The Beard Makes the Man :: Ancient Greece Greek Essays

The Beard Makes the Man For the ancient Athenians, the beard was a common sign of manhood. The coming of a beard signaled a male’s transition from boyhood into manhood. Men who lost their beards did not suffer loss of political rights or loss of privileges, but they were mocked and shamed. The beard, not height or body shape, interestingly, was considered the initial marker of manhood in the plays of Aristophanes. A beard is an easily recognizable and observable, and the lack or presence of a beard is easily changed for the stage by covering the actor’s beard with a mask or giving him a fake beard. The beard was clearly a particularly meaningful secondary characteristic for the Greeks. For the ancient Greeks, the beard was incredibly closely tied to the idea of manhood. In some cases, the word for beard could even be interchanged with the word for man. Men grow hair on their faces, women do not, but a man’s facial hair is easily removed by shaving. For this culture, the removal of the beard was a removal of a crucial element of manhood. Without a beard, a man was woman-like, despite any other characteristics that might distinguish him as a man. To become like a woman, a man merely had to remove his beard, but to become like a man, a woman had to disguise herself in many more ways. The beard, as a cultural way to distinguish men, is based on the biological phenomenon that males begin to grow hair on their faces during puberty. Despite seemingly being an easy way to separate men from women and children, the presence of a beard is not an all or none situation. A pubescent male will not go to bed bare-cheeked and wake up the next morning with a full beard. Puberty is a gradual process occurring over many years, and some men may never grow a completely full beard, even in maturity. As today, some women of ancient Athens must have themselves been quite hairy around the hair line, jaw, and upper lip. The beard is not as clear a man/boy or man/woman differentiation as it may initially seem. The beard is not a completely clear physical or biological trait, but it was clearly a significant characteristic for the ancient Athenians. In Aristophanes’s play Women at the Thesmophoria, the kinsman of Euripides tries to pass for a woman by shaving his beard and singeing his pubic hair.

Analysis of Leroi Jones A Poem Some People Will Have To Understand Ess

Analysis of Leroi Jones' A Poem Some People Will Have To Understand  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is an implied threat in "A Poem Some People Will Have To Understand" by Leroi Jones. Ostensibly, there is no intimidation. The poem is confessional, even reflective; the theme is one of mutability and change. However, there is something frightening and ominous in Jones1 vision, which he creates through attention to word choice and structure. Jones' warning is immediately evident in the title through his manipulation of words. The phrase "have to" has two meanings. One the one hand, "have to" is an innocuous statement of the alliance Jones expects to find among his Afro-American readers--these people will "have to" understand the poem because it speaks to their individual, personal lives. On the other hand, there is a more sinister connotation in "have to"--the idea that others will "have to" understand this poem because they will be forced to do so. Beyond the title, Jones creates a forbidding speaker--a man at a crossroads, or rather, at a moment of decision. However, the structure of the first stanza is direct and conservative, almost prosaic. Jones gives us nothing that is revolutionary here. Instead, he lays the groundwork for this piece with the gloomy initial images of "(d)ull unwashed windows of eyes"(1). These eyes are no doubt those of the speaker, and they have been dulled and dirtied by his existence as a black man in the post-segregation 1960s. The "industry" he mentions in lines 2 and 3 is both the industry of the American machine that exploits the underprivileged, and the industry he "practice(s)." The speaker is a self-professed "slick / colored boy, 12 miles from his / home" who practices "no industry" (35). By "... ...The promised "phenomenon" has not come, and it is now up to him to bring it about through violence. Jones does not allow the speaker to lose any of his charm as he politely invites his "machinegunners"--the tools of his new industry--to "please step forward" (26). He is a hustler to the end, a smooth-talker who is now at home in his new ego and his new profession. Jones employs the dynamics of change to his speaker throughout the poem. From an aimless vagrant to a passionate revolutionary, Jones plots his speaker's course using specific words and structural techniques. Through these elements, we witness the evolution of a new black man--one who is not content with the passivity of his earlier spiritual leaders. We are left with a threat--a steel fist in a velvet glove of poetry--and it becomes a poem that we "have to" understand, whether we want to or not.   

Smooth Talk

â€Å"Smooth Talk† is a film adapted from the short story â€Å"Where are you going? Where have you been?† by the author Joyce Carol Oates. The short story was first published on 1966 while the film was released on 1985. The protagonist â€Å"Connie† in the short story was a fifteen year old young lady who has two sides of herself; one side if for her home and the other is for outside her home or anywhere else aside from home. Connie’s sister named June is the opposite of her. While June is being praised by her mother which is also different from Connie, Connie on the other hand was a young girl who enjoys the company of her girl friends. Together with her girl friends, they enjoy watching movie or have a walk to shopping plaza. In the short story written by Joyce Carol Oates, Connie’s character was described as a young girl who is concern with the way she looks. Her character was centered in her physical appearances and gestures and not so much of her attitude and feelings. It was evident in the short story when Joyce Oates describes Connie’s â€Å"quick, nervous giggling habit of craning her neck to glance into mirrors or checking other people’s faces to make sure her own was all right† (Joyce Carol Oates. 1966). The vulnerability of Connie’s character was very present in the story when Arnold Friend’s enters the picture and forces her to come with her. Arnold Friend is described as a â€Å"suspicious stranger† whom she saw once and suddenly knows almost everything about her and her family. Connie at a very young age was susceptible to Arnold Friend who wanted her to simply go out and have a ride with him. Her character in the short story define a weak young girl who faces a man she doesn’t even know and mocks her up until she get loose of everything on her mind. Joyce Oates was precise about Connie’s vulnerability when she describes how Connie helplessly tries to let go of Arnold Friend but vulnerably ends up with his arms. Indeed, the short story was in fact a manifestation of how powerless Connie was in terms of her handling Arnold Friend’s attitude towards her. Connie could have had done something but with her vulnerability as a young girl she gives up something of herself. On the other hand, â€Å"Smooth Talk† visually presented the short story to film. Connie’s character was evidently showed in the film as a young fifteen year old girl who flirts around with boys and loves to cruise the shopping malls with her friends. Connie’s character was expanded in the film, adding up some new things that were not mentioned in the short story. Nonetheless, Connie’s being vain and flirt was still evidently in the film. Her suspicious stranger was more powerful in the film seducing her with his smooth-talking way. In the film, Arnold Friend’s character involves sexual desire for Connie and his character was full of aggressiveness to seduce Connie. Connie on the other hand, is a young girl who is silly and flirtatious with other guys but come one Sunday morning when she was left alone at home and was confronted with the suspicious stranger, Connie’s vulnerability was evidently showed. Her character as a young girl who has two sides of herself was helplessly alone and afraid, trying to overcome Arnold Friend’s seduces. While she was trying to figure out what to do and how to let loose of the stranger, the smooth-talking man tries to seduce her and consistently tries to win her. Part of the film was entirely focused on the situation on which Connie was confronted by the stranger just like in the short story. Though there were some minimal  changes in the film that wasn’t mentioned in the short story, â€Å"Smooth Talk† by Tom Cole gave justice to Joyce Oates’s â€Å"Where are you? Where have you been?†. Connie’s character in the short story was more innocent than her character in the film. Although it was the same, her character in the film portrayed by Laura Dern was â€Å"lavishly and lovingly textured†. (Joyce Carol Oates. 2007) Basically, the mere fact that a short story is being read while the film was being watched evidently showed that Connie’s character of vulnerability was formulated both in the short story and in the film. It was clearly defined and translated in the sort story how Connie’s weak character gave her the risk of giving herself up for Arnold Friend. While in the film, both Connie and Arnold’s characters were emerged consistently as described in the short story. The vulnerability of Connie in the film is just somewhat the same in the short story. But Connie’s being naà ¯ve of the things that happens around her was clearly specified in the short story. Nevertheless, â€Å"Smooth Talk† and â€Å"Where are you? Where are you going?† is both a masterpiece in there own rights and abilities. The two is not only about the reality of a teenager growing up in a harsh world outside her home but also it imparted to us the idea of some issues that runs inside a family or inside home that most of us take for granted. The adaptation was visually presented well from the short story and just the same, both gave the justice on its own. Connie’s character provides us the imagination of how innocent and free spirited she was as a young girl that in the end lose herself to a man she doesn’t even know but who knows her very well. There lies the mystery or the story by Joyce Carol Oates. Works Cited Oates, Joyce Carol. â€Å"Where are you going? Where have you been?.† Celestial Timepiece A Joyce Carol Oates Home Page. Joyce Carol Oates. 12 July 2007. University of san Francisco. 24 July 2007. http://jco.usfca.edu/works/wgoing/text.html. Brussat, Frederic and Mary Ann. â€Å"Film Review.† Spirituality and Practices Resource for Spiritual Journals. Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat. 2007. 24 July 2007. www.spiritualityandpractice.com.   

Glen Mount Furniture Company Essay

Discussion Questions 1. Such analysis allows the firm to determine at what level of operations it will break even and to explore the relationship between volume, costs, and profits. 2. A utility is in a stable, predictable industry and therefore can afford to use more financial leverage than an automobile company, which is generally subject to the influences of the business cycle. An automobile manufacturer may not be able to service a large amount of debt when there is a downturn in the economy. 3. A labour-intensive company will have low fixed costs and a correspondingly low break-even point. However, the impact of operating leverage on the firm is small and there will be little magnification of profits as volume increases. A capital-intensive firm, on the other hand, will have a higher break-even point and enjoy the positive influences of operating leverage as volume increases. 4. For break-even analysis based on accounting flows, amortization is considered part of fixed costs. For cash flow purposes, it is eliminated from fixed costs. The accounting flows perspective is longer-term in nature because we must consider the problems of equipment replacement. 5. Both operating and financial leverage imply that the firm will employ a heavy component of fixed cost resources. This is inherently risky because the obligation to make payments remains regardless of the condition of the company or the economy. 6. Debt can only be used up to a point. Beyond that, financial leverage tends to increase the overall costs of financing to the firm as well as  encourage creditors to place restrictions on the firm. The limitations of using financial leverage tend to be greatest in industries that are highly cyclical in nature. 7. The higher the interest rate on new debt, the less attractive financial leverage is to the firm. 8. Operating leverage primarily affects the operating income of the firm. At this point, financial leverage takes over and determines the overall impact on earnings per share. A delineation of the combined effect of operating and financial leverage is presented in Table 5-6 and Figure 5-5. 9. At progressively higher levels of operation than the break-even point, the percentage change in operating income as a result of a percentage change in unit volume diminishes. The reason is primarily mathematical — as we move to increasingly higher levels of operating income, the percentage change from the higher base is likely to be less. 10. The starting level of sales is significant because we measure what can happen at that point. Note that in formula 5-3, we must specify the quantity or beginning point at which degree of operating leverage is being computed. 11. Financial leverage, or the use of debt, not only determines how much interest we must pay but also the number of shares of common stock that we must issue to support the nondebt portion of our capital structure. Only by examining â€Å"earnings per share† can we pick up the effect of outstanding shares on the operation of the firm. 12. The indifference point only measures indifference based on earnings per share. Since our ultimate goal is market value maximization, we must also be concerned with how these earnings are valued. Two plans that have the same earnings per share may call for different price-earnings ratios, particularly when there is a differential risk component involved because of debt. 13. Television broadcasters commit to production schedules, program purchases, etc., in the spring, create the fall/winter program schedule, and then send the salespeople out to sell advertising air time for the coming season. Thus, the costs are virtually 100% locked in before any revenues are generated. A minor fluctuation in advertising revenue, therefore, has a major effect on operating earnings. 14. Students may come up with many points worth discussing. Emphasis should be directed to the tremendous debt load that required servicing. Consumer demand slowed down affecting cash flows, and increased interest rates at the end of an economic cycle had the same effect. Coupled with the excessive prices paid (particularly for Federated Stores) this caused problems. There was only a small margin for error. Discussion may also include Robert Campeau’s ego, failure to follow advice, and failure to achieve asset sales at projected prices. Campeau’s gamble was risky but it was close.

College and Herb Block Foundation

Of all your courses, activities, internships, and work experience, which one did you ? nd most rewarding or personally satisfying? Explain why. The most rewarding work experience that I have had was to work as a volunteer for the International office at Northern Virginia Community College. Personally, I considered volunteering responsible work because it requires time effort and commitment. Working as a volunteer with the International Office was meaningful to me because I was able to assist so many students in achieving their dream of obtaining an American college education.I was able to help the International Students and to give them a better understanding of the resources that NOVA offers to international students. Furthermore, my responsibility was to arrange student get-togethers and in so doing build a sense of community and cohesion. My purpose for volunteering was to assist international students, many of whom are away from home with very little support at a very young age, with making a smooth transition in to a new coulter. This is particularly important to me because I am a dual citizen of America and Pakistan and understand the difficulty of assimilating into a new culture.FUTURE GOALS Based on your current achievements and interests, describe the kind of work that you plan to be doing in 10 years, both in your career and in your community. My goal is to get my Masters in Information System and Operation Management (ISOM). I chose this major because I have strong curiosity to learn about Information System Technology. However, I am also interested in business. I am excited about my major because ISOM, which is a mixture of IT and business, will prepare me to be successful in the future.Furthermore, in 10 years, I hope to be working with Multi Complex Corporations well established in a successful career, after earning Masters in (ISOM) Information System and Operational Management. I am very confident that in next 10 years, I will be in a position t hat will to utilize my talents and use my skills to solve important problems facing our world today. I see myself inviting new and exciting challenges in ISOM field. Also, I believe that throughout my study I will be able to help my community by providing them information about IT skills and about its advantages which would encourage young people to learn more about it.How has a family member, mentor, or personal experience been in? uential in your life? My personal experience and family background have a strong influence on me and on my education. I am motivated to graduate college because neither of my parents graduated from college. I am only the second person in my family to attend college and hopping to achieve my goal of obtaining my Associates of Science in Information Technology and then attending a four years institution. Moreover, the hard work of my parents has always inspires me.In addition, I am very thankful to them for supporting me in my efforts in of obtaining an ed ucation. Form my cultural background perspective, very often girls are not allowed to get an education but I really appreciate my family for providing me the opportunity to get a good education so I can have a brighter future. In 2012, I graduated with 3. 8 GPA form T. C Willims’s high school and last semester at NOVA I finished with a 3. 4 GPA. I am very passionate about my studies.However, my financial situation has proven to be an obstacle in my pursuit of academic success. My financial situation does not allow me to focus solely on my academics; this is why I am applying for the Herb Block Foundation Scholarships. I hope through this scholarship, I will be able to finish my community college career without finances being a barrier to my success. With the help of the Herb Block Foundation I will forge a brighter future my family my community and myself and ultimately the world at large.

Service Industry vs Manufacturing Industry in the UK

The market in which organisations find themselves is continually changing. On the other hand, trade and investments are growing rapidly and overtaking the world output and there is increasing integration of the world economy. Multilateralism is constantly threatening and regionalism is stronger in Europe, Asia and America than ever before. This continuous structural change in world economies indicates the variations in the relative size of each sector which can be seen in terms of changes in output, employment and productivity. ECONOMY STRUCTURESEconomies can be divided into three categories: Primary, Secondary and Tertiary. The primary economy includes all activities related to the extraction of natural resources e. g. mining, farming etc. The secondary economy includes activities related to the production of goods and processing of materials which have manufacturing as its major component. It also includes the construction sector and utilities sector. The tertiary sector includes b oth the private and public services such financial industry, health, defence and other services related sectors. http://tutor2u. net/business/gcse/external_environment_economic_sectors. tm accessed on 31st November 2009. MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY IN BRITAIN Industry is defined as a group of firms producing similar products with boundary of an industry determined by a gap in the chain of substitutes. All sectors of the economy can be referred to as an industry but emphasis lay with the secondary sector which is widely regarded as the manufacturing sector. Roger Cox (2009) Concerns have been raised over the competitiveness and continued decline of Britain’s manufacturing base. This de-industrialisation has continually raised questions whether it can seriously damage the country’s wealth.The concerns about manufacturing have been reflected in trends in various statistical indicators especially the shift away from manufacturing towards services, the productivity gap between B ritain and its major international competitors. Malcolm Sawyer (2009) clearly stated that the value of manufacturing output in Britain has continued to rise slowly in the last half century, but the share of manufacturing in the total output is what has declined not the absolute amount. DE-INDUSTRIALISATION IN BRITAIN The trade balance in manufactured goods moved into deficit in 1983 for the first time since the Industrial revolution of the early 90’s.This could be attributed to the gradual movement of the economy from manufacturing to more service-oriented economies. This experience is not unique to Britain alone, over the period 1970 to 1990, the share of manufacturing in the national output declined in all major industrial nations while that of services increased. By 1990, the share of manufacturing in the GDP among major economies had declined with Britain coming sixth behind Japan, Germany, USA, and France. Mark C. & Corri F. (1998) De-industrialisation can be viewed in a number of ways: ?The decline in employment, in both absolute and relative terms. The decline in the share of national output contributed by the sector. ?The decline in the country’s share of world manufacturing output or exports. ?The failure due to poor export performance or increased import penetration to generate sufficient export to finance a full employment level of imports. Office for National Statistics ONS figures for the last quarter of 2008 shows a decline of 10. 4% lower than the figures from the previous year with output decreasing in 12 out of 13 sub-sectors. Significant decreases were recorded in the metal industries, transport industries and in machinery and equipments industries 11. 4%, 10. % and 9. 8% respectively. http://www. fundstrategy. co. uk/news/british-manufacturing-slumps/182454. article accessed 25th of November 2009. In Britain, the fall in the demand for labour is associated with a reduction in output until 1987 and probably a rise in the wage le vel relative to the price of other factors. The decline in manufacturing employment means that its share of total employment has also declined over that period of time with employment in the service industry sector growing at a faster rate. A growth rate of over 7% was recorded in the 1980’s in the service sector with manufacturing falling by over 20%.Shares of world trade in manufactures and deindustrialisation. (%) 195019601970197919901991 France9. 99. 68. 710. 59. 710 Germany7. 319. 319. 820. 920. 220 Japan3. 46. 911. 713. 715. 917 UK25. 516. 510. 89. 18. 69 USA27. 321. 618. 616. 016. 018 Office for National Statistics (1991), Monthly review of External Trade statistics. London Manufacturing’s problems began with the misguided notion that Britain should become a â€Å"post-industrial† economy: that we would focus on services and the creation of ideas, with other nations taking on the less attractive task of making the finished product.The results speak for th emselves. Manufacturing now generates just 13% of GDP, compared with 32% in 1970. John Rose, http://web. ebscohost. com/ehost/detail? vid=3&hid=11&[email  protected]&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bth&AN=35824528 accessed on 22 November 2009. In the period 1980 to 2000, the manufacturing base in Britain was on a steady decline. Government argued that the reducing contribution made by the manufacturing towards GDP will be made up for by the service industry but further researches shows that the assumption was misjudged.Figures show deficits on goods moving from +? 1. 3 billion to -? 30. 4 billion creating a ? 31. 7 billion deficit not covered by the service industry. This Industrial decline was accelerated by increased competition from cheaper imports and the outsourcing to low cost economies which saw a free fall in different high profile companies closing down, downsizing or relocating to low cost economies. http://web. ebscohost. com/ehost/detail? vid=3&hid=11&[email  p rotected]&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bth&AN=35457939 accessed on 26th November 2009.John S & Mark S (2004) clearly states that the deindustrialisation in Britain has not being affecting the whole of the manufacturing sector, certain sectors mainly instruments and electrical engineering industries has witnessed a tremendous rise in production and they are among the fastest growing in the economy but industries like the metal industries have witnessed a substantial decline in their productivity. EMPLOYMENT FIGURES WITHIN THE INDUSTRIES This sector underwent a significant growth in the early 80’s in the EU during the post industrial phase of economic development.The doubts about manufacturing sector have been shown in various indicators with the shift to more service-oriented sector taking prominence. It has been argued that the decline in Britain’s manufacturing sector should not be a cause for concern but rather the offset of expansion of other sectors of the economy especially the Service industry. The service sector witnessed a rapid increase in employment with the financial sector gaining rapidly on the manufacturing sector. In 1971, the workforce in the manufacturing industry has shrunk by around 4 million with the service industry recording a growth of around 3. million. By 1994, while about 46 million people where employed in the manufacturing sector, about 55 million and 28 million people where employed in the private and public services sector respectively representing about 64% of the total employment figure within the EU. Andrew Taylor of financial times reported that over a century beginning from the first production in 1907 to 2007, the manufacturing sector employment figures has fallen from 7 million to 3 million while women not account to 23% compared to the 25% at the onset.The mining sector used to account for about three-quarters of the employment with figures about 837,000 but now employs around 10,000 accounting for j ust around 1% of the employment figures. The aerospace industry, a section of the service industry which was non-existent at the beginning of the century now employs about 100,000. Mark C. & Corri F. (1998) http://web. ebscohost. com/ehost/pdf? vid=5&hid=9&[email  protected] accessed 1st December 2009.SERVICE SECTOR GROWTH IN BRITAIN In the post industrialisation era in EU, economies including the UK witness a boom in the service sector with significant growth in the financial services sector and the aerospace industries. Between 1979 and 1993, there was a rise from 7 to 13 percentages in service sector employment rate. In more recent surveys, the services industry across banking to airliners has shown growth rates in February that represent a five month high, as companies have raised their prices.This is a positive sign that suggests that the predicted slowdown as espoused by the Bank of England has yet to materialize. The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply revealed tha t index prices are up by 1. 5 percent since September 2007 whilst the report also indicated that the economy has maintained its current momentum. http://www. investmentmarkets. co. uk/20080305-1705. html accessed on 23rd of November, 2009. The measurement of service industry depends on the way it is defined, either value or volume wise. Outsourcing has been a major component in promoting service sector.Manufacturing companies outsources most of its functions like finances, design and other little services to focus on its core competencies and all this in turn increases activities within the service industry and the employment figures reducing its manufacturing counterpart in correspondence. The rise of services is due also to changing economies within the EU, limited competitiveness of traditional industrial production. Financial Times. (2009) AEROSPACE INDUSTRY IN BRITAIN The UK aerospace industry (UKAI) remains one of the most successful sectors of UK manufacturing.In 2003, the UK AI accounted for 0. 6 percent of UK gross value added (GVA) and four percent of value added by the UK’s manufacturing industry as a whole. The UKAI is also one of the UK’s major export sectors, generating a trade surplus of just over ? 2. 5 billion in 2003, compared with manufacturing overall, which had a trade deficit. The UKAI provides direct and indirect employment in the UK for around 255,000 people. Although productivity levels in the UKAI are generally higher than the UK average, they Remain disappointing when compared to the industry’s main international competitors.However, there are signs that UKAI productivity growth is beginning to outpace these competitors. There are also evidences to suggest that there will be a further challenge for The UKAI as competition from emerging economies is growing. The growth of the United Kingdom aerospace industry illustrates the changing trends in globalisation, industrialisation and service delivery. From a virtually non-existent sector around a century ago, the UKAI has grown so much in the last twenty years and captured about 10% of the world market in aerospace and accounted for just over 4% of UK anufactured output and directly contributed just over ? 5. 5 billion to UK gross value added (GVA)1 in 2002. In 2003, the UKAI directly employed just fewer than 122,000 people, 0. 4% of total UK employment and 3% of total manufacturing employment. An additional 150,000 people have been estimated to be indirectly employed by the industry.UKAI productivity was ? 54,000 per head in 2001, 50% higher than the UK average and 35 percent higher than for manufacturing as a whole. http://www. publications. parliament. uk/pa/cm200405/cmselect/cmtrdind/151/151. df accessed 27th November 2009. ANALYSIS OF THE MANUFACTURING AND SERVICE SECTORS A steady growth rate has been recorded in the service industry while the contribution to the overall GDP from the manufacturing industry has witnessed a steady decline in t he last few decades. This has been well documented from various researches carried out but a serious questions still arises from the performance of the service sector and its long term sustainability and effect on the economy.David Liston asked â€Å"what will the services industry be servicing if there is no hardware? The first priority should be to stop treating manufacturing as a relic of the industrial revolution. High-value-added manufacturing brings huge benefits. It penetrates the economy of the entire country, not just London and the south-east. It pays well but avoids bewildering distortions of income. It drives and enables a broad range of skills and stimulates the growth of services. In short, it creates wealth. Curmen P et. al (1997) The UK manufacturing sector continues to decline and the subsequent loss of exports has not been replaced by revenue from the service sector as the government had originally thought.At the same time, the ownership of UK companies by foreign ers is increasing and UK companies are continuing to relocate some of their labour intensive operations to low cost economies. The cost of compensating employees who are made redundant when a company in the UK closes is one of the lowest in the European Union. So for multi-national companies with surplus capacity, the UK factories may be selected for closure. There is also a tendency for companies to consolidate research and development in their home country with the consequence that it is lost from the UK.This decline in manufacturing was triggered by some factors: ?Changes in manufacturing and materials technology and consumption patterns which affected a lot of steel, coal ship-building and power generation industries. ?Obsolete and redundant plants and inadequate investment and financial assistance to replace them. ?Diverse and intense competition from low wage nations and newly industrialised economies. ?Resistance to change at all levels of production from management to trade unions. Adverse effect of Government policies both fiscal and monetary on industries. Particularly in high interest rates and fluctuating exchange rates. With David Liston’s question in mind and the fact that service industry has not been able to replace manufacturing industries effectively producing a cushioning effect for the drop in its GDP contribution slump which is evident by the facts below: ?The interdependence on manufacturing industry as shown in the case of the aerospace, further reduction in manufacturing output will adversely affect services output also. Technical progress in manufacturing offers greater prospects of high-wage jobs able to raise standards compared to part-time low wage in the services industry. ?For each 1% decline in export of Britain’s manufacture, an excess of 2. 5% rise in export in required in services to complement the effect. Some policies which cut across all concerned parties from Government to private market solutions have been f ormulated to help halt the decline in manufacturing. Some of which include: ? Britain’s macroeconomic and industrial policy Improved management in the industrial sector ?A reform of Britain’s institutions ?Greater accumulation of both human and physical capital ?Improved innovation to accommodate mechanisation http://web. ebscohost. com/ehost/pdf? vid=5&hid=9&[email  protected] accessed on 1st of December 2009. CONCLUSION Divergent analysis from various stakeholders shows the variable effect of manufacturing and service delivery on the national income of Britain. A steady decline in manufacturing was evident and it coincided with the boom

South Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

South Africa - Essay Example It is important to note that 1948 was an election year whereby there were two major parties competing; i.e. the National Party and the United Party (Worger, 2004). The United Party on one hand had a soft stand on apartheid as it tended to lean towards integration of all communities and races, which was believed to be unavoidable. To the majority whites, this meant that all South Africans would therefore enjoy equal rights under the leadership of the party and therefore, there were fears among the whites that the non whites would increase competition in the job market especially if they were allowed to migrate to the urban centers, which would have also meant that the cost of labor in the industries would have gone up as the whites utilized cheap labor from the non whites. The National party on the other hand utilized this fear and came up with a pro-apartheid policy which it vowed to establish once it was elected into power and which saw its winning the elections and therefore produc ing the first prime minister under the apartheid regime (Thompson, 2001). The events that followed can only be termed as the worst historical injustices in the history of South Africa.