Atmosphere in The Hound of the Baskervilles Essay -- English Literatur

The Hound of the Baskervilles How does Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle develop and maintain an eerie atmosphere throughout his novel The Hound of the Baskervilles? Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle’s novel, the Hound of the Baskervilles, was originally published as a novel in 1902. This was an age when many people were interested in historical matters to do with things like ancient documents and there ancestors. Many of the popular books were in the supernatural and detective genres. These books were particularly popular with male readers and this is often due to the amount of main characters being male. The Hound of the Baskervilles was originally published episodically in the Strand magazine from August 1901 through to April 1902. Each month the chapter would end with a cliff-hanger, this was mainly so people would buy the next issue to find out what happens subsequently in the story. After the serialised version of the story it was then published as a novel buy George Newnes Ltd in London, 1902. Not only was The Hound of the Baskervilles popular as book, it was also popular as a film. In 1939 the Hound of the Baskervilles was released for the first time as a film. The film was directed by Sidney Lanfield and starred Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. It was then filmed again and released in 1959 when it was directed by Terrence Fisher with Peter Cushing and Andre Morell starring. Most recently the story was filmed for the BBC as a ‘Christmas Special’ in 2002 for its centenary year. Even The Hound of the Baskervilles is over 100 years old it is still a popular book, it is the only one of Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle’s books not to be out of print and this is why it is regarded as his best novel. In Chapter 2 the curse ... ...his adds to the eeriness. When the dog is finally unleashed Conan Doyle describes it as ‘In mere size and strength it was a terrible creature which was lying stretched before us. It was not a pure bloodhound and it was not a pure mastiff; but it appeared to be a combination of the two -- gaunt, savage, and as large as a small lioness. Even now in the stillness of death, the huge jaws seemed to be dripping with a bluish flame and the small, deep-set, cruel eyes were ringed with fire. I placed my hand upon the glowing muzzle.’ This description and similar ones add to the eeriness. To conclude Conan Doyle uses several features to maintain an eerie feeling. He uses an ancient family ghost story, a mysterious house inhabited by a strange butler and his wife, treacherous moorland with ‘living’ weather and an escaped convict along with the threat of the hound.

Jane Eyre as Feminist Role Model for all Women Essay -- Feminism Femin

Jane Eyre as Feminist Role Model for all Women      Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1837 critic Robert Southey wrote to Charlotte Bronte, "Literature cannot be the business of a woman's life, and it ought not to be.   The more she is engaged in her proper duties, the less leisure will she have for it, even as an accomplishment and a recreation," (Gaskell 102).   This opinion was not held by only one person, but by many.   Indeed, it is this attitude, one that debases women and their abilities, to which Charlotte Bronte responds with Jane Eyre.   The purpose of Jane Eyre, not only the novel, but also the character herself as a cultural heroine, is to transform a primeval society, one which devalues women and their contributions, into a nobler order of civilization   (Craig 57).   The effectiveness of Bronte's argument is due to both her motivation and approach.   Bronte found her motivation from the experiences she had undergone while living in the Victorian era. Her approach in advocating social reform is to establish Jane as a model for readers.   Readers are meant to examine Jane's life, especially the manner in which she handles problems or confrontations in her relationships, and to follow her example in their own lives.   Just as we see Jane as a model of a woman successful in asserting her self-worth, we are also given a warning about the possible outcome of failure to realize self-worth in Bertha Rochester.   This facet will also be discussed briefly.   Bronte uses the motivation of personal experiences to create the life of Jane Eyre in which we see the quest for social betterment through her relationships.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bronte herself experienced the social ... ...ler civilization that realizes the worth of women. Bibliography Bronte, Charlotte.   Jane Eyre.   New York: Penguin Group,1982 Craig, G. Armour.   "The Unpoetic Compromise: On the Relationship Between Private Vision and Social Order in the Nineteenth- Century English Fiction."   Nineteenth Century Literary Criticism.   Ed.   L. Harris and E. Tennyson.   Michigan: Gale Research Co., 1985. 61-62 Gaskell, E.   The Life of Charlotte Bronte.   England: E.P. Dutton, Inc., 1975 London, Bette.   "The Pleasure of Submission: Jane Eyre and the Production of the Text."   "ELH."   Spring 1991.   195-213 Schact, Paul.   "Jane Eyre and the History of Self-Respect." "Modern Language Quarterly."   Dec 1991.   423-53 Sienkewicz, Anne W.   "Jane Eyre   An Autobiography." Masterplots II.   Ed. Frank Magill.   California: Salem Press, 1991.   745-748

Valuation: Apv vs Wacc

The three approaches value the entire firm but they differ around the way they treat tax shields. We will first review the rational and the underlying assumptions behind each approach. We will then use a numerical example to illustrate the mechanics behind the three approaches and show under which assumptions they yield the same results. Enterprise Valuation According to Modigliani and Miller, the value of a company’s economic assets must equal the value of the claims against those assets.Enterprise valuation models value the sum of the cash flows to all claim holders, including equity holders and debt holders and discount them to the appropriate cost of capital. The cash flow available to all claim holders is called the free cash flow (FCF) from operations and is defined below: FCF = EBIAT + Depreciation – Capital Expenditure – Increases in Working Capital EBIAT is the income the company earns after tax without regard to how the company is financed. Non-cash exp enses such as Depreciation are then added.Because we are valuing a going concern we also take into account the cash flow management will retain for new capital expenditures and possible increase in working capital. The remaining is in effect the cash available to owners and creditors. By definition free cash flow is independent from leverage (and is often referred as un-levered free cash flow). Therefore the value derived from the interest tax shield (interest on debt is tax deductible) has still to be incorporated in the enterprise valuation.This is where the three approaches WACC, APV and CCF differ: †¢ The WACC approach values the tax shield by adjusting the cost of capital †¢ The APV approach values the tax shield separately from the un-levered free cash flow †¢ The CCF approach values the tax shield by incorporating it in the cash flow The Weighted Average Cost of Capital Approach To determine the value of the enterprise, the free cash flows from operations have to be discounted to present value. According to Modigliani and Miller’s proposition number one without taxes or financial market mperfections the cost of capital does not depend on financing so the weighted average of the expected returns to debt and equity investors equals the opportunity cost of capital regardless of leverage: Rd x D/V + Re x E/V = Ra = Constant independent of D/V Ra = Opportunity cost of capital = Un-levered cost of equity = Return on assets = pre-tax WACC Rd = Cost of debt, Re = Cost of equity, D/V and E/V = Target levels of debt and equity using market values Fabrice Bienfait IFM Final Paper Page 2 of 8None of the components of the cost of capital are directly observable and therefore need to be approximated using various models and assumptions. The cost of equity is derived from the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) while the cost of debt can be estimated from the firm credit rating and default risk or from yields on publicly traded debt. However inter est on debt is tax deductible so if we were to discount free cash flows from operations using Ra we would not take into account the value of the tax shield.Therefore the after-tax weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is used instead. WACC includes an adjustment to the cost of debt by the marginal tax rate (Tm): WACC = Rd x (1-Tm) x D/V + Re x E/V (= Ra – Rd x Tm x D/V) WACC is less than the opportunity cost of capital Ra because the cost of debt is calculated after tax as Rd (1-Tm). Thus the tax advantages of debt financing are reflected in a lower discount rate. The WACC equals the opportunity cost of capital when there is no debt and declines with financial leverage because of increasing interest tax shields.The WACC increases again when the debt level becomes significant relative to the value of the firm reflecting the main costs associated with borrowing, the costs of bankruptcy. Figure 1: WACC as a Function of the Debt Ratio Rates of Return Re R WACC Rd Debt to Equity Discounting all future cash flows using a constant WACC assumes that the company manages its capital structure to a fixed debt to value ratio (D/V).Therefore the company’s WACC is the right discount rate only if the company’s debt ratio (D/V) is expected to remain reasonably close to constant. However if the company is expected to significantly change its capital structure (i. e. Fabrice Bienfait IFM Final Paper Page 3 of 8 constant level of debt, LBO, recapitalization), the WACC would have to be continuously adjusted which makes the approach more difficult to apply.The Adjusted Present Value Approach The APV approach values the cash flows associated with capital structure independently by separating the value of operations into two components: the value of the firm without debt and the benefits and the costs of borrowing: Value of the firm = Value of the un-levered firm + Present value of interest tax shields – Costs of financial distress The value of the un-l evered firm is obtained by discounting free cash flows at the return on assets (Ra).If the company manages its debt-to-value to a target level (D/V=constant) then the interest tax shield is as risky as the firm and should be discounted at Ra. In this case the APV approach yields the same results as the WACC approach but is computationally less efficient. However if the debt is assumed to be a fixed amount (D=constant) the interest tax shield is less risky than the firm but as risky as the debt itself and should be discounted at the cost of debt.In this case the APV approach is not only the only correct approach, it is also computationally very efficient if the tax saving are considered as perpetuity since: Present value of interest tax shields = (Tm x Rd x D) / Rd = Tm x D The main risk in using the APV approach is to ignore the costs of financial distress, especially at very high debt ratios, which leads to an overvaluation of the firm.The Capital Cash Flow Approach Capital cash fl ows are simply derived from free cash flows by adding interest tax shields: CCF = FCF + Interest tax shield = FCF + Tm x Rd x D With this approach capital cash flows are then discounted at the return on assets. This implicitly assumes that interest tax shields are as risky as the firm and are discounted at the return on assets. This is true when debt is a fixed proportion of value. Under this assumption the capital cash flow approach will generate the same results as the WACC approach.Furthermore if the debt is forecasted in levels instead of a debt-to-value ratio the CCF approach is easier to use because the tax shield are simple to calculate and to include in the CCF. If the forecasted debt levels imply a change in the debt-to-value ratio, the CCF retains his simplicity since the discount rate, the return on assets, is independent of the capital structure and can be used for every forecast period. Therefore the approach is easier to apply in transactions involving change in capita l structure such as a LBO or a restructuring.However in this case discounting the interest tax shields at Ra is a simplifying assumption since the risk of those cash flows is not anymore the same as the risk associate with the firm. Fabrice Bienfait IFM Final Paper Page 4 of 8 Numerical Example Table 1 shows the financial assumptions underlying our numerical example. The firm is valued over a period of 5 years during which EBIT is growing at 5% per annum and depreciation, capital expenditure and increase in working capital are constant. However the firm’s capital structure changes significantly through the repayment of a major portion of its debt.Table 1: Assumptions (in â‚ ¬) Risk Free Rate Market Risk Premium Tax Rate Asset Beta Debt Beta EBIT Depreciation Capex Increase in NWC Debt Year 1 5% 7% 40% 1. 2 0. 4 100,000 50,000 60,000 10,000 100,000 Year 2 5% 7% 40% 1. 2 0. 35 105,000 50,000 60,000 10,000 50,000 Year 3 5% 7% 40% 1. 2 0. 3 110,250 50,000 60,000 10,000 25,000 Year 4 5% 7% 40% 1. 2 0. 25 115,763 50,000 60,000 10,000 12,500 Year 5 5% 7% 40% 1. 2 0. 2 121,551 50,000 60,000 10,000 6,250 We will start valuing the firm using the WACC approach (see table 2).This is the less appropriated and most complex methodology given the forecasted changes in capital structure. Indeed the WACC needs to be recalculated every year and an iterative calculation has to be used since the value of the firm for each year is required to derive the percentage of debt and equity. The firm value in year N is the value of the remaining cash flows. For instance the value of the firm at the beginning of Year 3 is the value of the remaining cash flow in Year 3, 4 and 5 discounted using the WACC in year 3, 4 and 5.Table 2: WACC Valuation (in â‚ ¬) EBIT – Taxes on EBIT = EBIAT + Depreciation – Capex – Increase in NWC = FCF Percent Debt Cost of Debt After Tax Cost of Debt Percent Equity Return on Assets Cost of Equity WACC Discount Factor PV Firm Value Year 1 100,000 (40,000) 60,000 50,000 (60,000) (10,000) 40,000 61. 3% 7. 8% 4. 7% 38. 7% 13. 4% 22. 3% 11. 5% 0. 90 35,878 163,178 Year 2 105,000 (42,000) 63,000 50,000 (60,000) (10,000) 43,000 35. 2% 7. 5% 4. 5% 64. 8% 13. 4% 16. 6% 12. 4% 0. 80 34,329 141,923Year 3 110,250 (44,100) 66,150 50,000 (60,000) (10,000) 46,150 21. 5% 7. 1% 4. 3% 78. 5% 13. 4% 15. 1% 12. 8% 0. 71 32,666 116,451 Year 4 115,763 (46,305) 69,458 50,000 (60,000) (10,000) 49,458 14. 7% 6. 8% 4. 1% 85. 3% 13. 4% 14. 5% 13. 0% 0. 63 30,979 85,196 Year 5 121,551 (48,620) 72,930 50,000 (60,000) (10,000) 52,930 13. 3% 6. 4% 3. 8% 86. 7% 13. 4% 14. 5% 13. 1% 0. 55 29,325 46,817 Fabrice Bienfait IFM Final Paper Page 5 of 8 The cost of debt is calculated using CAPM: The cost of equity is calculated using the M&M proposition I:Rd = Rf + ? d x MRP Re = (Ra – D/V Rd) / (E/V) Using the WACC approach we find a value for the firm of â‚ ¬163,178. Next we use the APV approach to value the firm calculating separately the value of the un-levered firm and the value of the interest tax shield (Tm x Rd x D). The approach is straightforward in this case since we are given a forecast of the level of debt. We find that the APV approach yields the same firm value (â‚ ¬163,178) as the WACC approach when discounting interest tax shield at Ra.We also illustrate that using Rd would yield a higher valuation of the firm (this is not the correct discount rate in this case given that the debt is not constant). Table 3: APV Valuation (in â‚ ¬) FCF Return on Assets Discount Factor PV Value of Unlevered Firm Interest Tax Shield Return on Assets Ra Discount Factor PV Value of Interest Tax Shield @ Ra Interest Tax Shield Cost of Debt Rd Discount Factor PV Value of Interest Tax Shield @ Rd Value of Firm with ITS @ Ra Value of Firm with ITS @ Rd Year 1 40,000 13. 4% 0. 88 35,273 158,491 3,120 13. % 0. 88 2,751 4,686 3,120 7. 8% 0. 93 2,894 5,121 163,178 163,613 Year 2 43,000 13. 4% 0. 78 33,438 Year 3 46,150 13 . 4% 0. 69 31,647 Year 4 49,458 13. 4% 0. 60 29,907 Year 5 52,930 13. 4% 0. 53 28,225 1,490 13. 4% 0. 78 1,159 710 13. 4% 0. 69 487 338 13. 4% 0. 60 204 160 13. 4% 0. 53 85 1,490 7. 5% 0. 86 1,286 710 7. 1% 0. 81 572 338 6. 8% 0. 76 255 160 6. 4% 0. 71 114 Finally we use the CCF approach. The calculation clearly shows how the interest tax shields are incorporated in the cash flows and then discounted at Ra.The CCF approach is equivalent to the WACC approach. Furthermore the approach also produces the same value as the APV method with interest tax shields discounted at Ra. Fabrice Bienfait IFM Final Paper Page 6 of 8 Table 4: CCF Valuation (in â‚ ¬) EBIT – Taxes on EBIT = EBIAT + Depreciation – Capex – Increase in NWC + Interest tax Shield = CCF Return on Assets Discount Factor PV Firm Value Year 1 100,000 (40,000) 60,000 50,000 (60,000) (10,000) 3,120 43,120 13. 4% 0. 88 38,025 163,178 Year 2 105,000 (42,000) 63,000 50,000 (60,000) (10,000) 1,490 44,490 13. 4 % 0. 8 34,597 Year 3 110,250 (44,100) 66,150 50,000 (60,000) (10,000) 710 46,860 13. 4% 0. 69 32,134 Year 4 115,763 (46,305) 69,458 50,000 (60,000) (10,000) 338 49,795 13. 4% 0. 60 30,112 Year 5 121,551 (48,620) 72,930 50,000 (60,000) (10,000) 160 53,090 13. 4% 0. 53 28,311 Conclusions The three enterprise valuation techniques considered in this paper are different in the way they treat interest tax shields. However we have seen that the WACC approach and the CCF approach are identical and that under certain assumptions the APV approach also yields the same valuation.The WACC approach is easy to use and efficient when the assumption that capital structure will not change in the future can be made (D/V= constant). If debt level is forecasted to remain constant in absolute term (D=constant), the APV approach should be used discounting the interest tax shield at the cost of debt. Finally the CCF approach is the appropriate and most efficient approach when forecasted debt levels imply a change in capital structure. In this case it is also equivalent to the APV approach discounting the interest tax shield at the return on assets. Fabrice Bienfait IFM Final Paper

Crucible Belonging Short Summaries

John Proctor -Proctor is an individual who has not put a high priority on ‘Belonging' in his life. The fact that he hates and distrusts Parris adds to this sense of not belonging: â€Å"I have trouble enough without I come five mile to hear him preach only hellfire and bloody damnation. (visual imagery related to hell) Take it to heart Mr Parris. There are many others who stay away from church these days because you hardly ever mention God anymore. † -Proctor chooses not to belong to Salem society.His sin, even when only Elizabeth knows about it, makes him uncomfortable in terms of belonging in Salem society. He says, â€Å"l cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. (metaphor) It is a fraud. I am not that man† -Proctor doesnt' belong in his own family. At the beginning of the play his sin is still having a negative influence on his relationship with his wife, Elizabeth. Proctor says: ‘Spare me! You forget nothin' and forgive nothin† Proctor uses repetitio n and alliteration to make his point to Elizabeth that she has not forgiven him. Proctor doesnt belong in the court. Danforth: ‘a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between' -ln the end Proctor belongs to his own values. As he chooses truth over lies. He makes peace with himself and decides to die rather than sign a false confession and have it hung on the church door. Elizabeth says, ‘He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him! ‘ Elizabeth's use of the personal pronoun ‘his' shows she appreciates that Proctor must judge himself. Abigail Williams Abigail is seventeen and therefore a ‘child’ in Salem society and so the only legitimate way for her to belong is to accept this status of ‘child and obey the rules. Her exclamation to Proctor- ‘How do you call me child! ‘ shows her resentment of the status of ‘child' -Abigail ‘belongs' in the sense that she finds a place, a role and power within Salem society Elizabeth immediately twigs to Abigail's real motives, as shown in her words ‘She wants me dead. I knew all week it would come to this’ -Abigail lies in order to remove Elizabeth and have Proctor belong to her.The audience shares Abigail's view shown in her words ‘I never knew what pretence Salem was' -Abigail can be seen as someone who wants to belong as a woman, but there are no socially acceptable ways for her to achieve this. In her words ‘You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet! ’ Abigail's repetition of the word ‘love' is an attempt to pull Proctor back into a relationship with her. Elizabeth Proctor -initially, Elizabeth belongs in Salem society as a member of a family (the Proctors) and as a respectable Christian wife.As she says, ‘I am a covenanted Christian woman’ – At the end of the play, Elizabeth is removed from belonging to Salem society . ‘Do as you will, do as you will! ‘ The repetition indicates the strength of Elizabeth's resolve to allow proctor to die if he chooses to. Reverend Hale -Reverend Hale walks into Salem as the great saviour of the community and belongs instantly. Parris greets him: ‘Mr Hale! Oh! It's good to see you again! ‘ (Happy thankful tone) -By Act 4 Hale does not belong to conventional Salem society. His conscience alienates him from the court which he denounces at the end of act 3. I denounce these proceedings! I quit this court! † Mary Warren -Mary's story is all about belonging. As a seventeen year old, she has no status or rights in adult society in Salem. Proctor tries to get Mary to act as a member of his family in order to save Elizabeth: ‘Mary, remember the angel Raphael – do that which is good’ -Mary’s fall in the court is a triumph for belonging. ‘I’ll not hang with you! I love God, I love God’ The command and repartition shows Marys choice to belong with Abigail even know she knows it is wrong.

Ap World History Curriculum Framework Questions

1. In what way do we see the expansion of the Byzantine Empire (or the Muslim Caliphates) facilitating Trans-Eurasian trade & communication? answer: give examples of conquered people being drawn into their conquerors’ economies & trade networks) * Byzantine Empire – use of the gold coin, the bezant, facilitated trade and communication by creating a standard currency by which all peoples could expect to trade with; Balkan Slavic peoples came under Byzantine rule and was drawn into the trade network; became trading partners with other towns that were smaller in size such as Florence of Italy, facilitating long-distance trade * Muslim Caliphates – everywhere, there was a huge incentive to convert to Islam because of the massive trade arena that was created as a result of the religion – in various countries, Islamic religion provided links for trading partners (such as in West Africa); when Islamic empire conquered India, new products were introduced (crops) w hich later spread into Africa and Uerope 2. What examples do you see of cross-cultural interactions resulting in the diffusion of scientific & technological traditions? Byzantine Empire – when China finally opened its doors, many Europeans such as Marco Polo visited there and absorbed many ideas about Chinese culture, writing about them and eventually bringing those ideas back to Europe * Muslim Caliphates – Greek thinking (science and medical texts, as well as philosophy) contributed towards Arab scholarship, and its thinking about the natural sciences and philosophy 3. Following the collapse of empires (most notably Roman), the Byzantine Empire constituted a new government. Give examples of the way that traditional sources of power & legitimacy combined with innovations in governance to produce a gov’t better suited to its circumstances (ie: patriarchy, religion, or land-owning elites combining with new methods of taxation, tributary systems, or adaptation of religious institutions). Byzantine Empire – it maintained a Roman style of centralized imperial court that was based in Constantinople; it set up a caesaropapism where the emperor was both the head of the state as well as the head of the church as appointed by God; maintained many social systems such as taxation and the church; in the 11-13th centuries, there was a leap in urbanization and economic growth, which led to many new chances for women to leave their domestic lifestyles to seek more urban professions * Western Europe – the Roman Catholic Church was separate from the state; the pope held religious authority while the emperor headed the state – system of feudalism ensured loyalty in the chaos-ridden world of that time * China – centralized, individual cities; landowners were given privileges by the government rather than merchants, as merchants were viewed as lazy people who gained profit through the works of others 4. Do you see any examples of i nnovations in agriculture or industrial production? ie: foreign luxury goods & crops like sugar & citrus being grown in new regions) * Byzantine Empire – adopted various mathematical, scientific and philosophical theories of the Arabs and India; adopted the technology from China – papermaking, gunpowder, as well as the compass and much nautical technology; heavy wheeled plow that was adapted to suit the environment – could handle the thicker soil of Northern Europe; relied on horses and used horseshoes probably from China or Central Asia; system of three field crop rotation; adopted silk making techniques and became one of the main producers of silk; developed cannons as a result of the introduction of gunpowder * Muslim Caliphates – new crops introduced in India which were spread around the empire such as cotton and sugarcane (two crops had a very complex production process, and in the rush to produce it, slavery quickly intensified; adopted ancient Pers ian water-drilling techniques, rockets from China, and papermaking techniques all from China; developed a series of math concepts such as algebra, scientific advances such as in medicine and pharmacology 5.What factors do you see that contributed to the decline of urban areas (possible answers: little ice age, invasions, disease, decline of agricultural activity – give examples of this) * western Christendom – around 476, much that had characterized Roman civilization also weakened, declined or disappeared in the several centuries before and after; any semblance of large-scale centralized rule vanished, disease and warfare reduced Western Europe’s population by more than 25%; land being cultivated shrunk, while wasteland expanded; urban life diminished as Europe reverted to a largely rural existence; buildings crumbled from lack of care, and outside Italy, trade routes died out * eastern Christendom – decline in urbanization because of the threat of attac k of outsiders; slavs, arabs, latin crusaders and turks progressively disrupted the empire through simple penetration or military conquests – swelling of Constantinople’s population was not growth, but because many people chased from their region by Byzantium’s enemies sought refuge in Constantinople 6. Do you see continuities & changes in social structures, labor management? (labor: free peasant agriculture, nomadic pastoralism, craft production, guild organization, unfree labor & gov’t enforced labor taxes, military obligations? * China – built a bureaucracy that managed public works; Tang and Song dynasty experienced a revolution that made it the richest, most skilled and most populous country on earth; industrial production soared in both small and large scale enterprises, China’s iron input increased dramatically; produced things for the market rather than for local consumption; growing use of paper money led to the increase in output, population, skills and led to a burst of inventiveness * Byzantine Empire – agriculture – production arranged around two centers – estate and village; distinctions between landholders and tenant farmers; guilds of specified jobs introduced a new and more productive division of labor * Roman Empire – coercive labor system (slavery) 7. Give examples of new forms of coerced labor. Give examples of free peasants resisting attempts to raise dues & taxes (ie: revolts in Byzantine empire or China). Give examples of the increased demand for slaves (for both military & domestic purposes) within Central Eurasia, & Eastern Mediterranean. within the new, fragmented and decentralized kingdoms of the Western Christendom, a social system known as feudalism emerged – lesser lords and knights swore allegiance to greater lords or kings; Roman style slavery gave way to serfdom – unlike slaves, serfs were not the personal property of their masters, couldnâ€⠄¢t be thrown off land and were allowed to live in families, but they were bound to their master’s estates as peasant laborers and owed various payments and services to the lord of the manor * Byzantine Empire highly regulated slavery – natural state of humanity is freedom, but law of nations may supersede natural law and reduce certain people to slavery – basic definition of a slave was – anyone whose mother was a slave, anyone who has captured in battle, and anyone who has sold himself to pay a debt, but it was possible to become free * Abbasid Empire had an army dominated by slave soldiers – mamluks – originally soldiers captures in central Asia, but later boys specifically taken or bought to be trained as soldiers – later dissolved their loyalty to their masters and established themselves as the ruling dynasty * Islamic slaves directed at the service sector – concubines, cooks, porters and soldiers – form of consumpt ion rather than a factor of production – many more female than male slaves 8. In what ways do we see gender relations and family life being affected by religious conversion? may not be many examples in Europe, but several in other areas we’ve already studied) * Song dynasty, reviving Confucianism tightened patriarchal restriction on women to emphasize images of female submission and passivity; emphasized the subordination of women and men and the need to keep them separate * Spread of Christianity opened new opportunities for women – to become nuns/join a convent, offered relative freedom from male control; where women could exercise authority and gain some semblance of education * What rise of Islam meant for women is highly controversial – on a spiritual level, the Quran states explicitly that women and men are equals, but on a social level, they were viewed as subordinate, especially in marriage; sometimes it helped women – banned infanticide, g ave women control over property/inheritance, required a women’s consent for marriage etc. , but also diminished their social roles as there were growing restrictions on women

Organized Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Organized Crime - Essay Example Stefano’s leadership of the group collapsed in 1969 because of divided loyalties and in 1974; Stefano died of a heart attack (Kilpinen). This crime organization still operates actively in some parts of New York. Its membership has significantly decreased throughout the years; nevertheless, it is still a major crime organization. In order to investigate this crime organization, I would prosecute the members of the organization under the provisions of the 1970 Organized Crime Control Act, where Title IX is specified as RICO or Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization. RICO specifies various criminal activities in relation to organized crime which are punishable by the law. Activities include bribery, extortion, and murder (O’Connor, 2009). This law also decreased the minimum qualifications of conspiracy, enabling the prosecution of organized criminals even without meeting the strict qualifications of conspiracy. I would also prosecute them under RICO which would allow law enforcement officials to seize the assets, proceeds, and instrumentalities of their criminal activities (O’Connor, 2009). I would offer deals to the younger members of the organization for them to turn states’ witness and testify against the organization. I believe that these younger generations would be easier to c onvince than their older counterparts. Most of them are reluctant to face prison sentences as members of the organization and would prefer to get their lives out of the control of the organization (O’Connor, 2009). In the process of investigating the Buffalo Family, I would also call on the assistance of the Organized Crime Council who shall ask the assistance of other federal agencies like the FBI, DEA, ATF, ICE, IRS, Postal Security, Department of Labor, Diplomatic Security, and the Office of the Inspector General (Finklea, 2010). With all these agencies involved in the process of investigating the Buffalo Family, I would

Compare between two institutions policies Research Paper

Compare between two institutions policies - Research Paper Example Human resource department in an organization carries out a number of functions for the management of the workforce including recruitment, selection, development, orientation, performance, and career path management (Zanko, 2002). This study aims at analyzing employee development as a human resource function as integrated in human resource functions of Shell and Qatar Petroleum. This will be done through numerating the various ways both organizations have similar employee development methods followed by the difference as represented by the policies implemented on employee decision making in Shell and Qatar Petroleum. Employee development augments the skills and understanding of the employees for the achievement of high productivity by the organization and ability of employees to achieve their own personal goals of career development and promotion in the organization (Schmidheiny, 1992). Since employee development ensures the organization has enough human capital with adequate skills a nd knowledge, therefore, it is very important to be implemented in any organization. At shell, a number of measures are taken to ensure the development of employees. In Qatar Petroleum, measures to improve employee development have also been implemented. ... en Shell and Qatar Petroleum in employee development is that the two companies have realized on the need to develop their employees through the provision of measures for employee development. The two companies understand the benefits of a motivated, skilled and well trained human resource as depicted in the different policies and practices harnessed in ensuring employee development is done in both companies (International Business Publications, 2012). Both Shell and Qatar Petroleum offer training of employees for the benefit of the employees in terms of career development and augments their skills in meeting the company’s needs. The measures taken to ensure employment training however differ in the two companies. Qatar provides employee development through the Qatar Petroleum Corporate Training Department (CT), to ensure all employees have enough skills as required by the company. The ways that are used by Qatar Petroleum Corporate Training Department (CT) include provision of professional and training programs. This is similar to Shell where professional training and development is done by the human resource development department in the organization. Shell and Qatar Petroleum have a similar decision making in human resource development that is the exposure of the employees. Employees in both companies area offered opportunities to work in an international environment since the two companies operate in different countries offering the means for the access of these global environment training opportunities. Shell and Qatar Petroleum provide its employees with different training destinations beyond their home country, mainly middle and high level management, in the subsidiaries. Being global companies, employees have opportunities to work with colleagues from around