Business arena Essay Example for Free

Business arena Essay Recent years have demonstrated that a lack of unity exists within the business arena compared to the synergistic methods in which trade unions execute their policies. This must be considered another of the drawbacks of the existence of interest groups. This has resulted in costly political campaigning for Australian businesses (Bell, 0000). The number of organisations that attempt to represent their interests at the political level has become such a complex and tangled web that it is often unprofitable for to do business in such a scene (Matthews). Such action often bring great expense and yet offer little real guarantee of success (Coutskorais, 0000, p. 80). Such organisations in Australia as the Minerals Council of Australia (which represents the particular industry) and Surfer’s Paradise Chamber of Commerce (which represents regional membership) exist for the profitable purpose of (among other things) promoting competition among businesses and the consequent improvement of policies (Matthews, 0000, 75) Despite the clear benefits that interest groups can provide, some drawbacks do exist when one considers their impact on the politics of a country. It is usually necessary to be careful that certain interest groups do not become too powerful and end up coercing government to adversely affect policy changes (Apollonio Bero, 2007). The two Australian interest groups previously mentioned are cases in point, as they represent very powerful organizations that have at least a large potential to urge the implementation of any of the policies they devise. Care must be taken that the policies they advocate really do consider the interest of the public. One major reason why such care must be taken is the fact that these interest groups are never guaranteed to possess equity in their actions. Because they take a particular stand on an issue, their interest is likely to exclude the interest of several others who have opposing views. Furthermore, interest groups have the general privilege of making donations to political parties. This is a lobbying technique that has been around for decades, but may give a political edge to such groups that have the greatest means of funding such campaigns (2007). Some interest groups have outsider status, and this means that they attempt to influence policy by altering public opinion (Evans, year. p. 84). Such groups may prove both beneficial and detrimental to the politics of a country. The detriment comes where such groups falsify or misrepresent information to the public in order to convince them (and their political candidates) to act in the behalf of the group. One group which has historically been seen in this light is the tobacco industry-front group. According to researchers Appollonio Bero, â€Å"The tobacco industry has a history of misrepresenting scientific evidence† (2007, p.419). The researchers go on to point out that the industry has created what seems to be an unaffiliated interest group which presents â€Å"its antiregulation agenda as an expression of popular will, and allowed industry lobbyists access to policymakers who were otherwise unwilling to work with them† (2007, p. 419). This presents a very unfavourable view of political interest groups. However, positive effects of this attempt to influence the public may occur in the form of debates between/among opposing groups, through which the public becomes more informed about the policies being advocated by each. Furthermore, since each group represents a social movement made up of people who share values and see eye to eye on certain matters of concern, these groups provide a forum or network of communication that has the potential to provide a series of checks and balances amongst themselves and within the government (Marsh, 2000). Overall, the action groups that exist within Australia to lobby for the interests of the people have a predominantly positive impact on the Australian society. Such organizations as the Boy’s Club, Gay rights, and animal liberation groups offer protection and a voice for these minorities in the decision-making sectors of the government. Such groups also speak for such issues as gun control, military disarmament, and the protection of the environment. These interest groups possess the expertise and the experience to speak persuasively in the behalf of their interests, and also have the ability to aid in the execution of policies once they have been adopted by the political bodies. The media has the positive effect of promoting the accountability of the government, and of other businesses that my have formed ties with members of the government. However, the highly structured and powerful nature of certain interest groups, while they have the power to get things done within the government, also have the power to wrongly influence the government on their behalf. It is therefore necessary to take care in the freedom with which such groups are allowed to act. References van Acker, E. Curran, G. (eds. ) 2004, Governing Business and Globalisation, (2nd edn. ) Pearson, Frenchs Forest. Ang, J C. Boyer. 2007, â€Å"Finance and politics: the wealth effects of special interest group influence during the nationalisation and privatisation of Conrail. † Cambridge Journal of Economics. vol. 31, no. 2, pp 193-216. Apollonio, D. E. L. A. Bero. 2007, â€Å"Finance and politics: the wealth effects of special interest group influence during the nationalisation and privatisation of Conrail. † American Journal of Public Health. vol. 97, no 3, pp 419-428. BCA. (2007). â€Å"Our Structure. † Business Council of Australia. Melbourne, VIC. Retrieved on May 8, 2007 from http://www. bca. com. au/Content. aspx? ContentID=100827 Hague, R. M. Harrop, S. Breslin. 1994, Political Science: A Comparative Introduction. St. Martin Press, New York. Gray, V. D. Lowery. 2000, Population Ecology of Interest Representation : Lobbying Communities in the American States. University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor. Greenemeier, L J. N. Hoover. 2007, â€Å"Advocacy, Inc. † InformationWeek. no. 1121, pp 38-46. Hollander, R. â€Å"Name of Chapter or Essay. † (2006). Eccleston, R, Williams, P. Hollander, R. (Eds. ). Foundations of Australian Politics. Pearson Education, Sydney. Marsh, I. 2000, â€Å"Gaps in Policy-making capacities; interest groups, social movements, think tanks and the media. † in M. Keating, J. Wanna P. Weller (eds. ) Institutions on the Edge: Capacity for Governance. Allen Unwin, St Leonard’s. Parkin, A, Summers, J. Woodward, D. (eds. ) 2006, Government, Politics, Power and Policy in Australia, (8th ed. ) Pearson, French’s Forest. Chapter 17. Singleton, G et al. 2006, Interest Groups’ in Australian Political Institutions. 8th edn. Pearson, French’s Forest.. Ward, I. R. G. Stewart. 2006, Ch. 12, ‘Pressure Groups and Social Movements’ in Politics One, 3rd edn. , Palgrave. Macmillan, South Yarra. Weitzel, P. 2004, â€Å"Joining with non-media organization can help win access battle. † The Quill. vol. 92, no 7, pp 20-21.

Madness and Insanity in Shakespeares Hamlet - Madness and Hamlet :: Shakespeare Hamlet Essays

Madness and Hamlet       Hamlet is one of William Shakespeare's most honored works and is a piece of literature, which has been studied in depth by many a scholar. The storyline of Hamlet follows a vein of madness that begins with Claudius' murdering King Hamlet and ending with the tragic killing of almost every main character. Many reasons have been proposed for the ultimate tragedy, which occurs at the conclusion of the play. It will be argued in this essay that madness is the cause of the eventual tragedy in Shakespeare's Hamlet.    Claudius' murdering of his brother, the king is the first murderous act of mental illness in the story and it sets into course the madness of many other characters. Murdering one's brother so that they may marry their sister in law is not the act or desire of a sane person. After the king's death, Claudius and Gertrude marry within a matter of months. This quick marriage circumvents the standard mourning period of one year that is expected of a queen. Hamlet is greatly disturbed by the fact that his mother does not mourn longer for his fathers death and conveys his anger about this subject on several occasions. The marriage of a man to his sister in law is thought incestuous by the church and contributes to the overall lack of decency in this story. Claudius is directly responsible for the death of the king, Hamlet's father, and he also contributes to the deaths of Gertrude and Hamlet. His actions set into course a series of events of which the end result is the deaths of Polonius, Laertes, and Ophelia. He is also indirectly responsible for the deaths of these characters.    Hamlet's display of mental illness allows him to prove to himself that Claudius did, in fact, murder his father. After seeing the ghost of his father, Hamlet vows to avenge his death and decides that feigning lunacy will provide him with the means to prove Claudius' guilt. Following his initial encounter with the ghost of his father, Hamlet is very excitedly speaking with Marcellus and Horatio and tells them:    But come / Here, as before, never, so help you mercy

Are Women Better Parents Than Men Essay

Bringing up the children has been the mother’s duty since time immemorial. However, things are changing fast as there are single persons opting for adoption and couples unwilling to tide it through together who are opting to take up the job single handed. There is much to support the mother’s role as the primary caregiver of the family and the young ones, especially through reasons embedded in tradition as well as convenience. However, there have been many examples of single men coming forward, with the nurturing spirit surfacing strongly. Would they fare equally well as any woman or would they be at sea, if confronted by the daunting task of caring for a real child 24/7? The external responsibilities that a male usually carries out in a family—set up as the breadwinner and the protector—give him a tough aura that comes in the way of visualising him performing the mother’s role. However, this cannot be used as a benchmark to determine whether the man is capable of providing children with equal, if not more, tenderness, love and care. The perception that precedes any male when it comes to parenting may well have become redundant now, or is it still the same? Are men likely to fare badly at parenting, or have they become more sensitive to the needs of children in a changed environment? In fact some would rather believe that they better than the mothers as well. So do men actually make better parents than women? All individuals are different from one another and may respond or perform at different levels as per their individual capabilities. However, if a generalist idea has to be formed it would be so that women generally make the better parents as they have the innate maternal instincts that allow them to take the best care of their children. Women would have subconsciously built a bond with the child even before it is born. Carrying a child in the womb for nine month is sufficient for strong emotional ties to be formed that are beyond understanding of average human relationships. Nature has implanted the nurture and care automatically in women. Bringing up life in its first few years is extremely important and to ensure safety and survival the women are attuned intrinsically to this need. For the men this part might be the difficult bit. They are seen largely making valuable contributions in a child’s development after he/she has achieved control over bodily functions and has reached a certain level of comprehension. However, there are certain ways in which a father or a male can contribute in the upbringing of children that women cannot do complete justice to. Men are generally rational and logic driven and decisions/choices and actions are based on sound reason. The way a father can allow a child to go all out and grow up would not be possible with mothers, who are more protective and would be daunted by the slightest crunch in the heart. Of course, the exceptions are always there but the go getting spirit, courage and fierce determination can be imparted very well by the male only. It is important as it makes the child more worldly wise and equipped with a skill that will not be taught in any school as a part of the curriculum. An initial advantage that lies with the woman is that she is the one who is physically and mentally programmed naturally to do a better job of parenting. Women generally are more sensitive and attentive to even the smallest needs exhibited by the children. They are inherently good listeners, blessed with more patience to deal with hours of bawling. It can be very challenging to keep comforting little children as they are not able to express or communicate at times about what bothers, pains or frightens them. Mothers are usually patient at such time and are willing to put aside hours to calm and reassure them. The important part worth taking notice of is that the young years are really crucial in the formation of a self-confident and a secure individual. If the children are neglected and ignored, they are likely to shape up as insecure somewhere and no matter how much of inputs and care are given after they grow up, that deficit cannot be made up for. I personally think that women are more capable of adding this tremendous value to a child’s life. However, in the light of recent developments I would like to differ and cite the alternative point of view. The equations in today’s world are changing and the women are actively seeking employment and pursuing very challenging careers. Though the idea of motherhood is very fascinating, the actual process of bringing up a child can be very demanding. And here is where the male’s rational, organised and practical outlook counts. They can make it tick even in such a very demanding situation and hence men are capable of being better parents. I would still say that there is no doubting the fact that mothers make better parents as they are known to be more balanced, especially in crunch situations. If we were to take a neutral scenario where the financial pressure and the emotional mess of a broken household are absent, women are capable of dealing superbly with the task. Usually, the women are projected as emotional wrecks, poor decision makers and incapable of providing a secure future only in situations where they are not educated enough to go out and earn. Other than that, there are ample examples where independent single women have done a splendid job of parenting. I feel that the women are capable of a healthy left brain- right brain activity balance and create and nurture life adeptly. I do agree that there are some very valuable skill sets that may be the exclusive domain of women, but there is much that men may be capable of doing. Men are usually not known to be very expressive about their ideas or their feelings. They are more of the doers. The fact that I really appreciate about fathers is that they are capable of imparting many critical life lessons to their children without actually making them look like lessons. Children emulate their elders. A practical parent would teach the child to evaluate situations without really reacting at the drop of a hat. Men are good at controlling their emotions and by exhibiting more of the controlled reactions in crisis situations teach them calm, analytical approach. Then, there is the general conduct adopted toward the various people that instils etiquette, politeness and fist lessons in people skills. The other issue with the females is that even when the child has grown up, they may still be clinging on somewhere. Men will not be so edgy about letting go. I really feel that men are better parents as they are capable of a more hands off approach. TIt comes across as a logical conclusion of this debate that the role of both man and woman is equally significant as parents and it is not necessarily so that women make better parents. Most women make good parents as they are better listeners and tend to be more attentive to one’s needs. Being more sensitive than males, women can forge a closer relationship with their children. Father is commonly seen as the rationalist, but this is not always true. Some fathers can make better parents than mothers; and this could be largely attributed to an individual’s personal upbringing, the childhood he or she experienced and the values that they believe in. If one has had a loving family unit and an environment that made him/her feel loved, it inspires a quite confidence and self-assurance which further gets translated into further parenting. Therefore, it is really immaterial as to whether men or women make better parents. Anyone, with a more mature and balanced outlook is likely to do a better job of parenting—being hands off when required and involved when desired.

Profile on Woman Writer Marge Piercy

Marge Piercy (born March 31, 1936) is a feminist writer of fiction, poetry, and memoir. She is known for examining women, relationships, and emotions in new and provocative ways. Her cyberpunk novel He, She and It (known outside the U.S. as Body of Glass) won the Arthur C. Clarke Award, which honors the best science fiction, in 1993. Fast Facts: Marge Piercy Known For: Feminist authorBorn: March 31, 1936 in Detroit Family Background Piercy was born and  grew up in Detroit. Like many U.S. families of the 1930s, hers was influenced by the Great Depression. Her father,  Robert Piercy, was sometimes out of work. She also knew the â€Å"outsider† struggle of being a Jew, as she was raised by her Jewish mother and non-practicing Presbyterian father. Her neighborhood was a working-class neighborhood, segregated block by block.  She went through some years of sickness after early health, first struck by German measles and then rheumatic fever. Reading helped her through that period. Marge Piercy cites her maternal grandmother, who had previously lived on a shtetl  in Lithuania, as an influence on her upbringing. She remembers her grandmother as a storyteller and her mother as a voracious reader who encouraged observation of the world around her. She had a troubled relationship with her mother, Bert Bunnin Piercy.  Her mother encouraged her to read and be curious, but also was highly emotional, and not very tolerant of her daughters growing independence. Education and Early Adulthood Marge Piercy began writing poetry and fiction as a teenager. She graduated from Mackenzie High School. She attended the University of Michigan, where she co-edited the literary magazine and became a published writer for the first time. She earned scholarships and awards, including a fellowship to Northwestern to pursue her master’s degree. Marge Piercy felt like an outsider in 1950s U.S. higher education, in part because of what she calls dominant Freudian values. Her sexuality and goals did not conform to expected behavior. The themes of women’s sexuality and women’s roles would later be prominent in her writing. She published  Breaking Camp,  a book of her poetry, in 1968. Marriage and Relationships Marge Piercy married young, but left her first husband by age 23. He was a physicist and a Jew from France, active in anti-war activities during Frances war with Algeria.  They lived in France.  She was frustrated by her husbands expectation of conventional sex roles, including not taking her writing seriously. After she left that marriage and divorced, she lived in Chicago, working at various part-time jobs to make a living while she wrote poetry and took part in the civil rights movement. With her second husband, a computer scientist, Marge Piercy lived in Cambridge, San Francisco, Boston, and New York. The marriage was an open relationship, and others sometimes lived with them. She worked long hours as a feminist and anti-war activist, but eventually left New York after the movements began to splinter and fall apart.  Ã‚   Marge Piercy and her husband moved to Cape Cod, where she began writing Small Changes, published in 1973. That novel explores a variety of relationships with men and women, in marriage and in communal living. Her second marriage ended later that decade. Marge Piercy married Ira Wood in 1982. They have written several books together, including the play Last White Class, the novel Storm Tide, and a non-fiction book about the craft of writing. Together they started the Leapfrog Press, which publishes midlist fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. They sold the publishing company to new owners in 2008. Writing and Exploration Marge Piercy says her writing and poetry changed after she moved to Cape Cod. She sees herself as part of a connected universe. She bought land and became interested in gardening. In addition to writing, she remained active working in the women’s movement and teaching at a Jewish retreat center. Marge Piercy often visited the places where she sets her novels, even if she had been there before, to see them through her characters’ eyes. She describes writing fiction as inhabiting another world for a few years. It allows her to explore choices she didn’t make and imagine what would have happened. Famous Works Marge Piercy’s is the author of over 15 novels, including Woman on the Edge of Time (1976), Vida (1979), Fly Away Home (1984), and Gone to Soldiers (1987). Some novels are considered science fiction, including Body of Glass, awarded the Arthur C. Clarke Award.  Her many poetry books include  The Moon Is Always Female (1980),  What Are Big Girls Made Of? (1987), and Blessing the Day (1999). Her memoir, Sleeping With Cats, was published in 2002.