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The increasing use of and dependence on information technology in business activities - while creating significant benefits in terms of productivity and efficiency - is also leading to significant risks. Among them are "digital security risks" which, when they materialise, can disrupt the achievement of business by compromising the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information and information systems. It is widely assumed that most companies have been or will be affected by such "cyber" attacks. Businesses across a wide range of industry sectors are exposed to potentially enormous physical losses as well as liabilities and costs as a result of cyber-attacks and data breaches.
Get original essayVictims of recent attacks include such well-known brands as eBay, Target, Neiman Marcus, Michaels Stores, the University of Maryland, NATO, JPMorgan Chase, Adobe, and Living Social.
In this assignment we are going look at how prisoner/ offenders are victims in prison to sexual assault, abuse, rape. We will also discuss how women manage motherhood in prison and whether their children should be allowed to have special visitation rights. South African prisons are getting filled with the elderly can the government take care of their needs, then we have juvenile prisoners which often tend to get forgotten by the state and their struggles in prison.
Get original essayWe normally hear about how women are abused and raped on the news but in reality women also commit serious crimes e.g. murder, theft, fraud etc. There is also a concern that women are being neglected and not taken care of in prison. The root of all problems begin that the prison cells are overcrowded women don’t have enough beds to sleep on so women start trading item such as clothes to get a pillow and blanket to sleep on the cold floor. The basic needs of a prisoner are not kept by the government for example the toilets are always clogged, the mattress was not clean that it had a bad odour, lice were found in the blankets and the cells was infested with cockroaches. This goes against all basic human rights.
A major issue in women’s prison is female prisoners are being sexually violated by unsupervised access of male staff to the women facilities and there is inadequate disciplinary action against in staff that engage in sexual misconduct. Male staff are being allowed to give pat down searches on female prisoners which can be degrading and can be considered as open abuse, this type of abuse can make a women feel worthless and has a great psychological effect on them when they are released from prison, for these women it is like going through hell over and over again as these women cannot speak up about it as they are too afraid that something more serious will happen to them. The women also feel like no one will believe them because they are offenders and feel they don’t have any rights in prison. These problems can be solved if they can ensure the female prisoners that a female officer or staff will be supervising them at all times.
When a woman in prison has a child or gives birth to a child in prison it has some major psychological effects to them as they feel inadequate, guilt, frustration and are in constant conflict with themselves as they don’t know how their baby is doing or where the child is as the child could be taken away by social workers. When a mother is sent to prison it cause a lot of pain and grief but is also disturbs the whole family. A mother feels inadequate because she cannot look after her child or sometimes give the child breastmilk which causes that inner conflict within the mother.
In prison there are so many talented female prisoners that want to learn new skills and want educational, recreational, treatment or training programme but because there is a smaller number of female prisoners than male prisoner, they cannot warrant additional cost of programmes and facilities. To me I feel everyone should be treated equally whether the number of prisoners is small or big, such activities can change a person’s outlook on life and they might want new goals in life and won’t make the same mistake again.
South Africa’s prisons are at full capacity; cells are overcrowded there is nowhere to sleep but on the cold floor. People think men have it easy in prison but that is not the case, men worldwide have been going through sexual violence which is on the rise, which is a serious violation of human rights and public health problems. In a male prison it is all about showing masculinity and control over the weaker ones.
The first question and individual has who are the victims of prison rape? When a male prisoner enters prison certain prisoners are targeted for sexual assault as soon as they enter prison. Candidates for sexual assault are when a male prisoner is small build, age must not be over 35, appearance, physical weakness, shy and sexual orientation. Most of the inmate have sex out of fear as they are intimidated, some inmates exchange food, drugs and cigarettes for sex. Another question while be raised, who are the prison rapist? They are the prison gangs they have been convicted for more violent crimes than their victims. Most of the victims of prison rape are raped in a gang as they are manipulated, tricked and were threaten to have sex. Another issue which is extremely important is the health issues, most men when are raped find out later to be HIV positive or find out that they have an STD then start having health issues which are permanent and have to live with it forever, this causes a great psychological issue, they start to resent themselves for not being stronger.
This has a major psychological effect on males who are victims of prison rape as they feel alone because most of the time they do not tell officials or family member that they have been raped. Also most of the men who are raped are heterosexual as they have wives and girlfriends waiting for them, it also has an effect on their ego and self-esteem. They feel like they lost their masculinity and no one will want to be with them or be loved by them.
Prisons are getting full with elderly prisoners as some of them have been sentence in prison for live. There are some challenges for the elderly in prison as cells are overcrowded and not enough funds to update in certain prisons. Having inmates that are older can be expensive as they need special medical attention, special diet, need to be nursed at all times and need special activities for them which can cost a lot. The older inmates are victimised when younger inmates try to intimidate them to show who is in control and who has the upper hand. Older prisoners cannot cope with the typical environment of prison and also need to be ensured their right to safety at all times. To solve the problem of older inmates feeling unsafe they should put the older inmates with inmates their age or get them a cell where only two inmates in a cell.
Juvenile prisoners are often forgotten about but this is a critical issue as we have a change to reform these children and to show them that it is okay to dream and to have goals in life and that crime won’t get you anywhere but they must also be shown that if they do something wrong there will be a punishment and that is prison. They must be taught for there action there is a consequence, also they need to get their basic education in juvenile prison like children their age on the other hand you have juveniles with disabilities which pose a greater challenge as you need to handle them with care and need proper education for their disabilities. Juveniles need to be separately detained to those 18 years and older as they will be influence and sexually assaulted as they are the perfect target. We all know handling juveniles can be a challenge but we need to protect them to change them.
In ending this assignment, it gave me a lot to think about as we don’t think about what happens in prison and what these inmates are going through on a daily basis, who would think an offender would become a victim in prison. It shows that they are victims whether they are sexually assaulted or not as prison cells don’t meet the basic human right’s needs, there is different age groups that need special attention and care constantly. Everyone’s situation in prison is unique and different but we have serious issues that need attention as soon as possible.
Nathaniel Hawthorne's dramatic novel, The Scarlet Letter, exposes the hypocrisy of a seventeenth-century Puritan society through the lives of two sinners, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne. Both have committed a sin that ultimately strengthens them. Although Dimmesdale conceals his sin from public scrutiny during the majority of his life, he undergoes a significant metamorphosis. Hawthorne utilizes the three scaffold scenes throughout the novel in order to manifest the progression of Dimmesdale from a craven, self-preserving, and religiously bound minister to a more candid and truly passionate father.
Get original essayUnfortunately, Dimmesdale's positive change from a feeling of weakness and cowardice is belated; thus, he is unable to evade his intensifying guilt and prevent his ultimate death. Hawthorne manifests these characteristics of frailty through his descriptions of Dimmesdale during the first scaffold scene: "...apt to be tremulous, expressing both nervous sensibility and a vast power of self-restraint" (59). By characterizing Dimmesdale as a man lacking courage, Hawthorne introduces the disadvantage Dimmesdale will later face-his inner struggle with hidden sin. His "self-restraint" comes from the idea of how concerned Dimmesdale is of keeping his high position in society, and, due to this fear, he restrains himself from confessing. If Dimmesdale had revealed his sin publicly at this point in the novel, then he may have prevented a great deal of suffering on his part. Furthermore, Hawthorne magnifies the irony, cowardice, and hypocrisy through Dimmesdale's interrogating of Hester: "...though he were to step down from a high place, and stand there beside thee on thy pedestal of shame, yet better were it so, than to hide a guilty heart through life" (59). Ironically, Dimmesdale is the father, so his statements receive different interpretations from Hester, who understands the true plea of Dimmesdale, and the hypocritical spectators, who see him as a morally instructive minister. Furthermore, this statement by Dimmesdale also shows how he indirectly attempts to unveil his sin. Because he is too scared to disclose the sin himself, Dimmesdale can be seen as a weak and dispassionate father. If he truly cared for Hester and his daughter Pearl, then he would have the courage to display his sin outwardly instead of causing Hester to bear twice the burden of their sin. Moreover, Dimmesdale is hypocritical because he tells Hester that uncovering the sinner is better than retaining guilt-crucial advice that he himself fails to grasp. Nevertheless, since Dimmesdale is too weak, craven, and religiously obligated at this point in the novel, he is unable to carry out his own beliefs.
However, as change commences in Dimmesdale, he begins to see Pearl and Hester in the eyes of a passionate father rather than a religious minister. In between the first two scaffold scenes, Dimmesdale becomes greatly weakened both physically and spiritually, as his hidden sin engenders increasing guilt as time progresses. Dimmesdale will continue to build up this tension since he lacks any viable outlet excluding Chillingworth. However, Dimmesdale surprisingly bolsters his courage by the second scaffold scene when he flees to the scaffold in the middle of the night due to his overwhelming guilt. Even so, he does this at night, which shows that he has not fully changed because this is not a true public displaying of sin since no other members of the Puritan society shall witness him besides Hester and Pearl. When Dimmesdale acknowledges Hester and Pearl and asks them to join him, he exhibits a surprising change with regard to passion and care. This short, yet powerful connection with Hester and Pearl stimulates a vital strength in Dimmesdale and the three are able to form and "electric chain." Hawthorne effectively uses an "electric chain" when describing the three because an electric chain possesses no power or strength when a link is missing, and, similarly, Dimmesdale feels lost in solitude when no connection exists between Hester, Pearl and himself. Their unified presence prompts rejuvenation within Dimmesdale because Hester and Pearl replace the missing links "as if the mother and the child were communicating their vital warmth to his half-torpid system" (137). Still, Hawthorne reiterates that Dimmesdale has not completely changed from his cowardice and dispassionate self because when Pearl asks Dimmesdale whether or not he will join them again tomorrow at noon, he replies negatively. This section again shows Dimmesdale's inability to maintain his connection with Hester and Pearl, and more importantly, that his personality of timidity and self-preservation prevails over his actions.
By the last scaffold scene, Dimmesdale's change becomes clearer through his actions and words. In this scene, Hawthorne raises Dimmesdale to his zenith in order to emphasize the severity of his fall. Hawthorne manifests Dimmesdale's height, which also seems to run parallel with his guilt, through the public spirit: "Never, from the soil of New England, had gone up such a shout! Never, on New England soil, had stood the man so honored by his mortal brethren as the preacher!" (225). Ironically, the more guilt that Dimmesdale withholds, the better his sermons become because the members of the society can better relate to someone who actually holds sins and guilt. However, Dimmesdale eventually transforms in this scene because he possesses the courage to acknowledge Hester and Pearl in public during the daytime, which holds significance on two bases. First, now that Dimmesdale shows that he is willing to give up his high reputation in order to publicly display his relationship with Hester and Pearl, he has gained passion and probity towards his family and lost his previous religious concealment. Second, as he possesses the courage to face the consequences of the harsh and stiff Puritan community, he has gained strength compared to the weakness he previously displayed in the other two scaffold scenes. With these changes, Dimmesdale is finally a more passionate and truthful person compared to his weak and self-preserving personality at the beginning of the novel.
When Hawthorne first presents Dimmesdale, he characterizes Dimmesdale as a weak and self-centered minister who is religiously bound; however, as the novel progresses, Dimmesdale begins to feel sympathy for Hester and Pearl and sees their position through the eyes of a more passionate father. Ultimately, Dimmesdale learns that he should have unveiled his sin earlier; consequently, he would have been saved from much pain and agony. Unfortunately for Dimmesdale, his confession of sin and change in the novel arrive too late and hence cause his eventual death.
The developments occurring in science and innovation are profoundly changing the manner in which we live, convey, interface and execute, with extraordinary impacts on the improvement of the economy. To advance innovation headway, creating nations should center a ton in putting resources into quality instruction for the young, and preparing abilities for laborers and directors. Science and innovation are one of the key drivers to improvement and progression since innovation and science upheavals bolster financial advances, upgrades in our wellbeing frameworks, training, and foundation. While science has undoubtedly revolutionized our world and brought about numerous benefits, it is important to recognize that there are also some inherent disadvantages of science associated with its practice. This essay explores some of the disadvantages and the potential misuse or unintended consequences of scientific knowledge.
Get original essayOne of the primary disadvantages of science is the potential for ethical dilemmas. As science explores new frontiers and pushes the boundaries of knowledge, it often encounters situations where the moral implications of certain discoveries or practices are unclear. For example, advancements in fields such as genetic engineering and artificial intelligence raise ethical concerns about the limits of human intervention in nature, the potential for unintended harm, and the erosion of certain values or principles. These ethical dilemmas require careful consideration and regulation to ensure that scientific advancements align with societal values and do not compromise fundamental rights or principles.
Another disadvantage of science is the potential for unintended consequences. Scientific discoveries and technological innovations can have far-reaching effects that may not be immediately apparent. For instance, the industrial revolution brought tremendous progress but also led to environmental degradation and the depletion of natural resources. Similarly, advancements in medicine and pharmaceuticals have greatly improved human health but have also given rise to antibiotic resistance and ethical dilemmas regarding access to healthcare. It is important to carefully assess the potential risks and benefits of scientific endeavors to minimize any unintended negative impacts.
Additionally, the nature of scientific research can lead to biases and limitations. Scientific studies are conducted by researchers who are subject to their own biases, funding constraints, or pressure to produce positive results. This can lead to a skewed understanding of certain phenomena or the exclusion of alternative perspectives. Furthermore, scientific knowledge is often evolving, and what may be considered true today may be revised or updated in the future as new evidence emerges. This inherent uncertainty and evolving nature of scientific knowledge can sometimes create confusion or public skepticism.
Lastly, the dissemination and interpretation of scientific findings can be challenging. Scientific information can be complex and technical, making it difficult for the general public to fully understand and evaluate. This can lead to misunderstandings, misinformation, or misuse of scientific knowledge. The media's portrayal of scientific studies can also contribute to sensationalism or oversimplification, distorting the public's perception of scientific findings.
In conclusion, while science has brought remarkable progress and benefits to society, it is important to acknowledge its inherent disadvantages. Ethical dilemmas, unintended consequences, biases and limitations in research, and challenges in disseminating scientific information are all factors that need to be considered and addressed. By recognizing and actively mitigating these disadvantages, we can strive for a more responsible and beneficial application of scientific knowledge.
Your kid's talents will uncover themselves. Your job is to pay attention. Having the ability to discovering your kid's talent is often as simple as paying attention to exactly what piques her curiosity and fascination. You do not requirement a PhD in early childhood development or child psychology into discover the natural talents of your kid. A kid's talents, will uncover themselves, perhaps not early on, but eventually. We've all heard the stories of Tiger Woods, that was blasting golf balls by the time he was two, or the prodigies that had been cranking out Beethoven symphonies on the computer soon after their first birthday. And what about these teeny little singers with the large, older where did that come from voices which on a regular basis pop up on gift shows?
Get original essayThese prodigies have one thing in common: someone knew enough to recognize their own abilities. Your child will uncover to you, when the time is correct, what his specific interests and talents. Your job is to pay attention. All parents can learn to discover your kid's talents. You may note that your child gravitates to bleach or drawing or enjoys playing with a ball or beating on a drum. Kids, like adults, although even so, have the need explore and to learn. The things which interest them will become evident with time because he kids will keep returning to that activity. The best way to find the inherent and innate talents your child owns is to expose him into a wide range of interests. Let your child take part. He's talented. Actively help your kid find and pursue his talents and interests. Don't belittle him or make fun of his flights of fantasy. Allow him to dream about exactly what he would like to be or become. Take her to That the zoo if she enjoys animals. Take her into the ocean or into an aquarium if she thinks she wants becoming a mermaid. Take him into a Broadway show if he's intrigued in sing, dancing, performing or in costume design. Participating in the things which interest your kid will assist you uncover and discover your kid's talents.
Nevertheless, parents must remember not to be too worn and too zealous in their own quest to find the talents of their child. Parents have a real knack for turning off children when the parent turns into the quintessential stage parent and pushes their own kid beyond their limits or desires. Which will backfire on you each time. Let the kid proceed at his own pace, while subtly encouraging him. Simply because you want your kid to become the next Michael Jordan doesn't mean that he would like to. As a parent, try not into live vicariously through our kid, although we all do to an extent.
“Street racing” is when one operates a motor vehicle in a race with at least one other motor vehicle on a street, road, highway or other public place1. It is often accompanied by “stunting”, which occurs when a driver of a motor vehicle intentionally tries to lose traction on the road or highway, spin in a circle without maintaining control, drive with a person in the trunk of the motor vehicle, drive over 50 kilometers per hour over the speed limit, or drive without care, attention, and consideration for others2. Street racing is considered an offence against the person and reputation3. This is due to its extreme nature, risk of bodily harm and death, and the risk of damaged roads and property. It is seen as a problem of public health and safety. While there are laws with accompanying punishments set out to combat the act of street racing, there have been several claims that sections of the stunt driving laws are unconstitutional for various reasons4. In order to battle against the problem of street racing and the setbacks in involves, many jurisdictions have executed programs in order to reduce the number of incidents. Street racing is a dangerous and illegal act that has a variety of punishments, is in conflict the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and is trying to be prevented across Ontario through the use of the ERASE Program.
Get original essaySince street racing is a key contributor to motor vehicle injuries and deaths, there are several penalties when one is charged with street racing and stunting5. Over the years, the laws against street racing have gotten stricter. In May of 2007, the Ontario government passed Bill 203, where the previous minimum fine for street racing was raised from $200 to $2,000 and the maximum fine increasing from $1,000 to $10,000. According to Transportation Minister Donna Cansfieldin, this penalty was raised in hopes of cracking down on dangerous driving6. Currently in Ontario, according to section 249.2 of the Criminal Code of Canada, everyone who causes death to another person by criminal negligence while street racing is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to life in prison while everyone who causes bodily harm to another person by criminal negligence while street racing is guilty of an indictable offence and faces up to fourteen years in prison7. Also, if a person is found guilty of street racing, there is an immediate mandatory seven day licence suspension of the driver of the vehicle and seven day vehicle impoundment of the vehicle being driven at the time of the incident and the driver can face a possible driver’s licence suspension of up to two years, and receive at least six demerit points on their record8. The penalties can vary based on what the driver had been caught doing. The more damage the driver causes, the stiffer the penalties. On the evening of May 5, 2014, 18 year old Vince Lisi had been caught driving 240 km/h on Highway 407 in Vaughan, Ontario. After being pulled over by the Ontario Provincial Police, Lisi was charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, stunt driving, and failure to surrender a driver’s licence. His car was immediately impounded and his licence was suspended; both for seven days. He was also given six demerit points for driving 50 km/h over the speed limit9. This is an example of a lesser charge for street racing. While Lisi still faces the possibility of a fine reaching up to $10,000, the consequences he faced were still minor, as he caused no damage to the road, other property, or bodily harm to pedestrians or other drivers10. On June 22, 2010, in Ottawa, Ontario, 18 year old Christian “Sisco” Williams was killed while street racing with his friend, 19 year old Kareem Alli, when Williams Honda crashed into a lamp post while the pair was racing at speeds of up to 120 km/h11. Alli was found guilty of dangerous driving causing death and had been sentenced to 30 months in prison12. This case is an example of a stiffer penalty for street racing. Since the dangerous driving between Williams and Alli resulted in Williams’ death, the consequences that Alli faced were heavier than Lisi. In a majority of cases, young drivers are the ones at fault for street racing charges. In 2011, in Waterloo alone, 69 stunt driving charges were issued and almost one third of the drivers were less than 20 years of age13. The laws against street racing have been made stricter in order to protect the safety of others, however, are controversial and are up for debate.
When the Ontario government unveiled Bill 203, a large debate opened up amongst the public14. Many felt the new laws were unconstitutional. One of these was section 3(7) of the Ontario Regulations 455/07 because it, “created an absolute liability offence for which one can be imprisoned for six months, contrary to section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms”. This means that it has been deemed unconstitutional to convict a person of stunt driving or speed racing under section 172 of the Highway Traffic Act solely based on the fact that they were speeding15. This is because it takes away a person’s right to security, which is protected under section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms16. If a person is convicted for stunt driving because they are speeding, their right to security will be deprived, making it a direct violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The issue of speeding and street racing is one of the biggest problems when it comes to Ontario’s street racing laws. In April 2008, 62 year old Jane Raham had been charged for street racing after being clocked driving 131 km/h in an 80 km/h zone. The 51 km/h difference was the reason for the charge, which included the possibility of up to six months in jail, but was deemed unconstitutional in the lower courts due to Raham not being able to defend herself against such charges. Similarly, in fall of 2009, 18 year old Alexandra Drutz had been caught driving 157 km/h on Highway 407 north of Toronto and was charged with street racing, only for it to be dismissed by a Newmarket judge17. Both of these cases show the conflict between the street racing laws and other Canadian laws and constitutions. In both cases, neither of the accused would be able to defend themselves from street racing because of how fast they were driving. Due to both women driving 50 km/h over the limit, it was automatically assumed that they were both street racing. This meant that jail time was a possibility for both of the accused when instead of street racing, they were speeding, which albeit may be similar, are not the same offence. Speeding and street racing are two separate offences under the Highway Traffic Act and thus, have separate consequences18. Ontario’s recently updated street racing laws has taken speeding, where the highest penalty does not equate to prison as it is an absolute liability, and given it a more serious charge due to the assumption of stunt driving19. Since the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees that anyone who commits an absolute liability offence cannot be sent to jail, it is unconstitutional for one to face jail time for stunt driving if they are only caught driving at a speed 50 km/h above the legal limit. While it can be argued that one is racing while going at such a fast speed, the inability for a defense makes this penalty of street racing unlawful. In order to battle against street racing, the Ontario government not only had to increase the penalties for the act, but also reach out to those who are committing the act.
Across Ontario, many programs have been created to target illegal street racing. One of the largest programs is called the Eliminate Racing Activities on Streets Everywhere Program, better known as the ERASE Program or Project ERASE20. The goal of the ERASE Program is to change poor driver behaviour through education and strategic enforcement21. Since 1999, 43 people have been killed across the GTA as a result of street racing and 34 have been severely injured22. The ERASE Program was created in order to eradicate fatalities and injuries that occur while illegal street racing, where in most cases, cars are modified to drive faster, but are beyond the control for the driver, who is typically of a younger age, and their abilities23. It is the collaborative effort of the York Regional Police, Peel Regional Police, Waterloo Regional Police, Barrie Police, London Police, South Simcoe Police, Toronto Police, Halton Regional Police, Greater Sudbury Police, Durham Regional Police, Guelph Police, Hamilton Police, Brantford Police, Niagara Police, Ministry of the Environment, and the Ministry of Transportation and covers the majority of southern Ontario24. In order to combat street racing, at the beginning of every summer since the program’s creation in June of 2003, the police forces involved with Project ERASE launch an educational campaign coupled with stricter law enforcement throughout the warmer season, which is when most street racing fatalities occur25. This includes school and car show presentations, which feature vehicles that have been involved in fatal street racing incidents and police deployments with a zero tolerance for speed racing and stunt driving26. Since the creation of Project ERASE, there has been a significant drop in fatalities and crashes in the Toronto area as a result of street racing. However, while these programs provide awareness for street racing and the consequences that it holds, both health and legal, its success lies with the public27. The communities themselves will have to take on the responsibility to help enforce the teachings of the police from the ERASE Program and to inform the police if they have any information of street racing, stunt driving, or similar activities that are occurring.
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Get custom essayStreet racing is a dangerous and illegal act that has a variety of punishments, is in conflict the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and is trying to be prevented across Ontario through the use of the ERASE Program. As the endeavour to put an end to street racing and stunt driving become more challenging, the consequences for the acts must become stiffer in order to deter those from attempting to street race or stunt drive. However, there is a fault in the constantly updating laws, as they go against basic rights that are outlined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In order to lower the numbers of street races in Ontario, the police must reach out to those who are most likely to attempt street races and stunt driving and warn them of the dangers that the act possesses. While it is almost certain that street racing will never disappear, stricter laws and punishment, as well as knowledge of the dangers of street racing and stunt driving, can help reduce the number of illegal street races that are taking place.
In today’s globalizing world, relations between distant nations have grown dramatically. Events occurring on one side of the world can be known and even affect a country on the opposite side. These relations also industries to expand into different countries, and acquire natural resources on a global scale. In the gemstone industry, Madagascar is widely regarded for the abundant sapphires that can be found in Ankarana National Park (Walsh 2005: 660). While sapphires are valued around the world as a precious gemstone, the values for sapphires are different to those living in Madagascar. Sapphires mined in the Ankarana National Park acquired both economic and aesthetic values in the globalizing world by the Malagasy miners that extract them from the park, the foreign buyers that sell them to the rest of the world, and the consumers that purchase them.
Get original essayThe values of the sapphires that come from Madagascar are first obtained in the Ankarana National Park. While ecotourists travel from far to experience the caves, tingsy, 330 known species of plant life, and over 100 animal species that find their home in the park, thousands of Malagasy migrant miners use the park to illegally dig for sapphires (Walsh 2012: xviii-xix). Beginning in 1996, when foreign gemstone buyers arrived in Ambondromifehy, the local sapphire trade drew many Malagasy migrants to the region (2004: 228). The sapphire boom provided opportunity for many Malagasy prospectors to profit since these foreign buyers were offering money for the sapphires (2012: 14). This rush of migrant workers is similar to the men and women who lived in and moved to the Mexican countryside during the 1950s and 1960s (Soto Lavega 2005: 749). There, Mexican migrants were desperately searching for barbasco, a Mexican yam, which at the time was the best raw material for pharmaceutical technology and chemical advances in the world of medicinal drugs (2005: 744). Syntex, a Mexican company devoted to the industrialization and production of progesterone, began paying Mexican villagers to enter the jungle to extract the barbasco from the ground (2005: 749-750). In both cases, the people of each nation were paid to extract the desired object from the ground, attributing an economic value to those items, which is something that it hadn’t had before. Prior to the exchange value that both sapphires and barbasco had acquired, the Malagasy and Mexican villagers did not have any use for what they were extracting. In Madagascar, the only ones in the region that valued sapphires before the arrival of foreign buyers were children that used them as ammunition in slingshots (Walsh 2012: 23), while in Mexico, barbasco was known as a fish poison and as a pesky weed that was found in cornfields up until outsiders came to “teach” the local people of the commercial value it had in the global economy (Soto Laveaga 2005: 753). While the economic value of sapphires drew so many to join Ankarana’s sapphire rush in the late 1990s, many people were “risking” (Walsh 2012: 25). According to Andrew Walsh, risking was a matter of knowingly investing time and effort into something that might not pay off in the end. This was true for many Malagasy, who moved to Ambondromifehy from other areas of Madagascar with close to nothing and no information or contacts to being mining illegally inside Ankarana National Park (2012: 25). Once they began working, miners would act boldly and enter unstable pits, jump chasms in caves, defy police intent with keeping them out of the Park and transgress local or inherited taboos with little regard for the potential consequences, which included arrest, severe injury, and death (2012: 26). These types of market externalities are common when extracting any natural resource. In Mexico, the thorns and snakes within the jungle made looking for barbasco very difficult and injuries were common (Soto Laveaga 2005: 751). While there were so many risks involved in searching for natural resources like sapphires and barbasco, the people of these nations continued to search for them for financial gain.
The economic value that the Malagasy had attributed to sapphires came only after foreign traders entered Madagascar in 1996 (Walsh 2004: 228). While both traders and miners profit from sapphires, foreign traders have a much higher income than those performing manual labour (Walsh 2012: 37). While they were selling the same sapphires, the difference in profit came from knowledge differentials between the different cultures (2012: 46). Malagasy did not believe that sapphires were used just for jewellery, even though that’s what they were told (2012: 47). This “known ignorance” was one factor that prevented the miners from making more money from the sapphires (2012: 47). Even though the Malagasy miners were not profiting as much as the foreign buyers, many Malagasy locals still rushed inside the National Ankarana Park illegally to mine, since they knew there was a possibility of profit. This is unlike the ecotourist industry in Ankarana, where there are nowhere near as many local Malagasy workers as there are in the sapphire trade due to international companies wanting to profit more (Gezon 2014: 826). Beginning in 1989, when AGNAP took over the management of the protected areas and became responsible for paying salaries and operating costs, ecotourism was intended to benefit the local people of Ankarana, however it failed to do so (2014: 824-826). The ecotourism projects tended to employ low-paid indigenous labour, provide limited training and offer inadequate compensation for the purchase of local food and handicrafts and the highest paid tour guides were not local and were hired by tour operators (2014: 826). While it seems that there is no connection between ecotourism and sapphires in Ankarana, there is a link between the two industries, which is the Ankarana National Park (Walsh 2012: 49). The irony within the Malagasy miners and the ecotourism industry is that ecotourism, which was supposed to create jobs for the local people of Madagascar, relies on the exclusion of locals from the park who mine there while giving easy access to tourists wealthy enough to travel there and pay the entry fees (Gezon 2014: 825).
While many involved in the sapphires from Ankarana for their economic value, the consumers of the sapphires from around the world place a different value on them. These global consumers value sapphires for their aesthetic value (Walsh 2012: 46). Around the world, sapphires are used in the manufacture of luxuries such as rings, earrings, and necklaces (2012: 46). Despite the processing that they go through to look the way they do when they are purchased by consumers, these stones are seen as unique, authentic, and one of a kind, similar to the experiences that ecotourists hope to achieve (2012: 90). With sapphires, consumers tend to prefer a “natural” sapphire, even though all sapphires that consumers are exposed to have been enhanced in some way (2012: 83). When a sapphire that has been dug up from the ground is processed by experienced hands, it is still seen as one of a kind in the sense stressed by the American Gem Trade Association, which states that the sapphire is a “unique creation that brings with it a rich history that blends the mystery of Nature with the skill of man (2012: 84). So, despite the sapphire being seemingly generic after all the processing it goes through, the labour that goes into finding that sapphire makes it authentic, giving it a symbolic value to the purchaser (2012: 81). This is similar to the experiences that ecotourists desire to achieve in Ankarana because it is advertised as a one of a kind destination that has been “untouched”, “unspoiled”, and “undiscovered”, however, these adjectives can also be used to describe tourist experiences in other regions all over the world such as Latvia, Taiwan, Tobago, Argentina, Vancouver Island, and the Amazon rainforest (2012: 88-89). What separates Madagascar from these areas, Duffy says, is that Madagascar has a unique environment with species like lemurs that cannot be seen anywhere else (2012: 90). Like sapphires, ecotourism in Ankarana is valued as one of a kind because even though there are other ecotourism destinations, there is not one exactly the same as Madagascar.
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Get custom essayThe sapphires mined in the Ankarana National Park acquire different values in the globalizing world. To those mining and selling the precious stone, it provides an economic value, while those purchasing the sapphires outside of Madagascar seek after them for their aesthetic value and the “one of a kind” symbolic value that they believe is there. The different values that the one item has is an example of how any object in the world can have a different meaning to those that are often exposed to it as opposed to those who see the object as a commodity and others who see it as a one of a kind item.
E-commerce is a subset of e-business and is essentially a platform for businesses to communicate and offer their products and services directly to the consumers through online transactions. Using an online platform, people can buy, sell, order and pay through various modes of payment without the need of face to face interaction. The transactions can be Business to Business (B2B), Business to Customer (B2C) and Customer to Customer (C2C).
Get original essayIn comparison, e-business refers to all business related activities that are carried out through or with the help of internet. E-business comprises of not just buying or selling of goods but all communication within the business as well as with customers, providing services to customers, financial transactions, online technical support and electronic transfer of information. E-business makes use of website, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems as well as Customer Relationship Management systems in bringing together different departments of the business and ensuring uninterrupted communication which can be used to optimize all processes such as manufacturing, operations and marketing. E-business can be Business to Business (B2B) and Business to Consumer (B2C). The main element of e-business is e-commerce which provides the ability to conduct online transactions. Amazon, eBay, and Alibaba are some examples of e-commerce businesses that are currently flourishing. Using Alibaba as a case study, this report highlights the importance of e-business and e-commerce in today’s business world.
There is an exponential increase in the number of people who prefer to shop online in the last few years and the number increases with each passing week. We spend most of our time browsing the internet either for study, business, work, learning, marketing or entertainment and it is very hard to imagine what we would do if there was no internet. Businesses are aware of this fact and this is the reason most business are turning to online model in contrast to the traditional brick and mortar shops to attract more customers.
There are many reasons why I strongly believe e-commerce has played an effective role in improving our daily lives and will continue to do so. Firstly, electronic commerce offers a broad range of opportunities. For people living in small cities or villages, there is lack of choice due to the limited number of shops and number of available products and services most of which are produced locally (Chaffey, 2015). The conventional model is also limited by the capacity of the merchants to stock goods and hence they continuously need to churn out fresh products to meet demand. E-commerce on the other hand is free from such limitations hence expands traditional commerce’s boundaries. With e-commerce, you can simultaneously browse several websites and compare products in real time, making the shopping experience faster and more convenient as compared to visiting different shops (Awais & Samin, 2012). Deciding on the product to purchase is also easier as you can add product to cart and make payment as per your own convenience. The average total time to make a purchase is less than 30 minutes in e-commerce where it traditionally took whole day. That is the main reason why I believe that e-commerce trumps traditional commerce providing quicker access to a variety of goods.
E-commerce also leads to reduction in prices compared to traditional business for the customers as compared to the traditional methods, selling goods and services online is cheaper for businesses due to less overhead costs. In offline commerce costs including shop rent, recurring expenses, security cost, management cost, transportation cost, inventory cost, salaries among others make it difficult for businesses to sell goods at reduced prices (Sila, 2013). That is the reason why I believe e-commerce is becoming popular as it effectively minimizes fixed and variable costs, making it possible to offer and obtain goods and services at low prices.
Also, I observe that e-commerce provides instant notifications to customers regarding best deals and offers. Traditionally, customers were unaware of what latest products were available at their local businesses until they visit the place and often by the time they came to know, the products would be outdated or out of stock. Also local retailers were unaware of the products available in the international market. Although there has been a difference in consumer habits, profile, mindset and purchasing pattern of individuals that belonged to the metros and smaller cities (Solaymani, Sohaili & Yazdinejad, 2012), generally information dissemination was slow. However, owing to the e-commerce and communication technology’s rapid growth, everyone including people that are located in the far-flung regions obtain notifications as well as messages from the sellers regarding latest discount offers instantly. In the current digital age, consumers are able to find the most suitable deals within seconds via automated notifications on their mobile phones. As a result, e-commerce has been effective in connecting consumers to businesses, removed disparity and removed the gap that existed among people living in the villages and those in the metros (Chen & Holsapple, 2013). By so doing, e-commerce has leveled the playing field for all businesses, opening up markets for all businesses globally. That is the reason why I believe e-commerce is and will continue to be a game changer.
E-business is a term that encompasses e-sales, e-learning, e-commerce, e-banking, along with online communication. It plays a major role in the manner in which organizations conduct business, thus shaping the global economy. The roles that e-business plays in today’s business include the following.
The main advantage that businesses have with e-business is the reduced costs. Digitization virtually disposes of the need of having a physical presence in the form of a physical store or workplace. Except if they want to, businesses do not have to lease a space to work or pay for utilities. What's more marketing costs for an e-commerce business is less expensive in contrast to conventional marketing (Gupta, 2014). Thus, e-business provides startups and other small businesses with an opportunity to reach a larger market and to compete against big and already established organizations without incurring huge costs. Technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning have assisted such firms to reduce operational costs, thus increasing productivity.
Approximately 93% of online shoppers use search engine like Google to look for products. Through Search Engine Optimization (SEO), organizations are able to reach a larger customer base and increase customer engagement by putting into practice the best e-business practices (Ray, 2012). Email marketing and retargeting are examples of modern technologies that facilitate customer acquisition, hence offering companies the opportunity to target their ideal buyers reducing advertisement cost. Through e-business, businesses can spend their marketing budget wisely rather than on banners that are likely to be blocked or ignored by the customers.
The most recent e-business capacities enable associations to store huge amounts of information on the cloud keeping it secure as well as easily available. For example, cloud facilitating offers a means of putting away client data, financial records, audio and video recordings, contracts and different kinds of information eliminating the need for a physical office as all the information is always accessible at click of a mouse from anywhere in the world.
Through e-business and latest advancements in IT, organizations can mechanize logistic processes, process orders, update stock and issue notifications. E-business permits businesses to offer more transparency to executives along with greater control (Namvar and Khalilzadeh, 2013). Automated stock management tools help businesses save their time and reduce human error that results in lower operational expenses and upgraded proficiency as they can concentrate on their core processes without stressing over trivial things.
Latest e-business tools and systems are built for increasing revenue for a business. Such processes and methodologies bring down the expenses as well as improve efficiency within an organization (Wynn, Turner and Lau, 2013). CRM, ERP, data driven advertising and other automated functions add to the growth of an organization as greater efficiency means more productivity and more revenue as more work is accomplished in lesser time (Zhu, et al., 2015). Also, the office can effectively share significant information instantly helping them achieve the best outcomes bringing the stakeholders closer in the process.
Alibaba Group is an example of a business that works through an e-business framework and it has got branches all over the world. The association's essential goal is to build a worldwide online business system with the aim of providing service to a wide client base setting up a strong business organization (Du, et al., 2013). Alibaba offers a convenient platform for vendors to connect with customers and offer their goods worldwide based on a solid Information Technology foundation. Alibaba makes use of Big Data Services connected to microfinance system (Fan, et al., 2018) enabling the organization to oversee and manage the business' statistics in real time.
The organization's unique methodology is spreading its business globally by connecting small and medium-sized organizations with a global market by varying costs depending upon the interest level in a specific location. Through its e-business model, Alibaba can boost the local businesses which greatly improve the organization's power over the local market (Leong, et al., 2016). With the help of the latest technological advancements along with its fruitful promotion technique, the organization is growing its e-business around the globe. In this manner, Alibaba fundamentally focuses at building up its e-commerce business without getting into the hassles of owning and managing its own manufacturing and warehousing units (Clark, 2018). With the click of a mouse, clients can place orders for products they need and have them delivered to their doorsteps. The organization's e-commerce strategy has encouraged the development of other independent local companies that have banded together with Alibaba to connect with their market.
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Get custom essayE-business is the future of commerce and every business in order to sustain and be competitive in these times needs to incorporate some aspects of e-business if not completely transformation. Processes like information transfer, financial transactions, CRMs and others help in easier management along with delivering better and quick service which greatly impacts the business. As listed above, there are number of ways in which e-business play positive role in growth of businesses as evident in the case study of Alibaba.
The concept of "design" and calculation plays a prominent role in Pride and Prejudice. Design is used as an indicator of values, particularly in marriage, and presents the characters with a challenge in balancing scheming and morality in its use. Already in the opening lines we can see the presence of design in the narrator¹s fervent declaration that "a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." That Bingley is seen as an object to be won from the outset indicates the predatory attitude of society, which will use any means necessary to make things work according to the design of its members. Mr. Bennet also refers to Mr. Bingley¹s "¹design in settling here (5),¹" making it clear from the opening of the novel that design is an influential part of this society.
Get original essayThis propensity for design does have a foundation. The characters live in a static financial situation. As none of them labor, there is no opportunity for the acquisition of money and power outside of design. The decline of accumulated family wealth, as is clearly demonstrated in the novel, is a central concern for individuals of the gentry. Social stigmas against labor keep these families from returning to the workforce to make their own fortunes, and so a different strategy must be adopted. Marriage in this world is by necessity more of a business enterprise than a demonstration of love. Women in particular have no livelihood outside of marriage, as they do not in general inherit their family¹s fortune. We see this dilemma in the relationship of the Bennetts with Mr. Collins, who is inheriting all of the family property, including the house, when Mr. Bennet dies. Women in particular, then, must engage in some design to secure a wealthy husband in order to provide for themselves. The economic dimension to marriage is a key element in the role of design in the world of Pride and Prejudice. Some element of design is considered good prudence, though a prudent woman must take care to avoid the extreme of mercenary behavior. On the other side, a woman must make sure that she gives enough importance to the economic aspect, and avoids a marriage that shows a total lack of sense and regard for her family and future. We see that it is primarily women who design in this novel, as men inherit family wealth and have less concern over which to design.
Charlotte presents the clearest example of someone who acts in accordance with these challenges of financial security. The entire Lucas family, facing a significant decline in their family wealth, has prudent interests in mind, believing "Mr. Collins¹s present circumstances made it a most eligible match for their daughter, to whom they could give little fortune? Lady Lucas began directly to calculate how many years longer Mr. Bennett was likely to live (103)." Driven by these interests for herself and her family, Charlotte schemes to marry Mr. Collins. For this she uses such methods as when she "perceived him from an upper window as he walked towards the house, instantly set out to meet him accidentally in the lane (102)." This design on Mr. Collins can be regarded as mercenary, but also shows prudence given Charlotte¹s situation.
A more clearly cold and calculating form of design is seen in the dynastic ambitions of Lady Catherine. She has had a long-developed plan for Darcy to marry her daughter in order to create a family dynasty of wealth. She extends this design on the lives of the young people to include Elizabeth, in a scheme of intimidating her away from tempting Darcy with her "¹arts and allurements (which) may, in a moment of infatuation, have made him forget what he owes to himself and to all his family (285).¹" In order to maintain her family power, she must work to ensure the outcome of Mr. Darcy¹s marriage choice. Much of what Lady Catherine is saying bears some moral weight. A choice about marriage in Pride and Prejudice affects entire families, rather than just the individual. This impact was clearly seen by Lydia¹s transgression and the references made to the shame it would bring on her entire family. Lady Catherine is designing with this idea of family interests in mind, but she goes too far and defines family interests in such a way as to justify her immoral bid for power.
Miss Bingley also displays a cold and calculating design in her attempts to portray Elizabeth in a negative light to Darcy. She hopes that by ensuring Darcy¹s contempt for Elizabeth, she may thus be free to cajole him into a greater affection for herself. This criticism makes plain her design in its frequently desperate tone. She says "¹How very ill Eliza Bennett looks this morning, Mr. Darcy, I never in my life say anyone so much altered as she is since the winter. She is grown so brown and coarse! (220),¹" and later "¹her eyes, which have sometimes been called so fine?They have a sharp, shrewish look? and in her air altogether, there is a self-sufficiency without fashion, which is intolerable (221).¹" Miss Bingley¹s design, in its artlessness, is clearly perceived by all of the characters in the novel. On hearing of Darcy¹s pre-engagement to Miss de Bourgh, Elizabeth gives a "smile, as she thought of poor Miss Bingley. Vain indeed must be all her attentions, vain and useless her affection for his sister and her praise of himself, if he were already self-destined to another (71)."
Design in Pride and Prejudice is not only used in the name of prudence, but also for sentiment. Darcy shows this when he designs to keep Bingley away from Jane. He does this by following him when he leaves the town on business, and convincing him to stay there, "congratulating himself on having lately saved a friend from the inconveniences of a most imprudent marriage (153)." While this has negative results and is an interference in another¹s life, the intentions were noble and he engages in no deceit of his character and fully admits his role, saying "¹I do not suppose that it (the Bennett family) would ultimately have prevented the marriage, had it not been seconded by the assurance which I hesitated not in giving, of your sister¹s indifference?To persuade him against returning into Hertfordshire (164).¹"
We see throughout this novel that design can have a good side, or at least result from good intentions. As mentioned before, it IS necessary for women to design in order to ensure their futures; this is a social reality in the world in which the characters live. Social structure makes it difficult to meet eligible husbands without some element of design, so a set of social strategies for securing a husband develops, including balls and strategic visits. We see this when the female Bennetts are pressuring Mr. Bennett to visit Bingley in the beginning of the novel. As a young woman is unlikely to meet eligible men without these social tools, this is an acceptable form of design, the general idea being that if good things are going to happen, an individual must arrange the world to make it so. The challenge, however, is employing these strategies without allowing oneself to become overly immersed in the scheming, and then the deception, elements of design. This is a distinction that Austen¹s characters struggle to make; securing their futures without falling into the trap of mercenary plotting, and the true character of each individual may be judged by their ability and determination to avoid this trap.
The existence of so much design makes it difficult to truly assess the character and feelings of people that are presented in the novel. Characters live in uncertainty of the true nature and intentions of their acquaintances, particularly in regard to marriage. Those with wealth must be careful to ascertain their suitor¹s motives. The characters in the novel depend largely on appearance to judge character, but appearance can be used to mask the design underneath. Lizzy is suspicious of Darcy designing against her, and using his appearance and manner to disguise his character. Wickham is the most deceptive character in the novel, using the advantage of his appearance to advance a scheme to besmirch the name of Mr. Darcy. Wickham also displays this mercenary design in his interest in Miss King, whom he "¹paid (her) not the smallest attention, till her grandfather¹s death made her mistress of this fortune (128).¹"
Design may also demonstrate the quality of character of the designers themselves. Darcy uses good scheming to attempt to save his friend, and thus through design proves his own good character. Charlotte uses schemes, but no deception of her character. Wickham, however, regularly uses deception for mercenary purposes. The type of design engaged in by individuals shows their true "character" in a society in which everyone must design.
This raises a key question; does Lizzy herself design? We are given some hint of this when she sees Pemberly and says "¹I might have been mistress! With these rooms I might now have been familiarly acquainted (202)!¹" and immediately afterwards "thought of his (Darcy¹s) regard with a deeper sentiment of gratitude than it had ever raised before?She longed to know? in what manner he thought of her (205-207)." Her behavior towards Darcy changes as well when she is confronted with his wealth; she acts less sarcastic and friendlier towards him. The narrator¹s closeness with Lizzy, however, gives weight to the interpretation that her reversal of feelings is genuine, and that she is not merely giving in to her mercenary desires and altering her behavior in a design to marry him. The idea that Darcy¹s property and its management reflect a greater moral significance is highlighted here to release her from suspicions of calculation. She is credited with thinking "As a brother, a landlord, a master, she considered how many people¹s happiness were in his guardianship?she thought of his regard with a deeper sentiment of gratitude than it had ever raised before (205)." This may still be seen as an expression of mercenary design in securing a man with such considerable power, but it seems clear that the purpose of this elaboration on Darcy¹s "noblesse oblige" is instead to credit Elizabeth with deeper sentiments founding her transition.
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Get custom essaySpeculation about design demonstrates the moral and social challenges in courtship. The fact that some design is necessary in order to preserve oneself raises a social challenge in securing a prudent marriage, and a moral dilemma about the place of sentiment in marriage, and how much design is acceptable. Lizzy asks of us "what is the difference in matrimonial affairs, between the mercenary and the prudent motive? Where does discretion end, and avarice begin?" The central position of these questions in the Victorian world leads to the prominence of design in Pride and Prejudice.
The Merchant of Venice is a painful read—much more than Shakespeare’s other plays—because it portrays oppression without taking a stance one way or the other. Portia is undermined by societal gender inequalities, the Prince of Morocco battles racism, and Shylock was written so audiences could dislike him on the basis of his Jewishness and his occupation. However, this prejudice is what makes the play so important to read and reflect upon. The reasoning behind censorship is to protect students from controversial and politically incorrect views, but it is counterproductive to omit topics from a classroom rather than using them as a vehicle for raising awareness. Learning about structural oppression is discouraging, overwhelming, and maddening, but discussion can encourage people to step beyond guilt and anger and begin to think about how to reduce oppression. Since school provides a controlled, secure, and informative learning environment for people, it should be used to broaden discussion about social issues that continue into our postmodern society. Works of literature that provide a variety of viewpoints, even unethical ones, are fundamental to intellectual growth. As long as there is discourse and criticism about the amoral or unethical opinions in such stories, they should be mandatory reads in schools. The Merchant of Venice, with its strong anti-Semitism, underlying sexism, and blatant racism, is a perfect resource for students to clearly understand the societal and interpersonal workings behind prejudice in the real world.
Get original essayThe Prince of Morocco’s black skin is maligned before the character actually appears on stage for himself, further contributing to the racial stigma against people of color in Shakespeare’s time. Portia treats the Prince’s skin color, a physical and uncontrollable factor, more as a negative personality trait. She treats him and his country as “others,” or people so foreign they are practically uncivilized compared to the main characters of the play. “If I could bid the fifth welcome with so good heart as I can bid the other four farewell, I should be glad of his approach; if he have the condition of a saint and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he should shrive me than wive me” (1.3.127-131). Here, she says she would never want to marry the Prince of Morocco, even if he were a “saint” (1.3.130), because the prince has a dark complexion like “the devil” (1.3.130). Her nonchalant and casual racial intolerance is cruel because she unfairly judges the Prince based on his physical differences while she dismissed potential white suitors based on flawed character traits. Even the Prince shames his own skin color, his opening line being “mislike me not for my complexion” (2.1.1). In Shakespeare’s day, black men were often associated with evil, thus often filling the role of the villain. In today’s society, blackness is still associated with corruptness, poverty, and malice, and dark-skinned people are still rarely seen in protagonist positions in modern media. There is an implicit racial hierarchy broadcasted throughout media history, reflecting the systematic racism interwoven into our society over centuries. Whether media portrays superheroes, animated animals, fairies or cars, this same racial pyramid persists through the realm: white or white-voiced characters at the top and other ethnicities below with the darkest-skinned at the bottom. Audiences soak in this unspoken and virtually undetectable racism, and how diversity is portrayed on screen, on a stage, or in a play is a big part in learning this prejudice. Allowing discussion and criticism of the discrimination committed against the Prince of Morocco in The Merchant of Venice is a way to countermand the continued dehumanization of people of color in media and its translation in the real-world.
Shakespeare portrays his female characters as victims of a patriarchal society, their characters conveying the restrictions placed on women. Portia’s father’s power over his daughter, even in death, demonstrates the control men have in the affairs of women, as though they were property rather than human beings: “So is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father” (1.2.24-25). In fact, when describing the test the suitors must undertake, she says “If you choose that wherein I am contained, straight shall our nuptial rights be solemnised” (2.9.5-6). Portia is “contained” (2.9.5) in the box, imprisoned by this test her father created to control her. Additionally, women were not allowed in court, yet when Portia dresses up as a man, she is acknowledged as learned and wise. Portia poking fun of each suitor for being drunk or obsessed with his horse compares her high intelligence against her male counterparts’ faults. Even as a witty and intelligent character, she is only able to exercise power and authority when she is under the guise of a male. The female characters achieve their goals better than their husbands’ as “males”, only to return to the clichéd “prize to be won” or the “nagging wife” as females. As a woman, her opinion, personality, and character is negligible compared to her as a man. Throughout history, the majority of anonymous writers, artists, and workers have been female; otherwise, their work would have gone unnoticed and discarded. Confronting the structured gender roles and sexist ideals that are rooted in historical circumstances needs a clear example on what sexism looks like.
The Merchant of Venice supports anti-Semitism by depicting Shylock as a stereotypical greedy Jewish moneylender intending to usurp the “good” Christian character. Shylock’s suggestion that a pound of Antonio’s flesh as payment, reminds Shakespeare’s 16th century audience of the false stories about murderous Jews seeking Christian blood for religious rituals. Shylock is driven by an inherent cruelty based on the current time period’s loathing for Jewish people. In an aside, Shylock describes his nemesis, Antonio, “How like a fawning publican he looks! I hate him for he is a Christian” (1.3.41-42). Shylock has shown himself to be just as hateful and spiteful as Antonio—the only difference between the two is that Shylock is not just an old moneylender being tried in court, but the vilified stereotype of an entire religion. Greedy, pitiless, and obsessed with the letter of the law, he chooses to turn away from Christ’s clemency and not take Antonio’s flesh, and thus condemns himself and his religion. Shakespeare meant to contrast the kind main Christian characters with the vindictive Jew, who lacks the ability to comprehend mercy. Also, by sentencing Shylock and giving Antonio a happy ending, Shakespeare condones the racist actions committed against Shylock, including calling him a “misbeliever, cut-throat dog, and spit upon my Jewish gabardine” (1.3.121-122). Thus, Shakespeare’s depiction of Shylock in the play reinforces the stereotype of Jews as bloodthirsty and avaricious. Throughout history, Jews have been blamed for everything from the attacks on the Twin Towers to the Iraq War to natural disasters, leading to hate crimes such as the Holocaust. The continual persecution of Jews calls for the need to discuss the depiction of Jews in literature. Learning about the causes and consequences of anti-Semitism lays the foundation for discussion of the issues in the real world.
While times have changed greatly since The Merchant of Venice was first performed, the same social issues still stand. Throughout history, people have written literature to knowingly or unknowingly portray the views and culture of their time. Texts and stories are never “just books”; they are an outlet for discussion and reflection on people’s views about the past, present, or future. The only way to eradicate ignorance is to look through the lens of the ignorant himself. However, when negative portrayals of minorities are read without or critical analysis, students accept such depictions as accurate. Criticizing stereotypes offers students an opportunity to observe and analyze them. Reading The Merchant of Venice in school helps examine the historic and modern roots of racism, sexism, and anti-Semitism and empowers students to question and overcome stereotypical and negative conceptions.