Don Quixote Essay Example for Free

Don Quixote Essay Fiction and Metafiction in Borges Ficciones and Cervantes Don Quixote dela Mancha Unbelievable and amazing may perhaps best describe the literature that the world has as of the moment. It is unbelievable because who would have thought that the wide spectrum of literary works would be so great in number? At the same time, it is amazing as the progress and history which literature has gone through are truly marvelous. The literary works which are within humanitys reach are incomparable to what people back then had. The literary works of the moment which are within humanitys reach is a compilation of history, art, language, the sciences, and politics of every generation, culture, and nation. Truly, literature has such a monumental scope within its pages that sometimes, a person may be lost with so many things literature has to offer. Literature is both fact and fiction and is inspired both by history and creative imagination. The elements within literature are all reflections of the realities of society, but these things can still be considered as fictional—after all, fact is fact and pure truth—nothing more. But what if something fictional seems so real that it seems to be factual and true? What if a person or a character which is just imagined seems to be a real person of this world? What if the line between reality and imagined is confusing and seems to be separated by nothing at all? Two authors by the name of Jorge Luis Borges and Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra are the answers to such questions. Saavedra who wrote (or â€Å"supposedly re-wrote) the famous adventure of Don Quixote dela Mancha and Jorge Luis Borges who wrote the seventeen literary pieces contained within Ficciones are fictional writers. When a person talks about fiction, it usually pertains to one thing—created by the imagination. Thus, it means that any work of fiction is merely invented by any person and that any fictional work is not true, is false, and can never be a fact. Yet, Saavedra and Borges have created literary works which are fictional but they seem so real and true that a person is left to believe that they are indeed the truth—metafiction. Metafiction, according to Patricia Waugh, is â€Å"a term given to fictional writing which self-consciously and systematically draws attention to its status as an artifact in order to pose questions about the relationship between fiction and reality† (qtd. in Liu). Thus, metafiction is indeed fictional and from the imagination, and it aims to confuse readers about what is real and what is merely created by a person. How does a person achieve this? Again, according to Patricia Waugh, â€Å"such writings not only examine the fundamental structures of narrative fiction, they also explore the possible fictionality of the world outside the literary fictional text† (qtd. in Liu). Thus, an author creates a fictional world and creates another fictional world within the already imagined world—creating a metafictional world. In Borges Ficciones and Saavedras Don Quixote dela Mancha—this metafictional world is truly what they have conjured up. Ficciones is a book which contains seventeen fictional literary pieces that seem to be real. Each piece has its own world, own elements of characters, settings, and even at some point, its own mind and language. There are pieces such as the Library of Babel that appears to be real and true that a reader also wants to believe that such place is true. In that particular piece (from Part One of the book), Borges describes a library in length and in awe. The whole thing seems to be an introduction to a novel of some sort, and yet at the same time, it also seems to come from a real book full of factual evidences that such a library exists. In the following excerpt, Borges describes the library and the people who are fascinated with it: â€Å"When it was proclaimed that the Library comprised all books, the first impression was one of extravagant joy. All men felt themselves of a secret, intact treasure. The universe was justified, the universe suddenly expanded to the limitless dimensions of hope† (83). However, further in the Library of Babel, Borges even talks of mystical books such as the Vindications which are â€Å"books of apology and prophesy which vindicated for all time the actions of every man in the world and established a store of prodigious arcana for the future† (83). What Borges has created is a fictional world, but a reader may find that world to be so palpable and genuine that it appears to be impossible that it is just imagined. The same conclusion can be given to Saavedra and his work on Don Quixote dela Mancha. In Saavedras work, the book is divided into two parts—one is the tale or adventure itself of Don Quixote and the second part is the metafictional work wherein the author talks directly to the readers and even to the characters that they all seem to be real people when clearly, they are all imagined. The ridiculous adventure of Don Quixote and his â€Å"squire† Sancho Panza is so preposterous (as with the example of the enchanted peasant girl or the basin turned into a knights helmet), far-fetched, and humorous that a person will not for a second think that the entire tale is true. However, when Saavedra writes the second part of the book, doubts and hesitations replace the earlier convictions. For example, in the first part, Saavedra writes about a Dulcinea who was believed by Don Quixote to be a princess in disguise of a peasant girl when in fact, she really is a peasant girl. Later on though, Saavedra explains this turn of events in Don Quixotes life: â€Å"I have reason to think that Sanchos artifice to deceive his mater, and make him believe the peasant girl to be Dulcinea enchanted, was in fact, all a contrivance of some one of the magicians who persecute Don Quixote † (369). Therefore, Saavedra has created two worlds—one that is entirely fictional wherein the character of Don Quixote resides, and the other is metaficitonal wherein the character of Don Quixote does reside still but which it is explained why he has such ridiculous notions of chivalry and enchantments. In conclusion, though metafiction may seem to be such a complex and wondrous thing, it cannot exist without a person knowing first what is fictional. Metafiction exists in the world of fiction—a person cannot write or create a metafictional world without going into a fictional one. That is like a person wanting to break the rules without knowing what were the rules in the first place. Literature is truly complex but at the same time unbelievable and amazing—Saavedra and Borges can attest to that. Works Cited Borges, Jorge Luis. Ficciones. New York: Grove Press, 1962. Saavedra, Miguel de Cervantes. Don Quixote dela Mancha. New York: Penguin Group Incorporated, 1957. Lui, Kate. â€Å"Theories of Metafiction. † Postmodern Theories and Texts. 1998. Department of English Language and Literature, Fu Jen University. 4 Aug. 2009.

Comparative Analysis of Lawrence Kohlberg and Carol Gilligan

Comparative Analysis of Lawrence Kohlberg and Carol Gilligan Emma Haslam Moral Reasoning Human well-being is not a random phenomenon. It depends on many factors ranging from genetics and neurobiology to sociology and economics. But, clearly, there are scientific truths to be known about how we can flourish in this world. Wherever we can have an impact on the well-being of others, questions of morality apply. Sam Harris (2015) In many respects, the cognitive-developmental paradigm within moral psychology has had an unstable record. First introduced by Baldwin (1906), then taken up but quickly abandoned by Piaget (1932, 1965), many years passed before it was reintroduced and fully delineated by Kohlberg (1971, 1984). The limitations of the moral domain have now been extended well beyond those of Kohlberg’s justice research to include other orientations to moral understanding such as Carol Gilligan’s ‘Care’ research (1982). The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast two theories of moral reasoning with reference to empirical research. Named theories include Lawrence Kohlbergs Justice and Carol Gilligans Care. This piece will focus on the studies individually as well as comparing the similarities and differences for both and will also look into some critical reviews from other research that has been conducted since regarding care and justice. The reason for choosing Kohlberg and Gilligans pieces of research are because both are leading researchers in the field of cognitive development and the research is known and used by academics worldwide. Lawrence Kohlberg was a developmental psychologist who studied Piagets constructivist theory and continued to base his own work around the model constructed by Piaget. This led to Kohlberg developing his own cognitive developmental model known today as ‘Justice’. Kohlberg had a direction for his research and that was to focus on the reasoning behind answers. Feminists (among other) have criticised the hegemony of justice reasoning in Kohlberg’s theory, proposing that a more relational, â€Å"care and response† orientation is an equally valid conception of morality and one that is more often representative of the moral experience of a woman (e.g. Gilligan 1982; Noddings, 1984). Carol Gilligan became a student and research assistant of Lawrence Kohlberg in 1970 and provided her own justifications from Kohlberg’s original addition and proposed considering gender identity and therefore made another discovery within the field of cognitive developmental psychology that Kohlberg did not consider. Kohlberg began his research looking into how children develop from birth and continued the research to span an entire lifetime. ‘The founding principle of development was the recognition of the value of justice, acceptance of justice as a governing factor of an individual’s own actions and also a philosophical understanding of justice’ (Kohlberg, 1971). This shows very early on that everything was based around understanding justice and how it applied to an individual’s understanding towards moral reasoning. The first questions provide evidence for this and it is stated How to avoid punishment from a punitive point of view (Kohlberg, 1984). This statement highlights the fact that the empirical research is justice based. There are three main stages to Kohlberg’s research with six sub-sections. ‘The first is the Pre conventional stage Obedience and punishment orientation (How can I avoid punishment?), Self-interest orientation, (Whats in it for me ?), (Paying for a benefit). The second stage is Conventional, Interpersonal accord and conformity (Social norms) (The good boy/girl attitude), Authority and social-order maintaining orientation (Law and order morality) and the final is Level 3, Post-Conventional, Social contract orientation, Universal ethical principles, (Principled conscience).’ (Kohlberg, 1971). Gilligan would go on to criticise Kohlberg’s theory as Kohlberg only studied privileged white men and boys, Gilligan felt this caused a bias opinion against women. Gilligan designed a paradigm of female development centralised on the subject of caring as a formative virtue. This was based around Kohlberg’s original ideas and structure. Gilligan wanted to outline that women were not â€Å"moral midgets† and was also against many psychological opinions such as another great theorist, Erikson who believed that the tasks of development were separation from the mother and family. If women did not succeed on this scale then those individuals were â€Å"obviously lacking†. Therefore Gilligan’s goal was seen as a good case for feminism and psychology as a whole. The view focused on the individual’s growth to care for and better understand others. Gilligan’s earliest transition for the stages of development suggests a move from self interest to a responsibility for others (Arnold, 2000). The male life form was seen as a norm. Psychologists that performed research before for example Freud, Piaget and Erikson; all had male points of view and focused mainly on male cognitive development. The previous views are shown to be neither neutral nor impartial. There is no room for care or human relationships which are essential parts for morals of maturity (Gilligan, 1977). Kohlberg’s study group subjected only male participants to the research, whereas Gilligan’s study group was subject to only female participants. Early constructivist views of cognitive development show little between genders. Gilligan observed that the alienation felt from Kohlberg’s views were the result from his studies having a skewed perspective towards male development as most of the research conducted in the field prior to Kohlberg. The result of this was a formative foundation for male cognitive development. Kohlberg discovered that male subjects develop in relation to the understanding of justice, from simple punitive evasion to a satisfied philosophical acceptance for the meaning of justice. Gilligan’s study group was a duplicate study of Kohlberg’s work with, alternate focus that allowed for comparison for any significant differences in gender development. Females follow a different trend of cognitive and that focuses around caring and a r espect for life. Gilligan discovered that female subjects develop in the understanding of humanity, developing from simple obedience to a universal philosophical understanding of morality. ‘Gilligan also discovered that a morality of care can also serve in place of the morality of justice and rights earlier theorised by Kohlberg. Gilligan views morality of care and morality of justice as distinct yet also connecting’. (Young, 1999). Gilligan believed that the care based morality was prominent in women. Co-operation, compromise makes levels of overall happiness much higher in women. This is partially due to how men and women are socialised. Unlike Kohlberg’s three main and six sub stages, Gilligan’s research only comprised of three stages, Pre-conventional where one learns to care for oneself, Conventional, this shows that and individual put their own needs behind them to care for others and finally the post-conventional stage. This is when a balance is rea ched and the individual learns to care for themselves and others at the same time. All of the research conducted by both Kohlberg and Gilligan has had critical reviews by other researches in the field however, the basis of the research is crucial to knowing a basing around the moral foundation of an individual. In conclusion, most moral psychologists accepted that there are two types of moral reasoning which are Kohlberg’s justice and Gilligans care, although Kohlberg’s vast legacy to moral psychology is widely acknowledged to far outweigh the shortcomings of his theory, in recent years there has been a growing sense within the cognitive-developmental paradigm that a more comprehensive theory of morality is long overdue. By more closely attending to the contextual and subjective features of morality of everyday life, this contemporary work lays the foundation for a more comprehensive understanding of the nature of the moral person. Further research within this field is widely anticipated to gain greater knowledge around how and why people view and practice moral behaviour in society and within oneself. References Arnold, M. (2000). Stage, Sequence, and Sequels: Changing Conceptions of Morality, Post-Kohlberg. Retrieved 1 April 2015, from http://202.119.108.48/dyxr/Text/2008-01-03-03-21-01d03sf445zxbupn3k5ed2e555_4.pdf Ashcraft, K., Mumby, D. (2004). Reworking gender. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Blum, L. (1988). Gilligan and Kohlberg: Implications for Moral Theory. ETHICS, 98(3), 472. doi:10.1086/292966 BrainyQuote,. (2015). Sam Harris Quotes at BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved 4 April 2015, from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/s/samharris527746.html Elorrieta-Grimalt, M. (2012). A Critical Analysis of Moral Education According to Lawrence Kohlberg. Educ.Educ, 15(3), 497-512. doi:10.5294/edu.2012.15.3.9 Kohlberg, L. (1968). Early Education: A Cognitive-Developmental View. Child Development, 39(4), 1013. doi:10.2307/1127272 Reed, T. (1987). Developmental Moral Theory:The Psychology of Moral Development. Lawrence Kohlberg. ETHICS, 97(2), 441. doi:10.1086/292850 Whetnall, E. (1933). The Moral Judgment of the Child. By Jean Piaget. (International Library of Psychology and Philosophy. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trà ¼bner Co. 1932. Pp. ix + 417. Price 12s. 6d.). Philosophy, 8(31), 373. doi:10.1017/s0031819100033131

Migrant Life in Greece During the Economic Crisis

Migrant Life in Greece During the Economic Crisis Tsiori Maria Abstract For a long time Greece has been a country of emigration. Despite the ongoing economic downturn of recent years the country has turned into a host country for many migrants from Africa and Asia mainly as a gateway illegally, into the EU. Consequently, this migratory movement in this country has attracted a lot of academic interest as the issue is of vast importance to not only the EU but also the Greek government , Greek society and migrants alike. The aim of this work is to provide an in depth view of migrant life in Greece at present both through their eyes and from the perspective of the people their presence impacts upon. Migration to Greece through Turkey, especially has exploded recently and this thesis will explore the reasons migrants have ended up in Greece whilst in transit further west or the reasons they end up settling there and how the current economic climate of Greece itself is directly affecting migrant lives. It will investigate how much the migrants integrate into G reek culture or the extent of the formation of their own social networks within the country and whether this integration or lack thereof affects the air of xenophobia seemingly increasing as of late. Moreover , it will investigate how the Greek government is handling the issue , the related animosity from either side and the positive and negative aspects the migrants have on Greek society both in the immediate area and on a larger scale both economically and socially. Literature view The collection and review of relevant literature went on throughout course of the project and included both empirical and theoretical texts. As far as the former are concerned we reviewed the recent literature on the European emigration at times of crisis as well as academic texts which deal with issue of emigration and economic crises more broadly. A person occupying another country for over a year is defined as a long-term migrant by the EU, and a short-term migrant over three months but under a year (UN DESA 1998) with a clear distinction from tourism but the ultimate intentions of that movement of individuals may be unclear or may even evolve with time and give rise to the use of other definitions of migration as can be seen with seasonal migration. A major factor influencing human societies is that of migration and an ever increasing amount of investigation and analysis into this issue and the effects of it. It is by no means a new phenomenon with many large scale movements of people in history but especially with the improved ease of movement we definitely can recognize this time as the age of migration (Castles Miller, 2009) with some researchers citing that migration never ceases to finish (Schapendonk, 2011). One characteristic of modern day migration is that of irregular migration or illegal migrants as peoples moveme nts infringe upon host countries laws but the latter term reinforces the criminal nature of the act .Such activity can be seen in a major way in the area the Greek-Turkish borders where there exists a significant portal of entry into Europe (Schapendonk, 2011). Whether the migration process stops for individuals depends on the conditions of life the migrants find. It can be seen in the current literature, that investigations into migration highlight the effect that migration has but not the actual migration mechanism (Karczemski Boer, 2010). Furthermore, there exists numerous theories concerning migration internationally and contemporary research tends towards a multidisciplinary angle (Castles Miller, 2009) but there is a large proportion of analysis focusing on how social migrant networks integrate into migration and what part they play (Schapendonk, 2011; Koser Pinkerton, 2002; Spittel, 1998). Academics define these networks as sets of interpersonal ties that connect migrants, former migrants, and non-migrants in origin and destination areas through ties of kinship, friendship, and shared community origin (Gelderblom Adams, 227: 2006). The way in which migration is looked at has changed as Khalid Koser, a Senior Fellow at Brookings Institution says, We used to think of migration as a human security issue: protecting people and providing assistance. Now we clearly perceive-or misperceive-migration as a national security issue. And the risk of securitizing migration is that you risk legitimizing extraordinary responses. Furthermore the problem can be compounded by the demographic nature involved with the migration as former CFR Senior Fellow Charles Kupchan explains, The backdrop to this [migrant crisis] is the difficulty that many European countries have in integrating minorities into the social mainstream. Many of these immigrants are coming from Muslim countries, and the relationship between immigrant Muslim communities and the majority populations is not good. Kupchan also goes on to highlight the fact that geographically this problem has other factors involved too, Europe has historically embraced more ethnic than civic approaches to nationhood, unlike the United States, and that is part of the reason immigration is proving so difficult. Francesc Ortega, a professor of economics in New York conducted an investigation in 2013 into European migration and concluded that it is driven by financial needs and irregular migration is a product of poverty, The migratory pressures to Europe are something thats not going to go away.and the truth is there are very limited legal pathways to migrate to Europe. . . . Those two facts combined make smuggling very profitable. The pursuit for monetary reward by migrants does put pressure on the host nation as can be seen specifically with Greece as the number of jobs and the income has reduced for Greeks everywhere. Animosity towards migrants in Greece is on the rise and according to Anna Trianda fyllidou, attention to immigration as a growing threat to the cohesion of modern Greek society. In fact, racism is on the rise in society and politically with support for immigration constantly on the decline ( http://www.eliamep.gr/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/MIDAS-Policy-Paper-EN.pdf). From my opinion, the integration of immigrants appears to be a complex, multifaceted and contradictory process, touching several aspects of contemporary Greek society: politics and policy, economy and the labour market, geography and space, education and culture. Despite the exclusionary mechanisms that are still in place, immigrants do make a living in the host country and gradually become organic elements, turning Greece into a multicultural society. Outline of the chapters Currently the thesis consists of seven chapters. Chapter 1 will serve as an introduction to the issue and present the aim of the research and the significance of the topic in a contemporary sphere. The second chapter will look at the current policies of both the EU and the Greek government concerning irregular migration and will look at Greek migration elsewhere in the globe. Chapter 3 will focus on the entry point to the EU via the Greek-Turkish border and look at the reasons they are found to be there at that moment and what the conditions are like at these holding centers. It will feature points of view from both Greek citizens and migrants. It will include a number of interviews from both sides. Chapter 4 moves on to look at the migrants life-legal and illegal- in the period after the holding centers in various regions and snapshots of their lives as well as their hopes and desires for the future. It will pay particular attention to any racism and antimigrant feeling experienced by those interviewed. Chapter 5 will explore the social networks of the migrants in Greece and how they have developed and to what extent they have improved their lives. The sixth and final chapter will present the conclusions and suggest further areas of investigation including suggestions on political alterations to migrant policy specifically dealing with the Greek legislation. Methodology The methodology that I will use for this research will be a combination of a quantitative and qualitative approach, using interviews and statistics around the migrant and immigrant crisis in Greek life and in EU in general. It will include a field research also in some areas of Greece where they have refugees hotspots. I will interview a number of refugees and Greek citizens comparing their opinions. This sort of research tries to offer responses to inquiries like how or why. Furthermore I will include the political approaches of realism and feminism and liberalism. Also, my research will be exploratory and I will use the empirical method. Finally, it will conclude the foreign policies of Greece around immigration through the years. Bibliography Regarding the bibliography, the paper will be construct both in light of essential and secondary sources. At first it will include official archives from the EU and the UNHCR, (2012), Text of Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs ,European Union Councils decisions for the refugee crisis. Concerning the derivative sources, they will principally include scholastic interviews from refugees and Greek citizens in the areas of Greece, Local and international press coverage regarding the refugee crisis in Greece and in Europe (The Independent, BBC,Guardian,To Vima, Kathimerini ) some of them are listed below: Castles, S. Miller, J. (2009), The Age of Migration. New York: Palgrave McMillan Karczemski, M Boer, A. (2010) Post-Accession Migration: Polish migrants moving from Poland to The Hague, Radboud University, Nijmegen Koser, K. Pinkerton, C., (2002) The Social Networks of Asylum Seekers and the dissemination of information about countries of Asylum, Migration Research Unit, University College London Schapendonk, J. (2011), Turbulent Trajectories. Sub-Saharan African Migrants Heading North, Radboud Universiteit, Nijmegen

A Stylistic Analysis of Blue Eyed Soul Essay -- soul roots, gospel blu

The aim of this essay will look at how Blue-eyed soul relates back to it's parent genre, Soul; through analysis of musical features. Blue eyed soul is typically described as White musicians who have recreated soul music of the 1960's (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2013). The somewhat ambiguous term refers to White musicians who â€Å"emulated black vocal styling and phrasing, and often covered black songs but also established themselves as recording artists with audience crossover skills† (Cooper, 2010, p.1). How musically different is the sub-genre, Blue-eyed soul to Soul or is it only a category which conformed to society norms of the 1960's? Soul roots relate back to stylist elements of Gospel, Blues, Jazz and Rhythm&Blues (Brown 1982 cited in Borthwick and Moy, 2004; Pruter, 1993). It was once under the category of Race music which defined all African American music. Soul is seen as a rise of African-American civil rights movement and is classify as the â€Å"essence of black culture† (Bowman, 2012, p.439). Soul is known for the group of labels, such as Stax and Motown, that had built and produced many of the well known soul artist we know of today. Many of the artists that began the rise of soul came from other musical genre background including Jazz, blues and gospel, for example Ray Charles and Sam cooke. Sam Cooke had a professional Gospel career before becoming known for his smooth soulful style with his secular lyrics and a more Pop sound, a good example of this is Twistin' the night away. The song has prominent vocals and the instruments stayed more in the background. For Soul, the focus on vocals is typical and before singer songwriters were popular, it was the delivery and presentation from the vocalist, to interpret the lyrics i... ...33 (5), 663-693. Neal, M. A. (2005). White chocolate soul: Teena Marie and Lewis Taylor. Popular music, 24(3), 369-380. doi:10.1017/S0261143005000577 Myers, M. (2012,12 July). The song that conquered radio. The wall street journal. Retrieved from http://uk.wsj.com/ Phil Spector's wall of sound. (2009, 14 April). BBC news. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ Pruter, R, (1993). The Blackwell guide to Soul recording: edited by Robert Pruter. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers. Shaw, A., (1986). Black popular music in America: from the spirituals, minstrel and ragtime to soul, disco and hip-hop. New York: Schirmer Books. soul music.(2014). Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica Online. Retrieved 06 January, 2014, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/555198/soul-music Tymieniecka, B. (Director) (2009). Da doo ron ron: The story of Phil Spector. [DVD]. US: Charley Films.

How to Change Oil in a Car Essay -- Car Driving Changing Oil Process E

How to Change Oil in a Car Owning a car is usually a significant investment for an individual. Changing the oil on your car plays an important part to help keep it functioning at peak performance and to ensure that your vehicle last for many miles. You might wonder how often does the oil need changing. Well, manufactures advise that the oil is changed every 3,000 miles or every three months, whichever occurs first. Changing the oil is not an extremely difficult task, but it is always good to have someone else there, who has done this before, to help if needed. I would also suggest finding an outfit you wouldn’t mind getting dirty and a pair of rubber gloves to keep your hands clean. The key to keeping any task, especially this one, flowing smoothly is gathering all the materials so they are within reach. Having the materials near helps the process go by quickly, for you are not constantly stopping to search for materials needed at that time. First, you need to figure out what type of oil your car uses and how many quarts of oil are needed. This information can be found in your owners manual along with the type of oil filter your car takes. It is an essential step because there are many different types of engine oil and it is important to use the correct type. Same rule applies to your oil filter. There is a specific oil filter designed for each car. Can’t find the owners manual? Run to your local auto parts store and they can look it up for you. While you’re there, you can pick up your oil and oil filter. Also needed for the project is an adjustable wrench or a socket wrench, and an oil filter wrench. A jack along with two jack stands comes in handy when having enough room to work under the car. Wheel blocks are go... ...o do this, pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean on a rag, and reinsert it. Remove the dipstick again and check that the oil level reaches correct marking (full). If not put more oil in until the oil level is correct. Almost done! Remove the drain pan and transfer the old oil into the containers, using the funnel to avoid spills. Dispose of the used oil properly. Take the used motor oil to a local service or repair shop to take it in and have it recycled. Use the jack to raise the car back and remove the jack stands. Again, slowly lower the car down to the ground. Remove the wheel blocks, for they are no longer needed. Wipe up tools and put them away. Remember to write down your milage and date so you will remember when your car is due for the next oil change. That is all there is to it. You now know how to change the oil on a car and it was not that difficult.

Legal Studies – the Family Law Amendment (Shared Responsibility) Act 2006

The Family Law Amendment (Shared Responsibility) Act 2006 commenced on the first of July 2006 assists in the way that separating parents resolve their disputes involving the best interests of their children. This law is still taking time to make an effect on divorcing and separating parents, as sources show that shared custody arrangements or 50:50 joint custody makes little effect on the children involved in these situations. This was achieved through a major study conducted by Bruce Smyth and Bryan Rodgers who showed that children in shared care are no worse off or no better than those who see the other parent every second weekend for example [Source E]. The aim of the legislation was to change the past 1995 reforms as they failed to achieve the desired impact of separating couples [source A]. The act was created also to encourage parents to share the parenting of their children by allowing them to have equal time with both mother and father and also for the major decisions and responsibilities of the children to be distributed evenly. The law was changed because of the various groups who protested against the past regulations the law provided. The changes included the terminology, facilitation of shared parenting time and the concept that the separated parents both retain parental responsibility [Source A]. The new family law process outlined in the Every Picture Tells a Story report also creates an emphasis on parents coming to agreements in a ‘parenting plan’. There was also a proposal to create a ‘Family Tribunal’, which was where the separating parents could work their issues with consultation and counseling without the invasive use of the courts. The government also put forward $400 million to be spent on 65 family relationship centres for counseling couples [Source B]. Groups who have been against the Family Law Amendment are law academics, judges, women’s legal services, and single mother groups, [source D] because of the issue of abuse from their spouses after the separation. The act sets out that parents are to share the responsibility of the children between them, with the exclusion of abusive spouses. This therefore results in parents having to consult each other about their children’s education, religious and cultural upbringing, health, change of name, and also place of residence [Source A]. Also included in the act is that counseling would be offered to parents in assisting them to reach an agreement between both parties, and child support doesn’t have to be given until six weeks after the parents have separated. The Act only previously allowing grandparents contact through applications however rights have been elevated and the relationship between the children and grandparents are taken directly into consideration when making the arrangements in the parenting plan. The presumption of equal shared responsibility in the amendment means that both parents have an equal role in making decisions about the major choices involving the children; for example what school they will attend. The presumption however does not apply to a parent who has engaged in any abuse, violence or neglect towards the child, and was not included in the previous Act. With this the Act strives to provide the parents with equal shared responsibility which means the child spends a reasonably even amount of time with each parent (if it is in the best interest of the child). The main issue of the legislation is the increase in funding necessary for the Act to go ahead, as the proposals put forward for the committee, family centres, and other programs require a great deal of money to be established. Tax payers are forced to contribute more so that these can be provided, however in saying this establishing the inquisitorial tribunal creates a more level playing field for separating partners, particularly if one party cannot afford private legal representation [Source A]. In excluding legal representation, which is what happens in this process, creates a lesser need for lawyers to be involved in family matters, therefore those representing families will no longer be needed. According to the National Association of Community Legal Centres they suggest that the new family law and processes â€Å"may be harmful to children† [Source B]. Compulsory mediation may force separated parents to communicate and associate with their former abusive partners, who may blackmail or force that parent to agree to an arrangement that benefits the abuser. This leads to a lifetime of fear and anticipation of more abusive from the former partner. According to the legislation, if a report or suspicion of abuse has arisen, the mediation will not go forward nor will it agree to unsafe parenting arrangements. While some children benefit from the equal shared parenting arrangements, it doesn’t mean that some are better or worse off than others. Joint physical custody has been found to be workable only in a minority of separations where parents have freely chosen the arrangement. The cases in which the shared parenting has generally worked is when there is no record of abuse or conflict and when there is commitment from both parents. [Source C]. Throughout this whole process the mediation is voluntary, and can stop at any time as the couples wish. The parties have access to legal advice, either during the mediation or before signing any mediated agreement [Source B]. There are many financial problems with this Act, as separated parents have to pay for the children independently and cannot find stability with their finances in order to pay for schooling, health and so forth. There is also the major issue that is domestic violence. The Act reinforced a fine for making false allegations about abuse and therefore some parents were pressured into making parental agreements that involved the abuser. This also made some victims too scared to tell courts about abuse or violence directed at their children [Source F]. This law is affective, however could be revised in order to benefit the parents. The financial problems that are caused by this law are unavoidable for some families, as one parent or both may struggle to afford to make ends meet. The court could evaluate each parent’s financial status and the ability of them to be economically safe in order to enable them to be able to raise the children effectively. However in saying this, the court should not take children off one parent if they are not capable to pay for the child, especially if the other parent is reportedly an abuser. Abusive parents should be constantly monitored whilst mediating with the other parent (if the victim wants mediation) and the child should have a say in which parent they think is able to look after them. Abusive spouses should not be allowed any contact with the victim while proceedings are happening, so that they do not coerce the other parent into an unfair parenting agreement. The abused parent should also be supervised during this period so that it is seen that they are not influenced or blackmailed by the abuser. The Act should focus more on the child’s need than the parents. While both parents have equal shared responsibility, the child should be involved in the parenting agreements and have a fair say in what happens to them. It is argued that the Act focuses more on the parent’s rights than the children’s needs, and that the reforms favor fathers more than mothers [Source F]. In conclusion, it is believed that the Act is not effective however has improved the rights of equal responsibility between parents. It is said that shared care is proving successful for many parents, [Source E] however parents are the only beneficiaries from this because the arrangement aids them more than the child, as the Act is more in the parents favor than the children’s. The Act should be revaluated so that it is beneficial to all parties.

Edmunds Case Study Essay

1. What would the SWOT analysis look like for this company? Strengths: 100 local employees, steady market share Weaknesses: Slight loss in market share, aging work force, lack of marketing with technology, no new products Opportunities: increase market share, serving industries other than the box market, mergers and/or acquisitions Threats: Manufacturers using better machines, Consolidation in the paper industry, higher raw material costs 2. What role do you expect the internet to play in the corrugated box industry? What are some ways that Edmunds could better use the Internet to foster growth? I would expect that the internet would be a great resource for researching other corrugated box companies. It would be good for advertising as well. Edmunds could make their website better and offer some of their services on their website. They could also purchase ad space on other websites that target the corrugated box industry. They could also post employment opportunities on their website and various other internet job sites. 3. Which of Porter’s competitive strategies would you recommend that Edmunds follow? Why? Which of the strategies do you think would least likely succeed? I would recommend the Differentiation Strategy because they need to develop new products or different ways of using the existing products to distinguish themselves in the market for the companies who still use corrugated boxes. I think that the cost leadership strategy would work as well. If they can find a way to offer their products at a lower cost than other companies by practicing cost reduction/lean in-house they could pull in more customers. I think that the Focus strategy would be the least likely to succeed because they seem to already be focused on a specific regional market or buyer group and that is causing their business to slow down.