Explore the Narrative of the Narrator in Pride and Prejudice.

Pride and Prejudice has been criticised among the literary community for the narrator thought to be from the view of Elizabeth is often counter argued by someone else saying that the narrator is an omniscient third person narrator. The narration of Pride and Prejudice is typically done by Elizabeth in many views, although it occasionally gives us information that Elizabeth is not aware of, which therefore makes us come to the conclusion that it is not Elizabeth narrating the book.The third person narrative gives a plain view of the novel in the sense of the dialogue, opinions and the events which are dominating throughout the novel rather than emotions. Elizabeth Bennet sometimes excludes from this rule, for example in chapter 36, this chapter is devoted entirely to Elizabeth’s emotional transformation right after the letter she received from Darcy. Although even though we do often get to hear the thoughts of other characters in the novel, it is mostly in shorter bursts compar ed to Elizabeth’s more complex outbursts.The narrator is using free indirect discourse or speech to show the reader the characters thoughts or spoken words, but without quotation marks. It let’s the reader know some of Elizabeth’s bad judgements against others like Darcy at the beginning of the novel. The use of dialogue brings forth veracity, which makes the reader question which character is to be believed. Although at the same time the truthfulness of the narrator themselves can be questioned.The veracity of Elizabeth’s dialogue is strengthened when the narrator doesn’t employ a detached narrative voice to describe the characters thoughts but is focalizing the proceeding through the character of Elizabeth, which is therefore meaning that the reader views the story from Elizabeth’s perspective. Seeing the story through Elizabeth’s eyes yet via the narrator’s voice, for example â€Å"the general pause which ensued made Elizab eth tremble†¦ She longed to speak, but could think of nothing to say†. It is therefore showing as a means of empathy of the reader in the part of Elizabeth.The use of the direct speech is a means of artistically orchestrating the voices of the two main roles of Darcy and Elizabeth. The line: â€Å"tax Mr. Bingley with having promised on his first coming into the country to give a ball at Netherfield† on page 33 isn't spoken by any particular character, neither directly, through the use of any dialogue, or indirectly, as in employing indirect speech. The narrator is using free indirect speech. The voice appears to be that of the narrator, although it has temporarily adopted the style and intonation of Lydia, the youngest Bennet sister.The line however isn't focalized through this character as the reader isn't given Lydia's perspective, such as earlier in this paragraph where the viewpoint was clearly that of Elizabeth. It is also important to realize that Elizabeth' s thoughts were not conveyed through a process of free indirect speech as there was no slippage into her manner of articulation. The omniscient narrator enters a brief stage of suspense as the novel’s two principal characters, Elizabeth and Darcy, step forth to convey the story in their own words.For example the reader is instantly able to discern the contrast of opinion between Elizabeth and Darcy, in one of the instances it is their views on poetry. The use of the direct speech is a means of artistically orchestrating these voices. The narrative voice that has been present throughout Pride and Prejudice is an anonymous, omniscient or all knowing one which shifts between simply relating to events as they occur, reflecting on such events and sometimes directly giving opinions of the characters.Austen’s narrative voice is as much an invented persona as the rest of the characters in the novel itself. Through this persona, Auten has been able to tell the story by another perspective and directly influence the reader’s opinions of the characters themselves. Thus this is a very effective method in conveying certain messages about the characters, more so than if Austen had chosen to write in another narrative voice like the first person. Explore the Narrative of the Narrator in Pride and Prejudice. Pride and Prejudice has been criticised among the literary community for the narrator thought to be from the view of Elizabeth is often counter argued by someone else saying that the narrator is an omniscient third person narrator. The narration of Pride and Prejudice is typically done by Elizabeth in many views, although it occasionally gives us information that Elizabeth is not aware of, which therefore makes us come to the conclusion that it is not Elizabeth narrating the book.The third person narrative gives a plain view of the novel in the sense of the dialogue, opinions and the events which are dominating throughout the novel rather than emotions. Elizabeth Bennet sometimes excludes from this rule, for example in chapter 36, this chapter is devoted entirely to Elizabeth’s emotional transformation right after the letter she received from Darcy. Although even though we do often get to hear the thoughts of other characters in the novel, it is mostly in shorter bursts compar ed to Elizabeth’s more complex outbursts.The narrator is using free indirect discourse or speech to show the reader the characters thoughts or spoken words, but without quotation marks. It let’s the reader know some of Elizabeth’s bad judgements against others like Darcy at the beginning of the novel. The use of dialogue brings forth veracity, which makes the reader question which character is to be believed. Although at the same time the truthfulness of the narrator themselves can be questioned.The veracity of Elizabeth’s dialogue is strengthened when the narrator doesn’t employ a detached narrative voice to describe the characters thoughts but is focalizing the proceeding through the character of Elizabeth, which is therefore meaning that the reader views the story from Elizabeth’s perspective. Seeing the story through Elizabeth’s eyes yet via the narrator’s voice, for example â€Å"the general pause which ensued made Elizab eth tremble†¦ She longed to speak, but could think of nothing to say†. It is therefore showing as a means of empathy of the reader in the part of Elizabeth.The use of the direct speech is a means of artistically orchestrating the voices of the two main roles of Darcy and Elizabeth. The line: â€Å"tax Mr. Bingley with having promised on his first coming into the country to give a ball at Netherfield† on page 33 isn't spoken by any particular character, neither directly, through the use of any dialogue, or indirectly, as in employing indirect speech. The narrator is using free indirect speech. The voice appears to be that of the narrator, although it has temporarily adopted the style and intonation of Lydia, the youngest Bennet sister.The line however isn't focalized through this character as the reader isn't given Lydia's perspective, such as earlier in this paragraph where the viewpoint was clearly that of Elizabeth. It is also important to realize that Elizabeth' s thoughts were not conveyed through a process of free indirect speech as there was no slippage into her manner of articulation. The omniscient narrator enters a brief stage of suspense as the novel’s two principal characters, Elizabeth and Darcy, step forth to convey the story in their own words.For example the reader is instantly able to discern the contrast of opinion between Elizabeth and Darcy, in one of the instances it is their views on poetry. The use of the direct speech is a means of artistically orchestrating these voices. The narrative voice that has been present throughout Pride and Prejudice is an anonymous, omniscient or all knowing one which shifts between simply relating to events as they occur, reflecting on such events and sometimes directly giving opinions of the characters.Austen’s narrative voice is as much an invented persona as the rest of the characters in the novel itself. Through this persona, Auten has been able to tell the story by another perspective and directly influence the reader’s opinions of the characters themselves. Thus this is a very effective method in conveying certain messages about the characters, more so than if Austen had chosen to write in another narrative voice like the first person.

Inquiry learning Essay

Introduction Discovery learning or Inquiry Learning has a long history in education and has regained popularity over the last decade as a result of changes in the field of education that put more emphasis on the role of the learner in the learning process. Zachos, Hick, Doane, and Sargent define discovery learning as â€Å"the self-attained grasp of a phenomenon through building and testing concepts as a result of inquiry of the phenomenon. † The definition emphasizes that it is the learner who builds concepts, that the concepts need to be tested, and that building and testing of concepts are part of the inquiry of the phenomenon. Computer simulations have rich potential to provide learners with opportunities to build and test concepts, and learning with these computer simulations is also referred to as simulation-based discovery learning (Lester, Vicari, & Paraguacu, 2004). Students engaged in discussions – raising questions, resting ideas, challenging each other’s assertions – is at the heart of inquiry learning. Such discussions enable students to go beyond hands-on activities to interpret and reflect on their experiences and develop new ways of thinking. Reflecting their understanding of inquiry learning, the originators of network science aimed to have students in distant classrooms use the network to discuss science with one another like collaborating scientists (Feldman, 2000). Literature Review The main goal of discovery learning activity is to obtain and/or construct knowledge about a domain by performing experiments and inferring rules and properties of the domain from the results of those experiments. Research on discovery learning has shown that learners can experience a range of problems that can prevent successful learning. Discovery learning requires learners to act in the same manner as scientist when discovering the properties and relations of the domain that is simulated, using processes that are very similar to the processes of scientific discovery. Learners need to generate hypotheses, design experiments, predict their outcome, interpret data and reconsider hypotheses in order to construct knowledge about the domain. With each of these learning processes, problems can arise. Learners can fail to state testable hypotheses, design uninformative experiments or interpret experimental results badly (Gauthier, Frasson, & VanLehn, 2000). In order to make discovery learning successful, learners can be supported from within the learning environment. The learning environment can contain cognitive tools that can be directed at the support of one or more learning processes. Cognitive tools can offer support to the learner in several ways of support, creating a learning dialogue between the learning environment and the learner and at establishing the conditions under which profitable learning processes takes place. Cognitive tools play a role in supporting and provoking these learning processes (Gauthier et al. , 2000; McTighe & Wiggins, 2005). Like in discovery learning, the idea of simulation-based discovery learning is that the learner actively engages in a process. In an unguided simulation-based discovery environment learners have to set their own learning goals. At the same time they have to find and apply the methods that help to achieve these goals, which is not always easy. Two main goals can be associated with simulation-based discovery learning; development of knowledge about the domain of discovery, and development of skills that facilitate development of knowledge about the domain (Lester, Vicari, & Paraguacu, 2004). Those who read Guthrie, Cornford, Allen, and Bluck, among others, will find there what we might call the â€Å"traditional view. † According to this view, the paradox is a dilemma about one’s epistemic resources at the outset of inquiry and the role those resources play at the inquiry’s conclusion. The alternatives that the dilemma proposes are beginning with 1) total, explicit knowledge or 2) absolute ignorance. The doctrine of recollection provides the solution with its proposal that all inquiry begins with something intermediate between 1) and 2): latent, unconscious, or implicit knowledge. When these commentators speak of â€Å"total knowledge,† they seem to have in mind â€Å"self-consciously clear† or â€Å"conscious† knowledge (Anton & Preus, 1989). There are three points to be borne in mind in any discussion on learning by discovery. First, what is involved primarily is the learning of facts, concepts and principles rather than skills, techniques or sensitivities; and the subjects most relevant to discovery learning are mathematics, science and environmental studies. Second, it is usually associated with the traditional classroom, and third learning by discovery does not just happen; it comes about as a result of a particular teaching method or strategy. Numerous strategies can be distinguished in this connection; perhaps the most common one to be found is that of guided discovery (Manion, Morrison, & Cohen, 2004). Discovery or Inquiry must ultimately in the history of the race precede instruction; for if it’s this teacher who teaches from someone else who learned it from another teacher that cannot go back indefinitely. Somewhere in the knowledge that we pass on in the process of teaching, someone must have discovered it for himself. so we see, first of all, that learning by discovery is primary (Loucks-Horsley & Olson, 2000). Learning by instruction is secondary. And if this is so then we also see that teachers are, in an absolute sense, dispensable. For nothings which can be learned by instruction with teachers is impossible to learn without teachers. I don’t mean teachers aren’t useful; they are. For most of us would not be able to learn without the help of teachers or learn as rapidly or learn as easily the things we have to come to know in the course of our lifetime. But I do not mean that teachers are only helps. And this understanding of the teacher as an aid, as something which helps in the process of learning, is the deepest insight into the nature of teaching in relation to learning (Adler, 2000). Learning by instruction, learning with the help of teachers is no less active than learning by discovery or inquiry. Perhaps it would be better then, instead of saying learning by instruction and learning by discovery, to call them both learning by discovery; learning with a teacher as â€Å"aided discovery† and learning without a teacher, as â€Å"unaided discovery (Adler, 2000). Analysis Many network science projects have not lived up to their potential to involve students in productive inquiry. Firstly, the network science model of curriculum typically constraints classrooms by imposing rigid schedules for data submission and exchanges. The low level of completion for many network science projects – which, was less than 50% of classes in one project submitting data – may reflect teacher’s inability to fit the real lives of their classrooms, punctuated by school events and holidays and snowstorms, into the schedule demands of many network science projects (Feldman, 2000). Aiming to coordinate work among classes, many network science projects are constrained by centralized schedules. To refocus science learning on inquiry, teachers and students need flexible schedules to allow questions to be pursued in greater depth. Without such flexibility, the potential of the curriculum to support student inquiry is greatly diminished (Feldman, 2000). Secondly, network science encourages the use of scientific and social problems to spark learning, focusing on the importance of investigating questions for which the answer is not known. However, this emphasis on questions for which the answer is not known and the questions are of genuine interest to scientists excludes the possibility of students investigating concepts that may be well known to scientist but no longer of interest to them. Because such concepts are still unknown to students and potentially of great interest, they offer a scientific excursion through which students can reliably have successful and powerful learning experiences. For example, students might investigate phenomena as simple as why some objects float – a topic that is unlikely to be of any interest to scientists (Feldman, 2000). Inquiry learning, under appropriate conditions, is highly desirable; an elaborate pattern of ideas must be built up in a child’s head and only the child can built it; it is the teacher’s job to help the child to build up this elaborate structure of interrelated ideas, and to help the child correct the structure of interrelated ideas, and to help the child correct the structure whenever it is found to be in error (Solomon, 1988). By means of discovery learning we may reasonably expect children to learn something new; and to do so through some initiative of their own. Moreover, a teacher supports a child’s self-chosen activity with questions, commentary and suggestions (Manion et al. , 2004). Conclusion In this paper, we presented a view on combining collaborative learning and the discovery learning. The aim was to show how we can benefit from theoretical knowledge on discovery learning to enhance the added value that collaboration can have and, vice versa, how collaboration in itself can serve as support for the processes of discovery that learners can engage in. Mutual gain can be created from combining collaborative and discovery learning by increasing the mutual awareness in tools supporting either type of learning. Adding knowledge about discovery to collaborative tools can enhance collaborative tools to adapt themselves or give feedback on their contents. On the other hand, collaborative processes take the role of cognitive tools for discovery learning in making learning processes explicit. Of course the examples given in the paper are only a small part of what become possible combining two powerful paradigms of learning (Gauthier et al., 2000). In the latter part of the paper we show how a theory of discovery learning can help to design architecture for communicative support for discovery learning. A central place is taken by a common frame of reference that supports the communication between the different components in the architecture (Gauthier et al. , 2000). References: Adler, M. J. (2000). How to Think About the Great Ideas: From the Great Books of Western Civilization. Chicago and La Salle: Open Court Publishing. Anton, J. P. , & Preus, A. (1989). Essays in Ancient Greek Philosophy: Plato. New York: SUNY Press. Feldman, A. (2000). Network Science, a Decade Later: The Internet and Classroom Learning. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Gauthier, G. , Frasson, C. , & VanLehn, K. (2000). Intelligent Tutoring Systems. Germany: Springer. Lester, J. C. , Vicari, R. M. , & Paraguacu, F. (2004). Intelligent Tutoring Systems. Berlin Heidelberg, NY: Springer. Loucks-Horsley, S. , & Olson, S. (2000). Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards: A Guide for Teaching and Learning. Washington DC: National Academies Press. Manion, L. , Morrison, K. R. B. , & Cohen, L. (2004). A Guide to Teaching Practice. London and New York: RoutledgeFalmer. McTighe, J. , & Wiggins, G. P. (2005). Understanding by Design. Virginia USA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Solomon, C. (1988). Computer Environments for Children: A Reflection on Theories of Learning and Education. Cambridge, Massachusetts; London, England: MIT Press.

IPO analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

IPO analysis - Case Study Example This technique, OpenIPO , was an invention aimed at making pricing and allocation of the IPO share a transparent and an easy-to-do process for the issuers and to do away with any possible conflicts of interests, as may arise, between the sponsors and issuers as had been the predominant case with the former/ traditional IPO. In addition, this company (W.R Hambrecht Company) also provides an option of the traditional technique, as may be the preference of the intended users who wish not use the new online initiatives. Other services such as the venture capital, M&A, market making, proprietary investments, financing of the private placements, and online brokerage businesses, are the traditional services that this institution still provide to ensure undoubted satisfaction levels of its clients. As if this is not enough, W.R Hambrecht Company further supports approximately 36 companies to attain their IPO via their new application (the online auction system) i.e., the Overstock.com and Go ogle.Inc, and other 15 companies to use the traditional style. Strategic considerations for entrepreneurs to evaluate while determining on whether to use Dutch auction or traditional IPO approach to taking a company public W.R Hambrecht Company recommends prior consultations and advisory services, as a method of strategic approach for entrepreneurs to effectively use while making business decisions on whether to use either the traditional IPO or the Dutch auction/OpenIPO. Such decisions have to be made under the premeditated considerations of; their institutions’ goals, pricing, shares allocations, and risks and returns that are linked to any of the options that a company would centralize on. For instance, both OpenIPO and traditional techniques present very different means of allocating their shares. A sponsor has higher priorities in making decisions that promptly determine the amount of shares that can be allocated to whomever suit their recommendations, an authority that is vulnerable to abuse, in the traditional IPO. This has the potential of impacting negatively in case a stock is mispriced. A substantial case is when a sponsor decides to allocate the available shares to individual accounts of business supervisory in other institutions of their business interest, a situation that is efficiently avoidable in the case of Dutch auction/ OpenIPO. OpenIPO does its allocation without malicious considerations such as personal interests in shares allocation. Thus, is guarantees fairness (no spinning) and only allocate shares to bid winners, i.e., those who placed their bids based on the price or higher factors. The second benefit of using the OpenIPO is that it guarantees an open platform for all irrespective of whether an investor is a larger institution or small enterprises, as had been the trend with the traditional IPO shares allocation. Characteristics of the OpenIPO that makes it to override the traditional IPO is that it allows limited incentives f or the small investor to purchase shares based on the underwriters’ quoted prices (which are lower), and quickly sell them off to gain a bigger profit margin. A second factor that OpenIPO will help to eliminate will be the possibility of investors to bid too low by ensuring that those who overbid and underbid are sold for the shares at equal prices. This second advantage would help the issuers to earn more, money they would have not realized while using the traditional I

Carmens Aria A song of Celebration and Self-Realization Essay

Carmens Aria A song of Celebration and Self-Realization - Essay Example The aria explores love from an independent ladies perspective who lives life without any constraint of chasteness or fidelity. It explores the hidden desires in every human mind to lead a similar life. In a poetical sense, Bizet wanted to create a lead character much different from the classical opera heroines of Europe. He specifically used the Habanera music to create an air of mystery and foreignism around the Carmen character. The libretto occurs when Carmen is asked by a group of men whom she will choose as her lover. Carmen expresses her desire to keep her choice open forever through the area. She talks about herself and about her attitude towards love in general. She is exotic, free as a bird and declares her love has no boundaries and cannot be tamed. She warns any men whom she might fall in love with about her indecisive attitude. Carmen neither wants to please any man nor be attached to him for a long time. Her love is like a bird which keeps escaping the boundaries constantly. Bizet hailed Carmen came from a far-off land to justify her exotic nature. The verses of the libretto create ideas related to the theme of naturalism. Carmen is a working-class girl who does not respect much of the middle-class values related to fidelity. Bizet portrays the working class women as strong and sexually demanding who are ready to socialize, free to travel and capable of fighting for themselves. Carmen says her love is like a bird, a rebellious one that nobody can ever win over in the very first line. She concludes the final line of the aria by saying her love will never be bound by any known law. The second stanza of the aria portrays Carmen's choice and taste of men. She prefers a silent mum man than the one who talks constantly. Women are often said to love humorous and talkative men, capable of praising their beauty and virtue.  

College Transfer Academic Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

College Transfer Academic - Personal Statement Example arger diversity culture with more ideas and innovative resource inputs; and (3) the prospects of bringing my unique interdisciplinary inspiration to University of California. The genuine interest in the fields of Microbiology developed in childhood while living with my grandmother. In poor health, I remember my old grandma who had to ride her bicycle to take me to see a doctor every day. The persistent routine caught the hypertension syndrome because of the tiredness. This provided the impetus and determination to study medicine and biology. In high school, I became more and more interested in biology and was selected into a Biology Olympiad Team of the school to compete for the National Biology Olympiad as a representative of the school. Despite my inability to gain any national prize due to my naivety and lack of training, I was unnecessarily clumsy at doing experiment. During my freshman year, I became a laboratory researcher for one of the course’s instructors, Dr. Lee. I assisted in the laboratory doing experiments on microbial ecology to explain the global latitudinal diversity gradient phenomenon. The experiment itself was simple, determining heterozygosity of E. coli in different temperatures. However, the wealth of experience gain and the value of internship were realized in terms of the following: First, the microbiology experiment helped me to improve my laboratory skills initially gained from high school through governance and time management. Since I am in charge of the whole experiment and I am in charge of my schedule, I was able to creatively manage time and control the required variables for the indicated experiment. Thirdly, I realized that I am good at an interdisciplinary approach for the reason that was encouraged to explore diverse possibilities through experimentation in the laboratory and come up with interesting experiments I like, such as creating microbial paintings on culture dishes, among others. The lab experience encourages

INTERPRETING CRIME AND CRIMINALS 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

INTERPRETING CRIME AND CRIMINALS 2 - Essay Example My research was able to establish that there is not much difference in the experiences of male and female victims of cyber-stalking. One distinct difference between the male and female victim is that males are more likely not to report incidents of stalking to the police or law enforcers. The findings in this research imply that stereotypes in cyber-crimes have been firmly entrenched in our minds; little information is known about male victims of cyber-stalking-about how they became victims, how they dealt with it, and how they learned to live with it. Cyber-stalking is an old crime given new teeth. It used to be just plain stalking-following and watching a person doing his or her routine activities. But now that we are in the age of cyber technology, it has evolved into a much more sophisticated crime. I have chosen this topic because it is very interesting to explore the unconventional angle in the commission of this crime. People are familiar about the statistics in this crime-there are both male and female victims—however, they tend to focus more on the female victim, and dismiss the male victim to be of lesser importance and concern. This crime is also considered one of the newer crimes created by cyber-technology. It largely explains why legislation and implementation has not caught up with it yet. There are many countries right now that have yet to make this act a punishable offence. Although the UK has firmly entrenched legislation to address this crime, it has the same problems as other countries--the implementatio n of these laws. This topic also interests me because I would like to find out how the victim became a victim, how he felt about being a victim, and how he was dealt with by police officers when he eventually reported the crime. I used the qualitative method of research in this study. More specifically I

Memo to training manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Memo to training manager - Essay Example As revealed from the Encyclopedia of Business and Finance, international marketing â€Å"occurs when firms plan and conduct transactions across international borders in order to satisfy the objectives of both consumers and the firm† (1). Obviously, as a global organization where our operations have been expanding in various countries all over the world, the strategies that were previously applied in our domestic markets are not sufficient and applicable in global settings. Accordingly, â€Å"unique environmental factors that need to be explored by firm managers before going global include trade systems, economic conditions, political-legal systems, and cultural conditions† (Encyclopedia of Business and Finance 1). These factors are macro-environmental factors that impinge on the performance of global organizations as they impact the host countries’ operations. For instance, trade systems encompass â€Å"regulations and restrictions include tariffs, quotas, embargoes, exchange controls, and nontariff trade barriers† (Encyclopedia of Business and Finance 1). Economic factors consider â€Å"industrial structure and income distribution. Industrial structure refers to how well developed a countrys infrastructure is, while income distribution refers to how income is distributed among its citizens† (Encyclopedia of Business and Finance 1). Politico-legal factors take into account the prevailing government structure, laws, policies and regulations, status of stability and impending threats. Finally, and equally important are cultural factors that include familiarity with the language, customs and traditions, values, and dimensions that affect practicing business in host countries. Just like any other objective for training and development programs, a specialized training for IM would prepare and enhance the skills, knowledge and abilities of all personnel on trading within international scope. As emphasized in Education

EU Law and Legal Contract Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

EU Law and Legal Contract - Essay Example For member states of the EU, it is no longer the case that only national government can make laws within their territories. Britain joined the EU in 1973 when it was still European Economic Community (EEC). So until 1972 UK had complete parliamentary sovereignty" but as the UK's application to join the EU was accepted, Parliament passed the European Communities Act. This Act transferred some control over creation of laws to EU institutions. Primary sources of EU law are treaties. Treaties are agreements signed by the Heads of State of all the member states of the EU. They set out all the main principles and goals of the EU. So far as our law is concerned all treaties signed by our head of government become part of English law automatically. This is a result of the European Communities Act 1972. There are four main treaties of the European Union. The Treaty of Rome 1957 was when the EEC was created and trade barriers and custom duties were abolished. The Maastricht Treaty 1993 was when the EC became the EU and everybody holding a passport from one of the member states of the EU became a citizen of the EU. It also meant that that the European Parliament gained more powers. The Amsterdam Treaty 197 which meant there were more powers for the European Parliament and immigration laws were to be common between states, human rights provisions were also established. The Treaty of Nice 2001 meant that changes in the qualified majority voting system were agreed, a necessary preparation for a big increase in the number of member states. The idea that groups of countries will develop at different paces within the EU was agreed also. Citizens of the UK are entitled to rely on the rights in the Treaty of Rome and other treaties, even though those rights may not have been specifically enacted in English law. This is shown by the case of Macarthy's Ltd v Smith (1980). In this case Wendy Smith's employers paid her less than her male colleagues for exactly the same job. As the two people were not employed at the same time by the employer there was no breach of English domestic law. However, Wendy Smith was able to claim that the company which employed her was in breach of Article 119 of the Treaty of Rome over equal pay for men and women and this claim was confirmed by the European Court of Justice. Secondary sources of EU law are regulations, directives and decisions. What these different types of law have in common is that they are all laws aimed at putting the general principles set out in the treaties into practice. Unlike treaties, however, they do not require the signature of Heads of State. They are proposed by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament. Directives are the main way in which harmonisation of laws within member states is reached. They are statements outlining the kind of national laws that member states are required to pass in order to meet the requirements of treaties. Directives are issued under Article 249 of the Treaty of Rome. Directives are more specific than treaties, which contain general principles. They direct member states to pass laws which meet certain criteria, though they lever it to

Encounter Point Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Encounter Point - Movie Review Example The issues of land and water are especially important factors since the region in which these countries lie has arid and semi arid conditions. Due to inadequacy of water, there has been a struggle concerning the control of water sources (Tesssler 67). Another factor that has contributed to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the Muslim insurgency in the region. Most attacks in the Middle East are terrorist attacks whereby Israelis face growing attacks from insurgent militias and terrorist groups from all countries in the region in support of Palestine. In response, Israeli retaliates with attacks also. This has ensured that the Palestine-Israeli conflict has persisted for years despite efforts by the international community to quail the violence. However, the International community seems to favor Israel and this has worsened the peace in the region since the Arab world feels that Palestine is being fairly untreated. Despite numerous peace accords and ventures, the insurgency seems to be rising and enmity between these two states worsens. However, those that suffer are the civilians. Most of the attacks in the conflict are directed at villages, railway terminals, bus terminals, churches, and mosques etc, where many people assembl e. This has led to death and suffering of very many civilian Palestinians and Israeli (Tessler 68). This movie is based on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, whereby people have decided to use non violent means to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. People have decided that since it is civilians who suffer in the conflict, it is civilians themselves who can ensure that such conflict is suppressed so that peace prevails. The producers spent a total of 4 years in coming up with this documentary. Encounter movie examines the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in detail by analyzing the lives of various

Biography Mary Wollstonecraft 1759-1797 Research Paper

Biography Mary Wollstonecraft 1759-1797 - Research Paper Example Together with Arden, they attended classes by Arden’s father and studied absorbing books (Taylor, 2003). Work In 1783, she helped her sister Eliza escape from an abusive marriage. Together they established a school at Newington Green where she acted as a schoolteacher and a headmistress. It was at this time that she began her literary work and wrote the book â€Å"Thought on Education of Daughters: With reflection on Female Conduct, In the More important Duties of Life†. In 1787, she was appointed the governess of the Kingsborough household. She was dismissed, since she had discrepancies with the Lady of Kingsborough, but the children liked her. This experience inspired her to write the book Original Stories from Real life. After her dismissal she moved to London to focus more on her career as an author. She was unhappy with the limited employment opportunities that were there for poor yet dignified women. In London, she learnt German and French, which helped her in tra nslating texts. She also wrote book reviews in the periodical Analytical Reviews. These experiences opened a wide field of intellectual material to her. It gave her a chance to interact with great philosophers, such as William Godwin, and political radicals, such as Thomas Paine (Taylor, 2003). Private life When in London, Mary had a relationship with an artist Henry Fusseli, who was by then married. She proposed a nonsexual relationship with Henry and his wife, but his wife was dismayed by that idea. Henry had to break off relations with Wollstonecraft. After this incidence, she traveled to French to experience the atmosphere of the French revolution personally. Here, she fell in love with Gilbert Imlay; this romantic relationship culminated in her getting pregnant with her first child. Gilbert was not bent on settling down in marriage, left Wollstonecraft in France and went to London. Mary’s work at this time reflected her loneliness and depression of a woman caught up by a revolution, both external and internal. She followed Gilbert to London but he rejected her. She made an attempted suicide, but Gilbert rescued her. She attempted to save her relationship with Gilbert by going on a dangerous trip to win a business deal for him; unfortunately, he never took her back. She made a second suicidal attempt by jumping into the fast running river Thames but was rescued by a stranger. According to her, the attempts to commit suicide were very rational. She later got into a romantic relationship with Godwin and got expectant. She married him so that the baby would not be illegitimate. The couple moved to two separate adjoining houses in order to retain their independence and communicated through letters. Godwin wrote memoirs that vividly portrayed the negative side of Mary's character, including her attempted suicides, illegitimate children and shaky private life. Though he was writing this being in love with his wife, it actually represented Wollstonecraft i n an unfavorable light. Wollstonecraft's death In September 30 1797, Wollstonecraft delivered her second born. The placenta ruptured and became infected. Wollstonecraft was in agony for several days and finally died September 10 the same year (Taylor, 2003). Contribution to philosophy Her efforts were aimed towards fighting for the rights of women. In the Vindication of the Rights of

Social Medias Negative Influences on Social Interaction Essay Example for Free

Social Medias Negative Influences on Social Interaction Essay The purpose of this paper is to observe complete strangers and familiar groups of people in a coffee shop setting, and a college setting, and document the use of social media and their interactions with other people. The goal of these observations is to see how much people socially interact with one another, and how much time people seclude themselves through the use of social media. The observer will also record the number of  interactions that are created through social media topics, meaning conversations that would not have occurred if social media was not present. It is the prediction of the author that people are less likely to socialize with face to face conversations, and are more likely to spend their time in a social environment using social media and interacting with others online with the use of their social media devices. The data collected will give the reader a better understanding of how society prefers to interact socially in present day, and what percentage of their time do they depend on the use of social media in a social environment. Does social media positively or negatively influence social interactions? How is social media used as an external attribution? Introduction. Technology has come so far over the last twenty years, and nobody really asked what society was losing, because of all that we gained. With all the interactions occurring in social media, including text messaging, Facebook, Twitter, email, YouTube, etc., do we really communicate in person anymore? Was it that long ago where our culture was dependent on pay phones and had to mail letters to contact other people? Because of the lack of convenience that people had during that time, it was very common to prefer to interact with people face to face. Now we live in a culture that people prefer to write text messages and/or emails, instead of calling someone to avoid talking with them directly. In a span of about ten years, our culture went from wanting cell phones to becoming dependent on cell phones, and having mostly to do with being able to view data (texts, emails, internet browsing), as opposed to calling people. It is because of all these facts that this author wishes to find out if social media is helping us interact socially, or if it actually prevents us from interacting. Another purpose of this research paper is to determine whether social media is used as an external attribution. External attribution is defined when an event is caused by an outside factor (Schneider, Gruman Coutts, 2005), or in this case, social media. In this study, we will find out if the event that occurs due to social media use is face to face interactions, the extended use of additional social media, or no interactions at all. It is believed that behavior results from personal and environmental, or social influences. In this study, we will find out if social media being present will cause  conversation to take place between groups of people that know each other, as well as complete strangers. What also will be recorded is whether the use of social media will result in social media interactions, as opposed to face to face interactions. An example of this would be if a person using social media on their tablet saw a YouTube video, and due to how funny they found the video, they then proceeded to text friends or post information on Facebook and/or Twitter about the video. This study will take place in two different locations, the first place being a Starbucks coffee shop in Coalinga, CA, while the second place will be West Hills Community College in Coalinga, CA. The setting’s benefits and weaknesses will be discussed later in this research assignment. The purpose of this location is to record the actions and uses of social media with complete strangers, as well as groups of people that know each other. By monitoring the interactions of people in a coffee shop, the author is able to see how much time that people rely on social media in a half hour setting. The coffee shop is used primarily as a place to study, interact in groups, read the newspaper, or to simply drink coffee. As opposed to a restaurant, where it is a more social atmosphere and it may be considered rude by patrons for people in their group to use their cell phones, tablets, and laptops. By observing the use of social media and social interactions at a college, we can see how similar or different the results are in a school setting. This case study will apply to the purposes of social psychology, as social psychology is defined as how people influence one another (Schneider, Gruman Coutts, 2005). The twist that will appear in the research to follow is how not only people influence other people, but how their use of social media influences other people and their interactions with other people. It is the author’ s hypothesis that the use of social media, although very useful at times, is devastating to normal face to face interaction. We are reminded of those people walking down the sidewalks with their heads buried into their cell phones, causing them to run into other people and obstacles on the sidewalk. The author also believes that this research will find that most, or all interactions that do exist, will occur through the use of social media instead of normal conversations. Setting. The two different locations where this study will be held will be at a Starbucks coffee shop and a community college, both of which are located in Coalinga, CA. These locations were both chosen because they offer the author the best chance for naturalistic observation, or nonparticipant observation. Nonparticipant observation is defined as an observation made by a researcher that allows them to remain separate from the event being monitored, so they do not have to worry about affecting the results of their observations (Schneider, Gruman Coutts, 2005). Since this study deals with monitoring other people’s use of social media and its influence on their social interactions, it is necessary to remain distant from the participants so they are unaware they are being observed, so that the data collected is more accurate. Different from participant observation, where the observer interacts with the participants being monitored, nonparticipant observation allows the observer the best chance to get realistic data. When people know they are being observed, they tend to act differently, and in the case of this study, they may hesitate from interacting socially and/or using social media as much as they normally would. The first observation will take place in the only coffee shop in the town of Coalinga, CA. This is relevant, as Coalinga is a small college town, so the chances of observing college students and adults interacting and/or using social media are high. The second observation will take place outside in the quad at the local community college in Coalinga, CA. The target audience for this observation period will be students who are getting out of class, or who are sitting around killing time until their next class begins. Both settings target a younger audience, which will heighten the chances of observing social media use, since social media is used more by young adults than older adults (Skues, Williams Wise, 2012). The goal of these two locations is to give the author the best chance to see the most use of social media, and how its use affects social interactions between the users and the people around them, all in a thirty minute time period. Location Advantages. The advantages of observations made in a coffee shop and a college setting are that it allows the author to target a younger audience, which should  generate observations of social media use and its affect on social interactions. When people go to coffee shops, they stay there to interact with other people, to study, or to hang out and spend time using social media. This is why most coffee shops have free Wi-Fi now, to encourage people to stay and drink more coffee while they interact socially or use social media. Another benefit of observing interactions and social media use in a coffee shop is that we find a large number of groups coming in together, as well as complete strangers placed next to each other. This study’s purpose is to monitor the social media use and social interactions of complete strangers, as well as people that know each other. In the group setting, we can see if everyone in the group uses social media, and whether they let their findings on social media to spark up conversation topics. With individuals, we can see how much they use social media and whether their use prevents them from trying to interact socially with complete strangers, or encourages them to start conversations with complete strangers. At the college setting, it gives the author similar surroundings to a coffee shop, in that it is a social environment, since most students hang out with their friends before and after class. A common occurrence at school is to see students doing homework, socializing with friends, or using social media before class since it usually is not allowed during class. Some students may even use social media to help with their homework assignments. While observing the college, the author will get the chance to see groups of people interacting, as well as students hanging out by themselves, which makes it similar to the coffee shop environment. Location Disadvantages. One disadvantage that may occur at the coffee shop is that the observer cannot control how many people come in during the thirty minute observation period, thus making it an uncontrolled environment. The hope is that, since the small town only has one coffee shop, it will be a popular place for people to go interact and use social media. If the author chooses to go on a slow day for business, the observations will be limited. This will obviously be affected by the time that the author chooses to go observe. To avoid any  issues, the observer will do this observation on a weekend morning, in hopes of avoiding work and school hours. Another disadvantage of a coffee shop is that it has a similar environment to a library, since so many people are present, people can avoid interactions to keep the place quiet for everyone to enjoy their experience. The fact that people are ordering drinks at the front counter and there is quite a bit of noise coming from the workers and coffee machines, the chances of it being quiet are small. One disadvantage of the college setting is the fact that the observation will be made outside, and weather can affect the number of students being present outside. The fact that Coalinga is a very warm area, the chances of it being cold in the mid-afternoon are small, so this should not be a huge issue. The other disadvantage of the college setting is, like the coffee shop, it is an uncontrolled environment, so the observer cannot control the number of students present at the time of observation. To prevent any issues here, the observer will choose a time around lunch, where most classes are on break from the hours of 12:00pm- 1:00pm. How social psychology considers social media in this environment. Since social psychology is defined as people’s behaviors influenced by others (Schneider, Gruman Coutts, 2005), this case study is specifically targeting how people interact around one another. The external factor in this study is that we are also monitoring the use of social media, and how it affects how people interact with each other. According to Gross (2009), in 2000, 34% of our population used cell phones, which increased to 84% in 2009. This is clear evidence that today’s generation is becoming dependant on cell phones, tablets, laptops, and other social media devices. Knowing this, and reading what Marche researched (2012), people are using social media more than ever. The problem lies in the fact that people using social media could be a result of people feeling lonely, and through the use of social media, they feel connected to something or someone. According to Marche, people are lonely as ever because â€Å"Facebook denies us a pleasure whose profundity we had underestimated: the chance to forget about ourselves for a while, the chance to disconnect. (2012)† What Marche means by this is in the past, people had the chance to disconnect from everything and  everyone, especially when things were not going so well. Now society never disconnects, because everything is a click away. The more people use social media, the less interaction they have with other people face to face, thus creating a state of loneliness. This study fits the purposes of social psychology because it will monitor how people’s actions and interactions are affected by the people that surround them, as well as the social media that is present around them. The observer will see how much conversation is started without the use of social media, and compare it to conversation started through topics of social media. Will people by themselves have the confidence to approach people they do not know to have a conversation? If so, will it be a result of the person being outgoing or the result of social media sparking a conversation? The observer will see groups and how they interact with one another, and how much of it depends on social media. Will the interactions between groups be different between those of strangers, in regards to social media use? These are all questions that the author will target throughout his research and observations. Research Methods. To conduct this research, the author first went to a Starbucks coffee shop on a Sunday morning at ten o’clock in the morning. The coffee shop is located in Coalinga, California. The reason this time was chosen was because it is a college town, so a weekday morning would most likely be slow, and most people have work off on weekends. The goal was to try and observe the most crowded time possible, in order to get the most accurate results throughout the observation. Though the research was done in a very small town, the Starbucks coffee shop still attracts a lot of business on weekends. Since this study was to be done with naturalistic observation methods, the author chose to get a seat in the far corner of the coffee shop, so that he could avoid people being aware of his presence and monitoring. By not letting the participants know that they were being monitored, the author felt that the data collected would be a more accurate portrayal of how they normally would interact socia lly, and how much those interactions were affected by the use of social media. Due to participant’s  change of behavior when they are aware of their actions being recorded, the naturalistic observation method can be an effective way to get the most accurate results when monitoring people’s actions (Rosas, 2006). The second setting for data collection was done at West Hills Community College, located in Coalinga, California. Although this is a smaller college, there are still plenty of classrooms that are all located outside, which allowed the author the chance to sit nearby a classroom door and monitor the students waiting to go into class, as well as the students just getting out of class. The author chose to use natural observations when monitoring these students throughout the case study at the college. The observations also focused on the teachers that walked around campus, and their interactions with other teachers and students. Similar to the observations made at the coffee shop, these were done at the school by the author staying out of the way of those who were being monitored. The author was able to find a table across from the classroom, where many students gathered together while they waited to go into class. These were the two settings in which the research for this study were do ne by the author. Ethical Challenges. Since naturalistic observations are defined as those made by a researcher who neither changes the environment in any way, nor creates their own desired environment (Capella, 2013), the only challenge presented to the author in this study was not being found to be monitoring by the people who he was observing. Since the coffee shop is a smaller venue, it was difficult to not stick out while observing the actions of people so close to the author. At the school, it was much easier to blend in as the author was outside and could put sunglasses on, so people could not see his eyes. As mentioned earlier, the study results could only be found accurate if the author did not intervene with the participants, since this is the only way to view the participants in their natural habitat (Capella, 2013). The only way this study was found to be ethical was if it was done without intervening with the participants. This also included not using personal information from the participants, so none of th e documented results could be connected to people who were unaware they were being monitored. Since  none of these issues were breached, the research done was ethical. Research Analysis. The author made naturalistic observations at two individual settings, each for a twenty minute period of time. The first observation was done at the Starbucks in Coalinga, California, on January 26, 2014. The second observation was done at West Hills Community College in Coalinga, California, on February 4, 2014. In the twenty minute observation period at the local Starbucks, the researcher witnessed three groups of people come into the coffee shop together and eight individuals, three of whom were already present before the researcher got to the coffee shop. In the twenty minute observation period at the college, the researcher saw one group of 6 students, one group of three teachers, and two individuals all outside a classroom door. Groups. The first group witnessed at the Starbucks was a group of three women, two in their early fifties, and one who appeared to be a college student. The women came in and interacted with each other while waiting in line, and then grabbed a table once their order was ready. The younger girl checked her phone three different times while in line with the two older ladies, and appeared to be texting back and forth. This usage brought up some communication with one of the older women, who appeared to be the mother of the younger girl. The â€Å"mother† asked who she was texting, and then asked how the friend who the younger girl was texting was doing. Once they sat down, the younger girl texted on her phone only a few times, as the time spent at the table between the ladies dealt with interacting about the young girl’s impression of the town of Coalinga. At no point during their ten minute sit down did any of the women interact with any other people that were in the coffee shop, as they stayed completely in group. The author noted that the younger girl appeared more interested in what texts she was getting on her phone than what the two older women were talking about, but she refrained from using it too much. In the second group, which came a few minutes after the first group, there  were four college students (2 girls and 2 guys). They all had their backpacks with them, and one guy had a tablet while the other had a laptop. It was evident that they had been to this coffee shop before, as they all started up a conversation with two of the young workers at the counter, who appeared to be classmates of theirs. Once they grabbed a table, they began discussing a class project that they had in their health class. The guy with the tablet used his social media device to research certain health topics that were presented to him by both girls in the group. The second guy with the laptop was responsible for writing down their research findings, as all four discussed the topics and what was found through their research. At no point through their discussions did they interact with anyone outside their group, as they seemed focus on completing their research only. They still remained there at the co ffee shop after the author left the coffee shop fifteen minutes later. The third group of people consisted of two females, one in her late twenties and the other being a college student, and one male in his mid-thirties. The older woman and male both worked at this Starbucks, and it was evident that they held a managerial position. The younger college student female was applying for a job at this particular Starbucks. The younger female had a resume with her, and had to fill out an application while sitting down in the group. The older male was asking the applicant questions about her completed application, while the older female was documenting some of the responses on her tablet. It appeared that the two managers were using the tablet to input important information about the applicant. There were some outside interactions, as some of the other employees were invited over to the table and introduced to the applicant. This meeting lasted about ten minutes, and then the applicant left the shop while the two managers went back into the office in the back. At the college, the first group that was seen was a group of six students (five guys and one girl). It was clear that this group was waiting for their next class to begin and was killing time before the class started. Although nobody from this group had a tablet or laptop, all six had cell phones and used them almost the entire time. The female was on a phone call, while the  guys were all checking out videos and music on YouTube. All the conversations between the guys were related to their findings on their phones, and once the girl got off her phone, she was invited over to see a funny video that the guys had found. At one point, two individuals passed by this group at separate times, but no interactions were made between the group and the individuals. The final group seen at the college was a group of three mid-forties females who are teachers at the college. One of the ladies had her laptop open, while the other two were talking about creating new student learning outcomes for their particular fields. At no point did the teachers even look over to the group of students that was two tables away from them, as they seemed focus on completing their research before their next class. Although only one of the females was using the laptop, all three were conversing about the student learning outcomes and making suggestions to what was documented on the laptop. Individuals. There were eight different individuals present at the coffee shop during the twenty minute observation period. Five of the eight individuals sat down at a table, while the other three got their coffees to go. The three individuals who got their coffee to go all only interacted with the workers at the counter, and none of them used a social media device or interacted with other people. One of the five that chose to stay at the coffee shop was a college female, and she sat at a table with headphones on while viewing her tablet. She appeared to be watching a movie, as she did not speak the entire time she sat down. Another of the five (mid-forties male) had a copy of the newspaper and proceeded to drink his coffee while reading the Sports section of the newspaper for ten minutes, before he left the shop. The third individual was another college student female who sat down at a table with her coffee and made a four minute phone call to a friend. Once the phone call was over, she grabbed her coffee and left the coffee shop. The fourth individual was a mid-thirties female who brought a book with her, as she sat in the quiet corner of the shop while reading her book and drinking her coffee. She did not interact with anyone while the observation took place.  The final individual was a mid-twenties male, who brought his laptop with him. Once he sat down, he put earphones in and appeared to face-time someone on his laptop, as he was speaking into the microphone on his computer. This conversation was about ten minutes, and prevented any outside interactions with this person with anyone else at the shop. One thing noted by the author was that the people around this last individual did notice that he was speaking rather loudly in a public place, and it was evident that some conversations came up about the man being rude. At no point did anyone approach the man, as they just whispered about it at their individual tables. In the college setting, there were only two individuals present during the twenty minute observation, and they walked by the classroom that was being monitored at separate times. Both individuals were male and both were walking to their next class while using their phones. The first was using his phone to make a phone call, but because he was in the area for only thirty seconds, the contents of the phone conversation were unclear. The second male was typing on his phone the entire time he was walking to his next class, so it appeared that he was texting. The student did not raise his head one time as he was walking, which caused him to walk very slowly and it appeared that he was using his peripheral vision to make sure he did not run into anything during his walk to his next class. Neither one of these individuals interacted socially to any of the groups present as they walked by. Research Analysis’ Relationship to Social Media Statisitics. The research collected through the two observations shows that younger and older participants all were likely to use some form of social media device. About 50% of all social media users in this study used their social media devices to communicate with others through texting and phone calls, while the other 50% used their social media devices to document information and view videos online. According to research done by Baker (2012) just with regards to social media use for videos, YouTube gets 4 billion page views per day all over the world. The average person spends fifteen minutes per day on YouTube streaming video, and every day, over 800,000 videos are uploaded onto YouTube. 35% of all YouTube viewers are between the ages of  18-34 (Baker, 2012). In another study done by Baker (2012), she writes how there are one million new Twitter accounts created every day, which is equivalent to eleven accounts created per second, and over 100 million active Twitter users globally today. Ac cording to research done by Gibson (2013), over 97% of all people own cell phones, and 56% of those cell phones owned are â€Å"smart-phones†, which have the potential to retrieve email and browse the internet. She also states that within the ages of 18-29, 80% of that age group own a smart-phone. With all this said, it is clear that today’s majority culture is dependent on cell phones. Throughout this study, the author saw a majority of participants using some form of social media device, which agrees with other research on social media usage. What was unclear throughout this study is how much social media usage affects our interactions with others socially. Even though some people use their social media devices to interact with others online, does social media limit our ability to communicate with others face to face. During this study, we saw that people that were involved in a group setting still interacted with one another, whether the conversations were dependent on social media or not. We also saw that individuals by themselves did not go out of their way to converse with complete strangers, unless it was to buy a cup of coffee. Unfortunately, this does not prove if social media is the cause of less face to face interactions, because these participants may have just kept to themselves on that particular day. Although it may appear that people today are less likely to interact socially, especially with people they do not know, it is impossible to prove that based on two observation periods. Research Summary. So what has this research study shown us? The one definite that was shown is that people were hesitant to approach people they did not know, unless it was to order something from the front counter at Starbucks. While this does not prove that people today are less likely to interact with complete strangers, it shows proof that people in a public setting are not going out of their way to interact with other people they do not know. What is interesting is that through social media usage (Twitter, Facebook, etc.),  people today are more likely to engage in conversations with complete strangers than they are in face to face settings (Diaz, Evans Gallagher, 2011). What is it about social media that allows people today to be more open to converse with people they do not know, rather than doing it in a public setting in person? Diaz, Evans Gallagher believe that because people do not have to face the person they are speaking with, thus not having to deal with embarrassment if what they s ay is found to be unpopular, people are more likely to be outgoing when it will not affect them negatively in a social manner (2011). Another fact that was proven in this study is that social media can provoke interactions with other people, even though those witnessed in this study were not how the author thought they would occur. In this study at the Starbucks, a man sat at a table and spoke to another person on his social media device in a public place. Because of how loud he was, other people that did not know the man began talking about how rude the man was to act like he was in his living room and not respect the other people surrounding him. The author was hoping to find people that would find something of interest on a social media device and show other people they did not know, sparking an interaction between two strangers. Though this did not happen, one person’s social media use did spark an interaction between another group of people which would not have occurred had the man not done what he had done. This proves to the reader that social media usage can promote interactions between people that w ould not have occurred had people not used social media. Study Implications. New Trends. Though this study does not prove anything, as it is a small sample size of the world’s social media usage and their interactions, it does agree with the author’s hypothesis that people today rely less on face to face interactions and more with interactions made through social media. According to Diaz, Evans Gallagher (2011), there are several advantages and disadvantages of using social media to interact. Young adults that are shy may gain confidence to interact more, first by using social media to  interact and develop confidence. Social media also encourages people to apply more thought into their interactions, as they have more time to think about what will be said. This differs from face to face interactions, as people are put on the spot and sometimes cannot have sufficient time to think about the best thing to say in a particular moment. Some of the disadvantages mentioned by Diaz, Evans Gallagher (2011) are that social media is so widespread, that any convers ation can be seen by millions of people, rather than a face to face conversation that is only seen by those present. Social media also leads people to multi-task, which leads to a lack of attention applied to one individual topic. Multi-tasking also leads to spending too much time on social media, and not enough time studying and developing the brain. New Responses to Influences of Social Media. Does our society even have negative responses to the influences of social media? It seems that everyone is so involved with how cool technology is, and what new social media devices are coming out, there is not a lot of talk about the negative influences of social media. Is social media a more negative or positive influence on our culture? This question cannot be answered with a study like this, as many studies have been done to observe people’s usage of media, and everyone handles their usage differently. Some people may be consumed with social media, and all that comes with it, to where they separate themselves from the non-interactive world. Some people may be able to contain their usage, while using their social media use to improve their face to face interactions with regular people. The author’s feelings on this topic is that due to the data collected in this case study, people did not go out of their way to interact with people they did not know. Whereas twenty years ago, people by themselves in a coffee shop may have been more likely to try and interact with strangers because they did not have social media to occupy their time. This is not to say that people twenty years ago did not go to coffee shops to read the paper or their book in private. The data collected in this study also shows proof that the percentages of people using social media and smart phones found in recent research studies are pretty accurate, as a high percentage of the people that were observed had some of sort of social media device. Recent research  also showed that phones today are more likely to be used for texting, emailing, and web browsing, rather than talking on the phone (Duggan, 2013). This research was proven to be accurate in this observational study as well, as one person at the school was using their phone to talk, while everyone else was using their phones to browse, text, or email. Further Areas of Research. So even though this topic has been researched many times by different researchers, are there any areas that may have not been covered to try and come up with a more definitive answer to if social media usage affects our social interactions? The problem presented with all research is that every person is different, and how they are affected by social media will be different in each individual situation. The author believes that all that can be accomplished by completing further research is to add more proof to a topic that has not been proved to be 100% accurate. Even with more research leading readers to believe that social media is affecting our culture negatively, the only way that we can prove that is if one day people stop talking to other people completely and interaction is done ONLY through the use of social media. Then we can say that social media is definitely the reason that people do not interact socially face to face. One other area that can be further researched is to fi nd out the relationship between social media use and feelings of depression. It would be interesting to see how depression is related to the loneliness that comes with secluding oneself with only interacting through social media. Conclusion. It was the goal of the author to see how the use of social media affected our social interactions in today’s society. Another focus of this study was to see how interactions that do take place are a result of social media usage. Given the data collected in these two case studies, the research findings do support prior research that social media usage is taking over as the primary means of communicating. Each individual person is different, in that some may rely more on social media to communicate than others based on their personalities, but the data found by the author does support this theory and shows the reader that people are growing less accustomed to  communicating face to face with others. While it is said that communicating through social media can expand our abilities to communicate in person (Diaz et al, 2011), it can also be said that social media is preventing our society from socially interacting in person. What this author has found is that there will always be two different sides to this argument, as some will feel that the benefits of social media use will always outnumber the negative effects, while others feel that no matter how advanced social media is, the fact that it may prevent people today from having face to face interactions is a serious issue. The reader has to believe that social media will only increase the more advanced devices become, which may lead some to think that social interaction will keep diminishing. The best thing that people can do as parents is to somehow regulate their children’s usage of social media, with regards to how much time is spent on their social media devices and what content is being viewed. By doing this, parents can still allow their children to interact socially and continue to develop their communication skills by not solely relying on social media to interact socially (Diaz et al, 2011). Whether social media usage is regulated or not, it is apparent that social media is here to stay. It is up to parents and teachers to try and incorporate other methods of interacting with their children so that they receive all the benefits that can come from interacting face to face. The conclusion of this study is, although research may support the fact that social media usage can affect social interactions, it will be very difficult to prove 100% because of different people’s reasons for choosing whether to interact socially face to face or through social online networks. References Baker, H. (2012). Video Statistics. The B2B Guide to Social Media. Retrieved on February 14, 2014 at: http://www.b2bsocialmediaguide.com/2012/06/07/video-statistics/ Baker, H. (2012). Twitter Statistics. The B2B Guide to Social Media. Retrieved on February 14, 2014 at: http://www.b2bsocialmediaguide.com/2011/04/04/twitter-statistics-7/ Capella University. (2013). Social Media Naturalistic Research Study. Retrieved on February 15, 2014 at: https://courseroomc.capella.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_4655_1%26url%3D Diaz, Y., Evan, L. Gallagher, R. (2011). Anti-Social Networking: How do texting and social media affect our children? A panel discussion by CSC clinicians at the Nightingale-Bamford School. Retrieved on March 5, 2014 at: http://www.aboutourkids.org/articles/antisocial_networking_how_do_texting_social_media_affect_our_children_panel_discussion_csc_ Duggan, M. (2013). Cell Phone Activities 2013. Retrieved on March 7, 2014 at: http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/09/19/cell-phone-activities-2013/ Gibson, M. (2013). 2013 Cell Phone Statistics. AccuConference. Retrieved on February 13, 2014 at: http://www.accuconference.com/blog/Cell-Phone-Statistics.aspx Gross, M.S. (2009). Conversations in the fast lane: Social media’s influence on communication theory. Public Relations Tactics, 16(11), 15. Marche, S. (2012). Is Facebook Making Us Lonely? Atlantic Monthly. August, 2012, Vol. 310 Issue 1, p16-22. Rosas, S.R. (2006). Nonparticipant to Participant: A Methodological Perspective on Evaluator Ethics. American Journal of Evaluation. pp 27, 97-103 Skues, J.L., Williams, B., Wise, L. (2012). The effects of personality traits, self-esteem, loneliness, and narcissism on Facebook use among university students. Computers in Human Behavior, Volume 28, Issue 6, November 2012, Pages 2414-2419, ISSN 0747-5632.

Standard Grade English Essay Example for Free

Standard Grade English Essay This revision looks more closely at the second purpose of writing which is examined in Standard Grade English to deploy ideas and argue. This means that you are expected to discuss a given topic and to present an argument related to it. Organising a discursive essay There are three basic structures (ways of organising) for the discursive essay * you argue strongly for a given discussion topic * you argue strongly against a given discussion topic * you argue about a given discussion topic in a balanced way. Ideally, you should read these over (and complete any accompanying tasks)before you attempt the test bite. Good luck! Finding information for a discursive essay In the same way as you would look for information for the informative essay, you could try the following areas for information which would support arguments in the discursive essay * any relevant books from any library you can reach (check the non-fiction and reference sections) * the internet * magazines and newspapers * television and video * mums and dads and brothers and sisters and uncles * and aunts and friends . . . . . . ! It is important that you keep a note of where all your information comes from. This will allow you to check it again later, and will also allow you to complete the ‘Sources consulted’ section on the folio tag. Other points If you choose to do the discursive essay remember that you are expected to have a personal opinion try to make clear your personal interest in the issues you are offering for discussion! Remember, in the examination itself, you will not be able to access information, nor take in notes of any description (you wont know whats in the paper anyway!). So, the ideas about access to all of the above sources apply mainly to the completion of discursive essays for your folio. Planning a discursive essay The following basic structure should be employed for writing this essay. * Provide an interesting introduction. * Provide a clear indication of your position, your stance in relation to the topic (are you for or against ?). * Present your first argument, with supporting evidence. * Present your second argument, with supporting evidence. * Present your third argument, with supporting evidence. * Present your fourth argument, with supporting evidence, and so on (the number of paragraphs like this will depend on the number of arguments you can offer). * Indicate, in a single paragraph, that there is another side to this argument, with some idea of the points likely to be made for the view(s) which are opposite to your own. * Reiterate (state again) your position and conclude your essay. This plan is followed in the exemplar essay provided in this revision bite. Introducing a discursive essay The opening of an essay is important. It should capture the readers attention in some way or another. It should avoid being bland or dull. It should invite the reader to read on and create a sense of interest. If the beginning is flat, it will not inspire your audience. Methods of Opening a Discursive Essay The following methods are suggestions. It is up to you to decide which style suits your writing best. Provocative e.g.It is difficult to see how anyone can approve of fox hunting. Balanced e.g.Fox hunting is a subject about which people hold strongly contrasting views. Quotation e.g.Oscar Wilde once described fox hunting as The unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable.. Illustration e.g.On a glorious autumn morning a terrified, exhausted animal is savaged to death by a pack of baying dogs while a group of expensively dressed humans encourage the dogs in their bloody work. Anecdote e.g.I have always detested fox hunting since I was almost physically sick while watching a television film of the kill at the end of a hunt. Linking ideas in a discursive essay Any well-written piece of discursive writing will flow as one continuous piece despite being made up of three or four different arguments. One of the techniques which can help you to achieve this effectively is the use of linking words. These words are usually used at the beginning of a new paragraph but can also be used to link ideas within a paragraph. Same line of thought e.g. and, firstly, secondly etc., next, furthermore, likewise, in addition, similarly, also, moreover. Conclusion/summary e.g. thus, therefore, consequently, accordingly, in retrospect, hence, in conclusion, in brief, as a result. Definite statement e.g. without question, without doubt, unquestionably, absolutely. Contrasting idea e.g. yet, on the other hand, nevertheless, however, although, conversely, otherwise, on the contrary. Further examples because, for instance, since, for example, so that, despite the fact that, accordingly, although, if, though, unless. Formal tone in a discursive essay It is important when you write a discursive essay to write in a proper formal way. You should not use an informal style to write a discursive essay. In simple terms, this means the following Do| Do not use| Write in proper, complete sentences| Abbreviations (i.e./e.g./etc./UK/)| Use complete words and expressions| Contractions (isnt/dont/wont)| Use proper, standard English| Slang (e.g. bloke/geezer etc)| | Colloquial language (mate/bolshy etc.)| On a slightly different note, you should also try to make sure that you use a decent standard of vocabulary in any formal essay you write. In particular, try to avoid weak vocabulary such as get, got and getting. Relying on this level of vocabulary too often suggests that your power of expression is weak. Build up your word power! Discursive essay example In this page, you will concentrate on one discursive essay structure. Below you will find an example discursive essay. Read the essay over carefully. Study it and work out how it has been written. Reading the essay Whilst reading the essay, consider the following questions, writing down your ideas * what is the main idea the writer is arguing about? * each paragraph has a sub-topic which contributes to the essays main topic what does each paragraph contribute to the argument? * what evidence does the writer offer to support the arguments? * which of the three suggested structures identified earlier does the writer adopt in this essay? * does the writer link ideas clearly in the essay? * You will probably want to read the essay over twice to help you answer these questions. 1 A subject which always arouses strong feelings on both sides of the argument is the use of animals in medical research. I believe that, though this may have been necessary in the past, other ways can be developed to test drugs and, in the future, animals should not be used. 2 One of my main reasons for saying this is that living tissues can be grown in test tubes and new drugs can be tested on these. Computers can also be programmed to show how medicines will react in the human body. 3 Moreover, animals are not always like humans. They do not suffer from all human diseases, so scientists have to give them the illnesses artificially. The joints in rabbit legs are inflamed with chemicals to help research in rheumatism. These tests do not always work because animals do not react to drugs in the same way as humans. Aspirin, for example, damages pregnant mice and dogs, but not pregnant women. Arsenic, which is a deadly poison for humans, has no effect on sheep, while penicillin, which is so valuable to humans, kills guinea pigs. 4 In addition, I believe that animal experiments should not be used because of the unnecessary pain that they cause to animals. The government introduced new rules about the use of animals in experiments in 1986. Scientists claim that these rules safeguard animals because they state that discomfort must be kept to a minimum and that painkillers must be used where necessary and appropriate. Surely this means, however, that scientists can still decide not to use painkillers in the animal experiments because they do not consider them appropriate. The British Union against Vivisection claims that 75% of animals experimented on are given no anaesthetic. 5 In spite of the claims of some scientists about the effectiveness of animal research, the death rate in this country has stayed the same over the last thirty years. There is also more long-term sickness, even though greater numbers of animals are being used in research. 6 On the other hand, scientists claim that some experiments are so small, for example giving an injection, that painkillers are not needed. They also argue that experiments on animals have been very useful in the past. For instance, the lives of ten million human diabetics have been saved because of experiments with insulin on dogs. Dogs also benefited, as the same drug can be used on them. In fact, a third of medicines used by vets are the same as those used by doctors. 7 It is argued by researchers that the use of animals in experiments cannot be replaced by methods using living tissue which has been grown in test tubes. These tests do not show how the drugs work on whole animals and so they only have limited effectiveness. 8 Although I accept that some drugs can be used on animals and humans, this does not mean that they have to be tested on animals in the first place when alternative methods are available. Alternative methods do work. Various groups have been set up to put money into other ways of researching. For example the Dr. Hadwen Trust has shown how human cartilage can be grown in test tubes to study rheumatism. Similar research is being done into cancer and multiple sclerosis. Tests can be done on bacteria to see whether a chemical will cause cancer. There is even a programme of volunteer human researchers, where people suffering from illnesses offer to help in research. 9 In conclusion, I accept that animal experiments have brought great benefits in the past, but now money needs to be spent on developing other methods of testing drugs and medical procedures, so that the use of animals can be phased out altogether.

Corporate Reporting Case Study Diageo plc

Corporate Reporting Case Study Diageo plc 1. Information about the company Diageo, formed in 1997, from the merger of Guinness PLC and Grand Metropolitan PLC, is a multinational company, trading in over 180 markets across the world, listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO). It is the worlds leading premium drinks business. The company containes 24,270 employees worldwide with offices in around 80 countries. Company takes up about 30% global markets, and holds worlds top 20 brands include: Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker, Captain Morgan, Baileys, JB, Josà © Cuervo, Tanqueray, Guinness, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines, and Bushmills Irish whiskey. Key numbers for fiscal year ending June, 2009: Sales: $15,378.0M One year growth: (4.7%) Net income: $2,849.0M Income growth: (10.6%) Source: Answers (2009) Diageo: Information from answers 2. Competitive Environment 1 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° Industry Competition Overview The world drink market is broadly exploited in the mature markets. Among the competitors, the most successful are Pernod Ricard Group, Majestic Wine PLC, Bacardi Company Limited, Brown-Forman Corporation, Fortune Brands, Inc. Diageo PLC holds 30 per cent of the total drink market. 2 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° Globalisation and Mergers Acquisitions There is a rapid growth in international trade and increasing globalisation of Liquor industry. The main competitions focus on the emerging market and expanding the global market shares by mergers and acquisitions. Pernod Ricard and Fortune Brands jointly buyout the worlds second largest spirits company Doumic in UK. In order to precedence over its competitors, the company speeds up mergers and acquisitions internationally. 3 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° Legislation and Economic Environment The EU will enact legislation to uniform the standards for wine production. Regulation is also rapidly developing in emerging markets, which may compounds some difficulties in taking up the emerging market. Economic crisis had a deep impact on the pattern of alcohol manufacturing competition, which had a varied impact on Diageos brand performance and parts of the brands sales fell significantly. Evaluation of Financial Statements The Corporations financial position is evaluated by ratio analysis, horizontal analysis and vertical analysis, which is measured by using FinSAS, according to the Income Statements and Balance Sheets, compared with another biggest drink manufacture-Majestic Wine PLC. 1. Ratio Analysis The value of the firm is determined by its profitability and growth. In ratio analysis, I compare the ratios of the Diageo PLC for six years and compare the group with another firm in the same industry. The objective of ratio analysis regarding to the firms financial position is to evaluate the effective of the groups policies in operating management, investment management, financial strategy and dividend policy. 1) Overall Profitability Assessment The ROE is a comprehensive indicator of firms performance. The ROE of Diageo shows a significant increase from 2007 to 2009, from 33.94% to 43.78%, much higher than its competitor in UK. On average over long periods, large publicly traded firms in the U.S. generate ROE in the range of 11 to 13 percent. The ROE of Diageo is stable at a relatively high level around 30% to 50%. That indicates the managers are suitable performed in employing the funds invested by the firms shareholders to generate returns. Diageos strategies of focusing on profit improvement, such as acquisitions, restructuring initiatives and targeting at emerging markets, gains positive results. 2) Operating Management Assessment The Gross Profit Ratio and EBIT Margin show the profitability of companys operating activities. The figures above show that the Gross Profit Ratio and EBIT Margin of Diageo are much higher than Majestic Wine plc, indicating a seriously competition in the economic situation. Both ratios of Diageo decreased slightly to 1.59% and 1.28% form 2008 to 2009 due to the impact of economic downturn, especially in Spain and Ireland. However, both ratios maintained at a relatively high level, validating the companys stated intention in its annual report of focusing on profitability. Diageo has grown profits in the mature markets and made great advances in emerging markets by volume, by net sales, and by operating profit. 3) Financial Management Assessment The level of Diageos financial leverage is s slightly higher than Majestics and increased significantly from 2006 to 2009. Financial leverage increases the Groups ROE as long as the cost of the liabilities is less than the return from investing these funds. What we should pay attention to is that while a firms shareholders can potentially benefit from financial leverage, it can also increase their risk. 4) Investment Ratio Assessment The DPS of Diageo increased steadily from 2005 to 2009, which reflects a stable dividend policy. Reported EPS growth increases by 10% in the recession period. The profits come from two restructuring initiatives in the year, which generate  £160 million of cost reductions in all, and from the Exchange rate movements which increase net sales by  £1,095 million. 5) Liquidity Ratio Assessment The above ratios attempt to measure the firms ability to repay its current liabilities, i.e. short-term solvency. The Current Ratio of Diageo is significantly outstanding than Majestics, about 1.35 on average. Diageos inventory situation form 2005 to 2009 was uncomfortable when measured in terms of quick ratio, which is too low (less than 1) for manufactory industry. Diageo paid less attention to improve the inventory management. 6) Financial Strength Assessment A companys financial leverage is also influenced by its debt financing policy. The Diageos Debt Ratio and D/E Ratio are higher than its competitors, and its D/E Ratio increased significantly from 2006 to 2009. From the tables above, we can find out that Diageo relies on debt to some extent. It is optimal for firms to use debt in their capital structure for its low costs. However, too much reliance on debt financing is potentially costly to the firms shareholders. Furthermore, Diageo will face financial distress if it defaults on the interest and principal payments. 2. Horizontal Analysis Sales were increasing significantly from 2005 to 2009, especially in 2009, reflecting the contribution from brands outstanding performance in Asia Pacific and Europe, which offsets the impact by the weakness in North America. The operational progress and foreign exchange benefits stated by annual report also increase its net sales. The increase of Cost of Good Sales is more than Sales increase for the accounting period, which means that it costs more to sell the product than we actually made. The growth of Operating Expense exceeds the growth of Gross Profit by 18.53%.This means that our sales exceeded the expenses, and the company gains the money. Income Tax Expense exception, other items on the income statement are increase, which indicates a decline in profitability of the company. The increase of Net Income results in the change for EPS on LSE and DEO. 3. Vertical Analysis The proportion of COGS increased from 2005 to 2009 by 2.28%, which shows the direct effect on the companys Gross Profit. The decrease of the proportion of Operating Income and the increase of proportion of Interest Expense results in the slightly decline of Net Income. 2) Capital Structure analysis The total long-term liabilities of Diageo PLC take more than half parts of its capital structure both in 2008 and 2009. Its capital structure is far more risky than the Majestic Wine PLC which contains large proportion of equity and current liabilities. Under the risk-based capital structure, low liquidity enhances the Diageos financial risk. On the other hand, the non-current assets, which gain high level of return, take up a large proportion, so the profitability of the company has also been improved. Conclusion Diageos strategy is to generate consistent top line growth while enhancing its operating margins and return on invested capital. The company seeks out selective acquisitions to support brands growth which strengthen its market position in both United Kingdom and abroad. In the future, according to the companys strategy, Diageo looks for the opportunities in emerging markets, such as Brazil, Russia, India and China. Annual report reveals that the Companys credit risk comes from financial instruments and business activities. Diageo minimizes its financial credit risk through the application of risk management policies approved and monitored by the board. Trade and other receivables exposures are managed locally in the operating units where they arise and credit limits are set as deemed appropriate for the customer. There is no concentration of credit risk with respect to trade and other receivables as the group has a large number of customers which are internationally dispersed  [1]  . Although the corporate gains stable profitability, it has several financial management limitations. Its capital structure contains too many long-term debts and inefficient inventory management may add the liquidity risk. SECTION B Corporate GovernanceThe goal of Corporate Governance is to solve the agency problem and create sustainable shareholders wealth. The corporate governance practices of Diageo PLC mainly include: internal control by board of directors and remuneration policy. Key to committees  [2]   1. Audit 2. Executive (comprising senior management) 3. Nomination 4. Remuneration Comes from the figures above and corporate governance report, the board has an appropriate structure and directorship. The size of board is appropriate, in which case, the decision making and internal control are effective and can make sure all the directors are participating in the significant affairs. Good balance between executive and non-executive directors. There are fewer executive directors and more non-executive directors. Putting the outside directors into the committees can prevent manager conspiracy plundering the shareholders profits. The Board Committees are constructed clearly according to their functions, which plays a positive effect to the board: 1) Define the functions of board of directors. 2) The directors can access to company information more easily. 3) In favor of non-executive directors of the companys affairs involvement. The company has experienced experts serving on their board. The executive directors have a plenty of experience in the drink business, supported by a wide range of financial and technical experience of the non-executive directors. 2) Independence The Non-Executive Directors play an important part in corporate accountability and governance through their membership of sub-committees: Audit Committee, Executive Committee, Nomination Committee and Remuneration Committee, which improves the boards independence. The non-executive directors have a particular responsibility for ensuring that the business strategies proposed are fully discussed and critically reviewed. This enables the directors to promote the success of the company for the benefit of its shareholders as a whole,  [3]   2. Remuneration Committee 1) The composition of Remuneration Committee The Remuneration Committee consists of Diageos non-executive directors, all of whom are independent. In that case, the committee members have no financial interests about themselves conflicting with shareholders, which reinforce the committees independence. 2) Responsibilities for the corporate governance The responsibilities of the Committee include  [4]  : Making recommendations to the board on remuneration policy as applied to the executive directors and the executive committee. Setting, reviewing and approving individual remuneration arrangements for the chairman, executive directors and executive committee members including terms and conditions of employment. Determining arrangements in relation to termination of employment of each executive director and other designated senior executives; and Making recommendations to the board concerning the introduction of any new share incentive plans which require approval by shareholders. Types of Main Executive Compensation  [5]  : Base Salary: The Committee takes base salary into the consideration of the value created by individual, performance and the external market data. Annual Bonus: Incentives year on year delivery of short term performance goals. Cash bonuses were earned by other senior managers for achieving relevant performance targets for the financial year. Share Options: Incentives three-year earnings growth above a minimum threshold. Provides focus on increasing Diageos share price over the medium to longer term, however, may increase the manipulating of accounting profits. Performance share awards: Provides focus on delivering superior returns to shareholders. Pension: Provides competitive post-retirement benefits. Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP): These awards vest three years after grant and are subject to satisfying the appropriate performance criteria over the relevant three year performance period. This policy can prevent manager focusing on manipulating short-term earning. Ownership Structure Diageo Plc is incorporated as a public limited company in England and Wales. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange, as DGE, and on the New York Stock Exchange, as DEO. The Ownership Structure of Diageo PLC is classified into Block-Holders Ownership. Capital Group Companies, Inc. are the only major shareholders, with 123 million ordinary shares (4.01% of the issued ordinary share capital) and no different voting rights. No other major shareholders are listed in Diageos Annual Report. Audit Independence 1. The audit report opinion  [6]   The financial statements give the objective and fair description of the Groups affairs at 30 June 2009 and its profit for the year then ended. The statements have been prepared accordance with IFRS. The statements have been prepared accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 and Article 4 of the IAS Regulation. 2. Assurance The independent auditor provides a positive assurance. It gives the audit opinions that the financial statements meet the requirement of IFRS, Companies Act and IAS Regulation. The mentioned above can improve the independence of external auditing. 3. Non-audit services  [7]   The group has a policy on the use of the external auditor for non-audit services, which is reviewed annually, most recently in June 2009. These pre-approved non-audit service categories may be summarized as follows: Accounting advice, employee benefit plan audits, and audit. or other attestation services, not otherwise prohibited; due diligence and other support in respect of acquisitions, disposals, training and other business initiatives; and Certain specified tax services, including tax compliance, tax planning and related implementation advice in relation to acquisitions, disposals and other reorganizations. All the non-audit services are under the supervision of audit committee which avoids the interest conflict while audit and non-audit services are provided by external group audit simultaneously. Audit Committee 1. The main features and characteristics Composition: Exclusively Independent Non-Executive Directors. Assurance: Financial reporting is evaluated by the Audit Committee. Background of committee members: The corporate requires at least one committee member is a financial expert. The term of office: The term of office of members should not be too long, generally 3 years. 2. The role in enhancing the credibility of the published information The audit committee takes the following responsibilities: Monitor internal control and risk management throughout the Group. Review the objectivity of the interim and annual financial statements including a review of the significant financial reporting judgments contained in them, before submission to the full board. Monitor the effectiveness of the global audit and risk function. Critically review the groups policies and practices concerning business conduct and ethics. Monitor the companys relationship with the external auditor, including its independence and managements response to any major external audit recommendations. According to the mentioned above, audit committee can monitor the key financial and operational risky areas, review the fairness and effectiveness of internal control system, and oversight of external audit and internal audit on the implementation of the recommendations of internal control through the internal audit functions. 3. The role in enhancing the independence of the external auditor  [8]   In reviewing the independence of the external auditor, the audit committee considered a number of factors. These include: the standing, experience and tenure of the external audit director; the nature and level of services provided by the external auditor; and confirmation from the external auditor. The audit committee established the policy to reinforce the independence of external auditors. The provision of any service must be approved by the audit committee. The fees generated from non-audit services are under the supervision of audit committee. Consulting work cannot be performed for audit clients. Voluntary Disclosures 1. The evaluation of voluntary disclosure  [9]   Environmental disclosure The Companys Environmental Statement provides a detailed description of environmental policy regarding to the improvement in environmental performance, energy and greenhouse gases, Water management, Brands, packaging and innovation, Supply chain, Research and transfer of technology, Hazardous substances, and Emergency response. Social disclosure Diageo PLC makes a real contribution to creating a positive role for alcohol in society, minimizing the harm from misuse and promoting the social benefits of responsible drinking. The companys investing in employee development increases the capability of its workforce, creates value and spreads wealth through the community. The company sets some policies about safety at work, employees health, employees capability and development. Ethical disclosure The liquor has a negative impact on peoples health, and the Diageo not only focuses on the markets expanding but also give a positive guidance to the public. 2. Three main potential impacts The Company contributes to the wider community through their involvement in corporate citizenship, volunteering and charitable activities, which gain positive impact on corporate reputation. One of the most significant impacts of its business on local economies is to provide employment. The occupational health and safety of employees is a high priority, which enhances the motivation and performance of employees.