The Renaissance vs. The Industrial Revolution Essay Example For Students

The Renaissance vs. The Industrial Revolution Essay Throughout history lifestyles have changed dramatically according to their time period. One example of this is the changes between the Renaissance period and Industrial Revolution. Each era had their own social classes: the higher class of the royalty and nobles, middle class of the merchants and bourgeoisie, and lower class of peasants and servants. As one would guess, life in the Industrial Revolution was very disparate from that of the Feudal Age. Some areas such as living and working, especially for those of the lower class, were extremely unalike. We will write a custom essay on The Renaissance vs. The Industrial Revolution specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now However, some aspects of life during the two time periods differed very little. How and where people worked had its effects on the people of both time periods. For peasants, during the feudal times, the only available Job was to work in the fields as field hands for their lords land or house. Ordinary lower class-men took on Jobs like carpentry, sewing, baking, weaving, baking, and farming. However, a days work was still long and exhausting, regardless of what occupation they chose. During the Industrial Revolution, agricultural Jobs like these were still common. Although these jobs were made easier because of technological evolution, people still worked in fields and in homes. However, more and more people began to move from the fields to cities as time progressed. More Job opportunities emerged as industry arose. Instead of working on the fields, they worked on assembly lines in crowded factories. The lower classed population worked as clothing maker, textile workers, and manufacturers in factories. These Jobs were employed by women and children as well as men. During the Feudal Age, women mostly worked in the landlords home as cooks, maids, or sitters. Children would have worked in fields and along side the women in the dark, damp iron and coal mines. Iron and coal mining positions intended into the Industrial times. Womens occupations had developed as well. They became governesses, seamstresses and factory workers. Only the poorest of women were hustlers. Poor and orphaned children were forced to work in the factories. During both periods, work was difficult to find and maintain. These small Jobs were abundant but not very rewarding for both time periods. The amount of Job opportunities was canceled out by the bitter working conditions most workers had to face. In the feudal times, field labor was extensive and tiring. Lords and landowners forced labor during the wartime to provide knights with enough food and rations. During the peak of harvest seasons, field hands also had to work extra days. They had to work at least two to three full days of labor a week. Fortunately, they were not forced to work on Sundays or other holidays. However, many peasants would work more often in order to pay the many taxes. Farmers still had to pay a tithe to church and tax collectors, as well as a tax on ground grain and baked bread. Peasants were bound to their lord for marital consent as well. Country workers in the industrial time also had to work long hours; from dawn until dusk. Although farming tools had improved from Feudal times, they still had to provide industrial cities with raw materials and food. City workers in the Industrial Age had Regardless of the long working hours, all lower class workers received the same low pay, farmers and city dwellers alike. As Job opportunities soared in the cities, farmers were driven from their land in the country in order to build industrial towns in their place. .ub9f00dedcca1990ea17975b2268ef27d , .ub9f00dedcca1990ea17975b2268ef27d .postImageUrl , .ub9f00dedcca1990ea17975b2268ef27d .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub9f00dedcca1990ea17975b2268ef27d , .ub9f00dedcca1990ea17975b2268ef27d:hover , .ub9f00dedcca1990ea17975b2268ef27d:visited , .ub9f00dedcca1990ea17975b2268ef27d:active { border:0!important; } .ub9f00dedcca1990ea17975b2268ef27d .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub9f00dedcca1990ea17975b2268ef27d { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ub9f00dedcca1990ea17975b2268ef27d:active , .ub9f00dedcca1990ea17975b2268ef27d:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub9f00dedcca1990ea17975b2268ef27d .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub9f00dedcca1990ea17975b2268ef27d .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub9f00dedcca1990ea17975b2268ef27d .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub9f00dedcca1990ea17975b2268ef27d .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ub9f00dedcca1990ea17975b2268ef27d:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub9f00dedcca1990ea17975b2268ef27d .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub9f00dedcca1990ea17975b2268ef27d .ub9f00dedcca1990ea17975b2268ef27d-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub9f00dedcca1990ea17975b2268ef27d:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Renaissance and Baroque ArtAnother element that was shared between both time periods was the dangers in jobs. Useful medicine or first aid did nod exist during the feudal times, so injuries caused from working often never healed. Dangers were also common in the industrial cities, especially in factories. Long working hours led to exhaustion and dehydration. Worn-out workers grew enervated and slow, making the workplace very dangerous. The machines in factories made working even more dangerous. Cuts, bruises, and even detached limbs were very real possibilities. Death rates increased greatly as the number of factories increased. Coal mines were another dangerous place of employment during both the feudal and industrial eras. Unfortunately, the innovations that increased productivity elsewhere during the industrial period had not reached the coal mines. Lack of air circulation caused respiratory problems for the working women and children. They carried coal in heavy baskets or in wagons. Both ways led to extreme exhaustion. Miners suffocated from the smoke of intense fire, or drowned when the tunnels flooded. Life in the mines was consisted of damp, dark solitude. Life was dingy in the mines. In both Industrial and Feudal times, work was very harsh, especially for children. Women and children were employed to work in the mines because they could go through small spaces. Children as young as six years old worked in mines and factories for as long as fourteen to sixteen hours a day. They were provided with a pile of straw as their bed that was located next to the machine that they worked. Children may have been employed because their youth made their wages lower than that of a grown man. Child labor was exhausting, unhealthy, and dangerous work. Orphaned child workers were treated more horribly. Their hours were much longer and were fed improperly. As for women, they often faced sexual harassment in the workplace. The people feudal and industrial times also shared their similarities and differences in not only their working conditions, but also their living conditions. The hypes of homes they lived in were quite different. In the feudal age, people lived in one or two room huts. These huts were only one story high and came in bunches in villages. While huts like these still existed in industrial times, in the city there were multistory apartment buildings and row houses, both of which were built back-to- back, conveniently close to factories where people worked. There were two to four rooms provided in each apartment. The poorest of families lived in one-room cellars of these buildings. Huts were made of fragile materials, mostly of wattle and daub. Roofs were thatched so they were easily destroyed. Feudal age huts had to be repaired or rebuilt almost every generation. The lord provided housing for peasants. Apartments and row houses were built clumsily and cheaply out of weak steel and lumber to provide quick housing for employees. So many people were moving to the city that homes had to be made quickly in order to provide housing for them. Although their locations were different, homes of both periods had their share of room in huts while several families might share one apartment building. Beds were made of straw and were infested by insects and rats. Peasants often let their animals vive in the huts to provide warmth, since it was too dangerous to light a fire. Their floor was dirt. Fortunately for those who lived in high-rise apartments, they had hard wood floors. However, they too had to share rooms and beds. Both types of housing in both eras had poor ventilation. Windows were very small or non-existent, so rooms were smoky and the air was dank. Rooms were cold, damp and dark. In both worlds, rooms were freezing during the winter and sweltering in the summer. The pure atmosphere of a hut, apartment, or cellar was sickening. In the Feudal period, manors, in which huts presided in, were very self-sufficient cause of the food available from farming. .ue11ded675fe045a089d78d14b88ce672 , .ue11ded675fe045a089d78d14b88ce672 .postImageUrl , .ue11ded675fe045a089d78d14b88ce672 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ue11ded675fe045a089d78d14b88ce672 , .ue11ded675fe045a089d78d14b88ce672:hover , .ue11ded675fe045a089d78d14b88ce672:visited , .ue11ded675fe045a089d78d14b88ce672:active { border:0!important; } .ue11ded675fe045a089d78d14b88ce672 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ue11ded675fe045a089d78d14b88ce672 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ue11ded675fe045a089d78d14b88ce672:active , .ue11ded675fe045a089d78d14b88ce672:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ue11ded675fe045a089d78d14b88ce672 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ue11ded675fe045a089d78d14b88ce672 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ue11ded675fe045a089d78d14b88ce672 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ue11ded675fe045a089d78d14b88ce672 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ue11ded675fe045a089d78d14b88ce672:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ue11ded675fe045a089d78d14b88ce672 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ue11ded675fe045a089d78d14b88ce672 .ue11ded675fe045a089d78d14b88ce672-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ue11ded675fe045a089d78d14b88ce672:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: European Renaissance EssayHowever, food was still expensive, especially meat. This often led to starvation and peasants had to resort to eating seeds, acorns, tree bark and grass. This of course, was not always healthy. Nutrition was not always as good in the Industrial period either. Orphaned child workers were fed improperly. Some advantages were that people had to purchase their food rather than grow it. Fewer went hungry and nutrition was slowly growing better. Although nutrition may have improved, it still did not help with the constant threat of disease in the cities. Walls surrounded cities, making plagues hang in the atmosphere. The most common disease was cholera and typhoid. It did not help much that cities had a very poor sewage system. Factories dumped their waste into rivers and streams, which led to a city drinking water supply. Feudal times were Just as worse. Famine and plagues were wide spread. Injuries caused by working in the fields were often mistreated and got worse. Diseases spread even more since villages in the feudal age were permanent, close communities. Everyone and everything lived their entire lives on the manor. The community in the industrial age was completely different. People began to move from the country to the cities in search of a better life. Instead they find that thieves, drunkards, and prostitutes roamed the dark streets at night. Streets were especially dangerous at night since street lamps did not exist. Homes were small and the streets were very cramped. The atmosphere was very dark and dreary. In conclusion, although the industrial age had its differences from the feudal age, there were many things they shared in common. How people lived related with how people worked, and vice versa. This was very true for the social lower classes of each time period.

Free Essays on Sony In Ireland

With my interest in Sony as a company and the fact that I have an invested future with an Irish family, I found it necessary to choose this company and this country to analyze. As I break down Ireland as a country and analyze the business perspective taken by Sony, I hope to educate you on the international business operations of such and what is necessary for success. I hope you enjoy. Ireland is a republic occasionally associated with the United Kingdom. Its capital is Dublin and it is located northwest of Europe and occupies approximately 83% of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean. The total island area is comparable to the size of Alabama, of which Northern Ireland comprises about 14,000 square kilometers. The climate is relatively wet and temperatures are uniform throughout the country ranging from 40Â º lows in the winter to 60Â º highs in the summer. Mountain regions along the west coast receive highest rainfall at roughly 60 to 120 inches a year. Along with such mountain ranges Ireland possesses a coastline of approximately 1440 kilometers. Ireland has a population of approximately 4 million. The population is mainly concentrated on the east and south coasts with a density of 54 persons per square kilometer. The ratio of urban to rural population is 58% to 42% and roughly 40% of the overall population is under the age of 25. Christianity is the major religion of the Irish people as 91% of them claim to be Roman Catholics and 2.5% belonging to the Church of Ireland (Forrest, 2002). Irish common business customs are comparable to those of the United States and Western Europe. The United States and Ireland are similar in numerous aspects, yet very distinct in others. Ireland has a low power distance index (PDI). This meaning that subordinates may not wait until their boss takes the initiative. Employee co-determination is common rule, and anything a person of power does may be challenged by any subordina... Free Essays on Sony In Ireland Free Essays on Sony In Ireland With my interest in Sony as a company and the fact that I have an invested future with an Irish family, I found it necessary to choose this company and this country to analyze. As I break down Ireland as a country and analyze the business perspective taken by Sony, I hope to educate you on the international business operations of such and what is necessary for success. I hope you enjoy. Ireland is a republic occasionally associated with the United Kingdom. Its capital is Dublin and it is located northwest of Europe and occupies approximately 83% of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean. The total island area is comparable to the size of Alabama, of which Northern Ireland comprises about 14,000 square kilometers. The climate is relatively wet and temperatures are uniform throughout the country ranging from 40Â º lows in the winter to 60Â º highs in the summer. Mountain regions along the west coast receive highest rainfall at roughly 60 to 120 inches a year. Along with such mountain ranges Ireland possesses a coastline of approximately 1440 kilometers. Ireland has a population of approximately 4 million. The population is mainly concentrated on the east and south coasts with a density of 54 persons per square kilometer. The ratio of urban to rural population is 58% to 42% and roughly 40% of the overall population is under the age of 25. Christianity is the major religion of the Irish people as 91% of them claim to be Roman Catholics and 2.5% belonging to the Church of Ireland (Forrest, 2002). Irish common business customs are comparable to those of the United States and Western Europe. The United States and Ireland are similar in numerous aspects, yet very distinct in others. Ireland has a low power distance index (PDI). This meaning that subordinates may not wait until their boss takes the initiative. Employee co-determination is common rule, and anything a person of power does may be challenged by any subordina...

Significance of Effective Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Significance of Effective Writing - Essay Example He has huge responsibilities on his shoulders which he accomplishes tactfully and with outstanding organizational skills. Several duties such as organizing and arranging training sessions for the militia and selecting them for higher missions are part of the job of human resource management in the military. Hence effective writing plays a major role in building up an impression for the new and the old members of the community and also builds up a rapport with the clients who are invited not only to welcome the staff but also drill them for their future duties. Establishing personal relations with the media personnel also requires that written communication be as effective as possible. Some of the main components of effective writing are, that the opening paragraph which makes up for the introduction is very smooth and beguiling, the purpose of the content is clearly defined and the people addressed are accommodated according to their needs. The reason why effective writing becomes ve ry important for the above mentioned jobs and many more responsibilities is that it represents a marked difference between the professional and a non professional institution. It can be compared to record keeping whereby accountants maintain facts and figures to keep a track on the constant changes that occur on a daily basis. This is eminent to note because then it is the effective writing of the human resource management which forms the backbone of the community helping them to be recognized wherever they go. Several letters and transcripts need forwarding to higher authorities which cannot be done without proper evaluation and editing. These evaluations need to be apt and flawless. The perfection sought by the establishment is an indication that there are higher expectations from this position. What is written is mostly kept as a record which can be visited anytime in the future and questioned for its authenticity. Since military human resource management is the most important co mponent of the Army it works as a strategic facilitator for the leadership of the Army. Hence the language used needs to be persuasive and according to the moves made by the army to defend its mission. It is for this reason that the military HRMs are provided training in effecting writing courses so that they do not fall short of any skills needed to represent the army. It is the duty of all the members of the community to facilitate and strengthen the system. As mentioned above there are moments when the Army leadership requires instant memos to be sent to others. Considering the shortage of time due to high profiles it is the HRM which ensures that all of their needs are fulfilled. Effective writing is not as tough as it may. Nevertheless it is an art which can be learnt through practice because it needs a lot of perfection and no excuse for any delay. It is an unexpected and untimed task for which the human resource manager needs to be ready at all times. There is absolutely no w ay that one can do away with writing being a part of the huge network. Hence there should be no delays nor any mishaps occurring in the process. What exactly does it mean to be effective in writing? Effectiveness is a quality which works as a guiding light for the others who come across it. It is a

The Art of Costume Design for TV, Film and Theatre Essay

The Art of Costume Design for TV, Film and Theatre - Essay Example Unlike other fashion and costume designers, in most instances those who work within the media industry are not able to work totally in isolation with their own ideas, they cannot just work within their own imagination. There will also be a requirement for the finished costumes produced to have paid regard to the input from a number of other department and individuals within the particular Film, TV and Theatre project. Film, Television and Theatre production companies and organisations consider costume design to be an integral and important part of the process of production. However, each of these individual media elements will impose a different approach and requirement upon the designer. However, as is the case with an actor's poor performance, costume design and construction that falls short of the standard and quality demanded will also have the affect of devaluing the final production. Evaluate the effects of costume designing to the overall impact of the TV program, theatrical play and/or movie. - this can be done by conducting a series of researches on the point of view of the viewers Unlike other fashion design, costume design in Television, Film and Theatre has a far bigger responsibility in the areas that concern artistry and creativity. Concepts regarding costume design do not only consider what the designer thinks appropriate in the story. Other concerns such as the director's opinions, the playwright, as well as timely significance of the story must be considered in costume design. Costume designers have their individual definitions of the term. These definitions are probably based on their own experiences in the field. According to Deena Appel, Austin Powers' costume designer, there is a distinct difference between fashion design and costume design. However, ones sense of fashion is yet significant in costume design. Without which, the continuity of the costume with its characters and the story may not be given as much justice. "Costume design is very different from fashion design. You learn mostly by doing, in reality. You have to have an inherent sense of fashion, but also of the body, and of storytelling, and so much of what we do is about trying to help tell the story through clothes." (http://www.cnn.com/STYLE/9907/06/appel.transcript/, para 11) Sue Blane, who is yet another

Descartes Views on the Mind and Body

Descartes Views on the Mind and Body In Meditation VI (see week 5 reading) Descartes argues that there is fundamental difference between mind and body. Do you think Descartes is right? If yes, explain why, if not, explain why The mind body dilemma has been subject of philosophical analysis for decades and has yet to be fully understood. As the principal advocate for dualism, Descartes states that as humans we are composed of two major substances: the mental and the physical which manage to exist side by side. Without a doubt, Cartesian Dualism was one of Descartes major contributions to the study of philosophy; idea with which I agree based on the following analysis. The fundamental choice between the mind-body problem and its contra argument is the existence of materialism and its denial. Descartes states that the mind is separate from the body based on the reasoning that the mind exists and stands alone as a substance, therefore; they must be separate things. He then proceeds to add that anything that is physical occupies space. Unlike the mind, the body can be altered due to its materialistic nature, and can be changed and divided into smaller components. We find further support in Leibniz Law, which states that if a has a property that b lacks, then a is not identical to b which are applicable to the mind and body, as the mind does not occupy space, it is just housed by the body. Another argument is the one of introspection, which relays on the rationale that our best evidence for the existence of mental substance is the access to our own minds. Via introspection of the mind, we are capable of accessing and assessing different features of our own minds such as feelings, sensations, desires, etc. None of them have physical properties. Descartes then elaborates on this principle stating that there are certain things that come naturally to us as humans such as desires, which come instinctively. However, there are others such as thinking, which needs to be based on intentionality. Among these features we also encounter consciousness, which has been defines by Descartes as the epitome of the human nature, although it is not something that can be perceived by the senses, thus, it is not physical. We are capable of imagining the existence of our mind without the body. In the case of any material object, you can describe object a as existing or object a as not existi ng; however there cannot be a blending of both premises. Contrary to this, we have consciously just pictured the mind existing without the body, therefore it must follow that the mind and the body are separate things. As written in Descartes Mediation VI: And although I may, or rather, as I will shortly say, although I certainly do possess a body with which I am very closely conjoined; nevertheless, because, on the one hand, I have a clear and distinct idea of myself, in as far as I am only a thinking and unextended thing, and as, on the other hand, I possess a distinct idea of body, in as far as it is only an extended and unthinking thing, it is certain that I, that is, my mind, by which I am what I am, is entirely and truly distinct from my body, and may exist without it. [i](Descartes, Meditation VI) An example would be a paralyzed patient, where he is totally aware of his environment, and is conscious about his desire to perform an action, yet he cannot do so. He lacks the capability to acquire sensations physically, although he can still imagine what it would feel like to perform such task. As with any major idea, we find opposition, in this case, on the hands of the scientific community. The notion that Descartes work fails to completely explain how the connection between mind and body works is enough to trigger a response. As explained in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Willis wrote about the pineal gland that we can scarcely believe this to be the seat of the soul, or its chief faculties to arise from it because animals which imagination, memory and other superior powers of the soul have this glandula or kernel large and fair enough. (Lockhorst, 2013)[ii] Furthermore, Descartes idea has been rejected based on the fact that the attributes linked to the mind are simple responses to neurological and chemical stimulus in the brain. An example can be the use of any drug. Although the mind is supposed to be an independent entity from the body, when any sort of chemical/drug is ingested it can alter the mental state, though most of the time, it also alters your body as well. Same analogy applies if the patient suffers some physiological damage to the brain; it will yield physical consequences and changes in motor coordination. Although the bridge between the mind and the body may not lay at the pineal gland, a clear distinction between these two properties has been done in the past and it should not be neglected the fact that according to Descartes the single most important characteristic of the human nature is consciousness and not the soul as the human essence, our ability to think and rationalize our thoughts. As in all, although Descartes dualism theory is not infallible and it fails to thoroughly explain how exactly the connection between body and mind works, it does satisfy the purposes of explaining why would the mind be something different from the body via means of his very simple, yet logical arguments. Descartes went as far as creating what it is called a trialistic distinction where he unites and acknowledges the possibilities of the existence of the mind, the body and the union of the latter as a third state. References [i] Descartes, Meditation VI Canvas excerpt. [ii] Lokhorst, G.-J. (2013, September 18). Descartes and the Pineal gland. Retrieved March 5, 2017, from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pineal-gland/

Whose Life Is It Anyway? by Brian Clark Essay example -- Euthanasia Me

Whose Life Is It Anyway? by Brian Clark Whose life is it anyway? is about Ken Harrison, a paralysed patient in hospital, and his battle to end his own life. The problem here is that he is incapable of committing suicide and has to turn to euthanasia. The hospital is against this. They cannot deliberately let a conscious person die. In this essay I will tackle the question above, how Brain Clark persuades us that Ken’s decision is right. The title of the play, 'Whose life is it anyway?' announces the issue. It is evidently Ken's life, but the amount of choice and free will he now has in it is minimal. Ken believes he is already dead, metaphorically speaking. Because, being in a state where he cannot carry out the things he would in an every-day life, is the same as being â€Å"dead† to him. I looked up the word ‘life’ in the dictionary and I found that it means â€Å" Human existence, relationships, or activity in general: real life; everyday life† This is exactly what Ken does not have. So I can clearly see his point of wanting to die. Ken voices this point in the play: â€Å"I do not wish to live at any price. Of course I would like to live but as far as I am concerned I am dead already. I merely require the doctors to recognise the fact. I cannot accept this condition constitutes life in any real sense at all.† The absence of freedom and choice makes you wonder just how much of a life he is now in possession of. Despite it is his life - he isn't running it. Hence the title. This starts the play with a question and all further events are in answer to it. This shows it is meant to be, partly, a battle of wills between two sides over his... ...he play is about one man fighting for his right to end a 'shadow of a life', against an authority who cannot give consent to him dying. Doctors say they should always preserve life. Before I read this play I agreed with this statement. Now, my opinion has changed. I believe it is not a matter of life and death, but an issue of happiness and unhappiness, or more importantly, choice. To sum everything up, the ways in which Brain Clark persuade the readers that Ken’s decision to die is right is by using Ken’s personality, his intelligence and the important quotes he voices, the conflicting view of the doctors and they way Brain portrays them as the â€Å"bad guys†, and most importantly, the matter of something that goes beyond life and death. The matter of Ken’s happiness. Anyway, who is to say life is better than death?

Conditions and Consequences of a Price War Essay

The objective of this essay is to â€Å"use economic theory and illustrative examples to outline the circumstances under which a price war could come about and the likely consequences for the participating firms and their consumers†. A price war is a period in which multiple firms competing within the same market will react to the other firms lowering of price by lowering their own price. They have short-term and long-term advantages and disadvantages. There are many reasons for which a price war may occur, in all cases the reason for starting the price war is different but the reason for its continuation is not to lose sales. They are when a firm attempts to maximise capacity, for survival purposes, in oligopoly markets, where there are homogeneous products and when a firm adopts a penetrative pricing strategy. â€Å"Excess capacity refers to a situation where a firm is producing at a lower scale of output than it has been designed for† Excess capacity http://stats.oecd.org/glossary/ detail.asp?ID=3209 [accessed 10th December 2006] If a firm has spare capacity to produce more of a good it is likely they will use this spare capacity to profit maximise but to achieve this they will have to lower prices to increase quantity demanded (see appendix item A). As they have decreased their prices, other competitors will likely drop their prices so as not to loose customers, creating a price war. Companies who face bankruptcy may try to lower their prices so to attract more consumers and increase sales volume. However, if they cannot manage to increase volume enough to cover the fall in contribution then it will fail to cover its variable costs and will be forced to leave the market. Other firms may recognise that the company is in trouble and in a bid to force the company out the market and not to loose their own customers will drop their prices below that of the company facing bankruptcy. An oligopoly is where â€Å"a small number of firms share a large portion of the market† Economics Handbook, David Gray and Peter Clarke. In an oligopoly price is usually stable and constant as competing firms will not wish to lower price as its competitors will also drop theirs and so all they have  achieved is lowering their profit margins (see appendix item B). However, one firm may believe it stands to gain from a price-cut by believing they can under-cut the competition through economies of scale or other factors such as slow market reaction. A price war will begin as firms will drop theirs to avoid loosing customers. If in a market the goods are homogenous meaning they are the same for example utility services then price is one of the only means for a firm to distinguish it from others. In this situation a consumer will always purchase the lower priced product. This cause’s fierce pricing competition as each firm will try to maintain sales by dropping their price below the other competitors. â€Å"Penetration pricing involves the setting of lower, rather than the higher prices in order to achieve a large if not dominant market share† Pricing strategies http://www.tutor2u.net/business/marketing/pricing_strategy_penetration.asp [accessed 10th December 2006]. If this occurs the other firms in the market will recognise this and drop their own prices to stop that firm from gaining a dominant market share. The firm adopting this strategy may then also drop their prices to try continuing their pricing strategy causing a price war. This strategy can also be used to try and force firms out of the marketA price war causes more competition between firms, it has both positive and negative aspects for the consumers and the participating firms but these are different in the short-term and long-term. Competition is seen as a positive thing in any command economy. The short-run benefits for the consumer are obvious as firms lower their prices they will receive a better deal this can be seen in a movement along the demand curve, there will also be more consumer’s demanding the product for that lower price (see appendix item C). They are also likely to see improvements to the augmented products associated with the good as firms try to compete through non-pricing strategies. These services are things such as warranties, loyalty cards and other ‘extras’. The short-run effects upon the firms in the market are negative. Firm’s profits are reduced as the price of the good is reduced (see appendix item D). All firms in the industry will be forced to improve their productive efficiency to reduce total average cost, in an attempt to retain profit-margins whilst prices fall. They may also wish to attempt a heavier marketing campaign to try to distinguish itself from the other firms, but this incurs further costs for the firm. Firms are also likely to undergo a faster pace of invention and innovation as they differentiate themselves. Some firm’s in the market will be able to use their economies of scale to combat lower prices. But, other firms will not have such efficiencies and will not be able to afford variable costs and will therefore exit the market immediately (see appendix item E). The long-run affects of a price war are that a lot of firms will leave the market, this causes the demand curve to move back to its original position, which increases market-clearing price creating a long-run equilibrium and so normal profits are re-established. This is a negative aspect to the consumer’s who will have to pay more than they have in recent periods, they are also more likely to try and shop round to find the best deal. The good itself is likely to have seen technological advances as firms competed to have the most innovative product. There will also have been improved services for the consumers. The firms left in the market are likely to have better control of costs; this allows them to increase the contribution towards profits as the average total cost has been reduced of the product. In conclusion, a price war can be initiated for many reasons such as efficiency by filling up spare capacity, as a means for survival, in intense rivalry in oligopoly markets, to differentiate a product and to build up brand name or force other firms out of the market. However, the consequences are usually very similar, some firms will emerge as dominate and others will leave the market. This can have both good effects and bad effects as consumers will initially be happy with lower prices but when the long-run equilibrium comes into effect they will search harder for bargains. They will also see improvements made to the product and services. The surviving firms do well from the price war; they are likely to see higher demand for  their product, as there are fewer competitors. They also are likely to achieve greater productive efficiency and so greater profit margins. â€Å"Vigorous competition between firms is the lifeblood of strong markets and is a central to productivity and growth in the economy† International Competitiveness (2001) UK Labour GovernmentBibliography†¢Hardwick, Khan, Langmead (1994) An Introduction to Modern Economics 4th Edition†¢Lipsey, Forrest, Olsen (1993) An Introduction to Positive Accounts†¢Hunt, Sherman (1990) Economics An Introduction to traditional and radical views†¢Sloman, John (2000) Economics 4th Edition†¢Begg, David (2005) Economics 8th Edition†¢Sloman, John and Sutcliffe, Mark (2004) Economics for Business 3rd Edition†¢http://www.tutor2u.net [accessed 10th December]†¢http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki [accessed 10th December]†¢Price War, What is it good for? http://mba.tuck.dartmouth.edu/pages/faculty/koen.pauwels/pdf/Price%20War%20what%20is%20it%20good%20for.pdf [accessed 10th December]References†¢Excess capacity http://stats.oecd.org/glossary/ detail.asp?ID=3209 [accessed 10th December 2006]†¢Economics Handbook, David Gray and Peter Clarke†¢Pricing strategies http://www.tutor2u.net/bus iness/marketing/pricing_strategy_penetration.asp [accessed 10th December 2006]†¢International Competitiveness (2001) UK Labour GovernmentAppendixItem AAs the firm increases the supply through using the spare capacity, supply curve shifts left from S1 to S2 as a result the market clearing price falls but quantity increases. Shifts in supply curve http://www.auhy69.dsl.pipex.com/images/dd202/b2p.jpg [accessed 10th December 2006]Item BIn this diagram you can see that in an oligopoly market it is unfavourable for the oligopoly firms to change their price, so it becomes static. Price Competition in Oligopoly Market, Foundations of Economics Handbook (2006) David Gray and Peter ClarkeItem CA Movement along the demand curve will increase the quantity demanded but reduce selling price. Demand and Supply www.investopedia.com/university/economics/economics3.asp [accessed 10th December 2006]Item DAs the price is set lower from P1 to P2