Living in a city Essay

LIVING IN A HUGE CITY OR LIVING IN A QUIET SMALL TOWN What are differences between living in a huge city and living in a quiet small town? And living in a huge city is better or worse than living in a small town? Living in a huge city or in a quiet small town, each of them also has its advantages and disadvantages. If you living in a huge city, there are many opportunities for your job, education, entertainment†¦ These things do not have if you live in a small town. For example, you will have many choices when you find your job, there are many big companies in a huge city, that you can’t find in a small town. Or when you need to study, schools in huge city are often better than schools in small town. If you want to watch a new movie, or find a Japanese restaurant, you look for these things in a huge city is easier than in a small town. But living in a huge city also has many disadvantages, pollution, and traffic jam, noisy†¦ all of them can make you stress. Living in a huge city is always more stress full than living in a small town. Another problem of living in a huge city is price of life. Living in a huge city, you often spend more money than in a small town. Prices in huge city is costly. You would have spent more money for your house, your food, your serving†¦ Living in a huge city or in a quiet small town, it depends everybody’s personality. If you want to find the opportunity, you want to have an active life, you should choose live in a huge city. And if you like quiet, you want to have a peaceful life, you should live in a small town. Nowadays, people often work in a huge city and when they retired, they will come back to live in a small town.

Effects of Computer Essay

There is no doubt that technology has become a significant part of people’s lives nowadays. It has become a daily part of people’s routine whether it is at home or at the workplace. At this time, people, especially the young ones, are caught up with mobile phones, television sets, gaming consoles, music players, and other electronic gadgets. Many people cannot leave their houses without their mobile phones or music players. However, the technology that probably has the most effect on today’s society is the computer. Almost all households own a computer or a portable laptop, which is used for personal reasons. Throughout the world, companies utilize the computer to run their businesses. One of the effects that computers have made to society is the ability to communicate effortlessly. This is made possible through the use of other technologies including the Internet. People who are separated by long distances are now able to talk, send instant messages or emails with just a few clicks. There is no need to wait for days for a handwritten letter to arrive. People do not need to spend on long distance calls because computers would allow them to chat and view their loved ones over the Internet. Indeed, computers have crossed the gap that distance has made. â€Å"The ability to communicate across cultures, across national boundaries, relatively quickly, and with unfettered freedom of speech has forever changed the way in which people live† (Odom, 2004, p. 25). Computers did not only made communication between loved ones easier but also, it made communication among colleagues and workers much easier. A large amount of papers is saved everyday because employees do not have to print documents and letters all the time. Now that computers and networking are available, employees only need to send emails or instant messages for informal documents or exchange of information. The Internet also made possible for companies to manage their businesses overseas. This saves them the time, money, and effort when going to and from different work places. The most important effect that computer has brought to society is the ease of gathering information from the Internet. People do not have to go to libraries to research for their schoolwork or projects at work. They do not have to travel to places just to see what these places have to offer because the Internet has all the information about the world that they need. There is no excuse to be ignorant because even if the Internet is not available, there are compact discs in the market, which contains variety of information much like an encyclopedia. However, it is important to indicate that not everything is positive when it comes to computers’ effects on society. Research has shown that â€Å"a quarter of five-year-olds have Internet access in their bedroom and around half of teenagers had access in theirs, spending an average of 2. 2 hours a day on social networking sites† (Ager, 2009). The large amount of time they spend and the amount of exposure they have on computers and other technological devices is compromising their reading and communication skills, which may compromise their future as professional adults. Computers have proved to become very useful innovation in today’s society. One cannot imagine life at this time without the help of computers and the Internet. Its effects are not only felt inside the house but also at business sites and educational institutions, and almost everyone is affected by it either directly or indirectly. However, people should also realize that just like any other thing, relying too much on computers could also have its disadvantages. As such, while using the computer and other technologies is inevitable, people must also learn how to distance themselves from it and learn how to do simple things without the use of technology. References Ager, J. (2009, January 21). The new generation that’s growing in front of a screen. Retrieved January 22, 2009, from http://www. northantset. co. uk/news/The-new-generation-that39s-growing. 4896795. jp Odom, W. (2004). Computer Networking First-step. Indiana: Cisco Press.

A Personalised Induction Will Always Be More Effective Essay Example for Free (#3)

A Personalised Induction Will Always Be More Effective Essay ? Every successful hypnotherapy session must have an induction ensuring that the client is relaxed and is in a disassociated state in order fully experience the process. The type of induction used can be dependent on the personal preferences of the therapist or the type of hypnotherapy being undertaken in the session. There has been some debate as to whether a generic induction will be suitable for all clients or as some hypnotherapists advocate that only a personalised screed to each client will do. Commercial hypnotherapy which is produced for the mass market is widely available in CD, book or e formats. These materials deal with common issues such as giving up smoking, weight loss etc and by their very nature have to be generic as there is no option for personalisation. However as there is no therapist present at these sessions, the success of commercial non personalised screeds cannot be assessed. In my opinion, commercial materials can reach many people but they are more about making money for the person producing them than about making a difference for the individual. It is also impossible to have a personalised induction if the therapist is holding a group session. In hypnosis the therapist relies on verbal communication rather than on body language. Psychology professor Albert Mehrabian studied communication and stated that how humans communicate can be broken down into quantities; ie words account for 7%, tone of voice accounts for 38%, and body language accounts for 55%. Therefore the vocabulary the therapist uses becomes vitally important to how successful the therapy will be for the client. Therapists who prefer a personalised approach believe that preparation of the client is essential especially if they have no previous experience of hypnotherapy and/or have pre-conceived ideas. Discussion before the session is crucial to discover what the client’s expectations are and when necessary, allay fears and correct their beliefs. During this discussion the therapist can also probe to discover the clients’ preferred or dominant modality. Modalities were defined by Bandler and Grinder the â€Å"Language of our minds†. (Chrysalis, Module 2). The three major modalities are, Kinaesthetic (feeling), Visual (sight), Auditory (hearing) as well as the two minor modalities of Olfactory (smell) and Gustatory (taste). As individuals we all have a preference for the way we perceive and process our experiences and in order to create a personalised induction, the therapist will try to ascertain the client’s preference during the initial interview and discussion. During the induction, the client may have his eyes closed or the therapist may not be within sight, so communication with the client using their preferred imagery will help them feel more comfortable. Kinaesthetic people have a preference for vocabulary which will invite them to feel. For example in an induction where the client is in their special place outdoors, you could suggest the client feels the warmth of a breeze as it moves through the trees. Whereas for those with a visual modality it could be suggested that they imagine leaves moving in the warm breeze in the nearby trees, while those with an auditory modality may feel more comfortable if it is suggested that they can hear the rustle of the leaves when they are moved by the warm breeze. Language and imagery can also have a negative effect on the client, Karle and Boys (1987, p45) suggest that imagery is first planned with the client to ensure it is acceptable and congenial. The example they use is suggesting descent by means of using a lift to a client who is phobic of lifts. Therefore it is important to have some personalisation in the induction. There is, however, a risk of mis-judging an individual during the initial interview and consultation that the therapist must be aware of. The client may present an image that they think the therapist wants to see; also as humans our feelings can change frequently throughout the day which causes us to react differently. And until the therapist gains a deeper understanding of the client a truly personalised induction may not be achieved yet the client has successfully reached a deeper hypnotic state. When creating an induction it is suggested by Karle and Boys (1987) that therapists use a technique known as â€Å"Compounding† which employs all modalities in the sensory descriptions and suggestions. While the content of the inductionis one area which can be personalised, the delivery of the induction is also a major influence on how accepting and comfortable the client will be. During the initial interview and as the relationship between client and therapist grows, the style of induction most suited to the client should be employed. They are referred to today as â€Å"Permissive† and â€Å"Authoritarian†. However as with the modalities, the style preference of the therapist will be a major influence on the style employed in the induction. Sandor Ferenczi, a Hungarian psychoanalyst who practised in the early 1900s first investigated these styles after moving away from Freudian theory and developing relaxation therapy. He called them ‘maternal’ and ‘paternal’ and used them in his induction delivery. He considered the maternal style to be nurturing, caring, supportive and permissive while he considered paternal to be direct, authoritarian and aggressive. (Chrysalis, Module 2). Dave Elman, a stage hypnotist and entertainer working in 1948, at the invitation of doctors began to work on induction techniques. He continued in this career writing books on the subject and teaching students up to his death in 1968. He is well known for using his preferred authoritarian style of induction which he adapted from the sharp commands used in stage shows. Conversely, Milton Erickson, born 1901, utilised the permissive style of induction together with indirect suggestion. He believed that ‘people must participate in their therapy’ and was skilled at using metaphors to assist his therapy. Erickson believed that it was not possible consciously to instruct the unconscious mind, and that authoritarian suggestions were likely to be met with resistance. He firmly stated that the unconscious mind responds to openings, opportunities, metaphors and symbolic language. He advocated that effective hypnotic suggestion should be â€Å"artfully vague†, leaving space for the client to fill in the gaps with their own unconscious understandings – even if they do not consciously grasp what is happening. The skilled hypnotherapist constructs these gaps of meaning in a way most suited to the individual subject – in a way which is most likely to produce the desired change (Wikipedia. rg) Authoritarian inductions will be more directional and commanding; they allow the hypnotherapist to be in charge with the client following a set of demands. This can work well on some clients who respond to authority and like set boundaries. An authoritarian induction will be straightforward with no embellishments, for example making commanding statements such as, ‘Close your eyes, you are in control at all times’, ‘You are now feeling relaxed’. Clients who prefer authoritarian styles may have a logical preference; it has also been shown to work well for those individuals who are sceptical. While this approach may seem to be domineering, it only creates an illusion that the therapist is in total control. In fact the client has to be willing to participate and therefore is actually fully in control and can stop the therapy at anytime. Once the client has relaxed into a trancelike state, suggestions and choices can then be introduced. Permissive inductions are gentler where the therapist is the facilitator, allowing the client to make their own choices while in a safe reassuring environment reinforcing the therapist’s initial discussion with the client. Sentences used will be suggestive, for example, ‘You may like to close your eyes now’ or, ‘In your own time choose when to relax the muscles in your arms. ’ This style allows use of imaginative scenarios and metaphors. Clients who will respond to the permissive style are considered to be generally caring, like to please and are imaginative and have strong imagery skills. Direct and indirect suggestion can also be employed in the induction. Indirect suggestion can be beneficial with clients new to hypnotherapy that are resistant either through anxiety or negativity and when the authoritarian approach would not be appropriate. Milton Erikson preferred indirect methods (Chrysalis, Module 2) because he believed that the client should actively participate in their therapy. Erickson created a number of techniques known as ‘techniques of utilisation’ that could be used on people who seem resistant to hypnosis, whether they were resisting through anxiety or stubbornness. † Erickson’s techniques were very manipulative but very subtle, and allowed the individual client to take control of their own healing. He believed that if one technique does not work you must find one that does work. He believed in encouraging the resistance that the individual was exhibiting so that they would feel more comfortable responding within their own boundaries rather than those set by the therapist. In a typical example, a girl that bit her nails was told that she was cheating herself of really enjoying the nail biting. He encouraged her to let some of her nails grow a little longer before biting them, so that she really could derive the fullest pleasure from the activity. She decided to grow all of her nails long enough that she might really enjoy biting them, and then, after some days, she realised that she didn’t want to bite them anyway. Indirect suggestion also opens the opportunity to use metaphor and imagery. This is particularly effective with children where storytelling and fantasy is something they can readily associate with. Karl and Boys (1987, p150) state that it is vital that each step should be adapted to suit the age, cultural background, developmental stage and intellectual and educational status of the child. Thus indicating that a personalised induction for children is imperative to achieve success and limit any negative effects. Direct suggestion as with the Authoritarian style will be more effective with clients who prefer this approach; however compounding the two styles as with the modalities will be effective as it ensures you are connecting with the client via their preferred style. Other styles of induction that can be employed is the â€Å"confusion technique†. This is used on individuals who may be very rigid and analytical. They are prone to criticise and would want to pick everything apart instead of relaxing into the hypnosis. By giving a confused message which contains little to understand, the client’s brain will be forced to shut down and go into a trancelike state. In this method there can be no personalisation for the client to focus on. In conclusion I think that in order to build a genuine rapport with the client, the therapist should always aim to personalise the induction, in relation to the reasons the client is seeking hypnotherapy. It is imperative to always carry out an in depth discussion to assess the client’s needs and to identify if there are any underlying factors which may prevent the therapist from treating the client. e psychosis. Also a client’s likes dislikes and phobias must be taken into account, therefore it is important to listen carefully to the client and be respectful of their needs. However it must also be accepted that an individual’s preferences and modalities are not fixed precisely because we are individuals whose reactions can change regularly throughout the day; therefore it would be preferable to compound all modalities and styles into the induction. It is also important to remember that the therapists’ preferences will also have an influence on how the induction is carried out and on the relationship with each individual client. Therefore I conclude that all inductions on a one to one basis are personalised inductions based on what the therapist has learned about the client and by learning what works best for that client. A Personalised Induction Will Always Be More Effective. (2017, Feb 07).

HUM310_LU2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HUM310_LU2 - Essay Example iest way is to make our government entirely consistent with itself, and give to every loyal citizen the elective franchise, - a right and power which will be ever present, and will form a wall of fire for his protection’. In the eighteenth and nineteenth century, racial discrimination was rampant and the whites maintained a racial divide within the society through deliberate use of powerful lobby of the whites and financial advantages that they enjoyed over their less privileged counterparts. Racial differences were very apparent in southern American states whereas the northern American colonies had considerably moved forward in terms of black population enjoying more rights and privileges. The slavery was motivated by the human selfishness and vested interests. So despite bill of civil rights and constitutional promulgation of abolition of slavery, the ground reality remained bleak for the blacks till the rebellion which forced the government to introduce more efficient and effective tools so that equal rights could be enjoyed by ever American citizen. The rebellion brought out the blacks in the forefront of American polity. It made Congress notice the continued oppression of the blacks and take appropriate action through legislative rights. The article is very succinct in claiming that ‘If with the negro was success in war, and without him failure, so in peace it will be found that the nation must fall or flourish with the negro’. The reconstruction of society that provides equality and basic human dignity of life has become vital for peaceful co-existence. The elected government must ensure the same. Indeed, the values have tremendously changed. The blacks are no more looked down by the hitherto privileged class. Equal opportunity has provided the masses with education and employment, considerably raising the living status of the blacks and the minority. Indeed, as the article asserts that ‘They want a reconstruction such as will protect loyal men,

Dance teaching statement Personal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dance teaching - Personal Statement Example Neither does it purely encompass the sheer emotion obtained therein. It is more than just that. Dancing shapes one’s identity and personality and in essence, their destinies too. It leaves one completely transformed in a way that they will view certain important aspects of life in a different light that can only serve to advance them to better grounds and fortune. The process of learning dance itself is an unceasing activity that ensues throughout one’s life. It is therefore the work of the dance teacher to elicit this deep lifelong passion and determination in the students so that to the learner, dancing becomes a way of life and a vital necessity as taking breath. To achieve this desire in students, proper, endearing and encouraging communication with the students is inevitable and extremely relevant. As a dance teacher, I must strive first and foremost to evoke this deep connection in the students with the art of dance so that they can do their best without any coercion or feeling of duty. My students must enjoy dance and use the skills in every aspects of their livelihoods. It becomes ingrained into who they are and an effortless means of communication. I have learned and partaken of dancing for a period of two decades now. In addition to this, I have enrolled and completed courses in modern dancing in college for a period of four years. During this time, I have learnt a lot of modern dance techniques and can comfortably teach numerous arts such as the ballet with a modern touch to it. I want to teach solid and professional level ballet technique. My goal is to teach the importance of hard work in whatever aspects of life one is faced with through dance – be it in careers, studies, relationships, leadership, entrepreneurship, and so on. Dancing is life. The learning process and the practice of dancing are rich in information, solid

Avon Calls on Foreign Markets Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Avon Calls on Foreign Markets - Case Study Example 62). Avon’s marketing orientations For the US market, Avon has resorted to door to door selling via saleswomen who have been marketing the products via the word of mouth and establishing personal contacts with the customers and tapping a huge customer base. Globally Avon had resorted to country specific marketing, such as naming some of its products in the local language, when taking over a local company with a goodwill Avon kept certain names unchanged. For Asian regions, as customers tend to but products which are foreign, Avon kept their foreign names and prints instructions in the local language. It has also gone forward with the Hello Tomorrow campaign to signify a brand which is looking towards the future and also associated with breast cancer awareness (Daniels, Radebaugh, Sullivan, 2010, pp 622-624). Avon’s foreign operations The predicted growth for the company in the U.S. was low, since it had no new place to spread within the country to create a market for co smetics, toiletries and fragrances. The number of companies manufacturing these kinds of products in the US being large, Avon was facing considerable amount of competition. So Avon decided to expand its operations to other potential countries where it could register growth through increased sales. Also Avon’s lady representatives were the ones who sold Avon products, tapped customers and registered orders. This was cost saving for the company as this system required smaller number of employees and helped Avon to maintain low prices, a good image and a constant customer base. In the late 90’s, when US women started working in multinational companies fulltime, Avon found it difficult to get saleswomen. When the US market dried up, Avon found new ground in countries like Brazil and Philippines, where the women are usually do not leave their home. There was sufficient number of saleswomen available to reach out to the desolate areas to sell Avon products. (Daniels, Radebau gh, Sullivan, 2010, pp 621,622) Socioeconomic and demographic changes affecting Avon Socioeconomic changes involve the way society views a product. Demographic changes include aging customers. Both of these may affect the demand. From the socioeconomic point of view, a new type of conditioner may become important, whereas aging customers may want different age specific products according to their wants and needs. Accordingly Avon will have to come out with variants of the products and introduce new ones where necessary to maintain their customer base (Klepacki, 2005, pp 55, 56). Recession, a boom for Avon Every company and industry is affected by a recession as so many international aspects are related. The fields where Avon may feel the pinch are sales, suppliers and employees. Surprisingly when the recession hit in 2008 and the world felt the crisis deepening, the company recruited many saleswomen and men for their sales jobs. This happened because the recession led to massive lay offs, which in turn meant that more people were now available to do Avon’s door-to-door selling. Avon also took in male representatives, so as to allow men to be secure with a job, although it was traditionally reserved only for women (Daniels, Radebaugh, Sullivan, 2010, pp 622; Pauline, 2009). Avon’s Competitive Advantage Avon has a major competitive advantage over its competitors. It has an unparallel reputation in the beauty products market. Its main competition area had been the direct sales area,

Barilla SpA Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Barilla SpA - Case Study Example Barilla SpA Case Study As seen with Barilla, the variability can be caused by several issues. To begin with, lack of sharing information and visibility in the supply chain is among the reasons. Also, unexpected delays in supply of products to the distributors and an inability to adapt to events as they happen in real time are among the issues that resulted to variability in the Barillas supply chain. While it is expedient to diversify on products a company deals with, this, as seen with Barilla, might come at a cost. The company produces a total of 200 varieties of pasta and has a large variety of packaging that amounts to 470. Moreover, it has a very long setup line, approximately 10 days. To avoid conflict between players of the supply chain, Barilla has to put some measures in place. It has to be ensured that, Just-In –Time-Distribution (JITD) is implemented, this is to enhance order fulfillment. More importantly, Barilla needs to base its production on predictions in demand other than on orders. Additionally, the company has to collect information on demand and put it to use. Lastly, to avoid stress in the retailer’s end, Barilla has to notify the distributors first in case there is the need for additional inventories in the store. The store, also, has to ensure that the arrival of merchandise on shelves is timely. Transferring demand information across the store is imperative in ensuring that there are no fluctuations in demand.

Haitian Culture Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Haitian Culture - Article Example Gays state that they have to hide their feeling and be isolated from the society. Their life is in danger. â€Å"Human rights campaigners in the Caribbean nation say they know of 47 assaults in just one week, though attacks have slowed in recent days following government intervention. Some have had their lives threatened or had their houses have been burned down or looted†. Thus, Ronald’s parents would judge him severely if they get to know about his orientation and diagnosis. They would ask him to leave their house. Haitians consider homosexuality to be the main reason of HIV, however, it is not proved scientifically. Haitian society is far from being democratic and this is the main problem. In order to build the right strategy to fight with HIV, Haitians should, first of all, get rid of their prejudices, the main task is to stop discrimination. The main task of sociologists is to work with people, organize different conferences, especially lessons for children. Second ly, they should base their conclusions on the real facts and statistics instead of on religion, thus the second step is to make real statistics available for people, for example, at the conferences, at work, in the higher level institutions, in schools. Thirdly, all the efforts should be directed at revealing the main reasons of so many cases of HIV in the country and decide on how to struggle with this. Patients with HIV should be examined thoroughly to find similarities in their way of life, genetics, and the propensity of the organism.

Make-up Midterm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Make-up Midterm - Essay Example There has to be a recognition that the business environment is always changing and that because of these changes are constant, it is essential for the organization to create forecasts so that it can be better able to handle itself. It has to be noted that most business organizations tend to concentrate more on creating efficiency rather than developing strategies which are needed to ensure their long term survival. Such situations often lead to organizations increasing their capabilities yet are not able to secure their sustainability when it comes to making profits in their ventures. It is important to understand the strategy of an organization to ensure that there is efficient human resource planning. This allows management to deal with those problems associated with team cohesiveness in the organization, which should be handled in a manner that encourages cooperation between the members of the team to ensure that the goals and objectives of the organization are achieved (Belcourt, McBey, Hong, and Yap, 2013). Because good working relationships in many organizations are often considered very delicate because of the high levels of competition in the workplace between coworkers, a cohesive strategy for human resource planning has to be developed and implemented. This is especially the case where the actions of certain employees in an organization may work against the interests of their fellows. When such situations occur, it is the responsibility of management to ensure that a plan is developed to help in the development of good working relationships through freq uent team building relationships. One of these plans might include a situation where coworkers are encouraged to have a social association apart from work which helps them understand each other and also understand what motivates each of them. By developing such a strategy, management is able to retain the good working relationship of their

The Fair Value change with respect to the Financial Crisis Essay Example for Free

The Fair Value change with respect to the Financial Crisis Essay The world has come under the grips of a global financial crisis. Such events with big accounting and financial impacts are few and forlorn but when they do come, they bring with them uncertainty and pessimism as well as the desire to bring about some change so as to curtail such events from taking place in the future. With regards to standard setting, this is being achieved through the debate surrounding fair value reporting. Banks and many other troubled financial institutions that bore the brunt of the tidal wave of the credit crunch are calling on the Financial Accounting Standards Board to ease their stance in relation to fair value accounting whereas investors and financial analysts are standing forward to block this move. Fair value accounting had been brought into place after much deliberation by standard setters over the years. Its application worldwide was a reflection of the need for financial statements to reflect the assets held by firm on their balance sheets at prices they could be realized at today in the markets, in a fair deal and an arm’s length transaction. This was recognized as something that provided a fair outlook of the current financial position of banks and other institutions and was held very closely guarded by the FASB (Katz 2009). The chairman of the board’s adherence to the need for fair value to continue and his defense of the methodology in a testimony before the US House of Representatives Financial Services Subcommittee in March of 2009 is a strong indicator of where standard setters actually fall in the debate. However, in April of 2009 the board voted to relax the fair value rules under strong political pressure and in an uncharacteristically rapid fashion for a body that is known to engage in long debates and continued discussion before enacting any changes in the accounting standards. This change has sparked unique responses from the two sides of the debate. Banks and other financial institutions have been delighted with the measure. They had come out in open opposition to fair value rules following the financial crisis stating that it unfairly influenced their accounts. They argued that the use of the fair value criteria resulted in them show items in their balance sheet as significantly lower value than they would be actually realized at, thereby giving them a relatively bleak financial outlook with very pessimistic figures (Katz 2009). The impetus for the move was that if this could be alleviated to some extent, then banks would be better able to report their true financial situation and reduce some of the write-offs that have wrecked the industry, thereby even putting them in a better position to issue more loans and perhaps precipitate faster recovery from the crisis. The optimism of the banks with regards to the proposed shift by the FASB was reflected in the markets as the stocks of major banks such as Citibank and Bank of America went up in the New York Stock Exchange. Investors and financial analysts however have been strongly against the move being put forward by the FASB in April. They argue that fair value accounting results in showing the actual financial health of the financial institution and changing the rules would result in a distorted perspective being put forward to the investors. It is further seen as being a highly transparent view of the financial health as it leads to assets being valued at the amount they could be traded today which is a reflection of the economic times as well as the trend of decision making that has been going on in the industry. Thus after the changes have been brought into place, investor group are showing growing unhappiness at what is viewed as something potentially harmful. They were also wary of the involvement of political pressure in the move, which if freely allowed to influence international standard setting would compromise the integrity of the field and harm investor confidence as well. The FASB did come out in support of the investor though by additionally requiring more disclosure of the methodology employed by firm for valuation after the FASB allowed them significantly more room for judgment regarding it through relaxation of the rules. It further did not allow the financial institutions to apply the changes retrospectively which would have altered their 2008 statements as well. It also restricted the application of some proposed changes such as those relating to valuing impaired securities by keeping it only for debt securities. FASB’s shift has been in a manner that can be considered characteristically different from its formal procedure. The world of standard setting has been slow with prolonged discussions before any changes are brought forward. With regards to the current change, it was made considerably rapidly by bringing in remarks for discussion, pursuing a review of one day and then handing out the proposed changes which is a testament to the tricky financial times and political pressure. The shift that was brought about included allowing the firms considerable room for â€Å"judgment† with regards to gauging prices of some of their investments represented on the financial statement as well as those for mortgage backed securities (Katz 2009). This did meet with opposition from other bodies such as the CFA Institute and investors groups, the former arguing that such arbitrary changes damage their credibility while the latter is in woe of the difficulties investors will face now. They have even gone out to condemn to some extent the U-turn taken by the chairman of the FASB whereby he shunned the changes proposed to fair value methodology in front of congressional subcommittee but then agreed to put in place the same measures hardly a month later. Thus it can be seen that the current financial crisis has altered the direction standard setting in accounting has taken. It can be said that this is a fairly damaging trend. While it may result in short term gains for fighting the financial crisis and help shore up loans and lending, it could be damaging in the long run as political pressures and advocacy groups may damage the credibility and transparency of standard setting and financial statements presentation. It could also be adverse for the investor who may not trust the standards as providing fair information and affect their behavior. Furthermore, the integrity of the institute may well have been compromised in this case by the u-turns being adopted by the chairman of the FASB. Bibliography Katz, Ian (2009, April 2). FASB Eases Fair-Value Rules Amid Lawmaker Pressure. Retrieved June 17, 2009, from Bloomberg Web site: http://www.bloomberg.com

Sociology Of The Familys Sociology Essay

Sociology Of The Familys Sociology Essay The family has been assumed by many sociologists as a basic unit of socialisation, which plays key function, such as socialising children. The functionalist view the family as a positive institution that has positive function, while feminists sees the family as negative and reproduces patriarchy. Marxism believes the family reproduce labour force while interactionists view families as different and unique. Functionalists focus on nuclear family and see the latter as the basic building block of family socialisation. They believe that the family is a positive and beneficial institution in which family members receive nurturing and care. They look at the family on a macro scale. Functionalist believe that society is based on consensus, this means we are all socialised to agree on how to behave known as norms, and what is right and wrong known as values. For example when there is no crime, society benefits by maintaining social order .They believe that each part of society has a function to make sure that society runs smoothly and everything stays in harmony, for example, the familys function is to socialise children and, education has a function to make sure that people are educated to be good at the job they will get after school. (Taylor and Richardson et al, 2002) Murdock (1949) studied 250 different societies and concluded that the family is so functional to society, that it is unavoidable and universal that neither the individual nor society could survive without it. He argued that every nuclear family has these four essential functions without which society could not continue: sexual, reproductive, economic and education. Without sexual and reproductive, no member of society would be there. Life would stop if there was no economic function that is family providing for its members, and without education, socialisation would not be there hence absence of culture. Murdock has been criticised for not considering whether the functions of the family could be performed by other social institutions and he does not examine alternatives to the family. (Taylor and Richardson et al, 2002) Parsons (1955) studied the modern American family in the 50s. He argued that there are two basic and irreducible functions of the family. The first is the primary socialisation of children, which Parsons sees as a responsibility of the family to shape the childs personality to suite to the needs of society. The second function is the stabilisation of adult personalities. The adults gets emotional support from family necessary to cope with the stresses of everyday life. Parsons, as with Murdock, has been criticised for showing the picture of the family as attuned children and compassionate spouses caring for each others needs. (Taylor and Richardson et al, 2002). There is a natural division of labour within the nuclear family, roles are segregated positively and everyone carry out different roles, for example the instrumental male, whose role is to provide for the family and thus the bread winner, and expressive female whose role is to provide warmth, love and care for children at home. Based on Biology the woman is the child bearer therefore has to look after the child. This role maintains social stability. Family patterns have changed with time such as cohabitation, rise of reconstituted families and increase in single or lone parent in western family life. Which has even made divorce easier to obtain. Functionalist theory has been criticised to have concentrated on the family being positive and gives little attention to its weaknesses, while in feminism the nuclear family is oppressive to women due to gender distinctions in domestic duties. Functionalists argue that the family is of equal profit to everyone, however marxists argue that society was developed by the need of the capitalist economy. It is the bourgeoisie who benefits not the whole society. Functionalists focus too much on the significance that the family has in society and disregard the sense family life has for individual. (Haralambos and Holborn, 2008) Radical psychiatric argue against functionalism for ignoring the negative aspect of the family like domestic violence. Functionalists also ignore different types of families by focussing mainly on nuclear family. Interactionist David Clark (1991) identified four types of marriage arguing against functionalist, saying not all families are the same. Functionalists depict everything as positive in the family while radical psychiatric looks at the negative side of the family. Feminism is a conflict theory that sees the family as patriarchal. They believe that men gain more in a family than women. They view the family on a macro scale. Feminists shows how men dominate social relationships, thus symmetrical conjugal roles is seen as an allegory. Feminists argue that men oppress women through domestic violence, the economic involvement to society made by womens domestic labour within the family. Liberal feminist Wollstonecraft (1792) wanted equality for women in terms of rights, liberties and vote by the change of law and policy. A radical feminist like Millett (1970) argues that the organisation of society enables men to dominate women. They believed that gender distinctions are politically and socially constructed therefore wanted radical reforms and social change. Kate Millet invented the term The personal is political meaning everything in society is political. Radical feminists think not just patriarchal men that benefit from family but all men. (Haralambos and Holborn, 2008) Marxists feminist believe that the destruction of the capitalist society brings equality to everything. Lesbian feminists believe society forces women into heterosexuality so that men can oppress them. They challenge heterosexuality as a means of male supremacy. Humanist feminists argue that society only allows men to self-develop not women, and that society distorts womens human potential. Marxist feminist Bentson (1972) argues that family responsibilities make male workers less likely to withdraw from labour, with wife and children to support. Ansley (1972) sees the emotional support in family, stabilises male workers thus making them less likely to take their frustration out on the system. Feeley (1972) sees the family as a dictatorial unit dominated by the husband. The family values teach obedience, children learn to accept hierarchy and their position in it. Greer (2000) is a radical feminist who believes that family life continues to disadvantage and oppress women. She points out Britain has very high divorce rate thus less stability in families. (Haralambos and Holborn, 2008) Marxist feminist, like functionalist tend to ignore the diversity of modern family life, assuming everyone lives in heterosexual nuclear family. They paint a very negative picture of family life possibly exaggerated. Functionalists see male and female roles being different but equal, Marxist feminists believe that men dominate family relationships. Feminist theory discards functionalist view, that society as a whole is benefited by socialisation in the family but rather men benefits more. Women are portrayed as passive victims of exploitation. It does not take into account women who abuse men by fighting back. Functionalists believe that norms and values benefits society while for feminist they benefit men more. Feminists focus on nuclear family only and the negative aspect of it. Marxism view family on a macro scale. The Marxist perspective is a conflict theory, which sees socialisation process of the family, results in the spread of a ruling class philosophy. Whereby individuals are misled into accepting the capitalist system and the hegemony of the capitalist class thus hegemony.Bourgoisie benefits by creating a labour force and proletariat continue to be exploited. Engel (1972) argued that bourgeois nuclear family is an institution which oppresses women. They were seen mainly as children bearers, economically dependent to their husbands and remain faithful to them. According to Engels the family is designed to control women and protect property, thus men needed to know their children in order to pass on their property. (Taylor and Richardson et al, 2002) Marxists say the family serves capitalism in four ways. The family acts as a safety valve for the stress and frustration of working class men, the family plays as a unit of consumption, purchases the goods and services provided by capitalism. Women domestic work is unpaid which benefits capitalism and lastly the family socialises children thereby reproducing both labour power and acceptance of capitalism false consciousness. Zaretsky (1976) analysed that the family is one place where male workers can feel they have power and control. This helps them accept their oppression in wider society. Furthermore Zaretsky sees the family as a main prop to the capitalist economy. Marxists view of divorce in families is seen by increased economic pressure from unemployment, this may place added strain. Family members living longer could increase pressure on relationships. (Taylor and Richardson et al, 2002) Marxists decline the functionalist view that society is based on value consensus, and thus benefits all. Instead they see the welfare of powerful groups influencing the way society is controlled. Marxists view ignores family diversity. It sees the nuclear family as being simply determined by the economy. This theory reproduces conflict between classes, bourgeoisie and proletariat, while a functionalist family operates as united, everything benefits society. Capitalist system is dominated both economically by rich at the expense of the poor, but seen as a fair system by functionalists that works together in the interest of all members causing limited conflict in society. Anthropologists have suggested that the emergence of the nuclear family did not actually coincide with emergence of capitalism. Somerville (2000) argues that Zaretsky exaggerates the importance of the family as a protection from life in capitalist society. Contrary to functionalist marxists focus on the negative aspec t of the family and ignores the positive function. (Taylor and Richardson et al, 2002) Interactionism also known as interpretive humans are seen as symbolic creatures, meaning we define what is around us through signs and language. They study families on a micro scale instead of generalising the whole population. They also look at what family life is actually like, rather than how it should be or how it is assumed to be.Interactionists view families as different and unique thus there is no one way of family life, like other perspectives would suggest. The way a family behaves and interacts is based on interpretation of meanings and roles. We are products of our culture what we take as common sense or reality varies according to the culture we live in. (Taylor and Richardson et al, 2002) Goffman (1969) compares life to drama, we are actors who take on roles and act them out as public performances. Each role has its own script which tells us how to act and what cues to expect from other members involved in our interaction. Bauman (1990) argues that roles and relationships learnt in the family are essential to shaping our future. Not all families are close and warm family metaphors are often used to represent closeness, for example using the term brother and sister amongst members of political organisations. (Haralambos and Holborn, 2008) Berger and Kellner (1964) looked at socially constructed roles in a marriage, argues that the reality of marriage is an ongoing construction which needs to be reaffirmed, negotiated and renegotiated. Clark (1991) conducted a study of how couples constructed a meaningful marriage. He identified four types of marriage. Drifting marriages, where meanings and ideas of the future are unclear, surfacing marriages often made up of people who have been married before, establishing marriages which newly wed couple plan for long term future, and lastly struggling marriages, with financial problems often from unemployment, which causes tension and anxiety. The conjugal roles in interactionism show that the roles of husband and wife are constantly evolving. For example both husband and wife working and sharing domestic tasks. (Haralambos and Holborn, 2008) Interactionist view families on a micro scale, discovering how individuals make family life based on interactions with each other. They are not interested in generalisations about family life but seek to understand how families are unique. They go further than the common sense view of families that functionalism believes in and look at the meanings of what family life is actually like. Unlike functionalism, Marxism and feminism, where there is a set function of the family, interactionism is different for there is no one set function of the family. Families can differ based on their interactions, meanings, roles and culture. The discovery of four different types of marriage offers an opposing argument to functionalism, not an ideal nuclear family. (Haralambos and Holborn, 2008) It has been criticised while concentrating on meanings, motives and action it ignores the wider structures in which families operate and are shaped. Sometimes generalisations of families are useful as they allow the development of political social policy. Interpretive approaches try to comprehend the family from the perspective of its members. This research has shown from different sociologist and approaches that the family life has evolved as modernity is progressing. The changes involved have made the family better suited to meeting the needs of society, and of family members. Theoretical approaches to the family, such as difference feminism and postmodernism, have emphasized the variety of family types and living arrangements that exist in contemporary society.

Coaches and Players Relationships Essay -- essays research papers fc

Findings   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After reading these three articles between how coaches and players do not get along with them attacking each other and when a player does something terrible and the coach defends them. We all have been in a situation where we do not want to be talked to by a family member or friend just because he had a bad day, but when you bring that attitude to a sporting event or practice sometimes the player or coach my lose their composure. Which happened in the three articles that I read, dealing with Latrell Sprewell choked his coach PJ Carlesimo during practice, coach Bobby Knight choked one of his own players Neil Reed, and when Rick Carlisle defended Ron Artest and other players he coached after the brawl in Detroit. In reading those articles I feel that they told me that there is either a bad, competitive, or good relationship between a player and coach. The one with Sprewell and Carlesimo, Sprewell who showed up to practice late that day choked his coach Carlesimo bec ause Carlesimo wanted to know where he has been for being late. Although in the article it states that racial comments were said to Sprewell, but later found out that there were no such thing. So Sprewell was fired by the Golden State Warriors, the team he played for at the time, and was suspended by the NBA for the remainder of the season. In the article about Bobby Knight choking his player Neil Reed, it was halftime during a game when Bobby Knight was still coaching the Indiana University’s men’s basketball team and Knight was so upset with his players that the one player Neil Reed said something to Knight and Knight went after him and started choking him. After the news broke out about that incident the Indiana University’s President fined Bobby Knight $30,000 and suspended him three games. In the final article I read coach Rick Carlisle defends Ron Artest’s actions against the Detroit Pistons fan that threw a cup of beer at him and then Artest went a fter him in that brawl we all heard about. It states that Carlisle feels that Ron Artest is a great player that he should be getting more respect from coaches, players, and fans but he’s not because of his actions on and off the court. Rick Carlisle and Ron Artest though had a bad starting to this year when Artest asked for time off to promote his new album coming out. With that knowledge Rick Carlisle still d... ...s I stated before I am a coach, and after reading these articles I have definitely learned a lot from all these incidents and situations. Coaches and players need to establish a friendly, competitive relationship. What I mean by that is that when you are off the field or court you can be friends, you know joke with each other and have a good time, but when you get onto that field or court it is time to go to work and that playtime is over and you need to get serious to help your team and teammates compete at a high level of competition. If you do not have this kind of relationship with your coaches and players then I feel that your season as a team will become a total disaster, because you probably cannot trust each other when you go out to play the game. So that’s why I feel that the coach, player relationship will help out or not a team in their season of play. Bibliography Freinstein, John. A Season on the Brink. New York: Simon and Schuster Inc. 1989. Jackson, Nicholas. â€Å"Sprewell Gives Athletes a Bad Name.† 23 March 1997. http://archive.com/media/1997/12/10media.html. Longley, Barry. â€Å"Carlisle Sounds off on Detroit Brawl.† 22 November 2004. http://www.indianapolispacers.com.

Hockey Lockout :: essays research papers

Players Behind Bars The National Hockey League (NHL) has a great history. Many think the ‘original six’ was the beginning. This is not so. In 1917 it consisted of five teams, namely the Montreal Canadians, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators, Quebec Bulldogs and the Toronto Arenas. Toronto was the only team with artificial ice. During the 1923-24 seasons a franchise was granted to the first American team, the Boston Bruins. As can be seen the first six team NHL occurred in 1924-5 but varied greatly from the six teams promoted today as the original six. In the 80 years since the original six teams were in place, the league has grown extremely rapidly, presently having 30 teams. [NHL History] Hockey is the Canadian game, but has also turned into a profitable business. The current commissioner of the National Hockey League, Gary Bettman, may have ruined the league for years to come. Bettman and the rest of the NHL owners are locking out the players demanding what they are calling "cost certainty." Their method for this is a salary cap. The owners are clearly at fault for the crisis at hand, and are the cause for the cancellation of the 2004-05 seasons. The owners caused each and every one of the problems they now wish to solve; they were not very welcoming to negotiations, and were not willing to bend from their unreasonable proposition of a ‘hard cap’. The owners have been the masters of their own demise. The New York Rangers, in the last few years have had an incredible pay role. Who is it that is trying to buy a winning team, by tripling salaries? Not the players – the Rangers owners. Consistently as the league grew from the original six to the thirty teams there are now, the salaries of the players grew with it. The owners did not buy franchises for the love of the game, but to make money. To make money the team must win. Owners have been constantly spending more money to buy their players. The players dedicate their lives to the sport, are constantly on the road, and sacrifice their bodies for the game. The player’s goals are to be the best that they can be. Did the players make the contracts? No – the only wrong they have committed was signing the dotted line on the bottom. The owners then take this action against the players to try to protect themselves from their own check books.

Freedom :: Essays Papers

Freedom College. It screams freedom. You plan and prepare for months and make decisions that will affect the rest of your life. You pack your room up and move it hundreds of miles from your controlling parents. This is it; freedom at last. No more curfews, no more rules, no more high school â€Å"mystery meat† day, and no more boring hometown. No need to worry about money, there’s plenty of it. Your parents are going to help pay for your living expenses and your scholarship and loan will get you through the tuition and fees. Everything will be perfect. The first week or so after moving into your new territory, be it a dorm or apartment, you realize how uneasy it feels to be away from the familiarities of your life before the move. You start to miss the little things. You wish that the ceiling fan made the same rattling noise that your fan at home made. You wish you were able to here the crickets outside at night instead of noisy neighbors or roommates. It doesn’t as seem perfect being in college as it did in your imagination. College can be a fun and exciting part of your life. But fun and excitement usually cost money. You have to pay for movie tickets, the late runs to Taco Bell, snacks, soda, and all the extras you want to decorate your new place with. Money is hard to come by in college. You spend most of your day in classes and if your parents have decided to not give you lots of money, you spend most nights working part-time. Working while attending school is not fun at all. It leaves you with little time to study or get homework done. And the little time you have is usually in the early hours of the morning, depending on how late you stay up. But you have to work in order to buy the things you want and to be able to eat out instead of eating the dorm food (which is surprising just as bad as high school lunch). Another thing college can do to a person is separate them from a boyfriend or girlfriend. Imagine spending every night with a person while you were in high school and then up and leaving one day.

Battle of the Teutoburg Forest

| Battle of the Teutoburg Forest In 9 AD, Roman general Roman general Varus was betrayed by Arminius, the leader of a massive Germanic tribe. Arminius deceived the Roman and led them into a trap deep into the Teutoburg forest which would lay a foundation for what will be one of the biggest defeats in roman history; resulting in the extermination of some 20,000 roman troops. The effects of this defeat halted Roman expansion beyond the Rhine River. The psychological affects would eventually take a toll on Augustus, leading to illness and death. (Wells, p. 5) Arminius was the prince of the Cherusci tribe of Germans. He lived in the northern part of modern day Germany. (P. 107) Later, he would go on to serve in the roman army, in command of Roman auxiliary forces comprised of members from the surrounding tribes. He learned his tactic here while in his service for Rome. This would later grant him the upper hand, for he will know the Romans weaknesses and he will know how they fight. He mo st likely had a variety of motives for serving in the Roman military. Besides earning a substantial salary, he would have gained considerable status in Rome.During his years of service to the Roman Military he learned Latin and in recognition of is efforts to Rome, was award with Roman citizenship. (P. 108). This is a prize that is normally bestowed upon those leaders who give exceptional service to Rome. Also, he was granted status as an equestrian, which is quite a high rank in Roman society. Around the year of 9 A. D. , Arminius left the Roman military and returned to his homeland. When he returned home at the age of 25, his experience with the Roman military had prepared him to lead. Rome’s man in the Rhineland in A. D. 9 was Publius Quinctilius Varus. † (Wells,P. 80) He had attained an excellent record of service as governor and general in various places within the Empire. In the year of 13 B. C. he served for consul with Claudius Nero. Varus was provided entry int o the political elite of Rome via marriage connections and relationships linked with Augustus. As his role as Consul, Varus was able to integrate himself within the political world and shake hands with the right people. Events leading up to the attack were slow but steady.Romans held little of Germania before the revolt, they had some organized communities but not many. Romans believed they had a mission to grant others with the civilized life such as theirs and to give other regions what they have to offer. This expansion pushed smoothly and slowly through Germania as the tribes there began to see the benefit of Roman civilization. â€Å"The barbarians were adapting themselves to Roman ways, were becoming accustomed to hold markets, and were meeting in peaceful assemblages.They had not, however, forgotten their ancestral habits, their native manners, their old life of independence, or the power derived from arms†¦becoming different without knowing it. † (Cassius Dio, P. 1) However, when Quinctilius Varus was placed Governor of the province of Germania he began to push Roman way of life on them at a much quicker rate. According to Cassius Dio, â€Å"Besides issuing orders to them as if they were actually slaves of the Romans, he exacted money as he would from subject nations. To this they were in no mood to submit. Ancient historian, Velleius Paterculus, notes that Varus was â€Å"more accustomed to the leisure of the camp than to actual service in war. † The quiet camp grounds and communities suits Varus quite well. Arminus returned to Germania from Pannonina as a respected leader and trusted Roman citizen. Germanic tribe members complied with Roman law while suppressing their barbarian ways of solving issues. This was only a front to keep the Romans off their backs. The barbarians were growing tired of the Roman rules and having to go to Roman courts to have the Romans decide their disputes.The barbarians had long standing traditions for solving their issues and they were not satisfied with the way that Varus forced this rule onto them. The resentment begins to build while the surface seems calm. Varus had not been accustomed to governing those who did not want to be governed. So, when the Germanic people had enough of the Roman forces, they decided to fool him for something must be done to get rid of him. This of course is when the turn to Arminius, for no one is more perfect for the job.His high status and trust within the Roman government allows him to set the largest trap imaginable. Velleius Paterculus adds, â€Å"This young man made use of the negligence†¦seeing that no one could be more quickly overpowered than the man who feared nothing, and that the most common beginning of disaster was a sense of security. † The Germans set their trap deep in the tree clogged forest of the Teutoburg forest. Varus and his troops are packing up to advance to a camp to the east. Meanwhile, he is approached by an o ld friend, Arminius. He notifies Varus of a small ribal uprising right off the course to their intended path to the camp. This ambush was setup alongside a narrow path, causing the romans to march closely together. (Cassius Dio, P. 7) Cassius Dio notes, â€Å"they had with them many wagons and many beasts of burden as in time of peace. † To add to the difficulties, it had begun to rain, making the forest floor slippery while tree tops fell on them creating confusion. While the Romans were undergoing such complications, the barbarians suddenly surrounded them on all sides at once. They were caught in the worst situation possible.The Roman army was slaughtered as thousands of soldiers were ambushed by barbarians, destroying 16,000 Romans in one swoop (Wells, P. 189). This battle was significant for the fact that it halted Roman expansion across the Rhine River and sent a message to Rome that they were not invincible. While it may have been a short battle, it was a large loss. W hen Augustus is exposed the extreme loss, he is devastated. The Romans, along with Varus, knew that it was completely Varus’s fault and would lead him to suicide. Works Cited Wells, Peter S.The Battle That Stopped Rome: Emperor Augustus, Arminius, And The Slaughter Of The Legions In The Teutoburg Forest / Peter S. Wells. n. p. : New York : W. W. Norton, 2004. , 2004. Louisiana State University. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. â€Å"The Battle of Teutoburg Forest. †Ã‚  Penelope. uchicago. edu. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. . â€Å"Velleius Paterculus. †Ã‚  The Battle in the Teutoburg Forest. N. p. , 16 Aug. 2010. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. .

Cultural Differences and Translation of Idioms Essay

Language and culture are closely connected and inseparable, as a language idiom is the essence of the deposition of the fascinating history and culture. Because of geography, history, religion, customs and other aspects of life differences between Chinese and English Idioms carrying characteristics of the different cultures and cultural information, so English-Chinese Idioms often encounter many difficulties. From the geographical environment, historical background, customs and religious beliefs described four aspects of cultural differences between Britain and China on the impact of the formation of their respective idioms, and detailed description of English Idioms translation to deal with this cultural difference in several commonly used translation . Keywords: language; culture; cultural differences; Idioms Translation 1, English idioms and cultural differences reflected in the (A) The environment  The natural environment is mankind’s survival and the basis for the development of different natural environment of the formation and development of national culture have different effects. Chinese people living in the vast expanse of fertile continent of East Asia, China since ancient times is a large agricultural country, the land in people’s lives is vital. Therefore, there is a considerable portion of Chinese agriculture and land-related idioms. Such as ‘good weather†dead end†extermination†big spenders’ and so on. Britain is an island surrounded by water. Maritime history, have been living in a world leader, so in English and will have a lot of water, fish, and marine-related idiom. Such as weak as water (fragile), drink like a fish (booze), to miss the boat (missed opportunities), all at sea (a loss). In the Chinese cultural atmosphere, the ‘wind’ that is ‘spring wind’, in the summer heat often associated with the Ku Shu, ‘scorch like fire’, ‘Jiaoyangsihuo’ is often used to describe the summer term . The United Kingdom is located in the western hemisphere north temperate zone, is a marine climate, the report is that the message of spring westerly, the British poet Shelley’s ‘West Wind Song’ (ode to the west wi nd) is the right spring Acura. England’s summer season is warm and pleasant, often with ‘lovely’, ‘moderate’, ‘OK’ connected. Shakespeare in his sonnets in one compared to the summer of love, Shall I compare thee to asummer’s day? Thou are more lovely and more temperate. (B) The historical allusion  From a certain point of view that language is a nation’s cultural memory and precipitation, the large number of Chinese idioms are based on the nation’s history, economy, culture, traditions, habits, formed the basis, with a strong national cultural characteristics of and far-reaching social and historical origins, often can not be understood from the literal meaning and translation. Such as ‘mere copycat’, ‘Minglasunshan’, ‘lose the wife of another soldier off†Three Stooges, the top one wise’ and so on. English idioms idioms come from the ‘Bible’ and the Greek and Roman mythology, but also have their specific content, such as Achilles’heel (the only fatal weakness), meetone’s waterloo (suffered a crushing defeat), a Pandora’s box (Pandora’s box), the Trojanhorse (Trojan horse from Greek mythology), arrow of Cupid ( , from Roman mythology). (C) The difference between practice In traditional Chinese culture, the dragon is a symbol of auspicious animals. In feudal society, imperial dragon is a symbol, authority and elegance. Thus, in Chinese and dragon-related idioms generally contain compliment. Such as ‘Dragon and Phoenix Succeed†Ã¢â‚¬ Chenglongkuaixu’ and so on. However, myths and legends of the West, dragon wings, it is a long, scaly body, dragging a long tail, fire-breathing from the mouth of animals, it is terrifying. Therefore, as Long as the murderous havoc Westerners thing, to be eliminated. In addition, the dog in Chinese is a humble animal. Chinese idioms with dog-related mostly derogatory: ‘Fox Peng Dog Party’, ‘Goujitiaoqiang’, ‘a dog’s mouth spit no ivory’ and so on, while in the Western English-speaking countries, dogs are considered man’s most loyal friend . English idiom In addition to the dog’s part due to the impact of other languages, which includes a derogatory sense, most of them are not meant to be derogatory. Idioms in English, often with the dog’s image to describe human behavior. If Youare a lucky dog (you are one lucky), Every dog has his day (mortal Jieyou proud days). In contrast, the Chinese people are very loved cats, with the ‘Chan Mao’ metaphor man gluttonous, often intimate components, while in Western culture, ‘cat’ is used to metaphor ‘a malicious woman’. (Iv) religious beliefs. Every nation has its own religious beliefs and religious culture, its people’s values and lifestyle of the formation and language have a subtle impact. In the long history of several thousand years, the Chinese nation is predominantly Buddhist and Taoist. Therefore, there are many Chinese Buddhism, Taoism-related idioms, such as ‘Jiehuaxianfo †Road†Bearing in mind that’ and so on. In addition, the Chinese people still worship gods, such as ‘right and proper†thank God†Heaven always leaves people a way out’ and so on. Chinese emperors also claim to be ‘true sons of the dragon’. In the United Kingdom and other Western countries, the greatest impact of religion is Christianity. In the Western mind, God has a supreme supernatural power. There are also a number of English idioms with the God-related idioms. If God helps those who help themselves (God helps those who help themselves), Man proposes, God disposes (Man proposes, God disposes days). Curse a person is often said that God damn you, danger often said after the Thank God, or God bless you. Christian doctrine ‘Bible’ has been regarded as a classic of Western culture. Many English idioms is precisely because of this. Such as the finger on the wall (writing on the wall), cast one’s bread upon the waters (really do good, without asking for anything). From the above aspects, we can see the impact of culture on idiom far-reaching and extensive. To correctly understand the English language learners and successful conduct of Idioms Idioms translation, we must first English-Chinese have a deep understanding of both cultures. Second, the main method Idioms Translation Translation is the conversion between the two languages, while the close relationship between language and culture conversion request must be in the language of cultural conversion. In view of this, the translator can not be literally literal translation, we must better understand the culture behind the literal information, using the original understanding of the original language and cultural knowledge to their own understanding, based on in another language such as that of the target language for the kinds of transformation, for the reader to pass the original translation accurate information, press ‘functional equivalence’ principle so that ‘the reader to reflect the same’. Therefore, the idioms translated the one hand, as far as possible with the original meaning of ‘the most appropriate, the most natural reproduction of such words come out’, with Nida’s words, that is, ‘The best translation does no t sound like a translation’; the other On the one hand, but also make every effort to display the original cultural information on the translation readers to understand the cultural information contained in the original. Main methods are: reposted elsewhere in the paper for free Download Center http://www. hi138. com (A) Literal Translation. The so-called literal translation method, is not against the target language norms, and Lenovo are not under the conditions that caused the error in the translation to retain the original idiom metaphor, image and national, local features approach. It applies to some extent due to the use of a wide number of more of its literal meaning and metaphorical meaning has been widely accepted by the reader for the translation idioms. If a gentleman’s agreement (a gentleman’s agreement); armed to the teeth (armed to the teeth); to fish in troubled water (fish in troubled waters); paper tiger (paper tiger); (draw water in a bamboo basket). Literal translation of the advantage of being able to retain more complete image of the original idiom metaphor, ethnic style, color and language. However, if the interpreter too much or too literal translation properly, it’s easy to make the reader feel funny or ridiculous, even give rise to misunderstanding or error association. Such as: (Until all is over, ambition never dies. ), The Pig falsely accuse the Chinese (To put blame on one’s victim.) ‘Yellow’ and ‘The Pig’ and other words have an obvious cultural traits, if the literal translation, foreign readers will not understand why, only to ‘functional equivalence’ approach interpreter to readers in the East and the West has caused and is willing to match feelings. (B) literal explanation France In order to preserve the cultural information contained in the original, it is more use of literal, rather than paraphrase, but because of language rooted in the cultural soil is different from literal translation is likely to be ambiguous and vague. In this case, only in conjunction with appropriate annotation in order to pass the original text of cultural information. For example, a Don Juan (Don Juan, which means Merry prodigal son), to carry coals to New castle (coal to Newcastle, means superfluous, Newcastle – a British coal Center), N. (show off one’s proficiency with axe before L u Ban, the master carpenter), mere copycat (The ugly imitates the beautiful in such a destroyed way that the ugliness of the ugly becomes worse. ). (C) the equivalent ILL Method. Idioms right and others are reflected in three aspects, namely metaphor meaning, form and emotional metaphors. Some English Idioms and Chinese idioms, whether in content or in form or emotional, both relatively close to this time, idioms translated to equivalent ILL method can be used, or apply the law synonymous idiom. This approach not only to retain the image of the source language, style, consistent with the target language the language of the structure and habits, allowing the reader to easily understand the text of the translation to convey meaning, and thus the smooth realization of cross-cultural exchange. Such as burn the boat (most drastic); greatminds think alike (Great minds think alike); turn a deaf ear to (ignored); a drop in the ocean (drop in the ocean). (D) translation method Translation method refers to the translation, to retain only the meaning of the original forms of expression rather than to retain the original method. When due to cultural differences can not be literally translated, nor synonymous idioms can be borrowed, together with the explanatory text then would lose the essence of the characteristics of idioms, it is best to avoid their cultural background and its meaning can be translated. If a skeleton in the cupboard (family scandal), driven to revolt (be forced to do something), (frankly speaking), volunteered (to volunteer one’s service). Zhang Ling: Cultural differences and Idioms translation of this approach also applies to those using concrete and plain metaphor to illustrate the more abstract reasoning, and language vivid and witty tag line. Such as the ‘donkey to see libretto – wait and see’ can be translated  as wait and see, ‘dog bites Lu Tung-pin, did not know good people’ can be translated to snap and snarl at a kind hearted man. 3, Conclusion English and each has its own cultural imprint colors and cultures between the two there is a large cultural differences. The impact of culture on idiom is multifaceted, non-English-Chinese translation of idioms is not. While the translation of idioms, especially those rich in cultural information, Idioms, and there is no fixed pattern in the end that the method should be adopted according to the context of flexible options. In addition, the process of translation the translator must not only consider the language of conversion, but also to enhance cultural awareness, from the standpoint of cross-cultural communication, using an appropriate mode of translation, try to eliminate the cross-cultural communication caused by cultural differences communication barriers, to achieve an accurate description of the purpose of a foreign culture. References: [1] Chen Ding-an. English Rhetoric and Translation [M]. Hong Kong: Commercial Press, 1996. [2] Ping-hong, Zhang Guoyang. English Idioms and Anglo-American culture, [M]. Beijing: Foreign Language Education and Research Press, 1999. [3] Hu Wenzhong. Introduction to Intercultural Communication [M]. Beijing: Foreign Language Education and Research Press, 1999. [4] Fang dream. Translation New Theory and Practice [M]. Qingdao: Qingdao Publishing House, 1999. [5] FENG Qing-hua. Practical Translation (update) [M]. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2002. [6] Sun Hui-jun, ZHENG Qing-Zhu. Translation studies in the cultural shift [J]. Chinese translation, 2000, (05). Reposted elsewhere in the Research Papers Download http://www. hi138. com.

Economics Of The Movie Business Essay

In this section I provide a review of the movie business with an emphasis on how blind bidding evolved from the Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1930‘s and 1940‘s until its demise in the beginning of 1986. For many decades blind bidding was not a concern for theater owners, because it was not the dominant method by which films were licensed. During the Golden Age, block booking was the way a majority of films were licensed. With this method, high and low quality films were sold together in a bundle to theater owners, without an opportunity to trade screen them. The landmark United States vs. Paramount et al. decision by the Supreme Court in 1948 altered the motion picture distribution system. The five major movie companies that produced, distributed, and operated theaters as well as the three studios which did not own theaters were all found in violation of the Sherman Act for attempting to monopolize the industry. One of the major consequences of this decision was the elimination of block booking. After the Paramount decision, films were licensed by product splitting, open bidding, or blind bidding. Product splitting was when theater owners decided among themselves which one had the first opportunity to negotiate for a film with a movie studio in a given market. Open bidding referred to a situation in which theater owners had the opportunity to trade screen films before bidding. Blind bidding was used infrequently until the 1960‘s, which prompted a two-year agreement from January 1, 1969 to January 1, 1971 between the movie companies and the Department of Justice. This agreement limited 1 9 the number of films which could be blind bid to three per studio per year. The two-year agreement was renewed twice, which limited the practice through January 1, 1975. However, the Department of Justice revoked all restrictions limiting blind bidding after this date and the practice accelerated rapidly. Movie companies perceived blind bidding as a necessary way to finance blockbuster films, and it persisted for an eleven year period from 1975-1985. Chapter 2 LITERATURE REVIEW In this chapter, I will review the economic literature on blind bidding, exit, and natural experiments. The selected papers motivate my empirical model of the effects of blind bidding. Section 2. 1 discusses the blind bidding literature. Section 2. 2 surveys natural experiments testing the impact of a policy change. 2. 1 Blind Bidding In this section, I discuss two studies which arrive at different conclusions about the impact of the anti-blind bidding laws. Although neither study addresses explicitly the issues of exit, admission prices, and delays, the empirical findings are relevent. Blumenthal (1998) finds that average bids are lower for blind bid theater owners and as a result their returns are higher. However, since the returns of blind bid theater owners are more volatile, she concludes risk averse theater owners are worse off under blind bidding, legitimizing their efforts to pass anti-blind bidding laws. Forsythe, Isaac, and Palfrey (1989) model the behavior of n buyers and one seller in a sealed-bid, first-price auction. They conclude that the anti-blind bidding laws were unnecessary as buyers would learn that a seller withholds information when it is unfavorable. A seller would abandon blind bidding once all buyers learn that withholding information was in the seller‘s best interest and not theirs. I find that practices in the motion picture industry were not consistent with this prediction, because the movie companies trade screened unfavorable films and blind bid highly anticipated films. Blumenthal (1988) justifies theater owners‘ rationale to seek relief from blind bidding by showing that they experience lower utility in blind-bid environments than preview ones. The author uses generalized least squares to test three hypotheses about film bids or film returns for blind-bid and trade screen theaters using the rental terms of 18 films from a national theater chain in 1982. First, she hypothesizes that theater owners in blind-bid states submit lower bids, because in accordance with economic theory, bidders reduce their bids on average in an auction where there is uncertainty about the value of a product. Second, blind-bid theater owners place a greater emphasis on the limited information contained in a bid letter. Therefore, bid letter information will explain a larger percentage of the variance for bids in blind-bid theaters than trade screen ones. Third, mean returns are higher for blind-bid theaters, but they experience greater volatility than trade screen theaters. Depending on the hypothesis in question, the dependent variable is either film bids or film returns. 1 She includes film budget and saturation as predictor variables, since higher budgeted films and wider released films would be an indication of larger expected returns by the movie companies. Other independent variables include theater operating expenses, an indicator variable signifying theaters in blind bid states, and the number of movie theaters located within the metropolitan area. The Film returns are the box office revenue less the price paid for the film. blind bidding dummy variable was interacted with film budget and saturation to test the second hypothesis. The author finds theater owners submit lower average bids in blind bidding states than in trade screen ones. With regards to the second hypothesis, blindbid theater owners place a greater emphasis on bid letter information: for every million dollar increase in film cost, blind bid theater owners bid an additional $8,900 while trade screen ones bid an additional $5,100. Regarding the final hypothesis, Blumenthal models utility as a function of the mean and variance of film returns which measures the degree of risk aversion among theater owners. In terms of utility, risk averse theater owners are worse off, because higher revenues are accompanied by greater volatility. Theater owners are unable to reduce their bids enough to offset the extra volatility because of competitive forces. Using a laboratory experiment in several markets, Forsythe, Isaac, and Palfrey (1989) consider the anti-blind bidding laws unnecessary. They find an equilibrium where buyers learn to assume the worst about a seller‘s decision to blind bid items causing most items to no longer be blind bid. The game has a single seller versus n buyers, and the former must decide whether to reveal information about the item to all buyers. A seller reveals his information to buyers if the news is favorable, and does not if it is unfavorable. A seller obtains the highest bid if he reveals his information. The auctioned item has both a common value and private value component. After a seller decides whether to reveal their information, the item is auctioned in a sealed bid first price auction. Several possible Nash equilibria are considered in the game, but the authors focus on the ? assume the worst? solution, because all other outcomes cannot be obtained so long as the auction follows a sequential equilibrium. This type of equilibrium occurs when buyers make conjectures about a seller‘s motives when they adopt a strategy which is consistent with the seller‘s best interest. To obtain an ?assume the worst? solution, a seller continues to blind bid items as long as there is at least one unsophisticated buyer: a buyer who bids the average of all quality levels, rather than assumes the worst about no revealed information. With the passage of time, buyers learn that when a seller withholds information it is not in their interest, forcing sellers to reveal information for lower quality levels. Eventually, the market reaches a point where no items are blind bid. In five of the six blind-bid auctions, the average winning bid declines over time. Although blind bidding is not eliminated by the conclusion of the auctions, it is practiced less frequently and buyers dramatically lower their expectations for the value for the auctioned item. The authors conclude the anti-blind bidding laws are unnecessary, because with the passage of time, blind bidding would have been phased out completely. These two studies offer two important insights. Although Blumenthal (1988) concludes theater owners are worse off under blind bidding, she does not consider that theater owners can diversify the risk of films by converting to the multiplex theater. In this manner, theater owners can pool the risk of mediocre and blockbuster films rather than run the risk of exhibiting a single inferior film. Regarding Forsythe, Isaac and Palfrey (1989), if the movie companies did not reveal their information for blockbuster films, they were not obtaining the highest auction price. Since the movie companies must have acted in their own self-interest, I assume blind bidding provided some cost benefits which outweighed the decision to trade screen films. 2. 2 Natural Experiments In this section, I discuss three natural experiments which provide a reference for testing the effects of the anti-blind bidding laws on exit, admission prices, and delays. Natural experiments are often used to examine the effect of a policy change. A researcher examines two groups which have similar characteristics, one of which is exposed to a policy change while the other is not, and observes how the outcome differs between the two. Natural experiments are called quasi experiments, because the researcher has little or no control over the observed situation, which is in contrast to social experiments where researchers implement proper experimental design. Card and Krueger (1994), Milyo and Wardfogel (1999), and Bergen, Levy, Rubin and Zeliger (2004), conduct natural experiments assuming an exogenous change in a law. All three natural experiments assume the treatment effect is not correlated with the outcome variable and any uncontrolled independent variables correlated with it. Card and Krueger (1994) investigate the effect on employment of a 50 cent raise in the New Jersey minimum wage in the fast food industry. Milyo and Wardfogel (1999) examine the impact on prices of advertised and non-advertised items after a ban on liquor advertising is lifted in Rhode Island. The ban permitted retailers to charge higher prices which was considered especially helpful to small ? mom and pop‘ retailers that could not offer the price discounts of larger chains. Bergen et tal. (2004) investigate the net effects of item pricing laws for supermarkets which require that retailers label every item individually with a price tag to help ensure that consumers are not overcharged at the register. The three empirical studies conduct natural experiments in similar geographic regions. Card and Krueger (1994) compare the neighboring states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The authors use descriptive statistics from their data to argue that wages, prices, and employment measures are similar. For example, the mean starting wage for New Jersey and Pennsylvania is $4. 61 and $4. 63, respectively, before New Jersey‘s increase in the minimum wage. Bergen et tal. (2004) target a narrow tri-state region of Clifton, New Jersey, Tarrytown, New York, and Greenwich, Connecticut to study the impact of item pricing laws. Close geographic proximity is one factor for the selected towns as the greatest distance that separates the towns is only approximately 50 miles. In addition, these towns have similar population size, population densities, and access to quality public schools. Milyo and Wardforgel (1999) follow a similar strategy to Bergen et tal. (2004) by comparing adjacent states but narrowing their focus to three areas: Southern Rhode Island, Northwest Boston suburbs, and the Rhode Island and Massachusetts border. In addition, the three studies utilize multiple control groups which provide the benefit of observing how sensitive the results are to different controls. Card and Krueger (1994) compare full-time-equivalent employment (FTE) for New Jersey and Pennsylvania, but also compare FTE in New Jersey fast food stores which already paid at least the new minimum wage to those in New Jersey that paid under the new minimum. Milyo and Wardforgel (1999) compare retail prices in Rhode Island with those from Massachusetts, but also use Rhode Island wholesale prices as a second control. Bergen et tal. (2004) compare prices in New Jersey with two controls New York and Connecticut both of which have item pricing laws. However, Connecticut exempted stores from the law which installed the electronic shelf label system because it ensured that the price at the shelf was the same as the price at the register. Therefore, the authors used Connecticut stores to observe how prices differed among non item pricing law stores and those which used the electronic shelf system. I adopt the idea of multiple control groups when I examine the exit of theater owners. The Card and Krueger (1994) study has additional significance to my study because they use the difference-in-differences estimator, and I adopt this method for the analysis of admission prices. The primary benefit of this method is that the researcher is able to cancel out other industry factors which are common to the treatment and control group through second differencing. Therefore, the difference-in-differences measures the impact on the outcome solely from the policy change. These empirical studies provided some important insights on how to conduct my natural experiment on the anti-blind bidding laws. When selecting treatment and control groups, it is important to select homogenous regions so that there is a believable rationale that the control group will behave like the treatment group. Use of multiple control groups is encouraged in natural experiments to test the robustness of the results. In addition, I follow the method of Card and Krueger (1994) and use the difference-in-differences estimator to examine admission prices. Chapter 3 ADMISSION PRICES In this paper, I investigate the claims made by theater owners and movie companies about the impact of the anti-blind bidding laws on admission prices. I examine the impact of the strictest laws of Ohio and Pennsylvania, which eliminated blind bidding and placed severe restrictions on guarantees. I selected these states, because they present the strongest case for the laws having an impact according to theater owners‘ claims. I compare average admission prices in these states before and after the passage of the law with prices in two states that never had such a law. For Ohio, I compare average prices in Cleveland with those in Detroit. For Pennsylvania, I compare average prices from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with those of Detroit. 1 Using the difference-in-differences estimator, I find some evidence that the laws raised admission prices. Theater owners argued that admission prices were higher under blind bidding, because they had to increase their prices to cover losses incurred from inferior films and to compensate for the guarantees they paid. According to theater owners, the anti-blind bidding laws would eliminate the burden of blind bidding, and in some states also guarantees, so that lower prices would follow. Movie companies claimed initially considered comparing average Philadelphia and Pittsburgh prices with those in Manhattan. I decided against using New York City as a control because prices were consistently higher there than in any other market because of the high cost of living in the area. The laws would have the opposite effect for two reasons. Theater owners would identify blockbuster films after viewing the preview, and a bidding war would ensue. Since film rentals were bid higher, this cost would be passed along to moviegoers. In addition, movie companies claimed that the anti-blind bidding laws would cause delays in the release of films, and this cost would be passed on to consumers. 3. 1 Model I consider the claims of theater owners and movie companies about admission prices to be invalid because of what is universally accepted in economics about the demand for factor inputs. The demand for a factor input (e. g. labor or capital) is a derived demand in that demand for the factor and its price is contingent upon the demand for the final product. For example, the demand for movie stars depends not only on their current salaries, but also the total tickets sold. Movie stars would be unable to command high salaries if there is not an overwhelming demand for motion pictures. Therefore, prices charged at movie theaters, an input, are determined by demand. On the other hand, admission prices are likely to differ across cities due to costs outside the control of the industry. For example, theater owners in New York City had higher rent or mortgage payments than those in Atlanta, Georgia because of the relatively high cost of land. Another factor that varied regionally was the price of labor. Theater owners facing higher minimum wages had greater variable costs than those in states with lower minimums. I expect the anti-blind bidding laws to influence admission prices if they impacted marginal costs, or if they restrict the supply of films. Although the laws did not affect theater owners‘ marginal costs, they may have impacted the movie companies‘. Additional expenses were incurred because sales prints had to be specially made for the purposes of trade screening. This cost was not present in blind bidding states. 3. 2 Data and Methods I obtained the data from Variety, which reported theaters from 15 cities on a weekly basis. Variety sampled most cities once a month with about 10 to 20 theaters per sample. The same theaters were generally sampled, but over longer periods of time, the sample changed as some exited the marketplace. I sampled each city quarterly. On occasion, Variety reported theaters which charged one dollar for admission. These observations were dropped from the data set, since they were second-run movie houses. Table 5. 1 shows the descriptive statistics for the data. Any city sampled was a representation of the metropolitan area. Therefore, the sample contained some downtown theaters as well as many suburban theaters. For example, Detroit included downtown theaters such as the Adams, Fox, and Renaissance, and theaters such as the Dearborn, Americana West, and Macomb Mall from surrounding areas of Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties. During the first year that the ant-blind bidding laws were in effect, it is not clear which films were blind bid. This is because theater owners bid on films six months to one year in advance of the release date. For example, Ohio enacted the law in October 1978, but theater owners may have been bidding for films to be released in ___________________________________________________________________________ 2 According to Barry Reardon, distributional president at Warner Brothers, the additional expense to trade screen amounted to approximately $50,000 per film in Jim Robbins, ? Distribs Adapt to AntiBlind Bid Laws? , Variety, July 3, 1985, 80. 3 A sales print is a reel of film with the movie preview. April 1979 or as far away as October 1979. The Pennsylvania law became effective in May 1980. At that date, theater owners would bid on films for November 1980 up to May 1981. I address the lagged effect of an anti-blind bidding law on films by examining average admission prices using two different treatment and control groups: 1) two years before and after a law, and 2) three years before and after a law. Table 3. 1 provides the descriptive statistics for these variables. For the Ohio law, I calculate average prices in 1976 and 1977 (pre-treatment group) and average prices in 1979 and 1980 (post-treatment group). This measures the immediate effect of the law even though some of the admission prices in 1979 will be for films which were not trade screened. For three years before and after the law, I use average prices in 1975 and 1976 compared with those in 1980 and 1981. In this case, all films in the posttreatment group were trade screened. For the Pennsylvania law, I use the same procedure for selecting the pre and post-treatment groups. I consider the passage of the Ohio and Pennsylvania laws a natural experiment, and I proceed to measure the impact of a law by using the difference-indifferences estimator defined as the change in the population means from the treatment group less the change in population means from the control group. This method has an advantage over comparing the means of the treatment and control group after the laws because the latter assumes the treatment and control groups are identical in every way except for the law. The difference-in-differences estimator makes the weaker assumption that regardless of the overall factors affecting admission prices, they affected the treatment and control groups in the same way. In order to understand the meaning of the difference-in-differences estimator, consider the interpretation of first differences between the treatment and control. The change in price in the control group informs us how prices would have behaved in the treatment group if the law was not implemented. The change in price in the treatment group tells us how the average price behaved given the enactment of the law. By taking second differences, I obtain the difference-in-differences estimator which measures the effect of the law by taking the difference in what happened with average prices compared with what would have happened to them. 3. 3 Cleveland and Detroit Figure 5. 1 displays average admission prices for Cleveland and Detroit from 1975-1981. Detroit‘s average prices remain consistently above Cleveland‘s by approximately 59 cents throughout the observed period. I examine average admission prices over time to see if the assumption that overall factors that affect them are the same for both treatment and control groups. Unobserved factors are more likely to be different if the trend in prices diverges before the treatment effect. Average admission prices for Cleveland and Detroit remain relatively steady before the implementation of the law implying the assumption of a common trend appears valid. The results for the difference-in-differences estimator are shown in Table 3. 2. Comparing average prices two years before and after the law, I find Detroit‘s prices increase by seven cents and Cleveland‘s rise by 16 cents. The seven cent increase in average prices represents how Cleveland prices would have behaved in the absence of the anti-blind bidding law. After taking second differences, I find that the Ohio law significantly increases Cleveland‘s average prices by nine cents. Examining admission prices three years before and after the law does not produce the same conclusion. Cleveland‘s and Detroit‘s average prices increase by 20 and 21 cents, respectively. The difference-in-differences estimator shows that Cleveland‘s average prices are significantly lower by one cent. 3. 4 Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Detroit Figure 5. 2 shows average prices in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh versus those in Detroit from 1977-1983. For the first two years, prices are nearly identical. In 1979 and 1980, the difference in average prices remains relatively steady at 10 and 15 cents, respectively. Beyond 1980, the difference in average prices increases, ranging from 36 to 41 cents. The assumption that factors have a common trend appears satisfied because the difference in average prices maintains itself in 1979 and 1980. The first and second differences for average admission prices are shown in Table 5. 3. Comparing average prices two years before and after the Pennsylvania law, I find Philadelphia‘s and Pittsburgh‘s average prices rise by 43 cents while Detroit‘s increases by 11 cents. Detroit‘s prices are assumed to be behaving like Philadelphia‘s and Pittsburgh‘s if Pennsylvania had never passed an anti-blind bidding law. The difference-in-differences estimator shows that the law results in a statistically significant 32 cent increase in admission prices. Comparing three years before and after the law produces a similar result, the law causes higher average admission prices for Philadelphia and Pittsburgh by 53 cents. 3. 5 Conclusion I examine the impact of the Ohio and Pennsylvania anti-blind bidding laws on admission prices and I find higher admission prices in Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh in three of the four difference-in-differences estimators. The impact of the Pennsylvania law is more robust than the Ohio law because in one case, average admission prices decline by one cent. A potential explanation for higher average admission prices is that the movie companies‘ marginal costs increased in anti-blind bidding states, because sales prints had to be produced exclusively for trade screening films.