of Britain. (Church, 1994) This paper will shed light over the ineffective government policies and the poor management that, together, led to the demise of the British car industry. It also discusses some specific cases and examples from the history of Britain’s auto industry and points out where the mistakes were made and how management could have avoided them. Some may argue that the government’s economic policies could have had an adverse affect on the development of the industry. The factors that may have contributed towards the meltdown of the auto industry in UK may include the steel rationing scheme, unsuccessful regionalisation policies by the government and the failure to maintain the development of the newly funded mergers. After the success of the auto industry in the UK, in 1945 the multinationals expanded their factories in order to increase the productivity. The government supported this effort made by the multinationals as it would increase employment in the surrounding areas. But the scarcity of resources such as steel kept the government to keep the supply under their control also known as the steel rationing scheme; this prevented the firms to produce the maximum output. The changes in energy

The Shakedown Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Shakedown Business - Essay Example It does not have any connection in the country. The fact that the company’s officials bribe Mylofienko in order to get their telephone lines installed faster make them easy targets for other officials who are extortionists. Ukraine also permits payment of facilitation fee which Zhuk is keen to pay in order to get his company’s telephone lines installed. Additionally, the high business goals that Zhuk sets also make the company a target of extortion by the officials. Zhuk establishes the company so that he can change people’s lives. He pays the best salaries to his workers and ensures they have a comfortable life. Moreover, the company shows that it is willing to pay any official any amount of money so as to pursue business interests in the country. Customer Strategy Solution presumes bribing as the only way of succeeding in Ukraine. They want to have an advantage over other business rivals hence the dealings with officials who are corrupt. Question 2 Customer Str ategy Solution should not have used that mode of payment in order to get their telephone lines installed. By paying a bribe to Mylofienko, the company showed that it was willing to pay any official any amount of money so as to pursue business interests in the country. Customer Strategy Solution presumes bribing as the only way of succeeding in Ukraine. They want to have an advantage over other business rivals hence the dealings with officials who are corrupt. Question 2 Customer Strategy Solution should not have used that mode of payment in order to get their telephone lines installed. By paying a bribe to Mylofienko, the company showed that it was willing to pay any official any amount of money so as to pursue business interests in the country. Zhuk and Hnatyuk visited Mylofienko, a senior telecommunications manager, to acquire relevant information n costs associated with telephone lines installation. According to Mylofienko, renting a telephone line would cost the company ten hyrv nia monthly, and the rate of use would be 0.5 hyrvnia per single minute. The telecommunication company was willing to charge the company 100 hyrvnia. This amount was fair according to Zhuk and Hnatyuk. They were able to pay the stipulated amount as presented by Mylofienko. Mylofienko informed them that it will take a period of three years before the company’s telephone lines could be installed. He attributed this long wait to a huge number of orders placed by people and companies. The delay in installing the telephone lines would mean that the company’s project be slowed down or fail to be realized altogether. Hnatyuk’s thought of acquiring services from another, though more expensive company made Mylofienko decide to help them with the installation, but at a fee. He was to give exceptional treatment to their application. He was to be given $300 per line; he was also to install ten lines in the company’s office at a cost of $500 in a month’s time, and the installation was to begin the week that followed. The higher the amount demanded by the telecommunication company, the faster Customer Strategy Solution, would start its operations. For $3000, the company would start functioning in a month’s time. $5000 meant it would commence its operation the following week. Making fresh appointments, spending extra time getting wired and meeting new people posed a new challenge. These thought made the company decide to accept the terms of Mylofienko in exchange for the installation services. They demanded to get the telephone lines get installed in the shortest time possible. What followed was Hnatyuk’ giving Mylofienko the envelope containing some money and one copy of the contract between the two companies. The company had bribed Mylofienko. They should not have made their payment the way they did. The company should have followed the due process

Business Strategy for Coca-Cola Company Research Paper

Business Strategy for Coca-Cola Company - Research Paper Example The Coca-Cola Company was created in Atlanta, Georgia in 1886. It engages in the manufacture, distribution, and marketing of nonalcoholic beverages and syrups. The Company is responsible for the production and distribution of 400 brands of beverages, which include light and diet beverages, juice drinks and juice, waters, coffees, teas, energy and soft drinks. Moreover, the company owns various canning and bottling subsidiaries in different regions worldwide. In addition, the organization sells finished products of beverages which bear its trademark in more than 200 nations worldwide. By 2006, the Coca-Cola Company operated via eight segments which include Africa, Pacific Rim, East, South Asia; Latin America; European Union; North America; the Middle East and Eurasia; corporate and bottling companies. The Coca-Cola Company activities straddle various sectors of the soft drink industry: in world’s trade in 2004, the company was leading in terms of value and volume in the carbona tes, vegetable or fruit juice, coffee and ready to drink sectors. In the Asian specialty and functional drinks, Coca-Cola Company was the second-best player in the world (The Coca-Cola Company, 2015).   The company produces syrups and concentrates which are sold to different bottling organizations for final, processes such as dilution and packaging.   The collaboration between the Coca-Cola Company and other bottling companies creates the most effective distribution and production system in the world.

Analysis the Current Economic Crisis Term Paper

Analysis the Current Economic Crisis - Term Paper Example America had been the epicenter of scientific and engineering innovation throughout the 20 century. While the Civil War triggered off the entrepreneurial spirit in America and witnessed technological and scientific advancement in the 20th century, the period of five decades after the Civil War witnessed a virtual explosion of industrial growth. Additionally, the scale of the war convinced people about the viability of developing organizations of national scale. This belief, coupled with industrial growth, led to the development of gigantic business organizations. This period also witnessed the growth of nationwide transportation systems, like transnational railway lines and steamships and communication systems, like telephone and telegraph networks. These developments transformed the American economy from a loose collection of city/state based economy to a truly unified and synchronized economy. This unification led to a period of robust growth of the economy and drove the consumption of society. (Kornblith G.J., 2004) As discussed before, America in the pre-civil war era was essentially a loose collection of local economies. Agricultural was the most important employment generating sector and local communities were more or less self-dependent. However, agriculture, due to its inherent dependence on nature, offered an uncertain and often underpaid economic system. The advent of the Industrial revolution led to explosive growth in demand for skilled as well as unskilled laborers. Unlike agriculture, an industrial job offered more stability and sometimes, higher wages. This led to a massive flow of labor from agriculture to the industrial sector. This internal migration led to the rapid growth of existing cities and the development of new cities. This massive urbanization led to the evolution of an entirely different kind of society - a society that had a relatively stable income and surplus cash but was totally dependent on the larger economy for its basic needs. Â  

Why are gas prices inflated Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6750 words

Why are gas prices inflated - Essay Example However following the slowdown in the Asian economy in the late 90’s there was a sharp fall in price when the barrel came down to 10 dollars. This was also because there was abundance of supply since oil from Iraq had started entering world markets after the Gulf War. (Michael Cohen, 2006) Thereafter the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) managed to restrict the production levels so as to recover the crude oil prices. Since then the prices have soared and have reached levels where the barrel now costs 150 dollars. OPEC is group of 13 countries namely, Algeria, Equador, Angola, Indonesia, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, Qatar, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and the United Arab Emirates. (Daniel McDonald et al, October 2005 a. Background There have many instances over the past century when oil prices have suddenly gone on upward trend. Most notable among these were the oil increases in 1974, in 1979 and then after the 90’s which was the period after the Gul f war. In a historical perspective the patterns of oil consumptions over the past twenty years have been plotted on the graph. (Ray Barrell and Olga Pomerantz, Dec 2004) Most developed countries depend on oil for their economic stability. Data shows that 40% of OECD energy needs were satisfied by oil while for the non-OECD it was 28%. Japan needs close to 50% of its energy needs to be supplemented by oil. However China despite its booming economy shows a requirement of 20-30% of oil for its energy needs. It has been noted that North America and Europe require 40% of oil to cover their energy requirements. (Ray Barrell and Olga Pomerantz, Dec 2004) South American economies on the other hand have quite a booming and robust vehicle industry which has called for large consumption of oil. Other European countries like Czechoslovakia met 50% of its energy requirements by the use of coal. Data tabulated over the last 30 years show that the consumption of petroleum products have risen from 57.4 million barrels per day in 1973 to 78.7 million barrels per day in 2003 which is jump by 40%. (Ray Barrell and Olga Pomerantz, Dec 2004) Figures have shown that over the last decade while demand for oil shrunk in Europe, the demand for oil in the OECD countries grew by 0.5% per annum on average till 1990. (Ray Barrell and Olga Pomerantz, Dec 2004) However in the other emerging economies like India and China the demand was robust. Latin American countries like Argentina continued to lag behind because of its huge debt crisis. The changes of production pattern in the European economies were also factors in the slight dip in demand. Production patterns were changed to market economies. While oil consumption showed reduction in Czech Republic and Hungary there was a 2% increase in Poland. After the Berlin wall collapsed, Germany and areas to its proximity underwent recession. Oil intensity is a term used to define the quantity of fuel needed to produce purchasing power outputs. (Ra y Barrell and Olga Pomerantz, Dec 2004) In the last twenty years the developed countries like UK, Germany, Italy and France have shown signs of reduced oil intensity. Countries like Portugal and Spain however showed rapid progress with indexes of higher oil intensity. The countries that were steady over the last decade included Sweden and Austria. Compared to the European markets the US markets performed better. US required less quarter of oil to generate a unit of output while the oil intensity of Canada fluctuated between high and low. Compared to the three biggest economies in Europe, US have the largest oil intensity. The oil intensity of Japan has been ascertained to be that between the European and the US levels. During the first

APP5HintonN Epi2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

APP5HintonN Epi2 - Essay Example If the margin of error, for instance, is pegged at minus five in the high exposure areas, that will be twenty one units less five units. The result will be a low exposure at sixteen units. Upon the other hand, if the margin of error is assumed at plus five units in the areas with low exposure to pesticide, the result will be a classification of high exposure at twenty four or nineteen plus five. It will therefore be a case of a high becoming a low and a low becoming a high. The allowance for error given here cannot render validity to the result of the sampling. Margins of error can affect the validity of statistical researches. In the afore-stated situation, the given margin of error seems to be high at plus or minus twelve. Bigger margins such as this one here will more likely be unreliable. (Fontaine, Beth. How to Calculate Margin of Error. eHow. [internet]) The error though will not change the measure of association because the margin is either a plus or a minus. In the study of association between patients diagnosed for HIV and the number of their lifetime sexual partners, a confounding factor can result into an error.

Response to Intercultural Outgroup Members Essay

Response to Intercultural Outgroup Members - Essay Example What makes these black guys scary is only in her eyes, but because these guys were aggrieved, they made her fear come true, they pulls out a gun, points on theirs face and carjacked them. This results biased judgment for blacks. Jean holds prejudice against people on the basis of skin color and cultural race. She discriminates the Mexican-American locksmith because he looks like a "gang member," with a shaved head and tattoos, when actually he is a devoted family man. She thinks that the locksmith would sell their keys with his allegedly gang banger friends. But the offended locksmith proved her dilemma to be wrong. Another racist, Officer Ryan (Matt Dillon) is a white police officer who molests Christine, a black woman, during a traffic stop. Meanwhile, Ryan is trying to get help from Shaniqua Johnson, a black woman, for his father, who may possibly have prostate cancer but seems to have been misdiagnosed with a bladder infection, Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). Ryan's racist remarks to a black insurance representative (Miss Johnson) prevent him from getting his father the treatment he needs. His racial prejudices seem to stem in part from the negative impact that local affirmative action-style policies that favored minority businesses had on his father's business, family, and life. Ryan later relieves the viewers of his racist tendencies when he saves Christine from certain death in a fiery car wreck and is seen working with a Mexican-American Patrolman whom he seems to show no signs of prejudice towards. Where Do I Fit In Why and when individuals felt like outgroup members within their own group Chung (1998) explained that it has to do with the context and status of the individual with whom one interacts. So here enters Officer Hanson who is having an embarrassing problem, for personal nature. He is Officer Ryan's partner, who is disgusted by Ryan's racism and the city's inaction. After trying to get another partner after seeing Ryan molest Christine, Hanson accepts a solo patrol vehicle. Hanson saves Cameron during his confrontation with the police, yet shoots Peter when Peter reaches for what he suspected was a weapon, but was actually a statuette of Saint Christopher in his car after picking him up and giving him a ride. He dumps the body and burns his car in an attempt to hide evidence. Another issue raised in this chapter is - if the ingroup does not approve of an individual's behavior, it can reject the ingroup member. This was manifested when a black guy (Anthony) tries to carjack his black fellow, Cameron. Thus Cameron felt embarrassed because of Anthony's wrong doing. Prejudiced Remarksor Innocent Jokes Our question is, Do "innocent" remarks or biased jokes directed at an individual or ethnic group make them tolerable or acceptable In a certain scenario, a Persian store owner is afraid for his safety. He is depicted as a man frustrated by the racial harassment he experiences in the United States as well as deterred with difficulties with speaking English. To protect his store, the only thing his family has, he goes to a gun shop and attempts to buy a gun but his hotheaded attitude causes racist remarks from the owner who refuses to sell him a gun. One thing that the owner says is - "Yo! Osama plan a jiharan your own time. What do you want"

Trifles and A Jury of Her Peers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Trifles and A Jury of Her Peers - Essay Example The latter can be regarded as an adaptation of the former. After exploring the two works, the reader can evidently realize that there are certain differences, as well as similarities that exist in the works (Gainor 42). In this regard, this paper will compare and contrast the two works, giving similarities and differences that are existent in the works. Similarities and differences between Trifles and A jury of her peers While â€Å"Trifles† is the original play written by the author, â€Å"A jury of Her Peers† can be regarded as a short story, which is a rewriting of the play. The story can be classified as narrative when compared to the play. Although the two works have the similar characters, the story gives the reader a chance to know the feelings, emotions, as well as thoughts of the characters. This means that the play describes the characters narrowly while the story goes in depth in the description of the characters (Gainor 42). The other way in which the two wo rks can be contrasted is with regard to the way males and females tend to be characterized. There are differences in the author’s depiction of both male and female characters in the play and the story. In the story, men can be said to have more depth than in the play. This emanates from the fact that there is in depth explanation of the male characters in the story as compared to the play. Actors had to decide how they will depict gender in the play; on the other hand, depiction of gender in the short story is based on the author’s interpretation of the play. In this regard, therefore, it can be argued that there is more detailed explanation of characters (especially with regard to aspects of gender) in the story than in the play. The other difference between the short story and the play is that the story gives a clearer and in depth discussion of how the main characters relate to each other; this is not evident from the play. For example, the short story depicts the r elationship that exists between Mr. and Mrs. Hale with a lot of clarity. From the story, it becomes possible to get how the characters feel towards each other and their reaction towards one another’s behaviour. However, this is not evident in the play. The play does not give the reader any room for interpreting the behaviour of the characters. Thus, it is not possible to come to the realization why characters behave in certain ways (Gainor 43). The other difference between the two works is that the story brings out the issue of male dominance with a lot of clarity than the play. In the story, it is possible to gain an understanding of the various ways in which men dominate women and exercise authority towards them. This is not so in the play; as â€Å"Trifles† does not go deeply into the heart of the matter. The short story also explains the reactions and response of females towards domination by men; on the contrary, it is not possible to know how women react towards women from the play. There also exists a difference between the play and the short story in that the play involves a performance, which can be regarded as live. This means that the audience has little control regarding what happens. On the other hand, there are lots of interruptions in the short story since ambiguity enables the reader to think outside the box (Gainor 44). Apart from the differences that exist between these two works, there are also some similarities

The Execution of the Rosenbergs Essay Example for Free

The Execution of the Rosenbergs Essay During the Cold War, Americans lived in a society where the tension between the Soviet Union was at its peak in history. It was a time when the hatred against communism and the idea of nationalism were growing exponentially. Meanwhile, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were arrested for the accusations of helping the Soviets create the atomic bomb, which was the United States’ only advantage over the Soviets. Their arrest eventually led to the first ever execution of espionage in United States history. However, the justification of their execution is still being debated to this day. Did the Rosenbergs deserve such a harsh sentence or was it a misjudgment driven by the fear of communism? The political and social aspects of society certainly directed the fear of communism to overshadow the innocence of the Rosenbergs, making them the most controversial spies in American history. During World War II, many countries including the Soviet Union were skeptical about the existence of the atomic bomb. However, after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the strength of the atomic bomb became well-known. It was clear that as long as the United States had this weapon, no country would challenge them. This weapon was one of the few advantages the United States had against the Soviet Union going into the Cold War. It was as if the atomic bombs were the United States’ shield and armor against the Soviet Union’s attacks. Meanwhile, the power of communism was steadily rising in Eastern Europe and along with that, the American’s fear of communism was growing in parallel. â€Å"Communists were demonized; demons had no souls; no love in their hearts† (Garber/Walkowitz 25). The situation called for the â€Å"blueprint† of the atomic bomb to be safely put away from the communists. The U. S. overnment feared that the Soviet spies might get their hands on the secret information. However, it was only a matter of time that the Soviet Union would â€Å"somehow† develop its own atomic bomb†¦ Eventually on August 29th 1949, news was reported that the Soviets have successfully tested an atomic bomb in Kazakhstan. Americans were shocked, furious, and frightened. â€Å"When news came that the Soviets tested a bomb, years before it was expected, there were indeed many demagogic calls, in the media and on the stump, to find and severely punish, even execute, the thieves, the traitors† (Cohen 49). The American people did not stop to think once that the Soviet Union could have created the atomic bomb with their own power and technology. Most people just assumed that it was done through a work of spies that sold the secret information for money. Therefore, the government did not waste any time to find the person who was responsible for passing information about the atomic bomb. The growing fear of communism eventually reached its peak and the government was started taking actions to prevent any acts of espionage. After months of investigation by the FBI, Julius Rosenberg was called for questioning. He has previously been in communist groups and there were confessions from the Soviet spies that he was responsible for sending couriers and information from Los Alamos, where the Manhattan project was run. His wife, Ethel Rosenberg, was not accused at first because there was no proof of her activity in any illegal acts. She was only as a full time worker as a secretary and a mother of two kids. However, she was later called for questioning when her brother, David Greenglass, was also arrested for espionage. As the investigation went on, the media was starting to heat up and draw national attention to the Rosenbergs. The Rosenbergs were to be remembered the biggest scandal makers in U. S. history. As the fear of the Soviet Union grew after their development of the atomic bomb, the U. S. government was not going to let the investigation go smoothly. After multiple confessions from Soviet spies that Julius Rosenberg was responsible, he was sent to jail. A few months later, the FBI also arrested Ethel Rosenberg with the idea that she might have helped out her husband. The Rosenbergs were eventually both arrested and sent to court under Judge Kaufman. However, there were not enough evidence going into court that the Rosenbergs were legitimately guilty. â€Å"No documents linking the Rosenbergs with espionage were produced, despite a thorough search of their home by FBI agents, who placed in evidence only a collection can for the Spanish Refugee Appeal, licensed by the City of New York, found in their home† (Rosenberg 15). For this reason, the trial took a very long period of time. The only evidences going against the Rosenbergs were that David Greenglass and other Soviet spies have confessed to the Rosenbergs’ involvement in espionage. But even if there were any acts of espionage by the Rosenbergs, it was later revealed that none of the information that was passed by Julius Rosenberg was even useful in the development of the atomic bomb. If any information that was passed off was not useful, why punish or even kill that person? The trial was just a vicious circle between a couple of American civilians and a political bully that was blinded by war. If there was so much more supporting evidences for the Rosenbergs’ evidence, why did the United States government kept containing the Rosenbergs? It was all because the U. S. government did not want to seem weak in the eyes of the Soviet Union. Neither country wanted to show any weakness and lose the fight like in a boxing match where neither fighter wants to show their signs of fatigue and injury. Both countries tried to look stronger and richer than the other. â€Å"In turning down Ethels emotional appeals, Eisenhower said repeatedly that we could not appear weak† (Cohen 50). The Cold War was changing a lot of people’s views. Even President Eisenhower’s mentality shows how much he has lost the patience and the value of human beings because of the intensity of the war. Eventually on April 4th 1951, the Rosenbergs were sentenced to execution by Judge Kaufman. The final words of Judge Kaufman were cold and unsympathetic. â€Å"Your crime is worse than murder, for you put into the hands of the Russians the A-bomb years before our best scientists predicted Russia would perfect the bomb has already caused, in my opinion, the Communist aggression in Korea, with the resultant casualties exceeding 50,000 and who knows but what that millions more innocent people may pay the price of your treason. Indeed, by your betrayal, you undoubtedly have altered the course of history to the disadvantage of our country† (Wexley 67). In an important case like this, it is essential for the judge to consider all the evidence that is brought up in the case, but instead, Judge Kaufman ignored the evidences that supported the Rosenbergs. The judge was under too much control of President Eisenhower and the American government. Also, many believe that blaming the Rosenbergs for the cause and deaths of the Korean War was way over the top. A crime in that type of scale cannot be proven in court, which makes this trial a â€Å"scandal† more than an actual â€Å"crime†. And yet the Judge stated the â€Å"unproven crime† in the final sentence and considered it in the Rosenbergs’ execution. Judge Kaufman blamed them for the Korean War, and President Eisenhower held them responsible for the slaughter in any possible future nuclear war with the Soviet Union. These extreme accusations were never authenticated and, while there is no law requiring, they should have been† (Root 292). There was simply no proof that the Rosenbergs were responsible for all these tragedies. Although they were Americans with communist views, they were only a small percentage of the communist population in the United States during that time period. Also, the United States being involved in the Korean War was solely the government’s decision. Having to say that a future nuclear war is entirely their fault is too much of an overstatement to make on two innocent civilians who were just sentenced to death. Looking back fifty years from now, the media was also very biased and reported false information about the Rosenbergs that had significant impact on the ruling of the death sentence. â€Å"It is imperative that the true facts be known to all. Sadly, the information in the press and other mass media is not the truth, but instead is a distorted, truncated, myopic aberration of our case. It is clear that the primary use being made of our case is to coerce political dissident, and to secure conformity† (Rosenberg 132). That was a quote taken from an actual letter written by Ethel Rosenberg to her husband right before their execution. Telling from the tone of the letter, the Rosenbergs were despaired from the way the media was reporting false information and making the trial even harder for them. The media has always been an key factor on political and social issues. Because of the growing fear of communism, the media did not want to promote communism and espionage in any way to the public. As a result, the Rosenbergs were once again victims of the biased society and its false reporting media. The media was not the only influence on the social bias against the Rosenbergs. Many books were published to summon up the American’s anger against the Rosenbergs at that time. For example, there was the book, â€Å"Betrayers: the Rosenberg Case – a reappraisal of an American crisis† and â€Å"The Rosenberg Case: Fact and Fiction†, which was published on the same year of the execution. One of the quotes from the book was â€Å"Yes. The Rosenbergs’ case is ended, but the evil that they did is endless† ( Fineberg 148). If the evil that they did is endless like the author said in his book, there would certainly have been a nuclear war or a World War III by today, in the year 2008. However, that is not the case. The Soviet Union was surely to develop the atomic bomb with its own resources and power but all the blame went to the Rosenbergs in this state of affairs. The Rosenbergs were though not all alone through the fight in trial and against the coercion by the politicians. Soon after the death sentence by Judge Kaufman, countries all over the world protested the sentence. â€Å"Seemingly overnight, the whole world rose in protest against the death sentences that had been imposed on Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. By then end of the year, there were pro-Rosenberg committees in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, Ireland, Israel, and of course- Eastern Europe. † ( Radosh/Milton 347) Powerful leaders were forming organizations and committees to convince the United States to set the Rosenbergs free. Also, there were famous individuals who were protesting against the death sentence. Even the main creator of the atomic bomb, Albert Einstein, believed that the United States government was killing innocent lives in the fight against the Soviet Union. â€Å"An appeal for executive clemency was sent to the White house, supported by many prominent Americans, including scientist Albert Einstein, Dr. Harold C. Urey and more than 3,000 clergymen of 26 denominations† (Rosenberg 18). This would have had significant support for the Rosenbergs in trial but the media was once again preventing it from happening. These protests were not broadcasted to the public because of the biased media. However, the protests did not end there. Millions of petitions from all over the world were being sent to the White house. The world believed that the Rosenbergs should not end up being â€Å"political victims† of the meaningless war. â€Å"Millions of people view the refusal of the courts to grant the Rosenbergs relief as an affirmation of our insistence after nearly two years in the death hours that we are political victims of the Cold War† (Rosenberg 126). Despite all these protests and petitions, the government stuck to their belief that the Rosenbergs deserved the death sentence. But why were the allies of the United States protesting against the United States? Why was the United States not listening to anyone but themselves? Once again, the political leaders of the United States were too blinded by their focus to win the Cold War against the Soviet Union. Realistically, would the Rosenbergs have received the death sentence if they did not live during the Cold War era? They would have certainly received a much lighter sentence if they lived in today’s time period. This was the thought of Dorothy Thompson, a former journalist of Times magazine. Dorothy Thompson has once stated that: â€Å"The death sentence†¦ depressed me†¦ in 1944 we were not at war with the Soviet Union†¦. Indeed, it is unlikely that had they ( the Rosenbergs) been tried in 1944 they would have received any such sentence† (Rosenberg 9). 1944 was certainly that time in history where any act of espionage was not forgiven by society. If anyone was suspected to be a spy, they would be immediately called to questioning. Historians refer to this period as almost like the â€Å"witch hunt† era in Salem driven by â€Å"McCarthyism,† a strong idea of anti-communism that was popular at the time. The â€Å"massive witch hunt† eventually led to the Rosenbergs, which shows that the social aspects during the Cold War era had a biased impact on the ruling of the trial. Behind all the accusations, there was an individual who made the scandal even more controversial. His name was Klaus Fuchs and he was one of the main nuclear scientists that developed the atomic bomb during the Manhattan Project. It is still believed to this day that Klaus Fuchs sold important secrets of the atomic bomb to the Soviets for money. Even history books are being written over again about his betrayal. â€Å"In England, Klaus Fuchs, the German-born scientist who provided the Soviets with far more accurate and useful information on the atomic bomb than anything that might have come from the Rosenbergs, got only 14 years† (Cohen 48). For someone who obviously provided more information to the Soviet Union, it is certainly not fair that Klaus Fuchs only received 14 years in prison. How did this happen? We can see that Klaus Fuchs was ruled a lighter sentence because he was trialed in England. Although England was our closest ally, they did not see any justification that Klaus Fuchs should receive a sentence of anything more than 14 years. Therefore, just because the Rosenbergs were trialed in the United States, they had to end their lives. 14 years in prison and being electrocuted to death is definitely a huge difference; one is given a second chance to live and one is put to death. For a certainty, the Rosenbergs would have received a much lighter sentence in England. It is an embarrassment of the court to say that the only justification for Julius and Ethel Rosenberg’s death is that they were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Another huge controversy of the scandal is the death of Ethel Rosenberg. The reason the scandal is called â€Å"the Rosenbergs Case† is because both Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed for being accused of committing the same crime. However, years after the execution, there were a lot of speculations to why Ethel had to suffer the consequences for something her husband was caught doing. It was later revealed that the FBI was using her as a â€Å"lever† to force Julius Rosenberg to confess to his acts of espionage. â€Å"Hoovers biographer suggests that the Director now regretted the strategy of using Ethel as a lever to induce Julius to confess, and thought that it would be terrible public relations to execute a mother of two young children† (Aiuto 5). It became obvious that Ethel Rosenberg did not commit any crime or spied for the Soviet Union. She was only caught up in the accusation because her brother, David Greenglass, and her husband, Julius Rosenberg, were both spies in the past. The FBI saw her as a useful â€Å"tool† to threaten her husband also they arrested her along with him. Because of the FBI’s cruel and brainless strategy, a mother of two sons had to rot in jail and die on the electric chair. â€Å"Julius went to his death pale, shaken, but quietly. Ethels execution was to follow, and she walked calmly to the electric chair, gently kissed one of the prison matrons on the cheek, and was electrocuted. However, Ethel was not dead after the first jolt. She had to be electrocuted a second time† (Aiuto 11). According to this article, Ethel had to be electrocuted â€Å"twice† before she was killed. The irony of her second electrocution will forever remembered as a symbolism to her evident innocence. Being the first ones in American history to be executed for espionage, the Rosenbergs did not deserve the death sentence. Although they were communists living in the United States, there was no significant evidence that they were responsible for the Soviet Union’s ownership of the atomic bomb. They were unfortunate to live in the time period of anti-communism and in the country that was in war with a communist state. In political aspects, the government was only interested in using the Rosenbergs to scare the Soviets and display its strength and power. In social aspects, the media constantly reported false information and the people of America were too biased to believe that the accused communist spies deserved anything less than the death penalty. Many factors played against the trial of the Rosenbergs that led to the unfair trial of the Rosenbergs case but they will be remembered as those who were innocent victims of the Cold War’s political and social defeciency.

Concepts of Green IT and Green Computing

Concepts of Green IT and Green Computing 1. Introduction Environmental responsibility is emerging as an important topic for corporate IT organizations and their technology suppliers. With increasing market pressure to â€Å"go green† and because of its central role to the enterprise, IT is often given the role of facilitator to bring together all departments with a unified sustainability plan. Senior management may ask IT to launch innovative technologies to facilitate changes in organizational behaviour. The document describes. Green IT, the emerging new trend in the Global IT sector that can help an organization get started in an environmentally responsible manner, both to fulfil their legal and moral obligations, but also to enhance the brand and to improve corporate image. 2. What is Green IT? There are many definitions for Green IT. Some of them listed below. Green computing or Green IT is â€Å"the study and practice of designing, manufacturing, using, and disposing of computers, servers, and associated subsystems—such as monitors, printers, storage devices, and networking and communications systems—efficiently and effectively with minimal or no impact on the environment. It includes the dimensions of environmental sustainability, the economics of energy efficiency, and the total cost of ownership, which includes the cost of disposal and recycling.† Another definition for Green IT says, it is the â€Å"optimal use of information and communication technology (ICT) for managing the environmental sustainability of enterprise operations and the supply chain, as well as that of its products, services, and resources, throughout their life cycles.†(The Gartner report, Green IT: The New Industry Shock Wave, by analyst Simon Mingay) â€Å"Green Computing† is defined as the study and practice of using computing resources efficiently through a methodology that combines reducing hazardous materials, maximizing energy efficiency during the products lifetime, and recycling older technologies and defunct products. (San Murugesan, August 2007) In short Green Computing enables companies to meet business demands for cost-effective, energy-efficient, flexible, secure stable solutions while being environmentally responsible. 3. Why Green IT Matters IT systems are not only a large source of emissions that need to be carefully managed, but they are also the most important part of an organisations compliance. IT is the measuring tool and the data repository. ICT typically accounts for more than 20% of the energy used in an office building, with some offices registering up to 70% attributed to ICT. Although energy costs typically comprise less than 10% of an overall IT budget. A recent report states that this could rise to more than 50% over the next few years (Gartner Research). Green IT is about ITs contribution to reducing the whole organisations carbon footprint, and to facilitating mandatory reporting on carbon emissions and the subsequent emissions trading system. Green IT is part of a fundamental change in the economy and society (see Figure 1). It is a subset of the larger green (or sustainable) business trend, which reconciles sustainable business practices with profitable business operations. In the IT industry, both suppliers and buyers are coming to realize that they should incorporate green principles into the design, manufacturing, operation, and disposal of IT assets. The momentum for this change comes from a variety of sources which is listed below: Government mandates Energy efficiency Product and Company differentiation and CSR Companies efforts to improve their IT efficiency and governance have direct green benefits as well. This is just the beginning of a long-term shift in the behaviour of corporate IT organizations and businesses generally. The companies are expected to adopt a combination of â€Å"quick win† activities and longer-term planning that will result in a significantly greener IT industry. 4. What Companies are doing with Green Computing Green Computing is making significant progress in businesses and organizations, according to the More Green Progress in Enterprise IT study from Forrester Research. The report shows that companies are increasingly taking the environmental impact of technology needs into consideration as part of their regular operations. For this report, Forrester surveyed 738 companies, almost three quarters of which employ more than 1,000 people. Over 40% responded that environmental concerns were â€Å"very important† to their companies; 45% of those companies are either implementing or creating a green-IT strategy to guide future purchasing or end-of-life technology product considerations. The survey also found that half of the companies already incorporate environmental criteria into purchasing decisions and almost 80% recycle hardware at end-of-life, either through OEMs or third parties. Globally, the top three reasons listed for making greener IT choices include reducing energy-related expenses; doing â€Å"the right thing† for the environment; and bringing IT in-line with larger corporate initiatives. IBM has been singled out by leading technology media for its emphasis on energy-efficient technology and services internally and for clients. IDGs Computerworld, the leading source of technology information worldwide, has named IBM the top Green IT Company for 2008. A Computerworld executive noted that â€Å"IBM†¦has taken a serious look at how they impact the environment and how they can address those challenges with good business sense, through their Project Big Green initiative and a company-wide focus on energy-efficient technology services.† (Segan, Sascha (2007)) 5. IBM Project Big Green IBM is among the first of the Corporate IT giants which looked at going green. In order to be a leader in this IBM came up with an Initiative in May 2007. Project Big Green is IBMs billion-dollar initiative to dramatically reduce energy use by IBM and its customers. The initiative includes new energy-efficient IBM products and services, and a five-step approach to energy efficiency in the data centre. If the approach is followed, IBM believes it can sharply reduce data centre energy consumption, transform technology infrastructure into green operations and provide up to 42% in energy savings for the average data centre. The initiative also includes a new global â€Å"green team† of more than 850 energy efficiency architects throughout IBM. IBM expects to double the computing capacity of its own data centres over the next three years, without increasing power consumption or its carbon footprint. Based on greenhouse gas production, the size of a carbon footprint is determined by the amount of carbon dioxide that comes from human activities. Compared to building new space to double the size of its own data centres, IBM expects to help save more than five billion kilowatt hours of energy per year. As a result of these initiatives, IBM was named the â€Å"Top Green IT Company for 2008† by IDGs Computerworld. (Jon Brodkin, 2009) IBM combined with Mainline developed a range of Products and Processes that combine Information Technology, energy efficiency and environmental responsibility, as well as address the following challenges in a company: Continued rise of overall energy costs and demand Cost of air conditioning to cool data centres and/or computer rooms Concern over power surges and energy shortages affecting business Government-imposed levies on carbon production and regulations on power consumption and waste Increased drive toward centralized data centres Too many servers that are partially used or not used to capacity Need for an environmentally safe way to dispose of old software or hardware IBM and Mainliners energy-efficient IT solutions deliver an immediate and tangible return on investment for its customers by proven technologies and practices. (Jon Brodkin, 2009) 6. Benefits of Green IT Green IT solutions benefit the environment, as well as the bottom-line. By focusing on Green Computing, an IT organization can: Lower overall energy expenses including general energy consumption, as well as power and cooling costs. Optimize server capacities and performance. Reduce data centre footprint, reclaiming valuable floor space through consolidation and/or virtualization. Provide required, rapid and secure access to data. Increase ease of systems and solutions management. Recycle end-of-life equipment. Recapture resiliency. Free-up budget components In short, Green Computing enables companies to meet business demands for cost-effective, energy-efficient, flexible, secure and stable solutions while being environmentally responsible (Jon Brodkin, 2009) 7. Five Steps to a Successful Green Computing Solution Green Computing involves a range of services and technologies based on best practices for reducing energy usage. As noted above, IBM recommends a comprehensive five-step plan in developing energy-efficient, cost-effective, environmentally responsible information technology operations. Analyses of the five steps follow. Diagnose It is difficult to manage what cannot be measured, particularly when it comes to energy efficiency. It is important for a company to collect accurate, detailed information on its energy efficiency as a first step in pinpointing areas for potential improvement and to identify existing systems ready for retirement. Mainline and IBM provides Energy Efficiency Assessments, which are proven tools for diagnosing the energy demands of physical infrastructure and IT equipment. Build After identifying needs and solution requirements, and reviewing Energy Efficiency Assessments, the second step includes planning and designing the new solution including building or preparing facilities for replacements, migrations or upgrades. Implementing best practices, innovative technologies and solution expertise will result in improved operations while reducing costs. Virtualize Virtualization can produce the fastest and greatest impact on energy efficiency in an information technology centre. Consolidating an IT infrastructure can increase utilization and lower annual power costs. Reducing the number of servers and storage devices through virtualization strategies can create a leaner data centre without sacrificing performance. Less complexity, reduced cost, better utilization and improved management are all benefits of server, storage and desktop virtualization, and helps achieve Green Computing. Manage Data centre energy consumption is managed through provisioning and virtualization management software, providing important power alerts, as well as trending, capping and heat measurements. Such software can reduce power consumption by 80% annually. Cool Excessive heat threatens equipment performance and operating stability. Innovative IBM cooling solutions for inside and outside the data centre minimize hotspots and reduce energy consumption. IBMs patented Rear Door Heat exchanger cooling doors are now available across most IBM Systems offerings. While requiring no additional fans or electricity, they reduce server heat output in data centres up to 60% by utilizing chilled water to dissipate heat generated by computer systems. 8. Conclusion Most IT Corporate, with little knowledge of how IT can help them measure and maintain their Carbon Reporting requirements are under prepared in the competition to go green. There are over 50 carbon reporting tools available but fewer than 10% of organisations are using one. One half of all CIOs and IT managers take the environmental credentials of the vendor into account when buying products. One third of all user organisations have appointed someone in charge of Green IT, and another one third will do so this year (Excom 2008). These are main reasons why Green IT has to be on top of the list in the companys annual budget. Corporations, governments, and individuals alike can slash greenhouse emissions 50% from projected levels in 2030 by using technologies that already exist—as well as those in the pipeline.(Mckinsey Report, Green IT: Corporate Strategies). The report also says 40% of the recommended practices would save companies and organizations money too. In other words, going green can mean dollars saved—clearly a motivating factor for the tech companies already pushing for more earth-saving IT policies, not to mention for those corporations outside the realm of tech that look at such reports to gauge how policies are evolving—and how to emulate them. 9. References San Murugesan,Going Green with IT: Your Responsibility Toward Environmental Sustainability. Cutter Consortium Business-IT Strategies Executive Report, Vol. 10, No. 8, August 2007. Jon Brodkin, 2009 â€Å"IBM claims top four greenest supercomputers and 18 of top 19† Network World. http://www.greenit.net/whygreenit.html retrieved on 3/09/2009 Gardiner, Bryan January-February 2008 â€Å"Harnessing Green IT: Principles and Practices,† IEEEIT Professional, pp 24-33. Segan, Sascha (2007-10-02). Green Tech: Reduce, Reuse, Thats It.PC Magazine 26(19): 56. Retrieved 2009-09-03. November 26, 2007, ‘Topic Overview: Green IT by Christopher Mines and Euan Davis for IT Infrastructure Operations Professionals.

Tourism Industry In Grenada Tourism Essay

Tourism Industry In Grenada Tourism Essay Tourism being the worlds largest and fastest growing industry, has survived many eras for many reasons. The industry is diverse and very easily adaptable. Diverse in this sense refers to the many varying segments making up the tourism industry, for example hospitality, dining, entertainment and travel. This industry is also challenging, from the point of view that each and every experience within this industry is uniquely different. These are some of the features that maintains and sustains this diverse and yet uniquely challenging industry. Tourism according to side store is the travel of anyone for predominantly recreational or leisure purposes or the provision of services to support this leisure travel (side store, 2009). The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited (WTO, 2010). Tourism in Grenada went through many eras before reaching the level at which it is today. One can basically say that there are three distinctive periods that tourism in Grenada passed through. These stages are the pre-revolutionary stage from 1955 to 1979, the revolutionary phase from 1980 to 1983 and the existing era which started in 1984. Each of these periods is marked with the occurrence of a major event in Grenadas history. The building of the St. Georges pier in 1939 and the opening of the Pearls Airport together presented a need for basic infra-structure that contributed to the introduction of tourism in a scientific manner to Grenada. However, there are only records to show the storage of visitors from 1955. The feat of the Grenada Revolution in 1979 didnt do well for Grenada as a destination. There was a sudden drop in arrivals from customary markets due to the negative publicity that was bestowed on Grenada as a result of these practices. Nevertheless, there was a bold move by the then Prime Minister, Maurice Bishop, who implored nationals abroad to Come to Grenada and see the positive changes that are happening. This proved a success in some way as there were arrivals of nationals and sympathizers from Eastern Europe and Cuba. The big opportunity for tourism in Grenada came at the start of its third epoch, which was marked by the opening of the brand new international airport. The fact that the airport was very close to world famous Grand Anse beach and other surrounding beaches resulted in a building boom. Unmistakably, this third stage of the development of tourism in Grenada concurred with the emergence of the industry internationally and Grenada has been progressing constantly as a tourist destination ever since. The tourism industry is presently the largest industry in Grenada, in desperation to sustain itself the officials are engaging in numerous strategies to do so. Grenada, as recently as 15 years ago, depended solely on Agriculture as their source of revenue, which was slowly declining. The officials responsible saw the potential of the tourism industry decided to change their focus away from agriculture. Thus investing money and ample time into the industry was their final decision. In this research my sole aim is to link the present global economic recession to Grenadas tourism sector. Determine the areas that were affected as a result of this crisis. Also examine similar countries facing this crisis, so as to reduce the bias on the paper. The tourism industry was affected by the Global recession in many ways which resulted in change in the countrys economy and industries linked to the tourism industry namely; loss of jobs, decline in travel both land and sea, closure of major tourist based businesses and increased crime. The existing economy of Grenada is termed unstable and on a decline, according to Mr. Lennox Andrews (Economist for Grenada). The countrys Gross domestic product is on a decline, in the sense it is below negative. This means that the total market value of final goods and products is less than equal to consumer goods and export goods. In light of this tourism within the country is also declining slowly and displayed inability to sustain itself. The author has therefore decided to do some primary research on the most commonly utilized areas within the tourism industry of Grenada. These areas being; Travel, Hospitality and Entertainment. The sectors were further broken down into samples, for example travel (LIAT), Hospitality accommodation (Grand view inn), Hospitality dining (Le Chateau) and entertainment (Taxi driver). To effectively accomplish this milestone the author has decided to ascertain a list of objectives: Give a history of the tourism industry in Grenada. Give a synopsis of the economy of Grenada. List and discuss the areas within the tourism industry in Grenada that were affected by the financial crisis. Make necessary recommendations. In efforts to help reduce the impact of the existing global recession on the tourism industry The author has come up some possible recommendations; Officials should sort ways to reduce government spending where possible. Implement a contingency fund. They should also seek to reduce the many taxes imposed. Try to optimize the use of recurrent revenue. Try to be self sufficient in their agriculture produce, avoid unnecessary imports. Create an enabling environment for local businesses to thrive. Implement programs to train persons to be versatile in terms of finding alternative employment. Topic: Research question: How has the present global financial crisis affected the tourism industry in Grenada? Aim: Carefully examine the areas within the tourism industry that was adversely affected by this global recession. Objectives: Give a history of the tourism industry in Grenada. Give a synopsis of the economic situation of Grenada. List and discuss the areas within the tourism industry in Grenada that were affected by the financial crisis. Make necessary recommendations. Rationale for the selection of the topic chosen: Like most persons, the global financial crisis has affected me personally. It has reduced my spending power immensely. Therefore it is a growing concern for me as an individual, as to just how long and far is this recession going to progress. Around the world today the issue of the financial crisis is the most popular issue at hand. Judging from the fact it is leaving many persons unemployed, homeless and dead, it should really be a global number one concern. This is the basis for which I have decided to carry out this research, with the hope of finding some logical recommendations. Research Methods: As a means of effectively completing this paper both primary and secondary research methods were utilized. The purpose for undertaking both methods is to avoid bias of information. At the same time give the participants an opportunity to freely express themselves. The authors intent is also to give readers an objective view of the topic. Sample population used: In carrying out research for this paper a suitable sample size was selected. Due to the fact that the tourism industry tends to be such a diverse area, which may involve numerous persons. The author sort it fit to focus on segments rather than individuals. Therefore, utilizing three major segments within the industry here in Grenada. The areas selected were LIAT (Travel), Grand View Inn (Accommodation) and Le chateau (Dining). Historical data was also collected from reputable sources, as a means of completing this paper. Definition of Financial Crisis and Recession: A financial crisis: A situation in which the supply of money is outpaced by the demand for money. This means that liquidity is quickly evaporated because available money is withdrawn from banks (called a run), forcing banks either to sell other investments to make up for the shortfall or to collapse. See also recession (Business dictionary, 2010). A recession: Period of general economic decline, defined usually as a contraction in the GDP for six months (two consecutive quarters) or longer. Marked by high unemployment, stagnant wages, and fall in retail sales, a recession generally does not last longer than one year and is much milder than a depression. Although recessions are considered a normal part of a capitalist economy, there is no unanimity of economists on its causes (.Business dictionary, 2010) Question/Survey: Dear Participant, This survey/questionnaire is intended to be of utmost confidentiality. This is a survey carried out by Donika Christopher-James, a Tourism and hospitality major at the St. Georges University. The purpose of this survey is to determine some of the adverse effects the existing global recession has on the tourism industry in Grenada. With the sole aim of finding some possible recommendations on completion of this study. Therefore, participants are asked not to submit their name or organization name as a means of keeping this information confidential. Thank you, _______________________ Donika Christopher-James Are you aware of the existing Global financial crisis? Yes No Has the Crisis affected youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Directly Indirectly State in what way was your organization was affected? What percent of your business is owed to tourist? Below 30% 30-40% 40-50% Higher than 50% Do you have repeat guest yearly? Yes No What is the percent of return guests yearly? 10- 30% 30-50% Higher than 50% Has there been any change in the patronage of your organization by return guest within the last year? Yes No Indicate whether there was increase or decrease, by how much? Increase Decrease Less than 10% 10-20% 20-30% 30-40% Over 40% In your opinion do you think there is a solution to the crisis? Yes No Can you give some recommendation(s) to the persons affected within the tourism industry? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Data analysis: Are you aware of the existing global financial crisis? Figure 1.1: The Graph indicates that 75% of the respondents were aware of the financial crisis in the world, where as the remaining 25% was very much unaware. Figure 1.2: This chart indicates how many persons were affected by the financial crisis directly leading to financial decisions being made or indirectly the trickle down effect; 100% were affected directly and there were none indirectly affected. State ways in which you as a business was affected. Figure 1.3: Is an indication as to how the four various sectors were affected by the crisis; 25% indicated they had to make position redundant, another 25% indicated that they suffered higher utility cost e.g fuel, 25% also said that their employees were forced to accept lower wages and the final 25 % stated that they were unable to market efficiently and effectively. What percent of your business is owed to tourist? Figure 1.4: Is an analysis as to how much the various business depend on the tourist for their existence, 25% indicates that 40-50% of their business comes from tourist and 75% of the patrons said that over 50% of their business revenues comes from tourists. Do you have repeat guest yearly? Figure 1.5: This chart indicates that 100% of the participants have repeat guest on a yearly basis. What is the percent of repeat guest yearly? Figure 1.6: This chart illustrates the percentage of repeat guest to the varying sectors yearly; 25% of the participants indicated that over 50% of their guest are repeaters, another 25% indicated that the return guest account for 30-50% of contributions and the remaining 50% said that return guest contributes to 10-30% of business yearly. Has there been any change in the patronage of your organization by return guest within the last year? Yes No 100% 0% Figure 1.7 Was there an increase or decrease in the patronage of tourist and by how much? Participant 1 Participant 2 Participant 3 Participant 4 Increase Decrease 10-20% Over 40% 30-40% 10-20% Figure 1.8 Figure 1.9: This graph is and analysis as to whether the participants believe there is a possible solution to the financial crisis. Where 75% look at it objectively and said yes they believe there is a solution for it and the next 25%indicated no there is no possible solution to the problem. Grenadas employment situation: According to information from the Minister of Finance Grenada (Peter David), unemployment rate at the end of 2009 was predicted to reach 30%. In basic mathematics, this could mean at least 23,000 persons out of work, in a population of roughly 100,000 persons. This is a vast difference in comparison to the (CIAs) Central Intelligence Agencys prediction in 2000 of 12% of potential unemployed persons (CIA, 2010). Present Economic situation of Grenada: The economy of Grenada has rebounded immensely following the devastation and impact of Hurricanes Ivan and Emily in 2004 and 2005, with the recovery centered mainly on reconstruction and the 2007 Cricket World Cup preparations. The economic outlook was most favorable, since several major tourism investment projects were underway. At that point inflation has been subdued. The countrys fiscal performance, however, has been much weaker than programmed in 2006 to 2007, owing it to capital expenditure overruns. Public debt reached 125 percent of GDP at the end of 2006, leaving little room for maneuver in the event of exogenous shocks (CKMC, 2010). According to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), on the 25th of November 2009  Grenadas application for a disbursement of US$6.2m under its three-year International Monetary Fund (IMF) poverty reduction and growth facility Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) was approved, boosting total disbursements under the programme to US$23.5m. The IMF noted the severity of the impact of the global recession on Grenadas economy, appointed to a marked decline in the countrys output. Owing to fall in tourism receipts, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and remittance, a rise in the unemployment situation, and large revenue shortfalls in 2009. With estimated public-sector debt totaling nearly 109% of GDP at end-2008 (and estimated to have risen slightly in 2009), the IMF also warned that Grenada remains at a high risk of debt distress. However, the IMF commended Grenada on its efforts to cope with the short-term impact of the external shocks and its commitment to implementing structural reforms, including the introduction of VAT in February 2010. The introduction of the VAT is one of several government initiatives to boost sagging revenue, which has been hit hard by the downturn in the tourism sector (stopover arrivals were down by 14.4% year on year in the first nine months of 2009, which has pulled down earnings). The government has also indicated that it will implement a fraud control plan at customs and boost enforcement to collect tax arrears in 2010. Capital spending is expected to be cut in 2010, by as much as 50% compared with 2009, as the government diverts its scarce resources to boost social spending. Based on preliminary estimates, which reveals that economic activity in Grenada contracted by 7.7 per cent in 2009 compared to real growth of 2.2 per cent in 2008.   This performance reflected declines in construction (52.4 percent), mining and quarrying (29.9 per cent), hotels and restaurants (20.8 per cent), wholesale and retail trade (17.9 percent), transport services (12.3 percent), manufacturing (11.8 per cent), government services (3.8 percent) and communications (2.0 percent).   This therefore indicated there were some bright spots. Agriculture increased by 9.3 percent, Other Services which is dominated by St. Georges University increased by 8.0 percent and Banking and Insurance increased by 8.6 percent. Between January to November 2009, stay-over tourist arrivals declined by 12.8% with a total of 84,240 arrivals in comparison to 96,588 arrivals for the corresponding period of 2008. All the major source markets experienced declines: United States by 1.5%; United Kingdom by 23.2% and the Caribbean by 12.6%. It is believed that the recession experienced in Grenadas major source markets combined with the high cost of air travel contributed to the decline in the number of stay-over visitors. For the period January to November 2009, Cruise Arrivals totaled 276,858 compared to 227,937 for the same period in 2008, an increase of 21.5%. Similarly, cruise calls also increased by 13.5% with a total of 202 calls compared to 178. That said, it is estimated that the average expenditure of these visitors fell reflecting the global economic situation (CKMC, 2010). According to Economist Lennox Andrews the Grenadian economy is projected to grow by 0.8 percent compared with a projected contraction of 2.3 percent for the ECCU.   I should note that Governments projection is higher than the IMF and ECCB projections are a decline of 2.0% and 1.8% respectively but is based on our most recent information on the projects (public and private) which will commence this year. SWOT analysis of the Tourism Industry in Grenada: Strengths: Enrichment of culture- Learning about various cultures is an integral part of any individuals development. It gives one a chance to understand various ways of problem solving; different practices, beliefs, religions, norms and values. In turn this will assist in counteracting the issue of discrimination. Increase in Foreign direct investments- As a result of the evolution of tourism, the Grenadian economy has seen the likes of many new developments in terms of foreign investments. For example; The Port Louis development, Grand harbor development at Egmont point, Bacolet bay Resort development, Prickley bay marina development and the Livera national development. Increase in foreign exchange for the country- This is the main area where the mass foreign exchange for the country is derived. This occurs when tourist engage in tours, dining, outdoor adventures, accommodation and communication via telephone or e-mail. Opportunities for employment- The unemployment situation in Grenada has been a known factor for the country for a number of years, tourism offers opportunities for employment both direct, for example; within the hotels or restaurants or indirect like the vendors and tour guides. Sustain and preserve our environment- The Grenadian officials have seen the need to preserve their natural habitats, numerous historical sites and beaches. Some of the measures they have put in place to do so is regulations and laws like; fees paid to see the forts, no one can visit the mangroves during a certain period and stopping of the locals from mining sand from the beaches. Weaknesses: The industry is very labor intensive- Tourism within Grenada and around the world is seen as a service oriented industry. Therefore it relys on the personal touch of human to bring about the much needed satisfaction to the guest. This may be detrimental, in the event that there is situation like industrial actions or mass outbreaks of illness, the business will be on a stand still. Encourages huge sums in expenditures- Within the island of Grenada over the years it is quite noticeable that there has been a lot of infrastructural development. For example roads, cruise ship terminals and marinas. These development calls for huge sums of expenditure on the part of the Government. Increased in criminal activities- The tourism sector over the years has lured many new investors into the country, though it is seen as an asset it is also negative, since there is the opportunity for white collar crime such as money laundering and theft. Opportunities: The country can create a well known brand- Grenada the isle of spice may seem to be a strong brand, but not everyone is willing to travel thousands of miles for only spice. There is the opportunity to develop the countrys brand. Diversify into various markets- Diversity is imperative as is in any business, this is to gain as much clients and market share as one possibly can. Threats: The present Global recession- Grenada like many other destinations is faced with the wrath of the economic crunch. It has affected the tourism sectors immensely, since most business has seen a decline in clientele as compared to the past. Most persons spending power has reduced critically. Natural and manmade disasters- Natural disasters is a critical issue for Grenada though, history has shown they are far and few. The country is located within the tropics and concerns of hurricanes and storms are growing, for example hurricanes Ivan and Emily in 2004 and 2005. Manmade disasters are likely to occur if care and caution is not taken, for example; fires which is a very destructive feature. Increased competition- Possible completion is always a concern for any industry and business. Within the tourism industry competition will occur with new and emerging destination markets. Areas within the tourism industry that was affected by the financial crisis: The Global recession has affected the tourism industry in Grenada holistically; because there have been persons who are faced directly with this crisis, for example in North America, their spending power has been reduced considerably. The tourism industry like most other countries is made up of numerous sectors. Furthermore the sectors which have felt the wrath of the economic down turn in Grenada are: Travel: (airlines, taxi drivers, tour operators, cruise ship operators and travel agents) Accommodation and dining: (restaurants, hotels, guest houses and travel agents) Shopping: (supermarkets, retail shops, stores and vendors) Entertainment: (Local bands-(steel bands, vocalist), night clubs) Over the past 2 years these sectors has seen a considerable decline in their patronage especially those from tourist, which they were and most cases are still heavily dependent. The key players involved Tourist movement: The tourism industry based on its service oriented nature has numerous key players; these key players are persons involved in the hospitality sector of tourism, the regulatory bodies and the tourist themselves. Within the hospitality sector there are persons or organizations that provide service to tourist. In providing those services they generally ensure that it is sustainable and economically viable to the industry and environment. These sectors are the hotels; who provide accommodation to tourist visiting the island of Grenada, the restaurants; most of these restaurants are located especially within the south of the island are heavily dependent on tourist to sustain them , cruise lines; which is one form of transportation taking persons from varying destinations to Grenada, a large percent of stop-over tourist is accounted for as cruise passengers and airlines; the airline traveling to and from Grenada account for 70% of tourist visiting the country. The second group of persons within the tourism sector of Grenada are the regulatory bodies, which involves; the minister and ministry of tourism who is responsible for a portion of public relations in tourism, as well as implementing rules and policies to help sustain and protect the environment and visitors alike. Another sector within the regulatory body is the tourism board of Grenada who engages in ample marketing for the destination and assists in promoting some of the historical sites. The final major supporters of the tourism industry in Grenada are the tourist themselves, without the much needed tourist travelling from their usual place of resident and work, tourism will not be an industry that Grenada can depend on. Types of effects: The Global recession has affected countries worldwide and more so the tourism sector around the world immensely. Within the Grenadian community the global economic downturn has affected the tourism industry in numerous ways; There is a decline in the visitors to the country. Implementation of new taxes. Loss of skilled laborers within the industry, because of numerous job terminations. Decrease in marketing initiatives and ability by the regulatory bodies. Pull out of airline/transportation service to the island. Higher air fares. Decrease in (FDIs) foreign direct investments. There were businesses facing permanent closure, e.g craft shops, supermarkets. Increase in crime. Measures taken to resolve the situation: Like many of the larger developed and developing countries Grenada has tried numerous strategies to resolve the situation, or to some extent cushion the burden of this crisis. Without success they continue to feel the wrath of this economic downturn. Some of the measures taken by the officials of Grenada to withstand the crisis are; the sort financial assistance to pay out the outstanding debts from the World Bank. The World Bank being an institution that is presently faced with the said situation is unable to assist. Another strategy was to implement the value added tax (VAT), which is only a month old and simply too premature to see any benefits derived. The third and most common strategy was to forcibly reduce wages, rotate and terminate employees positions. The tourism and hospitality sector has felt the blow hardest from this crisis, simply because of its uncertainty and vulnerability in response to change in the economy. Conclusion: While tourism retains the title of the largest and fastest growing industry worldwide, its dynamism is owed to the many efforts to satisfy consumer demands. Similarly within the Grenadian economy tourism today is deemed the number one industry and main source of revenue for the country for over a decade. However, the tourism sector was impacted by many external factors, but most predominantly over the past (2  ½) years by the existing Global financial crisis. The effects of this crisis were as follows and by no means exhausted; Loss of Jobs, decrease in visitors arrivals, decrease in foreign direct investments, loss of skilled workers, higher air fares, decrease in marketing initiatives, pull out of major airlines and crime. Though persons in authority have engaged in numerous measures to counteract the problem of the financial crisis on the tourism sector in Grenada, they were unsuccessful. Based on my analysis of the effects the financial crisis having on Grenadas tourism carried out in this research, it is seemingly unethical and to an extent difficult to try to solve this situation. Because of the nature of a global recession, it is more ethical to let the system take its course. Thus try to implement means to cushion the economy when it is complete at the same time use this era to better prepare for a similar situation. Recommendations: This paper will be deemed incomplete without finding meaningful and yet realistic solutions to the existing problem facing the tourism and hospitality industry in Grenada The Global Recession. In efforts to help resolve this resounding problem the author has come up with a number of recommendations which are as follows: The officials and the key players as mentioned within the paper must develop more programs to encourage spending by the tourist, thus moving away from the usual ordinary activities. Since a recession is usually caused by failure to inject monies back into the economy so it can have the spin off effect, they must implement activities such as; an all you can eat fruit fest for the health conscious tourist or drum by moonlight where they get to hear a bit of our heritage and become a part of it. Implement a contingency fund for the industry, the industry is seen as fickle, but like any other industry it has its peak points and its down falls. Monies must be placed a side or invested to reap profits, in that situations like the financial crisis occurs, the industry will more or less be cushioned and can sustain itself for a longer period. Seek ways to reduce the many taxes being enforced, though taxation is the number one means of most governments revenue. The implementation of taxes will only sort to worsen the recession situation, since a recession is basically failure of the people to inject monies back into the economy. Taxes will only allow them to continually avoid spending. They should try to optimize or maximize the use of the recurrent revenues. Every country, no matter the size has recurrent revenues, which is revenue that is predictable, stable and can be counted on in the future with a high degree of certainty. Try to utilize these revenues for many needed purposes instead of focusing on one given area. Seek to become self sufficient in areas such as agriculture, this is as a means of reducing imports, though the globalization process is inevitable. Create an enabling environment for local businesses to thrive. It is always good for a country to welcome foreign direct investments, but the survival of local businesses is important. Implementing laws and regulations that will not facilitate local business will only put additional burdens on the economy in terms of unemployment. Implement programs to train persons to be versatile in terms of finding alternative employment. This is important in that statistics indicates how many persons are today unemployed within the tourism sector, because of the economic downturn.

Comparing the two poems Porphyria’s Lover and My Last Duchess Essay

By comparing the two poems Porphyria’s Lover and My Last Duchess, explore how Browning deals worth the theme of jealousy. Jealousy is a theme that occurs quite regularly in Browning’s poems. This was particularly noticed in both of the poems ‘Porphyria’s Lover’ and ‘My Last Duchess’ where in both cases, the male protagonists were jealous of the extra attention that their lovers received from other admirers. When studying both poems, the reader can create in their mind a vivid picture of both the female characters. However, because the male protagonists gave their view on their lovers, the reader is only given details about the male protagonists’ feelings, not about his features or qualities. Because of this, it needs to be taken into account that the reader is assessing the situation from only one particular point of view. In both of the poems ‘Porphyria’s Lover’ and ‘My Last Duchess’ the reader is told that the male protagonist has murdered their lover as a result of jealousy. However, the murders are entirely different. In ‘Porphyria’s Lover’ the relationship between Porphyria and her lover is very positive and the reader can sense a strong bond between the two characters. Lines 29-34 show how strong the bond is between Porphyria and her lover. ‘For love of her and all in vain: So, she was come through wind and rain. Be sure I look’d up at her eyes Happy and proud; at last I knew Porphyria worshipp’d me surprise Made my heart swell, and still it grew’. Because of this strong bond between the two characters, there is evidence in the poem that Porphyria’s lover could not handle the thought of them not being together, and for this reason the lover murders Porphyria in a moment of passion. The reader c... ...actions. For this reason it would be correct for the reader to assume, that both of the female characters are partly to blame for the male protagonists’ actions. This is because the female characters were not focusing on their actual partners’ feelings, and were just pleasing themselves, regardless of how the situation was affecting their partner, or loved one. I think that Browning has dealt with the theme of jealousy in great depth and has shown the male protagonists’ feelings very thoroughly, making it possible for the readers to even sympathise with the male protagonists. Because of the way in which the theme of jealousy is portrayed, the reader can have a great understanding of the emotions the male protagonists are feeling throughout the poems. This makes the poem and the consequences of the female character’s actions, a lot easier to understand.

Mr Dolphus Raymond tells Scout, Your pa’s not a run of the mill man. :: Free Essay Writer

Mr Dolphus Raymond tells Scout, Your pa’s not a run of the mill man. How far do you agree with this description of Atticus Finch? The novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee is set during the 1930s in the Deep South of America, during a time when there was a large racial segregation. The book is about Tom Robinson, a black man accused of the rape of a white woman, Mayella Ewell. Tom Robinson’s lawyer is Atticus Finch. Atticus is a white, single father of two children, Scout and Jem. The family live in the town of Maycomb County, Alabama. It is a very close knit community and Atticus is family, friends or a neighbour to nearly all the people of Maycomb. He is frowned upon by nearly all the white citizens of Maycomb because he is defending a black man. Atticus believes Tom Robinson is innocent and so defends him, with or without the support of Maycomb’s citizens. Atticus Finch is ‘Maycomb County born and bred’ and is ‘related by blood or marriage to nearly every family in Maycomb’. Atticus has lived in Maycomb all his life and at the start of the book, before the trial, is highly regarded as a good citizen of Maycomb. Atticus is a fair and honest man. Atticus is one of the only men in Maycomb who does not share the prejudices of the other citizens. He is also very well educated unlike many others in the town, whether this is due to lack of money or simply the fact people cannot be bothered to go to school, like the Ewell family. On Scout’s first day of school we find out that every member of the Ewell family ‘come first day every year and then leave’. He treats black and white people the same and he gains a lot of respect from the black community of Maycomb. A few of the white citizens of Maycomb support Atticus during the trial but Mrs. Dubose is not one of them. Mrs. Dubose tells the children ‘Your father's no better than the niggers and trash he works for!’ I feel that Mrs. Dubose deep down likes Atticus but she has been brought up in a world or racism and prejudice and more than likely was taught not to like black people. One person who supports Atticus throughout the book is Miss Maudie. Miss Maudie is a neighbour of the Finch family. Miss Maudie is the only person who never loses faith in Atticus. During a conversation with Scout she tells her ‘there are some men in this world that are