Analyzing Case Study Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analyzing Case Study - Research Paper Example The analysis will take into consideration the actions and decisions of the energy industry regulators to promote competition in the industry. United Kingdom Energy Markets As demonstrated by the actions of British Gas and the Scottish and Southern Energy, the energy market in U.K is characterized by collusion and cartels. These oligopolistic market structures enable the six larger firms in this industry to regulate the market by determining the prices and supply of energy products. An oligopoly is a market structure, which is controlled by few producers, and each of the producers has control over the market. The extent to which an industry or a market is dominated by a few leading firms is determined by the concentration ratio. It is an industry where the level of market concentration is high. In most circumstances, an oligopoly exists when there are five large firms, and the demand or sales of their products account for 60 percent of the total market. There is no specified theory th at explains how firms determine the output and price under the conditions of oligopoly. If there are price wars in the industry the oligopolistic firms will produce and price their products as perfect competitive industry, at other times they will behave like a pure monopoly. The following are the characteristics of oligopoly market structure; these characteristics are also displayed by the UK energy market. First, product branding; this feature is seen when every firm in the market is selling differentiated (branded) products. For example, British Gas, EDF, E.ON, Scottish Power, Npower, and SSE firms among other small firms in the energy industry sell differentiated products in the UK energy markets. Second, entry barriers; considerable entry barriers into the industry market prevents other firms to enter the market thus enabling dominant firms to maintain supernormal profits. Various small firms may operate on the edge of an oligopolistic market, but these firms are not large enou gh to have a considerable effect on the market output and prices. In July 2011, the British Gas announced an increase in electricity and gas prices by 16 percent and 18 percent respectively just eight months after it increased its prices. British Gas managing director defended the increase in prices saying that the market rates for energy has increased in the global energy market, which increased the wholesale costs of the firm by 30 percent for the last one year (King 2011). While reacting to this increase in energy prices energy minister, Chris Huhne demanded change in the UK electricity market. Energy secretary Chris Huhne, held a meeting with small energy suppliers, with an objective of finding ways of breaking the dominance of the large six electricity and gas companies and help in keeping energy prices down. The plan of the minister was to abolish the entry barriers in the energy market to allow competition between small and large firms in the energy industry (King 2011). The actions of Chris clearly show that there are entry barriers in the UK energy market. Third, interdependent decision making; in oligopolistic market firms take into consideration the possible responses of their competitors to any change in output, price or forms of non-price competition. Increase of gas and electricity prices by British Gas came one month after

Brave mother Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Brave mother - Essay Example of the modern world, the role of the mother in the lives of her children has come to diminish, especially with the empowerment of women and their taking up of roles, which were previously reserved for men. The modern world has brought about plenty of challenges to motherhood, and some of these challenges tend to revolve around the fact that mothers are either working fulltime, or that they are going to college to further their education. While in previous generations the chances of couples divorcing were extremely slim, in the contemporary one, it has become commonplace, with many marriages falling apart in very short times. When this happens, it has become the norm for mothers to be given full custody of their children, which has led to the burden of the raising of children to become solely the domain of the mother. This situation has become extremely difficult especially when one considers that many mothers have to balance either work or school with the raising of their children; s omething which is becoming extremely difficult to achieve especially for those families that need an income. Today, mothers are faced with the task of not only raising their children, but also their fulfilling their obligations to their employers in order to earn an income. This raises the need for mothers to balance their work and family life. In order to achieve this, many mothers have looked for alternatives, which will not only enable them to work effectively, but also be able to spend time with their children. One of the ways that many mothers seem to be adopting is that of working from home. Many mothers have chosen to telecommute and this has ensured that they are able to spend more time at home working during the time when they would have been commuting to work. This has enabled them to get rid of work faster so that when their children come home from school, they find their mothers free to spend valuable time with them. Working mothers have also taken to using one calendar for

Comparison of Music Genres Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Comparison of Music Genres - Essay Example There are a number of disparities between jazz music and classical music. However, there are also some similarities that exist in the two music genres. One common aspect of jazz and classical music is the use of musical beat and regular rhythm. In jazz, music drums play a constant a rhythmic groove which is usually 4/4 and stresses on the backbeat of 2 and 4. In classical music, there is also a steady rhythm which highlights the musical motions. The rhythm emphasizes the downbeat of one rhythmic count (Livingston). Another similarity that exists between the two music genre is the instrumentation. Jazz and classical music at times use common instruments. For instance, classical used saxophone from the 19th century and has modernized to a symphony orchestra. The saxophone is an implement that is mostly used in jazz music by the most famous jazz artists such as Sidney Bechet. Another significant similarity is the improvisation. Improvisation is one of the ways in which classical and jazz music has remained discrete in their respective approaches and attitudes. Improvisation is an essential part of jazz, in cases of small additions and variations to a melody or the entire improvised free solo. Similarly, in classic, there is some use of improvisation or aleatoric elements (Livingston). The differences between jazz and classical music are seen in the choice of the instrument, how the music is played and the style of the music. As much improvisation is in jazz and classical music, it also helps in distinguishing the two types of music.  Ã‚  

Critical Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 14

Critical Thinking - Essay Example As shown below these three sources are of greatest threat to our well-being. Motor vehicles have been pointed out as a major source of environmental pollution for a long time; they produce CO2 among other poisonous gases, which are responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer as well as CO, which is a non-detectable poisonous gas. Coal, which is also burned in several industries as a source of energy, has been flagged by environmentalists as a major contributor to carbon dioxide too. Other sources of pollutants include fossil fuels which act as a source of Sulfur Dioxide when burnt and Nitrogen Oxide which is produced when the fuels in vehicles are combusted (Sukhraj 18). Air pollutants have been shown to have several detrimental effects to the environment. The gases interact with the water in the atmosphere to produce acidic rain, which is corrosive and therefore erodes the paint of buildings and kills life in plants and rivers due to its poisonous nature. These fumes have also been identified as carcinogenic and over time, residents living in places with high pollution rates will have a higher prevalence rate of eyes nose and throat infections as well as the development of cancer. There reduction of air pollution is very important and several steps have been taken to do this. Vehicles have been given several standards of performance, which all companies must maintain failure to which their vehicles will not be allowed in certain countries. Catalytic converters have also been installed in vehicles and in factories where sulfur is a by-product so as to reduce the sulfur compounds released into the environment (Sukhraj 23). The introduction of harmful substances to soil and water is another problem that is being faced in many places. Most water pollutants are manmade and are a result of industrial activity too close to agricultural land and water sources. However, natural sources of water pollution include water

Poetry Research Paper on Langston Hughes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Poetry Research Paper on Langston Hughes - Essay Example His was to make, living forever, the pride found in the African-American identity and culture. Through writings and action, he boldly campaigned against racial stereotypes and social injustices against the Blacks. He tirelessly worked to bring the idea of African-American beauty into reality as in one of his poems, My People: The Night is Beautiful, So the faces of my people. The Stars are beautiful, So the eyes of my people. Beautiful, also, in the sun. Beautiful, also, are the souls of my people (Leach, 7). Langston Hughes and his contemporaries tried, in their literary works, to describe the real life of their people, who belonged to the lower economic classes, and with miserable life. They strongly opposed discrimination against Blacks by Whites, based on skin color. These were people who were not ashamed of being black during a time when being black was considered a curse. Hughes emphasized the idea of â€Å"black is beautiful† and therefore took it upon his life to explo re this beauty largely (Leach 5). Hughes promoted a nationalism characterized by not only racial consciousness but also one, which had a cultural inclination, free of self-hate, a characteristic of Blacks in Africa. He encouraged them to be proud of their cultural identity. His technical experience was seen in his emphasis on the use of folk and jazz rhythms as a corner stone for his poems. He first published his poem, â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers,† in The Crisis in 1921. Many considered this poem as his signature poem. He proceeded to publish his first collection of poetry, The Weary Blues, a collection in which he included the â€Å"signature poem† (Leach 5). â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† is a poem, which has attracted both critics and fans alike. Its allusions of dusky rivers, the setting sun, sleep, and the soul provides with both the idea of death and immortality. The poet bounces back to life from desperate grief, an action he does by resorting to his belief in his people and his sense of identity with them. He portrays his weak self as a child as well as that of his father. He uses the imagery of a muddy river for his race. This is where he gets his source of life, from the â€Å"muddy bosom† (black mother). Hughes also equates his vision to the angle at which the sun shines above the muddy water, which has the power to turn mud into gold (Rampersad qtd. in On â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers†). As Owuchekwa Jemie puts it, Hughes accounts in this poem go back to a period before human existence. The rivers can be traced back to the time of creation, and with that is part of God’s eternity since they are everything from deep, mysterious and even continuous. Hughes has named them in chronological pattern, similar to that of the Black man’s history. Their waters have given the black man an immortal life. He has actually become part of the river. Hughes also captures Abraham Lincoln’s freeing of black slaves in the writer’s unprecedented turning of the muddy Mississippi into gold. Just like the river, the black man’s soul becomes deep with time. The waters in these rivers also flow incessantly, a declaration that the human soul will endure all the difficulties. In addition, since the blacks have seen civilizations come and go, they will certainly emerge victorious at the end. According to Jean Wagner, the Black’s long history endows them with a rare form of wisdom; wisdom better than that of the great civilizations in man’

Preschool Literature Program Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Preschool Literature Program - Research Paper Example My effort in this regard would be to introduce literature-based instructional program to promote a combination of learning techniques including behavioural, cognitive and constructivist approaches. Selecting literature titles Developing literature-based instruction primarily involves selecting age appropriate literature material for children (Assessing Children’s Literature, 2003). When selecting a title it is important to consider how far children of that particular age group could connect to it. The title needs to make sense to them so that they can understand its meaning. It has to be kept short and simple and tell about the main subject of the story. As children of this age are not aware of abstract concepts, it is wise to have titles that describe concrete objects that children see around them, love to have and that would appeal to their imagination. A teacher could select a title depending on what she/he wants to teach them. So that children start learning values of life through literature and start associating with them from an early age. In this respect it has to be seen that the titles do not harp at any stereotypical ideas, prejudices and biases (Assessing Children’s Literature, 2003) as the main purpose of having literature-based learning is to inculcate liberal values in children. Selection of media When it comes to literature-based instruction for preschool children it is best to opt for an interactive media. Interactive media in this case would mean instructor-led teaching mode. For so small children the teacher would be the best medium for facilitating learning. The teacher or the instructor plays the pivotal role in building up an interactive learning environment either through reading storybooks or providing with audio-visual treat of a story. So whatever media she/he chooses, it is her/his interpretation of the text that the children will eventually pick up. Vygotsky (1985) claims that reading aloud makes way for an interactive p rocess between the adult and the child that helps the child comprehend the meaning of the text. Therefore the teacher has to ensure proper interaction in the class whether it is reading storybooks or audio-visual story-telling. Developmental goals in introducing literature based instruction Language development For preschool children the first step of learning is language learning. Language is best learnt in a given context. Literature provides the context for learning language. When the teacher reads out a story in a class and enacts it too where necessary, the children are introduced to a sea of new words used in a particular context. They not only learn a new word but its specific usage too. Had the word been taught independently, its significance would have been lost on the child. In this way the child’s vocabulary increases and also his ability to comprehend meaning in a given situation (Clay, 1976). Intellectual development Literature helps in developing critical thinki ng and heuristic skill. After reading out a poem or a story, or showing them a visual representation, the teacher should ask open questions about what the children saw or heard and through probing questions encourages the child to think about other alternatives. The teacher’s focus is to develop the child’s intellectual capacity. Personality development The process of interaction involves in forming and

Engineering and Technology versus the natural Environment Essay

Engineering and Technology versus the natural Environment - Essay Example More recently of course, particularly during the late 19th century and early 20th century, a great array of scientific and technical discoveries were made which directly affected the way in which mankind viewed its environment as something to be changed to meet its needs and desires more conveniently. With engineering innovations came bigger houses, transportation systems, increased infrastructure and urban development. All of these things, once made apparent to mankind, did not remain novelties for long, but soon became seen as essential and a practical and fundamental aspect to civilised living, without which, human needs were not being met. The famous psychologist, Abraham Maslow explains this shift in thought in his ‘hierarchy of needs’ theory (1973). This theory explains that human needs are based upon which needs have already been met. At the bottom of the hierarchy, are the more physical human needs of shelter and nourishment. When these are difficult to come by, they are essentially all that is felt to be ‘needed’ by the individual. It is only when these needs are met, that the person feels a need for something else, which according to this theory, would be things like friendship and family. At the top of the hierarchy, are much more emotional needs such as self-actualisation, professional achievement and similar. The point is, as the world became built up and urbanised, and more tools and aesthetic factors thus became more common, people’s needs and expectations fundamentally changed.... de apparent to mankind, did not remain novelties for long, but soon became seen as essential and a practical and fundamental aspect to civilised living, without which, human needs were not being met. The famous psychologist, Abraham Maslow explains this shift in thought in his ‘hierarchy of needs’ theory (1973). This theory explains that human needs are based upon which needs have already been met. At the bottom of the hierarchy, are the more physical human needs of shelter and nourishment. When these are difficult to come by, they are essentially all that is felt to be ‘needed’ by the individual. It is only when these needs are met, that the person feels a need for something else, which according to this theory, would be things like friendship and family. At the top of the hierarchy, are much more emotional needs such as self-actualisation, professional achievement and similar. The point is, as the world became built up and urbanised, and more tools and aes thetic factors thus became more common, people’s needs and expectations fundamentally changed. Quite paradoxically, as the world has radically shifted in its desires to become increasingly civilised, archeologically impressive and technologically convenient, so too has the global interest in maintaining the natural environment. In recent decades, the adverse impact that technology and engineering has had upon the natural environment has become increasingly apparent and worrisome, as rainforest destruction is widespread and climate changes have reached shocking levels. Environmental groups have long been urging people to acknowledge the crucial importance of maintaining the natural environment, not just because of the vital role that its elements play in sustaining life, but because of its beauty and