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Using the first three scenes of “A Streetcar Named Desire”, it is safe to us ...

Using the first three scenes of “A Streetcar Named Desire”, it is safe to use certain words to describe Stanley Kowalski: animalistic, dominance-driven, and hotheaded. Stanley has grown up as a city-boy who developed a behavior that would drive most people into the opposite direction. Growing up in the city causes the mistrust towards others. This is presented as Stanley disapproves Blanche’s wardrobe, pointing out all the supposed expensive items. “Here’s your plantation, or what was left of it, here!”. He doesn’t trust the story Blanche told Stella about the loss of the plantation, this is due to the society he grew up in; the streets are not the place to be gullible.

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Stanley’s personality is transparent through his rough exterior from the first moment the audience meets him. As him and Mitch come around the corner, the narrator gives a detailed description of Stanley’s current wardrobe and attitude. “They are about twenty-eight or thirty years old, roughly dressed in blue denim work clothes, Stanley carries his bowling jacket and a red-stained package from the butcher’s.” His clothing choice expresses his daring attitude; he isn’t concerned about what other people have to say regarding his looks or behavior. This first impression includes him carrying a bloody piece of raw meat from the butcher’s. The raw meat package represents his unsophisticated manner; almost barbaric when he throws the meat to Stella while laughing.

The description of Stanley from page 24-25 also gives the audience an insight into Stanley’s character. First including his body type, “He is of medium height, about five feet eight or nine, and strongly, compactly built”; giving the audience a chance to observe his physical outline. This narration also presents insight into Stanley’s crude nature towards women, “Since his earliest manhood the center of his life has been pleasure with women, the giving and taking of it, not with weak indulgence, dependently, but with the power and pride of richly feathered male bird among hens.” As most men fall into the beauty and mystery of women in a curious manner, Stanley enjoys wanting women to impress him instead of vice versa. He feels superior to the “hens”; as if he is being gracious allowing them to be around his presence. As the narrator lists his likes and dislikes, it is the stereotypical rough-and-tough nature a city man would have. Also containing his overall view of women, “He sizes women up at a glance, with sexual classifications, crude images flashing into his mind and determining the way he smiles at them.” He is mentally insulting to women, which ties into how he acts openly to them. He views himself as someone who doesn’t have to follow the unwritten rules of public behavior. Sexually classifying women meanwhile, having a wife and an unborn child.

Stanley’s personality directs relates to how he treats other people. He is disrespectful to the past and current women in his life and is insensitive to people’s personal lives. As he and Blanche stumble upon the dead boy’s letters, the topic of admiration rises and Stanley describes one of his past relationships. “I never met a woman that didn’t know if she was good-looking or not without being told, and some of them give themselves credit for more than they’ve got. I once went out with a doll who said to me, ‘I am the glamorous type, I am the glamorous type!’ I said, ‘So what?’”

He thinks complimenting women is pointless and women should just know how they look without being told; and women also think too highly of themselves, this having to do with the fact that he feels superior in a relationship. Instead of helping this girlfriend have a higher confidence in herself, he “shut her up like a clam” ; completely expressing his rude nature. When Stanley hits Stella at the end of Scene Three, it is a prime example of his forceful nature in a relationship, “She backs out of sight. He advances and disappears. There is the sound of a blow. Stella cries out. Blanche screams and runs into the kitchen. The men rush forward and there is grappling and cursing. Something is overturned with a crash.”. It isn’t directly said that Stanley beats Stella throughout their relationship, but after this “blow” it is mentioned by Eunice,” I hope they do haul you in and turn the hose on you, same as the last time!” Inferring that this has happened previously.

Stanley’s need to have ultimate authority directly motivates him to commit the acts that he does. As he starts the ‘Napoleonic Code’ speech to Stella, Stanley takes advantage of knowing something that Stella is oblivious to. “Let me enlighten you on a point or two, baby.” . Not only is he being overly confident, but he adds in “baby” which involves she is naïve to this supposed general knowledge. He is taking upon the position of a ‘classic American’ by being the superior person in the relationship, which back then was automatically the male. Another slight action by Stanley is when he slaps her thigh at the poker table, “A chair scrapes. Stanley gives a loud whack of his hand to her thigh.” ; presenting his dominance over her. He will take advantage of any situation to prove his dominance over someone else, especially his wife. Stanley knows she definitely can’t leave him now that she is pregnant, but the dominance drives him to take power over her on a daily basis.

Works Cited

  1. A Streetcar Named Desire. (1947). By Tennessee Williams.
  2. Bloom, H. (Ed.). (2002). Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire. Infobase Publishing.
  3. Clurman, H. (1951). The Fervent Years: The Group Theatre and the Thirties. Hill and Wang.
  4. Fischer, H. (2001). Tennessee Williams: A Descriptive Bibliography. Oak Knoll Press.
  5. Gassner, J. (1958). Masterpieces of the Modern Drama: The Great Plays of the Twentieth Century. Dover Publications.
  6. Kolb, H. (2010). Tennessee Williams: A Guide to Research and Performance. Scarecrow Press.
  7. Leverich, L. (1995). Tom: The Unknown Tennessee Williams. Crown Publishers.
  8. Luckett, M. (1996). The Dramatic Vision of Tennessee Williams: A Study of the Plays. Louisiana State University Press.
  9. Roudane, M. C. (Ed.). (2000). Approaches to Teaching Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire. Modern Language Association of America.
  10. Williams, T. (2010). A Streetcar Named Desire: New Directions Publishing Corporation.

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Starbucks is one of the most familiar coffee companies started in Seattle in the ...

Starbucks is one of the most familiar coffee companies started in Seattle in the year 1971. As of now the company is having around 30,000 outlets across the world. It is one of the most successful chain organisations in the world. Starbucks is considered to be the main representative of second wave coffee. Starbucks is known for the offerings of quality and customer preferred coffee made of roasted coffee seeds.

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Starbucks Marketing Strategies

Starbucks administrations understood that by selling top-notch espresso would probably contend in the present market. As for start the journey the first step is to market brand name, that is Starbucks and associate it with high-quality coffee. Starbucks likewise trusts the best approach to give incredible effect amid promoting is to express it by means of 'most recent jokes', most recent music and the most recent identities inside the politic, writing, sports and culture pattern. Choosing a prominent promoter assumes essential jobs on sending the message to the world. Bedbury picked Goodby, Silverstein, and honor winning San Francisco organization that had made 'Goat milk' Starbucks had spent next to no on promoting and that helps on the development of the business. Other than that, Starbucks additionally had led inquire about on their clients to comprehend in profound the genuine needs of them.

Addressed been asked, 'why individuals come to Starbucks”. “How do they imagine a perfect café'? Knowing your client's needs and satisfying it, will end up being a best promoting system. Clients are been treated as relatives and given the topmost need in serving their necessities. As the years progressed, the Starbucks Coffee Company has been known to concoct imaginative and creative plans to add to their items or administrations. They've added diverse flavors to their espresso, more sustenance on their menu. Starbucks Coffee Company has been known to make key associations that show the way that another method to develop your business is to accomplice brilliant. Throughout the years, the Starbucks Corporation has extraordinarily expanded deals just by utilizing this technique. As model a joint endeavor between PEPSI so as to advance a packaged rendition of espresso. Other than that, Starbucks likewise framed progressively key associations to get abundance to a greater amount of their focused on clients. In addition, they additionally had promoted their items to another dimension, such as entering into basic needs shops.

SWOT Analysis The SWOT investigation gives a thought on how Starbuck's business is running and how their shortcoming and openings in business can be recognized.

Strengths:

  • Product Starbucks figured out how to advertise its name for selling the best coffee. Starbucks purchases the best quality coffee beans from Africa, South America, and Indonesia without respect about the cost. New items with various flavors been present, All together continue the deals and furthermore pull in clients.
  • Marketing The blends of good showcasing techniques that made the organization understand before daring to Oman. For instance, the promoting techniques that figured out how to set up the remainder of the organization.
  • Strategic Partnership Had join venture with another famous brand, for example, “MCDONALDS” to market Starbucks brand.

Weaknesses:

  • Restricted client gathering Staggering expense items and unequal appropriation of pay limit the extensions of Starbucks Coffee in Oman advertise. Starbucks picked the most costly area while different contenders concentrated on more affordable scene. It caused Starbucks to lose the favorable position in estimating rivalry with different contenders.
  • Restricted Menu Numerous Western organizations have been entering Oman nourishment industry, for example, McDonald's, KFC, and Pizza Hut. These drive-through joints give more choices and choices in the sustenance menu, while Starbucks' retails stores were offering just Coffee.
  • Workforce Oman neighborhood workforce is shy of learning and ability in natural pecking order store the board. Connect increasingly experienced laborers and preparing is required before Starbucks goes into Oman. Espresso learning and the espresso making process are basic for Starbucks, so as to serve the client with top notch items. Every above issue makes a constraint for Starbucks before going into Oman refreshment advertise.

Opportunities:

  • Sociological Forces There are a couple of chances which can be dictated by investigating sociological components. One; In Oman, the Omanis tends to loved Western culture food. As a result of this current Omani's attitude of 'needing to be westernized,' numerous regions have received the 'Starbucks' as their 'Third Home', bringing about an enormous ascent of Starbucks in the Gulf mainland. This westernization has hit youthful age in Oman to attempt another culture by encountering it in Starbuck.
  • Economic Forces The monetary development has additionally expanded the purchasing power, so the interest on interest in the residential market expanded because of the gigantic measure of the populace in Oman and the way that people group’s salary increment.

Substitute items Qahwa, the great Omanis drink, some moderate gatherings in Oman trust that it will be hard to create espresso advertise in Oman as Qahwa driving Oman refreshment showcase, speak to in excess of 60 percent of all-out market volume. The challenge is furious since Qahwa and espresso can substitute for one another.

Starbuck's is a strong organization when it comes into branding, sales and task framework which furnish them with a strong shot on enduring and developing in Oman Market. Oman with its growing population and economics provide Starbuck’s with a wide and promising market.


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As technology continues to improve, the demand for a STEM education is becoming ...

As technology continues to improve, the demand for a STEM education is becoming more urgent. President Obama recently announced that there was a “desperate need” for more STEM graduates. Although there seems to be no shortage of histrionic STEM headlines in the media, the United States is far behind when it comes to STEM preparedness. Despite these dismal results, schools across the nation are cutting back on the humanities and pushing STEM to the front. In response, many schools have suggested integrating the two. Since STEM and the humanities are so connected, doing so would not only allow the United States to become competitive with other countries but also prepare them for the real world.

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However, many were not ready for this shift. Many educators have lashed out claiming that incorporating the two would distract them and create even more confusion. However, critics have failed to realize that the humanities and STEM are already intrinsically connected to each other. No school would have to make any drastic, costly changes. The very nature of these subjects are not about memorizing and regurgitating facts but how to apply them. Science majors will spend most of their careers writing lab reports and endlessly analyzing their results with a critical eye. Peer review and discussion of found results is critical to the scientific process. Logical fallacies, critical thinking skills, and technical writing are all crucial aspects of being a scientist. No one is asking math students to write a ten-page analysis on the social aspects of Pythagoras's findings, rather, integration means more discussion on the validity of scientific data and knowing how to write a lab report free of opinion bias. To be clear, STEM will in no way become just another English class. Instead, STEM will incorporate it into their curriculum in a way that mimics the way that actual scientists function.

You may also be interestedWhat are STEM Grants and How Can a Student or Teacher Get Them?The chances are high that you have heard about STEM programs before or even taken part in one of them as a student or an educator. This time we sha...

In today’s competitive job market, STEM graduates are being forced to compete with countries with more advanced, well-founded programs. Broadening their skill set will make them stand out on a job application. Integration of elements of philosophy and debate will allow them to convince employees to hire them. Allowing and even encouraging students to broaden their skill sets in college will provide them with unique insight that other students do not possess. People like Steve Jobs and Carly Fiorina lended their success to the classes they took outside of STEM. One economic course might be the difference between a student living their life in the IT department or in the CEO’s chair. Dr. Loretta Jackson-Hayes credits “cross-disciplinary training” for her students’ success in the job market. In this connected, complex world, excellence in just one topic will not cut it.

The same principle applies to the real world as well. Believe it or not, STEM majors have lives outside of the dark corners of their laboratories. In order to increase the popularity of STEM and rid the world of ignorance concerning the subject, they have to know how to communicate their ideas and findings with the average person. Scientists and researchers play a huge role in trying to keep this world safe with their experiments, however, that work is useless if it cannot be conveyed to the average person. The humanities trains their students to do just that, convey their ideas in a clear, concise manner. The disconnect Americans have with STEM is more apparent than ever. Training in the humanities would help eliminate that problem.

Both STEM and the humanities cannot be divorced from each other. It is more apparent, now more than ever, that in order for American students to compete with other countries and survive in today’s competitive job market, people need to meld the two topics together. Doing so would teach young high schoolers what these jobs are really about and get a better understanding of the science itself. With this new focus, the United States can truly propel students into this new, STEM-driven future.


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Table of contentsStrategic AllianceOther ForecourtsOther Forecourts Include:Port ...

Table of contents

  1. Strategic Alliance
  2. Other Forecourts
  3. Other Forecourts Include:Porter’s Analysis
  4. Threat of New Entrants/Competitors
  5. Current Competitors
  6. Power of Suppliers
  7. Threat of Substitute Products

In South Africa, there are several different petrol station franchises. According to BusinessTech, the most popular petrol stations in 2017 were Sasol, Shell, Engen, BP, and Caltex. While Engen has the largest network of fuel stations among these, Sasol attracted more customers as they drove past the station. It was noted that petrol stations with food retailers and/or fast food brands present in the forecourt consistently attracted more consumers.

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The fuel industry has remained resilient throughout economic difficulties including recession. For the purpose of this project, I have chosen to research the strategic alliance between Engen and Woolworths. Woolworths Foodstops have been present in Engen fuel stations since the early 2000’s and have grown substantially.

Engen began as Vacuum Oil in the 1880’s and was renamed Mobil in South Africa in the 1960’s. This soon became a household name, however, after many years operating under this name, the company rebranded to Engen in 1993 and has since become one of the most recognizable petrol brands in South Africa. The energy company has presence in more than 20 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands with approximately 1500 service stations of which 600 have convenience stores.

Currently, PETRONAS, Malaysia’s national oil company, owns 80% of Engen & the remaining 20% is owned by Pembani, an empowerment firm which contributes to the essentials of Engen’s BBBEE compliance. While the company is based in South Africa, their products are exported to more than 30, the majority being in Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands. Both Engen’s refinery and lubricating oils blending plant are located in Durban and produce 135 000 barrels and 320 000 litres of product per day respectively. Their product range consists of various fuels and lubricants including automotive, industrial, aviation, and marine fuels and lubricants. They also produce and sell hydrocarbon solvents, as well as various polymers and bitumens.

The company believes in acting in a manner that is King Code Compliant and has embraced an ethical business culture to provide top quality petroleum products and convenience to their customers. Through their core values, Integrity, Ownership, Teamwork, Empowered and Performance, Engen aims to achieve while remaining a responsible corporate citizen. They believe that all employees should commit to these values.

Woolworths is a well-known food and clothing retailer in South Africa. It has operated successfully for many years. Their underlying values that guide all operations mean that the company will always put the customer first, be inspirational, responsible & collaborative while committing to quality to be a responsible retailer and add quality to the lives of consumers. The company has over 1500 stores spread across 14 countries, 12 of which are in sub-Saharan Africa. This illustrates the breakdown of Woolworths Holding Limited and shows basic statistics around their operations and sales processes. From this, it is evident that African spending makes up a large portion of the companies’ turnover. Woolworths Holdings Limited listed on the JSE in October 1997 and the share price at the close of the JSE on Friday the 5th of October 2018 was R47.

Strategic Alliance

Woolworths opened its first 2 Foodstops at Engen in Cape Town in 2000 to test the viability of a forecourt model for the company. After a successful 3 year trial period, it was decided that Woolworths and Engen would expand the concept. The Woolworths Foodstop concept was innovative and the non-traditional location allowed Woolworths to reach consumers 24-hours a day. After the successful trial period, 3 stores were opened in Gauteng and by 2013, 50 stores were opened nationwide with 45 more expected to be opened by June 2016. There are currently 50 Woolworths Foodstops countrywide, of which 31 are in Gauteng.

In 2009, Engen and Woolworths partnered with Nampak to offer recycling facilities to their customers. This initiative highlighted the companies shared goal of reducing wastage and their commitment to being more environmentally friendly by reducing landfill waste. Recycling facilities for paper, cardboard, glass and plastic were installed at select Engen garages with Woolworths Foodstops. In 2014, Woolworths extended its Wrewards programmes to Foodstops at Engen garages. They were the first major retailers in the country to extend their loyalty programme to strategic alliance stores at fuel stations. This was done to learn more about consumer behaviour to improve their service delivery at these stores.

This strategic alliance has been successful because it provides convenience to consumers. Woolworths Foodstops have a variety of prepackaged meals, snacks and basic food items such as bread. Many consumers purchase these products on the way to work and on the way home in the evening. This location saves consumers time and thus builds brand loyalty. It has also served as marketing to new consumers.

Other Forecourts

Other Forecourts Include:

  • Engen & QuickStop,
  • BP & Pick ‘n Pay,
  • Shell & Shell Select, and Caltex & Fresh
  • Stop.

Porter’s Analysis

The porter’s analysis is used to assess the attractiveness of a market and its profit potential. It consists of the following 6 forces:

  • Threat of new entrants/competitors
  • Current competitors
  • Power of suppliers
  • Power of the buyer
  • Threat of substitute products
  • Complimentary products.

Threat of New Entrants/Competitors

This force assesses the ease or difficulty with which a new competitor can enter the market based on entry barriers. Currently, it would be difficult for a profitable strategic alliance to form between a fuel station and a food retailer as the top fuel stations either have their own food retail brand (Shell Select) have strategic alliances with food retailers (BP and Pick ‘n Pay) or have both their own food retailers and a strategic alliance (Engen with QuickStop and Woolworths). This effectively limits the opportunity for strong strategic alliances that could be a threat.

Existing strategic alliances have also built high levels of customer loyalty with both the fuel station and the food retailer. What this means is that a new entrant would have difficulty in building a customer base. Because of this, it is unlikely that new entrants would pose a large threat. It is however suggested that Engen and Woolworths ensure consistent consumer satisfaction. By extending the Wrewards programme to fuel stations, Woolworths has shown customers that they value their purchases at these Foodstops. This could be utilised to offer customers better deals and discounts at Foodstops to encourage them to continue shopping there. The convenience provided by the “delivery service” at Engen Edenburg is attractive to parents. This service allows parents to buy from the store without having to leave the car with their child. Petrol attendants bring purchases to the customers car while fuel is filled into the tank. By extending this service to other fuel stations, Engen can build a stronger consumer base, specifically with parents, and thus also a future consumer base with their children.

These strategic alliances can be costly to form due to legal costs when drawing up the contract. It is in the best interest of both parties to have legal assistance when drawing up this contract to ensure the fair treatment of both parties as well as to provide a clear understanding of terms within the contract. This acts as a barrier to entry for smaller retailers and fuel stations wanting to form strategic alliances. It is important for both Woolworths and Engen to understand the possibility of ending their strategic alliance at the end of the current contract term. For that reason, while each party wants to remain in the strategic alliance, they should maintain a good relationship. This will mitigate the risk of being replaced by other fuel stations or retailers. Woolworths and Engen have become related in the consumer's mind and thus are when one acts in an irresponsible manner, both are affected. This could lead to the above risk of being replaced by another company. Therefore, both companies should act in a responsible manner to maintain a good relationship thus mitigating the risk new entrants pose.

Current Competitors

There are currently many competitors in the market. Most fuel stations have forecourts with convenience stores making it increasingly difficult to differentiate from competitors. However, both Engen and Woolworths have are established in the market thus it is easier to maintain a loyal consumer base. It is important for both businesses to draw on this and continually market their products to both existing and potential customers. This will somewhat mitigate the risk of losing market share.

Due to fuel price regulation, price cannot be used as a competitive advantage over competitors. However, fuel stations have differentiated themselves through service and product quality as well as their forecourts. Engen and Woolworths are known to have service and products of high quality. This needs to be maintained for the companies to maintain the market share they currently enjoy. To do this, it is important to empower and grow employees in a manner that makes them feel valued. Employees should be trained and given opportunities to improve themselves including their earnings. It is also important to have employee benefits such as discounted meals and paid leave.

Woolworths food can often be quite expensive compared to that of its competitors, SPAR and Pick ‘n Pay among others. While the quality is often considered to be better, it is not always affordable and thus a large portion of the market is shut out. In order to gain a larger market share, Woolworths could consider introducing a more affordable range of food or having sales on products at the end of the month. Because consumers have the most money during this time, they are more likely to spend and in conjunction with the sales, Woolworths would become more attractive to the average consumer. Sales could include regular markdowns on products as well as promotions based on the amount of fuel you buy to attract consumers to Engen as well. By ensuring loyalty to both brands, they will be able to build a stronger and more loyal consumer base.

Specifically in this market, there is large potential for growth which Engen and Woolworths could use to their advantage. Utilising more technology to make sales both in the fuel station and the convenience store more efficient and enjoyable for consumers could build a stronger consumer base. Most consumers fill up their cars before or after a long trip or on the way from or to work. This means that most of the time consumers are in a hurry, tired and often frustrated. It is therefore important for Engen and Woolworths to make the entire transaction as seamless and efficient as possible. This can be achieved through ensuring technology is up to date as mentioned above as well as through ensuring employees are properly trained. This empowers employees which increases productivity and satisfaction but also mitigates the risk of mistakes and makes the consumers experience much more efficient. By empowering employees, employees happiness also increases which reflects in the way they interact with consumers.

A concern in the fuel industry at the moment is the effect on the environment. With more consumers becoming environmentally conscious, it is important for Woolworths and Engen to be as environmentally friendly as possible and ensure this is visible to the public. This can be done by expanding the recycling project with Nampak to more fuel stations. This will also create a convenient space for consumers to recycle their waste and thus creates a competitive advantage.

Power of Suppliers

Engen has both a refinery and a lubricating oils blending plant in Durban as well as its own fleet. This means that Engen produces and transports its own products thus mitigating the risk the power of a supplier can pose on a company.

Woolworths however, is dependent on suppliers to deliver raw materials to factories. This poses a risk to the quality and pricing of products as well as Woolworths’ ability to produce food. What this means is that suppliers have power over Woolworths’ ability to produce products which will then be sold in the Foodstops nationwide. In the event that a supplier is unable to deliver the correct quality and quantity of raw materials, Woolworths operations will be compromised. For this reason, it is important to carefully choose reliable suppliers and build a relationship with them to ensure a reliable supply of raw materials at all times as well as to avoid being overcharged.

Another solution that can much better mitigate the risk suppliers pose to the company is backward integration. Backwards integration refers to internally producing some or all materials necessary for production either through a merger with suppliers or the creation of own supply mechanisms (such as factories or farms). This would mitigate the risk because Woolworths would produce its own materials and thus would no longer be dependent on suppliers to operate.

In the fuel industry, buyers have a large power over stations. Due to price regulations, all stations have to charge the same amount for fuel. What this means, is that it is easy for buyers to switch fuel stations with little to no additional cost. It is therefore important to ensure all Engen fuel stations provide excellent service and convenience to consumers. This can be done through basic CSR initiatives that motivate and empower employees thus increasing their satisfaction and drive to perform well. Examples of this include compulsory paid leave days, employee training, discounts in convenience store and for fuel among other initiatives. It is important to make employees feel valued to increase productivity and service quality.

Because it is very difficult to differentiate the fuel station itself, it is important to use the forecourt to gain a competitive advantage and grow a loyal consumer base. This can be done by offering exclusive deals at forecourts which incentivise consumers to choose Engen and Woolworths over other fuel stations and forecourts. South Africa is currently in a technical recession which combined with inflation has caused consumers to retract from spending and save more. Thus, by offering exclusive saving opportunities, consumers are more likely to buy from the fuel station and forecourt.

Caltex Oaklands currently hosts “pop-ups” on certain weekends. During this weekend, different food and beverage vendors pay to sell their products at the fuel station. Not only does this serve as an extra source of income, but it also creates a unique selling point and draws more consumers to the fuel station and forecourt. By utilizing a similar model, Engen can host smaller events with influencers as well as markets at bigger stations which would draw in more consumers and serve as marketing for the brands.

Threat of Substitute Products

There are several other fuel stations in the country that can provide substitute products to consumers. For this reason, it is incredibly important for Engen to differentiate itself from competitors. This can be done through the quality of products, the quality of service and CSR initiatives.

To differentiate from competitors, it is important to ensure that Engen’s fuel quality is superior than that of its competitors. It is therefore important to ensure that fuel is transported and stored in the correct manner to prevent water getting into fuel and damaging the engine of a consumer's car. It is also important to continually research and improve the fuel being produced to be better for both the consumers car and the environment. This will create a positive reputation for Engen and thus allow the company to build a loyal consumer base.

It is of utmost importance to hire employees that do not have criminal records and that are qualified (or can be trained) to do the job they are hired to do. This will ensure the company the ability to operate in a productive and efficient manner. However to ensure that the company does operate in a productive and efficient manner, it is important to empower employees and make them feel valued as mentioned before.

The fuel company already runs several CSR initiatives such as the recycling project with Nampak, Engen maths, science and computer schools as well as mobile libraries. Engen also runs a KlevaKids campaign which educates children on paraffin safety and screens all forecourt attendants for health issues to ensure their health and wellbeing. Through growing existing CSR initiatives, Engen will be able to gain buy-in and thus loyalty from the community and grow the community around them thus fulfilling the people portion of King Code.

Woolworths currently differentiates itself from other forecourt stores through its product quality. It is therefore important to uphold this quality to avoid losing market share because of consumers opting to buy from alternative stores. The food retailer should also ensure good product and service quality and invest in CSR & CSI initiatives to increase market share as mentioned above for Engen.

Currently, the Woolworths Foodstop serves as a complementary product to the fuel. This is because consumers often buy their fuel when they are going to work or on a journey and returning from either. This means that most consumers are either in a rush or tired. Therefore, the convenience store serves as a good place to buy a meal, snacks or essentials such as bread. Thus, the products in the convenience store serve as complimentary products due to the convenience of being able to fill up your car and buy food at the same time.

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Other complementary products Engen could consider are car washes and fast food brands. These could attract more consumers and thus create a competitive advantage. Because the consumer would then have more choice while still having the convenience of being able to do more things at once, the fuel station is more likely to draw more consumers. Well known fast food brands would also already have a loyal consumer base. Thus, the fast food store would attract consumers to the store and as an extension, the fuel station and Foodstop. This serves as marketing and in the long term can be used to build a loyal consumer base.


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Table of contentsIntroductionMajor issues of WoolworthsManaging ChangeSWOT of Wo ...

Table of contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Major issues of Woolworths
  3. Managing Change
  4. SWOT of Woolworths Limited
  5. StrengthsWeaknessesOpportunitiesThreats
  6. Conclusion

Introduction

The current research deals with the issues in the strategic operations faced by Woolworths, a major supermarket chain of Australia. Colloquially the company is known as woollies and at present, they own around supermarket chain of Australia operating stores in Australia. The company was formed in the year 1924 under the name Woolworths Bazaar Limited and had their first store at Sydney’s Pitt Street. The consumer interest grew after December 1924 as the store started selling a variety of goods and claiming the price to be the cheapest in market. Woolworth supermarket, a famous retailer chain in Australia holds at least 78% market and it encounters a strong level of competition from Coles, which is another grocery and supermarket outlets in Australia. Growth in structure, strategies and operational methods of the organization are mandatory for business sustainability.

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The term “change” defines to any alteration, which occurs in the entire work environment of the association to grow. In this assignment, the concepts of organisational change will be linked up with the organisational principles followed by Woolworths group. In this task, list will be provided for emphasizing the pertinent change previously acquired in the chosen organisation. In the third part, plans of organisational change will be focused after assessing the SWOT analysis. By rationally assess the role of the change agent in the organization, this will develop climate for planned change by overcoming resistance and supporting forces for positive growth.

Major issues of Woolworths

Losing loyal customers: Woolworths encounter a problem of losing its existing loyal customers to its competitor companies, which directly influence its annual sales revenue and ultimate profitability. Woolworths rewards strategy employed by the management which is very significant loyalty programs for existing customers. After incorporation of these strategies, Woolworths supermarket enjoys at least 18 million customer base every week and this number is constantly increasing day by day.

Issues regarding technology change: The management of Woolworths after facing a severe strategic issue within the competitive retail market of Australia has recently introduced the online shopping website. Therefore, the management analyses the present trends and starts to offer products on online. The CEO of Woolworths, Ian Moir always concentrates on the profitability and costs down with proper implication winning strategies. Woolworths’ credit card strategy involves and automatic tracking of the purchase in the supermarkets. This shopping card also give pay back points to the card, therefore the consumer can avail the discounts on their next purchase.

Competition issue: Woolworths faces a huge level of competition from its existing competitor companies like Coles and Aldi. Even there are possibilities of new entrants, which may come with innovative strategies to destroy the leading position of Australia. Therefore, Woolworths should change its present strategies in order to prevent the possibilities of new strategic issues that will hamper its business and brand name.

Managing Change

Change is the critical aspects for enhancing the effectiveness of the management. Organizations undertake in response to dynamic internal and external factors that transforms with current necessities of the organization. Evidence suggests that severe orders, narrow descriptions of job, inflexible rules and procedures and impersonal management and the high degree of operational specialization can’t respond in an adequate manner for demanding for change. In these sides, the organizational change is required for several internal and external causes. In the overall perception, change in the organization may alter in or reorganize them to future demand by foreseeing the outer events. The concept explains the involvement of changing the organisation from the ongoing state towards the desired state for the future and managing the transition process.

In other words, the idea of the organization has been inclusive in the theory of the management such as the “System theory” and “Theory of Complexity”. In the literature of the management, expressions like “planned change”, “managing change”, “organizational change” and “change agents” and more presently “change masters” have been abstracted across many organizations. All these concepts are categorised and make available in different forms of collection of theories, practices, and policies.

The fundamental concepts of changing organisation are all about the managing efforts of the people of the management along with maintaining the harmonization of the basic needs of workers or staffs of the company. Here the main fundamental statement of the managing changes is that of organizations and their managers who can have more influence and control over such alterations that are taking place in the core. In this context, the organizations may interact with the environment on the constant basis. In the concept of the change agents, the organizational climate is compromised with the set of relationships between agents or stakeholders and several other factors that may be out of the out of control of the organization. Being the agent of the organisation, the personal attributes of managers needed to motivate and inspire others to follow their leads. The term change agent can be external change agents and internal change agents. Those who provide outside consultants who are temporary associated with the organization to remain engaged only during the time of the change process are the external change agent of the organization.

On the other hand, individuals working for organization and has experience of improving the same organization are the role of the internal change agents in the fields of the organization. For both the individuals, the efforts of the organizational change need to be approached as a process of identifying the individual sub-group after undergoing district decision making process and willingness to change.

Being recognized one of the renowned and trusted retail brands of Australia, Woolworths Limited constantly endeavours for delivering world-class experience for customers across all stores available in different parts of Australia. With the constant evaluation an innovation, the organization is perfect example who has remarked as incredible growth in term of delivering not only food chain retail services and liquor businesses but also financial services as well. The organization blends changing business environment and has made substantial changes for accomplishing the extended customer demands and greater values of their choices. The management of Woolworths believes that retailing should not be stand still and it is important to admit that decisions about customers and the behaviour of shopping must change in a dynamic manner.

Woolworths is responding towards the new era of development by proving the foundations for ensuring the growth and opportunities. By putting the demands of the customer at the heart of their business, the management of Woolworths has rapidly changed their selling product concepts by accepting the mobile technology and increasing the accessibility towards the products and price fixation procedures. For instance, the retails products are initially sold out only in their stores across Australia. By accepting the welcoming changes in the world of retail business, the company has started their online operations to reach maximum customers. Eventually, the company has recognized the needs to keep up and understand the demand of customers and ensure such the retail growth operation seamlessly and effortlessly between “physical and virtual” stores to shop in a way, which refer the most. For extending their operations, Woolworths has made changes in the employee engagements policies.

For serving near about 18 million customers, the human resource department of the company has followed the forwarded steps towards employing more people and work hard to earn their custom and reward their loyalties. In this way, the organization is continuously making sustainable changes for the growth of the organization. Change in the organization is all about ensuring the sustainability in the business operation. Such changes refer not only the operational level but it also contributes towards encouraging contribution of each of employee of the organization. By accepting the truth that the retail business operation can’t be stand still because the demands and products preferences are moving and dynamic, Woolworths has perfectly managed the environmental changes. The organization has already made changes not only accepting the mobile technology to shop across the country but also in the field of human resource and the perspective of each employee of the organization.

SWOT of Woolworths Limited

Strengths

Being positioned as the market leader in the retail business in Australia, the company has perfectly presents their ability of dynamic leadership in the process of the development of the business. Further the company has recognized their ability towards exploiting the retail market potentiality; the company has managed their resources effectively and efficiently. Here the company has made their efforts for minimizing the carbon footprint and accepting the zero food waste policies within the workplace.

Weaknesses

The immense pressure of the rival companies such as Aldi, Coles and many others, the Australia retail market gives new tasks to hold their steady customer base over the years. Companies like Woolworths, for instance, have made a lot of price changing policies to make their product price because the Australian Government has restricted the move of Woolworths in keeping higher prices for their products while making collaboration with Coles. This is one the prime weaknesses of Woolworths.

Opportunities

The Australian retail business has a immense growth potentiality for future period. The factors like advanced supply chain management, advanced and dynamic customer lifestyles and changing shop culture have large uphold the abilities of retailer and provide good opportunities to grow.

Threats

High rivalry in the retail industry is the main threat of Woolworths. Furthermore, the changing government policies and tax and interest rates are major factors, which can affect the growth of Woolworths in the upcoming period within the Australian retail. Based on such SWOT analysis this can clearly identified that Woolworths have taken the “change” for sustainable business operation. Still the organization needs to make some changes for making innovating pricing strategies for delivering their products at the reduced prices. On the other hand, the company has failed to sustain its competitive advantage. For this the company has to explore the promotion strategies and the extension of sponsorship. The company has the financial resources for adopting such changes in their business.

By initiating and managing change in the organisation with the efforts of individual or group is known as change agent. The concepts of change agent managers of the organization are still not clear among managers, employees and HR professionals. Most of the organizations are looking for individuals who are capable of turning strategy into the reality for sustaining during the process of business development in the competitive world. Change agent can be internal such as employees or managers who are associated with the organization to oversee the process of the change across all departments of the organization. In the selected organisations the managers and employees of Woolworths group are being trained to develop the required skills to oversee change. Here managers of the organisation initially struggled with the inventory management skills. Later efforts would be given towards the improvement of the stock management skills. The significant role of the changing agent emphasized when organizations are looking for changing patterns of thoughts, change agent will be able to solve the problems, which have already created the current pattern of thoughts.

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Conclusion

By describing the significant contribution of the organizational change towards the perspective of Woolworths, this can be said that alteration in strategy, concepts, policies are required for growth of the business. Fulfilments of the demand of the customers are the ultimate goal of any business. Thus a constant evaluation and alteration are required for ensuring the sustainability in this competitive business world.


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Table of contentsIntroductionFilm analysisConclusionBibliographyIntroductionThe ...

Table of contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Film analysis
  3. Conclusion
  4. Bibliography

Introduction

The Matrix, as a movie, is a perfect representative for an analysis of Structuralism presenting a reality that is torn between the two ideologies, The Matrix: the movie or the artificial world, the double life of the main character or the red and blue pill. Films create meaning by using structures (codes and conventions) as a language we can understand. In this essay we will analyse how films convey meaning through the use their structures of codes and conventions (narrative, camera shots), this is similar to the way languages convey meaning through the use of their structures of codes and conventions (words, sentences, grammar).

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As I mentioned before, Structuralism is generally defined as the way films convey meaning through the use of codes and conventions created through the manipulation of the film world. This methodology looks at a film as a set of patterns, relationships, or structures; we see, understand and enjoy films through recognition of these structures. The meaning of a film comes not so much from inherent meanings of its individual elements, as from how they interrelate within what we know as a films 'structure' or 'system'. Structuralism emphasizes the importance of narrative theories and other recurring patterns, content that helps the audience understand what is going on.

For example, genre films, audience can easily understand its meaning: a genre is considered as a structure, set of conventional patterns. Not only the narrative but also the way a camera is used to tell a story can also be analysed as structural elements as it uses the structure of film language to communicate with the audience. Structuralist theorists such as Barthes, Levi-Strauss and Todorov have analysed plot patterns found in fairy tales and other traditional narratives as these appear in contemporary film.

Structuralism is about semiotics which is a concept of codes to discuss conventional ways that things are done. Semiotics can be applied to anything which can be seen as signifying something - in other words, to everything which has meaning within a culture. Codes are cultural phenomena because they are learned, it is through familiarity that codes come to seem natural rather than cultural: this process is called “naturalization”.

Film analysis

The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction film focusing on the concept of reality. Four ways in which Structuralism is shown are in the camera work, the plot, semiotics and the symbolism and the characterization through casting. To start with, the camera work is essential in this film. The Matrix uses filters to show the setting: green is why the Matrix looks unnatural, ghostly. A green filter was used on all the scenes shot of the Matrix, which gave it that otherworldly feel, as though we are seeing it through a monitor. This color suggests that, unlike in the real world, what we see in the Matrix is being shown or filtered through something else, another reality.

The color blue was removed from everything we see in the Matrix too. Also, the bullet time is one of the most remarkable features of the film. The Matrix is characterized by its high transformation of time, showing commonly imperceptible events such as flying bullets, and space, by way of the ability of the camera angle to change the audience's point-of-view moving around the scene at a normal speed while events are slowed. It was created specifically for The Matrix.

Secondly, the plot. The Matrix is a complex movie. Plot structures are recurring story patterns that are a defining characteristic of a genre. However, this film constantly jumps from virtual world to real world and back and has endless plot elements. With this complex plot the viewer is able to emphasize with Neo because he is also being hit very suddenly with this rush of information. We feel lost just like him.

On another subject, it goes without saying that the world is shaped by countless networks of meaning and codes. Making a semiotic analysis, we discover different codes. Cultural codes include the way that texts signify; beliefs about gender, social class and authority. As an example, the Hitchcock blonde, brings together several ways of representing gender, class and sexuality, which in turn reveal cultural beliefs in those areas. Cultural codes are particularly likely to become naturalised, as in notions during historical periods of what was considered the inherent nature or men or women or particular national or racial groups.

Technical codes, in film, include such things as continuity editing, point of view and reaction shots, cross-shooting and over-shoulder shooting, dissolves, and montage. Technical codes involve both techniques of making movies and, for viewers, learned ways of seeing them. Soviet film-maker Sergei Eisenstein believed montage is one of the most important aspects of film language. He describes 5 types of montage: lighting, angle, shot duration, juxtaposition and cultural context.

According to him, “montage” is a structure that enables the audience to gain meaning from film. An example of how structuralist theory can be seen in film is understanding how the simple combination of shots can create an additional idea. The blank expression on a person's face, an appetising meal, and then back to the person's face. While nothing in this sequence literally expresses hunger or desire the juxtaposition of the images convey that meaning to the audience. It is the structure of film that we use to understand its meaning, nevertheless unraveling meaning can become quite complicated at times.

Another key point is symbolism. The word itself “Matrix” in the dictionary refers to “a situation or surrounding substance within which something else originates, develops or is contained. The womb”. About the main character, Neo, his name has a couple of meanings. It is an anagram for “one”, as in the One who will save humanity, and also means “new” as in the new, freshly born person now aware of the Matrix. Trinity represents the number three which is a powerful number in many stories and traditions. In keeping with the Christian themes, the “father”, “son” and “holy spirit” seems to be related here.

In The Matrix, Morpheus, Trinity, and Neo fight the machines. What is more, you can acknowledge references to Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz, Neo’s computer advises him to “follow the white rabbit” - the conscious choice to take the journey into alternate reality. Morpheus is the roman god of dreams. He constantly alludes to dreams and two different realities: “Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real. What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?”

As well, characters in The Matrix are really brought to life by the actors who play them. The actors have the perfect mannerisms and tones of voice to convey what they are without seeing their actions. One of the best examples is the actor Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith. You can immediately tell that he is robotic and emotionless from his movement and his voice. We, as spectators, decode the film in different ways, not always in the way the producer intended.

According to Stuart Hall’s Reception Theory, a work can be received in one of three ways and divided three different types of audiences decoding a text. Firstly, the dominant-hegemonic, this is when the audience agree with the messages and ideology that the producer has placed behind the work. Secondly, the negotiated, they do not agree or disagree, they see a point made on the relation to the work while also making their own opinions and finally, the oppositional, the audience rejects the producer preferred conception and creates their own.

Conclusion

There are a lot of interesting aspects of The Matrix that provoke discussion, arguments and debates over what the filmmakers meant by a particular scene, character or dialogue. The Matrix became a cultural phenomenon, this film leaves no-one unmoved As I mentioned before, we decode messages and information, but how can we not be influenced by all these effects? These technical codes? It is impossible for us to manage.

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As Morpheus claims in the movie “What is real? How do you define ‘real’? If you’re talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste and see, the ‘real’ is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain”. Also Jean Baudrillard claimed “The Matrix is surely the kind of film about the matrix that the matrix would have been able to produce.” And the great question is do you agree with the producers? What is the Matrix? Is it controlling you?

Bibliography

  1. Anon., s.f. 1. https://nypost.com/2014/04/01/15-fun-facts-you-probably-didnt-know-about-the-matrix/. [En línea].
  2. Anon., s.f. The Matrix 101. [En línea] Available at: http://thematrix101.com/matrix/symbolism.php
  3. Bainbridge, C., 2013. Film Studies Structuralism, Semiotics, and Auteur Theory. [En línea] Available at: https://prezi.com/jwxdwmtsi3lb/film-studies-structuralism-semiotics-and-auteur-theory/
  4. Bainbridge, C., 2013. Film Studies Structuralism, Semiotics, and Auteur Theory. [En línea] Available at: https://prezi.com/jwxdwmtsi3lb/film-studies-structuralism-semiotics-and-auteur-theory/
  5. Eglen, A., 2014. Stuart Hall’s Reception Theory. [En línea] Available at: https://www.slideshare.net/alexeglen/stuart-halls-reception-theory
  6. Ripley, H., 2015. Structuralism in the Matrix. [En línea] Available at: https://prezi.com/okatmvg-iyoo/structuralism-in-the-matrix/
  7. Rowers, A., 2015. [En línea] Available at: Plot structures are recurring story patterns that are a defining characteristic of a genre
  8. Rowers, A., 2015. [En línea] Available at: https://alexanderowersa2media.wordpress.com/2015/09/27/26-genre-influences-from-structuralism/
  9. Savnal, A., 2015. [En línea] Available at: http://www.jamuura.com/blog/how-they-shot-the-bullet-dodge-scene-in-the-matrix/
  10. Smith, K., s.f. 1. https://nypost.com/2014/04/01/15-fun-facts-you-probably-didnt-know-about-the-matrix/. [En línea] Available at: 1. https://nypost.com/2014/04/01/15-fun-facts-you-probably-didnt-know-about-the-matrix/
  11. Studies, I. t. L. a. C., 2020. Film and Media Studies 2, Münster : s.n.
  12. The Matrix. 1999. [Película] Dirigido por Joel Silver. EEUU: Warner Bros.

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Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s literary work ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ is often c ...

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s literary work ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ is often considered as an important early work of American feminist literature which illustrates common social and physiological attitudes towards women during the 19th century. A number of analysis have been done on this literary text and varies interpretations have been suggested. In this essay, I want to adopt a new critical approach by arguing and examining how symbols of the text describe and emphasize the persecution of women during the period of time significantly. While effects of numerous symbols have indeed been argued from the text to show such fact, interpretations of some of the predominated ones have been controversial. I have chosen three of those, i.e., the wallpaper itself, the color yellow and the two windows, which serve as important elements in brining out the theme of women’s suffrage during 19th century effectively and efficiently as my main scope of discussion.

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I will begin with the analysis of the wallpaper itself. Undoubtedly, it is the most obvious symbol in this story which also acts as a major element of the text. In general, the wallpaper represents the protagonist's mind set. Further symbolic effects can be observed by its effect in signifying how women generally were perceived during 19th century. These can be further argued in physical and mental aspects. Physically, the wallpaper is a kind of physical entrapment to the protagonist. Due to the mandatory rest-cure treatment reinforced by her husband, she was locked in a room in which the wallpaper apparently blocked her access to the outside world. This argument is supported by line “I never saw a worse paper in my life” which suggested her hatred to the wallpaper and to the physical restriction brought by. With the progression of the story, she had a feeling that she could not get better in that room as the wallpaper was to a certain extent distracting her rest. Except the wallpaper, indeed she could do nothing at room so she had no way but to constantly stare on the wallpaper to ‘study’ the detailed pattern of it unwillingly. Another clue can be further argued is that the physical changes of the wallpaper could be seen as directly related to the main character’s sanity. When the character of the wallpaper changed or progressed, the main character had a similar change. The contradictory patterns, angles, and curves could effectively reflect the protagonist’s emotions. Besides, the wallpaper can also be argued as a kind of psychological entrapment for the protagonist. Towards the end of the text, when her sickness came to the worst, she tears down the wallpaper to release the ‘woman’ behind the paper. It is symbolic as it does not truly reveal that what she saw was not only imaginative, but indeed the ‘her’ behind the wallpaper was also herself. Her emotion was indeed trapped by the entire social atmosphere as symbolized by the wallpaper. She had no way but to adopt to it. Indeed, what we can see is that the wallpaper was leading her to create her own madness rather than other factors. As she says in the story, “There are things in the wallpaper that nobody knows about but me, or ever will”. John was also found unable to understand what was happening as he was always working and never dared to take of her wife and her feeling, which further implied their relationship and how the intentionally ‘good’ man-centered rest-cure brought another tragedy.

The detailed selection of the color ‘yellow’ also brings another major symbolic effect. Long in history, the color yellow is regarded as the color of sickness and weakness, which to a certain extent correlates with the madness that the protagonist suffers. It also tells us how hard women had to face under oppression and struggle in their every day’s lives. More descriptions about the color were made by the protagonist “The color is hideous enough, and unreliable enough, and infuriating enough, but the pattern is torturing”. Acting as a symbolic metaphor suggesting how women are restricted, adjectives describing the color indeed say indirectly how the inequality of women brought by men can be “hideous”. What men did on women can also be “unreliable”. Other adjectives like “infuriating” and “torturing” can also be seen as reflecting feeling of women in 19th century, especially given the tight relationship between the color and the wallpaper. The reasons why such descriptions were made are directly related to her being forbidden to do anything by the atmosphere. As such kind of stance was rare during the 19th century, use of symbols can alleviate the apparentness of her opinion but at the same time spread the feminism message to the public. The yellow color also worked well with other two sub-symbols, sunlight and moonlight, showing the conflicts between men and women. In the text, it can be seen that sunlight indeed represents actions made by John, e.g., his dominating schedule and the male-dominated nature of the family. Each and every morning, John only prescribed drugs for the protagonist without any other extra cares. Instead, he went for his daily routines, in turn causing the protagonist to follow each and every schedule which was set by John. This was also when the significance of ‘yellow’ plays not well given the sunlight. But at night, the balance shifts. Women in turn can achieve a more equal status with their husbands at night when the ‘daylight’ routines were not followed. While John was sleeping, he was incapable to monitor each and every action of the protagonist and this was when the protagonist acquired a real sense of freedom. This is further emphasized by the protagonist’s flexible subconscious free roams like in during dreams. The captioned moments are all brought by moonlight which serves as a traditional symbol of femininity. This is also when the protagonist understands more about the women trapped in the wallpaper given the apparent ‘yellow’ color. During daytime as portrayed by sunlight, the protagonist cannot see the figure under excessive sunlight in her room causing her overwhelming by its pattern. At night, she was able to grab the woman’s plight and understand her imprisonment and confinement brought by the society.

Apart from the captioned symbols, the barred windows also serve as symbols of the confinement of women further suggesting the social perception on women's roles. Windows has long been representing a view of possibilities in different literary texts but in this text, it however became a gateway for her to access the world. Through the windows all possibilities were revealed, but as she said "I don't like to look out of the windows even - there are so many of those creeping women, and they creep so fast." She understands that even chances were given; she has no way but to ignore them. Besides, her self personality has to be given up in order to be accepted by the community. Her reluctance to see the other women as they indeed resembled the protagonist’s life which she was unwilling to follow. Another line "Most women do not creep by daylight," further suggested women’s need to hide behind men as portrayed by the symbol “shadows”. They may be seriously discriminated if they voiced out the opinions directly. The window’s symbolic meaning here is different as windows are not gateways but blocks as the society will not allow her to cross the bars of the windows to gain freedom. Even though she may be able to escape, the society may not accept her and she may still be asked to hide. This implies how the society was like during 19th century. Further lines are suggested to be related to the symbol windows. From the windows, she said “I can see the garden, those mysterious deep-shaded arbor, the riotous old-fashioned flowers, and bushes and gnarly trees.” The “garden” that she saw from the windows can be considered as symbolizing society but her description of it as “mysterious” shows that women could never understand the world. Descriptions like “lovely view of the bay” and a “private wharf belonging to the estate” are also significant as the bay can refer to the undeveloped women’s capabilities. The “private estate” further implies the parts of society which are restricted to women. Moreover, the description of “people walking in the numerous paths and arbors” tells us how women portray men, and in turn realizing that those tasks are capable for them too. But as “John has cautioned me not to give way to fancy in the least”, this became the bar of the windows which restricted women doing the roles of men. She could do many things but just because of the ‘bars’ of the windows, everything was unfairly restricted.

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From the captioned symbols, it can be suggested that Gilman made use of such symbols to show how women were severely restricted during the 19th century. The symbols are directly related to each other with strong significance of each. The writer indeed suggested a few main ideas including the equality of women and men in the society, and her call for a stop to the male-dominated society. Entirely, “The Yellow Wall-Paper” can be proved as a feminist text opposing the society during 19th century.  


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Table of contentsWhy US Dollar Used as a Global CurrencyWhy Do Not Use Canadian ...

Table of contents

  1. Why US Dollar Used as a Global Currency
  2. Why Do Not Use Canadian Dollar or Australian Dollar or Any Other Currencies Better Than Us Dollar?
  3. When the US Dollar Used as a Trade?
  4. How International People Know About US Dollar?
  5. History of US Dollar

The US dollar is America’s official currency and its currency code is USD, whereas its currency symbol is $ (Dunning). According to the global currency rankings, it was found that conversion of USD to EUR rate is the most popular United States exchange rate till present (Goldberg and Tille). Therefore, the US dollar is divided into smaller units of 100 cents. However, the US dollar can also consist of Federal Reserve Notes in denominations of 1000 mills, which is usually dominant in American currency (Eichengreen and Mehl).

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Why US Dollar Used as a Global Currency

The US dollar is not only used as a global currency but as well as an exchange tool for currencies (Goldberg and Tille). This is because the US dollar is the most popular and the strongest currency trading up to 64% in the global forex reserves (S. Sumner). Additionally, the strength and stability of the American economy boosts the exchange rates of their currency making the US dollar the reserve currency, and thus most appropriate as an exchange tool for currencies as well as a global currency (Eichengreen and Mehl).

Furthermore, the US dollar has been used as a global currency, as well as used to exchange currencies for various historical reasons. For instance, the continuing influence of Bretton Woods agreement made near the end of the Second World War contributed largely to the use of the US dollar in the global forex market (W. G. Sumner). After the devastating effects of the global war, the United States’ economy remained relatively strong and stable compared to other significant nations in the world facilitating the selection of the US dollar as the global currency in the international financial markets. This took place in 1944 at the Bretton Woods Conference in New Hampshire, just before the end of the Second World War (S. Sumner).

Why Do Not Use Canadian Dollar or Australian Dollar or Any Other Currencies Better Than Us Dollar?

The primary reason as to why Canadian or Australian dollar or any other currencies are not used better than the US dollar is due to their relatively less strength and stability when compared to the US dollar (Goldberg and Tille). The US dollar is a powerful currency, and with the very base of its strength in the US economy, it’s not only used as a reserve currency but also a financial tool that transforms and consequently enhances the global markets into attractive destinations for foreign capital (Eichengreen and Mehl).

Additionally, the US dollar is the better currency due to the freeness of the US economy and convertibility of the currency (Eichengreen and Mehl). Unlike other foreign currencies, the financial system in the United States is open and thus the RMB can be traded in world’s foreign exchange markets. However, in the case of for instance China, the Chinese Yuan cannot be used as a reserve currency despite being backed by the world's second-biggest economy (Goldberg and Tille). This is because the financial system in China and many other countries are not open as they are tightly controlled by their respective governments. Therefore, being among the freest currency and having a more open financial system makes the US dollar a better currency for global markets as opposed to the Canadian dollar or Australian dollar or any other currencies (Goldberg and Tille).

When the US Dollar Used as a Trade?

Besides being America’s official currency, the US dollar is used as the standard unit of currency in the global financial market in buying and selling of various products such as gold and petroleum (Goldberg and Tille). However, the US dollar was used as a trade to help resolve the prospect of various inconvenient situations, hence need to introduce a common currency anyone would be ready to accept it in exchange for goods. Moreover, being the world’s foremost reserve currency, the US dollar enabled the United State to maintain its economy in respect to possibilities of deficits in trade without triggering depression with regards to the exchange rates of currency (Eichengreen and Mehl).

How International People Know About US Dollar?

The awareness and knowledge of the US dollar were brought to the attention of the international people over a few decades ago (S. Sumner). This is the time when the US dollar was used and accepted in various financial markets in global forex. Consequently, being used as a benchmark to derive the value of all other currencies. As a result, it was found that more than 75 percent of the world trade with regards to the US dollar boosted a very strong economy (Goldberg and Tille).

Subsequently, the dominance of the US dollar in global forex markets will always remain steady because of the United States’ strong economy (Dunning). Thus, investors and other international people believe that the economy of the United States is strong and stable, and hence will never fall as the country’s central banks reserves is protected and has an RBI $355 billion reserves, hence the US dollar is the most used currency for trading in the world market (Eichengreen and Mehl).

History of US Dollar

In order to fully understand the history of the US dollar, then it’s important to trace it back in over 240 years ago. Thus, the US dollar originated after the authorization of the continental congress of America to issue a common currency to be used throughout the continent and consequently a standard unit of money (W. G. Sumner). Nonetheless, the “dollar” was first used in 1518 at Joachimsthal city in Bavaria which would later be adopted by various European countries as a standard unit of money (Dunning).

Therefore, after various governments in Europe adopted the dollar, the American revolution of 1792 through the continental congress of the US adopted the US dollar as a standard unit of American currency (S. Sumner). Consequently, through the Coinage Act, the value of the US dollar was divided into various units of money of 1, ½, ¼, 1/10, and 1/20 dollars. Then the value of the currency will be used in trading commodities in financial markets. Nevertheless, the initial currency used in American territories did not have the faces of presidents. On the contrary, the present law of any countries upholds the idea that a portrait of the president may appear on the official currency of respective countries (S. Sumner).


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Table of contentsIntroduction to history and contextInterpretations in depthExpl ...

Table of contents

  1. Introduction to history and context
  2. Interpretations in depthExplain the differences you have identified
  3. Conclusion

‘Historians have disagreed about the reasons for the end of the witch craze’. To what extent to was the changing religious climate responsible for the end of the witch craze?

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Introduction to history and context

The witch craze was a widespread phenomenon throughout Europe, spanning the late 15th to the early 18th century which resulted in thousands of people, mainly women, being accused, tried, and executed for witchcraft. Such intense persecution of witches had never occurred before this period, and has not done since, thus making these couple of centuries unique in the history of witchcraft. This has led many historians to look at the context of this period in order to try and find out what it was about this era that allowed the witch craze to hold such a grip on societies throughout Europe. It was a time of social upheaval, religious conflict, and scientific development as Europe emerged from frequent plagues, famines, and wars which ravaged it during the Middle Ages. There is a general consensus amongst most historians that the witch craze declined in the early 18th century. However, the question of why the witch craze came to an end is one of many ongoing controversies surrounding the witch craze. Amongst other factors, the changing religious climate, urbanization, and judicial scepticism have been suggested by historians as reasons for the decline of the witch craze.

James Sharpe, H. C. Erik Midelfort and Owen Davies all present different reasons for the decline of the witch craze. Both Sharpe and Midelfort take a ‘from above’ approach to the decline of witch trials, arguing that it was the elite who put a stop to the witch craze, whereas Davies adopts a ‘from below’ approach to the decline, focusing on community structures and the lower classes.

Sharpe argues that the emergence of rational Christianity in England caused increased scepticism towards witchcraft. He suggests that scepticism was more common among the elite and educated classes, and that because there was still a considerable amount of religious enthusiasm and belief in witchcraft in the lower classes at this time, social snobbery accentuated the scepticism of the elite. Thus he presents the changing religious climate, combined with social relations as the main reason for the decline of the witch craze.

Midelfort describes the witch craze as an outbreak of large scale persecution in Germany, characterized by chain reaction trials. This was when one suspect accused of witchcraft was forced under torture to give names of other witches with whom they had communed, leading to the arrest of these people too. As they would also be forced to give names of other witches, this led to a huge amount of witchcraft trials, which had all stemmed from just one initial witchcraft accusation. He suggests that the decline of the witch craze was caused by judicial scepticism, which was sparked primarily by the involvement of children in the witch trials, but also caused by the changing attitudes towards torture and evidence.

In contrast, Davies looks at how urbanization made the mostly agriculturally based witchcraft beliefs less relevant in London, an urban environment, leading to a decline in witchcraft accusations. He also suggests how the urban environment led to social instability, and writes that ‘witchcraft accusations may, in fact, be indicative of social stability’, implying that social instability caused a decline in witchcraft accusations, showing how urbanization led to the decline of the witch craze.

Overall, Sharpe presents the most compelling argument because he presents the strongest reason for increased scepticism amongst the elite towards witchcraft accusations, which could affect the lower classes through the judicial systems.

The cause of the decline of the witch craze is still a greatly disputed area of history, and many reasons have been suggested. All three historians present different reasons for the decline of the witch craze. The changing religious climate, judicial scepticism, and urbanization are just three of the many arguments that can all be justified as causes for the decline of the witch craze and supported with evidence.

The first argument, popular with theologians, suggests that the changing religious climate can be seen as responsible for the decline of the witch craze because it introduced scepticism about the reality of witchcraft into the elite. In the late 17th century, religious enthusiasm amongst the elite was waning, and ‘most educated people felt religion should be as free as possible of ‘enthusiasm’, while if spiritual forces did work on the physical it was through the emotions or the soul rather than exterior forces’. This is evident because religious conflict declined throughout Europe in the second half of the 17th century. The Thirty Years War between Catholic and Protestant countries ended in 1648, and the Restoration in England in 1660 brought more religious tolerance, showing a decline of religious zeal and hegemony. Furthermore, the Royal Society was founded in 1660, and encouraged the growth of natural science and philosophy. Members such as Isaac Newton attempted to reconcile scientific discoveries to their faith, leading to a Christianity which was based more on science, making it more rational. As a more rational Christianity emerged, the belief that God was omnipotent, and that Satan had very little power over the physical world was becoming more widespread amongst the elite. They were also influenced by the mechanical philosophy developed by the philosopher Thomas Hobbes in the 17th century, which undermined the authority of spirits or devils by suggesting that there were fundamental natural laws which could explain events that seemed supernatural. This undermined the belief that the devil was attacking humans through witches, meaning that educated, rational believers were less likely to initiate witch hunts, or support them. This would have had a significant impact on the overall decline of all witchcraft trials, even those among the lower classes, because the elite controlled the judicial systems, where witches were tried, revealing why several historians have argued that the changing religious climate was responsible for the decline of the witch craze.

Other historians have taken a functional approach, and argued that judicial scepticism led to the decline of the witch craze. This was due to ‘a growing reluctance to use torture as an instrument of judicial interrogation’, meaning that testimonies about witchcraft obtained under torture were no longer seen as so reliable. As it was these testimonies being used as evidence to convict other witches that allowed chain-reaction witch trials to take a hold, it meant that far fewer trials took place, and the ones that did were prevented from developing into chain-reactions trials. In addition, there was also a growing scepticism in the judicial systems about valid evidence. For example, ‘judges became increasingly reluctant to allow evidence of the Devil’s mark to be admitted’, and other influential judicial figures such as lawyers and theologians also began to question the reliability of the evidence being used. However, as the elite controlled the judicial systems, it suggests that judicial scepticism relied on the scepticism of the elite, which was caused by the emergence of rational Christianity, meaning that it was fundamentally the changing religious climate which caused the decline of the witch craze.

However, some historians, particularly Marxist historians and those who take a ‘from below’ approach, have looked at how urbanization can be considered responsible for the decline of the witch craze. This is because it created ‘less close-knit, more individualistic, ill-defined communities’, making potential accusers of witchcraft feel less able to voice their suspicions because they were unsure of how the community around them would react. In addition, as witch reputations were ‘generated and sustained through the long-term accumulation of supposed maleficent acts, held in the collective memory of the community’, it meant that the increasingly mobile urban environment was less conducive to witch hunting, because ‘witches’ had less chance of gaining a reputation. Furthermore, there was a greater ‘intensity of the urban government, compared with that of rural communities. Even the smallest burghs had a council that supervised the inhabitants closely’. This means that once the judicial systems became sceptical of witchcraft accusations, it would have had a more profound impact on urban areas where there was a tighter judicial system, compared to rural areas. As judicial scepticism reflects the scepticism of the elite, caused by the emergence of rational Christianity, it once again suggests that the changing religious climate was fundamentally responsible for the decline of the witch craze.

Interpretations in depth

Sharpe, Davies, and Midelfort all explore the witch craze in depth as they present different arguments for its decline.

Sharpe argues that the changing religious climate in England led to the decline of the witch craze, as the emergence of rational Christianity increasingly discredited belief in witchcraft amongst the elite. This was because ‘the power of Satan was downgraded and a belief in the majesty and sovereignty of God emphasized. The misfortunes allegedly caused by witchcraft were wrongly attributed: they were more properly the outcome of divine providence’, leading believers holding this view to ‘seek the explanation of their own sinfulness’ rather than blame others for misfortunes through witchcraft accusations. Sharpe also suggests that most clerical intellectuals believed that the age of miracles was past, meaning that ‘the notion that the devil’s agents could perform mira would be difficult to sustain’. This led to the decline of witch trials because it meant that the elite were less likely to make witchcraft accusations, or support them within their communities.

Also, Sharpe suggests that the emergence of rational Christianity created a sceptical clergy, He takes the example of John Gaule, who did not accept the ‘observations, traditions, opinions, affectations, professions, proverbs, occupations and conversations of the vulgar concerning witchcraft’. As the clergy were often consulted in cases of suspected witchcraft, the emergence of a clergy who were sceptical about witchcraft accusations could have had led to a reduction in the number of witchcraft trials in a community. Sharpe describes Gaule as ‘typical of that stratum of minor clerical controversists who flourished at the time’, suggesting that scepticism among the country clergy was widespread, which means that this group could have had a significant impact on the decline of the witch craze.

Sharpe argues that although ‘the old ‘enthusiastic’ attitude to religious experience was losing its hold on theologians and philosophers, it continued to be current among the population at large’, suggesting that the rejection of religious enthusiasm was fundamentally happening in just the upper classes. He writes that ‘for the educated, belief in witchcraft, like acceptance of the reality of wonders, faith-healing and the experience of religiously or demonically inspired possession, could be rejected on intellectual grounds. But the knowledge that acceptance of such matters was still current among the lower orders meant that intellectual positions were heavily reinforced by social prejudice’, suggesting that social snobbery helped scepticism of the witch craze to take a firmer grip on the upper classes, and so was also an important contribution to the decline of the witch craze.

In summary, Sharpe presents the emergence of rational Christianity, incorporating the rejection of religious enthusiasm, and the belief that the age of miracula was past, as the key cause for the decline of the witch craze.

Davies argues that the witch craze declined due to the divorce between urban and rural communities. He focuses on urbanization in London, and the formation of new social structures there. He suggests that the ‘intimacy of neighbourly relations and primary networks which fostered witchcraft accusations may not have been able to develop in this environment to the same extent as it had once done in early modern London, or as they continued to do in rural areas’. This meant that potential accusers of witchcraft were less likely to voice their suspicions as accusations, because they were unsure ‘as to how the people around would react to his or her claims’, suggesting that the usual response to misfortune of making an accusation was suppressed due to social insecurity in urban communities. In addition, he argues that as ‘the reputation of a witch was usually generated and sustained through the long-term accumulation of supposed maleficent acts, held in the collective memory of the community’, the increased mobility of an urban community, creating less close communal relations, would have led to a decline in witchcraft accusations, because it would have made it much harder for the reputation of a witch to develop. This accounts for the decline of witchcraft trials in which the witchcraft accusations were based on the reputation of a witch built up by various deeds of maleficium. However, some witchcraft accusations were made without the witch having gained a reputation, such as the chain-reaction trials Midelfort describes, the most famous example of these being the Salem witch trials. Therefore, the instability caused by urbanization cannot be considered responsible for the decline of all witchcraft trials.

Also, Davies argues that the weakening in communal ties helped belief in witchcraft to wane. He explains how it may have disrupted a vital pathway, especially in the urban environment where ‘the collective memory of the community is neither so broad nor so deep’ for beliefs to be passed down to future generations, because ‘stories concerning witches and witchcraft, were primarily, though not exclusively, perpetuated through oral transmission, particularly within the family group’. Along with this, he argues that the urban setting made belief in witchcraft less relevant, and explains this by saying how ‘witchcraft accusations often stemmed from the inexplicable illness and death of livestock, or from problems associated with the processing of agricultural products.’, meaning that in the urban environment, potential accusers of witchcraft were not able to use traditional agricultural misfortunes as bases for their accusations, which may have led to a decline in witchcraft accusations. However, this cannot explain the overall decline of the witch craze, because ‘it is certainly not the case that witchcraft beliefs and practises had vanished or significantly dwindled before or even shortly after the cessation of witch-trials’.

Overall, Davies presents urbanization as the overall reason for the decline of the witch craze, because the social functioning of urban communities became less conducive to the formation of witchcraft accusations, and witchcraft beliefs declined in the urban setting.

In contrast, Midelfort argues that the decline of the witch craze was caused by judicial scepticism in his study of Germany. He writes that ‘throughout the centuries of the witch-hunt these locally inspired and often controlled sorcery trials continued to be common. They usually ended as abruptly as they had begun, with the execution or banishment of one or two witches… But the true panic did not remain rooted in these rural concerns and did not rest content with the extermination of one or two geriatric outcasts’. He suggests that although the scepticism of the elite ‘may help explain why even the small, local trials withered away in the eighteenth century’, it cannot be considered fundamentally responsible for the decline of the witch craze because ‘by then the large, chain reaction trials had been dead for a generation or more’. He proposes that the decline of these trials ‘is that during the seventeenth century they came increasingly to involve children’ which suggests that the involvement of children in large chain reaction trials was responsible for judicial scepticism, because it made local officials realize that the ‘testimony of minors was simply not credible’, making them more sceptical towards witchcraft accusations. However, judicial systems must have already been sceptical to some extent about the witchcraft accusations in order to question the children and find out whether their testimonies were true, suggesting that the involvement of children in the trials cannot be considered the fundamental reason why judicial systems initially became sceptical.

Midelfort then looks at the impact of changing attitudes towards evidence and torture on judicial scepticism about witchcraft accusations. He writes that the territories of the Holy Roman Empire became ‘much more cautious in the use of torture than they had been’. This was significant because it meant that the confessions of accused witches gained under torture were no longer considered to be valid evidence upon which a condemnation of them, or other witches they may accuse, could be based. This made it far more difficult to convict a person of witchcraft, and made it practically impossible for large, chain reaction witchcraft trials to continue. He suggests that the increasing caution about the use of torture was influenced by critical writing about witchcraft, when he states that ‘critics of witchcraft trials, from Johann Weyer in the sixteenth century to Friedrich von Spee in the seventeenth, had long maintained that tortured evidence was equally unreliable’, showing that criticism from learned elites could have led judicial systems to dismiss evidence obtained from torture. However, the learned elites who wrote criticism of witchcraft trials became critical of witchcraft themselves due to the emergence of rational Christianity, suggesting that it was fundamentally the changing religious climate which was responsible for the decline of the witch craze, because it was responsible for increased judicial scepticism, particularly where evidence obtained under torture was used.

Overall, Midelfort argues that judicial scepticism, which was caused by changing attitudes to torture and evidence, and the involvement of children in the trials, led to the decline of the witch craze.

Explain the differences you have identified

The different conclusions reached by these historians about the decline of the witch craze are due to a variety of reasons. One reason why the interpretations differ is the choice to focus on one place. Sharpe’s, Midelfort’s, and Davies’ interpretations are all weakened due to the fact that they look at the witch craze in just one country rather than the whole of Europe.

Midelfort focuses on Germany in his argument that judicial scepticism brought the witch craze to a halt. Germany had an inquisitorial judicial system, but other countries in Europe, such as England, had an adversarial system. As an adversarial system had a defence and a prosecution to convince a jury whether or not the accused was guilty, judicial scepticism could still have had an impact on the verdict of the judge and jury, but perhaps less so than in an inquisitorial system, where the judge and jury are not subject to base their verdict on the arguments of the prosecution and defence, meaning that if they themselves were sceptical, they could more easily dismiss an accusation of witchcraft. This makes Midelfort’s interpretation slightly weaker for European countries with adversarial systems, but it still holds some weight.

In contrast, Owen Davies bases his interpretation on his case study of London. Urbanization was occurring in several countries in Europe, meaning that Davies’ interpretation could be applied to all European urban centres. However, witchcraft trials were still taking place in rural areas, suggesting that Davies’ interpretation is limited because it does not explain why witchcraft accusations declined in rural areas. In addition, his argument is undermined by the fact that in Germany, urbanization occurred from around the early 19th century, approximately a century later than it did in England, by which time the witch craze in Germany had already declined, showing that urbanization cannot really be considered responsible for the decline of the witch craze in Germany. Overall, by focusing on the city of London, Davies’ interpretation is different to Sharpe’s and Midelfort’s, who both look at a whole country, because he is looking at the significant changes between a city and the countryside and their effect on the witch craze, rather than the general political, social, and religious situation of a whole country.

Sharpe also focuses on England when he looks at why the witch craze declined. However, his interpretation is stronger because he looks at the whole country rather than just London, which allows him to reconstruct the overall religious, political, social, and economic environment of 17th and 18th century England more accurately. Also, his argument about the emergence of rational Christianity could be applied to most European countries, because the Enlightenment was leading to more rational beliefs throughout the whole of Europe. This makes his argument convincing in regard to the decline of the European witch craze, and helps explain why his argument is more applicable to Europe than the other interpretations, which makes it stand out.

Furthermore, the sources which each historian used is also fundamental in explaining the different interpretations they have come up with. Davies uses the Surrey Assize records. As the Assize courts only dealt with the most serious cases, they cannot be representative of all witchcraft trials, particularly those in which the witchcraft accusation was dismissed and not taken seriously by the local authorities, explaining why Davies’ argument omits an exploration of a sceptical elite or judiciary, in contrast to Midelfort’s and Sharpe’s. Furthermore he would have asked different questions about the Assize records, in comparison to the questions historians might have asked of local court records. This would have given him different information about witchcraft trials, perhaps leading him to believe that witchcraft trials declined in urban areas because there were less records of witchcraft trials in urban Surrey Assize records, yet this was probably because only the most serious cases were taken to the Assize courts. In addition, many 17th and 18th Century records have been lost or damaged over time, and some trials may not have been recorded at all. This limits Davies’ interpretation, because gaps in the evidence mean he cannot back his theory up absolutely. However, the case studies he uses from these records strengthen his argument as they allow him to make accurate inferences about the development of the nature of witchcraft accusations in urban areas.

Midelfort encounters the same problem when he uses German court records of witchcraft executions, relying upon evidence which is not indisputable. However, he does use other evidence, such as legislation, case studies, and contemporary writing to convincingly show that the judicial systems were becoming sceptical towards witchcraft accusations. This explains why his argument is different, because it draws on a variety of different sources, giving different explanations for judicial scepticism, which makes it multicausal, rather than the other two arguments which are monocausal.

Sharpe supports his interpretation with a number of case studies. This makes his argument stronger because they are indisputable evidence upon which he can base his conclusions. He uses contemporary writing such as the diary of Elizabeth Livingstone to gain an insight into the contemporary religious beliefs, and looks actions of various religious figures, such as the minister John Glanvill to demonstrate that new religious attitudes which were sceptical towards witchcraft were widespread. Although this evidence is inevitably from the upper, literate classes of society, giving Sharpe a more limited scope, he uses it to gain an insight into the religious beliefs of the elite, as well as their attitudes towards the lower classes. This allows him to make inferences about the religious situation in the lower classes, which strengthens his argument, and explains why his view stands out, as it addresses the fundamental reason why the elite became sceptical, because the case studies allowed him to see the witchcraft accusations through the eyes of the contemporary elite, who revealed their religiously based scepticism through their writing.

Another reason the historians have come up with different interpretations is that they all look at different types of witch trials. Midelfort limits his argument because he considers the witch craze to consist solely of chain reaction trials, which gives his interpretation a narrower focus, making his argument less convincing for the decline of the European witch craze. Davies’ view is different because he also limits his argument by narrowing his focus mainly onto the lower classes. This makes his argument less convincing as the lower classes had no system through which they could put a stop to the witch trials occurring in the upper classes, meaning that it cannot explain why the overall witch craze declined.

Sharpe focuses mainly on the elite and upper classes of society, but he looks at the changing religious climate both in the upper classes and the lower classes of society, which gives his argument a broader focus, making it stronger for the overall decline of the witch craze. Furthermore, his argument can explain why witchcraft accusations declined in urban areas, because people living in the urban environment came into more contact with new ideas and beliefs, such as rational Christianity, which circulated mainly in the cities rather than in the country.

Conclusion

To conclude, Midelfort’s argument that judicial scepticism led to the decline of the witch craze is quite limited because it does not convincingly explain why the judicial systems became sceptical. Although it shows that the witch craze was halted through judicial scepticism, the changing religious climate can be held fundamentally responsible for judicial scepticism, meaning that Midelfort’s argument has not addressed the underlying cause of judicial scepticism, which makes his argument less convincing. Furthermore, Midelfort narrowly defines the witch craze as consisting of only chain-reaction trials, meaning that he does not look at the decline of all witch trials, which limits his argument.

Davies’ argument that decline of the witch craze was due to urbanization is stronger because it does show how urbanization could have led to the decline of the witch craze, and he uses case studies to show the clear link between urbanization and the decline of the witch craze. However, it is still limited for my enquiry about the decline of the European witch craze because it is not valid for some European countries where urbanization occurred after the witch craze had already declined. This means that urbanization can be considered only a contributing factor to the witch craze rather than the fundamental one.

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Sharpe’s argument that the changing religious climate caused the decline of the witch craze is the most convincing because he explains why the elite became sceptical about witchcraft, which led to scepticism in the judicial systems which they controlled. This shows how the elite were able to put a stop to the decline of the witch craze, making Sharpe’s argument stronger than Midelfort’s and Davies’ because it explains both why and how the witch craze declined. Furthermore, by basing his argument mainly upon indisputable evidence, he is able to draw accurate conclusions about the relationship between the decline of the witch craze and the changing religious climate.


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IntroductionA long journey starts with a single step. What started four years ag ...

Introduction

A long journey starts with a single step. What started four years ago as a journey to prosperity has achieved its mark? How did it go that fast? It appears to me like it was just yesterday when the high school journey was starting. You’ve had to wake up at six in the morning. You are now upperclassmen willing and ready to embrace the future and the challenges that come with it. The new stage of adulthood comes with even greater challenges. With the new found freedom comes even greater responsibilities. It is time to make the world a better place with your little contributions.

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Our environment today is facing serious threats. Currently, we are faced with various pollution leading to a mountain of issues (Jones, p69). Global warming is currently being experienced in greater scales. Our economies heavily rely on the environment. If no deliberate measures are taken, mankind faces serious threats of extinction.

Our actions have brought a lot of change on the planet. This has resulted in environmental problems. The increase in the level of industrialization and the growth in population has changed the interaction between people and the environment. Modern technology has severely degraded the environment. There is growth in untreated household wastes which does not make the situation any better. A look into our own livelihoods and we realize the level of pollution we cause to the environment. We dispose of household wastes without seeing the need to treat it. This pollutes the air that we all breathe. We do this without bearing in mind the consequences that come with living in a polluted environment. Researchers have emphasized that a person who lives in polluted air are highly susceptible to contracting lung cancer. Yet we continue dumping and polluting the air and suffering from this diseases. Children are the worst affected. Ironically they do not contribute to this pollution. They, however, are more prone to contracting respiratory problems from the pollution of their older siblings and even their parents.

In order to derive a solution to this problem, it’s important to look at the root cause of the pollution. Who is responsible for this pollution? Isn’t it better that we prevent the pollution instead of folding our arms and blaming the government? Can the government succeed in curbing pollution if there is no will power from the citizens? In order to understand the problem deeper we need to look at the statistics. According to Roppolo, an estimated 60 percent of citizens in the United States live in polluted air. These citizens live in areas where the air pollution has reached to an unhealthy level to even cause diseases. Statistics also indicate that water sources in the United States are severely polluted. According to Roppolo, the figure stands at about 40% of the lakes and about 50% of the rivers.

A look at this figures sounds an alarm on the danger that we face. The new technologies and the government have chipped in to try and reduce pollution. Despite the rise in the number of vehicles being driven, pollution from nitrogen dioxide has reduced significantly. This can be attributed to government regulations and new technological innovations. The modern car emits lower volumes of nitrogen pollutants compared to the ancient car. According to Roppolo, in the city of New York pollution has decreased by about 32 %. According to Roppolo, the state of Atlanta has also cut down pollution with about 42%. Deliberate efforts have also gone a long way in cutting down the level of pollution. The integrated waste management is one of such programs. The program seeks to deal with solid municipal wastes. It does this by making use of disposal mechanisms that are harmless to the environment. It also seeks to reduce the level of waste in the country. Non-governmental organizations have been conducting training and enlightening people on how best to reduce pollution.

In an actual sense, we have miles to cover to ensure that the environment is restored. By having a vision about what we want for our nation we can each be able to sacrifice for the better good. As you move on to the world it is important that you learn from the past in order to face the future with confidence. According to Roppolo, the generation of World War II had a brighter vision about the future. They saw the world that was ruled by dictators and one that was free from dictators. A world full of dictators would mean that the society had been oppressed and no free thinking. On the other hand, a generation free of dictators would ensure the prosperity of all individuals. They engaged in a battle and a series of battles to secure the future. According to Roppolo, this future was for generations that would come. The generation put everything on the line from the economies of the industrial capabilities. Some paid the ultimate price with their lives and died in the process. In fact, this is referred to as the deadliest conflict in human history. Each one of them gave up individual goals such as comfort to fight for the greater good. The generation that followed did the same this time round with the sole goal of liberating women and ensuring equality. They saw one part of the world marred with social injustices and inequality. The other vision was a world where every human being was equally respected and the children were brought up on a philosophy of no segregation.

A look into this historical events gives us a couple of lessons. It teaches us that we have to unite with the sole purpose of achieving a goal. We need to sacrifice our own individual goals for the benefit of our society. Everyone has a role to play in ensuring the prosperity of the generations to come. It also gives emphasis on the individual sacrifices we all have to make. With the sole vision of having a healthier generation free from pollution, we can all sacrifice in large and small scale to achieve the vision. As I put it earlier the government cannot achieve a significant reduction in pollution if the citizens have no willpower. It, therefore, puts everyone into a task. How do you dispose of your wastes? Are you a part of the problem or the solution? Do you encourage pollution of the environment with activities that could otherwise be avoided?

The above questions are very valid and a critical analysis of the same gives us solutions to the environmental issues we face. The green collar economy is about preserving the environment. It focusses on saving the earth for coming generations (Jones, p12). It involves using the earth’s resources effectively and responsibly. Such projects may include using the rays of the sun to power our industries and waste disposing of responsibly. Using the solar power will help us do away with non-renewable sources such as petroleum that make earth polluted (Jones, p24). Currently, the economy relies on non-renewable sources of energy. This means that the economy can collapse since as the resources become scarce the prices will increase significantly. The effect will be felt in most sectors of the economy.

The young people are the hub to innovativeness. This means that we can come up with innovative ways to reduce pollution by recycling wastes. Before throwing anything away think of how well u can recycle it to reduce wastes. Instead of using vehicles for shorter distances you can cycle. Cycling is not only an exercise that benefits the body but also cuts down on the vehicle emissions. We need infrastructure that will ensure the transition from non-renewable sources to renewable sources (Jones, p27). This gives rise to the green collar jobs that we all have to embrace. We need to pursue careers that enhance the environmental conservation. The development of renewable energy sources and sustainable production will solve environmental issues and revitalize our economy (Jones, p50).

It is clear that the danger we face is great. The question remains what are we going to do about it? Our forefathers sacrificed to give us the society we have today. We owe it to them to sacrifice and make the world a better place. Remember individually you have a role to play. We can join hands and sacrifice to make the world a better place.


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