Management Accounting Guanxi

Question: Discuss about the Management Accounting for Guanxi. Answer: In the recent years, several researchers have examined traits that influence the management accounting approaches in China and variations in its market-oriented economy. In relation to Chinas management accounting approach, it has been observed that the structure of ownership like Joint Venture, etc, is the most relevant determinant for adoption level of such practice in a particular firm, while the effect of management accounting strategies is less relevant as compared to the ownership type (Tian, 2007). Further, level and size of knowledge of senior managers in China can highly affect changes in management accounting approach, and the government possesses little influence on such changes. In relation to Australasian firms, more reliance is exerted upon historical accounting statements, budgeting, and standard costing in the approach of management accounting. This depicts that Australasian firms pay higher attention to measures that are utilized for planning and controlling expenses, thereby assisting in preparing financial statements. In general, guanxi is about establishing a network of mutually advantageous relationships that can be utilized for business as well as personal purposes. Therefore, it is not very distinct than the relevance of having a powerful network while doing business in any country. Besides, in relation to Chinese business, guanxi plays a far more relevant role (So Walker, 2006). This is because, in other parts of the world, businesspersons can break a deal through formal business meetings, in China it is significant to spend some time in order to get to know about the Chinese correlatives outside the meeting room during dinner banquets or tea sessions (Goh Sullivan, 2011). Hence, it has become a medium of establishing trust, that law cannot offer for Chinese businesspersons and they can feel more comfortable doing business with companies having strong guanxi, as they can trust them easily. Guanxi can easily fit into the western ethical approach to accounting because it relates to a favor-seeking representation of a wider ideology of social networking. It can prove to be a beneficial tool while investigating the interactive sessions of a group accommodating western professionals and can assist in establishing differences in the moral constructions based on types of employment (Gao, 2006). Furthermore, various studies state that guanxi can be utilized in the examination of western attitudes towards interpersonal connections within the context of business based on commonalities betwixt western ethical approach and guanxi. However, many studies contrast this viewpoint and regard guanxi as unethical in relation to western approach to accounting. In reality, it can offer relevant benefits for all the business parties (western accounting) who identify the cultural relevance of its attempt to implement them during negotiations in business transactions (Yang, 2011). Power distance is a cultural phenomenon, which is the method that people consider the power distribution and how they even define power, are subject to each cultures biases. Whilst some cultures are happier to accept inequality, some are not. Therefore, the extent to which a low ranking person of a society expect and accept that power is unequally distributed, is called power distance (Madlock, 2012). Moreover, people with a higher power distance are more likely to align with a hierarchy wherein everyone has a place and that needs no additional justification. Although leadership styles betwixt Australia and Chinese cultures are quite different, yet both have been developing and indications of convergence are emerging. Hence, the prospect of leadership has enhanced over time and can be viewed as a holistic measure rather than dependence on cultural settings. In relation to Australian/New Zealand managers, they focus on aspects of the long-term planning of future, strategic planning, human relationships, and profit generation. Moreover, recent approaches have exerted importance on the value of respecting employees, promoting their enhancement of career, and valuing their contribution. However, Chinese managers focus on improving employees by personal development. Further, they expect to consider ethical considerations in contrast to the procurement of profit (Madlock, 2012). Other aspects of their approaches include the assumption of a role of an inspirational character, thereby leading to promote harmony, equality, and simple living with o thers and nature as a whole. References Gao, Y. Q. (2006). Building Guanxi with Government for Foreign Companies in China: A Case Study on the Application of Commitment Instrument. The Business Review, 6(2), 119-125. Goh, A Sullivan, M. (2011). The Most Misunderstood Business Concept In China, Retrieved April 11, 2017 from https://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-misunderstood-business-concept-in-china-2011-2?IR=T Madlock P. E. (2012).The influence of power distance and communication on Mexican workers.International Journal of Business Communication, 49, 169184. So, Y. L., Walker, A. (2006). Explaining Guanxi: the Chinese business network. London: Eoutledge. Tian, X. W. (2007). Managing International Business in China. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Yang, F. (2011). The Importance of Guanxi to Multinational Companies in China. Asian Social Science, 7(7), 163-166

Enforceability of Verbal Promises

Question: Describe about the Enforceability of Verbal Promises. Answer: A contract is, basically speaking, an embodiment of promises. Sometimes, these promises culminate into the vesting of rights and obligations to parties of the given contract. As a result, it is essential to consider when the provisions or terms of a contract can be considered enforceable. As is the standard norm, contracts are usually written. However, the law of contracts has taken into consideration the idea of cases where apparent suits have been pursued on the basis of unwritten or verbal promises or contracts. This is the basis of this treatise. The paper addressed the concept of verbal promises in contract law, the application and exclusions to the application of the parole evidence rule as well as collateral contracts. Finally, the paper will make a summative and symmetrical presentation of how the parole evidence role and collateral contracts relate to the enforceability of verbal statements. Whereas actions in Assumpsit (breach of promise) are all part of the doctrine of consideration, the same concepts have elicited tremendous and mixed reactions from various quarters on the applicability, relevance and broad discretionary privileges left open to courts. In Australian law, the doctrine of consideration is relevant in the sense that it avers certain promises are unenforceable. It is not generally uncommon to come across various parties to a potential contract making rash promises. Often, these promises are made verbally and with little or no realization as to the fact that they could be legally binding. Nonetheless, it must be stated that whereas some verbally made promises are enforceable, a number of other promises are equally unenforceable. The downside of verbal agreements and promises is that they are hard to prove. Such prove must, inter alia, be inclusive of the necessary evidence to prove the actual existence of the agreement or promises besides laying bare all the proof of the actual terms and conditions. In the absence of written or recorded evidence to prove such terms, all that will be left will be one partys word against that of the other. As a matter of recommendation, verbal contracts stand a better chance of enforcement if they are at least accompanied by some written record, chronology or even a diary. These documents lend credence to claims of the existence of a promise and the terms therein. Parole Evidence Rule The parole rule, on the other hand is a common law doctrinal appendage whose tenets thrive in the supposition that a written instrument- being and intended by parties to an agreement as the final depiction of the agreement they have reached- cannot be subjected to challenges and suits whose basic and bottom line content and evidence contradicts or fundamentally modifies the said instrument. This doctrine avers that once a written instrument has been validly sealed- as a show of credibility, it follows that the instrument is authentic and indisputably so. A number of cases, for example the Sharington v. Strottonindelibly confirms this doctrine by holding that on a scale of value and importance, a sealed document has a higher value than any other adducible evidence. In England, for example, the parole evidence rule was lauded to be an important step towards establishing legal certainty. In Contract law, on the other hand, various circles of professionals and legal practitioners have held a long standing perception that the rule has been a major contributor to endless legal confusion. This is particularly in regard to the diverging ways in which precedent holds the rule. Various court decisions do not seem to point to some particular direction in terms of uniformity in interpretation of the rule. However in Common law, as is the norm and standard in multiple common wealth jurisdictions, the parole evidence rule has be often subjected to two approaches at the time of consideration as a matter of justifying it: firstly, the parties must have been demonstrated to have wished that the instrument be their final manifestation of their intents and agreements which in simple terms renders all other previous agreements to be voidable and of unenforceable nullity- and. The parties must also depict the fact that the document is to be interpreted in such a way as to hold in honor the final understanding. Secondly, the instrument constructed between the parties as a depiction of their final understanding must be held to of a higher jurisprudential value than other pieces of evidence that may be adduced to contradict, modify or even disprove the instrument. The Australian approach to contracting as been basically objective which- on face value- advocates for a complete rejection of the consideration of the subjective intentions of the parties involved in a contract. This means, as is expounded in the Codelfa Constr. Pty. Ltd. v. State Rail Auth. of New South Wales case, that extrinsic evidence is excluded in consideration of parole evidence. In the case, certain portions of the judgment shed more light on when inclusions of evidence of surrounding circumstances were made. Mason Js decision was an emboldening of the plain meaning mode of interpreting contracts where the meaning of a contract derived from other sources would be discarded if the contracts wording was sufficiently plain. By actual adoption of the objective approach, Australian Courts have been careful not to disallow the admission of enough background information to the contract so as to be able to build or construct a reasonable scenario of contracting parties and the agreements that led to the final agreement as the original parties would. It is a kind of a simulation involving parties and the agreement which is designed to shed more light what- in actual circumstances- would be considered to be reasonable. Sometimes, the value attached to final instruments written to express the final understanding and agreement between parties may be a source of legal uncertainty- the very tenet that the instruments are designed to address. The meanings, terms and references of the document may not be easy to interpret. As a result, basing only on the document to interpret the document may prove to be time consuming and often parties will disagree on what can be implied from the document. The case of Pac. Gas Elec. Co. v. G.W. Thomas Drayage Rigging Coexemplifies this position. This is particularly relevant in instances where the words f the document o not necessarily convey the meaning that way originally intended by parties to an agreement. In a more relevant consideration, Australias legal system- being a derivative of the British system- embraces the application of the parole evidence rule but with exceptions. In Australia, the position is that the rule is applicable unless in instances where a claimant can substantively prove that the written instrument or document was not actually intended to embody the contract in its entirety. The case of Gordon v. McGregorIis a perfect example of a situation where a claimants persistent view was that the document- even though indisputable on the basis of its authenticity- was not actually meant to exemplify the whole contract. The bottom line is that a written document- once it is proved to have successfully met all the mandatory facets of a credible contract- cannot be allowed to be varied, edited or modified in the matter of its terms. It shall stand as a clear indication and the most fundamental piece of evidence of the intents of the parties. It is construed to mean that it holds the ideal terms understanding and positions of the parties to the contract and as a result, varying or modifying the document will be considered to be injurious to the parties final understanding. Conversely, as is the trend in England, Australian Courts have maintained a significant basis for exceptions to the application of the parole evidence rule- albeit with appreciable variations. For instance, whenever the terms of the agreement were considered doubtful, it followed subsequently that the Court would consider the ulterior motives of the contractual parties. This is a significant shift from the English exclusion to the rule where such consideration of the contractual parties behaviors wouldnt be considered- in the absolute sense. This position was given attention in the case of Codelfa Constr. Pty. Ltd. v. State Rail Auth. of New South Walesand was further augmented by the high court in the case Royal Botanic Gardens Domain Trust v. South Sydney City Council. It was held that the rule would subject to exclusions where the written document was constructed with ambiguity or worse still, where the documents interpretation would be subject to more than a single meaning. In Australia, the ratification of the CISG heralded an era of further debacles in relation to the application and interpretation of the parole rule. Partiular grounds for incompatibility in application of the rule were laid. A sample case in point to illustrate this point is the South Sydney District Rugby League v. News Ltd. Case where the implied meanings of the terms in the written document that were basically premised on the presumed intents of the parties to the contract were discussed. Nevertheless, as in the norm in Australia, courts will normally consider not only the words of a written contract, but also consider the intended meaning of the contract terms and the corresponding legal significance and or effect. The consideration, in this context- would entail a detailed review of what the contract says. This is considered on the basis of individual words which later culminate into deciphering the entire wording of the document so as to lay bare the contents, terms and conditions of the contract. As is evident from precedent, courts are- sometimes- forced to look at the evidence that regards the surrounding circumstance of the contract as a way of reaching a conclusive, relevant and credible decision as to the exact rendering of the contractual terms and obligations. The evidence, in this sense, of the surrounding will often be used to reach decisions on the exact intents, purpose and origin of the contract. There is a raging debate, at this point, on when courts can revert to the use of evidence of the surrounding circumstances so as to aid the interpretation of contracts. This, of course, does not in any way accord disproportionate weight to contractual negotiations and agreements prior to the formulation and formulation of the actual contract as a final understanding. The idea is that where a written instrument can independently be interpreted, such interpretation must not be subject to other interpretations derived from other sources. Those other sources begin to only emerge on the ladder of significance when it can be proved that indeed the primary document is shrouded with ambiguity, haziness of terms or even outright incoherence of the terms of the contract. Collateral Contracts Collateral contracts are those contracts whose consideration is the actual entry in another entirely different contract and therefore exists on a side-by side basis. The contract may exist between one party to the main contract and another third party. For instance is a third party pays a party to some contract so as to make entry and reflect the payment in the main contract, it qualifies to be a collateral contract. In the Barry v Davies t/as Heathcote Ball Cocase, for example, it was held the relationship between an auctioneer and some other buyer was primarily collateral in nature. In some cases, however, a collateral contract may exist between parties of the same contract (main contract), insofar as the content and terms of the collateral contract do not contradict- in any way- the contents of the main contract. This provision is, however, hard to prove especially if one cannot adequately and reasonable prove that the collateral contract was agreed on prior to the completion and finalization o f the main contract. It must be grasped that a given collateral contract that significantly varies and or supplements the key provisions of a main contract ought to be supported by an independent and separate consideration so as to make it strand on its own as a contract. This also ensures that is enforceable in law. Relating the Doctrine of Parole Evidence Rule and Collateral Contracts to the Enforceability of Verbal Promises As has been examined in this discourse, parole evidence rule is chiefly concerned with giving preeminence to written instruments over verbal ones. This means, in the light of the suppositions of the rule of parole, verbal statements are inadmissible. This, however, is subject to exceptions. Where the contents and terms of a contract are vague and ambiguous, it is within the discretionary privilege of courts to consider evidence of the surrounding circumstances. At this point, it is arguable to state that verbal promises can then be considered. Again, these verbal promises must be weighed on a scale of relevance so as to ensure that the promises meet the pre determined criterion of constructing and indeed construing a contract. On the other hand, collateral contracts (which may be verbal) must be supported with some credible and separate consideration. This qualifies it to be considered as a separate contract. When considered thus, it will be hopeful and helpful for the potential quest for remedies that would actually b denied when considered in the context of a main contract. So collateral contracts are an alternative that accords enormous opportunities for court remedies and reprieve for aggrieved parties- something that wouldnt be so in main contracts. References Arthur L Corbin, Corbin on Contracts (2nd ed, 1960) 465. 59 Arthur L Corbin, The Parol Evidence Rule (1944) 53 Yale Law Journal 603, 6078 Barry v Davies t/as Heathcote Ball Co[2001] 1 All ER 944; [2000] 1 WLR 1962). Codelfa Constr. Pty. Ltd. v. State Rail Auth. of New South Wales (1982) 149 C.L.R. 337 Gabriel A. Moens, Lisa Cohn Darren Peacock, Australia, in A NEW APPROACH TO INTERNATIONAL CONTRACTS (M.J. Bonell ed., 1999). According to Section 66A of the Trade Practices Act 1974, the CIGs preeminence over the provisions of the Trade Practices Act is established. Gordon v. McGregor (1909) 8 C.L.R . 316. J J Savage Sons Pty Ltd v Blakney(1970) 119 CLR 435 Mercantile Bank of Sydney v. Taylor (1891) 12 L.R. (N.S.W.) 252,262, aft'd, [1893] A.C. 317. Pacific Gas Electric Co v GW Thomas Drayage Rigging Co, 69 Cal 2d 33 (Cal, 1968) (Traynor J). Prenn v Simmonds [1971] 3 All ER 237, 239241, Susan J Martin-Davidson, Yes, Judge Kozinski, There Is a Parol Evidence Rule in California: The Lessons of a Pyrrhic Victory (1995) 25 Southwestern University Law Review 1. 78 Codelfa (1982) 149 CLR 337, 351 Sharington v. Strotton, (1565) 75 Eng. Rep. 454 (K.B.) Shore v. Wilson, (1842) 8 Eng. Rep. 450. Royal Botanic Gardens Domain Trust v. South Sydney City Council (2002) 186 A.L.R. 289, 293) The Parol Evidence Rule: Is It Necessary?, 44 N.Y.U. L. REv. 972, 972 (1969) Tony Cole, Scalia and the Institutional Approach to Law (2003) 34 University of Toledo Law Review 559. Trident Center v Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, 847 F 2d 564 (9th Cir, 1988). Val D Ricks The Sophisticated Doctrine of Consideration (2000) 9 GMLR 99 at 102.Val D Ricks The Sophisticated Doctrine of Consideration (2000) 9 GMLR 99 at 102. Sharington v. Strotton, (1565) 75 Eng. Rep. 454 (K.B.) Shore v. Wilson, (1842) 8 Eng. Rep. 450. The Parol Evidence Rule: Is It Necessary?, 44 N.Y.U. L. REv. 972, 972 (1969) Tony Cole, Scalia and the Institutional Approach to Law (2003) 34 University of Toledo Law Review 559. Pac. Gas Elec. Co. v. G.W. Thomas Drayage Rigging Co., 442 P.2d 641, 644 (Cal. 196 Gordon v. McGregor (1909) 8 C.L.R . 316.

The Unexpected Essays - 9, Steve Andropoulos And Betsy Stewart

The Unexpected by It was a Saturday morning, and I thought it would be a good time to go to the beach with my friends since I had nothing to do for the rest of the week. So I decided to call my best friend Sarah to see if she wanted to drive with me down to the beach Unfortunately, she had a wedding to go to, so she was not able to make it. I was a little disappointed, but I decided to go to the beach by myself. I left home at 3:30 p.m. and arrived at 5:00 p.m. to the beach house. Everything looked the same wa as it did last summer when I came with my sister. The only difference was now I was alone, and that was little scary. The next morning I went to one of my favorite cafes The Italian Coffee. This Cafe held good memories since last summer I worked there. The owners Mr. Roger and Mrs. Roger told me that a job was available if I wanted to work. I thanked them, but e lained that I had other plans for the summer. I told them that the restaurant looked great since it had been renovated. It was very noisy and crowded, yet it had a wonderful atmosphere that customers like. Perhaps, it was the Italian music and the w derful smell of fresh coffee that attracted them. Suddenly a lady came over to my table and asked, '' How are you, Raquel?'' I told her, '' I'm sorry Maam I don't recognize you!. She replied, ''Oooh, Raquel , I'm Elizabeth's aunt''. I said, ''Of course, excuse me''. We started talking about h the place was crowded, and she told me that she had to meet a friend here, but she had not shown up. I told her that it was nice seeing here, but I was expecting a call and I had to go. She promised me she was going to tell Elizabeth to call me so w could get together for lunch soon. When I got home to check the answering machine, the telephone rang. It was mom. She said that Sarah was planning to come Monday, and if I needed anything to give her a call. I thanked her and said,'' You are not going to believe where I just came fr ?. She quickly replied, ''Don't even ask it '' The Italian Coffee''. '' You are right '' I giggled. '' The Rogers are doing great, working like crazy trying to make everything perfect '', I added. She said, '' Honey, I'll give you a call Friday n ht OK!. Good bye!''. So far my day was going great. I sat down and watched MTV. It was a re-run of '' The Real World''. I quickly fell asleep on the couch for two hours and was awakened by the door bell. It was Claudia Roger explaining that her mother had told her that was in town, so she decided to drop by. I told her , '' I'm glad you came by. Are you doing anything for lunch?''. When Claudia told me that she was available, we decided to go to the Dixie to get a cheese burger. On the way to the Dixie , we made a quick stoop by the shoe store to ask Mr. Edwards to tell his daughter that I was going to meet her at 5 o'clock so we could play volley ball with my friends. Mr. Edwards was concerned because he had eard rumors about a kidnapper in town. Since Elizabeth and I were running late , we didn't really pay munch attention to what he was saying. When we got home, Claudia left to go to work. Feeling in the mood for going to the beach, I packed all my th gs and drove there. When I got to the beach I couldn't find my friends, so I grabbed a magazine and all of the sudden felt asleep. Waking from my nap, I had a premonition that something bad was going to happen. I went back to the shoe store in the mall to tell Mr. Edwa s that I didn't see his daughter down at the beach. He didn't know where she was either. He became hysterical and decided to

Positive Psychology Essay Sample

Positive Psychology Essay SampleHere is a good set of essays for the new topic of positive psychology, based on a strong, positive attitude. There are three main parts to the approach to essay writing, each of which requires you to consider strengths and weaknesses. Take a look at this example essay and see how this relates to the new subject.A strengths essay sample covers each of the seven areas in order: personal strengths, intellectual strengths, community strengths, physical strengths, emotional strengths, situational strengths, and lifestyle strengths. There are more areas, but these are the seven basic ones. These are the ones that are generally looked at by an employer or a professor looking to find the intellectual capacity of the candidate, or perhaps a more specific interest area. Let's look at each area individually, starting with strengths.Personal Strengths are commonly thought of as being the attributes that bring the person happiness. Think of the people you admire an d have admired in your life, and try to think of what were their strengths? We all have strengths, though it's important to distinguish between strengths that could be considering intellectual and those that could be considered personal. In order to determine the strength of an individual based on the personal strength, you may need to consider other areas such as life experience, personality traits, or hard work.Intellectual Strengths focuses on the process of positive psychology as a practice and the benefits that are achieved by those who go through it. For example, while working on the abilities that allow someone to study effectively, another aspect of good positive psychology would be confidence, motivation, and understanding. Again, when we're thinking about the ability to study well, we want to focus on the process, not the results. Such cognitive strengths are also often seen as strengths in other areas of positive psychology.Community Strengths is often looked at as streng thsin personal strengths. The focus is more on the lives of others, and it's important to note that positive psychology is not limited to students alone. It can also benefit family members, friends, and co-workers. The focus is also less on the effects of positive psychology than its source, the community itself. A strong community can help a person not only learn how to study better, but also through community activities, understand their strengths and weaknesses, and appreciate themselves and the world around them.Physical Strengths essay sample are those that focus on a person's mental health, their ability to focus, their ability to exercise, and their ability to find enjoyment and relaxation. For many of us, our lives are dominated by the stresses of work, family, finances, and physical stressors. In order to be happy, we need to find ways to relax and find satisfaction in activities that help us relax and relieve stress.Emotional Strengths essay sample relate to our well-being , whether it's in a positive or negative way. For example, if someone is afraid of meeting new people or has problems with social situations, the best approach is to look at their strengths and weaknesses. Even someone who is not anxious or shy could benefit from positive psychology if they knew what their strengths were and how to manage their weaknesses.Lifestyle Strengths essay sample involves how a person views and interacts with society in general. If someone has high expectations of the social circles they enter, that is seen as a weakness. Someone who works too much, or who feels guilty for the time they spend with their family, are usually seen as having a low level of happiness. Taking a look at the strengths that make up a person is a great start to your essay, but you should also take a look at the areas where a person could be lacking.

The Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault

The Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault Although much lesser known than his literary heirs the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen, 17th-century French writer, Charles Perrault, not only solidified the fairy tale as a literary genre but wrote nearly all of the genres most signature stories, including Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, Bluebeard, Puss in Boots, Tom Thumb, and the larger designation of Mother Goose stories. Perrault published his Stories or Tales from Times Past (subtitled Mother Goose Tales) in 1697 and arrived at the end of a long and not entirely satisfying literary life. Perrault was nearly 70 years old and, while he was well-connected, his contributions had been more intellectual than artistic. But this slim volume comprised of three of his earlier verse stories and eight new prose stories achieved a success that hadnt seemed possible to the man whod long made his main living as a civil servant.   Impact on Literature   Some of Perraults stories were adapted from oral tradition, some were inspired by episodes from earlier works, (including Boccaccios The Decameron and Apuleius The Golden Ass), and some were inventions wholly new to Perrault. What was most significantly new was the idea of turning magical folk tales into sophisticated and subtle forms of written literature. While we now think of fairy tales as primarily childrens literature, there was no such thing as childrens literature in Perraults time. With this in mind, we can see that the morals of these tales take on more worldly purposes, despite their slyly clever packaging within the fantastical universe of fairies, ogres, and talking animals. While Perraults original tales are hardly the versions that were fed to us as children, they also cant be expected to be the feminist and socialist alternate versions that we might wish them to be (see Angela Carters 1979 story collection, The Bloody Chamber, for this kind of modern twist; Carter had translated an edition of Perraults fairy tales in 1977 and was inspired to create her own versions as a response). Perrault was an upper-class intellectual during the reign of the Sun King. Unlike the fable-writer Jean de La Fontaine, whose rich narratives often criticized the powerful and took the side of the underdog (in fact he himself was not in favor with the megalomaniacal Louis XIV), Perrault didnt have much of an interest in rocking the boat. Instead, as a leading figure on the modern side of the Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns, he brought new forms and sources to literature to create something that even the ancients had never seen. La Fontaine was on the side of the ancients and wrote fables in the vein of Aesop, and while La Fontaine was much more lyrically sophisticated and intellectually clever, it was Perraults modernity that lay the foundation for a new kind of literature thats created a culture all its own. Perrault may have been writing for adults, but the fairy tales that he first put on paper spawned a revolution in what kinds of stories could be made into literature. Soon, writing for children spread throughout Europe and eventually across the rest of the world. The results and even his own works may have gone far out of Perraults intent or control, but thats what often happens when you introduce something new into the world. It seems that theres a moral somewhere in that. References in Other Works   Perraults tales entered culture in ways that far transcend his own personal artistic reach. They permeated virtually every level of modern art and entertainment- from rock songs to popular films to the most sophisticated stories by literary fabulists such as Angela Carter and Margaret Atwood. With all these tales forming a common cultural currency, the clarity and intent of the originals have often been either obscured or contorted to serve sometimes questionable meanings. And while a film like 1996s Freeway creates a brilliant and necessary twist on the Little Red Riding Hood story, many more popular versions of Perraults works (from the saccharine Disney films to the grotesquely insulting Pretty Woman) manipulate their audiences by promoting reactionary gender and class stereotypes. Much of this is in the originals, though, and its often surprising to see just what is and what isnt in the original versions of these seminal fairy tales. Tales by Perrault In Puss in Boots, the youngest of three sons inherits only a cat when his father dies, but through the cats wily scheming the young man ends up wealthy and married to a princess. Perrault, who was in favor with Louis XIV, provides two interconnected but  competing  morals to the  tale, and he clearly had the machinations of the court in mind with this witty satire. On the one hand, the tale promotes the idea of using hard work and ingenuity to get ahead, rather than just relying on your parents money. But on the other hand, the story warns against being taken in by pretenders who may have achieved their wealth in unscrupulous ways. Thus, a tale that seems like a didactic childrens fable actually serves as a double-edged send-up of class mobility as it existed in the seventeenth century. Perraults Little Red Riding Hood reads much like the popularized versions that we all grew up with, but with one big difference: the wolf eats the girl and her grandmother, and nobody comes along to save them. Without the happy ending that the Brothers Grimm supply in their version, the story serves as a warning to young women against talking to strangers, especially against charming wolves who seem civilized but are perhaps even more dangerous. Theres no heroic male to slay the wolf and save Little Red Riding Hood from her own gullible innocence. Theres only danger, and its up to young women to learn how to recognize it. Like Puss in Boots, Perraults Cinderella also has two competing and contradictory morals, and they likewise discuss questions of marriageability and class connection. One moral claims that charm is more important than looks when it comes to winning a mans heart, an idea that suggests that anyone can achieve happiness, regardless of their conventional assets. But the second moral declares that no matter what natural gifts you have, you need a godfather or godmother in order to put them to good use. This message acknowledges, and perhaps supports, societys profoundly uneven playing field. The most strange and amazing of Perraults tales, Donkey Skin, is also one of his least known, probably because its shocking grotesqueries have no way of being watered down and made easily palatable. In the story, a dying queen asks her husband to remarry after her death, but only to a princess even more beautiful than her. Eventually, the kings own daughter grows to surpass her dead mothers beauty, and the king falls deeply in love with her. At the suggestion of her fairy godmother, the princess makes seemingly impossible demands of the king in exchange for her hand, and the king somehow fulfills her demands each time to both shimmering and terrifying effect. Then she demands the skin of the kings magic donkey, which defecates gold coins and is the source of the kingdoms wealth. Even this the king does, and so the princess flees, wearing the donkey skin as a permanent disguise. In Cinderella-like fashion, a young prince rescues her from her squalor and marries her, and events transpire so that her father also ends up happily paired with a neighboring widow-queen. Despite the tidiness of all its ends, this is the story that contains the messiest and wildest of Perraults invented worlds. Perhaps that is why posterity has been unable to tame it into a version that feels comfortable presenting to children. There is no Disney version, but for the adventurous, Jacques Demys 1970 film starring Catherine Deneuve manages to capture all of the storys perversity while casting the loveliest and most magical spell on its viewers.

The Financial Crisis of 2008 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Financial Crisis of 2008 - Essay Example [Wisman &Barker, 2008]. An interesting and relatively new idea is put forth by James Livingston in his book "Their Great Depression and Ours," Challenge. He argues that the cause of the Great Depression in the 1930s was poor wage performance leading to large profits in search of few investment opportunities. In another article, Saving Private Savings, or, The God That Failed he discusses at length the plausible reasons reasons for the current economic crisis. While not blaming anyone in particular for the present economic crisis, he opines that economic growth is possible only through higher consumer demand and spending. This in turn requires higher savings. In his words, "economic growth has proceeded as a function of declining net investment for the last 90 years."As the sequence of events that should have been tax cuts, savings, investments by the government and higher job growth, higher wages and higher spending got mixed up, higher private savings from households and business firms were parked in the stock market, the speculative bubble had to burst, both in 1920s and now. 2) What are some of the similarities and differences between the current crisis and the one that launched the Great Depression The Great Depression of the 1930s was brought on by the crash of the Wall Street in September and October 1929.Stock prices tumbled by almost 50% in a matter of two months. The market had probably been overbought and had reached a peak before it came crashing down. The unpredictable stock markets that had been steadily rising for some time shed the excess fat and trimmed down considerably. Investors who had made good gains in stock markets the preceding years had borrowed from banks to invest more on the stock markets. When the markets crashed, there was panic all round. Banks were unable to recover debts, news of banks closing down spread and people wanted to withdraw all their savings. Banks were weary and wanted to sit on cash and stopped lending. This led to closure of the manufacturing units dependent on credit which in turn led to large scale unemployment. Finally the government took drastic steps to check the recession and the economy stopped declining. The similarities between the causes leading to the Great Depression and the economic situation seem to be the greed of human beings. Excess of anything is bad, especially greed. Rothschild is of the opinion that "herding" or the tendency to follow the crowd and "leveraging" or borrowing to make financial investments, were also common factors. In both the situations, greed fuelled people into higher borrowings and ultimately, they lost out on the capital too. In the 1930s, it was the greed of the common man that led to the Recession, while in 2008, it was the greed of the investment bankers and other financial wizards that led to the recession. Another similarity has been

The civil war Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The civil war - Essay Example Then the South used slave labor as a mode of production. The invention of the cotton gin made cotton farming more profitable, making the South more reliant on slave labor and thereby further drawing a wedge between itself and the North. The North on the other hand gradually made a dereliction on agriculture and the countryside because of the Industrial Revolution. Factory work became more popular as New York, New Haven and Boston emerged as industrialized cities and thereby leading to mercantilism in the North’s economy. This economy was heavily reliant on the shipping industry and was more diverse, ethnically. This spurred technological advancements and emergence of new ideas, onwards. Constitutional convention At the time of the Revolution, two camps had emerged: those in favor of the federal government; and those in favor of the rights of the state. The US government had also been organized under the Articles of Confederation, after the American Revolution. As political and legal problems arose, the weakness of this type of government compelled leaders to assemble at the Constitutional Convention to secretly create the US Constitution. This development produced strong opposition from proponents of state rights like Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson, since they were absent in the meeting. Thomas Jefferson and his group felt that the new constitution undermined the right of the state to act independently, yet states should have the prerogatives of deciding the acceptance of certain federal acts. This development led to nullification, a legal provision whereby states would have to declare federal acts unconstitutional. The federal government denied these states these rights. Other proponents like John Calhoun fought relentlessly for nullification. When the clamor for nullification failed, some states felt that they were disrespected, and moved towards secession. This further created the rift between the North and South (Tindall and Shi, 72). Constitutio nal compromises Slavery as an institution was entrenched in America and its constitution, thereby bringing about critical problems to the 19th century US. Spates of compromises were made in the US Congress to stave off these problems, to hold the Union together, though every compromise4 brought about different problems. Free labor vs. slave labor While free labor solely depended on the will or consent of the slave to work, slave labor compelled the slave to work. Despite the responsibility that slave owner would take over the slave, there would be no guarantee that the slave would work for him in free labor settlement. For slave labor, there would be no reason for the slave not to work except sickness. Failure to work would readily invite punitive measures such as whipping and even death. The only alternatives for one providing slave labor would be escaping and/ or being set free. The issue of free labor vs. slave labor also threatened to split the South and North in that while the North supported free labor, the South supported slave labor. This disparity led to the emergence of Free and Slave states. 1820 Missouri Compromise The ideological rivalry over slavery between the North and South culminated into attempts at compromises. Particularly, the Missouri Compromise of 1820 became another way the North and Sou