Wednesday, October 30, 2019
International advertising campaign Research Paper - 1
International advertising campaign - Research Paper Example the company has created in the minds of its target clients the idea that the Cisco-offered internet utilities and services are capable of transforming the way individuals work, learn, play and live, and the Cisco Networking Academy (CNA) Program is spearheading this great transforming. Since 1984 when it was founded, the company has overwhelmingly dominated the network equipment world making a number of network administrators to attest to the idea that they never see any burden channeling intensive funds to acquire Cisco products and services. Indeed, the overall cost of Cisco-produced routers and switches surpasses the prices issued by a number of the competitor firms, but this has steel left businesses perceive the Cisco tools as the way to go for safe and efficient network practices. The company has also been credited for producing reliable products that target a wider range of global customers (Wylie 33). As a way to evade the high rates associated with Cisco networking products, some consumers have often tried exploring products from competitor firms, but they have always ended up settling for Cisco tools. The organization also employs a strategic approach to marketing adventures as a way to increase revenue. This has been realized through an active research unit that pursues custom research on the prevailing market trends then uses the findings to advise the company on best approaches to design adverts. Some areas of focus during research adventures include brand positioning, buying behaviors, price elasticity and advertising among others. The organization also uses business intelligence tools like database analysis and reporting tools. These tools provide benefits like offering insights plus directions ahead of market planning and execution and delivering incremental values obtained from data-generated models that are applied to different marketing programs. The company advertises its products through Cisco mConcierge program. At the most basic level, the
Monday, October 28, 2019
Carr and the Thesis Essay Example for Free
Carr and the Thesis Essay Edward Carr begins What is History? By saying what he thinks history is notâ⬠¦by being negative. In Carrââ¬â¢s words, what history is not, or should not be, is a way of constructing historical accounts that are obsessed with both the facts and the documents which are said to contain them. Carr believes that by doing this the profoundly important shaping power of the historian will surely be downplayed. Carr goes on to argue ââ¬â in his first chapter- that this downgrading of historiography arose because mainstream historians combined three things: first, a simple but very strong assertion that the proper function of the historian was to show the past as ââ¬Ëit really wasââ¬â¢; second, a positivist stress on inductive method, where you first get the facts and then draw conclusions from them; and third ââ¬â and this especially in Great Britain ââ¬â a dominant empiricist rationale. Together, these constituted for Carr what still stood for the ââ¬Ëcommonsenseââ¬â¢ view of history: The empirical theory of knowledge presupposes a complete separation between subject and object. Facts, like sense-impressions, impinge on the observer from outside and are independent of his consciousness. The process of reception is passive: having received the data, he then acts on themâ⬠¦This consists of a corpus of ascertained factsâ⬠¦First get your facts straight, then plunge at your peril into the shifting sands of interpretation ââ¬â that is the ultimate wisdom of the empirical, commonsense school of history. 2 Clearly, however, commonsense doesnââ¬â¢t work for Mr.Carr. For he sees this as precisely the view one has to reject. Unfortunately things begin to get a little complicated when Carr tries to show the light, since while it seems he has three philosophical ways of going about his studies one being epistemological and two ideological his prioritizing of the epistemological over the ideological makes history a science too complex for comprehension to anyone other than himself. Carrââ¬â¢s epistemological argument states that not all the ââ¬Ëfacts of the pastââ¬â¢ are actually ââ¬Ëhistorical facts. Furthermore, there are vital distinctions to be drawn between the ââ¬Ëeventsââ¬â¢ of the past, the ââ¬Ëfactsââ¬â¢ of the past and the ââ¬Ëhistoricalââ¬â¢ facts. That ââ¬Ëhistorical factsââ¬â¢ only become this way is by being branded so by recognized historians. Carr develops this argument as follows: What is a historical fact? â⬠¦According to the commonsense view, there are certain basic facts which are the same for all historians and which form, so to speak, the backbone of history the fact, for example, that the battle of Hastings was fought in 1066. But this view calls for two observations. In the first place, it is not with facts like these that the historian is primarily concerned. It is no doubt important to know that the great battle was fought in 1066 and not 1065 or 1067â⬠¦The historian must not get these things wrong. But when points of this kind are raised, I am reminded of Housmanââ¬â¢s remark that ââ¬Ëaccuracy is a duty, not a virtueââ¬â¢. To praise a historian for his accuracy is like praising an architect for using well-seasoned timber. It is a necessary condition of his work, but not his essential function. It is precisely for matters of this kind that the historian is entitled to rely on what have been called the ââ¬Ëauxiliary sciencesââ¬â¢ of history archaeology, epigraphy, numismatics, chronology, and so-forth. 3 Carr thinks that the insertion of such facts into a historical account, and the significance which they will have relative to other selected facts, depends not on any quality intrinsic to the facts ââ¬Ëin and for themselves,ââ¬â¢ but on the reading of events the historian chooses to give: It used to be said that facts speak for themselves. This is, of course, untrue. The facts speak only when the historian calls on them: it is he who decides to which facts to give the floor, and in what order or contextâ⬠¦The only reason why we are interested to know that the battle was fought at Hastings in 1066 is that historians regard it as a major historical event. It is the historian who has decided for his own reasons that Caesarââ¬â¢s crossing of that petty stream, the Rubicon, is a fact of history, whereas the crossings of the Rubicon by millions of other peopleâ⬠¦interests nobody at allâ⬠¦The historian is [therefore] necessarily selective. The belief in a hard core of historical facts existing objectively and independently of the historian is a preposterous fallacy, but one which it is very hard to eradicate. 4 Following on from this, Carr ends his argument with an illustration of the process by which a slight event from the past is transformed into a ââ¬Ëhistorical factââ¬â¢. At Stalybridge Wakes, in 1850, Carr tells us about a gingerbread seller being beaten to death by an angry mob; this is a well documented and authentic ââ¬Ëfact from the past. But for it to become a ââ¬Ëhistorical fact,ââ¬â¢ Carr argues that it needed to be taken up by historians and inserted by them into their interpretations, thence becoming part of our historical memory. In other words concludes Carr: Its status as a historical fact will turn on a question of interpretation. This element of interpretation enters into every fact of history. 5 This is the substance of Carrââ¬â¢s first argument and the first ââ¬Ëpositionââ¬â ¢ that is easily taken away after a quick read his work. Thereby initially surmising that Carr thinks that all history is just interpretation and there are really no such things as facts. This could be an easily mislead conclusion if one ceases to read any further. If the interpretation of Carr stops at this point, then not only are we left with a strong impression that his whole argument about the nature of history, and the status of historical knowledge, is effectively epistemological and skeptical, but we are also not in a good position to see why. Itââ¬â¢s not until a few pages past the Stalybridge example that Carr rejects that there was too skeptical a relativism of Collingwood, and begins a few pages after that to reinstate ââ¬Ëthe factsââ¬â¢ in a rather unproblematical way, which eventually leads him towards his own version of objectivity. Carrââ¬â¢s other two arguments are therefore crucial to follow, and not because they are explicitly ideological. The first of the two arguments is a perfectly reasonable one, in which Carr is opposed to the obsession of facts, because of the resulting common sense view of history that turns into an ideological expression of liberalism. Carrââ¬â¢s argument runs as follows. The classical, liberal idea of progress was that individuals would, in exercising their freedom in ways which took ââ¬Ëaccountââ¬â¢ of the competing claims of others somehow and without too much intervention, move towards a harmony of interests resulting in a greater, freer harmony for all. Carr thinks that this idea was then extended into the argument for a sort of general intellectual laissez-faire, and then more particularly into history. For Carr, the fundamental idea supporting liberal historiography was that historians, all going about their work in different ways but mindful of the ways of others, would be able to collect the facts and allow the ââ¬Ëfree-playââ¬â¢ of such facts, thereby securing that they were in harmony with the events of the past which were now truthfully represented. As Carr puts this: The nineteenth century was, for the intellectuals of Western Europe, a comfortable period exuding confidence and optimism. The facts were on the whole satisfactory; and the inclination to ask and answer awkward questions about them correspondingly weakâ⬠¦The liberalâ⬠¦view of history had a close affinity with the economic doctrine of laissez-faire ââ¬â also the product of a serene and self-confident outlook on the world. Let everyone get on with his particular job, and the hidden hand would take care of the universal harmony. The facts of history were themselves a demonstration of the supreme fact of a beneficent and apparently infinite progress towards higher things. 6 Carrââ¬â¢s second argument is therefore both straightforward and ideological. His point is that the idea of the freedom of the facts to speak for themselves arose from the happy coincidence that they just happened to speak liberal. But of course Carr did not. Thereby knowing that in the history he wrote the facts had to be made to speak in a way other than liberal (i. e. in a Marxist type of way) then his own experience of making ââ¬Ëthe factsââ¬â¢, his facts, is universalized to become everyoneââ¬â¢s experience. Historians, including liberals, have to transform the ââ¬Ëfacts of the pastââ¬â¢ into ââ¬Ëhistorical factsââ¬â¢ by their positioned intervention. And so, Carrââ¬â¢s second argument against ââ¬Ëcommonsenseââ¬â¢ history is ideological. For that matter, so is the third. But if the second of Carrââ¬â¢s arguments is easy to see, his third and final one is not. This argument needs a little ironing out. In the first two critiques of ââ¬Ëcommonsenseââ¬â¢ history, Carr has effectively argued that the facts have no ââ¬Ëintrinsicââ¬â¢ value, but that theyââ¬â¢ve only gained their ââ¬Ërelativeââ¬â¢ value when historians put them into their accounts after all the other facts were under consideration. The conclusion Carr drew is that the facts only speak when the historian calls upon them to do so. However, it was part of Carrââ¬â¢s position that liberals had not recognized the shaping power of the historian because of the ââ¬Ëcult of the factââ¬â¢ and that, because of the dominance of liberal ideology, their view had become commonsense, not only for themselves, but for practically all historiography. It appeared to Carr that historians seemed to subscribe to the position that they ought to act as the channel through which ââ¬Ëthe facts of the past for their own sakeââ¬â¢ were allowed self-expression. But Carr, not wanting to go the route of his fellow historians, nor wanting to succumb to the intellectual complaints about the demise of the experience of originality, says: In the following pages I shall try to distance myself from prevailing trends among Western intellectualsâ⬠¦to show how and why I think they have gone astray and to stake out a claim, if not for an optimistic, at any rate for a saner and more balanced outlook on the future. 7 It is therefore this very pointed position which stands behind and gives most, if not all, of the reason for Carrââ¬â¢s writing What is History? Carr himself seems to be quite clear that the real motive behind his text was the ideological necessity to re-think and re-articulate the idea of continued historical progress among the ââ¬Ëconditionsââ¬â¢ and the doubters of his own ââ¬Ëskeptical daysââ¬â¢. Carrââ¬â¢s ââ¬Ërealââ¬â¢ concern was ââ¬Ëthe factââ¬â¢ that he thought the future of the whole modern world was at stake. Carrââ¬â¢s own optimism cannot be supported by ââ¬Ëthe factsââ¬â¢, so that his own position is just his opinion, as equally without foundation as those held by optimistic liberals. Consequently, the only conclusion that can arguably be drawn is that ââ¬Ëthe pastââ¬â¢ doesnââ¬â¢t actually enter into historiography, except rhetorically. In actuality there should be no nostalgia for the loss of a ââ¬Ërealââ¬â¢ past, no sentimental memory of a more certain time, nor a panic that there are no foundations for knowledge other than rhetorical conversation.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Riders to the Sea: The Sea as a Living Character :: essays research papers
Riders to the sea: The sea as a living character In the tragic contest that is the inspiring soul of the play ââ¬Å" Riders to the seaâ⬠, the sea is a party ranged against the weak, inoffensive inmates of the peasant family of Maurya. The sea is indeed the most impressive character in the play, it is so intimately associated with human characters whose fate concerns us that it may be called, Fate personified. The peasant family, as of course all other people of the island, live all their lives in open view of the sea. Even little Nora is familiar with its ways, its ebb and flow, its behaviour in storm and calm and all that. They are familiar not only with its physical features and its various moods, but also with the image of the sea as a mighty demon which looms large and dark and mysterious before their minds. At the very opening of the play, the sea enters as a terrorizing living personality. The sea as a ââ¬Ëcharacterââ¬â¢ is never off the stage, nor is it for a moment off the mind of inmates of the cottages. How can they close their eyes or minds to it seeing that it has already swallowed four strong young sons of the family, and it is almost sure it has made an end of the fifth, Michael? The monster is never for a moment absent from the thoughts of the three women. Bartley too knows the risk and the chances. But he is manly enough to put forth courage to perform his duty by the family. He silently agrees with Cathleen when she rebukes the whimpering mother: ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s the life of a young man to be going on the seaâ⬠, thereby bringing out the association of the sea with the life of the islanders. It is a demon whom the poor islanders have no means of shunning if they would. And that is the demonââ¬â¢s opportunity of exercising its free will. It is all along an unequal fight- the fight between the Evil in nature which is, as Hardy expounds in his tragic novels, the handmaiden of Fate or blind Chance, or inscrutable Destiny.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Response to Bystander Effect, Prejudice, Aggression and Deterrence Theory Essay
The Bystander Effect states that the greatest number of bystanders who witness an emergency the less likely anyone of them will help. What are your views about the bystander effect? à à à à à à à à à à à The phenomenon of the bystander effect became recognized and found its niche in social psychology studies after the murder of Catherine ââ¬Å"Kittyâ⬠Genovese in 1964.à As it is one of the most shocking murders in the history, the emphasis on the psychological phenomenon that occurred in March 13, 1964 at about 3:15 am (Gado 2007) is overrated. Trekking back to the murder of Genovese, we can note that at the very hour when the crime occurred people are still usually asleep. According to the accounts on the incident, the victim did scream for help, and since it was a fatal assault, surely, the victimââ¬â¢s persistence to get some aid should not be doubted, -this screaming and shouting for help may cancel out the fact that the people in her proximity are still deeply asleep (as accounts say there are 38 witnesses to this murder), but at those very hours we need not further dig deeper to unravel the mysterious apathy of the witnesses all we need to do is take note of the time the assault happened; some of the witnesses may have actually heard the screams but still has the need to sleep to face a Saturday-workday ahead of them. à à à à à à à à à à à We can complement this further with what Abraham Maslowââ¬â¢s hierarchy of needs states; that the greatest need of an individual is his/her physiological needs in which sleeps or rest falls under. Moreover, since the violent scene broke the supposedly yet sleep-timeââ¬â¢s peace, it is understandable that the witnesses had chosen not to leave the refuge of their homes, fearing that they could be the next victim. -the need for safety and security comes as the second priority in Maslowââ¬â¢s renowned pyramid model. These two needs therefore may have overridden any urges to be a hero or a Good Samaritan among the witnesses at those moments. à à à à à à à à à à à The belief that occurs each time a ââ¬Å"bystander effectâ⬠happens is that every witness thinks that someone else among the other witnesses is more capable to help. Let us simulate a likely scenario in observance of the theory: a 79 year old lady was tripped by a rock on a crowded and busy street. In an instance like this you may likely see that not only one person will rush in to help the old lady get back on her feet. à à à à à à à à à à à A bystander effect though always has a chance to occur and cast its spell; to shroud a cloud of confusion that may blur the discerning of witnesses to response to an emergency. On one hand, some factors may actually trigger a witnessââ¬â¢s or a bystanderââ¬â¢s urge to help. à à à à à à à à à à à First, the affinity or degree of relation the bystander has with the individual in need of help. This will define the innate will to help and would trigger a certain sense of responsibility on the bystanderââ¬â¢s side to help that someone he/she knows or that someone whom he/she at least have something-in-common with (for example, supporting the same basketball team, someone in the same organization). Second, would be the empathy factor that may come from oneââ¬â¢s recalling of a previous experience that will move him/her to be of help. Third, would be the effect of mood and condition of a bystander (Bordens & Horowitz 1973), this however considers the ruling of Maslowââ¬â¢s hierarchy of needs over the urge to help base on mood. How can prejudice be reduced? à à à à à à à à à à à Through quick referrence to a dictionary, prejudice would simply be defined as preconceived orà premature judgement. First, let us see the nature behind prejudice; according to the Gale Encyclopaedia of Psychology (2005), ââ¬Å"People are not born prejudiced: many prejudices are formed against groups with which a person has never had any contact.â⬠In basic analysis, we can then perceive that the existence of prejudice pre-requires innocence or even ignorance, -that oneââ¬â¢s mind must be a pail that should be empty or yet has to be filled (by information and initially with opinions of other people). à à à à à à à à à à à Through interaction and communication with other individuals, one would naturally absorb the prejudices of another individual he/she gets contact with. According to the communication model (Laswell 1948); in every communication process there is the presence of: 1) a source, 2) a message, 3) a channel, 4) a receiver, 5) an effect, and 6) a feedback. Applying this process in tracing the development of prejudice, if an individual has yet zero knowledge or background towards a subject, as a receiver of a message he/she had to undergo the next step of the process, which is the effect. The effect here now since the receiver is yet an ââ¬â¢empty pailââ¬â¢ would be to digest the message, and if the message transmitted is prejudiced it will pour a content in that empty pail that may soon serve as the receiverââ¬â¢s raw material in generating his/her own prejudices. In psychology, this model resembles the social cognition pattern which likewise explains the development of prejudice. à à à à à à à à à à à à If we are to reduce prejudice, the direct equation we can derive from Laswellââ¬â¢s Model would be to reduce the interaction and communication with other individuals. This in reality however, is improbable as communication being both infinite and spontaneous processes cannot be reduced in terms of amount. The number of communication sources can forcibly be reduced but the messages that a receiver had already received will continue to develop and be repeatedly analysed in his/her mind which then will be used by him/her when itââ¬â¢s his/her turn to communicate as a speaker. à à à à à à à à à à à Prejudiced beliefs lead to stereotyping, which are natural tendencies to categorise the world in order to make sense of it (NAT.org 2003). In an attempt to make the complex world organized as we perceive it, we tend to put labels on objects, events, and individuals that has same characteristics which send to us stimuli that are alike. à à à à à à à à à à à A means to reduce stereotyping and generalization as dictated by prejudice is to expose a prejudiced person to individuals capable of dispelling it (Gale Encyclopedia2005), these individuals include those that contradict the stereotypes. This approach to reduce and neutralize stereotyping, though somewhat indirect, will help in thawing whatever barriers prejudices had formed within oneââ¬â¢s disposition which eventually is good, as sooner or later this prejudiced person will have the chance to interact with a person who belongs to a grouped he/she had stereotyped. à à à à à à à à à à à In the treatment to reduce prejudice in the form of stereotyping, immersion could be a vital antidote. In the same manner as Edward Saidââ¬â¢s Travel Theory (1983), a culture or an idea (which in some cases can be a prejudiced idea) is bound to loose its original potency, its strength, and even its form as it gets contact with other cultures.à à A stereotype can likewise be tamed; if the ignorance and the innocence where it was founded over will finally be bridged by discovering the truth (which may include interacting with the people whom you had a stereotype on) -this first-hand, actual, and direct encounter will not just reduce prejudice but also dispel it. à à à à à à à à à à à More than the more common but not-at-all easily done idea; to be openââ¬âminded, interaction would be the best achievable solution in reducing stereotypes. Write a two-page essay in which you describe Freudââ¬â¢s theory on aggression. Additionally, describe Banduraââ¬â¢s theory on aggression and what strategies would he recommend using to diminish aggressive behaviour. Do you think that aggression is innate or learned? Why? à à à à à à à à à à à Sigmund Freud explained that the theory of aggression begins at the early ages when a boy begins to develop his intimate relationship with his mother, being the natural provider and nurturing entity for the boy -this intimate relationship will come to a point that the boy will have sexual desires for his mother. In the family picture however, there is the presence of the father -whom the boy will ââ¬Ëtreatââ¬â¢ as his rival in getting his motherââ¬â¢s affection and attention. But eventually, the boy will realize that he canââ¬â¢t win over his father, as the chances of winning in physical terms is impossible due the boys inferior size, the boy will concede is this competition and soon will realize that his mother is not a suitable object of love and sexual urges (cited in Freud & Smith 1999). à à à à à à à à à à à This sexual-desire idea is called the Oedipus complex; while as for the girls, they also undergo the same condition and it is termed Electra complex. Freud claims that these are manifestations of the modifiers that dictate human behaviour; instinct and sexual urges called libido. Libido is energy derived from the Eros, or life instinct (cited in Freud & Smith 1999). Aggression is the outcome when the urges of libido are not released. à à à à à à à à à à à Eros, is present in every man, so as what Freud had introduced thereafter; the concept of Thanatos or death force. This energy from this death force seeks to deliver death and destruction, which also bounds a man to destroy his own self. Thanatos does not entirely pour its energy towards self-destruction, some of which are channelled to other objects and individuals which explains the presence of aggression. à à à à à à à à à à à Even before technology, liberal thinking, and advance science, and even before the man who gave name to the concept was born, the world had abide with the ââ¬Ësurvival of the fittestââ¬â¢. Scientist Charles Darwin used the phrase to term the endless struggle of beings against one another for existence. The energy from Thanatos may support what sends a being to take aggression upon another. à à à à à à à à à à à Bandura (1973) claimed that human behaviour is determined by the environment. Likewise manââ¬â¢s behaviour also dictates his environment.à This means that a man learns his aggression on what he perceives on his environment, while with the presence of aggression or the absence of it around, affects what the environment will become. à à à à à à à à à à à Banduraââ¬â¢s approach in dealing with and along the process diminishing behaviour is through self-regulation or simply to control oneââ¬â¢s own behaviour. This begins with self-observation (watching and analyzing our own behaviours), then with judgement (setting a standard or an ideal measure were we can compare our behaviours with and pattern it to them), and finally with self-response (your manner of affirming yourself whether you are satisfied or not with what was your behaviour in a particular occasion). à à à à à à à à à à à Aggression is innate to man, I agree for solid reasons. First, I would refer to what Abraham Maslow (1954) refer as the second immediate need; safety and security.à From which threats do we seek protection against? Harsh weather? -We got our concrete homes and thick winter suits. Wild Animals? Thatââ¬â¢s what technology and urbanization is for, putting the dangerous forage-and-hunt lifestyle locked in oblivion, then what? The best answer would be human threats -which are manifestations of the presence of aggression in man. Second; man is the superior specie of all but we are still classifiable as animals -beings which are programmed from birth to seek, hunt and fight for survival. An aspect of aggression is learned by man but this mainly covers the manners of aggression; like the idea of how to use weapons and sub due impending opponents. What is deterrence theory? Why do people commit crimes? à à à à à à à à à à à Punishments are pre-emptive instruments set by established laws and rules meant to discourage and intimidate would-be offenders. An ever-existing idea based on what is called the Deterrence theory. ââ¬Å"Deterrence theory is based on the concept that, if the consequence of committing a crime outweighs the benefit of the crime itself, the individual will be deterred from committing the crimeâ⬠. (Summerfield, 2006, p. 1). à à à à à à à à à à à By default, deterrence theory lies on the fear a punishment can instil to the subjects of a law.à à à à Ideally, a law applies to everyone in a state; both the government and the subjects. But in reality, since deterrence theory was put to practice in an organized-society nation, it has revealed some serious flaws in itself. à à à à à à à à à à à Write Morgan Summerfield traced the origin of the deterrence theory -stemming out the roots of its practice from old England from the Dark Ages, Feudal Era, the Tudor period, when feudal lords, kings, and queens, where the first to introduce the system of punishment. à à à à à à à à à à Although crimes at that era meant heavy punishment, as Summerfield would collectively describe as ââ¬Å"brutalâ⬠and ââ¬Å"severeâ⬠, an individualââ¬â¢s economic status would determine his vulnerability to the legal consequences of the crime; ââ¬Å"Someone wealthy or influential could often commit offences with impunity, while someone of lesser birth would be severely punished for the same offence.â⬠à à à à à à à à à à à Between this statementââ¬â¢s lines lies an implication; the power of money, and the call to have it, which is avarice, is also ââ¬Ëencouragedââ¬â¢.à à Money, power, and influence has been the bridges to punishment-evasion several centuries ago. These gives definition to deterrence theory as the imperfect concept where present laws and subjects-controlling policies are taken from. à à à à à à à à à à à The answer to the question why do people commit crimes lies in the failures of deterrence theory. By default, law enforcers assume that making it known to the people that crimes are met with punishments is not enough. à à à à à à à à à à à First reason; not every criminal are caught, hence the crime = penalty equation is not absolute. Second, every criminal does not have the same level of fear; the fear variable is defined by how ââ¬Ëhardââ¬â¢ the criminal/law offender is (a repeatedly imprisoned individual may not fear the conditions of being in jail as much as a first-time convict would. Third would be how able the criminal is in protecting/saving himself/herself from the legal repercussions of the crime. à à à à à à à à à à à If we are to directly relate the question why do people commit crimes with the fear-dependent deterrent theory, we can conclude that the discrepancy of fear among the subjects of a law do explains why not all individuals are stopped by impending punishments and thus, go on and commit crimes. à à à à à à à à à à à Another premise that may explain why do people commit crimes is the existence of free will; ââ¬Å"When they act in a criminal manner, they do so out of free will and weigh the consequences of their actionsââ¬âthey know what they are doing and choose to do itâ⬠(Summerfield 2006).à Along with it is the belief of Chinese Philosopher, Kong Zi (Xun-Zi) that man is by nature evil. -reflected in the oldest book of all time, the Bible, in the chapter of Genesis where the first man used its free will to ignore the rule set by God in the Garden of Eden. à à à à à à à à à à à Kong Zi meanwhile acknowledges too that man is capable of doing good; but for a man to do a good act it has to be done consciously. The societyââ¬â¢s means of increasing manââ¬â¢s awareness and sensitivity to do conscious good acts, to teach what is right and to do right is by establishing institutionsà (schools, churches) to teach norms, and make laws and policies (to assure that the norms are followed).à -Which brings us to an uncomplicated cycle; the ââ¬Å"naturally evilâ⬠man is straightened out and taught what is good being covered by different laws and policies which is based from the deterrence theory. On a research done by Richard Lebow and Janice Stein (1995), they claimed that Deterrence theory rarely succeeds. Although their work underwent ââ¬Ëwavesââ¬â¢ of criticisms and was thoroughly scrutinized for gaps and flaws, the spirit of deterrence theory, which is carried over by the laws in present time seems to testify on the findings of Lebow and Stein. References Contributors: Bandura, A. (1973). Aggression: A Social Learning Analysis. p. 183. Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Prentice-Hall. Bordens, K. Sm, Horowtiz, I, A.(Eds.). (2001) Social Psychology (second edition). Lawrence à à Erlbaum Associates Gado, M. (2007) A Cry in the Night: The Kitty Genovese Murderà Retrieved February 26, 2008 from Crime Library, Courtroom Television Network, LLC. Gale Group, (2001). Gale Encyclopaedia of Psychology, 2nd Ed..à Retrieved February 27, 2008 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g2699/is_0002/ai_2699000270 Huitt, W. (2006). Social cognition. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta à à à à à à à à à à State University. Retrieved February 28, 2008 from à à à à à à à http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/soccog/soccog.html. Jervis, R., Lebow, R., Stein, (Eds.). (1985) Psychology and Deterrence . Baltimore: The Johns à Hopkins Press, Laswell, H.D., (1948). ââ¬Å"The structure and function of communication in societyââ¬Å" -in the communication of ideas, ed. Bryson, L. New York: Harper. Maslow, A (1954). Motivation and Personality. NAT.org. (February 2003). The Psychology of Prejudice Retrieved February 28, 2008 from à à à à à à http://www.e-alliance.ch/media/media-4301.pdf. Said, E. W. (1983) ââ¬Å"Travelling Theory,â⬠The World, the Text, and the Critic. à à à à à à à à à à à Cambridge: Harvard à University Press. Smith, A. K. (1999) Theories of Aggression. Biology 202: 1999 Final Web Reports-Biology. à à à à Retrieved February 28, 2008 from Serendip database. Summerfield, M. (2006). Evolution of Deterrence Crime Theory, a journey with an End. Retrieved à à à à à à à à à à à February 27, 2008 from Associated Content, Inc.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Economic Exposure Essay
This report reviews the foreign exchange exposure of Eurojet due to the future development plans and growth of the low cost airline company, this report also highlights the various risks Eurojet, faces in operating in different countries identifying, measuring, and managing the various foreign exchange exposures that might be faced by Eurojet. However, some of these issues will be analysed differently. Foreign Exchange Exposure: According to Buckley (2004, pg.135) foreign exchange exposure means that a firm has assets, liabilities, and profits or expected future cash flow streams such that the home currency value assets, liabilities, profits or the present value in the home currency terms of expected future cash flows changes as exchange rate change. ISSUE 1: foreign risk exposure management Identifying Eurojet foreign exchange risk For Eurojet the risks that might arise currently for being an international business is the concentration of Eurojet airlines with significant exposures in Euro areas (Dublin Dusseldorf, London-Stanstead, Milan, Brussels,) and North Africa, means that they need to be aware of this risks before they analyse, and agree on what to do about it. Therefore, this exposure occurs due to their currency movements in operating centres, which may alter their home currency (Buckley, 2004, pg.143) giving rise to exchange rate fluctuations and risks. Therefore Eurojet exposure to exchange rate fluctuations will come in three forms: transaction exposure, economic exposure, and translation exposure. In addition, these different exposures will be analysed by applying to Eurojet. Transaction exposure Transaction exposure occurs because; a payable or receivable is denominated in a foreign currency (Buckley, 2004). It is also a cash flow exposure including sale of an asset and the receipt of the payment. Within this time interval exchange rates might change, and will exposed Eurojet to a risk either positive or negative, which will have an impact on Eurojet exposure to international contractual transactions to exchange rate fluctuations. Eurojet transaction exposures will therefore have an impact on the exchange rate fluctuations in the value of committed cash flows. From Eurojet income statement (appendix 2-note 5), due to the contracts for the supply ofà fuel and oil to Eurojet invoiced in US foreign currency (dollars). It could be analysed that Eurojet will be faced with currency risk. This is going to affect the price of fuel cost due to exchange rate movements. So the current price of fuel cost is â⠬18887million, so to get the fuel cost in dollars. It will be â⠬188 7 divided by US$1.59686 (current exchange rate value in dollars) will equal to US$1181694075- this is how much eurojet have to pay in dollars to get fuel supplied to their airlines, which is certain. However, there is also an issue of uncertainty as to what the fuel cost in dollar will be in the future. Due to dollar invoicing of fuel, the dollar price will vary with the exchange rate. Although eurojet can lock in the dollar price on its current orders, it has no idea what the will be the dollar costs of its future orders of fuel. This also explains the volatility of fuel prices, as when eurojet buys fuel they have to pay for it immediately. So they will need to hedge fuel price to stablise fuel costs. However, losses due to transaction exposure merely result in lower sales revenue. Eurojet also faces currency risks as regards to the British pound sterling. From the case study, 40% of Eurojet revenues come from its London-Stanstead operations, this means that a change in pound sterling will hugely affects Eurojet profitability. In calculation, (40% of â⠬4884m=1953.6) to get the real revenue, we say 1953.6 divided by â⠬1.19683(currency exchange rate) =à £1632.312024-so therefore, this is Eurojet revenue from its London-Stanstead operations. To measure transaction exposure, Eurojet will need to project the net amount of inflows or outflows in each foreign currency, and determine the overall risk of exposure to those currencies (Pilbeam, 2006). And then it will measure any gains or losses that may arise from the settlement of existing financial obligations whose terms are included in the foreign currency. Economic exposure According to Tesar and Dominguez (2006), factors such as firm size, multinational status, foreign sales, international assets, and competitiveness and trade at the industry level may influence economic exposure of the companies Economic exposure the impact of long-term currency exposure and analyses the health of a companyââ¬â¢s business in the long run. The changes registered in the expected future cash flows depend of theà change in the position the company holds In the case of Eurojet foreign operations and competition, managing economic exposure will involve all aspects of the company. Economic exposure will arise in all markets for Eurojet against US dollar, British pound, Swiss Franc. This arises because Eurojet has its costs base in Euros whereas competitors might have theirs in British pound, US dollar etc. Although it is difficult to reduce economic exposure, Eurojet can reduce the risk by offering same as competitors. Airlines, like many industrial companies, are potentially exposed to risks resulting from adverse movements in interest rates, foreign currency prices, and commodity prices, particularly fuel prices. Airlinesââ¬â¢ fuel price exposures are particularly transparent because oil is a widely traded global commodity, and the poor economic condition of airlines (partly as a result of higher fuel prices) has frequently been in the news since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 Translation exposure Under the FASB 52, Eurojet translation gains and losses of â⠬138 million will be included in their stockholders equity. So therefore, when the Euro strengthens, the consolidated earnings of Eurojet will be unfavourably affected by the translation exposure, and when the euro weakens the consolidated earnings are favourably affected. Also from Eurojet income statement, it could be analysed that currently eurojet concentrates on local sales and has little foreign competition, although obtains foreign fuel supply from the US (-denominated in foreign currency) this will likely be hurt by depreciated local currency. As in the case of translation exposure the MNC can have an equal amount of exposed foreign currency assets and liabilities. By doing so the company will be able to offset any gain or loss it may have due to changes in the exchange rates of that currency, also known as balance sheet hedging. (Eiteman, Stonehill, & Moffett, 2007) Management of foreign exchange exposure/risks Eurojet Foreign exchange risk management will focus on identifying areas in the operations of Eurojet, which may be an issue to foreign exchange exposures, evaluating and analysing the exposure, and choosing the rightà approach to manage the risk to the final performance of Eurojet. Before establishing hedging policies, Eurojet will need to measure its economic exposure. In order to do that a eurojet can invest some of its resources in evaluating its exposure, i.e., identifying the set of environmental contingencies affecting and relevant to the creation of shareholder value (Miller, 1998). This identification allows the assessment of alternative environmental scenarios and consequent adoption of improved strategic decisions by the company. Furthermore, Froot et al. (1993) analysed that firms find hedging more valuable when the connection between investment opportunities and cash flows resulting from hedgeable risks is lower. For Eurojet, it could be implied that hedging will increase their value and investment opportunities, which are available when fuel prices are high (and internal cash flow is low as a result). In addition, hedging can assist Eurojet ability to invest by negotiating with US aircraft manufacturer in advance of delivery of some of the aircraft. In essence, Hedging might preserve Eurojet internal cash flow to meet future commitments to purchase aircraft. In dealing with economic exposures efficiently, a MNC may have to diversify either its finance or its operations. It can diversify its operations by either moving to locations where the cost of production is low, or having a flexible supplier policy, or changing the target market for its products and the types of products it deals in. As it can be illustrated from the 1994 example of Toyota, when a strong Yen made Japanese exports to US more expensive, it decided to shift its production from Japan to US, where it achieved comparatively lower costs of production, enabling it to compete in the US car market. (Eun & Resnick, 2007). ISSUE 2 Firstly, for Eurojet expanding to more routes, this will mean more revenues as regards to cash inflows and outflows. And Eurojet achieving their business objective of airline ambitious growth plans. One of the Risks eurojet is mostly likely to face is operating risk, which it will incur from the US dollar. This also reveals that exchange rate has been a big challenge for the airline industry. The instability of an exchange rate makes ità impossible for airlines to match in transaction and timing of foreign currency expenses. Furthermore, in extending its route network Eurojet might incur a net cash outflows in currencies (dollars and rubbles) when operating in US and Russia (Moscow and St Petersburg) which will create a higher exposure to exchange rate. As Eurojet currency (â⠬) will represent a net cash outflows on the balance sheet thereby giving rise to translation exposure due to the increase in proportion of earnings as generated by these foreign subsidiaries ((Muller, 2005). So therefore as eurojet wants to operate in US and Russia areas, if they want to fly from other European locations they will need to approach government to deal with US and Russia Eurojet also face the risk of weather turmoil in Russia, compounded with the volatility of risk in Euro-dollar exchange rate. Also in expanding to Russia areas, there are some legal issues due to tightening regulations from government authorities. As non-refundable tickets, charging for meals, and hiring of foreign pilots ISSUE 3: Firstly, due to Eurojet opportunity for network growth, by ordering 200 aircraft from US, and China manufacturer. Here Eurojet will be considered to be an importer, and their exchange rate risk will be limited to net cash flows in US and China currency. Eurojet transaction risk will arise in the US (dollar) and China (yen) order received immediately for the manufacture of 200 aircrafts to Eurojet, payable within 10 years. Also, the quantity of US dollar and China yen price is already known. This means that the transaction risk will concern the euro value of the dollar payment in 10 years, and the China quotes the yen value of the dollar payment in 10 years-as the price of china aircraft in Renminbi . To buy the C900 aircraft offered by the Chinese manufacturer, eurojet might face exchange rate risk as they will need the dollar to buy the Chinese aircraft. In calculation, this will be 116,307.5m Renminbi divided by 6.12287CNY= US$18995.5854-this is how much it will dollars to pay for China aircrafts. Furthermore, Eurojet will also face exchange rate risks, as their transaction risk arise from their euro currency denominated imports in the same ways as US and China foreign currency denominated exports. Eurojet economic risk will be subject to variations of its costs induced by exchange rate fluctuation. This isà also going to have an impact on Eurojet exchange rate variations on their stock market return, and controlling the return for their entire market (Dohring, 2008). So therefore euro appreciation will increase Eurojet share value because it is eurojet-operating currency. Also the exposure of Eurojet to US aircraft payment is 65% when measured over a 10 year period this can be quite difficult, to hedge as Dohiring (2008) identified that long term exposures are difficult to hedge than short term exposures as they could increase over the time horizon under consideration. Risks involving short-term transactions can be dealt with using financial instruments but long-term risks often require changes in the operations of the company. In the case of Eurojet, importing aircrafts from US and China. Eurojet will have to pay in the currency of the US manufacturer (US dollars), therefore it is Eurojet who carries the risk as they have to buy dollars in order to pay the manufacturers. However, Eurojet can pay in its own currency (Euros) but this might mean that China manufacturer will carry the risk most as they have to change the Yen from dollars. Furthermore, as Eurojet wants to contract out much of its production to US (including fuel supply) and China manufacturers, this means that Eurojet will face currency risk and uncertainty as US and China manufacturers are billing in their local currencies, There is also an issue of uncertainty as to what the dollar cost of its orders will be, both now and in the future. If it insists on dollar invoicing, the dollar price will likely vary with the exchange rate. Hence, although Eurojet can lock in the dollar price of its current orders, it has no idea what will be the dollar costs of its future orders Furthermore, adding new aircrafts means that Eurojet needs more crew members, pilots and maintenance engineers, this will impact on the Eurojet profitability as the expenditure will go up. Eurojet will also face political risk due to significant foreign financing, foreign suppliers or customers, and international transactions or assets are relatively exposed to adverse changes in currency controls, capital flow barriers, and other laws and regulations (Graham, 2012). The probability of expropriation can differ across industries. Firms whose cash flows are particularly sensitive to general economic conditions may be exposed to political risks due to their broad impact on the economy. APPENDIX 1 The main objectives of the Bretton Woods system are to achieve exchange rate stability and promote international trade and development According to David Ricardo, with free international trade, it is mutually beneficial for two countries to each specialize in the production of the goods that it can produce relatively most efficiently and then trade those goods. By doing so, the two countries can increase their combined production, which allows both countries to consume more of both goods. Any foreign currency (ie non euro) denominated transactions may give rise to transaction exposure if there is a delay between entering the contract and settlement Eurojet addition of 200 aircrafts of its existing operations reveals a strategic move by Eurojet. Bringing new flights will also require upgrading of its scheduling and reservation application, this is mostly related to change management, so Eurojet will need to understand the risk, which could arise due to it. However, as the number of fleets go up, Eurojet will face the challenge of domestic aircrafts been rested for a short period. Inappropriate handling of this issues will lead to operating risk where the charges to be paid to authority will increase. Therefore Eurojet need to make sure that its scheduling application is proficient enough to take this challenge. Thereââ¬â¢s also a risk, which might arise due to social acceptance from Eurojet passengers if this happens, Eurojet will have to educate its customers more on the usefulness of its new aircrafts may be by offering at discounted rates. Eurojet will need to implement on the job and off the Traning programs for its new crew members and maintenance engineers. So they can learn how to operate the new fleet. For new employees the training will include, training for B737 or C900 depending on which option it wants to buy. However, the aim of achieving this will generate some additional training costs for Eurojet, but it help Eurojet to enjoy its process driven operation rather than having its driven people operation Russia climbed eight places to the 112th position in The World Bankââ¬â¢s 2013 Doing Business Rankings, up from 120th in 2012. Tax payment and contract enforcement fueled this improvement. However, despite this progress, Russiaââ¬â¢s overall ranking for doing business remains relatively average. According to recent estimatesâ⬠¨by the Central Bank of Russia, approximately US$54.1 billion of private capital was invested out of the country in 2012. This isâ⬠¨an improvement on the US$80.5 billion of outward investment recorded in 2011, which suggests that some of the Governmentââ¬â¢s efforts to improve this situation have been successful. Also, the traditional literature on the choice of he invoicing currency of international business trade. Grassham law 1973, starts from the observation that trade in manufacturing goods between industrial countries is mostly invoiced in the exporters currency Exchange rate changes can also impact on the level of competitiveness of the firms that are exposed to exchange rate risk, or affect the value of their net assets denominated in foreign currencies It is widely believed that changing exchange rates affect the competitiveness of firms engaged in international competition. According to Luehrman (1991), a falling home currency promotes the competitiveness of firms in home country by allowing them to undercut prices charged for goods manufactured abroad. Many simple partial equilibrium models (e.g. Shapiro) predict an increase in the value of the home country firm in response to a real drop in the value of the home currency. Economic theory suggests that under a floating exchange rate regime, exchange rate appreciation reduces the competitiveness of export markets; it has a negative effect on the domestic stock market. Conversely, if the country is import denominated, exchange rate appreciation may have positive affect on the stock market by lowering input costs. Financial hedging may be a more cost-effective strategy than operational hedging for many firms since it doesnââ¬â¢t involve major redeployment of resources like building factories in other countries. One likely risk to be faced by Eurojet is the financial crisis. Involved with the foreign currency exchange markets. It is also evident from the case study that due to eurojet current and future operations it is already dealing with more than one national currency especially in extending its routes to US travels. So therefore, the changes in the foreign exchange rates will affect eurojet profitability. Also this risks arises because of currency movements may alter in home country values(Buckley, 2004), which depends on various variables such as the interest rate parity, government policies purchasing power parity on exchange rates Is there any direct evidence that risk management increases firm value? The answer is yes, but the evidence is fairly limited as yet. A number of more recent studies show a clearly positive correlation between higher share values and the use of derivatives to manage foreign exchange rate risk and interest rate risk. And one study provides fairly compel-ling evidence that the use of commodity price derivatives by commodity users increases share values. But studies of the hedging by commodity producers provide no clear support for the argument that risk management adds value. At a minimum, whether hedging adds value appears to depend on the types of risk to which a firm is exposed to. Given investment patterns in the airline industry, the value premium suggests that hedging allows airlines more ability to fund investment during periods of high fuel prices. The constructive relation between hedging and value further suggests that investors view such investment as positive net present value projects. We find that The interaction between hedging and capital expenditures captures a large majority of the hedging premium. We also examine a two-stage system in which hedging impacts value through its effect on capital expenditure. Given investment patterns in the airline industry, the value premium suggests that hedging allows airlines more ability to fund investment during periods of high jet fuel prices. The positive relation between hedging and value further suggests that investors view such investment as positive net present value projects. We find that the interaction between hedging and capital expenditures captures a large majority of the hedging premium. We also examine a two-stage system in which hedging impacts value through its effect on capital expenditures. The results of this procedure also suggest that the hedging premium is largely attributable to the effect of hedging on capital investments. The results of this procedure also suggest that the hedging premium is largely attributable to the effect of hedging on capital investment. However, from airline industry research it could be assumed that Eurojet is faced with the following financial risks; change in fuel prices, foreign currency exchange fluctuations, and changes in interest rates. An increase in fuel price, which is due to increase in demand from emerging economies like India and China. And decline in supply is due to major disruptions in oil production and refinery. REFERNCES http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1755-053X.2006.tb00131.x/pdf http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1755-053X.2006.tb00131.x/pdf http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1745-6622.2005.00042.x/pdf http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1745-6622.2005.00042.x/pdf David A. Carter, Daniel A. Rogers, Betty J. Simkins 2008 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1755-053X.2006.tb00131.x/pdf http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1755-053X.2006.tb00131.x/pdf http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/2013-Russia-attractiveness-survey-Eng/$FILE/2013-Russia-attractiveness-survey-Eng.pdf http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/publications/publication11475_en.pdf
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
The Texas Revolution and the Republic of Texas
The Texas Revolution and the Republic of Texas The Texas Revolution (1835ââ¬â1836) was a political and military insurrection by settlers and inhabitants of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Texas against the Mexican government. Mexican forces under General Santa Anna attempted to crush the rebellionà and had victories at the legendary Battle of the Alamo and the Battle of Coleto Creek, but in the end, they were defeated at the Battle of San Jacinto and forced to leave Texas. The revolution was successful, as the present-day US state of Texas broke off from Mexico and Coahuila and formed the Republic of Texas. The Settlement of Texas In the 1820s, Mexico wished to attract settlers to the vast, sparsely populated State of Coahuila y Texas, which consisted of the present-day Mexican State of Coahuila as well as the US State of Texas. American settlers were eager to go, as the land was plentiful and good for farming and ranching, but Mexican citizens were reluctant to relocate to a backwater province. Mexico reluctantly allowed Americans to settle there, provided they became Mexican citizens and converted to Catholicism. Many took advantage of colonization projects, such as the one led by Stephen F. Austin, while others simply came to Texas and squatted on vacant land. Unrest and Discontent The settlers soon chafed under Mexican rule. Mexico had just won its independence from Spain in 1821, and there was much chaos and infighting in Mexico City as liberals and conservatives struggled for power. Most Texas settlers approved of the Mexican constitution of 1824, which granted many freedoms to states (as opposed to federal control). This constitution was later rescinded, angering the Texans (and many Mexicans as well). The settlers also wanted to split from Coahuila and form a state in Texas. The Texan settlers were initially offered tax breaks which were later taken away, causing further discontent. Texas Breaks from Mexico By 1835, troubles in Texas had reached a boiling point. Tensions were always high between Mexicans and American settlers, and the unstable government in Mexico City made things that much worse. Stephen F. Austin, long a believer in staying loyal to Mexico, was jailed without charges for a year and a half: when he was finally released, even he was in favor of independence. Many Tejanos (Texan-born Mexicans) were in favor of independence: some would go on to fight valiantly at the Alamo and other battles. The Battle of Gonzales The first shots of the Texas Revolution were fired on October 2, 1835, in the town of Gonzales. The Mexican authorities in Texas, nervous about the increased hostility with the Texans, decided to disarm them. A small squad of Mexican soldiers was sent to Gonzales to retrieve a cannon stationed there to fight off Indian attacks. The Texans in the town did not allow the Mexicans entry: after a tense standoff, the Texans fired on the Mexicans. The Mexicans swiftly retreated, and in the whole battle there was but one casualty on the Mexican side. But the war had begun and there was no going back for the Texans. The Siege of San Antonio With the outbreak of hostilities, Mexico began making preparations for a massive punitive expedition north, to be led by President/General Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna. The Texans knew they had to move quickly to consolidate their gains. The rebels, led by Austin, marched on San Antonio (then more commonly referred to as Bà ©xar). They laid siege for two months, during which time they fought off a Mexican sally at the Battle of Concepcià ³n. In early December, the Texans attacked the city. Mexican General Martà n Perfecto de Cos conceded defeat and surrendered: by December 12 all Mexican forces had left the city. The Alamo and Goliad The Mexican army arrived in Texas, and in late February laid siege to the Alamo, a fortified old mission in San Antonio. Some 200 defenders, among them William Travis, Jim Bowie, and Davy Crockett, held out to the last: the Alamo was overrun on March 6, 1836, and all within were slain. Less than a month later, about 350 rebellious Texans were captured in battle and then executed days later: this was known as the ââ¬â¹Goliad Massacre. These twin setbacks seemed to spell doom for the nascent rebellion. Meanwhile, on March 2, a congress of elected Texans officially declared Texas independent from Mexico. The Battle of San Jacinto After the Alamo and Goliad, Santa Anna assumed he had beaten the Texans and divided his army. Texan General Sam Houston caught up to Santa Anna on the banks of the San Jacinto River. On the afternoon of April 21, 1836, Houston attacked. Surprise was complete and the attack turned first into a rout, then into a massacre. Half of Santa Annas men were killed and most of the others were taken prisoner, including Santa Anna himself. Santa Anna signed papers ordering all Mexican forces out of Texas and recognizing the independence of Texas. The Republic of Texas Mexico would make several half-hearted attempts to re-take Texas, but after all Mexican forces left Texas following San Jacinto, they never had a realistic chance of re-conquering their former territory. Sam Houston became the first President of Texas: he would serve as Governor and Senator later when Texas accepted statehood. Texas was a republic for almost ten years, a time which was marked by many troubles, including tension with Mexico and the US and difficult relations with local Indian tribes. Nevertheless, this period of independence is looked back upon with great pride by modern Texans. Texas Statehood Even before Texas split from Mexico in 1835, there were those in Texas and the USA that were in favor of statehood in the USA. Once Texas became independent, there were repeated calls for annexation. It wasnt so simple, however. Mexico had made it clear that while it was forced to tolerate an independent Texas, annexation would likely lead to war (in fact, the US annexation was a factor in the outbreak of the 1846-1848 Mexican-American War). Other sticking points included whether slavery would be legal in Texas and the federal assumptions of Texas debts, which were considerable. These difficulties were overcome and Texas became the 28th state on December 29, 1845. Resources and Further Reading Brands, H.W. Lone Star Nation: the Epic Story of the Battle for Texas Independence. New York: Anchor Books, 2004.Henderson, Timothy J. A Glorious Defeat: Mexico and its War with the United States.New York: Hill and Wang, 2007.
Monday, October 21, 2019
Lesson Plan on Present Perfect and Past Simple
Lesson Plan on Present Perfect and Past Simple The switch between the present perfect and the past simple is one of the most challenging aspects for English learners. There are a few reasons for this: Students use a language - such as German, French or Italian - which uses its version of the past simple and the present perfect interchangeably.Students find the difference between specific past experience (past simple) and general experience (present perfect) difficult.Students speak a language in which tense usage is much more loose such as Japanese. This lesson focuses on the switch by first narrowing the choices down to either the present perfect or the past simple. It asks students to first ask questions about general experience with ever and then drill down to the specifics with question words such as where, when, why etc. Aim Becoming more proficient in switching between the present perfect and the past simple Activity Number 1 Asking about experiences # 2 Writing about experiences Level Lower-intermediate to intermediate Outline Begin the lessons by speaking about your own experiences in a general way. Be careful not to give any details about these experiences. In other words, keep to the present perfect. I find topics such as travel, education, and hobbies work well. For example: Ive been to many countries in my life. Ive traveled in Europe and Ive visited France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. Ive also driven a lot in the United States. In fact, Ive driven through almost 45 states. Ask students to ask you questions about the specifics of some of your adventures. You may need to model this. However, students will hopefully be able to catch on fast and keep to the past simple. On the board, create a timeline showing past to present with some of your adventures. Put question marks above the general statements, specific dates above specific statements. Point out the difference between the two. You can use the ââ¬â¹tense time charts on this site as well. Introduce the question Have you ever ... for general experience. Review information questions in the past simple to focus on specific experiences. Model a few question-and-answer exchanges with students switching between Have you ever... followed by information questions When did you ..., Where did you ..., etc. when students answer in the affirmative.à Have students complete exercise one with partners or in small groups.à Moving around the class, listen to these conversations helping when necessary. To continue, ask students to fill in the worksheet following the example provided. Move around the room making sure students are switching between the present perfect and the simple past in writing. Exercise 1 Use the present perfect with Have you ever... to ask your classmates questions. When your partner answers yes, follow-up with information questions in the past simple. For example: Student 1: Have you ever been to China?Student 2: Yes, I have.Student 1: When did you go there?Student 2: I went there in 2005.Student 1: Which cities did you visit?Student 2: I visited Beijing and Shanghai. buy a new cartravel in a foreign countryplay football / soccer / tennis / golfwork in a large companyfly over the oceaneat something that made you sickstudy a foreign languagelose your money, wallet, or purseeat snailsplay an instrument Exercise 2 Write a few sentences on each of these topics. First, begin with a sentence using the present perfect. Next, write a sentence or two giving specific details. For example: I have learned three languages in my life. I studied German and Italian when I was in college. I also learned French when I visited the country for a three-month French language program in 1998.à Hobbies I have learnedPlaces I have visitedCrazy food I have eatenPeople I have metStupid things I have boughtSubjects I have studied
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