Me, Myself, and Why Problem Set Essay Example for Free

Me, Myself, and Why Problem Set Essay 1. What is the difference between self-interest and selfishness? Why is this distinction important when considering the competitive market economy as appropriate for society? Self-interest is looking out for your best interest and finding the best possible alternatives that will benefit yourself in the business world. Selfishness is putting your own interests above the interests of others and making decisions solely based on how they will benefit you. This distinction is imperative in considering the competitive market that is appropriate for society because you need to make sure that you are looking out for yourself but at the same time you should not make market decisions based solely off your own selfish interests. A selfish business man or woman will never be successful in the long run. 2. Does your textbook present only positive economics and avoid any normative economics? If not, give some examples of normative economics covered in your textbook. The textbook presents both positive economics and normative economics. An example of normative economics that is used in the textbook states â€Å"a value-free interpretation [of economics] leads to all sorts of abuses† (42). Normative economics incorporate subjectivity in to their analysis. Normative economics are heavily influenced by value judgment as well as theoretical situations. Normative economics are the opposite of positive economics. 3. What did Adam Smith believe serves to curb self-interest in an economy? â€Å"People care what others think of them and it is this desire for the good opinion of others that constrains people in their pursuit of self-interest† (41). Adam goes on to say, â€Å"this constraint is reinforced by competition and by the jurisprudence system† (41). Smith believes that others opinions shape what they pursue. Smith opposed the exclusive privileges of corporations and even went as far to oppose  regulations such as taxes which he claims gave individuals the ability to gain an unfair advantage. 4. What does it mean to seek the Kingdom of God in a democratic capitalist economy? How can it be done? Capitalism and Christianity can be combined. It may be difficult to combine the two because many Christians believe that it is better to always put the interests of others before yourself. However, Christ calls us to be good stewards of what He has given us and it is important to be good business men and woman that strive to be warriors for the Lord. Christ has not called us to be mediocre but to rise to the top and to shine for Him. The book states, â€Å"we’re not perfect, but we can strive to act righteously with in a system that accommodates both vice and virtue† (50).

Googles Entry in Publishing | Dissertation Proposal

Googles Entry in Publishing | Dissertation Proposal DISSERTATION PROPOSAL GOOGLE: AT THE FORE OF A PUBLISHING REVOLUTION Abstract Google Inc. is poised to ignite a technological revolution in publishing, a revolution that will establish the company as a leader in the publishing industry. This thesis will be supported by applying existing theories on industry and organisational life cycles, technology, and business strategy to the current state of the publishing industry vis-à  -vis internal factors at Google. Hypothesis Google Inc. is strategically poised to ignite a technological revolution in the publishing industry, a move that will permit Google, already proclaimed as â€Å"the top search engine in the world† (Piper 2004), to become the dominant player in the electronic publishing, or e-publishing, industry and a major force in the broader publishing industry. Importance of the Topic Today, the world is witnessing the beginnings of a technological challenge to traditional ‘paper and ink’ publishing. This challenge, which is not unlike that posed by Internet enterprises to traditional ‘brick and mortar’ retail establishments, banks, and service organisations, is being led by Google Inc. Based on a theoretical foundation, this research will explore the convergence of new technologies and organisational factors that Google is strategically leveraging to revolutionise publishing and to achieve leadership status in the publishing industry. Theoretical Base for the Research Research will be based on industry and organisational life cycle theories as well as classic technology theory and its relevance to the life cycle theories and business strategy. Industry life cycle theory suggests that industries pass through a series of stages which affect factors such as competition, consumer demand, and strategy. Organisational life cycle theory suggests that all organisations evolve through a typically predictable set of sequential stages in which their thinking and behaviour change. The concept of technology in this context refers to the methods and mechanisms that organisations use to transform inputs into outputs. The application of technology, through the implementation of organisational strategies, can affect industry and organisational life cycles. The theory of competitive position suggests that organisations adopt strategies that reflect their positions in the market. Prior Research on the Topic Google’s Web site (n.d.) states that its mission is â€Å"to organize the worlds information and make it universally accessible and useful†. Deutschman (2005) reports that Google, founded in 1998, has experienced phenomenal sales growth of more than 400,000% in the past five years, making it the fastest growing company in history. He states that the market value of the company is US$80 billion. Wikipedia (n.d.) traces Google’s history from its inception as a research project in 1996 through today and furnishes insight into management and salaries, the corporate culture, acquisitions, and legal and social issues. Google has been described as â€Å"more than a search engine, less than a god† (Piper 2004) and as â€Å"the 800-pound octopus that is filling potential rivals with dread and envy†, implicitly threatening competitors with acquisition or elimination. (Elgin and Hesseldahl 2005). Glover (2004) summarises Google’s business model as one w hich offers its services to the public at no cost, earning its revenue from advertisers who post links to their own Web sites then pay fees to Google based on the number of people who make the link from Google to the advertisers’ sites. Elgin and Hesseldahl (2005) provide significant insight into Google’s ambitious business expansion plans and its challenges to major industry players. Notess (2005) reports on Google’s first entry into the e-publishing arena with Google Answers. Pike (2005) describes Google Scholar and the Google Library Project as continuing forays into the e-publishing industry; M2 Presswire (2004) explains Google Library in more depth. Notess (2005) compares Google Scholar with Scirus, a competitive product. Peek (2004) reports on Google’s relationship with DSpace, a company devoted to capturing, storing, indexing, preserving, and redistributing university research results, and the Electronic Education Report (2003) describes Google’s relationship with DK Publishing in a joint effort to install an encyclopaedia for young people on the Web. Jesdanun (2005) reports on the impact Google Library is having on the publishing industry. Ferguson (2005) and Dodson (2005) provide in-depth analyses of Google’s cross-industry plans for the future as well as plans specifically relating to the publishing industry. Finally, Carvajal (2005), Degtyareva (2005), Liedtke (May and August 2005), and PR Newswire (2005) pose global issues that Google as well as publishers and authors are facing with regard to Google’s e-publishing plans. In addition to the sources surveyed for information about Google, research was conducted into the history of publishing, industry life cycle, technology theory, organisational life cycle, and business strategy formulation. Feather (1990) and Millgate (1987) write extensively about the history of publishing. The Columbia Encyclopedia (2004) defines publishing in a broad sense as â€Å"making something publicly known† then continues by describing its history, the emergence of publishing firms, new technologies, and mergers and acquisitions. Proctor (2000), in advising that industry life cycle is a key factor in business strategy planning, identifies and describes in detail the three stages that comprise an industry’s life cycle – growth, maturity, and decline – as well as the characteristics of industries at each stage. Pitt (2000) explores the philosophical meaning of and various definitions for technology. Daft (1998, citing Rosseau 1979 and Perrow 1967) d efines technology as â€Å"the tools, techniques, and actions used to transform inputs into outputs†. Daft (1998) likens the life cycle of an organisation to that of a person (i.e. birth, growth, and death), citing the following as stages through which an organisation passes during its development: entrepreneurial stage, collectivity stage, formalisation stage, and elaboration stage. Smith and colleagues (1991) provide a conceptual framework and a comprehensive methodology for developing and implementing business strategies. Research Approach The selected approach involves using secondary research to support the stated thesis. The interrelationships among industry and organisational life cycle, technology, and business strategy theories will be explored then related to the history of the publishing industry to explain the reasons that the industry is at a stage where it is susceptible to fundamental change. Finally, based on the established theoretical foundation and the publishing industry’s susceptibility to change, data collected about Google Inc.’s history, mission, business model, financial status, competitors, challenges, technologies, and plans for the future will be used to show that the company is in a unique position to take advantage of the publishing industry’s susceptibility to change by fundamentally changing publishing technology thereby allowing Google to become the dominant player in the electronic publishing, or e-publishing, industry and a major force in the broader publishing indus try. Limitations and Key Assumptions This project will not involve the use of primary research as sufficient secondary data exists. The research will allude to the many business opportunities that Google is currently exploring to highlight the extent of the company’s expansion plans, but will concentrate on the company’s e-publishing initiatives. Only the theories identified in this proposal will be used to prove the thesis. No assumptions are being made. Contribution to Knowledge The contribution to knowledge resulting from this research will be to use industry and organisational life cycle, technology, and business strategy theories and their interrelationships to demonstrate how Google can leverage its position and new technologies to fundamentally change a major existing industry and to establish a leadership position in that industry. Proposed Chapters It is envisioned that the dissertation will consist of six chapters: (1) introduction, (2) survey of prior research, (3) research methodology, (4) research results, (5) analysis of results, and (6) summary and conclusions. References Carvajal, Doreen (2005) ‘German publishers, Google challenge’, International Herald Tribune, June 6, 2005. (The) Columbia Encyclopedia (2004) Book publishing. Daft, Richard L. (1998) Organization Theory and Design, Cincinnati, Ohio: South-Western College Publishing. Degtyareva, Victoria (2005) ‘New Google digital library hits copyright roadblocks’, University Wire, September 21, 2005. Deutschman, Alan (2005) ‘Can Google stay Google’, Fast Company, August 1, 2005. Dodson, Angela P. (2005) ‘A whole new meaning for the verb to Google Between the lines: The inside scoop on whats happening in the publishing industry’. Black Issues Book Review, March 1, 2005. Electronic Education Report (2003) ‘DK Publishing teams with Google to launch new e-encyclopedia’, August 29, 2003. Elgin, Ben and Hesseldahl, Arik (2005) ‘Google’s grand ambitions’, Business Week, September 5, 2005. Feather, John (1990) ‘The printed book’ and ‘Publishing before 1800’, Coyle, Martin et al., eds., Encyclopaedia of Literature and Criticism, London: Routledge. Ferguson, Charles H. (2005) What’s Next for Google, January 2005. Web Site: http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/05/01/issue/ferguson0105.0.asp, [Accessed: October 18, 2005]. Glover, Tony (2004) ‘Google IPO locks out foreign investors – or does it?’, Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News, May 9, 2004. Google (n.d.), Corporate Information: Company Overview, Web site: http://www.google.com/intl/en/corporate/index.html, [Accessed: October 19, 2005]. Jesdanun, Anick (2005) ‘Google project shakes up book publishing’, Wisconsin State Journal, September 22, 2005. Liedtke, Michael (2005) ‘Google halts scanning of copyrighted books’, Associated Press, August 13, 2005. Liedtke, Michael (2005) ‘Publishers protest Google Library project’, Associated Press, May 24, 2005. M2 Presswire (2004) ‘Google checks out library books; The Libraries of Harvard, Stanford, the University of Michigan, the University of Oxford, and The New York Public Library join with Google to digitally scan library books and make them searchable online’, December 14, 2004. Millgate, Jane (1987) Scott’s Last Edition: A Study in Publishing History, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Notess, Greg (2005) ‘Scholarly Web searching: Google Scholar and Scirus’. Online, July 1, 2005. Peek, Robin (2004) ‘Googling DSpace’, Information Today, June 1, 2004. Perrow, Charles (1967) ‘A framework for the comparative analysis of organizations’, American Sociological Review 32. Cited in Daft (1998). Pike, George H. (2005) ‘All Google, all the time’, Information Today, February 1, 2005. Piper, Paul S. (2004) ‘Google spawn: The culture surrounding Google’, Searcher, June 1, 2004. Pitt, Joseph C. (2000) Thinking about Technology: Foundations of the Philosophy of Technology, New York: Seven Bridges Press. PR Newswire (2005) ‘Google Library project raises serious questions for publishers and authors, August 12, 2005. Proctor, Tony (2000) Strategic Marketing: An Introduction, London: Routledge. Rousseau, Denise M. (1979) ‘Assessment of technology in organizations: Closed versus open systems approaches’, Academy of Management Review 4. Cited in Daft (1998). Smith, Garry D. et al. (1991) Business Strategy and Policy, Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin Company. Wikipedia (n.d.) Google, Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google, [Accessed: October 18, 2005].

Arab League Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Arab League.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Arab League is a regional organization that was founded on March 22, 1945. The league’s function is to promote political cooperation among it’s member states, and to deal with disputes or any breaches of peace in the region. The league’s official name is the League of Arab States. The founding members of the league are: Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, and Yemen. Membership in the League was later extended to Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Somalia, Southern Yemen, Sudan, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates. The headquarters of the League is located in Cairo, and it is run by a secretary general which is appointed by the league members.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The work of any international organization which attempts to promote peace, and political cooperation is usually confronted by several failures. However, in the case of the Arab League it has been evident that it is unable to sustain the peace within the region or aid in any political cooperation between the member states. The Gulf War could be said to be a test to the power of the Arab League and it’s presumed cooperation and handling problems strategies. The war started off by the invasion of Kuwait by it’s neighbor Iraq, both are member states in the A...

Discuss The Relationship Between Media And Information Technology Essay

Discuss the relationship between ‘Media’ and ‘Information Technology’ The term ‘Media’ could today be defined as a collective term for television, radio, cinema and the press. The media are nowadays often discussed as a single entity, because of their combined importance as providers of entertainment and information, their presumed power to mould public opinion and set standards and the growth of cross-ownership among the various sectors. The word was however, originally derived from (i.e. is the plural of) the word ‘medium’, which suggested a medium for the transfer of information. Media are channels through which information is transmitted or through which communication takes place. In a similar way, ‘Information Technology’ could be described as a term commonly used to cover the range of technologies relevant to the transfer of information, in particular to computers, digital electronics and telecommunications. So, in relation the brief descriptions outlined above, it’s possible to say that there is already a certain connection between the two terms in that they are both involved in the transfer of information to some extent. However, this is a very broad description and so, for the purpose of this discussion, specified aspects of Media and Information Technology will be examined in order to discover any less tenuous relationships and any pros and cons discussed. The past 18 months has seen an explosion of innovation relating the internet to the more traditional media. Technology such as the E-Book, Internet Television, Internet Radio coupled with the fact that so many printed magazines, newspapers and journals now also have a presence on-line has shown that the trend seems to be for convergence. Media and Information Technology have entered an era where technological changes are removing many of the distinctions between telecommunications, broadcasting and IT. Consumers can watch television programmes on their computers, send emails from their television sets and access the internet from their mobile phones. E-books for example, have received a lot of press coverage of late and when Stephen King successfully published and sold two of his new stories on the internet, the publishing world began to take notice. King’s Riding the Bullet, which sold more than 400,000 copies in the first day1 showed the potential for books to be released in a digitised f... ...monthly. This is evidence of the trend that media companies are utilising Information Technology to reach a wider audience. Finally then, it must be said that this trend for convergence – bringing Media and Information Technology together – is one that seems to be here to stay, at least for the immediate future. Soon, it might be possible to access all forms of media from one appliance or all forms of media may in fact become one – reached from a number of appliances. Just like the success of the internet, it’s hard to predict what might happen. References 1. Stone, Andrew. Great E-xpectations, The Times, 2nd October 2000 2. Ibid 3. Breitzer, Frith. Judging E-books by their covers. Macworld.com, July 2000 4. O’Leary, Mick. Bartleby.com Reworks free E-book Model, Information Today, October 2000 5. Keegan, Victor. Online: Second Sight, The Guardian, 3rd August 2000 6. Wakefield, Jane. King of Interactive TV? It’s Britain. ZDNet(UK), October 2000 7. Trefgarne, George. TV and Internet will converge, The Daily Telegraph, 26th August 2000 8. Grimes, Christopher and Hargreaves, Deborah. AOL and TW face set-top box demands, Financial Times, 11th September 2000 Word Count: 2256

The Securities And Exchange Commission :: essays research papers

The Securities and Exchange Commission In 1934 the Securities Exchange Act created the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) in response to the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression of the 1930s. It was created to protect U.S. investors against malpractice in securities and financial markets. The purpose of the SEC was and still is to carry out the mandates of the Securities Act of 1933: To protect investors and maintain the integrity of the securities market by amending the current laws, creating new laws and seeing to it that those laws are enforced. During the 1920s, approximately 20 million Americans took advantage of post-war prosperity by purchasing shares of stock in various securities exchanges. When the stock market crashed in 1929, the fortunes of many investors were lost. In addition, banks lost great sums of money in the Crash because they had invested heavily in the markets. When people feared their banks might not be able to pay back the money that depositors had in their accounts, a â€Å"run† on the banking system caused many bank failures. After the crash, public confidence in the market and the economy fell sharply. In response, Congress held hearings to identify the problems and look for solutions; the answer was found in the new SEC. The Commission was established in 1934 to enforce new securities laws that were passed with the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The two new laws stated that â€Å"Companies publicly offering securities must tell the public the truth about thei r businesses, the securities they are selling and the risks involved in the investing.† Secondly, â€Å"People who sell and trade securities must treat investors fairly and honestly, putting investors’ interests first.†2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Franklin Delano Roosevelt defeated Herbert Hoover in a landslide in the 1932 election and began to work on his â€Å"New Deal†. In the New Deal four key regulatory bodies were established: The National Labor Relations Board, Civil Aeronautics Authority, Federal Communications Commission, and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Wall Street was not enamored with the coming regulation, but Congress was confident that the Street was seen as an easy target for the Crash and the Depression that followed. In response, the SEC was created by Congress on June 6, 1934 for the purpose of protecting the public and the individual investors against malpractice in the financial markets. Commenting on the creation of the SEC, Texas Congressman and future Speaker Sam Rayburn admitted3 â€Å"he didn’t know whether the legislation passed so readily because it was so good or so incomprehensible.

‘Pride and Prejudice’, ‘Tea in the Wendy House’, and ‘He said’ Essay

Pride and Prejudice is a novel of love and marriage and how people have prejudices about love. Pride is involved as it blurs the seeing of true love. Jane Austen displays this as she was part of society and she had first-hand experience of this. In Tea in the Wendy House and He Said, there is an visible change in the role of society and attitudes to love and marriage. This is because of the different times each novel was written. Jane Austen does not make the subject of marriage favourable, as she never writes about a completely happy marriage. For example Mr and Mrs Bennet’s relationship, this is not an example of a good marriage as Mr Bennet is always taunting Mrs Bennet. ‘Or you may send them by themselves, will be better, for you are as handsome of any of them’. Here Mr Bennet is ridiculing Mrs Bennet by saying she should go and visit Mr Darcy as she may end up marrying him, as she is just as beautiful. This was one of Austen’s intentions to show that the society she lived in was superficial. Another example of a bad marriage is of Charlotte Lucas and Mr Collins. Charlotte is only marrying Mr Collins, as it is her last resort because she is seen as a spinster at the age of 27. Usually girls are married off at young ages, as it is their only ambition. This is shown in Pride and Prejudice, but in Tea in the Wendy House, even though Lyn has an opportunity of marriage she is not hap py. She feels pressured into marrying Graham and doesn’t have the chance to vent her true feelings properly. She feels she is also trapping Graham into marrying her and becoming a father. ‘I didn’t say anything, because Graham was so enthusiastic’. She is worried about other people’s feelings and hers but does not get the chance to show them. Whereas in He Said there is no chance of Bev getting married to Errol, as he is too irresponsible. This is an example of the way society has changed drastically. In Pride and Prejudice it was expected for girls to get married straight away and the most important thing in their life. In Tea in the Wendy House there was some expectation but not as much. In He Said society has changed so much that Errol does not think he needs to propose to Bev, even though she is pregnant. This also shows the attitudes to sex before marriage. As Austen shows more bad marriages than good, there were a few happy marriages, as they contain an equality of character traits between the couple. Elizabeth was too prejudiced to realise her true feelings and Mr Darcy was too proud. Even though she does finally realise Darcy’s good qualities. ‘She began to comprehend that he was exactly the man, in disposition and talents, would suit her’. This is the opposite in He Said, as Bev finally realises that she is stronger than Errol, and how she can cope without him. ‘ I don’t care if I never see him again’. In Jane Austen’s novels the valuable marriage is usually because of chance. If Elizabeth did not read Darcy’s letter and witness the elopement of Lydia and Wickham, she would have realised how much she values him. This is the opposite in Tea and the Wendy House as Graham and Lyn had known each other since their teens and so had got to know each other better. ‘I was fourteen and Graham was fifteen’. As Errol and Bev’s relationship in He Said is just based on sex and so there was no previous acknowledgement of character traits. Intervention played its part in the prevention of Darcy and Elizabeth getting married. Elizabeth’s prejudices intervene and prevent the marriage at first. This does not happen to the main character of Tea in the Wendy House but there is some intervention from Lyn’s parents. In Pride and Prejudice Elizabeth’s mum is always pushing her to get the best man she can. She is very bossy and likes to get what she wants. In Tea and the Wendy House it is also Lyn’s mother that has an intervening nature as she is making the wedding dress. ‘She was busy, giving final touches to the dress’. There is a difference in He Said, as her parents do not intervene. Although her father does not want to get involved with her situation, he feels no way in abandoning her when she needs them most. As her father is a minister of a church, he has strict religious beliefs but as he does not want to help he comes across as a bully. ‘If that harlot crosses my doorstep, I will strike her down. Then he had gone to church’. This contradicts his religious views. Status is another problem in the prevention of the marriage of Darcy and Elizabeth. ‘Elizabeth’s astonishment was beyond expression. She stared coloured doubted and was silent. This he considered enough encouragement’. Darcy thought that Elizabeth would have said yes when he first proposed, as she may never get a better offer as that one as he is much higher in status than she was. Darcy has a lot more money than the Bennet’s. In this time it was seen as better if you could marry a man with a large house and very good income. This was so he could provide for his wife when she had children but also to show-off to others. In He Said money is still important to Bev as she is by herself without a husband, so she has to fend for herself. She is struggling and in a poor job. She has not got the financial support from her parents like Lyn in Tea in the Wendy House. Bev’s prospects are limited because of lack of money and there is a slight suggestion that th is will not change much. There is a similarity between pride and prejudice and Tea in the Wendy House. This is because Lyn and Elizabeth both have some financial support from their parents, although it was not the most important thing in Tea in the Wendy House. Lyn’s mother puts it across as a bonus to the marriage, but having a good job is quite important. ‘ And he’s got a job, and course there’s the house. You really struck gold there’. Mr Collins also demonstrates the status prevention, as he expects her to say yes but it comes across as quite pompous. ‘ I am to inherit this estate after the death of your father’. He is openly stating that he will own Elizabeth’s house, as if it was nothing. In the actual proposal of Mr Collins to Elizabeth it was quite formal as he asked permission, which was expected in those times. This differs in the proposal of Graham to Lyn. He seemed embarrassed, it was not very formal but still had the decency to propose. ‘I told you it was corny, but will you, will you marry me?’ There is n o proposal in He Said. Errol obviously does not believe he needs to propose; not formal or gentleman-like. Judgement plays quite a big part of pride and prejudice, as it was a very judgmental society. People are always being judged. Elizabeth prides herself on good understanding of what people are like generally. ‘ The extravagance and general profligacy which he scripted exceedingly shocked her’. This shows how she was wrong about Mr Wickham and Darcy made her realise this in the letter he wrote to her after he proposed. Good judgement is being to see past deception, pride arrogance and hypocrisy. ‘She tried to recollect some instance of goodness, some distinguished trait of integrity’. This shows Elizabeth frantically trying to have some recollection that Mr Wickham was not deceptive and devious. Like Mr Darcy explained in the letter. This is a bad judgement that Elizabeth has made, just like the bad judgement of Errol by Bev. She thought he was going to stand by her throughout the pregnancy, but he does not. ‘I don’t want anything to come between us†¦now he would not speak to her’. This shows how shallow and unreliable Errol is. Although she knows Errol is not going to face up to his consequences, it does not stop her from fantasizing about the way she would like things to be between her and Errol. ‘Imagining Errol holding her tightly, perhaps his voice breaking with emotion’. Elizabeth’s first meeting with Mr Wickham compared to her first meeting with Mr Darcy it was not surprised she preferred Mr Wickham. This made her very shocked at the proposal from Mr Darcy. This pitfall almost brings Elizabeth to lose her future husband, although she does come to terms with her mistakes and corrects them. ‘How despicably I have acted, I who have prided myself on my discernment and gratified my vanity, pleased with the preference of one and offended by the neglect of another’. This reveals that Elizabeth has recognised her mistakes and how she has treated both men. Darcy has also overcome his arrogance and pride. Austen believes that a happy marriage is built on good judgement and so introduces a genuine perception. So they see each other for who they really are. Tea in the Wendy House, Lyn’s perception of Graham was not clear, she was not being clear about her feelings. The writer used the Wendy House as symbolism to show that however perfect something seems, it may not make you happy. Although at the end with the last Wendy House reference, you are left wondering if Lyn will ever be happy, but also there is no mention of Graham being with her, in this ideal world. ‘The bright blue walls seem to be closing in around her, the ceiling is coming nearer and nearer. She is a mummy. It doesn’t matter that she can’t get out’. It is making her conform to the stereotypes of typical women. Bev in He Said has made a journey of self-knowledge, from hating Errol for not standing by her to realising she can cope without him, and go along with the pregnancy by herself. From the pressures of society, the doctor telling her it would be best to get an abortion, her father throwing her out, living in a gritty flat and working in a dead end job. Bev has made a miraculous journey from where she was, to feeling confident of having the baby by herself. Elizabeth goes against her time by refusing two marriage proposals, and marrying for true love. In her society a sexual relationship before marriage was seen as unacceptable and shame would be brought onto the family. This is a contrast between our time and Jane Austen’s time. Lyn is pregnant before she is getting married, this is also the case in He Said apart from Bev is not getting married, and so has to cope on her own. This indicates the age and time Elizabeth lived in. Wickham was this type of person who would deceive women into thinking he loves them but then leaves them. This is what he did with Lydia Bennet. This was not the first he tried; he also tried with Darcy’s younger sister. He gambles and lives loosely and does not give a second thought to his sexual immoralities. Sex before marriage is seen as the main corrupt. Wickham’s character is similar to that of Errol. He does not give a second thought to the consequences of his action. ‘ With the faint smell of urine around her realising that probably some man had walked away from relieving himself without a backward thought about the results. Just like Errol’. Lydia’s relationship with Wickham has effected her reputation because of the elopement. Wickham’s love for Lydia is not true. This is the opposite with Lyn and Graham’s relationship. Graham is truly in love with Lyn, but it is Lyn that has the insecurities and does not feel true love. ‘ There is no one in the Wendy house except Lyn. Mandy isn’t there. Graham isn’t there’. This shows how maybe in the end she will be by herself without no one. In Elizabeth’s time courtship between two people would not have lasted quite long, so Wickham and Lydia were not truly in love, it was most probably infatuation. ‘His belief that Wickham never intended to go there or to marry Lydia at all’. Jane Austen was a person in this society and time, which believed marriage, was the most important thing for a young girl. This would lead to prejudices about how much money did the husband have and of what status was he. Jane Austen shows through pride and prejudice that she would not have married because it was convenient but because of love much like Elizabeth. Society has changed, as evident in He said. From wanting marriage as an ambition, to Errol not needing to propose, it does not mean the society has got any better. Society and other people’s thoughts all contribute to prevention of some marriages, even nowadays.

Unemployment in America

Harry Icaza POL 101 4/11/10 Professor Karras Unemployment in America Today in America unemployment is a very big issue that everyone speaks about. America has been digging itself into a modern recession ever since the collapse of banks and large institutions. All this led to bailing out banks and trying to fix the financial crisis that we got ourselves into. There are people who blame the Bush administration for the crisis that we were put into, but there are others who do not.Our new president, Barack Obama, is trying his best to put America back on track. Obama’s plan is to re-play the â€Å"New Deal†, in order to create jobs for people who are under unemployment. While the election was still taking place, president-elect Barack Obama saw that he was coming into office with a lot of work and hardships in the future. According to the Weekly Standard â€Å"No Country for Burly Men,† explains that this recession is being called a â€Å"man-cession† by many economists.Not only that, but men have lost a lot more jobs than women in 2009, as you will see on the chart. It is close to 80% of jobs that men have lost. Obama’s stimulus plan offered infrastructure of the country in which it would give jobs to many men who have lost their jobs. The stimulus package consisted of jobs such as building and fixing roads, schools, and transportation. This made women around America stand up for themselves and wanted a change. They believed it was not right for Obama just to target men for jobs, but they wanted him to target women as well.Women economists actually collected 600 signatures in order for the president-elect to provide new jobs in education, healthcare, etc. â€Å"At the same time, more than 1,000 feminist historians signed an open letter urging Obama not to favor a â€Å"heavily male-dominated field† like construction,† says Christina Hoff Sommers. Women tended to blame Obama a lot in this article due to the sole fact that he was only targeting men for jobs in his new stimulus plan.They spoke out for themselves and they got what they wanted. They convinced Obama too also help women get back in the workplace in order to help the economy. As you can see now the economy is running fairly well from when it use to be back in 2008. In â€Å"Mandating Unemployment†, the presidential candidate John Kerry issued that he wanted to increase the minimum wage to $7, and a lot of people went in utter shock. Many believed that if the minimum wage is raised to $7 that it would hurt all small businesses.Kerry made it very clear that every time the minimum wage was raised that it did not hurt anyone. Kerry wants more Americans that are poorer for the economy to flow better. â€Å"Small employers and labor intensive-businesses, notes the National Restaurant Association, â€Å"are the most impacted by mandated entry-level wage increases†¦,† says The New American. Kerry believes that the increase in the wage would help a lot of women in the workplace. Minimum wage is never a bad thing, explains the New American.It keeps bread on the table for the average family just to survive for the week or a couple of days. Many Americans put blame on Kerry due to the fact that if he wants to raise the minimum wage to $7, why can’t he raise to $15 or $50 an hour. People can live a little better if were to be raised a little higher. Personally, I would believe the frame of the stimulus package helping the women get jobs in education and healthcare. It sounds legit that women fought for Obama to help them out in this difficult time.