Understanding Human Nature: Examples from Philosophy and the Arts :: Philosophy

Understanding Human Nature: Examples from Philosophy and the Arts ABSTRACT: Ours is not the first time philosophers have looked to art for examples to illustrate their arguments. One example would be Kierkegaard, who turned to Mozart's operas in an attempt to expose what he called the aesthetic realm of existence. I hold that if Kierkegaard lived today, he would consider the main character of Nikita Mikhalkov's Dark Eyes (1987) as a prototype of the aesthetic way of existence. In order to support my thesis, I first discuss Kierkegaard's theory of the three spheres of existence. I look especially at what he considers to be the main feature of the aesthetic stage, as well as the figure of Don Giovanni in Mozart's opera. Second, I will look at the character of Romano Podroni in Dark Eyes. Finally, I will point out what makes these two characters prototypes of the aesthetic existence: the inhuman way in which they live the temporal dimension of human existence. 1. Kieregaard's theory of the spheres of existence The question of human existence is the focal point of all Kierkegaard's thought. For Kierkegaard, existing meant becoming more and more individual, but this is not given to all human beings in the same measure, because we may be living in an inauthentic way. The fact that someone belongs to the species homo sapiens does not guarantee that that person leads a human existence. In fact, Kierkegaard seems to think that few people — or at least, a minority of people — genuinely live as human beings. So, what does Kierkegaard mean by living in a fully human way? In his view, existence is above all something that has to be shaped. People must make themselves if they want to be themselves. "A man cannot evade this self-realisation; that would be as impossible as evading one's very self — wich is really the same thing, as the self is the same as self-realisation". (1) The self cannot be itself unless it is creating itself. So, the fact that people have to form themselves means that human existence is a task. (2) Kierkegaard writes of three basic stages in this process of self-realisation: the aesthetic stage, the ethical stage and the religious stage. (3) All human beings are currently at one of this stages, depending on the extent to which they have achieved their life-project. Each stage is a way of seeing life, a way of understanding the world.

Death of a Salesman- Act 2 Essay

Q1. Why is Willy’s mood upbeat at the start of Act Two? What does he expect to happen? Ans: Willy’s mood is upbeat at the start of Act two because he felt that his family and everything was finally coming together. Before, Biff decided that he was going to meet Oliver and join into the business field. Willy finally felt revealed because Happy came up with an idea for Biff and Happy to start a business together. He expected that Bill Oliver would recognize Biff and give him a job with Biff asking for at least fifteen thousand. This made him over excited because he felt that the family would be happier and Biff would get the success that he wants. Q2. Why does Willy tell Howard about Dave Singleman? Describe the dramatic effect when Howard listens to the voices of his family while Willy tries o talk business. Why does Howard tell Willy to drop off his samples and forbid him to go to Boston? Why is this such a blow to Willy? Ans: Dave Singleman was a great salesman who made his living without leaving his house until the age of eighty-four. He was a very popular and well known man who was greatly missed when he died. Willy told Howard about Dave because he wants to prove to him that Willy can also be a successful salesman while staying at home too. He also wants to show him how there was gratitude and respect for one another back then, and how everything changed in this generation for the worse. When Willy was trying to speak about business, Howard kept listening to the voices of his family. Willy was trying to also listen and patiently wait until Howard was done, but soon felt irritated after a while when Howard would not pay attention to him. This set a bad mood for Willy as he was waiting for the chance to talk to Howard. Howard tells Willy to drop off his samples and forbids him to go to Boston because he feels that Willy needs to take a break. After listening to Willy’s emotional break out, he was sure that he wanted to send Willy home until he was able to gain control over himself and his life. He felt that Willy wouldn’t be able to do his job right anymore and make the business suffer if he continues. This is such a blow to Willy because now he doesn’t have a job. Just for a small request to stay home and work, Willy suffered by overall losing his job. Now he would have the problem to make money for his family and pay for their bills, etc. Q3. What is Willy’s philosophy? How does Biff as a football hero embody his father’s dreams? Why does Charley say Willy hasn’t grown up? Ans: Willy believed to become successful you needed to be physically attractive and fit. He felt that playing sports and being popular, and revolving everything around the personal appearance would lead anyone to easy success and well performance. Willy used to dedicate himself to Biff when he used to play football. He allowed Biff to do anything as long as he succeeded in football and tried to become the best. This would fulfill his dreams of his children being physically fit and stable and being able to have the strength and determination to succeed. Charley says that Willy hasn’t grown up because Willy still seems to have a stubborn attitude where he always wants to be superior compared to everyone else. Willy made himself believe that he was always better than everyone, even if it wasn’t true. Charley felt that Willy hasn’t seen the reality of life yet and still chooses to live in his illusions. Q4. What is Willy’s impression of Bernard when he sees him in his father’s office? Why does Willy exaggerate Biff’s importance? Why does Bernard ask what happened after the game at Ebbets Field? Ans: Willy was shocked to see Bernard at his father’s office. When they started talking, Willy seemed to feel a little jealous of Bernard as he was going to Washington and staying with some friends who were rich. When he hears about Bernard’s plans and success, he starts to exaggerate about Biff’s importance. He does this because he cannot stand the fact that Bernard is more successful than Biff, and therefore tries to make Biff sound superior compared to everyone else. Bernard asks what happens after the game at Ebbets Field because he notices that Biff’s life changed completely afterwards and nothing good ever happened after that time. He noticed that there was a change in Biff’s attitude and the he could tell that Biff gave up on life, and he wanted to know what had caused all this. -Q5. Why won’t Willy work for Charley? Why is Willy able to ask Charley for money? How is Charley’s view of what a salesman needs different from Willy’s view? Ans: For many years, Willy has made himself feel like he is better than most people, and has had this superior complex. He tries to compare himself to Charley and finds excuses and ways to say that he is better than him, even though he knows that Charley is more successful in life which makes him jealous of Charley. Therefore, Willy refuses to work for Charley because that would just be another way of saying that Charley is more successful than him. Willy is able to ask Charley for money because he knows that Charley is his only friend he has, and will be the only one who will actually lend him money. Charley’s view of what a salesman needs is different from Willy’s view because Charley feels that -Q6. In the restaurant, how does Happy reflect Willy’s values? Why does Miller have the girls come in? Ans: Miller had the girls come in so we could see how arrogant Biff and Happy are as they leave the restaurant leaving Willy all by himself and go with those girls. This shows us how much they cared for their father at the time and how irresponsible they were. Q7. How does Biff’s realization that his life is a lie underline the theme of the play? Why does Biff take Bill Oliver’s fountain pen? Why can’t he tell his father what happened with Bill Oliver? Why do Biff and Happy leave Willy at the restaurant? Ans: After meeting Bill Oliver and realizing that he didn’t even remember him, Biff finally understands that his life in business is just a joke and that it was a waste of time to continue. This underlines the theme of the play as it shows how he saw his life the way he wanted to and was in his own illusions and dreams for fifteen years until he met reality. Biff realizes now that success doesn’t come easily, and that he should do what he wants in life. Biff takes Bill Oliver’s fountain pens while a rush of anger and confusion is going through his mind. Because Oliver didn’t even recognize Biff, he had an urge to just go into his office and just take what he could to satisfy and calm himself. Biff cannot tell his father what happened with Bill Oliver because he doesn’t want to disappoint him. He knows that his decision to meet Bill made Willy extremely happy, and he was ashamed as Bill Oliver wasn’t even able to give him a job, yet recognize him. And even when he had tried to tell Willy any bad news, Willy would jump to conclusions and wouldn’t give him the proper chance or time to let Biff explain himself. Happy and Biff leave Willy at the restaurant because they didn’t want to discuss what had happened that day. They left with a couple of girls for some fun leaving Willy alone because Happy wanted Biff to feel better and take his mind off all his problems. Q8. Why did Biff go to Boston? What does he discover when he see the Woman? Why is it that Biff never went to summer school? Why can’t he believe his father? Ans: Biff flunked math and didn’t get enough credits to graduate. Therefore he came to Boston to meet his dad and ask him to talk to his teachers to give him some points. He thought that Willy would be able to talk to them in â€Å"his way† and could be able to get enough points to make Biff pass. When Biff sees the Women, he discovers that his father is a fake and was doing something completely wrong. He also sees that Willy had given his mothers stockings to the woman. Biff never went to summer school after that incident because he was completely shocked and let down by his father. He wasn’t in the position anymore to take summer school classes as the situation left him into a state of depression. He couldn’t believe his father because he never thought that he would actually turn on his mother and do this to her and their family. This left Biff in a state of confusion and shock where he wasn’t able to forgive his father. Q9. Why does Linda tell the boys, â€Å"Get out of here, both of you, and don’t come back!†? Ans: Linda yells at the boys because she is disappointed and furious with them. When she found out that they had left Willy all by himself at the restaurant, she was very angry and didn’t want to see or speak to either of them. She was also disappointed because she just started to think that things in their family were going to go back to normal and everyone was going to be happy, and after the incident, she was disappointed that there were still more issues to take care of. She feels that the boys don’t respect their father, and care more about the women they went off with. She also feels like her sons are just tormenting Willy and using him for financial backup, shelter, etc. but are not giving him the support, love and respect he needs and deserves. Q10. Why does Willy keep planting seeds when they’ve never grown before? Why does Willy think Biff will be impressed with his funeral? Why does Ben say that Biff will call Willy a fool? Ans: Willy keeps planting seeds because he wants his family to have something left to remember him by after he passes away. He knows that he hasn’t succeeded much in life and wasn’t able to give him family much and therefore he wants to leave something behind for them. They could use the plants to use or sell them, and they will have a nice garden in their house. Willy thinks that Biff will be impressed with his funeral because he feels that many people from different states all over the country will come to visit him at his funeral. He wants to show Biff that he is well known and cared for by others. Ben says that Biff will call Willy a fool because he knows that Willy is not well known, and that no one will show up at his funeral, and Biff will know that his father was a coward and end up hating him. Q11. Why doesn’t Willy want to see Linda? Why does he think Biff is spiting him? Why does Biff show him the rubber hose? Why does Biff confront Willy and Happy? Ans: Willy doesn’t want to see Linda because he is ashamed of himself. Everyone knows about Biff’s failure to get a business job with Bill Oliver, and Willy feels that it is his fault why this had happened. Therefore, he feels ashamed to show his face to Linda. He feels that Biff is spiting him because he feels that Biff is blaming all his failure on Willy. He doesn’t seem to care about the family and tells them to forget that he is alive, and that he would just send them a cheque if he could. Biff shows Willy the rubber hose because he wants Willy to know that the entire family knows what is going on and what he has been up to. Biff wants to show Willy that they are all worried about him and let him know what kind of pressure he is putting the whole family under but trying to commit suicide. Q12. What does Biff do that elates Willy? How does Happy try to attract Willy’s attention? How does Ben influence Willy at this point? Ans: Biff starts to cry for his father which seems to elate him. After stating what kind of life Biff was in before coming home, he broke into tears for Willy to help him get rid of his childish dreams before something happens. He wanted to stop imagining his future, and actually start something that he could do. Happy tries to attract Willy’s attention by telling them that he was going to chance, get married soon, and his the department he was working for. Ben influences Willy at this point by showing him how Biff would be better off with Willy’s insurance money as it would be more than what Willy is making now. He states that â€Å"the jungle is dark but full of diamonds.† He tells Willy that Biff can succeed in life, but just needs a starting push. This influences Willy to commit suicide so that his family could get his insurance money. Requiem:- Q1. What is a requiem? What is the purpose of the final act? To what extent is it successful? Ans: A requiem is a celebration for the commemoration of the dead. It is usually a funeral service or a memorial service. The purpose of the final act was for the Loman’s to figure out what they should do with their lives. Biff and Happy wanted to finally get a hold of their goals and start something in their life. This all could have made the family happier and successful. Even though the family had planned to try to become successful in business, it didn’t work out. Biff finally decided what he wanted to do in his life, which was to be outdoors. This upset Willy, which therefore led the family into a different situation. The final act ended in a disrupt manner as Willy committed suicide to help his family with their financial problems, and help Biff and Happy to start their careers and lives. Q2. Charley says: â€Å"No man only needs a little salary.† To what is he referring? What else does a man need? Ans: When Charley says that â€Å"no man only needs a little salary†, he is trying to say that just the minimum money earned will never be enough for any man. Men always want more than what they have for their own satification and to have more for their happiness. A man also needs the due respect they deserve. A man wants the best for their family, and wants to see their families excelling and to be superior to others. Q3. Explain the irony of Linda’s last speech. Ans: In Linda’s last speech she questions Willy and asks why he had to leave them. She doesn’t understand why Willy had chosen to make that decision and still feels like waiting for him to come back. She tells Willy that she isn’t able to cry for him. This doesn’t mean that she doesn’t care about him and isn’t able to show her emotions, but she is in such a confused state, that she doesn’t even know what to do.

Immigration and Islam Netherlands and France

Immigration and Islam in France and the Netherlands After the post-war, WWII, era Europe faced a shortage of labor, at the same time it had to rebuild its infrastructure and economy. France and Netherlands both faced the same problem and like their counterparts in Europe they found the answer in guest-workers. These guest workers were immigrants from former colonies and other developing countries. However, these guest-workers later settled down and brought their families. This led to a larger influx of immigrations. The largest, most significant, and most controversial are the Muslim immigrants. This study will focus on the different approaches of integration France and the Netherlands have implemented, the growing discrimination of Muslim immigrants, and the role Islam has in this dilemma. France had a long colonial history in the Maghreb, North Africa, mainly Algeria. To fill in this gap many male immigrants flocked to France in need of work. There was also a large immigration from the Mediterranean, Turkey, in this case. The largest make-up of French immigrants have been Algerians and others from the Maghreb. Netherlands, similar to the French had immigrants from the Mediterranean, Maghreb, and former colonies (Surinam and Antilles); the largest group being Turkish and Moroccan immigrants. These immigrants became a large factor in the rebuilding of the economy but as the economy slowed immigration became more of a problem for Western European countries. France proposed an assimilation model, where it endorsed pluralism in the private sphere. The Laicite, the separation of Church and State/private and public played a large role in the French system of assimilation. In the public sphere you were expected to be French in language and ideals. The private sphere was left for your own beliefs and customs. This can be seen in the expression of symbols in the public schools, where wearing the veil is not allowed because it threatens this division of public and private. However, this still doesn’t explain the dilemma that many second or third generation French citizens from immigrant backgrounds face. Even though they are â€Å"French†, they are not accepted by the system—accordingly because they still aren’t â€Å"French† enough. This creates disparity on both sides; the French politicize this dilemma by taking a harder stance on immigration and assimilation, giving rise to far-right parties like National Front under Le Pen. (GS, page 123) The immigrants unfortunately at times result to violent riots in protest and anger at the discrimination they face. The end result being stricter immigration regulations, more assimilation, and seeing â€Å"Islam† as incompatible to European standards. The Netherlands have the same end results but have come to them from a totally different background. The Netherlands has endorsed a multicultural integration from the beginning. (Coenders, M. , Lubbers, M. , Scheepers, P. , & Verkuyten, M. (C. L. S. V)) The Netherlands have been one of the foremost in democracy and liberalism, ranking third in the world. Its capital, Amsterdam, is the hub liberal and free lifestyle. Since the 2000’s homosexual marriage and euthanasia have been legalized. (GS 192) Compared to France’s full assimilation the Netherlands has put forward a multiculturalism approach, however this has taken a drastic change in the last decade, especially against Muslim immigrants. In the early 2000’s Pim Fortuyn, a leader of anti-immigration and pro-assimilation party (Liveable Netherlands and latter List Pim Fortuyn), voiced his opinion on Islam being a backwards religion and a threat to liberal European/Dutch ideals. Even though both countries had different policies of integration they both ended up in the same situation against Muslim immigration. How can these phenomena be explained in these democracies that embrace liberal ideals? For it was France, that in 1789, coined the motto, â€Å"All men are born free and equal†, but now it can be seen that some men are born more free and equal than others. The realistic conflict theory explains this situation as a reaction to materialistic scarcity; jobs and housing. In the post-war era there was a surplus of jobs and also the need of cheap labor, the immigrants rushed in and filled these positions. However, after the slowing of the economic boom employment became scarcer. This led to higher un-employment rates and the native citizens started to see immigrants as a threat, leading to discrimination and pro-assimilation. Though this does explain a significant factor, there is still the growth of anti-Islamic sentiments. The Muslims aren’t the only immigrants in France or Netherlands, but they are the ones who face the blunt of the attention. (C. L. S. V) So the realistic conflict theory falls short in explaining this. More than Two Decades of Changing Ethnic Attitudes in the Netherlands, a study done to explain the attitudes the Dutch had on immigration, saw that social and ideological contents also affect peoples outlook as much as materialistic means. (C. L. S. V) This gives explanation to far-right parties such as List Pim Fortuyn and Le Pen. The parties that use anti-Islamic and anti-immigration sentiments as political platforms, they play on the fears’ of the people. Yet, how is it that these fears can grow and flourish in such liberal and democratic societies, the â€Å"Heralds of Democracy†? People fear what they don’t understand. Islam is this â€Å"other† and the media and politicians play on this. The Muslim immigrant populations don’t help either because they themselves are in a transition phase. They are trying to find a way to live with an Islamic background and Western ideals. Some see total assimilation as an answer others find a compromise and yet others turn to radicalism. This struggle has been going on since the mid-19th century, between the â€Å"West† and Islam. Some essentialists like Huntington and Fukuyama, see this as the next power struggle for the â€Å"West† after the fall of the Soviet Union, â€Å"The Clash of Civilizations†. According to some 9/11 and other terrorists acts just prove this theory, however even though there are radicals, they are in the minority. The majority of Muslims don’t have problem with the â€Å"West†, most even are pro-Western, they support democracies and liberal views. Maybe, it is not the same as Europe or America but they are trying to find the middle ground and negotiate between the two. This is no different for the immigrants in France or Netherlands. Ahmet Yukleyen in his study of social movements in the Netherlands has focused on Turkish immigrants and the role religious movements have played a role in their lives. His studies show that there is not one Islamic front in Europe or a â€Å"Euro-Islam† as some have supported. Even though the Islamic community is one ummah, they all interpret and practice Islam in slightly different ways. The fundamental tenets are the same, but Islam is flexible according to time and place; taken from a historic or even contemporary perspective this can be seen. Euro-Islam† was supposed to be the liberal Islam for European standards, the Islam with lacite, secular Islam. This view has been supported by pro-assimilates, like France. However, this didn’t turn out to be true because it would have compromised too much from Islam, it would no longer be â€Å"Islam†. What happened, like in the Netherlands, was th at people joined different social/religious movements and institutions. This was truer for second and third generation Turks, who felt the need of religion more than Turkish nationalism in their lives. They saw themselves as Dutch, liberal and democratic in their views but still Muslim. Yukleyen, names a few organizations, like Milli Gorus, the Gulen Movement, and Suleymanli. Each movement represents different set of ideals but each represents a facet of Islamic life in Europe. It also shows that Muslims can negotiate between European and Islamic ideals, finding a niche their society. Not only that, but by having dialogue and inter-faith organizations an atmosphere of tolerance and multiculturism can flourish. Maybe, dialogue and negotiation is the answer to the dilemma facing Europe and the Muslim immigrants, the inability to understand one another. Work Cited Coenders, M. Lubbers, M. , Scheepers, P. , & Verkuyten, M. (2008). More than Two Decades of Changing Ethnic Attitudes in the Netherlands. Journal of Social Issues,  64(2), 269-285. doi:10. 1111/j. 1540-4560. 2008. 00561. x. Maillard, Dominique (2005). The Muslims in France and the French Model of Intergration. Mediterranean Quarterly. Yukleyen, A. (2009). Localizing Islam in Europe: Religious Activism among Turkish Islamic Organizations in the Netherlands. Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs,  29(3), 291-309. doi:10. 1080/13602000903166556. E. Gene Frankland. (2009). Global Studies Europe. McGraw Hill Companies.

Regal Entertainment Group Weaknesses

Regal’s substantial lease and debt obligations could impair our financial condition. Regal has substantial lease and debt obligations. As of December 31, 2009, they had total debt obligations of $1,997. 1 million. As of December 31, 2009, Regal had total contractual cash obligations of approximately $6,330. 3 million. If Regal is unable to meet their lease and debt service obligations, they could be forced to restructure or refinance their obligations and seek additional equity financing or sell assets Our theatres operate in a competitive environment. The motion picture exhibition industry is fragmented and highly competitive with no significant barriers to entry. Moviegoers are generally not brand conscious and usually choose a theatre based on its location, the films showing there and its amenities. Generally, stadium seating found in modern megaplex theatres is preferred by patrons over slopefloored multiplex theatres, which were the predominant theatre-type built prior to 1996. Although, as of December 31, 2009, approximately 80% of Regal’s screens were located in theatres featuring stadium seating, we still serve many markets with sloped-floored multiplex theatres. These theatres may be more vulnerable to competition than their modern megaplex theatres. Regal depends on motion picture production and performance. Regal’s ability to operate successfully depends upon the availability, diversity and appeal of motion pictures, our ability to license motion pictures and the performance of such motion pictures in our markets. We license first-run motion pictures, the success of which has increasingly depended on the marketing efforts of the major motion picture studios. Poor performance of, or any disruption in the production of these motion pictures (including by reason of a strike or lack of adequate financing), or a reduction in the marketing efforts of the major motion picture studios, could hurt their business. Development of digital technology may increase our capital expenses. The industry is in the process of converting film-based media to electronic-based media. There are a variety of constituencies associated with this anticipated change, which may significantly impact industry participants, including content providers, distributors, equipment providers and exhibitors. An increase in the use of alternative film delivery methods may drive down movie theatre attendance and reduce ticket prices. Regal also competes with other movie delivery vehicles, including cable television, downloads via the Internet, in-home video and DVD, satellite and pay-per-view services. Traditionally, when motion picture distributors licensed their products to the domestic exhibition industry, they refrained from licensing their motion pictures to these other delivery vehicles during the theatrical release window. A material contraction of the current theatrical release window could significantly dilute the consumer appeal of the in-theatre motion picture offering, which could have a material adverse effect on Regal. Regal depends on their relationships with film distributors. The film distribution business is highly concentrated, with ten major film distributors accounting for approximately 95% of our admissions revenues during fiscal 2009. Regal depends on maintaining good relations with these distributors. No assurance of a supply of motion pictures. Regal cannot assure ourselves of a supply of motion pictures by entering into long-term arrangements with major distributors, but must compete for our licenses on a film-by-film and theatre-by-theatre basis. A prolonged economic downturn could materially affect our business by reducing consumer spending on movie attendance. Regal depends on consumers voluntarily spending discretionary funds on leisure activities. Motion picture theatre attendance may be affected by prolonged negative trends in the general economy that adversely affect consumer spending. A prolonged reduction in consumer confidence or disposable income in general may affect the demand for motion pictures or severely impact the motion picture production industry, which, in turn, could adversely affect Regal’s operations.

Celebrity Role Models

Today’s teens are bombarded with images and activities that don't mirror their lives from hit teen-TV shows like â€Å"The OC† and â€Å"Gossip Girl† to the multitude of entertainment programs and features in magazines. Today's media obsessed society often leads students to believe all they need to ‘be cool' is be thin, blonde and wear the latest designer clothes. The UGLY program aims to help young adults self-esteem by using celebrities, as they know that young people look up to celebrities and their identity is reflected on them. Sometimes this is a good thing and other times it is a bad thing and this is why celebrities need to function as a role model to their audience because of today's celebrity-obsessed society. I plan to expand this theory and reasons behind the celebrity-obsessed society. Celebrities now know that they have a function as a role model to their fans if they want to keep their celebrity status. They have a responsibility now, that celebrities did not have many years ago. The mass media however, play a big part in this as, if the celebrity is not read about then society will loose interest in them and move on to the next influence. The media can make or break a celebrity and can form a celebrity out of nothing. They also play a big part in exposing celebrities and finding out ‘who they really are'. This is another reason our society is so interested in celebrities to show that they are ‘just like us'. And celebrities know that any exposure is good exposure and sometimes will try and get into the tabloid newspapers as much as possible as this then can improve their careers as a celebrity. Whereas other celebrity's like to rebel as they are uninterested in their celebrity status but all celebrities can function as role models and this can be bad for their young fans. Today's mass media society gives reasons why what we read or what we see on television has become our main influence into the world. We watch news and we read the news and we believe what we are told with no questions asked and this is how the media can choose what they discuss on television without the public questioning whether the information is correct or not. Luckily with the invention of the internet we can find alternative news stories discussing different opinions on the subjects if need be. Celebrities are also shown a lot in fashion and gossip magazine's but, instead of being ‘exposed' are shown at their best and informing the public what dress they are wearing or what designer they are sporting. This is also an influence in society but is good for the role model function of celebrities. There are good and bad role models in society. Some were once good role models turned bad and then from bad to good. This is all from the media exposure of their lifestyles. Certain celebrities that are recent high interest in the media are celebrities such as Victoria Beckham, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and Amy Wine house. All these celebrities came about through music but are now just a common face in society and the media and are not so much discussed as their musical talents. A lot of these celebrities act as role models to children and young people and when the media influences them for instance Amy Wine house and drugs it can reflect bad on them. Charlotte Church has grown up in the media eye and children have modeled themselves on her but yet again the media try to portray her as someone bad. Children's presenters or child celebrities need to be very careful about the way they go about their everyday lives. Children and young adults influence themselves on celebrities so much and with the media exposing and being interested in their everyday lives it's harder to keep things secret if they do something bad or have a bad habit. In my essay I want to discuss certain news stories from children's role models that have changed perceptions and that may change the way their fans think as people. This can be very dangerous for future society. Celebrity Role Models Today’s teens are bombarded with images and activities that don't mirror their lives from hit teen-TV shows like â€Å"The OC† and â€Å"Gossip Girl† to the multitude of entertainment programs and features in magazines. Today's media obsessed society often leads students to believe all they need to ‘be cool' is be thin, blonde and wear the latest designer clothes. The UGLY program aims to help young adults self-esteem by using celebrities, as they know that young people look up to celebrities and their identity is reflected on them. Sometimes this is a good thing and other times it is a bad thing and this is why celebrities need to function as a role model to their audience because of today's celebrity-obsessed society. I plan to expand this theory and reasons behind the celebrity-obsessed society. Celebrities now know that they have a function as a role model to their fans if they want to keep their celebrity status. They have a responsibility now, that celebrities did not have many years ago. The mass media however, play a big part in this as, if the celebrity is not read about then society will loose interest in them and move on to the next influence. The media can make or break a celebrity and can form a celebrity out of nothing. They also play a big part in exposing celebrities and finding out ‘who they really are'. This is another reason our society is so interested in celebrities to show that they are ‘just like us'. And celebrities know that any exposure is good exposure and sometimes will try and get into the tabloid newspapers as much as possible as this then can improve their careers as a celebrity. Whereas other celebrity's like to rebel as they are uninterested in their celebrity status but all celebrities can function as role models and this can be bad for their young fans. Today's mass media society gives reasons why what we read or what we see on television has become our main influence into the world. We watch news and we read the news and we believe what we are told with no questions asked and this is how the media can choose what they discuss on television without the public questioning whether the information is correct or not. Luckily with the invention of the internet we can find alternative news stories discussing different opinions on the subjects if need be. Celebrities are also shown a lot in fashion and gossip magazine's but, instead of being ‘exposed' are shown at their best and informing the public what dress they are wearing or what designer they are sporting. This is also an influence in society but is good for the role model function of celebrities. There are good and bad role models in society. Some were once good role models turned bad and then from bad to good. This is all from the media exposure of their lifestyles. Certain celebrities that are recent high interest in the media are celebrities such as Victoria Beckham, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and Amy Wine house. All these celebrities came about through music but are now just a common face in society and the media and are not so much discussed as their musical talents. A lot of these celebrities act as role models to children and young people and when the media influences them for instance Amy Wine house and drugs it can reflect bad on them. Charlotte Church has grown up in the media eye and children have modeled themselves on her but yet again the media try to portray her as someone bad. Children's presenters or child celebrities need to be very careful about the way they go about their everyday lives. Children and young adults influence themselves on celebrities so much and with the media exposing and being interested in their everyday lives it's harder to keep things secret if they do something bad or have a bad habit. In my essay I want to discuss certain news stories from children's role models that have changed perceptions and that may change the way their fans think as people. This can be very dangerous for future society.

Analyse the Purchasing Power Parity Theory and Discuss Its Applicability

Question: â€Å"Analyse the purchasing power parity theory and discuss its applicability† In this essay I will analyze the theory of Purchasing Power Parity and discuss its applicability. I will begin by explaining the basic concepts of PPP. In order to get a deeper understanding of the theory I will also briefly touch on topics such as the Law of One Price, the Big Mac index and similar subjects related to the Purchasing Power Parity theory. Furthermore the PPP theory will be put in to practice and its applicability will be discussed and evaluated using real life examples. It is necessary to understand the functions of the PPP theory before giving a definition to it. The purchasing power parity theory is a measurement that is being used within the economy to compare the currencies of different countries and to see if their currencies are under or over valuated. It is also commonly used as a measurement to compare the living standard between two countries. The Purchasing Power Parity theory is developed on the basis of the law of one price (LOP). The law states that once converted to a common currency, the same good should sell for the same price in different countries. (Kalinda Mkenda, 2001) To give an example of this lets neglect all the factors such as taxes, tariffs and transportations costs. The law of one price can then be explained with the following formula: e = PSWE/PUK where e equals the nominal exchange rate and P price. If I buy a bike in Sweden for 1000:- this means the same bike should, in theory cost ?100 to buy in UK which gives us a nominal exchange rate of 10. If a bike would sell for any price higher in UK, there would be a clear advantage for consumers to go to Sweden to buy bikes (remember that factors such as travelling costs are neglected in this example). Also, it would be beneficial for traders to go to Sweden and buy bikes and sell them in UK for a profit, also called arbitrage. However, this kind of activity would slowly drive prices higher in Sweden and lower in UK and in the end resulting in market equilibrium based on the theory of supply and demand (Mankiw & Taylor, 2006). This leads us to the Purchasing Power Parity theory which states that price differences between countries in the long run is not sustainable because the market will drive the prices to equilibrium and that â€Å"a currency must have the same purchasing power in all countries† (Mankiw & Taylor, 2006 p. 650). â€Å"Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs) are currency conversion rates that both convert to a common currency and equalise the purchasing power of different currencies. In other words, they eliminate the differences in price levels between countries in the process of conversion. (OECD, 2010) The PPP can be expressed in either absolute or relative terms. The absolute theory on measuring exchange rates is the one mentioned above and is the theory this paper will mainly focus on. The other version, relative, is based on price movements. (Ong, 2003) It states that the inflation rate between two countries must be the same if the exchange rate is going to stay the same. That is, if the inflation in one country X is higher than the country Y, its exchange rate will depreciate against country Y exchange rate based on the following formula: % e = % Inflationx -% Inflationy here e is the change in exchange rate. As stated above, the absolute PPP theory is mainly used as a tool of measuring how a currency is valuated and whether it’s under or over valuated. One very popular way to do this is using the Big Mac index (See appendix A) put together by The Economist. The Big Mac index is an index of how much a Big Mac costs in different countries. With this index we can compare the predicted exchange rate with the actual exchange rate to how a country’s currency is valued. When we compare the PPP we use a basket of goods which is identical in the comparing countries, in this case our basket is a Big Mac. When doing this we can predict an exchange rate based on the Law of one Price and PPP. When comparing the predicted exchange rate with the nominal exchange rate and this illustrates whether a currency is over or under valuated. Looking at the Big Mac index (See appendix B) we can see that Norway’s currency is over valuated by almost 90% against the American dollar. This implies that in the long run the Norwegian Krone is expected to depreciate against the US dollar using the PPP theory. PPP is also being used for comparing different living standards in different countries. If you for example use the GDP per capita you don’t quite get an accurate overview of the standards as factors such as living costs and pricing varies between the countries. By eliminating the price differences in two countries and compare the raw price differences we get a clear overview of a country’s living standard. Looking at the data in table 1 (See appendix C), we can see that the difference of GDP per capita between Sweden and UK is about ~8500 units, however, by comparing the GDP per capita based on PPP per capita we discover a much smaller difference (~1000 units. This suggest that the actual living standard of these two countries are quite similar, something that does not show when comparing GDP per capita which is why using PPP is a better method than using GDP per capita when measuring welfare as it takes into account differences in prices and purchasing power. (International Monetary Fund, 2009) By developing root unit tests that account for both structura l change and maintaining a long-run mean or trends Papell and Prodan (2006) argues that there is additional evidence that PPP is valid in the long run. However data shows that there can be substantial and long periods of time with deviation from PPP exchange rate for either the relative or the absolute versions. (Pakko and Pollard, 2003) We can describe these variations with a few main explanations, starting off with the assumptions we had to make while explaining the law of one price: taxes, tariffs and transportations costs, but also adding a few points such as differentiated goods, pricing to market and non-traded goods. Marrewijk et al , 2006), (Pakko and Pollard, 2003), (Moffat, 2010) One simple reason why the law of one price and PPP fails is that exchange rates are influenced by many other different factors than just pricing. The existence of trade barriers and costs is one. Any variable that will increase the price in another country such as shipping costs or taxes will neglect the arbitrage opportunity and affect the exchange rates related to the PPP theory. Other important factors to consider are that when explaining the law of one price we use a basket of identical goods, in real life however, very few goods are the same and people in different countries consume different goods. Also, some goods cannot be traded across borders; real estate, haircuts and carwashes are examples of these, also called non-tradable goods. While a piece of property can be traded, its location cannot be changed, thus, prices of property can vary widely between different locations and we can expect this to account for deviations from PPP. When calculating the PPP we also require the markets to be perfectly competitive. If a market is not perfectly competitive some firms may have more control than others and may use this as an opportunity for price discrimination and regulate the price for an identical good differently depending on the customer (Economist, 2010b) which will also cause the PPP to deviate from its expected value. As we can see by this, the purchasing power parity is a useful theory to use for measuring a country’s expected currency and living standard in the long run as it consider factors that are left out when using data such as GDP per capita or CPI, this way you get a much better perspective of the actual values. The theory has been excessively tested in empirical studies with mixed results ( Mac Donald, 1993), (Abuaf, N and Jorion, P, 1990), (Papell and Prodan, 2006), (Patel, 1990). Studies show that in the short-term there can be substantial deviations from the expected PPP and exchange rates related to the previously discussed factors, which makes it limited for predicting exchange rates in the near future. However, this argument illustrates that this theory holds true in the long run when calculating currencies and long term equilibrium.

Equilibrium and competition in the banking sector Literature review

Equilibrium and competition in the banking sector - Literature review Example Literature speaks of limited equilibrium modelling. General equilibrium, according to researchers depends on various market conditions. Further, level of equilibrium in banking industry depends on competition and financial stability, which depends further on banks’ risk-taking initiatives. Literature review discusses the opinions of various authors on the banking products as trade off between competition and financial stability on different risk choices. Various risk-transferring models are discussed. Role played by bank supervising technologies forms part of various models. New models of bank risk-taking, named partial equilibrium models are analysed. The UK banking sector is statistically reviewed through the Panzar and Rosse model. Literature review attempts various views on banking competition and financial weaknesses through various models to know if any relationship between equilibrium and competition can be established or not. Past Research As stated by Allen and Gale (2004a), the relationship between banking competition and financial health has been majorly discussed in the discourse of limited equilibrium modelling. There are not many general equilibrium models in literature. ... Banking sector can be stated in partial equilibrium if the exchange between competition and financial stability is generally achieved via a standard risk transferring statement practiced on a bank that arranges funds from insured customers and selects the risk of its investment. In such a scenario where market indicates limited liability, sudden risk alternatives, risk-free deposit demand, and stable return to scale in checking, a high in deposit market competition heightens the deposit rate, decreases banks’ anticipated margins and inspires banks to take advances in risk-taking. This conclusion has been derived by Allen and Gale (2000) in both fixed and ordinarily changing scenarios. A number of scholars in literature have supported this predictability in their works, including Keeley (1990), Matutes and Vives (1996), Hellmann, Murdock and Stiglitz (2000), Cordella and Levi-Yeyati (2002), Repullo (2004) among many others. Nevertheless, in the case of competition among banks i n loan and deposit markets, it is loan rate that governs the degree of risk-transfer initiated by companies, as stated by Stiglitz and Weiss (1981). Boyd and De Nicolo (2005) discussed the evaporating trade-off between competition and financial stability when various risk alternatives are analysed by firms. A rise in loan market competition cuts down bank loan rates, strengthening firms’ anticipated profits and prompting them to select secure investments, which gets written into securer bank loan portfolios. Amidst this increasingly conflicted environment, the risk-transferring statement is used on two market units, firms and banks, in stead of a single entity. Latest versions of this kind of model, including bank heterogeneity (De Nicolo and Loukoianova, 2007),