Black Swan, Cinema Paper

Sarah Risner Dr. Foley Cinema 19 November 2012 Black Swan â€Å"Black Swan† is a movie with a dark transformation of Nina the white swan metamorphosing herself into the black swan, with symbolism and psychosis playing well within the movie. Most of this movie plays into the world the ballerina, and exposes some of the hidden motives of this world. The other world this movie plays into is the world of someone with psychosis, and the mysteries that follow between both worlds. It seems the ballerina world feeds into the patient with psychosis and feeds the mental illness.After one watches this movie they will be horrified and troubled at the same time. The character of Nina will leave one trying to figure out the mysteries of Nina’s life. It actually leaves the audience with more questions than answers after watching the movie. The questions are what give the movie great success. The setting of â€Å"Black Swan† takes place in New York at a ballerina studio where Ni na and Lily are preparing for the production of Swan Lake. The plot of the movie is about Nina and her obsession with dance. Her mother is a former ballerina and is very controlling of her daughter.The dance director by the name of Thomas Leroy decides to replace the character Beth with Nina for the new season of Swan Lake. Nina is his choice, but he also has eyes for the character Lily. Nina feels competition between herself and Lily. Nina has an obsessive view between herself and Lily. This part is complicated because it means the character has to play both the white swan and the black swan. The white swan requires the ballerina to play a part of purity and elegance. The black swan part requires the ballerina to play a part of cunning and sexuality.Nina will go to the dark side of this character and it will drive her insane. Lily and Nina form a candid friendship which seems to be insane itself. The conflict of this movie is the inner struggle of Nina with her own personality wagi ng war against itself. The character change of this movie is with the main character of Nina. Nina starts out innocent and ends up exploring her dark side in order to turn herself into the character of the black swan. Some universal symbolism found in this movie is the use of the character Lily asNina’s doppelganger. The symbol is of course is the twin/double identity of Nina’s self. This embodies Nina’s good/evil sides of herself. Mirrors are used in the film to show Nina splitting into two different personalities. The cultural symbolism in this movie is seen in black and white symbolism. Black of course shows the dark side of Nina, and white the good side of Nina. It is shown with actual color within most of the movie though. The theme of this movie is the cost of fame, along with the dark sides of show business.It also shows complexities of trying to be perfect and how the stress of perfection can be one’s downfall. According to The Sticky Shoe Review by Logan Arney, says the Black Swan having a target audience is a bold statement. The reason for this being that the movie has attracted all kinds of people to watching it due to the Oscars and so forth. It has almost created its own target, or curious on-seekers just wondering what goes on in this film. The marketing of this film has many causes to it such as big names. The big acting names are Natalie Portman who stars in this film, director Darren Aronofsky.Aronofsky himself has directed big hits such as â€Å"The Wrestler†, â€Å"The Fountain†, â€Å"Requiem for a Dream†, and â€Å"Pi†. Natalie Portman has starred in big hits such as â€Å"V is for Vendetta†, and â€Å"The Other Boleyn Girl†. Adding to this list are the other two big actors being Vincent Cassel, and Wynonna Ryder and not to mention this film being the buzz at the Venice Film Festival of 2010. There is a lot of PR when this bag of names is mentioned (Mu). The script used in this film was written by Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, and John McLaughlin. The story was written by Andres Heinz (IMDb).According to Tom Long, giving his critical response about this film, he believes the movie works due to Portman’s great commitment to character which gives the movie its greatness. He also admits this movie is not necessarily for everyone, but for anyone looking for the horror and craziness in a ballerina movie (Long). The mise-en-scene in â€Å"Black Swan† shows up as black and white color. For one, the costume of the dancers shows as black and white. The dress in the reception is black, as are the walls of the ballet company. The editing of this movie was done by Andrew Weisblum (IMDb).What made the editing so great in this movie was how the emotions were transferred on film while adeptly telling the good story. The lighting in â€Å"Black Swan† is very dramatic with tones of greens and magentas showing up within different characters, and of course the black and whites within the film. The music in this film is like any suspense thriller movie in that one knows something is about to happen when a scary tune starts to play. The sound effects seem to mimic the actual swan cry in some parts of the movie. This in effect makes the film very symbolic of the actual animal of a swan.This movie has many camera angles that clearly explore this movies symbolism. One of the high-angle shots of this film is when the character of Nina when she is dancing on stage, and she is looked down on by the audience. A good close-up shot are when it shows Nina’s feet and it shows how much control she has in her movement. A significant wide-shot in the movie is when we are in Nina’s bedroom, and there is light hitting the bed. The medium-shot in the movie that probably catches most everyone’s eye is when Nina is passing her other self on the subway.This movie uses mostly the fixed-camera. In conclusion, this movie clearly g oes beyond any limit set forth on most film. It has used more symbolism than other movies which makes it quite interesting. It also has the uncanny terroristic theme of terror imposed within it. One feels as if the ballerina world has been exposed while showing to what extremes the female ballerina will go thru to stay skinny, and be perfect. The black and whites of the film show to what extremes in which the ballerina will show herself through. Works Cited Arney, Logan. â€Å"Black Swan. The Stickey Shoe Review (2010): 1. July 19, 2012 http://stickyshoereview. com/? p=107 â€Å"Black Swan,† IMDb (2010): 1. July 20, 2012 < http://www. imdb. com/title/tt0947798/> Long, Tom. â€Å"Review: Natalie Portman soars in ‘Black Swan'† The Detroit News Opinion (2010): 1. July 19, 2012 < http://www. detroitnews. com/article/20101210/OPINION03/12100326/1034/ent02/Review–Natalie-Portman-soars-in–Black-Swan-> Mu, Jennifer. â€Å"Love this Black Swan Film Marketi ng,† Luminosity Marketing (2010): 1. July 19, 2012 < http://luminositymarketing. com/blog/? p=2616>

Reflection paper On Buddhism Essay

Buddhists past and present have looked to the incidents in Buddha’s life for inspiration. Pick any three major episodes in the Buddha’s life and discuss what lessons they impart to a typical Buddhist householder. 1. His first time realizing leaving his house and seeing normal people in the outside world. I think that this incident in Buddha’s life taught typical Buddhist householder that they can’t ignore the outside world. He taught them that even though your life might be going great that as soon as you step outside your door there is still going to be pain and suffering and death all around. I think it’s a lesson to makes them realize that all the suffering and death a pain are normal things in life and that they need to get used to it and even become okay with the thought of these things being are a normal part of life. Personally I think that this is a very good way to think because it opens people’s eyes and since they are able to see these things they can make changes to them. If you do not know that there is pain outside your door there is no way of stopping this pain and suffering from happening but if you are completely aware of the pain and suffering you have the ability and chance to take the pain and suffering away with actions which in this religion will give you good karma and lead you eventually to enlightenment. 2. The five men who Siddhartha met up with on his quest and who laugh at him when he thought that there ways were too extreme. The Buddha left the five men because he did not want to starve himself to death and thought that it was too dangerous and that it did not produce enough results for what he was looking for. Buddha also realized that a mix of this extreme life of giving everything up and a mix of the luxurious life that he had before would be the perfect match to reach enlightenment. This part of Buddha’s life is my favorite. I feel like it teaches the householders that you need balance in your life and that moderation if a great trait to have in your life. It teaches the householders that they should not only live life for the pleasures in it like food, women, and riches. Also they should not live their life completely for the religious aspect and they should not renounce everything they own and give up all pleasures in life. I think that this is a great thing to teach people because if you have moderation in your  life you can do more things and enjoy/master more things in life. 3. The temptation from Mara and his hordes. The story of a god or deity that tempts the hero in the story is common in religions for examples Satan temps Jesus while he is in the desert for 40 days in the Christian religion. I think that this story is meant to teach the householders that there will always be temptations in life and that if you do not give in to these temptations you will prosper and good things will happen to you. In Buddha’s case after he rejected the temptations he reached enlightenment. Therefore the goal that typical Buddhist householders have is to resist all bad temptations and reach enlightenment.

How are women portrayed in The Millers Tale Essay

The Miller’s Tale was written and is set in medieval England, a time when women had much fewer rights than men, and were more or less just owned by their fathers, and then by their husbands when they got married. 17th century United States in The Crucible has a slightly different society but also has the similar male dominance. The Handmaid’s Tale is set in a dystopian future where women are also heavily dominated by men, but in a completely different way. This essay is about the ways that women in general are portrayed and perceived in these three stories, as well as touching on the characters of the individual women in these tales. The Miller’s Tale is one of the stories from the Canterbury Tales series, all written in poetic form, by Geoffrey Chaucer. These tales in the series are all told by different pilgrims, who are also fictional, so this uses a story-within-a-story literary device. Their tales are part of a contest to entertain each other on their pilgrimage from Southwark to Canterbury Cathedral. In The Miller’s Tale, it is the miller’s turn to tell a tale, and he tells the story of a devious young student called Nicholas, who is attracted to the much younger wife of a carpenter, his neighbour, and plots a cunning plan to sleep with her. He does this by telling the dim and simple carpenter that a flood is coming, and that he must tie some tubs to the ceiling of his home for the three of them in order to keep them safe. Whilst the carpenter is away at work on these orders, Nicholas takes the carpenter’s wife Alison downstairs and manages to seduce her until she very willingly has sex with him. Alison from The Miller’s Tale is eighteen years old, and described as passionate and highly attractive. Her faithfulness in marriage to her husband is very questionable when she allows herself to be easily taken in by this other man, her neighbour, and commits adultery with him without much care for her own husband. Near the beginning of the Miller’s Tale, there is a clear, physical description of Alison, being a lively woman who might want to have an affair. For she is â€Å"wilde and yonge†, meaning that her behaviour is rather uncontrolled, and her older husband is jealous and possessive of her. The miller describes her as having a â€Å"body gent and smal† as a weasel’s, meaning that she has an attractive slim figure, and that suggests that she is also a very sly character just like a weasel. Alison is also vain and very concerned about her appearance. She is selfish and cares more about herself than of other people, and she does not even think much of all the men that take a strong liking to her. She has established herself as a not at all a likeable character in this story. The fact that she sleeps with Nicholas right in her very own marital home, whilst her own husband is just upstairs at work at the very same time, must show how very daring she is, because he could have easily come downstairs and catch them in the act. But it could also mean that she does not actually really mind or care much about the carpenter’s feelings or whether he knows that she is being unfaithful to him or not. We feel some sympathy for the carpenter, who is being conned like this by two people, as well as being cheated on by his wife and having to bear the shameful title of a â€Å"cuckold†. Alison is certainly one to take risks in exchange for her own selfish sexual desires, going against the female stereotypes of the time by being rebellious and free-spirited and instead of being faithful and modest like a woman should be in her time. Alison from The Miller’s Tale is a lot like Abigail Williams from The Crucible. They are similar ages, and are both selfish and sexually immoral women who both have illicit sexual affairs and go against societal and moral rules that are expected of them for their own personal gain and pleasure. Also, neither Alison nor Abigail show any shred of remorse for their sinful actions. Where Alison goes behind her albeit dim husband’s back to sleep with her neighbour Nicholas, she is in turn fulfilling his desiring lustful plan. Sex outside of marriage was very wrong in her time, let alone committing adultery. Alison might have just married the carpenter for the sake of security, since he is described in the story as a â€Å"rich gnof†, but obviously cannot control her extramarital sexual urges and is very open to acting on them whenever the chance arises. Seventeen year old Abigail betrays her position as a house servant in the Proctor’s home by having an affair with John Proctor whilst he is still married to his kind wife Elizabeth, who happens to be ill at the time the affair occurs. However, there is much more to Abigail than involvements in adultery, as this leads to her seemingly falling in love and becoming obsessed with John Proctor. She says to him in Act One before the trials: â€Å"I know how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near†¦ It’s she put me out, you cannot pretend it were you. I saw your face when she put me out, and you loved me then and you do now†. Abigail has seriously formed an impression that John is just as infatuated with her and she is with him, even though he constantly denies it and tells her she is speaking a â€Å"wild thing†. So at the very start of the play, she is casting a spell to kill Elizabeth so that she can be out of the way for herself and John to be together, as she believes that Elizabeth is the only person in her way of having John. We can sympathise a little with Abigail, as we know she has had a very troubled past. She is an orphan, who had watched both her parents being viciously murdered by Indians one night a long time ago. She reveals this in Act One, after ordering the girls to lie about their activities in the woods, she viciously threatens to get them in the night, and in her own words says â€Å"you know I can do it: I saw Indians smash my dear parents’ heads on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen some reddish work done at night, and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down! â€Å". This traumatic event that was imposed upon her at such a young age does provide some explanation and understanding as to why her personality seems rather unstable, and why she acts so brutally towards other people. On the other hand, we don’t really know anything about Alison’s past, so we assume she is just a nasty sly character and though her crimes are not as dire as Abigail’s, we do not really have the evidence to feel as much sympathy for her behaviour. Though I think we can like Alison to some extent, as even though we condemn her behaviour, the men in her story are not as admirable as John Proctor so maybe her behaviour does not seem so bad. She even has the advantage of being secure in a marriage, unlike Abigail who is an unmarried orphan living with her uncle. The presentation of Abigail in The Crucible is rather dark and frightening, a good example of this being at the court scene, where she is deliberately causing hysteria by throwing around accusations of witchcraft, and even going as far as pretending to be bewitched by Mary, and getting all the other girls to make believe the very same thing and repeat Abigail’s exact chants and actions.

Education and Skills in Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Education and Skills in Japan - Essay Example Adult education has also offered to cater for those never had childhood education or those who want to further their informal education. Market offers avenues where the skills acquired through the education system are applied. A balance between education which supply skilled and vocationally-oriented workforce and the market has to be established for viable economy of a country to grow. The future of a country economic growth and development is much dependent on emphasis placed on the education system which supply work force in the market. Education and skills that an individual possesses form the personality and worthiness in the society. The role of education is the social purpose, intellectual purpose, economic purpose and civil/political purpose. The economic purpose reflects that most of those countries with high levels of literacy are the richest countries in the world based on GDP per capita. Market requires education and skills that are able to meet its workforce qualifications successfully. There are usually two approaches i.e. basic scenario and target scenario which if well formulated leads to high levels of employment coupled with high quality jobs for economic growth. Current Market requires individuals who are knowledgeable and well equipped with new sophisticated technologies to offer solutions in the society. The market offers opportunities for employment based on education and skills possessed by an individual but market forces tend to exploit education qualification at the expense of supply and this should be controlled and regulations formulated by government through the ministry of education of different nations to offer terms and conditions for any opportunities that arise in the market. 2 Japan has level of education due to well formulated system after war in the country. The model of education consists of mandatory free basic schooling for children aged 6 to 15 years. Upper secondary not mandatory but about 94% of those who attend lower education enrol and about a 40% of upper secondary graduates make to tertiary education. Today there is high enrolment rate in public institutions leading to high productivity rate in its population. This has led to a mature and learning society with rising incomes, more free time and rise in old population engaged in learning activities. The graph 1.1 below reflects the number of students who advances to high school from the year 1960 to 2001. There is positive growth in percentage from 57.7% in 1960 and tend to stagnate at 95% by the year 2000.3 This indicates high level of retention of students who forms part of 40 % tertiary institutions. Graph 1.2 reflects the gender parity among those who advance to tertiary institutions for the period. Male students dominated female the whole period but it reached at time between 1975 and 1990 when male enrolment decline significantly while that of female kept a positive growth. This led to narrowing the gap from 40.4% male and female 12.5% in 1970 to 46.9% male and 32.7% female in 1990.4 - Source: Asahi Shumbun Newspaper, 2006 Source: Asahi Shumbun Newspaper, 2006 Conclusion Economic prosperity of country heavily relies on education system that produces the work force. Market alone cannot shape the destiny of education and

Feasibility Report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Feasibility Report - Research Paper Example The university offers various facilities to facilitate the learning process that the students partake, hence, making it the fourth largest University in the state of Texas. The campus has a retention rate of approximately 63% of first-time freshmen; however, the number of students anticipated to increase with the execution of the admission principles. The new buildings, the renovation and the proposed housing solutions will indeed help in achieving the rise in retention rate. This will increase the University’s growth in the number of student receiving its full potential. Students’ retention at the University of Houston Downtown has proven to be a challenge. Over the years, the University has found it hard to preserve the large numbers of student intake. This paper is a feasibility report on a research that was initiated to find possible solutions to the addressed challenge. This report will scrutinize the possible solutions and offer recommendations and a conclusion. P roposed solutions The university of Houston downtown is the fourth largest university in the state of Texas. This shows the stretch of the high number of students using the university’s facilities. However, most of the students who join the University of Houston Downtown have trouble finding hostels or apartments within the school. The pressure of the growing population means that the administration has to find solutions in order to accommodate increasing numbers of student (Geiger Mass & College Prowler Firm, 2011). This has led to the three possible solutions that include; the leasing of off-campus apartments that are owned by the university; retaining first years by means of on campus housing program, renovating of the old buildings around the school for spacing and accommodation purposes (Geiger Mass & College Prowler Firm, 2011). Research Methods The following are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunity and threats (SWOT) analysis of these proposed solutions. Leasing of o ff-campus housing for students. According to my investigations, the university has considerable support from the neighboring properties owner but at a rate agreeable to both parties. The properties have the capacity to house approximately 12% of the students in the campus. The properties are in decent shape and are secure. The owners are interested in making a deal with the university; hence, the university has a chance to make the leasing agreement possible. The cost of the leasing can range from a minimum of 9% to 14% of the university’s income. The effectiveness of leasing oof-campus houses will be determined by terms of agreement by the University and the property owners. The implementation of this program is both time and money efficient. The deals also provide a threat to the successful implementation of this program. The parties involve may have disagreements over the rent rates (Simha & Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2003). Either, charging some of the lease r ent to the student or focusing on the properties owners prepared to cooperate

HISTORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HISTORY - Essay Example Many ancient languages have not seen the limelight of modern day because they remained under the shroud of other dominating cultures. The article informs that the Demotic Dictionary, published online contains over â€Å"2000† pages and the university eventually intends to print it for â€Å"research libraries† (par.4 - 5). It further emphasizes the existence of â€Å"Demotic Egyptian† or the language of the â€Å"common people,† much before the other popular Egyptian languages evolved (par.2). In addition, the article quotes many prominent Egyptologists and historians, who maintain that the dictionary is a significant for the modern people to understand the ancient Egyptian culture and for â€Å"mastering the texts from the Egyptians themselves† and not through their rulers (par.6 – 7). Dr Zahi Hawass was involved in an excavation journey to explore the mysteries behind Seti’s tomb, and discovering through archeological evidence what really the Egyptians thought awaited them after death. From some of the findings, the Egyptians believed that life after death was a thrilling underworld journey marked by a series of terrifying obstacles, which included fighting fierce battles with real monsters, crossing fire lakes of death, and finally the eternal death or either resurrection with the sun, which marked the journey of the afterlife (You Tube, 2012). This journey was believed by each Egyptian to be real and the stakes were even much higher for the pharaohs. Interestingly, they believed that the entire universe largely depended on the king’s eventual and successful journey as well as his resurrection. This made the king’s tomb not just a place to keep his corpse, but the tomb was more of a machine constructed to facilitate and guarantee the kingâ⠂¬â„¢s resurrection and eternal life afterwards. The many artifacts stored in museums and have not been displayed since they were located; with some having stayed for more than a century, have

The Subway Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Subway - Essay Example Overlooking Employee Needs and Expectations 8 b. Deficiency in Complying HRM Policies 9 c. Avoiding Ethical Norms 10 2.5 Conclusion 10 2.5.1 Summary 10 2.5.2 Practical Implications 11 2.5.3 Research Implications 11 References list 13 1. Introduction 1.1 Background of the Company Founded in the year 1965, Subway is regarded as one of the biggest American based fast-food restaurant franchisers, which is primarily renowned for its exceptional deliverance of submarine sandwiches along with broad assortment of fast-food products. Currently, the organisation is operating its business in 103 global nations with 40,975 numbers of fast-food outlets that correspondingly serves millions of customers (SUBWAY 2013). 1.2 Research Title, Question and Objectives Emphasising the current business practices along with various business functions of the organisation i.e. Subway, the title of this research is â€Å"Critically analyse the â€Å"ineffectiveness of employee's compensation & benefits at Sub way in Singapore.† ... In this context, the Human Resource (HR) policies of the organisations are often recognised to provide incomplete or insufficient beneficial aspects to their staff members. Therefore, the rationale of this research can be determined based upon critically assessing the importance of compensation and benefits that can be regarded as major elements of Human Resource Management (HRM) of an organisation. 2. Literature Review 2.1 Introduction to Literature Review Armstrong (2011) critically stated that the offering of an adequate compensation package or any financial incentive can build a productive relationship between the organisations and their respective employees. Therefore, the organisations must need to be ensured providing justifiable compensation and employee benefits. The process would significantly support the employers along with the employees to gain substantial support in attaining considerable growth (Armstrong, 2011). In relation to the present HR policies practiced by Subw ay, it can be affirmed that the organisation should highly focus on providing justifiable compensation facilities to the employees in order to increase its overall business performance and willingness towards attaining the organisational goals. This particular practice can help the organisation in building a strong along with an effective relationship with its employees, resulting in lessening employee turnover rates of the organisation at large. The study of Berber & et. al. (2012) provided a major rationale in determining the role of compensation and benefits within various organisations. The study has analytically demonstrated that effective practice of compensation facilitates an organisation to gain numerous financial and operational

Managing people Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Managing people - Essay Example Concurrently, the changing demands from non-unionised employees are calling for salary re-negotiation that can easily lead to significant imbalance in management salaries. However, in order to remain without considerable trade union influence, the company is considering renegotiating these pay structures as part of what appears to be a poorly-developed salary and reward system. This report highlights the problems at Fastening Technologies in comparison to traditional versus more progressive HR policies and models available. Recommendations are offered in how to improve the most fundamental and long-lasting problems at the company related to performance appraisal systems, rewards management, and organisational structure and culture. Armstrong (2006) identifies that the total aim of HRM is â€Å"to ensure the organisation is able to achieve success through people† (p.28). This is a well-developed practice at Fastening Technologies Limited as with a change in HR leadership came new and ongoing discussions about how to link mission goals and strategy with human development and performance. Fortunately, Fastening Technologies has a team-focused organisational model that supports team training and interpersonal relationship development between managers and subordinates. Through the efforts of current HR leadership, the business has become a collectivist culture where group needs and team structures drive decision-making in management and within the line and support employee networks. Despite the efforts to build new systems and remove HR redundancies during a period where pricing has led to cost-cutting issues, Fastening Technologies seems to have a fundamental misunderstanding about employee behaviours and their personality related to job performance and motivation. Treven & Potocan (2005) refer to the locus of control model that dictates the level to which employees will

The introduction to macroeconomics, bubbles, and investment behaviour Essay

The introduction to macroeconomics, bubbles, and investment behaviour in Part Three of the module, Bubbles and the economy - Essay Example Therefore, the accounting identity can also be explained as: As shown in the above graph, the savings (s) in a closed economy is always given exogenously. The investment in the market (I) is a function of rate of interest (r). The cost of borrowing money in an economy becomes high when the lending rate of interest is elevated. Hence, investments made in the market are adversely related to the lending rate of interest. At equilibrium rate of interest (re), national savings and investment remains equal to each other (S=I) (Baddeley, 2005). When the aggregate savings in an economy rise up to 30% of GDP, the investments can be expected to increase (to match savings) only if the lending rate of interest (r) falls below the previous equilibrium rate (re). (ii) The supply side policies are implemented in an economy for increasing productivity of its real national output, during a state of recession. These policies help an economy to grow sustainably, without the persistence of inflation (Bernanke, Gertler and Gilchrist, 1996). However, economic growth cannot be successfully achieved solely with the essence of supply side policies. The supply side approach is rendered successful with presence of adequate aggregate demand in the economy. If the housing confidence slumps and the economy suffers from recession, then the individuals desire to save more and spend less. As a result, if the monetary authorities of a country lower interest rate and stimulate investments, then aggregate production related activities will rise, but the output produced will not be sold adequately due to lack of consumers’ demand (Mankiw and Taylor, 2006). (iii) The problems associated with a supply side approach can be resolved with the help of expansionary fiscal policies. These policies will enable the government authorities to stimulate the level of aggregate demand. Such initiatives can be undertaken by the fiscal authorities by way

A Study of the Access Women Have in Male Dominated Sports Dissertation

A Study of the Access Women Have in Male Dominated Sports - Dissertation Example 2) Background to the study The challenges that hinder women from participating in male dominated sports are1 2.1. Female invisibility: discrimination in management, funding, media representation. 2.2. Discrimination in providing proper access to sporting facilities. 2.3. Body consciousness and Abhorrence of physical activity. 2.4. Attitudes and prejudices about sexuality. 2.5. Fears of personal safety, sexual harassment and abuse. 2.6. Parental and adult influence. 2.7. Stereotyping and prejudices about ethnicity. 2.8. Academic performance priority. 2.9. Lack of self-confidence 2.10.Lack of money 2.11.Lack of time 1= http://www.helpforclubs.org.uk/pages/download.aspx?id={4CC7A28A- 46A9-469B-A848-5F6AC358C615} 3. Justification A detailed explanation of each of the foregoing points is provided below. 3.1. Female invisibility: discrimination in management, funding, media representation At all levels, women’s sports and games attract less funding that men’s. Prize money at all major sports and games is vastly higher for men as compared to women. Women are under-represented in sports organisations. Girls miss out on involvement in sport because of lack of female role models. The four points mentioned above are hyper-inflated when it comes to women’s involvement in physical contact sports like football and rugby. Girls’ teams of such sports attract less sponsorship from local businesses because of the low revenue they generate, less spectators and low profile media coverage of their games.

Prenatal Dangers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Prenatal Dangers - Essay Example 2448). The study was conducted by doctors at an urban teaching hospital and the research subjects included three hundred and seventy-six pre-school children. Of these children, one hundred and ninety experienced fetal brain exposures to cocaine and one hundred and eight-six did not experience such exposure. The main testing standards were related to intellectual quotient measurements; more specifically, the study employed the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligence-Revised measurements for determinations of outcomes. The findings were rather interesting. As an initial matter, this study was pursued because of inconsistent results regarding the longer-term consequences of prenatal cocaine exposure. The findings in this case, dealing only with the effects noticed in a child's initial four-year lifespan, were seemingly mild in certain ways. In many respects, the study found that fetal brain exposure to cocaine did not cause a lower full-scale intelligence quotient, did not cause lower scores or verbal performance generally, and did not cause any significant differences in performance. On the other hand, there were some findings which suggested that the potential dangers of prenatal drug exposure, in this case cocaine, were real.

Its features and importance Essay Example for Free

Its features and importance Essay Picture Gear Studio, DVgate Plus, Sonic Stage Other Giga Pocket PVR hardware and software with TV tuner card with remote control Support Policy One-year parts and labor warranty; 24-hour weekday toll-free support during warranty period. $19. 95 fee for phone support after 1-year warranty. Where is it available? What is its price? The SONY RS530G is available at any high end computer shop and also in the internet. Ordering this Desktop PC through the internet at eBay. com or PCExpress. com would come out cheaper than buying it here in the Philippines. Its price is $ 1850. 00 which leaves me with a total of $150. 00. The excess money I could use for extra accessories for the computer like other softwares may it be for leisure or education. III. Systems Ruled Out Obviously Workstations, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), Mainframes, Mini-Computers and Super Computers were out of the question while choosing my preferred computer system. I dont need a very powerful PC that is used for Computer Aided Design (CAD) nor Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM). I dont need a computer that would serve up to 70 users because most probably the maximum users that will be using my computer would be 3. Definitely minicomputers are out of my list for one thing theyre phased out. I dont need a computer that would serve hundred of users at a time; Im only a student and not a business so mainframes are crossed out of my list too. Besides mainframes are too complicated to handle as it is. Super computers on the other hand are used by businesses for task demanding extreme computing power especially in establishments for science like meteorology and finding out more on enzymes. PDAs are too small plus its not practical for a student like me to buy a PDA just to set my schedule straight in school and take notes. I need a computer that would aid me in my studies just like a Micro computer. Micro computers hold floppy disk drives and CD-ROM drive or even a DVD drive that would help me in storing data need for my classes, reports and papers. Its the most practical thing to get as of now because if I think of leaving within three years for the UK technology improves quickly and by then if ever I buy a laptop it would be phased out and it would be harder to up grade not like a desktop pc. IV. Conclusion I therefore conclude that at this time, as a student, it would be more practical for me to buy a Desktop PC that would help me in school work and at the same time entertain me for my free time. Laptops are doubled the price of a Desktop PC and is harder to upgrade unlike a Desktop PC. Usually Laptops are used by professionals who are on the go and need computers most of the time to make use of their time. References   Charles S Parker, Understanding Computers: Today Tomorrow: 200 edition, Harcourt College Publishers www. villman. com   www. Amazon. com   www. eBay. com Note from taken from class   and gathered data from different stores :   PC Express   Stores in Greenhills Shopping Mall   Stores in Cybermall.

Status and Capacity Utilization in Small Scale Industries

Status and Capacity Utilization in Small Scale Industries ABSTRACT Over the past year, the global economic crisis has exerted considerable influence on many business organizations of any size. Large industrial establishments have attempted to manage this crisis in their own ways. Amid all this, SMEs are increasingly being brought into focus on account of their huge growth potential. The present study aims at examining the status of small industries, industrial policy and capacity utilization of small industries and the reasons for not utilizing it to the fullest extent. Capacity utilization has been examined taking into account the location of the unit, industry group to which it belonged, year of establishment, form of organization, investment in plant and machinery, the entrepreneurs background and various reasons specified by the entrepreneurs. This study is empirical in nature and it is based on the data collected with the help of questionnaire. Efforts are also being made to offer suggestions. Introduction Small and medium enterprises have an important role to play in the present context due to its capacity for employment generation, technological innovation, raising exports and developing entrepreneurial skills. They reduce regional imbalances. They have been accorded a strategic position in the successive five year plans towards fulfilment of our socio-economic objectives and helped to achieve our dictum of growth with equity. Since the early 1990s, Indian SMEs have been exposed to intense competition due to the accelerated process of globalization. But at the same time, globalization has brought new opportunities and challenges to Indian SMEs. India used to support small and medium industrial sector since independence compared to many developing countries. Series of institutions have been set up by the Central Government, State Governments, and provided financial assistance, technical consultancy, information, technical input, training, legal advice, and marketing support and helped in the healthy development and progress of small and medium industries. But a pertinent question that has often been emerged here, whether their capacity has been utilized to the fullest extent or not. Through this paper an effort is made to study the capacity utilization of small scale and medium industries. Meaning and Definition In the Indian context, we have not so far succeeded in giving a definition to small and medium industries. What is neither small nor large industries is being loosely defined as medium industries. Here, the term enterprise encompasses business, services and industries. The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Bill, 2006, defined the segment on the basis of investments in plant and machinery. Small enterprises are those with an investment of not more than Rs 50 mn in plant and machinery, and medium enterprises with an investment of over Rs 50 mn but less than Rs 100 mn in plant and machinery. This definition has finally put the segment within a legal framework. Under the Act, enterprises have been categorized broadly into those engaged in (i) manufacturing, and (ii) providing/rendering of services. Both the categories have been farther classified into micro, small and medium enterprises, based on gross investment in plant and machinery for manufacturing enterprises, and in equipment in case of enterprises providing or rendering services, as shown in the following table. Insert Table 1 Here SMEs are not uniform across the globe. The way they are defined depends on th stage of economic development and the broad policy purposes for which the definition is used. The most commonly used definitions relate to either size of employment and or quantum of capital investments or fixed assets. As the process of economic development leads to changes in industrial sector shares in GDP and the contribution of sub-sectors within industry, the definition is extended to include not only manufacturing industries but all enterprises which fall within or below the defined cut off point. Small scale units engage themselves in various kinds of manufacturing such as manufacturing of metal alloys and products, machinery, electrical equipments, chemicals, drugs, electronics and miscellaneous products. But most of the small scale units have not been able to achieve capacity utilization to the fullest extent. A very few of them have been able to achieve a capacity utilization greater than 80%, as revealed by many surveys. Recent study conducted at Dakshina Kannada and Udupi Districts of Karnataka have indicated that more than 80 of the industrial units in the various industrial estates of the two districts are either closed or sick. The fact that the same scenario prevails throughout the country and the difference, if any, is only in degree and cannot be a consoling factor. We know that this situation is not good for the economy of the country and due to these financial institutions and the banks in the country themselves are becoming sick as it increases the non-performin g assets of industrial units and other enterprises. The position of Sick SSI and Weak and non-viable units financed by commercial banks are not encouraging. The following table throws light on the magnitude of sickness. Insert Table 2 here Despite several measures for the promotion of this sector, it is very disappointing to observe that its performance has not been satisfactory. The problems are many like finance, production, marketing, labour, which have resulted in under utilization of installed capacity. At the same time, power cut, lack of demand, lack of working capital are all hindering the full utilization of installed capacity. Objectives of the Study The present study is intended to examine the capacity utilization of selected small scale units in the Udupi Districts and to find out the reasons for it. The specific objectives are: To examine and project the existing performance level of industrial units in the study area. To investigate into the reasons for underutilization of capacity in the small scale units of target area. To examine the relation between the investment and capacity utilization. To examine the relationship between the age of the unit and the capacity utilization. to examine the relation between the background of the entrepreneur and capacity utilization To study the current status of the small and medium scale industries To study the industrial policy and importance of the small-scale industries. Limitation of Study The study is not free from limitations. Some of them are likely: Udupi district itself is not an industrialized area; hence based of this study we cannot make generalizations. The researcher collected data from only 100 respondents, out of which only 85 units responded. Few sample units did not maintain the books for recording their capacity utilization, production, etc. Hence collected data may be biased. Review of Literature A number of studies on the efficiency of small and medium industries were undertaken. Dhar and Lydall, Hajra, Sandesara (1966 and 1969) and Mehta studied the relationship between size and output-capital ratio by using the data from confederation of medium industries. Their report showed positive relationship. Bhavani (1980) conducted a detailed census of SSI units and concluded that the capital productivity of SSI units is lower than that of large scale units suggesting efficiency differences in line with the findings of Dhar-Lydall-Sandesara. Tambiinam T(2007) found out that the levels of productivity are higher in large enterprises (LEs) and foreign-owned enterprises than in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), partly because they have higher levels of technology capacity. He suggested that increasing the productivity of SMEs might be facilitated through improved knowledge or technology. Business outlook survey conducted by Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) based on preliminary analysis of responses from 352 small and medium members reveals a dull scenario (June 2003). However, the small and medium industry foresees an improvement in the business situation in the coming years and expects an increase in turnover of production, profit margins, capacity utilization and exports. According to the information collected from Small Scale Industrial Centers, Government agencies for small scale industries and some of the associations of the small scale industries, no in depth studies have been made till now on the capacity utilization of small scale industries. Under utilization of capacity may be considered as one of the problems, but neither the entrepreneurs nor the concerned authorities have taken up this issue very seriously. Empirical studies in several countries show that SMEs are characterized by Lower and more variable profitability (Dunlop, 1992; Cosh and Hughes, 1993; Peel and Wilson, 1996); Lower liquidity (Gupta, 1969; Chittenden et ah, 1996); Lower use of long-term debt (Chittenden et al., 1996; Levratto, 1997; Audretsch and Elston, 1997); Lower leverage (Rivaud-Danset et ah, 1998); Higher short-term debt (Tamari, 1980; Cosh and Hughes, 1993; Rivaud-Danset et al., 1998). In one the study conducted by Prof. Jayachandran, Narendra Kumar and Dr. Himachalam at selected small scale units of Tirupathi Industrial Estate revealed that 50% of the SMEs were utilizing 25% to 50% capacity and the remaining 50% were utilizing 50 to 75%. None of the studied units was utilizing more than 75% of plant capacity. Further it revealed that age of the unit alone is not accountable for the extent of capacity utilization. They concluded that entrepreneurial talents and problems, which confronted the unit, also influenced the level of capacity utilization in the small scale units. From the above review, it is obvious that few research studies have been undertaken on the subject capacity underutilization in SMEs. Hence, there is a research gap necessitating further study, particularly SSI sector and the problems confronted by them. This paper throws light the status of small and medium enterprises and their capacity utilization. Research Methodology The present study aims at examining the status of small industries, industrial policy and capacity utilization of small industries and the reasons for not utilizing it to the fullest extent. Capacity utilization has been examined taking into account the location of the unit, industry group to which it belonged, year of establishment, form of organization, investment in plant and machinery, the entrepreneurs background and various reasons specified by the entrepreneurs. This study is empirical in nature and it is based on the data collected with the help of questionnaire. Attempts have also been made to extract the correct information through discussion with the entrepreneurs. Chi-square test is applied to study the association between capacity utilization and variables like location of the plant, investment, age of the unit and background of the industrialists. Besides the primary data, necessary information and data also collected through secondary sources like periodicals, reports, Government, publications of industrial association, research organization, and company documents. Documents are also collected from District Industrial Centre of Udupi and Industries Association, Manipal. In the study, convenience sampling of 85 units were selected. Heterogeneous sample units were selected for the study. Importance was given for the amount of investment on the units and the location as well. Present Study There are 15 medium scale industries existing in the District. Among them printing, fishnet, granite, water gel explosives are the major industries. There are 5629 tiny and small scale industrial units registered in the District. Total amount of Rs. 218.49 crores has been invested in these units generating employment for 34,123 numbers. Table reveals the number of SSI registered, the total investment and employment generation by this sector. Insert Table 3 here Table shows the list of existing medium scale industries up to 31-3-2008. Insert Table 4 here The District has only one industrial area and it is located at Shivally Manipal, about 5 kms from Udupi town. There are 3 industrial estates one at Shivally, Manipal in Udupi Taluk and the others at Koteshwara in Kundapur Taluk and Karkala in Karkala Taluk. The District has ports at Malpe, Gangolly and Hangarakatte. But these ports are not used for commercial transportation, for commercial transportation the nearest port is New Mangalore port at Mangalore. The District has the nearest aerodrome at Mangalore Capacity utilization in a sample survey conducted at Udupi District. The study is based on data collected from primary and secondary sources. The primary data were collected from 85 Small Scale Industrial Units situated in an around the Udupi District. Table 5 shows the Capacity Utilization-Industry Group Classfication. Insert Table 5 here Table 5 shows that out of 85-sample units, 4 units (5%) utilized up to 25% while 13 units (15%) utilized between 26 to 50% of their capacities. 39 units (46%) utilized between 51 and 75% of their capacities and the remaining 29 (34%) utilized above 75%. It can be seen that nearly 20% of the sample units were not in a position to exceed 50% of their capacities. Insert Table 6 here Table 6 depict the capacity utilization of the units based on their location i.e. whether they are located in industrial estates, commercial area, residential area or non-residential area. Out of 55 units which were located in industrial estates 12 units (23%) used their installed capacities upto 50% only. In the case of units located in commercial area 2 out of 15 units (13%), residential areas 3 out of 9 (33%) and non residential areas all the 6 units utilizes more than 50% of their installed capacities. Insert table 7 here An attempt has been made to examine the direct reasons for utilizing the capacity to the fullest extent. The various reasons indicated by the entrepreneurs are presented in Table 7. Inadequate market demand and inadequate working capital were equally predominant reasons. 45 out of 85 entrepreneurs stated the above reasons. Irregular and inadequate power supply, reported by 13 entrepreneurs. Inadequate work force (12units), 8 units facing problems from brand products, 8 entrepreneurs stated other reasons like excess tax, technological problems etc. and inadequate raw material reported by 4 entrepreneurs. Out of 4 units which were utilizing their capacity upto 25 percent only 2 stated inadequate working capital as the reason for not utilizing their capacities while 2 units indicated inadequate market demand as the reasons. In the case of ancillaries, mother unit not buying as per the stipulated terms was reported by few units. Thirteen units utilized their capacity between 26 and 50 percent. Among these inadequate market demand appears to be the major problem compared to inadequate working capital. In the third category, 39 units utilized their capacities between 51 and 75 percent. Inadequate market demand posed a big problem compared to the problem of inadequate working capital. The former was reported by 15 units whereas the latter by 5 units. Inadequate workforce and irregular and inadequate supply of power were mentioned by 5 units each and 6 units stated other reasons. Among 29 units which were utilizing above 51 percent of their capacities on an average 5 each were facing the problems of inadequate working capital, inadequate workforce, inadequate market demand, problem of raw material supply, power cut, problems from branded products and other reasons were mentioned by three and two units respectively. The above analysis shows that the problems vary from unit to unit. The reasons could be the different types of growing needs. The analysis indicates that units at both lowest and highest extremes largely faced the problem of finance, whereas the units at medium level mostly faced the problem of marketing. In order of assess the impact, capacity utilisation was taken as the criterion in this study. The capacity utilisation level was divided into four categories: up to 25 percent, between 26 and 50 percent, between 51 and 75 percent, and above 75 percent. The capacity utilisation was examined vis a vis other variable which included the industry group to which they belonged, location of the unit, year of establishment, form of organization, investment in plant and machinery, age of the unit, background of the entrepreneur. The analysis of the study reveals that only 20 percent of the sample units were not in a position to exceed 50 percent of their capacities. But 65 percent of the sample units were unable to reach the 75 percent of their installed capacity. The study of Small Scale Units makes it clear that the form of organization, the area of location, investment in plant and machinery, the background of entrepreneur etc do not influence capacity utilisation. But the various reasons indicated by entrepreneurs say inadequate market demand, inadequate working capital, inadequate raw material inadequate workforce, power failure and competition from branded products were reasons for the underutilization of installed capacity. SUGGESTIONS In order to overcome the bottlenecks faced by the small-scale units following measures are recommended. Inadequate market demand and inadequate working capital are the major problems confronted by the small-scale units. Marketing problem includes inadequate market demand, fluctuations in demand, competition from large industrial units and etc. To solve the problem of inadequate or fluctuating market demand the Government agencies must give small entrepreneurs periodical training and educate them about modern marketing, using flexible pricing, promotion, incentive and other methods to increase demand including the different uses for the same product. Management Institutions can also extend their help to the small-scale units to modernize their marketing techniques. To solve the working capital problem it is better to take the help of professional financial experts say chartered accountants and cost accountants. As well as Institutes like Chartered Accountants or Cost Accountants and Financial Management Institutes should extend their assistance to the small-scale units. Proper manpower planning and adequate wages and salaries can overcome inadequate workforce. Power failure, inadequate supply of power, and load shedding must be avoided. Due to various reasons the Electricity Corporation is not able to prevent their occurrence. The concerned Governments should take interest to improve the power supply. Alternative sources of energy may be made available to the small-scale industries as a part of the National Energy Policy. Other causes such as excessive sales tax, procedural delays and practices can be removed by streamlining the tax structure and the office methods followed. CONCLUSION The cost and value of small-scale industries could benefit a large section of our countrys population, if the resources and efforts of small-scale industries could be more productively used. It is common knowledge that on the one hand surpluses generated are far below normal expectations and on the other obsolescence and industrial sickness among small scale industries threaten to become a net drain. Although the awareness of these issues is now more widespread, the problem of social and economic insecurity prevents effective measures from bringing about the change. The subject of fuller utilisation of capacity, modernization and productivity thus tend to be obscured. But the punishment for inaction will be very heavy. To avoid it the need to change now becomes imperative and unavoidable. Lack of real consultants is adding to the problem. The so called consultants who exist in large numbers, tend to indicate every project as viable as otherwise it affects their own viability and existence. They make every project a success on paper and in reality hardly 20% of the projects register success. The practice of starting enterprise based on exemptions and subsidies is adding to the problem. Thus a deep study of the capacity utilization in small industries is a crying need. The government policy also needs review in the interest of promoting fuller growth of small-scale units and making them viable. In the present study an attempt has been made to examine the capacity utilisation of small-scale industries in Udupi district and the reasons for not utilizing the capacity into the fuller extent. Capacity utilisation was examined taking into account the location of the unit, the industry group to which it belonged, year of establishment, form of organization, investment in plant and machinery, the entrepreneurs background and reasons indicated by the entrepreneur. Now in this era of socio-economic transformation and favorable conditions it is the turn of small-scale industries to rise to the occasion and tell the society that they are capable of producing results.

Changing Marketing Strategies of Pharmaceutical Companies

Changing Marketing Strategies of Pharmaceutical Companies Abstract Pharmaceutical companies spend large sums of money in the time-consuming research and development of new drugs and the new classes of drugs. Each company marketing in the US seeks the possible payoff of staggering high profits which is possible on their patented medicines. Because of the lack of price regulation in the marketing environment in the United States, the United States has become a premium sales market targeted by all pharmaceutical companies. This explains the continued willingness of each pharmaceutical company to persist through the entire long process of idea, creation, development, testing, approval, marketing and distribution despite the high possibility of product failure. The pharmaceutical companies have had to additionally contend with more US federal FDA rules, regulation and oversight in the United States for the entire process before receiving clearance to start marketing their drug product. Other influences like HMOs and Social Security cap limits affect prof itability structure. Over the last fifty years newer marketing strategies by pharmaceutical companies on prescription drugs include a directive appeal to the end consumer to increase the odds of making corporate profits and a marketing focus on social and internet interaction. Introduction Pharmaceutical companies produce specialized medical drug material designed to fill a need. These pharmaceutical companies are usually multinational operations located in key countries around the globe. Many have grown to become complete facilities that attempt to do the entire spectrum of research, develop, test and finally market the subject drug in order to reap the whole benefits possible from the entire cycle (Kaitin, 2010). The pharmaceutical industry has shown over time that they have the capability to increase consumer perceived value with their unique drug products using their own successful plans for timely marketing. But because of these old and new factors causing cumulative hurtles, a new trend in marketing in the pharmaceutical industry is now to additionally market direct to the customer, for example: TV advertising spots showing a new superior drug product which has special features making it directly appealing to a consumer. Changes in basic marketing structure tacti cs will be evaluated for the key levels of pressure from these internal and external factors as these pharmaceutical companies seek to address continuing ongoing product failure rates, increasing US regulation and the ever present potential competition from others inside their own industry. This trend has been a natural development over the last hundred years or so. This is reasonable because the same research that produces one drug may produce an entire class of drugs for market. Confidentiality, control, patents and oversight give these pharmaceutical companies the oversight. It also allows each pharmaceutical company to keep maximum control of all their connected environments. And by controlling these the final marketing each company achieve continues the cycle of giving the most control over the drug for the marketing campaign. The drug industry often competes worldwide and on different economic levels but in some specific territorial markets like the United States, pricing structures are not preset by the government and therefore the free market sets its own competitive standards for pricing giving the possibility and most often the probability of higher drug prices with the resultant bigger profit level opportunities. However these are offset by rigorous structural standard guidelines set by the FDA that must be complied with for any drug sold or marketed to the US public. In the past, drug companies in United States, marketed to doctors, hospitals, nursing homes and sometimes middleman companies as transitional handlers of the newest product. Marketing drugs in the United states has now changed as developers are now targeting consumers directly through television spots, online advertising and in print ads. The direct appeal is to make the end point consumer aware of the name of the drug and its benefits. The object is to have the consumer become familiar with the trade name, ask for the drug directly from their doctor thus boosting the initial sales of the new product and creating a ready market. Industry History Marchetti Schellens (2007) outline the structures of development showing it to be complex and expensive. Not only does the potential class or specific drug have to be discovered or created, it has to show promise for certain illness or disease, then pharmaceutical research can proceed through certain phases. Pharmaceutical companies have a history of costly product failures. Generally theres three clinical phrases and all this can take upwards of 15 years to complete. Additionally the FDA has trended over the last decade to creating higher pressures against drug companies by not approving as many new drugs for marketing. The probability odds are that any specific drug in early clinical phase has only 8% chance or less of ever becoming public (Food and Drug Administration, 2006) (Kummar, 2007). In the United States the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has sought to control the drugs available to Americans because of the number of tragedies that have resulted in birth defects o r deaths. The most highly publicized incident was in the mid-1960s and the drug was called thalidomide which for pregnant women often resulted in severe birth defects. As an end result of public outrage creating governmental pressures, the pharmaceutical companies are overseen at all levels and must now successful clinical trials. Lamb(1998) writes that testing protocols have been standardized and once clinical trials are completed there is a analysis period with the end result being an application to the FDA called an NDA ( new drug application) which contains all the technical information. Over the last forty years (1970s -2010) and now in 2011 differential forces are in opposition to the ends of pharmaceutical companies. Environmental and safety issues, new technologies, mergers and the rise of managed care and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) have all effectively changed the environment thats pharmaceutical companies operate in. additionally in 1997 the FDA changed regulations relating to the presentation of risk level. This action in the United States opened the door for pharmaceutical companies to directly market to the public .This freedom for the pharmaceutical companies is offset by the FDA still having oversight surveillance of the specific phases and clinical approval. The FDA must approve the drug. After the drug is marketed there is oversight for continued compliance by the pharmaceutical companies to ensure a low-level of side effects during marketing. Post approval by the FDA comes solely after this period (Silverman, 2011). Pharmaceutical company spending on marketing exceeds that spent on research.[3][22] In 2004 in Canada $1.7 billion a year was spent marketing drugs to physicians and in the United States $21 billion were spent in 2002.[4] In 2005 money spent on pharmaceutical marketing in the US was estimated at $29.9 billion with one estimate as high as $57 billion.[3] When the US number are broken down 56% was free samples, 25% was detailing of physicians, 12.5% was direct to consumer advertising, 4% on hospital detailing, and 2% on journal ads.[4] In the United States approximately $20 billion could be saved if generics were used instead of equivalent brand name products.[3] Although pharmaceutical companies have made large investments in marketing their products, overall promotional spending has been decreasing over the last few years, and declined by 10 percent from 2009 to 2010. Pharmaceutical companies are cutting back mostly in detailing and sampling, while spending in mailings and print advertising grew since last year.[23] Historical Marketing Pharmaceutical companies have employed various methods of marketing their products and this idea can be understood by the phrase â€Å"How would you like to be in an industry where your buyers are uninformed about your product and almost 100 per cent insensitive to its price?† (The Business Edge Consortium, 2010). For many decades this was true. Around the mid 80s this started to change â€Å"The result of these industry conditions was impressive profit growth through the middle of the 1980s. With significant barriers to entry, docile suppliers, powerless buyers, almost no threat of substitutes, and little rivalry, the pharmaceutical industry in the 1980s was just about as perfect an industry as one could imagine. Given its attractiveness, the industry attracted the attention of genetic and molecular biology scientists and the venture capital community, who saw its appeal and thought their revolutionary approaches to drug therapy could attract enough money to overcome the for midable entry barriers the industry enjoyed. Thus, as scientific advances in biotechnology took hold, numerous entrepreneurial companies like Genentech and Amgen were founded to commercialize new scientific breakthroughs. Genentech, the first biotech firm having commercial success, developed a protein that broke up blood clots. Amgens famous molecular biology used recombinant DNA to produce erythropoietin, a hormone that increases the supply of red blood cells in anaemic patients under treatment for cancer and other diseases. By 2000, erythropoietin was generating $2 billion in sales and another $3 billion in licensing revenue for Amgen. Both of these new entrants fared very well in this attractive industry:Genentech went public in 1980, and by 2001 its shares had appreciated 2700 per cent since its IPO. Amgen shares, first offered in 1983, soared more than 16,000 per cent. Starting in the mid-1980s, the barriers to enter the pharmaceutical industry began to show cracks. New legislation made it easier for generic drug companies to enter the market. In the USA, the 1984 Waxman-Hatch Act, which changed the rules for generic drug manufacturers, reduced the barriers to generic entry. Instead of having to prove the generic drugs safety and efficacy, the act required companies only to prove their formulas were equivalent to that of the brandname drug. The subsequent growth in generic drugs was profound. By 1996, generic drugs accounted for more than 40 per cent of pharmaceutical prescriptions. Aside from the influx of generics, the pharmaceutical companies also saw a wave of biotechnology competitors enter their industry Genentech, Amgen and many others suggesting that economies of scale meant less than they used to, and that barriers to entry, while still high in absolute terms, were dropping, thanks in part to the availability of venture capital. Further, the biotech companies new science-focused research model, known as rational drug design, stood the traditional approach to drug discovery on its head. These drug companies worked backwards from known disease biochemistry to identify or design chemical ‘keys to fit the biochemical ‘locks of that disease.† Traditionally they employed very effective strategies that includes educational sponsorship to cover the costs of continuing instruction for top medical personnel, sponsorship of articles in well-respected journal publications, providing free drugs samples to doctors and promotional gifts that include a corporate logo or specifics about a drug the idea behind the promotional marketing is to simply connect the new drug with an old medical symptom and encourage the writers of the prescription to fulfill the marketing cycle. Promantally pharmaceutical samples are still given out to doctors as a promotion and marketing tactic and it works (Alexander, Zhang Basu, 2008). A few generations ago these forms of marketing worked well for the pharmaceutical companies. However circumstances have changed. The FDA seeks to discourage the intimate connection between pharmaceutical companies and their pharmaceutical representatives is the connection to the doctors prescribing medicines, these days d octors see more patients and fewer pharmacy drug representatives, additionally there is a continuing trend by hospitals, doctors and pharmacies towards being conservative in their recommendations and prescriptions because of lawsuits of all kinds (Pharmaceutical Industry History, 2007). Medical drug malpractice suits in the US are rising. Fiscus (2008) writes that â€Å" In the United States, the growing use of DTC advertising has raised challenges to one of the strongest defenses available to drug manufacturers against failure to warn allegations in product liability suits for prescription drugs and medical devices: the learned intermediary doctrine. Under this doctrine, a manufacturer fulfills its duty to warn by adequately informing a learned intermediary, typically a physician.† Current Marketing .In 2010 the global pharmaceutical market is worth over 825 million with a large percentage of this comes from newer and mature drug products and there are over 100,000 health-related websites (The Business Edge Consortium, 2010). The statistics show that marketing by pharmaceutical companies is changing because of external pressures. There has been a dramatic rise in U.S. physicians routinely using d the web to check or research information making the relevance of digital promotion all the more important Pharmaceutical companies have risen to the changing challenge of Internet marketing and now promote and advertise doctor friendly physician and customer service online portals like PubMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National, and Physicians Interactive (Kaitin, 2010). Pharmaceutical marketers are relying more on connecting digital medical information to their target audience through focused marketing, interactive social media campaigns, and cell and mobile linked advertising all targeted to connect to the 145 million + U.S. adults who go online for health answers . The old saying â€Å" time is money† is accurate in the case of pharmaceutical companies as it takes upwards of 15 years to develop a potential drug which only has a 8% probability of getting out of trials and going to market. Therefore it is a necessity to carefully control costs and expenses where possible. One major area of expense has been having marketing representatives which were costing out as high as15 to 20% of a pharmaceutical companies annual drug product revenues. As pharmaceutical company overall expenses and costs have additionally escalated over the last few generations there is a need to reduce expenses down where possible. So the switch from costly pharmaceutical representatives to cheaper graphic marketing is easily understood. Finkelstein (1997) wrote that Competitive and technological changes in the pharmaceutical industry-from powerful new drug chemistries to innovative RD partnerships and marketing plans-are reshaping the business strategies of many phar maceutical and biotechnology companies Given these cost pressures it is understandable that the pharmaceutical companies are looking for better ways to market their drugs. The newest strategy is now to promote what is known as marketing blockbuster medical drugs directly to the consumer public. The idea was to empower the consumer. Right now only the United States and New Zealand allow pharmaceutical products promoted by DTC (Pharmaceutical Drug Manufacturers, 2011). When an individual consumer requests information and the medicine by name by their Doctor some of the responsibility while also applying pressure on the doctor to prescribe the new medicine. Additionally both the small and large pharmaceutical companies are now using digital media to promote their products. From TV and cable to Internet ads consumers are constantly being made aware of the virtues and minor drawbacks of a number specific pharmaceutical drugs. The reasoning behind this strategy by the pharmaceutical companies is relatively simple, if they can promote their products and make its trade name and cure synonymous with the ongoing medical complaint in the publics mind, then they can create momentum utilizing the end customer. Another reason for doing this is to get any of their major blockbuster drugs to pay for the company costs for their other company made drugs sold in smaller volumes Another reason for marketing these blockbuster drugs as to make a success of these drugs synonymous with the company name creating consumer goodwill towards the next product. The latest trend is for reduction in the number of blockbuster drugs and pharmaceutical companies delvin g back into their former research to find potential missing new specialized drugs, .this can be seen clearly by the reduction in applications to the FDA showing ever reducing numbers of new drugs. Another complication that pharmaceutical companies must contend with is the ever-growing number of over-the-counter substitutes (OTCs) that the consumers choose to purchase as an alternative. Over a period of 20 years Naprosyn was widely prescribed as an arthritis remedy but now is available as an over-the-counter drug. A whole spectrum of drugs from arthritis to antihistamines are now available without prescription providing relief to customers but adding little to the economic bottom line of pharmaceutical companies that originally developed these drugs. Another complication in drug marketing is the force exerted by HMOs on doctors and what doctors prescribe .Generally the majority of HMOs are not big on covering high prescription costs for new medicines recently brought to market. The economics are easily understandable because it is not about a single client which needs a single drug but the numbers are multiplied by the potential hundreds of thousands. Therefore HMOs seek to be conservative. And because of that they create a potential customer roadblock for pharmaceutical companies with the new drug on the market at a very high price. Because of the HMO will not cove r the price then the customer must, which generally means the consumer settles for less than the newest product. managed care organizations (MCO), compared with 5 per cent of the US population covered in 1980. These MCOs typically provided full coverage for prescription drugs. But, because of their sheer mass, these institutions had considerable bargaining power with drug companies If present industry overview is taken into consideration then the global pharmaceutical market in 2010 is projected to grow 4 6% exceeding $825 billion. The global pharmaceutical market sales is expected to grow at a 4 7% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) through 2013. This industry growth is driven by stronger near-term growth in the US market and is based on the global macroeconomy, the changing combination of innovative and mature products apart from the rising influence of healthcare access and funding on market demand. Global pharmaceutical market value is expected to expand to $975+ billion by 2013. Different regions of the world will influence the pharmaceutical industry trends in different ways. http://www.da-group.co.uk/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=31%3Amicro-and-macro-environmentscatid=2%3Amarketing-lecturesItemid=3 CURRENT CHALLENGES FOR THE RESEARCH-BASED INDUSTRY To understand why â€Å"business as usual† is no longer an option for the research-based drug industry, it is worth considering some of the myriad challenges that drug companies currently face. At the top of the list is the upcoming onslaught of patent expirations of many highrevenue- generating branded medicines. Between 2009 and 2012, worldwide sales for these products will exceed $112 billion (Table 1). Included in this list are 36 blockbusters (drugs with annual sales of $1 billion or more). Some important examples include Singulair (montelukast), with more than $4 billion in annual sales (patent expiration in 2012); Plavix (clopidogrel), with more than $8 billion in annual sales (patent expiration in 2011); and Lipitor (atorvastatin), with an industry-leading $13.7 billion in annual sales (patent expiration in 2010). Given that only 3 in 10 new products, on average, generate revenues equal to or greater than average industry RD costs,1 the loss of patent protection on the se blockbusters represents a very real threat to the industrys ability to sustain its own growth. Without question, many of the large pharma mergers and acquisitions announced in 2009 reflect the industrys desire to avoid the imminent danger of the patent cliff, rather than an interest in enhancing RD capabilities or scope. The current environment for innovation presents formidable economic, regulatory, and political challenges for the research-based pharmaceutical industry. In particular, the growing time, cost, and risk related to drug development are stubborn obstacles to filling industry pipelines and boosting the output of new pharmaceutical and biological products. Presented here is a model of an innovation network. Although structures may vary, the innovation network offers the best mechanism to ensure viability and economic success for all sectors of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, as well as the uninterrupted flow of innovative lifesaving and life-improving medicines for waiting patients. The Rise of Contract Research Organizations Clinical trials are administered by investigators at hospitals, academic institutions or managed sites. The investigators find and enroll healthy and symptomatic volunteers, each of whom is required to sign an informed consent acknowledging acceptance of the drug and its potential side effects. The testing protocol and informed consent form are monitored by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) in the sites where the trials are conducted. In essence, the IRB acts as an ethics committee to ensure the safety of patients and volunteers. Once clinical trials are completed, the data are subjected to biostatistical analysis over a 6 to 12 month period.3 If the data yield promising results, the sponsor seeks final approval though a New Drug Application (NDA). The NDA must contain all scientific information the sponsor has gathered and typically fills 100,000 pages or more.4 During the review period, the FDA assesses the safety and effectiveness of th e drug, the manufacturing process, and the risk-benefit calculus.5 By law, the FDA has 180 days to either approve the application or notify the sponsor of the opportunity to request a hearing on the merits of the application.6 In practice, however, the FDA review process takes more than two years; in 1996, for example, the mean approval time for NDAs was 17.8 months, down from over 30 months during the late 1980s.7 Following approval, the FDA may require additional post-market research. Post-market surveillance regulations require the sponsor to collect and periodically report additional safety and efficacy data.8 In addition, the FDA may request further clinical research (Phase IV) to find new uses for the drug, test dosage formulations, compare the drug to competitors treatments, and assess long-term effects.9 Finally, pharmaceutical Conclusions A continuous call for ethical standards by pharmaceutical companies that market in the United States is often put aside because company marketing and business model of making profits matter more.(Pharmaceutical Drug Manufacturer, 2011). Brezis (2008) writes that the US public will lose out in the long run because the pharmaceutical companies are more focused on marketing and profits than about public health. Drug trial deaths still happen and have been described as a trade secret. It is not just one of the big pharmaceutical companies by Johnson Johnson, Merick and others whose own safety documents raise concerns that are buried in stacks of papers while marketing continues (Brezis, 2008). But this is offset by the ability of both the doctor and patient to use the Internet to search out the detailed information and become truly informed. Each of them can then make an informed decision about the benefits and potential drawbacks of using pharmaceuticals.

Comparing the poems Neutral Tones and Absence Essay -- English Literat

Comparing the poems Neutral Tones and Absence Both the poems 'Neutral Tones' by Thomas Hardy and 'Absence' by Elizabeth Jennings mention and describe the poets' feelings about losing their partners. Even though the general theme, the loss of love, is the same, many features such as tone, imagery, language and rhyme scheme differ from each other. Hardy emphasises more on his feelings towards his break up. He doesn't actually mention how he feels, but instead, the imagery he uses and the way he describes his ex-girlfriend shows that he feels broken and angry. The tone in this poem is very solemn and dull, though it is quite strong in some areas like "The smile on your mouth was the deadest thing" and "your face, and the God-curst sun grayish leaves". Hardy also got more vigorous and frustrated towards the end of the poem. In Jennings's poem, the tone is much different. Unlike Hardy, she describes her surroundings and loneliness, not how her partner looks like. Jennings's poem builds up from a calm tone to an irritated one. The first stanza of 'Absence' describes her surroundings, the second, how she is alone and in the third, how her loneliness affects her. The last stanza is the fiercest, much more vigorous compared to the first stanza. "For under all the gentleness there came an earthquake tremor" The second stanza of her poem is like the balance between the first and last stanza. This stanza links her cheerful images to her exasperation. "Singing an ecstasy I could not share, played cunning in my thoughts" Jennings's poem is also more 'factual' as she talks more about the scenery around her - "The fountains sprayed their usual steady jet". The tone in this poem is steady, and her anger builds gradual... ...e landscape, colours, and facial features to convey his heart brokenness. I liked the way Hardy chose an aggravated tone for his poem and how he has developed it towards the end to describe his girlfriend's face. From his poem, I could actually feel Hardy's devastation because he even brought in the bitter side of nature to enhance his feelings. Hardy also had a dramatic ending where he used the alliteration "wrings with wrongs". I also liked the way Hardy had combined all his anger and problems and merged them into his ex-girlfriend's face. I think Hardy was successful in using imagery by describing the surroundings in the beginning of the poem and concluding with the surroundings as well. Hardy's choice of language was also appropriate to describe his emotions. All in all, I think Hardy was very successful in using vivid imagery to portray his feelings.

Compare and Contrast Rupert Brookes The Solider with Wilfred Owens Du

Compare and Contrast Rupert Brooke's The Solider with Wilfred Owen's Dulce et Decorum Est. Although 'The Soldier' by Rupert Brooke and 'Dulce et Decorum Est' by Wilfred Owen are concerned with the common theme of war, the two poems contrast two very different views of war. 'The Soldier' gives a very positive view of war, whereas Owen's portrayal is negative to the extreme. Rupert Brooke's 'The Soldier' is very patriotic as Brooke loves his country and is ready to die for it. This perhaps is not surprising as it was written in the first few months of war when the whole country was swept by a tide of patriotic fervour. Rather ironically for a war poem 'The Soldier' is a peaceful poem, as it doesn't describe the blood and death of war like 'Dulce et Decorum Est.'. Brooke's love for his country, however, is somewhat jingoistic and his view of England is rather sentimental. There are many examples of his love for his country, one of which is 'A body of England's, breathing English air.' Brooke also thinks that his country is superior to any other land: 'a richer dust concealed '. To an outsider this is a rather conceited view; thinking that an Englishman's rotting corpse would act as some superior fertilizer. But to his patriotic readers, this only intensified his main arguing point; his conviction that England is worth dying for. Brooke's purpose for writing such a one-sided poem was to give a morale booster to his audience and to demonstrate his deep love for his country. The poem is very powerful and no doubt had a very positive effect on these reluctant to join the army. The poem effectively demonstrates that this is a cause and country undoubtedly worth fighting for. Brooke's belief that God is... ...some of the best anti-war poetry ever written. Looking back over time, we can easily be critical of Brooke's rather naÃÆ'Â ¯ve view of war. But to be fair, he could not know what the next three years of war would bring and was only reflecting the patriotic mood of the early months of war. His view is much influenced by the Victorian poets, such as Tennyson, whose 'Charge of the Light Brigade' saw war as romantic and glorious with valiant cavalrymen charging the enemy on horses. But the First World War was to change all that. This was a twentieth century war with aeroplanes, machine-guns, tanks and gas, which Owen witnessed at first-hand and through his pen, changed not only war poetry, but how future generations have thought about war and the horrors it brings: And watch the white eyes writhing in his face. His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin.

Houses: Shelter to the Physical and Emotional Well-Being

Sandra Cisneros’   Ã¢â‚¬Å"The House on Mango Street† is not just another coming-of-age story; it is also a story that has been written to conquer the personal difficulties of a Latina writer.  Ã‚   Being Latina, she does not have many â€Å"Chicano role models† (Klein 21), but she has strived to express herself in writing, nonetheless.   In the 1988 collection of fifty four vignettes, Cisneros makes the narrator, Esperanza, come alive through experiences ultimately caused by being poor, female, and a minority, while giving the house the title role as it encompasses the dreams of families from any race: having a home to call their own. It is Cisneros’ way of dealing with the issues she herself has faced as a Latina is through her perseverance that they do not remain mere issues (O'Malley 35), but full-blooded experiences of a girl named Esperanza.   In the short story with the same name, Cisneros focuses on the dream of acquiring a home.   Therefore, this coming-of-age short story emphasizes on the importance of the physical house to the emotional growth and identity of its residents. Esperanza relates the many times her family has to move from rented house or apartment to another:   â€Å"We didn’t always live on Mango Street.   Before that we lived on Loomis on the third floor and before that we lived on Keeler.   Before Keeler it was Paulina, and before that I can’t remember. But I remember most was moving a lot† (Cisneros 290). Mango Street is a change from all the moving because the family finally does â€Å"not have to pay rent†; the house is supposed to be theirs   (Cisneros 291). However, the house still has some disappointments in store for Esperanza and her family.   The house is not what Esperanza imagines a real house that they can proudly call their own to be. â€Å"In the United States in particular, the house is more than just shelter; it is a national institution almost as sacred as the American flag.   In home ownership, the American dream and the American way are manifest: the civic values of individualism, economic success and self-sufficiency are asserted† (Kaup 361). Esperanza and her family are striving to reach that American dream, to stop being substandard citizens who get to be asked disbelievingly by people â€Å"You live there?† (Cisneros 291).   According to Esperanza the way it was asked made her â€Å"feel like nothing†.     Ã‚  This is how sometimes people are judged by the house they live in.   The house also affects the psyche of its residents.   A clean, well-kept house may contribute to a clearer outlook while a house which reflects poverty can be a cause for shame, such as in the case of Esperanza and her family’s house on Mango Street (Klein 23). The short story â€Å"The House on Mango Street† may be very brief, but according to Thomas O’ Malley, an English teacher, he considers â€Å"Cisneros’ writing† as â€Å"poetry† and thinks that â€Å"her characters speak poetic dialogue† that has not been heard â€Å"since Shakespeare moved out of the hood (O'Malley 35). It is probably Cisneros’ identification with Esperanza’s experiences that make her write them vividly and with the right tone. She understands what Esperanza is going through, and she makes sure that she uses simple language as appropriate to that of a little girl’s. It is also important to note that like other Latin American writers, Sandra Cisneros emphasizes on the â€Å"reinvention† of the English language when put side by side with other languages (Wolf 61).   Esperanza is not just a little girl, she is also a bilingual girl therefore there are two reasons behind the use of simple language. The story being added to a curriculum may be questioned by some English Literature students (Romero and Zancanella 26), but studying the story is not a waste of time at all even for non-Latinos.   In fact, other students are curious about â€Å"the line between fiction and reality† in the short story, having known Sandra Cisneros’ somewhat similar background (O'Malley 37). It not only opens the eyes to the world of Latinos but also expresses the universal need to feel secure with both shelter and identity.   The house on Mango Street is not a useless location for the story; it develops a character of its own.  Ã‚   It is used as a symbol for a person’s status in life, and possibly the person’s emotional state. The House on Mango Street relates a story of poverty and of a family’s search for a home to call their own.   However, what makes this story worth reading is that although there are many trials for Esperanza’s family, their story ends with Esperanza thinking hopefully:   â€Å"I knew then that I had to have a house.   A real house. One I could point to.   But this isn’t it.   The house on Mango Street isn’t it. For the time being.   Mama says. Temporary, says Papa.   But I know how things go† (Cisneros 291).   The last sentence diminishes that hope but the desire to have a real house is already in Esperanza’s heart.   She has the desire to improve her family’s situation and she does not want to remain trapped in rented houses, or even houses like the house on Mango Street.   However, this does not mean that Esperanza does not recognize the irony in what her parents have promised. Rudolfo Anaya is another Chicano writer who, like Cisneros, creates â€Å"protagonists who, like themselves, have no models, but were possessed by destiny, by inclination and by courage (Klein 22)†¦Ã¢â‚¬  to reach their goals.   He differs from Cisneros in his more active childhood and his stories which focus more on the development of a male protagonist. Related article: Arguments Made in Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry As a conclusion, â€Å"The House on Mango Street† is a story that does not only explore the development of a young girl called Esperanza, it also tells how the different houses she has lived in, including the house on Mango Street, contribute to her emotional growth and recognition of self-worth.   The house on Mango Street is not only present to provide a literal roof over the head of Esperanza’s family, it affects their very identity. Works Cited Cisneros, Sandra. â€Å"The House on Mango Street.† n.d. 290-291. Kaup, Monika. â€Å"The Architecture of Ethnicity in Chicano Literature.† American Literature,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Vol. 69, no. 2 (June 1997): 361-397. Klein, Dianne. â€Å"Coming of Age in the Novels of Rudolfo Anaya and Sandra Cisneros.† The   Ã‚  Ã‚   English Journal Vol. 81, No. 5 (September 1992): 21-26. O’Malley, Thomas F. â€Å"A Ride Down Mango Street.† The English Journal Vol. 86, No. 8 (December 1997): 35-37. Romero, Patricia Ann and Don Zancanella. â€Å"Expanding the Circle: Hispanic Voices in American Literature.† The English Journal, Vol. 79, No. 1 (January 1990): 24-29. Wolf, Dennie Palmer. â€Å"Of Courses: The Pacesetter Initiative and the Need for Curriculum-Based School.† The English Journal, Vol. 84, No. 1 (January 1995): 60-68.      

Rationalism: Empiricism and Knowledge Essay

First published Thu Aug 19, 2004; substantive revision Thu Mar 21, 2013 The dispute between rationalism and empiricism concerns the extent to which we are dependent upon sense experience in our effort to gain knowledge. Rationalists claim that there are significant ways in which our concepts and knowledge are gained independently of sense experience. Empiricists claim that sense experience is the ultimate source of all our concepts and knowledge. Rationalists generally develop their view in two ways. First, they argue that there are cases where the content of our concepts or knowledge outstrips the information that sense experience can provide. Second, they construct accounts of how reason in some form or other provides that additional information about the world. Empiricists present complementary lines of thought. First, they develop accounts of how experience provides the information that rationalists cite, insofar as we have it in the first place. (Empiricists will at times opt for skepticism as an alternative to rationalism: if experience cannot provide the concepts or knowledge the rationalists cite, then we don’t have them.) Second, empiricists attack the rationalists’ accounts of how reason is a source of concepts or knowledge. 1. Introduction The dispute between rationalism and empiricism takes place within epistemology, the branch of philosophy devoted to studying the nature, sources and limits of knowledge. The defining questions of epistemology include the following. 1. What is the nature of propositional knowledge, knowledge that a particular proposition about the world is true? To know a proposition, we must believe it and it must be true, but something more is required, something that distinguishes knowledge from a lucky guess. Let’s call this additional element ‘warrant’. A good deal of philosophical work has been invested in trying to determine the nature of warrant. 2. How can we gain knowledge? We can form true beliefs just by making lucky guesses. How to gain warranted beliefs is less clear. Moreover, to know the world, we must think about it, and it is unclear how we gain the concepts we use in thought or what assurance, if any, we have that the ways in which we divide up the world using our concepts correspond to divisions that actually exist. 3. What are the limits of our knowledge? Some aspects of the world may be within the limits of our thought but beyond the limits of our knowledge; faced with competing descriptions of them, we cannot know which description is true. Some aspects of the world may even be beyond the limits of our thought, so that we cannot form intelligible descriptions of them, let alone know that a particular description is true. The disagreement between rationalists and empiricists primarily concerns the second question, regarding the sources of our concepts and knowledge. In some instances, their disagreement on this topic leads them to give conflicting responses to the other questions as well. They may disagree over the nature of warrant or about the limits of our thought and knowledge. Our focus here will be on the competing rationalist and empiricist responses to the second question. 1. 1 Rationalism To be a rationalist is to adopt at least one of three claims. The Intuition/Deduction thesis concerns how we become warranted in believing propositions in a particular subject area. The Intuition/Deduction Thesis: Some propositions in a particular subject area, S, are knowable by us by intuition alone; still others are knowable by being deduced from intuited propositions. Intuition is a form of rational insight. Intellectually grasping a proposition, we just â€Å"see† it to be true in such a way as to form a true, warranted belief in it. (As discussed in Section 2 below, the nature of this intellectual â€Å"seeing† needs explanation. ) Deduction is a process in which we derive conclusions from intuited premises through valid arguments, ones in which the conclusion must be true if the premises are true. We intuit, for example, that the number three is prime and that it is greater than two. We then deduce from this knowledge that there is a prime number greater than two. Intuition and deduction thus provide us with knowledge a priori, which is to say knowledge gained independently of sense experience. We can generate different versions of the Intuition/Deduction thesis by substituting different subject areas for the variable ‘S’. Some rationalists take mathematics to be knowable by intuition and deduction. Some place ethical truths in this category. Some include metaphysical claims, such as that God exists, we have free will, and our mind and body are distinct substances. The more propositions rationalists include within the range of intuition and deduction, and the more controversial the truth of those propositions or the claims to know them, the more radical their rationalism. Rationalists also vary the strength of their view by adjusting their understanding of warrant. Some take warranted beliefs to be beyond even the slightest doubt and claim that intuition and deduction provide beliefs of this high epistemic status. Others interpret warrant more conservatively, say as belief beyond a reasonable doubt, and claim that intuition and deduction provide beliefs of that caliber. Still another dimension of rationalism depends on how its proponents understand the connection between intuition, on the one hand, and truth, on the other. Some take intuition to be infallible, claiming that whatever we intuit must be true. Others allow for the possibility of false intuited propositions. The second thesis associated with rationalism is the Innate Knowledge thesis. The Innate Knowledge Thesis: We have knowledge of some truths in a particular subject area, S, as part of our rational nature. Like the Intuition/Deduction thesis, the Innate Knowledge thesis asserts the existence of knowledge gained a priori, independently of experience. The difference between them rests in the accompanying understanding of how this a priori knowledge is gained. The Intuition/Deduction thesis cites intuition and subsequent deductive reasoning. The Innate Knowledge thesis offers our rational nature. Our innate knowledge is not learned through either sense experience or intuition and deduction. It is just part of our nature. Experiences may trigger a process by which we bring this knowledge to consciousness, but the experiences do not provide us with the knowledge itself. It has in some way been with us all along. According to some rationalists, we gained the knowledge in an earlier existence. According to others, God provided us with it at creation. Still others say it is part of our nature through natural selection. We get different versions of the Innate Knowledge thesis by substituting different subject areas for the variable ‘S’. Once again, the more subjects included within the range of the thesis or the more controversial the claim to have knowledge in them, the more radical the form of rationalism. Stronger and weaker understandings of warrant yield stronger and weaker versions of the thesis as well. The third important thesis of rationalism is the Innate Concept thesis. The Innate Concept Thesis: We have some of the concepts we employ in a particular subject area, S, as part of our rational nature. According to the Innate Concept thesis, some of our concepts are not gained from experience. They are part of our rational nature in such a way that, while sense experiences may trigger a process by which they are brought to consciousness, experience does not provide the concepts or determine the information they contain. Some claim that the Innate Concept thesis is entailed by the Innate Knowledge Thesis; a particular instance of knowledge can only be innate if the concepts that are contained in the known proposition are also innate. This is Locke’s position (1690, Book I, Chapter IV, Section 1, p. 91). Others, such as Carruthers, argue against this connection (1992, pp. 53–54). The content and strength of the Innate Concept thesis varies with the concepts claimed to be innate. The more a concept seems removed from experience and the mental operations we can perform on experience the more plausibly it may be claimed to be innate. Since we do not experience perfect triangles but do experience pains, our concept of the former is a more promising candidate for being innate than our concept of the latter. The Intuition/Deduction thesis, the Innate Knowledge thesis, and the Innate Concept thesis are essential to rationalism: to be a rationalist is to adopt at least one of them. Two other closely related theses are generally adopted by rationalists, although one can certainly be a rationalist without adopting either of them. The first is that experience cannot provide what we gain from reason. The Indispensability of Reason Thesis: The knowledge we gain in subject area, S, by intuition and deduction, as well as the ideas and instances of knowledge in S that are innate to us, could not have been gained by us through sense experience. The second is that reason is superior to experience as a source of knowledge. The Superiority of Reason Thesis: The knowledge we gain in subject area S by intuition and deduction or have innately is superior to any knowledge gained by sense experience. How reason is superior needs explanation, and rationalists have offered different accounts. One view, generally associated with Descartes (1628, Rules II and III, pp. 1–4), is that what we know a priori is certain, beyond even the slightest doubt, while what we believe, or even know, on the basis of sense experience is at least somewhat uncertain. Another view, generally associated with Plato. (Republic 479e-484c), locates the superiority of a priori knowledge in the objects known. What we know by reason alone, a Platonic form, say, is superior in an important metaphysical way, e. g. unchanging, eternal, perfect, a higher degree of being, to what we are aware of through sense experience. Most forms of rationalism involve notable commitments to other philosophical positions. One is a commitment to the denial of scepticism for at least some area of knowledge. If we claim to know some truths by intuition or deduction or to have some innate knowledge, we obviously reject scepticism with regard to those truths. Rationalism in the form of the Intuition/Deduction thesis is also committed to epistemic foundationalism, the view that we know some truths without basing our belief in them on any others and that we then use this foundational knowledge to know more truths. 1. 2 Empiricism Empiricists endorse the following claim for some subject area. The Empiricism Thesis: We have no source of knowledge in S or for the concepts we use in S other than sense experience. Empiricism about a particular subject rejects the corresponding version of the Intuition/Deduction thesis and Innate Knowledge thesis. Insofar as we have knowledge in the subject, our knowledge is a posteriori, dependent upon sense experience. Empiricists also deny the implication of the corresponding Innate Concept thesis that we have innate ideas in the subject area. Sense experience is our only source of ideas. They reject the corresponding version of the Superiority of Reason thesis. Since reason alone does not give us any knowledge, it certainly does not give us superior knowledge. Empiricists generally reject the Indispensability of Reason thesis, though they need not. The Empiricism thesis does not entail that we have empirical knowledge. It entails that knowledge can only be gained, if at all, by experience. Empiricists may assert, as some do for some subjects, that the rationalists are correct to claim that experience cannot give us knowledge. The conclusion they draw from this rationalist lesson is that we do not know at all. I have stated the basic claims of rationalism and empiricism so that each is relative to a particular subject area. Rationalism and empiricism, so relativized, need not conflict. We can be rationalists in mathematics or a particular area of mathematics and empiricists in all or some of the physical sciences. Rationalism and empiricism only conflict when formulated to cover the same subject. Then the debate, Rationalism vs. Empiricism, is joined. The fact that philosophers can be both rationalists and empiricists has implications for the classification schemes often employed in the history of philosophy, especially the one traditionally used to describe the Early Modern Period of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries leading up to Kant. It is standard practice to group the major philosophers of this period as either rationalists or empiricists and to suggest that those under one heading share a common agenda in opposition to those under the other. Thus, Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz are the Continental Rationalists in opposition to Locke, Berkeley and Hume, the British Empiricists. We should adopt such general classification schemes with caution. The views of the individual philosophers are more subtle and complex than the simple-minded classification suggests. (See Loeb (1981) and Kenny (1986) for important discussions of this point.) Locke rejects rationalism in the form of any version of the Innate Knowledge or Innate Concept theses, but he nonetheless adopts the Intuition/Deduction thesis with regard to our knowledge of God’s existence. Descartes and Locke have remarkably similar views on the nature of our ideas, even though Descartes takes many to be innate, while Locke ties them all to experience. The rationalist/empiricist classification also encourages us to expect the philosophers on each side of the divide to have common research programs in areas beyond epistemology. Thus, Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz are mistakenly seen as applying a reason-centered epistemology to a common metaphysical agenda, with each trying to improve on the efforts of the one before, while Locke, Berkeley and Hume are mistakenly seen as gradually rejecting those metaphysical claims, with each consciously trying to improve on the efforts of his predecessors. It is also important to note that the Rationalist/Empiricist distinction is not exhaustive of the possible sources of knowledge. One might claim, for example, that we can gain knowledge in a particular area by a form of Divine revelation or insight that is a product of neither reason nor sense experience. In short, when used carelessly, the labels ‘rationalist’ and ‘empiricist,’ as well as the slogan that is the title of this essay, ‘Rationalism vs. Empiricism,’ can retard rather than advance our understanding. Nonetheless, an important debate properly described as ‘Rationalism vs. Empiricism’ is joined whenever the claims for each view are formulated to cover the same subject. What is perhaps the most interesting form of the debate occurs when we take the relevant subject to be truths about the external world, the world beyond our own minds. A full-fledged rationalist with regard to our knowledge of the external world holds that some external world truths can and must be known a priori, that some of the ideas required for that knowledge are and must be innate, and that this knowledge is superior to any that experience could ever provide. The full-fledged empiricist about our knowledge of the external world replies that, when it comes to the nature of the world beyond our own minds, experience is our sole source of information. Reason might inform us of the relations among our ideas, but those ideas themselves can only be gained, and any truths about the external reality they represent can only be known, on the basis of sense experience. This debate concerning our knowledge of the external world will generally be our main focus in what follows. Historically, the rationalist/empiricist dispute in epistemology has extended into the area of metaphysics, where philosophers are concerned with the basic nature of reality, including the existence of God and such aspects of our nature as freewill and the relation between the mind and body. Major rationalists (e. g. , Descartes 1641) have presented metaphysical theories, which they have claimed to know by reason alone. Major empiricists (e. g. Hume 1739–40) have rejected the theories as either speculation, beyond what we can learn from experience, or nonsensical attempts to describe aspects of the world beyond the concepts experience can provide. The debate raises the issue of metaphysics as an area of knowledge. Kant puts the driving assumption clearly: The very concept of metaphysics ensures that the sources of metaphysics can’t be empirical. If something could be known through the senses, that would automatically show that it doesn’t belong to metaphysics; that’s an upshot of the meaning of the word ‘metaphysics. ‘ Its basic principles can never be taken from experience, nor can its basic concepts; for it is not to be physical but metaphysical knowledge, so it must be beyond experience. [1783, Preamble, I, p. 7] The possibility then of metaphysics so understood, as an area of human knowledge, hinges on how we resolve the rationalist/empiricist debate. The debate also extends into ethics. Some moral objectivists (e. g. , Ross 1930) take us to know some fundamental objective moral truths by intuition, while some moral skeptics, who reject such knowledge, (e. g. , Mackie 1977) find the appeal to a faculty of moral intuition utterly implausible. More recently, the rationalist/empiricist debate has extended to discussions (e. g. , Bealer 1999, and Alexander & Weinberg 2007) of the very nature of philosophical inquiry: to what extent are philosophical questions to be answered by appeals to reason or experience? 2. The Intuition/Deduction Thesis The Intuition/Deduction thesis claims that we can know some propositions by intuition and still more by deduction. Many empiricists (e. g. , Hume 1748) have been willing to accept the thesis so long as it is restricted to propositions solely about the relations among our own concepts. We can, they agree, know by intuition that our concept of God includes our concept of omniscience. Just by examining the concepts, we can intellectually grasp that the one includes the other. The debate between rationalists and empiricists is joined when the former assert, and the latter deny, the Intuition/Deduction Thesis with regard to propositions that contain substantive information about the external world. Rationalists, such as Descartes, have claimed that we can know by intuition and deduction that God exists and created the world, that our mind and body are distinct substances, and that the angles of a triangle equal two right angles, where all of these claims are truths about an external reality independent of our thought. Such substantive versions of the Intuition/Deduction thesis are our concern in this section. One defense of the Intuition/Deduction thesis assumes that we know some substantive external world truths, adds an analysis of what knowledge requires, and concludes that our knowledge must result from intuition and deduction. Descartes claims that knowledge requires certainty and that certainty about the external world is beyond what empirical evidence can provide. We can never be sure our sensory impressions are not part of a dream or a massive, demon orchestrated, deception. Only intuition and deduction can provide the certainty needed for knowledge, and, given that we have some substantive knowledge of the external world, the Intuition/Deduction thesis is true. As Descartes tells us, â€Å"all knowledge is certain and evident cognition† (1628, Rule II, p. 1) and when we â€Å"review all the actions of the intellect by means of which we are able to arrive at a knowledge of things with no fear of being mistaken,† we â€Å"recognize only two: intuition and deduction† (1628, Rule III, p. 3). This line of argument is one of the least compelling in the rationalist arsenal. First, the assumption that knowledge requires certainty comes at a heavy cost, as it rules out so much of what we commonly take ourselves to know. Second, as many contemporary rationalists accept, intuition is not always a source of certain knowledge. The possibility of a deceiver gives us a reason to doubt our intuitions as well as our empirical beliefs. For all we know, a deceiver might cause us to intuit false propositions, just as one might cause us to have perceptions of nonexistent objects. Descartes’s classic way of meeting this challenge in the Meditations is to argue that we can know with certainty that no such deceiver interferes with our intuitions and deductions. They are infallible, as God guarantees their truth. The problem, known as the Cartesian Circle, is that Descartes’s account of how we gain this knowledge begs the question, by attempting to deduce the conclusion that all our intuitions are true from intuited premises. Moreover, his account does not touch a remaining problem that he himself notes (1628, Rule VII, p.7): Deductions of any appreciable length rely on our fallible memory. A more plausible argument for the Intuition/Deduction thesis again assumes that we know some particular, external world truths, and then appeals to the nature of what we know, rather than to the nature of knowledge itself, to argue that our knowledge must result from intuition and deduction. Leibniz (1704) tells us the following. The senses, although they are necessary for all our actual knowledge, are not sufficient to give us the whole of it, since the senses never give anything but instances, that is to say particular or individual truths. Now all the instances which confirm a general truth, however numerous they may be, are not sufficient to establish the universal necessity of this same truth, for it does not follow that what happened before will happen in the same way again. †¦ From which it appears that necessary truths, such as we find in pure mathematics, and particularly in arithmetic and geometry, must have principles whose proof does not depend on instances, nor consequently on the testimony of the senses, although without the senses it would never have occurred to us to think of them†¦ (1704, Preface, pp.150–151) Leibniz goes on to describe our mathematical knowledge as â€Å"innate,† and his argument may be directed to support the Innate Knowledge Thesis rather than the Intuition/Deduction Thesis. For our purposes here, we can relate it to the latter, however: We have substantive knowledge about the external world in mathematics, and what we know in that area, we know to be necessarily true. Experience cannot warrant beliefs about what is necessarily the case. Hence, experience cannot be the source of our knowledge. The best explanation of our knowledge is that we gain it by intuition and deduction. Leibniz mentions logic, metaphysics and morals as other areas in which our knowledge similarly outstrips what experience can provide. Judgments in logic and metaphysics involve forms of necessity beyond what experience can support. Judgments in morals involve a form of obligation or value that lies beyond experience, which only informs us about what is the case rather than about what ought to be. The strength of this argument varies with its examples of purported knowledge. Insofar as we focus on controversial claims in metaphysics, e. g.that God exists, that our mind is a distinct substance from our body, the initial premise that we know the claims is less than compelling. Taken with regard to other areas, however, the argument clearly has legs. We know a great deal of mathematics, and what we know, we know to be necessarily true. None of our experiences warrants a belief in such necessity, and we do not seem to base our knowledge on any experiences. The warrant that provides us with knowledge arises from an intellectual grasp of the propositions which is clearly part of our learning. Similarly, we seem to have such moral knowledge as that, all other things being equal, it is wrong to break a promise and that pleasure is intrinsically good. No empirical lesson about how things are can warrant such knowledge of how they ought to be. This argument for the Intuition/Deduction Thesis raises additional questions which rationalists must answer. Insofar as they maintain that our knowledge of necessary truths in mathematics or elsewhere by intuition and deduction is substantive knowledge of the external world, they owe us an account of this form of necessity. Many empiricists stand ready to argue that â€Å"necessity resides in the way we talk about things, not in the things we talk about† (Quine 1966, p. 174). Similarly, if rationalists claim that our knowledge in morals is knowledge of an objective form of obligation, they owe us an account of how objective values are part of a world of apparently valueless facts. Perhaps most of all, rationalist defenders of the Intuition/Deduction thesis owe us an account of what intuition is and how it provides warranted true beliefs about the external world. What is it to intuit a proposition and how does that act of intuition support a warranted belief? Their argument presents intuition and deduction as an explanation of assumed knowledge that can’t—they say—be explained by experience, but such an explanation by intuition and deduction requires that we have a clear understanding of intuition and how it supports warranted beliefs. Metaphorical characterizations of intuition as intellectual â€Å"grasping† or â€Å"seeing† are not enough, and if intuition is some form of intellectual â€Å"grasping,† it appears that all that is grasped is relations among our concepts, rather than facts about the external world. Moreover, any intellectual faculty, whether it be sense perception or intuition, provides us with warranted beliefs only if it is generally reliable. The reliability of sense perception stems from the causal connection between how external objects are and how we experience them. What accounts for the reliability of our intuitions regarding the external world? Is our intuition of a particular true proposition the outcome of some causal interaction between ourselves and some aspect of the world? What aspect? What is the nature of this causal interaction? That the number three is prime does not appear to cause anything, let alone our intuition that it is prime. These issues are made all the more pressing by the classic empiricist response to the argument. The reply is generally credited to Hume and begins with a division of all true propositions into two categories. All the objects of human reason or inquiry may naturally be divided into two kinds, to wit, â€Å"Relations of Ideas,† and â€Å"Matters of Fact. † Of the first are the sciences of Geometry, Algebra, and Arithmetic, and, in short, every affirmation which is either intuitively or demonstratively certain. That the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the square of the two sides is a proposition which expresses a relation between these figures. That three times five is equal to half of thirty expresses a relation between these numbers. Propositions of this kind are discoverable by the mere operation of thought, without dependence on what is anywhere existent in the universe. Though there never were a circle or triangle in nature, the truths demonstrated by Euclid would forever retain their certainty and evidence. Matters of fact, which are the second objects of human reason, are not ascertained in the same manner, nor is our evidence of their truth, however great, of a like nature with the foregoing. The contrary of every matter of fact is still possible, because it can never imply a contradiction and is conceived by the mind with the same facility and distinctness as if ever so conformable to reality. (Hume 1748, Section IV, Part 1, p. 40) Intuition and deduction can provide us with knowledge of necessary truths such as those found in mathematics and logic, but such knowledge is not substantive knowledge of the external world. It is only knowledge of the relations of our own ideas. If the rationalist shifts the argument so it appeals to knowledge in morals, Hume’s reply is to offer an analysis of our moral concepts by which such knowledge is empirically gained knowledge of matters of fact. Morals and criticism are not so properly objects of the understanding as of taste and sentiment. Beauty, whether moral or natural, is felt more properly than perceived. Or if we reason concerning it and endeavor to fix the standard, we regard a new fact, to wit, the general taste of mankind, or some other fact which may be the object of reasoning and inquiry. (Hume 1748, Section XII, Part 3, p. 173) If the rationalist appeals to our knowledge in metaphysics to support the argument, Hume denies that we have such knowledge. If we take in our hand any volume–of divinity or school metaphysics, for instance–let us ask, Does it contain any abstract reasoning concerning quantity or number? No. Does it contain any experimental reasoning concerning matter of fact and existence? No. Commit it then to the flames, for it can contain nothing but sophistry and illusion. (Hume 1748, Section XII, Part 3, p. 173) An updated version of this general empiricist reply, with an increased emphasis on language and the nature of meaning, is given in the twentieth-century by A. J. Ayer’s version of logical positivism. Adopting positivism’s verification theory of meaning, Ayer assigns every cognitively meaningful sentence to one of two categories: either it is a tautology, and so true solely by virtue of the meaning of its terms and provides no substantive information about the world, or it is open to empirical verification. There is, then, no room for knowledge about the external world by intuition or deduction. There can be no a priori knowledge of reality. For †¦ the truths of pure reason, the propositions which we know to be valid independently of all experience, are so only in virtue of their lack of factual content †¦ [By contrast] empirical propositions are one and all hypotheses which may be confirmed or discredited in actual sense experience. [Ayer 1952, pp. 86; 93–94] The rationalists’ argument for the Intuition/Deduction Thesis goes wrong at the start, according to empiricists, by assuming that we can have substantive knowledge of the external world that outstrips what experience can warrant. We cannot. This empiricist reply faces challenges of its own. Our knowledge of mathematics seems to be about something more than our own concepts. Our knowledge of moral judgments seems to concern not just how we feel or act but how we ought to behave. The general principles that provide a basis for the empiricist view, e. g. Hume’s overall account of our ideas, the Verification Principle of Meaning, are problematic in their own right. In various formulations, the Verification Principle fails its own test for having cognitive meaning. A careful analysis of Hume’s Inquiry, relative to its own principles, may require us to consign large sections of it to the flames. In all, rationalists have a strong argument for the Intuition/Deduction thesis relative to our substantive knowledge of the external world, but its success rests on how well they can answer questions about the nature and epistemic force of intuition made all the more pressing by the classic empiricist reply. 3. The Innate Knowledge Thesis The Innate Knowledge thesis joins the Intuition/Deduction thesis in asserting that we have a priori knowledge, but it does not offer intuition and deduction as the source of that knowledge. It takes our a priori knowledge to be part of our rational nature. Experience may trigger our awareness of this knowledge, but it does not provide us with it. The knowledge is already there. Plato presents an early version of the Innate Knowledge thesis in the Meno as the doctrine of knowledge by recollection. The doctrine is motivated in part by a paradox that arises when we attempt to explain the nature of inquiry. How do we gain knowledge of a theorem in geometry? We inquire into the matter. Yet, knowledge by inquiry seems impossible (Meno, 80d-e). We either already know the theorem at the start of our investigation or we do not. If we already have the knowledge, there is no place for inquiry. If we lack the knowledge, we don’t know what we are seeking and cannot recognize it when we find it. Either way we cannot gain knowledge of the theorem by inquiry. Yet, we do know some theorems. The doctrine of knowledge by recollection offers a solution. When we inquire into the truth of a theorem, we both do and do not already know it. We have knowledge in the form of a memory gained from.