The alternative globalisation

The alternative globalisation Introduction Globalisation is an ongoing process by which countries and their economic, political and social spheres integrate on a daily basis. Being part of national states, people become citizens of the world. In the course of daily activities, individuals increasingly come into contact with people from different backgrounds, with unlike beliefs and values and they learn to live and work in a globalised world. Countries become interconnected and interdependent. Thus, now there is no doubt that globalization has become the dominant factor in the development of world civilization. United Nations General Assembly, which brought a record number of participants to an important meeting 189 countries, signed over 300 agreements, and at the end of the session the UN Millennium Declaration was concluded. Main provisions of the declaration were as simple and accessible facts as freedom, equality, solidarity, security, tolerance, respect for nature and mutual responsibility. As a result, the Millennium Summit formalized globalization as a new global ideology, defining the world order of the 21st century. However, examining the structure of current globalisation, we face some issues that this phenomenon introduces. The popularity of the modern concept of globalization is primarily due to the economic and social achievements of developed countries dictating its terms to the world market. As a result, the gap between poor and rich countries broadens; development based on competition, profit-making, cost-reduction and increasing market shares expands. And therefore, the need for an alternative globalisation arises around the globe. This essay is divided into four main parts. First part focuses on three major schools of thoughts, which give characteristic descriptions of globalization from different perspectives. Second part of this essay concentrates on the chronology of globalisation the way that international trade was liberalising and production received a global character. Third, introduces readers to main problems of the current globalization and discusses why the alternative to the current globalisation is required. Finally, the last section offers the analysis of things that could be done differently in todays globalisation, examines whether an alternative globalisation is possible or not, and concludes with an optimistic summary table consisting of a number of significant changes that are necessary for peaceful transition, in a long-term period from the current globalisation to an alternative one that this essay offers. Three Perspectives on Globalisation There is no single definition of Globalization and at the same time there is a big debate about its characteristics, classification, its impacts and causes. It is possible to differentiate the following three schools of thought: the hyperglobalists, the transformationalists and the sceptics. The goal of each of the following schools is to characterise distinctive features of globalization from different points of view. Hyperglobalisers, such as K. Ohmae and R. Reich believe that global economy has an important impact on humanity and politics; they argue that the market is borderless and economy is single, global and integrated. Todays world economy is genuinely borderless. Information, capital and innovation flow all over the world at top speed, enabled by technology and fuelled by consumers desire for access to the best and the least expensive products (Ohmae, 1995). We are living through the transformation that will rearrange the politics and economics of the coming century. There will be no national products or technologies, no corporations, no national industries. There will no longer be national economies (Robert Reich, 1992, p. 3). The sceptics, such as P, Hirst and G. Thompson suggest that globalisation is largely a myth. They believe that the extent of existing globalisation is exaggerated and that the increase of global trade has happened only in major developed economies in Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America. The international economy is one in which processes that are determined at the level of national economies still dominate and international phenomena are outcomes that emerge from the distinct and differential performance of the national economies. The international economy is an aggregate of nationally located functions (Hirst, Thompson, 1999, p. 10). The third group is defined by Held and McGrew as transformationalists, which includes such authors as Rosenau (1997) or Giddens (1990). They assume that globalisation plays an essential role in fast economic, political and social changes that are restructuring world order and modern societies nowadays. Globalisation denotes the intensification of worldwide social relations and interactions such that distant events acquire very localised impacts and vice versa (Held, McGrew, 2007, p. 2). Globalisation concerns the transformation of local, and even personal, contexts of social experience. Our day-to-day activities are increasingly influenced by events happening on the other side of the world. Conversely, local lifestyle habits have become globally consequential. Chronology of Globalisation There is also no single agreement about the time globalisation has emerged, opinions about the chronology of its appearance and development vary depending on how one looks at the meaning of globalisation. Some might say that globalisation is a recent development, others could state that it has began far back in history, while thirds would argue that globalisation has not yet started at all. I see the beginning of globalisation in the rise of international production and international trade, formation of which refers to the 1970s-1980s. It has started with oil and energy crisis in 1973-1974, when state enterprises started to show the signs of inefficiency. States were not able to react to the impulses of the world market and to reduction of production costs. This, on one hand, led to reduced profitability or even to losses in some industries in developed countries. And on the other hand, it led to significant discrepancies between the national conditions of reproduction in the course of industrialization the rates of wages, education level and workforce skills, interest rates, price of raw materials and energy. Due to those facts, numerous attacks on government business and the requirements of its liquidation were taking place; the privatisation of state property according to the neo-liberal theories has started. The liberalisation was one of the tools for successful globalisation, which appeared in two forms. Firstly, reduction of tariffs, elimination of non-tariff barriers, simplification of import and export procedures occurred based on numerous international agreements. In other words, there was a reduction of restrictions on access and operations in the global market. Secondly, there was a change in domestic legislation relating to foreign economic relations, such as the elimination of quotes for import and export, removal of restrictions on foreign capital in the domestic market. As a result, labour-intensive, material-and environmentally-polluting industries started to be relocated to developing countries. In addition, scientific and technological advancements have created opportunities for the spatial separation process (such as capital-intensive and energy intensive processes) and placement of the individual phases in accordance with the prices of factors of production. At the same t ime, improved transportation and communication allowed the interaction of these scattered productions at relatively modest cost. As a consequence of all above mentioned factors, production received a really global character today. We can say that todays world became interdependent and interconnected; because one countrys well being very much depends on the cooperation with other countries. As an example we can take the production of cars, it is scattered on the companies in different countries around the globe. And entrepreneurs in each country are responsible for a specific phase of production design, production of engines and electrical equipment, the manufacture and marketing. In the 1950-1960s, each company worked in the market limited by national borders. However, today restrictions on movement of goods and services across national borders have decreased and international manufacturers of the world market can move quite easily. (ORoukre, Williamson, 1999). We can now see that the cause of globalisation was a capitalist ideology, based mostly on profit-making and cost-reduction, which has a lot of positiv e as well as some negative effects on the worlds development. In the next section, I would like to focus on some of those negative effects problems of the current globalisation. Problems of the Current Globalisation This section focuses on main three issues political, economic and social that I believe require changes in current globalised world. One of the main economic problems of globalisation is related to the following question: Who is benefiting from globalization? In fact, rapid growth is typical only for a small group of rich countries; while the least economically developed countries have much lower growth rates and their gains from globalization are minimal. If we take an example of trade discussion of Uruguay Round, which was finished in 1994, we can see that the advanced industrial countries of the world, such as the US and the EU, received the biggest share of the gain and the poorest countries have actually worsened off. Developed countries still preserve tariffs against the poor countries at the rate of four times higher than the tariffs they have against other rich countries. Their whole tariff structure is directed against trade with poor economies, which effects lowering the price of the export goods of them and hurt their economies. (Stiglitz, pp. 172-173). If national and international political processes are influenced by money, there should be no illusions in understanding that power in decision-making processes relating to the global economy remains mostly with those countries, firms and organizations that are economically the strongest. (Helleiner, Gerald, 2001) The second problem arising is a political one and relates to the potential regional or global instability because of interdependence of national economies on global level; so called butterfly effect appears. National security and nation-states depend on the activities of other countries and decisions of governments in neighbouring states more and more in todays globalised world. (Michael Zurn, 2005, pp. 235-244). Local economic fluctuations or crises in one country can have regional or even global implications. This possibility is not merely theoretical, but is very real, and the current financial crisis confirms that. Peter Evans argues that inability of the state to impose even a modicum of collective discipline on private economic elites at the national level (most crucially in the United States) undercuts productive dynamism. (Peter Evans, 2008, p. 280) And the last issue that I would like to bring up is related to social aspect. The main goal of a global market and current capitalist globalization is rapid accumulation of wealth, which hardly meets any human and social needs. Lets take a simple example of one corrupt government that accepts investment money from a multinational company. People who live in that particular country have no choice but to work for that company, at the same time company does not pay workers enough money to afford sufficient food, healthcare and education. The company has promised to the government that it will develop their countrys economy. However, people are starving and diseases are spreading in the crowded conditions in which they live. Some people realize the damage and start to fight to get their country back on track, but those people are usually being arrested and being sent to jail. The multinational companies as well as government of that country make huge profits while people suffer and die. The irrational pursuit of profit often harms the environment and conflict with other social values. The imbalance causes a broad wave of protest, which is not welcomed by governments and companies and as a result brings social problems, inequality and fear to confront the current political regime. (Sklair, 2008). Alternatives to the Current Globalisation Based on the problems described in the previous part of my essay, I would like to propose some necessary changes to the way globalisation develops nowadays. With the reference to the economic issue, I would say that in order to have more balance as to benefits of the globalisation and the world trade, globalization must be more regulated and countries should collaborate better. Developed and developing countries have to act co-operatively, so that the gap between poor and rich does not widen more and more each year, but it has to start narrowing. However, there are no institutions, particularly democratic institutions to do that effectively. In order to make globalization more manageable and seek to base it on principles of solidarity, it is important to reform and strengthen the role of such international organizations as the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Expanding ties of international organisations with non-government al organizations might be one of the examples for the reform (Lindert, Williamson, 2001, pp. 30-35). The role of media plays an important role and therefore media must be fairer and more opened. Media nowadays is driven by consumerist forces, and not by all citizens. People around the world are not being helped to recognize that most important issues overcrowded cities, quick spread of new infections, global warming, growth of worldwide disparity, destruction of the environment are all part of the same global process called globalisation. People should be aware that these issues do not just happen, but they all are related (Cavanagh, Mander, 2004, pp. 52-54). The next range of issues is related to the fragility of the international economic and political systems that follow from interdependence and interconnection of countries around the globe. We can see that local economic, financial and sometimes even political instability in one country can have regional or in some cases even global effect. Therefore, I suggest that states must be more local oriented and solve national problems first, but at the same time they should be able to react promptly to global issues, because states continue to be essential actors in determining the global regime. The same applies to business world, in order to be successful in the global competition, companies need to think globally and act locally. Practice shows that businesses which are able to design globally for narrow local requirements and which follow broaden your vision, yet narrow your focus will generate growth and success. (Pinto, 2004). The idea of globalization that bigger is better is wrong. I t involves lack of concern with local issues and overrides locality. In connection with this agenda the concept of glocalization has been introduced. It became an aspect of business jargon during the 1980s, which originates form Japan, where the general issue of the relationship between the particular and the universal has historically received almost obsessive attention (Miyoshi and Harootunian, 1989). Glocalisation is a double process firstly, institutional and regulatory activities move from the national scope upwards to regional or global scopes and downwards to the scope of individual or local. Secondly, economic activities and inter-firm networks are transforming at the same time to become more localised and transnational (Swyngedouw, 2004). With regards to the social point, I would like to argue that the current globalisation is very capitalist one which prioritizes the growth of private income over the creation of employment and other social aspects of our lives that are important both for individuals and for the community as a whole. (Sklair, 2008). Global economy needs global ethics, reflecting respect for human rights and recognition of personal and social responsibility. Horst KÃ ¶hler, the managing director of the IMF states that people living together in local communities have always recognized and responded to common moral principles, such as sharing with those who have less, and protection of the vulnerable. As the world has become more integrated and interdependent, the scope for applying such fundamental values has widened (KÃ ¶hler, 2002). I believe that the WTO and the IMF should address the problem of reducing poverty deeper, by creating employment, improving healthcare and education systems and therefor e improving quality of living standards in all countries around the world. In the following table, I have tried to summarize some of significant changes that are required for peaceful transition, in a long-term period, from the current globalisation that we have to a globalization that is more regulated, more oriented on local aspects and focused more on social sector. Conclusion In a last decade of the twentieth century, the term globalization became one of the most frequently used in the analysis of contemporary international relations, and continues to be actively used to characterize global political, economic and social processes. However, the current globalisation is mostly influenced by the interests and guidelines of economically developed countries and their ideological preferences. These factors leave their imprints on the development of globalisation, accelerating or slowing it down, and give specific nature to certain aspects of this phenomenon. Main requirements of an alternative globalization are the equality for all nations, people and countries, as well as regulation of specific areas of the worlds development with the help of strong democratic international institutions. This essay shows that an alternative globalization is essential for sustainable development of the world, and if the right steps and efforts are taken worldwide, an alternative to the current globalisation will be possible to implement. An alternative globalization as described in this essay would bring together countries and people in single global equitable and prosperous area, despite all the crises, failures and deviations, which is in everyones interests. References: Alison Brysk, 2002. Globalization and Human Rights. University of California Press Anthony Giddens, 1994. Beyond Left and Right: The Future of Radical Politics. Polity Press David Held and Anthony McGrew, 2007. Globalization/Anti-globalization: beyond the great divide. Polity Press Erik Swyngedouw, 2004. Globalisation or Glocalisation? Networks, Territories and Rescaling. Cambridge Review of International Affairs, 17(1), pp. 25-44 Helleiner, Gerald K, 2001. Markets, Politics, and Globalization: Can the Global Economy Be Civilized? Global Governance, 7 (July), pp. 243-263 Horst KÃ ¶hler, 2002. Working for a Better Globalization Available at: http://www.imf.org/external/np/speeches/2002/012802.HTM [Accessed 23 March 2010] J. Cavanagh, J. Mander, 2004. Alternatives to Economic Globalizaion: a better world is possible. Berrett-Koehler Publishers J.E. Stiglitz, 2008. Making Globalisation Work. The economic and social review, Columbia University, USA, 39 (3) Jim Pinto, 2004. Think Globally, Act Locally. Automation World K. H. ORoukre and J. G. Williamson, 1999. Globalization and History: The evolution of a Nineteenth-Century Atlantic Economy. Achorn Graphic Services Kenichi Ohmae, 1995. The End of the Nation State. Free Press Paperback Edition. Leslie Sklair, 2008. The Emancipatory Potential of Generic Globalization. The Berkeley Electronic Press Available at: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a918201775db=all [Accessed 23 March 2010] Masao Miyoshi and Harry D. Harootunian, 1989. Postmodernism in Japan. Duke University Press Michael Zurn, 2005. From Interdependence to Globalisation, Handbook of International Relations. Sage publications P. H. Lindert, J.G. Williamson, 2001. Does Globalization Make the World More Unequal? Harvard University and University of California Available at: http://128.97.165.17/media/files/GlobalUnequal_10_252.pdf [Accessed 23 March 2010] Paul Hirst and Grahame Thompson, 1999. Globalization in Question. Polity Press Peter Evans, 2008. Is an Alternative Globalization Possible? Politics Society, 36, pp. 271 298 Available at: http://pas.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/36/2/271 [Accessed 23 March 2010] Robert F. Bruner, 2004. Think Globally, Act Locally. Batten Institute at The Darden School Foundation Robert Reich, 1992. The Work of Nations: preparing ourselves for 21st-century capitalism. Vintage Books Roland Roberson, 1995. Global Modernities. Glocalizaion: Time-space and homogeneity-heterogeneity. Sage publications, p. 25-41.

Factors That Affect Clothing Choice

Factors That Affect Clothing Choice Introduction: Fashion today is a continuously changing trend, favored for frivolous rather than practical, logical, or intellectual reasons. Nevertheless, it is necessary to say that at this very moment fashion has a deeper influence on the life of people and possess more than frivolous reasons for its existence. This essay investigated and looks at how identity influences our choice of clothing and how fashion has changed males and females perception of what we should look like and the media. To address this topic the essay will first look at identity and its link to our choice of clothing. Furthermore, the essay will then look at body image and its link to fashion and then discuss how it has changed how we perceive we should look like and thirdly the link between media influence and its impact on fashion. Finally the essay will provide both a negative and positive view of fashion on today teen. The type of clothes we choose to wear depends on who is wearing it, as a result it becomes a reflection of his / her perception of themselves. Social identity and self-image plays an important role in society determining certain standards of beauty. A strong interest in fashion is because it is a way for teenage girls to shape their identities. Clothing today ha becomes an integral part of self-realization of every person. The choice of clothing is as important as identification thorough the colour of hair, height, skin and gender. Barnard, Malcolm (1996) argues that there is a strong link between women and fashion and describes it as curious cultural profile and that clothing today is a media of information bout the person wearing it (p. 21 and 175). The clothes we choose to wear tell a lot about ourselves which in fact also shapes our identity. Clothes reflect personal and social identity of people, their values and beliefs. Many young people expresse their identity through clothes and social images. Hip- Hop and rap were social movements which influenced fashion trends and priorities of youth. Today young teens do the same their identity is classified through groups for example a person dresses in vintage style of clothing has created their own style such as dressing in vintage clothes which becomes their own identity via the influence of the social movements. The media does influence and promote women and men to believe that the culture standards for body image are ideal. Therefore the phrase, thin is in and the prefect bodies are two eye-catching headlines that are in so many womens magazines. As a result this exposure, the thin ideal has lead many young girls in triggering eating disorders, depression and low self-esteem..The media has a significantly growing role in how women and girls see their bodies and personalities today. By using procovocative and inappropriate images of extremely underweight models in magazines, television or music video, the media gives a distorted picture of the ideal womans appearance. Media has greatly influenced people into the trap of what is in style and what is not. Teenage girls are affected by compulsion to receive a degree of thinness that they see in models (Cussins, Marie Anne, 2001). Over the years the media advertising models have been getting thinner and thinner, making women more dissatisfied be cause they want to look like that girl in the advertisement. The media have developed the ideal body shape in the hope that it will create more sales of the product that they are trying to sell. But the advertisement and media industries are not caring about how a person feels in trying to achieve the ideal body. By promoting the ideal body the media contribute to eating disorders such as bulimia, anorexia which has influence todays youth. The media is the most contributing factor to this problem. They have developed the so called ideal image of what a person should look like but its all false advertisement. You never see a fat person on TV advertising a beauty product or a new clothing line. When you flip the pages of magazines all you see is the ideal image of a thin women advertising the new Victoria Secrets new collection. Why dont the media use people of all sizes in their advertisement to fill up the needs of all people? Fashion magazines , many young girls see tin models like Kate Moss who is one of the many top models that represents the perfect body image that many young girls are striving towards. Unfortunately may teenage girls dont understand that looking exactly like their favorite model is unrealistic. Many of these images in magazines of models are retouched before they are printed out, the fashion clothes are often duct taped to enhance fit, many blemishes are covered or altered, there is at least two inches removed form the thighs, and the average fashion model weighs 23-25% less than the average woman. All this in order to create that ideal or perfect body image that everyone is striving for and sadly dying for. This compulsion to be thin has led many young girls to have a negative body image that dangerously leads to eating disorder in order for them to achieve their desire for thinness. The media has a social responsibility for how women and girls see themselves, as well as the opposite sex and how an ideal woman today should look like. The false and unrealistic images in most of the different media projects do have negative and harmful impacts, both mental and physical, especially on women and as well as on young adolescents. Factors that Affect Clothing Choice Factors that Affect Clothing Choice Fashion today is a continuously changing trend, favored for frivolous rather than practical, logical, or intellectual reasons. Nevertheless, it is necessary to say that at this very moment fashion has a deeper influence on the life of people and possess more than frivolous reasons for its existence. This essay investigated and looks at how identity influences our choice of clothing and how fashion has changed males and females perception of what we should look like and the media. To address this topic the essay will first look at identity and its link to our choice of clothing. Furthermore, the essay will then look at body image and its link to fashion and then discuss how it has changed how we perceive we should look like and thirdly the link between media influence and its impact on fashion. Finally the essay will provide both a negative and positive view of fashion on today teen. The clothes we wear say a lot about who we are as a person and as a result it becomes a reflection of his or her perception of them. In todays society identity and how we perceive ourselves has a major influence on what we perceive to be beauty. Fashion has a major influence on teenage girls today and due to this interest teenage girls find a way to shape their identity. Today clothing has become an important part of self- realization of every person. Guy, Alison Banim, Maura ( 2000) argue that women and teens today have a certain connection to their clothes and conducted research where they categorized them into three views of how women perceive themselves; The woman I want to be, The woman I fear I could be and The women I am most of the time . Many women and young teens express their identity through clothes they wear and social images. Social movements such as Hip-Hop and rap have influenced fashion trends and the priorities of people. Today young teens and womans identity base d on what type of social movement group they identify with whether it be rock culture or Hip-Hop. We dress according to what group we classify ourselves in and that plays a huge part in the making of our identity and makes up our style in fashion. Wilson, E( 1987) states that women identify with what they wear as it creates a new look and new self and this allowed women to be more creative ( pg 317). Furthermore many women today have a certain level of relationship with their clothing which allows them to be more creative and adventurous. Fashion has evolved so much that its constantly pushing the boundaries and its putting yourself out there. This same theory is applied to woman and teens today that are constantly putting themselves out there and shaping identity according to what groups they identify with. Body image plays a huge part todays society. The medias direct influence on men and women that culture standards of body image are ideal. The use of phrases such as thin is in and prefect body are one of the many eye-catching headlines that are commonly seen in womans magazines. As a result this exposure the thin ideal has lead vast majority of young girls in triggering eating disorders, depression and lack of low self-esteem. Hence media has a significantly growing influence on how woman and girls perceive their bodies and personalities today. The use of provocative and inappropriate images of extremely underweight models in magazines, television and music videos the media give a distorted picture of an ideal womans appearance. Willett, Rebekah (2008) conducted a study on 12-13 year old girls as they explore decision they made about body image. She argues that girls today are unsatisfied with what they look like with what they want to look like that they compare themselves with the ideal image (pg. 427). By promoting this ideal body the media has a large contribution to eating disorders among youth. As a result many teenagers lack self-esteem and confidence. Furthermore, media has completely re-defined what we are meant to look like today, when curves were seen as the new ideal figure. Hence today when the new figure is ideal thin, you wont ever see a fat, big person advertising a beauty product or a clothing range. Looking at magazines today all you see is an ideal image of a thin woman or model advertising a new collection of clothing. Why cant the media use all sizes of people in advertisement? This is because the media and the fashion industry promote the so call ideal image as being the new self: what teens today perceive to be like. Fashion magazines today see thin models like the famous Kate Moss one of the worlds top super model that represents the ideal perfect body image which many teenagers are aspiring to be like. Consequently many of these teenagers fall into this trap and dont understand that looking like their favourite model is unrealistic. This is not only unrealistic but also a issue in itself where many of these teens starve themselves which leads to eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia which also leads to depression. This affects not only their mental state but also physically. Many teens dont understand that the images they see in magazines of celebrities, models are retouched before they are printed out, the clothes they wear are duct taped to enhance fit, while many blemishes are covered or altered, thats not all they remove two inches from their thighs and the average model weighs 23- 25 per cent less than any average woman. Therefore all this is done to create an ideal or perfect body image that every young teen aspires to look like. This impulse to be thin leads many girls to have a negative body image which leads to many health problems such as eating disorders in order to achieve their desire for thinness. As a result the media carries a responsibility for how women and girls perceive themselves as well as the person of an opposite sex and how an ideal woman should look like. But w hat many young teen and woman fail to see it that beneath all that thinness lies self doubt and low self esteem. Many teens fail to see that they way they are whether it be fat or curvaceous they are beautiful. But the influence of media has redefined beautiful as the skinny and ugly a being curvaceous. Therefore this negative use of media influence has caused many young teens to look up to the ideal image.

Culture Of India :: essays research papers fc

Nearly one sixth of all the human beings on Earth live in India, the world's most populous democracy. Officially titled the Republic of India, it's 1,269,413 sq. mi. lie in South Asia, occupying most of the Indian subcontinent, bordered by Pakistan (W); China, Nepal, and Bhutan (N); and Myanmar (E) and Bangladesh forms an enclave in the NE. Its borders encompass a vast variety of peoples, practicing most of the world's major religions, speaking scores of different languages, divided into thousands of socially exclusive castes, and combining the physical traits of several major racial groups (Compton's). The modern nation of India (also known by its ancient Hindi name, Bharat) is smaller than the Indian Empire formerly ruled by Britain. Burma (now Myanmar), a mainly Buddhist country lying to the east, was administratively detached from India in 1937. Ten years later, when Britain granted independence to the peoples of the Indian subcontinent, two regions with Muslim majorities--a lar ge one in the northwest (West Pakistan) and a smaller one in the northeast (East Pakistan)--were partitioned from the predominantly Hindu areas and became the separate nation of Pakistan. East Pakistan broke away from Pakistan in 1971 to form the independent nation of Bangladesh. Also bordering India on its long northern frontier are the People's Republic of China and the relatively small kingdoms of Nepal and Bhutan. The island republic of Sri Lanka lies just off India's southern tip (New World Encyclopedia).Much of India's area of almost 1.3 million square miles (3.3 million square kilometers--including the Pakistani-held part of Jammu and Kashmir) is a peninsula jutting into the Indian Ocean between the Arabian Sea on the west and the Bay of Bengal on the east. There are three distinct physiographic regions. In the north the high peaks of the Himalayas lie partly in India but mostly just beyond its borders in Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet. South of the mountains, the low-lying Indo-Ga ngetic Plain, shared with Pakistan and Bangladesh, extends more than 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal (Compton's). Finally, the peninsular tableland, largely the Deccan, together with its adjacent coastal plains, makes up more than half of the nation's area. In general, India's climate is governed by the monsoon, or seasonal, rain-bearing wind. Most of the country has three seasons: hot, wet, and cool. During the hot season, which usually lasts from early March to mid-June, very high temperatures are accompanied by intermittent winds and occasional dust storms (Concise). Culture Of India :: essays research papers fc Nearly one sixth of all the human beings on Earth live in India, the world's most populous democracy. Officially titled the Republic of India, it's 1,269,413 sq. mi. lie in South Asia, occupying most of the Indian subcontinent, bordered by Pakistan (W); China, Nepal, and Bhutan (N); and Myanmar (E) and Bangladesh forms an enclave in the NE. Its borders encompass a vast variety of peoples, practicing most of the world's major religions, speaking scores of different languages, divided into thousands of socially exclusive castes, and combining the physical traits of several major racial groups (Compton's). The modern nation of India (also known by its ancient Hindi name, Bharat) is smaller than the Indian Empire formerly ruled by Britain. Burma (now Myanmar), a mainly Buddhist country lying to the east, was administratively detached from India in 1937. Ten years later, when Britain granted independence to the peoples of the Indian subcontinent, two regions with Muslim majorities--a lar ge one in the northwest (West Pakistan) and a smaller one in the northeast (East Pakistan)--were partitioned from the predominantly Hindu areas and became the separate nation of Pakistan. East Pakistan broke away from Pakistan in 1971 to form the independent nation of Bangladesh. Also bordering India on its long northern frontier are the People's Republic of China and the relatively small kingdoms of Nepal and Bhutan. The island republic of Sri Lanka lies just off India's southern tip (New World Encyclopedia).Much of India's area of almost 1.3 million square miles (3.3 million square kilometers--including the Pakistani-held part of Jammu and Kashmir) is a peninsula jutting into the Indian Ocean between the Arabian Sea on the west and the Bay of Bengal on the east. There are three distinct physiographic regions. In the north the high peaks of the Himalayas lie partly in India but mostly just beyond its borders in Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet. South of the mountains, the low-lying Indo-Ga ngetic Plain, shared with Pakistan and Bangladesh, extends more than 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal (Compton's). Finally, the peninsular tableland, largely the Deccan, together with its adjacent coastal plains, makes up more than half of the nation's area. In general, India's climate is governed by the monsoon, or seasonal, rain-bearing wind. Most of the country has three seasons: hot, wet, and cool. During the hot season, which usually lasts from early March to mid-June, very high temperatures are accompanied by intermittent winds and occasional dust storms (Concise).

Coleridges the Rime Of The Ancient Mariner Essay -- essays research p

Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Coleridge's poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is wrote in a way that the reader is expected to temporarily allow him or herself to believe it to be able to understand it. The poem itself is about a Mariner who is telling his tale of sin and forgiveness by God to a man referred to as the "Wedding Guest." The Mariner is supposedly responsible for the death of all of the crew on his ship because of his killing of a creature which was to bring them the wind that they needed to put power into the sails of the ship. The whole point of the poem is to encourage or convince the reader to believe the tale that Coleridge tells. Coleridge wrote the poem as a means to induce the reader with what he calls a "willing suspension of disbelief." The poem is written in such a way that the reader is expected to willingly decide to temporarily believe the almost unbelievable story. The reason a person is to make sure that he or she believes it temporarily to be true is because the Mariner in the story is trying to get the point of forgiveness from God across to the reader and if the reader chooses not to believe the story behind the poem then they will not understand the effect of the point of the tale. Coleridge's main point in writing the story was to get people to understand forgiveness by understanding the poem. The Mariner in th... Coleridges "the Rime Of The Ancient Mariner Essay -- essays research p Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Coleridge's poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is wrote in a way that the reader is expected to temporarily allow him or herself to believe it to be able to understand it. The poem itself is about a Mariner who is telling his tale of sin and forgiveness by God to a man referred to as the "Wedding Guest." The Mariner is supposedly responsible for the death of all of the crew on his ship because of his killing of a creature which was to bring them the wind that they needed to put power into the sails of the ship. The whole point of the poem is to encourage or convince the reader to believe the tale that Coleridge tells. Coleridge wrote the poem as a means to induce the reader with what he calls a "willing suspension of disbelief." The poem is written in such a way that the reader is expected to willingly decide to temporarily believe the almost unbelievable story. The reason a person is to make sure that he or she believes it temporarily to be true is because the Mariner in the story is trying to get the point of forgiveness from God across to the reader and if the reader chooses not to believe the story behind the poem then they will not understand the effect of the point of the tale. Coleridge's main point in writing the story was to get people to understand forgiveness by understanding the poem. The Mariner in th...

American Self Perception Vs. The Truth Essay -- essays research papers

American Self Perception vs. The Truth Lee Greenwood, a song writer, describes the emotion involved in American self-perception in a song by saying, "I'm proud to be an American. For at least I know I'm free." Freedom is the founding pillar of the American self- perception. Self-perception is the culmination of how one views oneself. Other aspects which make up American self-perception are wealth, power, and the pursuance of happiness. Self-perceptions, whether confined to the individual or confined to an entire country, usually leave out negative aspects such as hypocrisy. When dealing with the perception of a country, the true image of a society comes from self, or internal perceptions, combined with the external perceptions from other countries. The foundation of American self-perception is freedom. Freedom of speech and movement are virtual institutions in the United States. Such freedoms of speech and movement are outlined in the United States Constitution. Americans believe the constitution sketches the "American Dream" which is having a family, money, and the freedom to pursue happiness. Every American will stand by the line derived from the Constitution, "All men are created equal." In actuality, the constitution outlined the freedom for rich white landowners to achieve unchecked power and wealth. At the time of the framing of the constitution, blacks were slaves thus all men were NOT created equal. Women were equally excluded from the constitution as suffrage wasn't even a consideration at the time. The only class groups which the American Constitution outlined freedom for were wealthy European immigrants fleeing their own land for such reasons as taxes. After such movements as Suffrage and Civil Rights, all Americans were granted individual rights of freedom thus approaching equality. The American self-perception of living a life of virtual complete freedom parallels the American stand on its' belief of democracy. Americans feel that a democratic government is the only possible administration which can be deemed acceptable in today's world system. Such a deep rooted belief in democracy instills a fear and dislike of any other form of government. Look at American policies towards the Soviet Union after the second world war. The ... ...rom America is a godsend, Many Poles agree that the intermingling of American culture with Polish culture is unacceptable. Never has the US ever extended another country such equal treatment. A large section of the Polish population views Americans as wealthy and powerful on the positive side, and imperialistic and egotistical on the negative side. The American true image is comprised of more than self-perception. How other countries and cultures perceive Americans is a important part of what it truly means to be an American. Americans see themselves as free and righteous while other countries like Poland view Americans as ethnocentric. What many Americans fail to see in their self-perception is, that intermingled within their beliefs and practices, hypocrisy. Hypocrisy dominated the American containment policy of the Soviet Union in the Cold War era. As Americans were condemning the Soviets for pushing a communist government, Americans themselves were pushing democracy in weaker, dependent states. To find the truth of what it is to be American, you must combine other countries perceptions into your own, otherwise you will only achieve half the truth. American Self Perception Vs. The Truth Essay -- essays research papers American Self Perception vs. The Truth Lee Greenwood, a song writer, describes the emotion involved in American self-perception in a song by saying, "I'm proud to be an American. For at least I know I'm free." Freedom is the founding pillar of the American self- perception. Self-perception is the culmination of how one views oneself. Other aspects which make up American self-perception are wealth, power, and the pursuance of happiness. Self-perceptions, whether confined to the individual or confined to an entire country, usually leave out negative aspects such as hypocrisy. When dealing with the perception of a country, the true image of a society comes from self, or internal perceptions, combined with the external perceptions from other countries. The foundation of American self-perception is freedom. Freedom of speech and movement are virtual institutions in the United States. Such freedoms of speech and movement are outlined in the United States Constitution. Americans believe the constitution sketches the "American Dream" which is having a family, money, and the freedom to pursue happiness. Every American will stand by the line derived from the Constitution, "All men are created equal." In actuality, the constitution outlined the freedom for rich white landowners to achieve unchecked power and wealth. At the time of the framing of the constitution, blacks were slaves thus all men were NOT created equal. Women were equally excluded from the constitution as suffrage wasn't even a consideration at the time. The only class groups which the American Constitution outlined freedom for were wealthy European immigrants fleeing their own land for such reasons as taxes. After such movements as Suffrage and Civil Rights, all Americans were granted individual rights of freedom thus approaching equality. The American self-perception of living a life of virtual complete freedom parallels the American stand on its' belief of democracy. Americans feel that a democratic government is the only possible administration which can be deemed acceptable in today's world system. Such a deep rooted belief in democracy instills a fear and dislike of any other form of government. Look at American policies towards the Soviet Union after the second world war. The ... ...rom America is a godsend, Many Poles agree that the intermingling of American culture with Polish culture is unacceptable. Never has the US ever extended another country such equal treatment. A large section of the Polish population views Americans as wealthy and powerful on the positive side, and imperialistic and egotistical on the negative side. The American true image is comprised of more than self-perception. How other countries and cultures perceive Americans is a important part of what it truly means to be an American. Americans see themselves as free and righteous while other countries like Poland view Americans as ethnocentric. What many Americans fail to see in their self-perception is, that intermingled within their beliefs and practices, hypocrisy. Hypocrisy dominated the American containment policy of the Soviet Union in the Cold War era. As Americans were condemning the Soviets for pushing a communist government, Americans themselves were pushing democracy in weaker, dependent states. To find the truth of what it is to be American, you must combine other countries perceptions into your own, otherwise you will only achieve half the truth.

Corporate Responsibility and Marketing Strategies Essay

I believe Apple Inc. [mostly referred as â€Å"Apple† in this document] has met the ethical and social responsibility towards general public, employees, customers and shareholders/investors. Apple positions itself to be very environment conscious and continuously working to reduce the foot print of the company and its products on the planet (Apple Inc.). Apple has a recycling program for its used products; it sends gift cards to customers in return for the used products, if the products do not have any monetary value they recycle them responsibly. Apple reports the environmental foot-print of each of its product on their website to show how much energy efficient they are and how Apple is choosing more biodegradable elements in its products, packaging and facilities. Apple has multiple offices and datacenters in United States and as of March 2013 seventy five percent of them are fully powered through renewable energy sources (Kastrenakes, 2013). Apple is continuously trying to improve the situation and aiming to rely entirely on renewable energy sources in future. To improve ethical awareness within its employees, Apple has a business code of conduct published and easily available via intranet website within the company and to its investors via shareholder website (Business code, 2012) which explains in detail on various topics including its well known secretive way of releasing its products. Apple also has a Business conduct helpline available for its employees to resolve ethical dilemmas, report conflicts of interest and seek direction in making ethical decision. Recently Tim Cook, Apple CEO has reminded all employees to review Apple’s business conduct policy via corporate email (Marie, 2013) which shows the  importance Apple gives to Ethics within the company. Apple treats its employees very well; pays pretty good salaries to employees and rates to contractors, Apple’s has a very good benefit program for its employees, even the part-time employees are entitled to benefits at apple (Fiegerman, 2012), it provides shuttle servi ce to many locations from many places in Bay area to campus. Apple products are very safe compared to many other competitor products, Apple pays attention to details, e.g.: To avoid tripping over a charging cable, Mac book charger has a magnet instead of a hard stick in plug as we observe in many Windows PCs. All of its products are well thought and provide lot of convenience and consider customer health and safety, as we see in the case of latest ear phones from Apple, they have the speakers going sideways instead of directly in to ears as most of the conventional ear plugs do, this restricts music directly hitting the ear drum and long term exposure may have adverse impact on the ears. Apple products are well sealed and static resistant, the materials used in production are not cheap and low quality parts, which improves the durability of its products. Apple provides lot of variations in products to choose, to a customer which attracts customers at all levels. There are about ten to twelve flavors of latest iPhone based on color, size of memory and external material. Apple has a very good refund policy, items can be returned online or returned in store, there is about 14-30 days to return items, Apple provides full refund instead of charging for re-stocking fee. If there is a part malfunction, apple product can be exchanged for a new one within one year of purchase for nominal or zero price. Apple considers customer’s complaints and response rapidly by multiple means and aims to delight the customers (Denning, 2011). Apple listens to customers at the stores, online and also via telephone and improvises on its services, customer support and also their products. It is very obvious that Apple takes good care of its shareholders; we can clearly observe that from Apple’s revenues and profits from past several quarters, Apple’s share has gone up five times within past five years. Apple provides all of its quarterly, annual reports along with financial statements and exhibits with SEC and complies with SEC policies. Question 2: Publications of ethics and social responsibility violations of its suppliers, mainly at Hon Hoi Precision, also known as FoxConn had impact on Apple’s reputation and mainly no impact on sales and share value. In 2011 there were fourteen suicides at FoxConn and later on there were many riots, suicide protests by workers against the very long working hours, lack of insurance, workplace safety, horrible facility maintenance , incidents of using Child labor, lack of injured workers compensation, army camp style management and others (McGrath, 2012). Apple has handled things very carefully and assigned right people and started remediation methods, published supplier code of conduct, increased audits in its supplier firms, provided training, to improve situation and reputation; Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple talked about Foxconn and how his company is trying to improve the working conditions for employees and workers in its suppliers’ factories and how seriously Apple is taking t he allegations (Knibbs). Apple’s reputation had an impact during the time of events, created a buzz in media world; Apple got a bad name within its investors and stake holders. Later on, Apple was able to manage out of the situation very well. Overall there is no impact to sales or revenue or Apple’s share value. Apple shares might have taken a small hit for few days when there were publications by media, but overall share value was growing in 2010 and 2011 when all of reports were being published. Apple is still considered the most admired company in the whole world as per Fortunes World’s most Admired companies for 2008-2013; six years in row (Shaughnessy, 2013). Apple products are very well received in the market; there are no aversions or hatred towards Apple’s products based on the allegations. We usually see the drop in sales when there are negative allegations on companies, we have seen this in case of Paula Deen based on her racial comments and also with Duck Dynasty and i ts products when Phil Robertson has made anti-gay comments and cause big dent in their reputation, we have not seen this with Apple. When iPhone 5s was released in September of 2013, stores reported people standing in long lines at Apple and its partner stores to get the first piece. Today there are hardcore fans to Apple products than for any other company. Apple products are growing popularity even in China where the allegations of horrible working conditions have been  reported. Based on my personal observation, Apple stores are among the most crowded stores at local malls. Even with heavy competition for Samsung, LG, Nokia (now Microsoft) and Motorola, Apple iPhones are still most commonly used smart phones in United States. Apple’s App store has more than a Billion applications available to end users. By observing the Apple’s growth pattern, it is safe to say that the impact of supplier violations is minor. Question 3: To improve the working conditions and abide to Fair Law Association (FLA) policies Apple has come up with and published â€Å"supplier code of conduct† (â€Å"Apple supplier,† 2012) for all its suppliers to adhere who provide parts to its products. To ensure that its suppliers adhere to wage and benefits standards going forward, Apple has to strictly enforce the â€Å"supplier code of conduct† and also increase the supervision and auditing of the supplier factories, HR and pay roll systems up to allowed by the local and international laws. Many of the rules and regulations which are illegal in US are acceptable in other countries. As Apple’s suppliers are mainly in other countries than US, Apple can set up strict rules and guidelines more close to US laws in addition to local government policies and Fair Law Association (FLA) laws, as most of its products are used by consumers in US. Apple can also open up complaint/suggestion boxes (online, in factory and via phone) from workers in supplier factories to understand and closely monitor the working conditions and get feedback on wages and benefits. Apple can restrict the number of hours a worker can work in its supplier factories. Apple can create guidelines in its code to have onsite help to talk with workers and understand their problems and work with supplier factories to solve them. Apple can guide its suppliers to setup onsite and close to campus medical facilities for workers working in its supplier factories. Apple can work with local media and government to do surveys from general public about their supplier practices at factory facilities. Apple should request the ethics code of conduct as one of the primary pre-requisite from their suppliers as part of the initial RFP – Request for proposal. Apple should get feedback suppliers’ employees to understand how well the code is  followed by its upper management in the company and should enforce supplier to improve it before renewal of contracts. Apple should stop buying parts from suppliers with tainted reputation, or suppliers with weak or no ethical code of conduct. Apple should compare the working conditions and wages of workers in its supplier factories to competitor factories in the area and pass regulations to improve the wages to meet market standards. Question 4: Apple customers would be willing to pay more for its products to provider better wages and benefits to suppliers’ workers. Apple can make this happen by showing the reasons behind increase in prices, and how additional money will be utilized for worker compensation and benefits. Apple should advertize in TV, publish articles on its website and provide information to Media on how the additional money will be utilized. This is much similar to Ms. Lee Rhodes and her Glassybaby in the case study, Glassybaby gives 10% of its revenues for cancer treatment. Another suggestion that I can make is that, some percentage of increase in salaries for workers should also come from Apple’s profits to show consumers that Apple is not only charging more for products but also taking a cut in their profits to provide better working conditions for workers. Apple and its main founder Steve Jobs do not have very good name as Philanthropist, there is no public record that Steve Jobs has donate d any money (Sorkin, 2011). After Tim Cook took over Apple’s CEO position, he has made some donations but compared with other companies with high revenues and profits; the donations made by Apple are very negligible compared to its revenues and profits (Emerson, 2012). Apple can improve its image and reputation in the world by giving some percentage of profits to suppliers’ workers through multiple programs and incentives. Today Apple’s products are most popular in the market; iPhone is the best selling smart phone out there in market. Apple and its products have huge fan base and many of the competitor smart phones from Samsung or Microsoft are not comparable to iPhone. With such a popularity, increasing a minor percentage E.g.: 3-5% of price will not have any impact on product sales. Most of the Apple products are sold with network connection also known as data plan, the minimum data plan is very expensive and costs up to $40 per month for many carriers. Some of Apple’s iPhone customers take data plan because they are intrigued with iPhone and Apple products. When customers  are willing to pay additional money for seldom used data plan as they stay home mostly where there is Wi-Fi connection as an alternative to data plan. Customers should be willing to spend a bit more money to improve working conditions and salaries for suppliers’ workers. Question 5: Apple has excellent market strategy for its products; Everyone remembers those PC and Mac comparison commercials, which used to portray Apple’ Mac computers as cool and trendy for Generations X and Y and for everyone at home where as Microsoft PC was shown as business computer with bugs. In reality, Microsoft operating system is more flexible and customers can customize and make modifications and create applications relatively easy, where as you need to go to App Store for installing/upgrading any iOS applications. Microsoft or Samsung devices allow users to copy MP3 files, and play them without any intermediary software such as iTunes, a mandatory application for Apple to copy songs in to iOS applications. Even with less flexibility Apple’s products are highly sold in market today due to its design and performance of its products and mainly it’s Marketing strategy. Apple does not really advertize new versions of iPhone releases, rather it keeps it secret, there are no beta releases, and there are no pictures or commercials in the market before a new version iPhone is released. It creates buzz in the market which generates mystery about its product. In addition to its own marketing, Apple’s iPhones are also advertized by other companies such as network providers such as AT&T, Verizon and other companies which make protective cases and other accessories for iPhones. Apple maintains such secrecy before releasing its iPhone products; it has worked greatly for them. Another way Apple products are advertized is by word of mouth. Today many of smart phones in the market from Samsung, LG and Microsoft have similar functions as iPhone, but in my view the secrecy/mystery and word of mouth advertizing for iPhone has helped to maintain its leadership in the market. To improve competitive advantage over global market place, Apple should sell its products more in other countries; expand its base out of US. The usage  of smart phones is at verge of getting saturation in United States, consumers in US are tied to data and voice plans from network providers in US. Until latest generations of iPhones, iphones were sold at a later release dates in Europe, India and China than in United States. There is a lot of fan base for Apple in China and India, Apple should en cash that by making products affordable in those countries. Customers in US do not replace their phones until their contract ends with he network provider, which is usually two years from the contract start date. Most of the countries outside of US are not bound to network/data plans for the phones as they use GSM technology; this provides flexibility to consumers to buy more than one phone in two years. Smart phones are getting more popular in India and china where the population is very high. Population of India and China combined is more than six times the population of United States (CIA World Factbook); if Apple can capture a small percentage of the market in those countries it will have more customer base than it does in whole US which bring higher revenues. Apple should start customizing their products and make them consumer friendly in other countries, such as make menus in native languages, create local custom applications etc. As word of mouth advertizing has proven working for Apple, they should start giving some samples of their products to celebrities in India where the common public trend is to follow the celebrities and mimic their product usage. It has worked for other companies and products; it should also work for Apple. Apple should start thinking about making their products more flexible and easy to customize, Apple is very popular among brand, but more savvy users with computer background started to lean more towards Google Android based phones from Samsung and LG as they have more flexibility and customization options. With computer skills and techniques being very common to kids in Generation Y and Z, Apple should think about concentrating on them and their tastes and Apple products more flexible. Apple should innovate more, there have been some improvements and modifications to its products in past 3 years but there has not been a â€Å"WOW†Ã‚  product release. They should enter new markets, start coming up with new products such as long awaited Apple TV or they should get in to wearable gadgets such as wrist watches, glasses, motion controlled devices, devices with flexible screens and devices which look cool but monitor human body’s current health such as temperature, sugar levels, blood pressure etc. Last but not least, Apple should improve its philanthropist image; they should start donating more to needy and charitable foundations. That usually helps in both ways; it improves the reputation and also works as advertisement. References Apple Inc. (n.d.). Apple and the environment. Retrieved from http://www.apple.com/environment/ Apple supplier code of conduct. (2012, JANUARY). Retrieved from http://www.apple.com/supplierresponsibility/pdf/Apple_Supplier_Code_of_Conduct.pdf Business code. (2012, DECEMBER). Business conduct the way we do business worldwide . Retrieved from http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/AAPL/2916593555x0x443008/5f38b1e6-2f9c-4518-b691-13a29ac90501/business_conduct_policy.pdf CIA World Factbook. (n.d.). Country comparison :: Population. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html Denning, S. (2011, AUGUST 26). Another myth bites the dust: How apple listens to its customers. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2011/08/26/another-myth-bites-the-dust-how-apple-listens-to-its-customers/ Emerson, R. (2012, FEBRUARY 3). Apple’s donations to charity surpassed $50 million: Report. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost .com/2012/02/03/apple-charity-donation_n_1253185.html Fiegerman, S. (2012, JUNE 18). Why working at apple is a dream job. BusinessInsider. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-what-employees-really-love-about-working-for-apple-2012-6?op=1 Kastrenakes, J. (2013, MARCH 21). Renewable energy now powers 75 percent of apple’s facilities. Retrieved from http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/21/4132402/apple-now-using-75-percent-renewabl e-energy-across-operations Knibbs, K. (n.d.). Apple ceo talks foxconn, tries to mend reputation. Retrieved from http://www.mobiledia.com/news/128273.html Marie. (2013, NOVEMBER 21). Tim cook reminds apple employees to review apple’s business conduct policy. Retrieved from http://mobileorchard.com/tim-cook-reminds-apple-employees-to-review-apples-business-conduct-policy/ McGrath, B. (2012, FEBRUARY 7). Apple’s sweatshop supply chain. Retrieved from https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2012/02/appl-f07.html Sorkin, A. (2011, AUGUST 29). The mystery of steve jobs’s public giving. Retrieved from http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/08/29/the-mystery-of-steve-jobss-public-giving/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 Shaughnessy, H. (2013, FEBRUARY 28). Apple remains world’s most admired company, followed by google and amazon. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/haydnshaughnessy/2013/02/28/apple-remains-worlds-most-admired-followed-by-google-and-amazon/

Extended commentary of ‘Neutral Tones’ by Thomas Hardy Essay

On the Title: â€Å"Neutral Tones† encourages the reader to postpone any immediate inferences about the poem. It also refers to the muted (â€Å"monochrome†) colour scheme found in the first and last stanzas; these colours, in turn, are used by Hardy to emphasise the blandness/†deadness† of the emotions between the persona and his love. Thus the title is an introduction to both the poem’s images and emotional back-drop. Themes: Love (cruelty of it), Distance, Pain Overall Structure: A four stanza lyric with a continuous A/B/A/B rhyme scheme. These repeated ideas may add to the idea of monotony or dullness in emotion. This is a weak idea, however. First Stanza Notes: Hardy presents a scene and a persona. The use of the personal pronoun â€Å"we† has two effects: 1) It establishes a subtle familiarity between the reader and the persona – we can partially associate with the persona if he/she (sex is not made explicitly clear) through the simple use of the pronoun. 2) The lack of fixed gender does also add to a feeling of distance – distancing effects are used throughout the poem and will be explored. This particular one is maintained throughout. The scene presented is one of two figures standing by a pond; nearby sits a â€Å"sod† – a small grass turf. The description of this scene is incredibly important to the understanding of the poem; it sets the mood and leads to an eventual repetition of the image itself (last verse). The scene is devoid of colour, Hardy-esque by character and elegiac in tone. HEREBY NOTE: Hardy only uses the sense of sight in this poem (a nuance maintained throughout) – this is the only sense which can be used from afar. Thus we discover another distancing effect. The scene is devoid of colour – Hardy is introducing his colour scheme. As previously discussed, this reflects the muted nature of emotion expressed in the poem. Perhaps one can label the colours monochrome? Evidence, if needed in an exam, with brief exploration: * â€Å"Sun was white†; suggesting a light drained of colour. This phrase becomes important when considering the other images associated with the sun and sunlight. â€Å"Chidden of God† means ‘told off’ by God. This is an intentionally extreme image, certainly a rather bleak one! Compare with the ‘God-curst sun’ in fourth stanza. * â€Å"Few leaves†; weakest of the quotes. Indicates a lack of green on the sod (in terms of numerical value). * â€Å"Starving sod†; the grass is dying, and therefore turning brown. Like dried grass in the summer? * â€Å"Fallen from an ash†; significant choice of tree (obscure point though). Ash is associated implicitly with death. * â€Å"Gray†; for use when desperate. The colours are numbed, as to reflect how the breakup of a relationship can be as numbing. Quote SLS: â€Å"Hints towards a passionless palate of senses.† Second Stanza Notes: Hardy reveals the meaning/purpose of his scene in this stanza, by explaining and poetically exploring the relationship between the persona and his (former) love. The muted colour scheme, it becomes clear, does have the effect above described. * â€Å"Your eyes on me were as eyes that rove/ Over tedious riddles of years ago;† This line indicates both the trivial nature that the persona associates with the couple’s ‘riddles’ (problems?) now, and the implied importance of these problems possessed in earlier days. What does this change tell us? * Perhaps that the couple grew cold and got bored with one another’s problems, hence the use of ‘tedious’. The line also suggests that the ‘riddles’ used to be solved, or that they have recurred. Remember that the partner is both unnamed and ‘unspecified’ in any way – perhaps he/she has grown so cold to the extent that he/she sees the persona only in terms of what ‘was’? It is negative thought in any case. Quote SLS: â€Å"They see previous mysteries which no longer excite them†. Indeed, Hardy continues to suggest both the boredom created within their relationship and uses more distancing techniques in the next lines: â€Å"And some words played between us to and fro/ On which lost the more of our love† Note how the words are given physical attributes, or entities, as opposed to acoustic ones. We can figuratively â€Å"see† the words (because they are ‘played’ between the figures), but can’t hear them. This reinforces our idea of distance, in that the scene is almost behind a glass screen, where the sexes of the characters are blurred, we can see only particular details and cannot hear, smell or touch anything. As before said, this allows the reader to associate with the persona, albeit vaguely. Boredom reinforced; ‘played between us’ suggests some crude game – these problems seem trivial and dull now. And they lost the more of their love on them – the games didn’t do the relationship any good! Third Stanza Notes: Hardy recreates the moment at which the love died, and the relationship fully ended. To achieve this, he focuses on the partner’s mouth. â€Å"The smile on your mouth was the deadest thing/ Alive enough to have strength to die;† The use of an oxymoronic superlative stresses the death of emotion between the pair, further emphasised by the enjambment used – it highlights both â€Å"the deadest thing† and â€Å"Alive enough†, making such an image both stark and even more surprising. The image presented, as if the smile embodied the relationship, in one which is so close to death but has enough physical strength to complete the physical action of dying. An odd idea, but it works effectively. Note how the juxtaposition between life and death presents further contrast (when comparing poems, this becomes important!). Ad. [As a further distancing technique, observe how Hardy keeps only to sight; he uses the smile to fully embody the relationship.] However, Hardy does not end his onslaught of depression there: â€Å"And a grin of bitterness swept thereby/ Like an ominous bird a-wing.† Hardy here notes the transformation of the lover’s weak smile to an ex-lover’s grin, a positively relished expression of bitterness. As the reader, it is impossible to discern exactly who is relishing the moment; is it the partner, in a very cruel statement of emotion? Or is it the persona, in some oddly malicious â€Å"reverie-state†, remembering this moment and the pain it brought to him then, only to scorn it now, as ‘keen lessons’ in love have numbed the emotional agony? (Probably the former, as the latter changes the entire dynamic of the poem!) In any case, it is another confusion of oxymoronic imagery (grins and bitterness tend to be mutually exclusive) to express the pain of the relationship’s end; it certainly emphasises a strong sense of emotion. Hardy’s use of such emotive language may be considered out of place in a poem all out numbing pain and emotion; surely an â€Å"ominous bird a-wing† would fit better in Macbeth than next to a grey pond? Consider this possible weakness of this for yourself. (It might just be a forced rhyme.) Fourth Stanza Notes: Time is the opening note upon Hardy opens the fourth stanza, simply by using the words â€Å"Since then†. They put the reader in the present; indeed, by implication, this emphasises how the rest of the poem was in the past. It’s a memory! What consequence does this bear? * El Nombre Uno) [And yes, I do think that Hardy should have been Mexican. One can have a lot of fun with a Poet in a sombrero.] Simply, it is another distancing technique. Distance in time! * Numà ©ro Deux: [Hardy eating snails?] The present tense allows for the circularity of the main image in the poem – see hence. â€Å"Since then, keen lessons that love deceives,/ And wrings with wrong, have shaped to me/ Your face, and the God-curst sun, and a tree,/ And a pond edged with grayish leaves.† At last, Hardy arrives at the crux of his poem; that Love deceives, lies and hurts. The fact of this (these â€Å"lessons†) takes on the mental image of the scene earlier described – it IS a memory, and a blurry one, given the sparse details described in the poem. In a little more detail, there are two phrases which must be analysed: I) â€Å"God-curst sun† is even more emotive that the previously described â€Å"chidden of God†. The variation in terms should be explored. The severity of judgement, carried out by none other than the almighty, presents us with a very bleak image – the sun has physically paled under the strain. II) â€Å"Wrings with wrong† is obviously emphasised by the alliteration and the harsh consonance which accompanies it. But does the sense of torsion implied by the word â€Å"wrings† suggest a tearing of a relationship? Perhaps. Note the continued use of the word ‘and’; does this not show the memory is broken and returns to the persona mentally in small pieces, thus adding to the distance created once again? Indeed, along with the variation in terms, it gives the impression of a minimalist, mottled and monochrome image, like a half-remembered dream. Is there a willingness to forget it? Does the persona want to avoid further pain by remembering the image, thus has repressed it along with the associated emotions? (Freudian psychoanalyst in the room.) On the same plane of thought, but to reach a different a conclusion, consider this thesis: the memory has actually faded already, either due to Time or a willing repression. We are reading about a faded memory, as opposed to the persona writing down his VIVID memory in order to repress it himself. Like the First World War poets. Difficult concepts†¦ I say this because the image obviously embodies the emotion, and the circular usage of these conjoined principles proves that the memory is haunting the persona. But if the memory is fading, as shown by all of the distancing techniques, then have the memories accompanying it faded along with it too? (So, dear Mr.) Conclusion. Two ideas. 1) In writing the poem and using the distancing techniques, the persona is neutralising the pain (right now, that is, given that literature is a verbal suspension of time) and is establishing ‘neutral tones’. 2) The memory has already faded along with the pain. This is a mere statement of the fact. ‘Neutral Tones’ have been established.