Belonging - A Clockwork Orange Essay Example for Free

Belonging A Clockwork Orange Essay The concept of belonging is essential. To belong is to form a connection which will allow a sense of identity, without this we lose our humanity; however, conformity is in a sense a facade of belonging, as it restrains our freedom and forces us to only mimic. My studied texts show how society demands us to conform, yet conformity prevents a sense of true identity being ever created. This notion is elaborated in the novel, A Clockwork Orange. Alex is a criminal who doesn’t belong anywhere within society. In the novel, the government attempts to suppress his criminality by physically preventing him from thinking of violence—thus making him conform to their standards. This is a prime example of how society attempts to make us conform to what is considered ‘normal’. Towards the end of the novel, the character F. Alexander tells Alex: â€Å"They have turned you into something other than a human being. You have no power of choice any longer. You are committed to socially acceptable acts, a little machine capable only of good. The quote shows us the central theme of the novel; if we cannot choose where we belong we lose our humanity—thus showing us the value of choice as well as the value of individuality. The metaphor and imagery of the title, a clockwork orange, symbolises what conformity does to a man. If we cannot choose where to belong we cease to be human but clockwork, or some type of mechanism. We need to be able to choose where we belong, for if it is not chosen its authenticity ceases. The novel ends with Alex choosing the path of goodness, the established normality of society. He states; â€Å"Perhaps I was getting too old now for the sort of life I had been leading, brothers† Alex chooses to belong to society, thus allowing a connection to be formed between him and the world. Conformity and the need to conform to a group or community is the central theme throughout both of the chosen texts I have studied, those being Strictly Ballroom and A Clockwork Orange. â€Å"Strictly Ballroom† also supports the fact that society attempts to make us conform to what is considered ‘normal’. The movie shows the disastrous effect conformity and fear have among members who gain their place inside the group at the price of conformity. Shirley Hastings, for example, lives a â€Å"life half-lived† cowering before what Barry Fife will say or think. She has let the Federation so dominate her that she has no respect for Doug and can only see her son Scott in terms of winning competitions. The movie represents belonging using a variety of techniques to distinguish between the world of artifice and the more realistic world. The image of the artificial world, shown as the ballroom world, is glitzy and colourful. Luhrmann has presented this world as having power, whereas the character of Fran, shown in plain clothes and reading glasses, is initially shown as powerless, because she does not conform to the ballroom world. The movie traces the shift from a world of false belonging dominated by conformity, fear and the cynical manipulations of the ultra-sleaze Barry Fife, towards the iconic last scene where the line between spectators and professional dancers blurs and is dissolved as Scott dressed in Spanish costume and Fran in Spanish-style red dress put passion back into dance, rescuing it from the deadening effect of the old brigade. Taking the similes of the two texts we can arrive at the conclusion that conformity allows us to become part of a functioning society but can in turn stifle individuality, expression and self-identity. I’ll leave you with two thoughts from â€Å"A Clockwork Orange†. â€Å"Goodness is something to be chosen. When a man cannot choose he ceases to be a man. † And so I ask you, ‘Is it better for a man to choose to be bad than to be conditioned to be good? † That is both the crux of the issues involved and the decision we must all, as individuals, make.

Methods of Market-entry Strategy

Methods of Market-entry Strategy Chapter 8 Methods of entry A well planned market-entry strategy entails an operator greater management over its market initiation and launch expectations, thus providing assurance to meeting financial targets. Businesses nowadays attempt to accomphlish increment in sales, brand awareness and business sustainability by breaking into new markets. Formulation of a market entry strategy requires an in depth analysis of potential competitors and likely customers. There are numerous options to enter a market. The list comprises of direct and indirect exporting, joint ventures, Merger acquisitions or licensing of technology abroad. The risks benefits associated with each method are attributed to several elements. This includes the nature of the product or service you produce, the requirements for product or service support, and the foreign economic, political, business and cultural environment that the firm is seeking to enter. The ideal strategy is highly reliant on the firms level of resources and commitment, and the level of risk that the firm is willing to take. Many businesses select exporting as their entry strategy. Start-up costs and risks are kept to its minimal, and it is less complicated in comparison to the other methods. Exporting can be performed directly or indirectly. Via the direct method, the business extends its business plan to include exporting as a new activity and gathers knowledge and workers to execute the plan, i.e., locating foreign buyers, labelling product, making transportation arrangements, and invoicing. If the avenue of direct exporting is unavailable, firms can can consider indirect exporting via a foreign distributor. Barriers to trade, Depth of localized knowledge, price localization, competitors, and export subsidies are some of the relevant factors MNCs consider when deciding which entry strategy to pursue. Joint ventures A joint venture is a strategic alliance where 2 or more parties, usually businesses, form a alliance to share markets, assets, intellectual property, knowledge, and profits. The distinct difference between a joint venture and a merger is there is no transfer of ownership in the partnership. This partnership can happen between titans in an industry. Samsung siltronic (Singapore), for example, is a strategic alliance between Samsung and Siltronic. It can also materialise between two smaller businesses that believe coming together as one will allow for synegistic effect to ward off bigger competitors. Companies with similar products and services in their portfolio can also come together to enter markets they wouldnt or couldnt consider without investing large amount of capital. In addition, due to local regulations, some markets can only be entered through a joint venture with a local business. Example would be Delphi Automotive Systems Hasu Industries Sdn Bhd went into a joint venture to form Delphi Packard Electric Malaysia Sdn Bhd. In certain scenarios, a huge company can decide to form a joint venture with a smaller business. Its main objectives are to promptly acquire important intellectual property, technology, or resources otherwise difficult to acquire despiting having abundance of capital at their disposal. A few studies have been conducted. Their main findings revealed that most joint ventures have a failure rate corresponding to about 60% within a time span of 5 years. Experts concurr that the key attribute for success here is the human factor, such as the integration of human resources and the sharing of knowledge, rather than geographical or financial factors. Merger acquisition This approach is particularly enticing to companies in turbulent times. The reason why larger companies will attempt to takeover other companies is to initiate a more agressive, cost-efficient company. The companies coming together aims to attain a larger share of the market or to accomphlish greater efficiencies. Due to the potential benefits that is associated with the acquisition, target companies tend to agree to be purchased when they know the likelihood of their survival is low. When one company assumes control over another and distinctively established itself asthe new owner, the purchase is an acquisition. From a legal point of view, the targeted firm ceases to exist, the buyer devours the business and the buyersstock continues to be traded. A merger occurs when 2 firms, commonly of the same magnitude, agree to surge ahead as a singlenew entity rather than remain separately owned and operated. Both companies stocks cease to exist and new company stock is issued in its place. For instance, when Daimler-Benz and Chrysler merged, a new company, DaimlerChrysler, was born. Greenfield ventures Greenfield ventures is a form of foreign direct investment where a parent company sets up new operations in a foreign country by the construction of new plants and factories from scratch. In addition to constucting new facilities, new long-term jobs are created in the foreign country by the employment of new workers. Green field investments materialise when multinational corporations gain access into developing countries to construct new factories or stores. Developing countries tend to provide prospective companies tax rebates, subsidies and other types of incentives to entice MNCs to invest in their country. Governments rationale is that losing corporate tax revenue is a worthwhile tradeoff if jobs are created and knowledge, management know hows and technology is obtained to amplify the countrys human capita.

Zoonotic Foodborne Pathogens | Essay

Zoonotic Foodborne Pathogens | Essay Zoonoses describe diseases that can be transmitted from vertebrate animals to humans. Zoonotic diseases are common and are caused by various types of agents, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, or parasites [12]. According to the study by Taylor et al. 2001 that out of the 1415 infectious organisms that are pathogenic to humans 61% of them are zoonotic [8]. And over 200 zoonoses related diseases are known [12]. Zoonoses related diseases can be caught from foodborne zoonoses, non-foodborne zoonoses, helminthic parasitic zoonoses, protozoan parasitic zoonoses and zoonotic ectoparasites. However this work is only focusing on the common bacterial related foodborne zoonoses. Every year bacterial foodborne zoonoses is the cause of millions of people becoming ill [12]. The most significant bacterial zoonotic pathogens associated with foodborne disease are Campylobacter, Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7 [5]. Other bacterial foodborne zoonotic pathogens are Mycobacteria, Listeria, and Brucella all of which are from dairy products. The zoonotic foodborne pathogen Campylobacter causes the illness campylobacteriosis which causes often bloody diarrhoea, malaise, fever, nausea, abdominal pain and vomiting. The incubation period is usually between 2-5 days before onset of symptoms. Most Campylobacter infections are mild, without the need for hospitalization and with complete recovery within 10 days. However the severity of the disease varies and in some cases may be life-threatening or resulting in long term health problems. People that tend to die by the disease are often suffering from immuno-deficiencies, or other diseases like liver disease or cancer. Guillain-BarrÑ  syndrome (GBS) is a complication of Campylobacter infection that occurs in approximately 1 in every 1000 reported cases of campylobacteriosis (CDC, 2008, May 21). GBS an autoimmune disease that targets the nerves cells of the body may lead to permanent paralysis. Another neurological related syndrome that may occur subsequent to campylobacter iosis is Miller Fisher Syndrome. [2, 5, 10] In the UK there are approximately 55,000 cases a year of Campylobacter infection. Campylobacter jejuni being the predominant Campylobacter species that causes foodborne gastrointestinal illnesses in humans, other similar closely related species that causes diseases in humans are C. coli and C. fetus. C. jejuni are curved gram-negative, microaerophilic, thermophilic rods with optimum growth temperature at 40oC and low oxygen concentrations. It is these qualities of C. jejuni that enables it to colonise the intestines of warm-blooded birds and mammals. The reservoir for C. jejuni ranges from healthy domestic and wild animals such as dogs, cats, cattle, pigs, sheep, birds, chickens, rodents, ducks and geese. As C. jejuni is ubiquitous in nature food products particularly poultry meat, beef and pork are at risk of environmental contamination during processing. Campylobacter can survive in livestock water troughs, stock ponds, lakes and dairy lagoons all of which may introduce the infecti on into the animal flocks. Also rodents, wild birds, faecal contaminated equipment and footwear may all serves as potential vehicles of transmission of bacteria into the animal flocks. Once the infection is introduced into the flock rapid transmission between the animals occur with subsequent colonization of commercial meat that if undercooked may lead to foodborne enteritis in the consumer. Poultry meat tend to carry high bacterial numbers of C. jejuni, being the main source of infection in humans as it has a high level of consumption so the risk is greater. The consumption of unpasteurized milk should also be avoided as it is an identified source of Campylobacter, but pasteurization of dairy products eliminates the pathogen. [2, 5, 10] Control and prevention measures have been established in order to reduce Campylobacter pathogens entering the human food chain. These control strategies are aimed at preventing colonization of the pathogen in food animals through the implementation of strict bio-security measures, good hygiene practices at harvest level in an attempt to control and minimise the level of faecal contamination during poultry transportation, slaughtering and carcase dressing. Other incorporated control methods include decontamination strategies, rodent control, exclusion of wild animals and insect eradication that are potential carriers of the pathogen, and chlorination of drinking water to 2ppm. Gamma irradiation of animal carcasses is also effective at reducing the colonization levels of the pathogen in the carcass, but this method although endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and others is not well accepted by consumers. Increased public awareness of foodborne Campylobacter infection is nec essary as in the end the only measure to ensure reduce risk is at the consumer level through increased hygiene when storing, preparing and handling raw-meat to avoid cross-contamination via utensils and through adequately cooking of the poultry at recommended temperatures by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure destruction of C. jejuni. Undercooked poultry has been responsible for >50% of cases of C. jejuni. [2, 5, 10] The second most common bacterial foodborne zoonoses pathogen reported is Salmonella which are gram negative rod-shaped bacteria that are closely related to the Escherichia, and is responsible for causing salmonellosis. Salmonellosis is associated with enteric infections and since the discovery of the first strain of Salmonella in 1885 called Salmonella choleraesuis there have been over 2300 strains known to cause salmonellosis; the most common being S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium. In the UK there are approximately 11,000 cases a year reported on Salmonella which causes gastroenteritis. Symptoms include diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and fever. In severe cases the diarrhoea may be bloody just like in Campylobacter infections. The incubation period for Salmonella varies from 6 to 72 hours. Complications may also arise such as bacteraemia or Reiters syndrome. Bacteraemia occurs when the Salmonella pathogen enters the infected individuals bloodstream. Reiters syndrome although uncommon may result from Salmonella infection, it is a disorder associated with at least two of three seemingly unrelated symptoms: reactive arthritis, eye infection and urinary tract infection. The people most susceptible to contracting Salmonella infection include immuno-compromised individuals such as AID sufferers, cancer patients, or transplant recipients. Or individuals that are in close proximity to other infected people, such as sharing a household, or individuals that possess pet lizards, birds, or reptiles. Salmonella has a low infectious dose, probably from 15-20 cells. [3] Salmonella are present in the environment as well as cold and warm blooded animals. The Salmonella serotypes in food animal species like poultry can be divided into host specific and non-host specific infections. The host specific infections are those that affect the bird host and are of little public concern, such as S. Gallinarum and S. Pullorum. They are the common serotypes implicated in poultry disease. As for the non-host specific infections they are the cause of Salmonella foodborne poisoning in humans such as S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium. Most of the serotypes associated with human foodborne disease cause no disease in poultry, but can be spread by them between flocks and once in the food chain the product is contaminated food. Poultry meat and products like eggs are the main source of Salmonella infection in humans. [3] Similar to the Campylobacter control strategies, on farm prevention and control methods are undertaken to control Salmonella in poultry. Strict bio-security measures and farm pathogen reduction strategies are the first steps in minimising the occurrence of foodborne pathogens in eggs and meat. Surveillance of poultry flocks for Salmonella should be conducted to identify any infected flock which can then be immediately dealt with using appropriate measures to minimise spread within the flock and the risk of transmission to humans. Infected flock should be slaughtered and disposed of appropriately to reduce human exposure to Salmonella. One of the ways in which poultry may contract Salmonella is through contaminated food, thus it is necessary to monitor the poultry feed status. It is recommended to use bactericidal treatment or heat treated food to prevent Salmonella contamination. Poultry food should also be contained in clean closed containers to prevent access by rodents or wild bir ds. Rodent control should be used as a repellent. Vaccines against Salmonella can also be used but should not be used as the sole control measure, rather as an additional prevention measure. Good hygiene practices should be used such as cleaning and disinfection of equipment and the bird house, disposal of litter in a safe manner especially contaminated waste to prevent exposure to humans, livestock and wild-life to Salmonella. The use of antimicrobials as a treatment of Salmonella infection in poultry should not be used as it may contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance, or mask the infection during sampling. Also it is vital that public awareness and education of foodborne Salmonella infection is raised so that poultry consumers can take necessary precautions to avoid contracting the infection. The precautions that consumers can take include the cooking of meat adequately before consuming, cooking of eggs until the yoke is solid, not consuming food containing raw eggs, not consuming unpasteurized milk, and the washing of hands after handling any animals. [7, 10] The third and last foodborne bacterial disease to be discussed is the gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7. The O and H denotes the cell wall and flagella antigen number respectively. E. coli bacteria colonise the intestinal tract of warm blooded animals, such as humans and mammals. There have been over 700 serotypes identified but those that produce the Shiga toxin (Stx), such as E. coli O157:H7 have been associated with foodborne illnesses and is responsible for most of the E. coli related illnesses in humans. In the UK alone there are approximately 1,100 cases per year of E. coli O157:H7 with just a small dosage (

Emily Bradstreets Poem The Author to Her Book :: Emily Bradstreet Author Her Book Poetry Essays

Emily Bradstreet's Poem "The Author to Her Book" The Author to Her Book, by Emily Bradstreet is a poem in which Bradstreet is laments about the publishing of her writings without her permission. The purpose of the piece is for Bradstreet to express the love, pride and remorse she feels toward her new book and is displayed elegantly through the metaphor of a mother and child. Lines eleven and twelve contribute to the poem’s purpose; they show that Bradstreet is unsatisfied with her work, and desires to fix it. Unfortunately, the book has already been published, and it is too late for her â€Å"child† to attain perfection in its mother’s eyes. The first part of line eleven illustrates the pride Bradstreet takes in her work. â€Å"Yet being mine own†¦Ã¢â‚¬  is Bradstreet’s way of taking ownership of her work, regardless of how misshapen it may seem. Through this line, Bradstreet is saying that because the book is hers, she is the only one with the right and ability to fix it. This is much like when a child gets hurt; only a mother’s kiss can make a â€Å"boo-boo† feel better. There may even be a hint of Bradstreet’s book being like the child whose face only a mother can love. While Bradstreet takes ownership of her book at the beginning of line eleven, by the end of that line, and the beginning of twelve, she is criticizing her work, saying that â€Å"at length affection would thy blemishes amend...† Through this, Bradstreet makes a connection to the beginning of the line, as only her love, care and attention can make the piece beautiful. If she gives enough attention to her â€Å"child† and corrects it enough, perhaps the book would not be such a shame to her. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so ugly. By the end of the twelfth line, Bradstreet has taken pride in her work, and has also criticized it. The last bit of line twelve is where the author shows her remorse. â€Å"If so I could† is the author’s way of lamenting her inability to rearrange the parts of her ill-formed offspring. Bradstreet is saying that her â€Å"child† has already been branded, and there is nothing more she can do to make it perfect.

Problems and Solutions in the Fight Against Urban Poverty Essay

Problems and solutions in the fight against urban poverty Introduction – the advent of capitalism and the resultant economic inequality There can be no talk of modern poverty without talking first of capitalism, and as such, the capitalist model of production and the exploitation of labor is where I will begin my paper. Capitalism evolved from the feudal system, which was incorporated into western European societies hundreds of years ago. Under the feudal system, serfs worked the land and handed the surplus of their production over to the nobles, who owned the land and accumulated the surplus. This surplus was visible, occurring literally in the form of produced goods, and the feudal system was linked to the control of the state, which is how it was sustained - through the threat of force from the armies at the disposal of the nobles. The economic system later evolved into pure capitalism similar to the modern form that we are now familiar with, which involves the ownership of private property. That is, there is no longer any semblance of a communal institution and the state has been shut out from any influence on the development of this property. What this means is that the state now exists for the sake of private property, and the result is that self-interest (the interest of the individual property holder) takes precedence over communal interest. The bottom line is that those who own the most capital then have the largest amount of influence over the state, and since the state is dependent on the commercial economy, economic and institutional power now go hand in hand. The effects of this system on the worker (as opposed to the capitalist) are overwhelmingly negative. Since most workers will never accumula... ...e, Wilbert The Functional Theory of Social Stratification in Bendix, R and Lipset, S (eds) Class, Status and Power, 2nd edition, London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. 1967 Tumin, Melvin Some Principles of Stratification: A Critical Analysis. American Sociological Review, Vol. 18, No. 4. (Aug., 1953) Marable, Manning. How Capitalism Underdeveloped Black America: Problems in Race, Political Economy and Society. Cambridge: South End Press, 2000. Ofari, Earl, The Myth of Black Capitalism. New York: Monthly Review Press, 1970 Tucker, ed, The Marx-Engels reader. New York: Norton, 1978. 2nd ed. Wilson, William J. The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, The Underclass, and Public Policy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987. Woodson, Robert L., ed. On the Road to Economic Freedom: An Agenda for Black Progress. Washington, D.C.: Regenery Gateway, 1987.

Benchmarking as a powerful total quality management tool

Like all other management concepts and principles, Benchmarking has also gone through the tests of time and efficiency. In fact, it was not until Xerox implemented it in the late 70’s that Benchmarking has proven itself in the field of business management (Brown, 1992). During this time, Xerox was losing market share and feeling pressure from its competitors. In an attempt to get back into the game, Xerox compared its operations to its competitors'.After comparing its quality standards to others', Xerox began one of the greatest trends in the business world today (Rogers, 1991). Although there have been issues on whether Benchmarking has to be considered as a stand-alone management concept from that of Total Quality Management (TQM), this paper would argue that Benchmarking is rather an ingredient and an efficient tool in the implementation of a successful TQM process. This paper also would argue that benchmarking applies not only to manufacturing but also to service industrie s.In fact, it has even pointed out that benchmarking has been beneficial in the financial management of Higher Education institutions (Tang and Zari, 1998). OVERVIEW OF BENCHMARKING The principle of benchmarking has been defined in several ways depending on the area of TQM where its values and contributions have been stressed. The European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) defines it as: â€Å"The process of systematically comparing your own organizational structure, processes and performance against those of good practice organizations globally, with a view to achieve business excellence.Benchmarking provides the key interface between identifying and understanding the key criteria for change and attuning these to the reality of specific organizations in the global economy† (Waston, 1993). The famous adherent of TQM and benchmarking Mohamed Zairi defines it as â€Å"emulating the best by continuously implementing change and measuring performance† (Zairi, 1996). In both cases, benchmarking has its own mark: allowing change for the best.Industry practitioners of benchmarking consider a benchmark is the standard of excellence against which to measure and compare wherein benchmarks are performance measures: How many? How quickly? How high? How low? (APQC, 1995). Benchmarks are facts; benchmarking enables real improvement (Ammons, 1999). Benchmarking is actually the process of learning lessons about how best performance is accomplished by the strict implementation and employment of best practices (APQC, 1995).Clearly, benchmarking goes beyond data gathering, comparison and measurement. Benchmarking is an ingredient in any total quality management movement. Firms that want to know why or how another firm does better than theirs follow the benchmarking concept (Greengard, 1995). Its use is accelerating among U. S. firms that have adopted the TQM philosophy. Benchmarking is about improving competitive position, and using ‘best practice' to s timulate radical innovation rather than seeking minor, incremental improvements on historic performance (Certo, 1994).Due to changes in economic factors, technology, market demands and other social factors, benchmarking as a TQM tool does not tolerate merely comparing past business practices to present in order to gain business excellence, rather it requires an organization to embrace these changes. In this case, benchmarking in line with TQM is a perfect business tool toward global competitiveness (Saxl, 1992). This claim has been proven by benchmarking practitioners who were considered as best among the best in the world of business.

Autobiography Of a Pen Essay

Autobiography Of a Pen feelings that lay inside her, through her writing. She used to call me her Lucky Pen and i was proud of that status. But one day, I remember her writing writing†¦ PremiumSaved An Autobiography Through Fiction-Based Prose of his life and, through his prose, still does. George Orwell wrote his autobiography not as a book written in the first person, but as a lifetime of prose based†¦ Premium Jayson De Lemon’s Autobiography Jayson de Lemon’s Autobiography â€Å"I once asked myself, how history was written. I said, â€Å"I have to invent it.† When I wish as now to tell of critical incidents†¦ Premium Autobiography Of a Yogi: Summary pen of Paramhansa Yogananda, whose teachings my husband and myself have had the pleasure of studying for twenty years.† The value of Yogananda’s Autobiography is†¦ Premium Autobiography 1922 THE QUINN & BODEN CO. PRESS RAHWAY, N. J. CONTENTS Introduction vii The Autobiography I. Ancestry and Early Life in Boston 3 II. Beginning Life as a Printer 21†¦ Premium The Power Of The Pen Gandhi. He read several works by this great leader, including his autobiography, and believed in the non-violent ideals that it promoted. â€Å"The impact they made†¦ Premium n Autobiography Twenty One Years In The Making Autobiography Twenty One Years in the Making Born just two days before Christmas, I started my life in the tender loving arms of my mother, and my ever-guiding†¦ Premium The Autobiography Of Benjamin Franklin of nearly 30 years and covering his life only until 1759 (he died in 1790), The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is actually tells approximately half of his life†¦ Premium The Autobiography Of Benjamin Franklin He died on April 17, 1790. The first five chapters of the Autobiography were composed in England in 1771, continued in 1784-5, and again in 1788, at which date†¦ Premium Autobiography Christine Jorgensen Biography Christine Jorgensen (May 30, 1926 May 3, 1989) was the first widely known person to have sex reassignment surgery – in this case†¦ Premium Autobiography Memoir, Spiritual autobiography * Biography * Diaries and Journals * Electronic literature * Erotic literature * Fable, Fairy tale, Folklore * Fiction o†¦