Thursday, November 28, 2019

Abu Dhabi Airport Company Tourism Essay Example

Abu Dhabi Airport Company Tourism Essay Example Abu Dhabi Airport Company Tourism Essay Abu Dhabi Airport Company Tourism Essay Abu Dhabi Airport Company ( ADAC ) is in the Capital of UAE. ADAC is one of the biggest operator of Airports in the UAE. It was been established in March 2006. It is governed and owned by the UAE authorities itself. Headquarter of the company is in Dubai i.e. Abu Dhabi International Airport. This company when created kept few really of import things ever in their head. Abu Dhabi Airport Company besides operates the biggest Al Ain International Airport, the first private jet airdrome i.e. Al Bateen Executive Airport and in the Western Al Gharbia Region it operates Sir Bani Yas Island and Delma Island Airports. Board of Directors: The members of Board of Directors for Abu Dhabi Airport Company are as follows: H. E. Khalifa Mohamed Al Mazrouei Chairman A ; Managing Director HE Mubarak Hamad Al Muhairi Board Member HE Rashid Bin Lahij Al Mansouri Board Member HE Fahed Gharib Al Shamsi Board Member HE Mohamed Sultan Al Hameli Board Member HE Khalifa Mohamed Al Mazrouei is the Abu Dhabi Airports Company s Chairman and Managing Director. He takes attention and supervises the operation and direction of services at five airdromes in the Emirate. At ADAC, he helps and decides the manner for enlargement in substructure and installations taking topographic point in the emirate s air power sector. Organization Chart General Overview Abu Dhabi Airport Company ( ADAC ) is one of the largest operator in UAE of airdromes and it has the five most of import airdromes under its direction which are Abu Dhabi International which is anyways one of the largest, Al Bateen Executive, Al Ain International, Sir Bani Yas Island and Delma Island Airport. All of the five are being operated by ADAC. It has been Abu Dhabi Government s primary plus and is a multi-billion dollar investing undertaking. Traveling frontward they have now decided to develop a figure of concern and logistics Parkss in commercial sector. Abu Dhabi Airports Company is a public joint-stock company being constitutional by Emiri Decree figure 5, of 4th March 06, to forefront the development in the universe of the Emirates air power industry. It maintains, Operate and mandate airdromes substructure and its installations in the best manner to world-class criterions. ADAC oversees airdrome services given by private houses and other stakeholders in the best manner . Emirates airdromes are besides provided with proficient and direction services to allow or may be better than any other international criterions of efficiency. Run free zones has besides been established. ADACs creative activity was together with an ambitious restructuring enterprise that was launched by the Abu Dhabi s Government and it aimed at presenting better authorities services non merely to back up the Emirates long-run scheme but besides to transform it into a Centre for transporting out concern and touristry. This did assist them to increase the touristry in the state. They keep on bettering themselves to run into the international criterions and seek to keep it. Abu Dhabi Airport Company ( ADAC ) even after being one of the largest companies still believes in following six chief schemes. They are: Safety and security: This is the foundation upon on which all other advancement are based and therefore they are dependent with ADAC s end which non merely ensures that the airdromes it manages and operates are specified as amongst the safest in the universe but is besides the most convenient, dependable, and enjoyable airdrome. They are really serious and rigorous about the safety and security of the airdromes. This is one of the grounds of people wishing to pass through from their airdrome. There are regular and everyday cheques which guarantee that everything is perfectly all right in and near the airdromes. Customer service: Abu Dhabi Airport Company ( ADAC ) is very certain and confident when it comes to client service. They believe in quality than measure. Their committedness to client service is chiefly built on the companies promise to and towards the customers/passengers and air hoses that they will supply most safe and unafraid environments from which they can go. This makes the clients most satisfied and hence they travel tension free from this airdrome. Meeting capacity demands: Meeting Capacity demands had ever been an issue for many airdromes companies. Their prognosis says that by 2015 they would hold about 20 million customers/passengers pass throughing through Abu Dhabi International Airport entirely. To do this successful and to run into these capacities of theodolite is their precedence. They have set a big graduated table development programme to do this successful and do its airdrome s equipped with world-class installations. Efficient operation: ADAC s focal point on efficient operation means it puts a focal point on operating and pull offing its assets to optimum consequence and, from its origin it has employed a series of private sector partnerships, joint ventures or franchise understandings, every bit good as pulling on its internal endowment and experient executives which help them to accomplish the efficiencies and quality ADAC seeks and its clients expect. They are really peculiar about this. Corporate societal duty: ADAC is really peculiar about Corporate Social responsibilities excessively. They have hence employed people from different sectors to do this successful. Developing ADAC as a universe category company: ADAC s aspiration as other companies is to go a first company that leads in best pattern of supplying best service both in the UAE and internationally. This means they want to pull the best spouses from all over the universe every bit good as guarantee the highest degree of internal procedure and criterions. In the short clip Abu Dhabi Airport Company has received a figure of important and celebrated awards from regional and international organic structures, which includes: The best airdrome in the Middle East and Africa , in footings of service quality, courtesy and client service by The Airports Council International ( ACI ) , The Best Supplier of Airport Security Services in the Middle East by ITP Business Publishing, Supplier of the Best Baggage Delivery Service in the World from Skytrax, The Best Station award by Sri Lanka Airlines, Airport Service Quality Awards 2008 by The Airports Council International ( ACI ) and In-flight Catering Quality Assurance ( ICQA ) Gold Standard Award for 2008 by IATA. Competitive Advantage There are many advantages of the Aviation industry. It s a flourishing industry presently. There is a immense growing which has been found in the traveling of people through Airways. ADAC is one of the biggest airdrome authorization in UAE, which makes and gives it a better advantage in footings of supplying service and spread outing. International Expansion for the company After making so much ADAC now wants to turn as international operator and proprietor of the airdromes. They had been successful in the UAE. Now they want to spread out themselves and do them successful in the World. In footings of riders ( +34 % in Q1:2008 ) , infrastructural development, and acquiring new air hose operators, ADAC is one of the best turning airdromes in the universe. The airdrome is now undergoing a major enlargement and the entire sum earmarked for undertakings is US $ 6.8 billion. They should now be believing of going an international proprietor of airdromes. They have done really good in the current concern and now should travel for globalisation. Expansion in European state: France Harmonizing to me they should now be spread outing their concern in France one of the most of import state in European market. This would give them entree to the European market. France is situated in the Western Europe. It has several abroad districts and islands which are located on the other continents of the universe. This would give ADAC an entree to major parts of the universe. Because of its form France is besides known as lHexagone ( The Hexagon ) . It is bordered by most of import states. They are Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Italy and Monaco etc. Not merely is this but France besides linked to the United Kingdom through the Channel Tunnel. France portions its boundary line Gallic Guiana with Suriname and Brazil, and through Saint Martin with The Netherlands. France is the largest west-European state and possesses second-largest Exclusive Economic Zone in the universe. One of the of import establishing members of European Union is France. In the Europe it has got strong economic, cultural, military every bit good as political influence. France colonized i.e. took over great parts of North America during late nineteenth Century. The Legal, Technological and Political Factors: Before you really plan or think of traveling globally i.e. globalisation in any another state you should be look intoing the Legal, technological and political factors impacting that state. You should be certain that there is no regulation or policy which can impede the growing of your company in that state. Once you are clear about these factors you should so get down working towards globalisation. The political factors Before you plan of traveling your concern to France you have to look into many things which include the Legal, Technological and the Political Factors. When we talk about the political factors we talk about the revenue enhancement. The sort of Tax France has may be a existent factor that any approaching concern should believe about. It can either make your concern or can destruct it wholly. Along with this the labour cost is a bit high in France as compared with the UK and USA. The high revenue enhancement degree can be harmful for any new concern, nevertheless it could be reduced by good set uping the company, which means set uping the company in all, the advantages and possible net income brought by the proposed concern mostly overweight the disadvantages. How to set up the new company to accomplish success Since start an airdrome company is existent and besides involves more net income, it still necessitate see the manner to exert this concern activity with refering Legal factor, Technology factor and Social civilization. Once these are in the topographic point and are been taken really earnestly things can be easy. The legal factor France has many international Airports. As they already have airdromes therefore spread outing concern in France would non be so hard. France believes in civil jurisprudence system which is based on Roman jurisprudence and with significant trust on statute jurisprudence. There are 7 common company manners in France. ( Gordon C, 1996 ) The most popular manners are the Societe Anonyme ( SA ) and the Societe a Responsabilite Limitee ( SARL ) signifier every bit good as the Societe en Nom Collecitif ( SNC ) . To a new little house, SARL manner might be more favourable for following three grounds: SARL and SA signifier has limited liability i.e. the liability to their capital part is really limited, where as SNC has unlimited liability. Hence even if you have maximum hazard still and if in instance the concern prostrations still SARL can protect the laminitiss of the company and can profit them. Besides with limited liability of house s legal construction compared with that of SA manner, SARL is non composed to put up board of managers, which means, one bed could be removed within the company design. Third, SARL minimum capital registry required is a‚Â ¬9,000 about as compared with SA signifier. Therefore based on accounting cognition and the nonsubjective legal system, for a new start little concern, SARL construction will be more favourable. The societal civilization and technological factor Whenever you plan any new concern activities you need to concern about specific civilization background and the engineering available. So when a new start company designs their occupation and construction, they must be certain and should pay more attending to these factors since one time these agreements created, altering them will be really hard. In a really existent sense power and authorization within the organisation prevarication with the owner/manager. Infrastructure Features When we say substructure it means the substructure required to spread out the concern in that state. France is ready to give surplus of substructure demands in their state if any company wants to spread out their concern in France. Once you have planned your schemes of come ining into the France market you get entree to their merchandises. Fiscal Consideration This is once more a really of import factor to be kept in head for globalisation. It is really of import to cognize the fiscal standing of the state you are be aftering to spread out into. When we talk about France they have the capacity to pass. A good ball of the entire population in France has the capacity to gain and pass large. Labor Factors: This would assist you to understand the cost of getting/hiring Labor in that state. France has a strong base in Education. Hence Labor would non be an issue in that state. Demographic factors Traveling back to the twelvemonth 1999, the population of France was 58,518,748. The population in France was low as compared to other states in the Western Europe. To maintain the population up and better, household allowances were distributed to each family/child, and that was without any limitation on income. The mobility of population from urban to rural countries and from part to France part is a batch which makes things better for them. Social Division: We can non deny the fact that there are many factors which has improved the criterion of life of France a batch. At the same clip it besides been observed that they are making a wider societal division in footings of fiscal power across the society. After the Second World War the old societal order changed. The enlargement of in-between Class household in France reduced the difference between the equality of wealth about in many societal groups. In today s universe money, power and success are playing major function above birth in finding a individual s societal position.The another major alteration that took topographic point in France is the adult females function growing in the present society. Merely by early 1970s, adult females besides started taking occupations in many service sectors this spread outing the service sector. Today in France adult females contribute about 45.9 per centum of all employed Gallic workers. Even though adult females are being paid less than work forces still the unemployment ratio of Women are much less than that of the work forces. It s besides been noticed that adult females have played a turning function in political relations. There are many fit illustrations of adult females who pursued successful callings in political relations. Even though they are turning about in every sector still it s been noticed that their representation in the national parliament is lower. There are many societal divisions which still remain seeable in France. It s composed largely of many taking politicians, some most senior civil retainers, turning concern leaders, and affluent households which still got a strong clasp on the levers of power. Nowadays in-between categories are extremely stratified. When we talk about the white-collar workers, there are chiefly two different groups. They are: Up, Successful mobile senior executives and extremely professional who have good disbursement power and got really stable Jobs. Peoples in retail, clerical and nutrient and drink occupations are turning in mass and their criterion of life is still non up to the grade. They still live low standard life. Out of these blue-collared families you have a really little proportion of university pupils. Class consciousness is still really strong in France. Symbolic capital plays a big and major function in the societal category, and non merely wealth but besides the household connexions and their lifestyle find one s societal place and chances in France. Family construction Families are still the anchor of Gallic individuality and the community life. Though may be these yearss twosomes marry subsequently and would wait longer to hold kids. May be in bigger towns this would be altering but throughout France you can see large households traveling out for Lunch together or may be for a field day or taking portion together is some sort of athletics and leisure. If we talk about little small towns or town, it s truly non difficult to retrieve any two or more people related to each other. The basic unit of Gallic society traditionally is household. Nuclear households are now been found in France, earlier it was extended households. Merely after the World War II this is been noticed. However matrimonies have decreased which has besides resulted in addition in divorce in France. Market Features: Entering into the market of France is non so hard. What matters is the enlargement in the right manner and right signifier. The market of France for Aviations seems to be really positive. Harmonizing to the World Bank Data French economic system is among the 20 most productive in the universe. France has a strong base of educational system. A big per centum of immature Gallic people complete a grade in university every twelvemonth which means it provides a big figure of educated and trained persons every twelvemonth. Along with this the political aid is once more the chief ground of thought of spread outing concern in France. Not merely this, the economic system besides provides figure of strengths to proprietors who are believing and idea of spread outing their concern in France. France has been ranked the 21st most concern friendly state in 2010 by Forbes ; whereas World Bank has ranked it the 26th best state. They are utilizing progress engineering which makes this clear that they are turning and are really positive in allowing others get their concern and expand in the state. The Gallic people exposed to low corruptness, strong base of instruction, personal freedom and a high quality of life. Many Companies who planned to spread out their concern in France have great entree to the educated persons and foreign employees which is done through the state s rank in the European Union. It takes around 7 yearss merely to get down a concern in France even though revenue enhancements are really high as compared to many other European Countries. ( Tian, 2010 ) Section 3 Cultural Factors Cultural factors are once more really of import and have to be kept in head before you plan any state for spread outing your concern in that state Language The linguistic communication spoken in France is chiefly Gallic. It is their first linguistic communication is every bit been used by about 88 % of the population. Some of them do speak German but the per centum would be about 3 % of the population merely. Another linguistic communication which is spoken in France is Flemish which is merely 0.2 % of the Gallic population. Very few of them besides speak Arabic. In Dubai, Arabic is their official linguistic communication. However, everyone in Dubai would be able to talk in English. You would happen all street marks are in both English and Arabic linguistic communication. You would happen about everyone speech production in English in Dubai as it s easier for them to pass on. Not merely in professional and corporate evidences besides in societal and personal evidences, would you happen people talking in English than in any other linguistic communication. ( Social Culture ) Religion While speaking about France you would happen around 83 % to 88 % Roman Catholic, about 2 % would be the Protestant, 1 % ( approx ) Jewish, and 5 % to 10 % Muslim. In Dubai it s about opposite. You would happen about most of people are Muslims as Dubai is in the United Arab Emirates. They merely belief in Islam and there are Mosques scattered everyplace in the City. You would be able to hear supplications 5 times about every twenty-four hours, which are busiest on Fridays. Geert Hofstede Cultural Dimensions This is the survey in which you analyze how civilization influence values in the organisations. The manner of concern communicating in France is really formal. They liked to be called as Monsieur or Madame followed by the family name. They believe in interacting in this manner merely. If you know their national civilization they might so travel towards the usage of first name. They do believe in agitating custodies and caressing is common non merely among friends but even concern spouses may travel in that way. They are really sensitive about their female parent lingua i.e. Gallic. If you do non cognize even a spot of Gallic it could be really hard for you. National civilization affect on operations of the organisation National civilization plays a major function in spread outing or destructing your concern. Your concern does depend on the sort of civilization the state you are be aftering to spread out is following. As we are speaking about France here their civilization is really formal and they believe in speech production in Gallic. In the beginning it might be hard to spread out at a fast rate but one time you mingle with the state it would be really easy to travel farther. Market Entry Strategy As the word says, it merely means supplying service to a peculiar market and administering goods at that place. Traveling concern to France would non be so hard if the schemes are planned good in progress before doing it a world. When you start exporting or importing goods you are really set uping and pull offing contracts in foreign. There are chiefly four ways which are: Exporting: Exporting merely means directing the merchandises outside the state to the coveted state through any manner of transit. It means the merchandise is been developed in the original state and is merely been sent to the targeted state. The targeted company is importing the merchandises from the bring forthing companies state. Licensing: Licensing means you have the licence to do and bring forth merchandises in the targeted state. In simple words the targeted state has allowed to utilize their belongings and to make the same you need to pay some kind of Tax. Joint Ventures: It means that you open in partnership and the spouse is a occupant of the targeted state. This take topographic point largely when targeted state does non let license straight to the company instead ask to convey a spouse and so open the concern. Direct Investing: Foreign Direct Investment besides known as FDI is the direct ownership of installations and merchandises in the targeted state. It involves many factors like capital, engineering and personal. ( Market Entry ) Marketing Strategy that ADAC should use: ADAC should travel for Joint Venture as that would offer them a safe entry in the targeted state which is France. This would assist them to acquire the most of import resource which is employees who would be able to talk fluid Gallic. This would assist them to increase the concern to the extent they are be aftering to. Decision The quickly turning air power and touristry has created a demand for new tracks and airdromes. This is the right clip when companies like ADAC should be believing of spread outing their concern every bit much as they can but safely. They should be spread outing the concern but by keeping the quality of their service. There following state where they should spread out their concern should be France as it helps them in many ways. It gives them entree to about major parts of the World. This should assist them to turn bigger and bigger in approaching yearss.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Free Essays on The Feminist In Antigone

reveal a kind of longing for it. She is captivated with attending to the next world, and the law of the gods overshadows any human law in her... Free Essays on The Feminist In Antigone Free Essays on The Feminist In Antigone Sophocles’ Antigone takes place in ancient Thebes at a time when men were warriors and women were delicate. The feminist movement has not yet come to pass, and yet one young woman, Antigone, stands out, defying the decree made by her uncle, her king. She is passionately motivated by love and loyalty to her family and refuses to compromise in any way when King Creon puts his royal word against divine law and human sentiment and declares that the body of Antigone’s brother, Polynices, be left unburied and forbids anyone to even mourn him. Disregarding Creon’s decree, Antigone buries the body of Polynices and gives him the last rights. She knows that if she is caught death is the punishment, but her self-sacrificing attitude shows incredible strength. Sophocles develops the character of Antigone throughout the tragedy, using her to represent family values and female strength. Antigone embodies strong feminine characteristics to stand up for a divine and univer sal principle demanded by the deities. Sophocles is aware of the impact of gender on Antigone and makes the position of women an important theme in the play. Ismene uses her gender as an excuse for not standing up against the law, saying her gender makes her and Antigone vulnerable. Ismene provides an interesting contrast to her stronger sister throughout the play. Although Antigone does not explicitly stress her gender, Creon does. His stubbornness to back down later in the play is because he feels the triumph of a woman is unacceptable. Antigone refuses to let herself be dominated by any man or human law and instead chooses to follow the divine law. Sophocles also portrays Antigone as having a morbid fascination with death. In the opening of the play, she speaks of laying down in the earth beside Polynices and her words reveal a kind of longing for it. She is captivated with attending to the next world, and the law of the gods overshadows any human law in her...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Accounting For Managers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Accounting For Managers - Essay Example A deeper analysis would indicate that the purpose was to cover the cash shortage, which may represent misappropriation of company funds. Based on the auditor’s report, it appears that management is creating fake sales and fake purchase of equipment. The fake sales necessitated overstatement of inventory and understatement of cost of goods. However, the overstatement of inventory is reclassified to fake purchase equipment. These activities resulted in overstated sales, overstated income, understated cost of sales, overstated gross margin and overstated equipment. Overstatement of equipment might have been intended to defer the recognition of expenses through future depreciation expense. The volatility of accounts receivable and accounts payable compared to creditors was caused by fake accounts payable and accounts receivable at the same time for Red Desert. Faking the same is a way of manipulating cash. Red Desert’s high liquidity did not come from operation but from the investment of stockholders. A $10 million fresh infusion of equity in 2001 just went to wastage in 2001 because management is able hide the shortage of $ of 7 million cash. This would be fooling investors. If Red Desert has fooled the new investors in 2001, what is the assurance that they will not fool Surftex when the latter would have strategic alliance with it? It is really hard to deal with dishonest management. However, when we consider financial stability and liquidity of Red Desert as bases of having alliance with, it would appear that the debt-to-equity ratio and current ratio of Red Desert are still good. In terms of profitability, it is not too bad not to give it a chance. With the willing investors coming in 2001, it would show that there is a good prospect in its business. Therefore, it is recommended that unless Surftex would be given a controlling interest when strategic alliance is pursued, there is no reason to

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

CU Boxes, Inc. Capital Budget Recommendation on a New Boot Sole Essay

CU Boxes, Inc. Capital Budget Recommendation on a New Boot Sole Machine - Essay Example The CFO has been tasked with offering a recommendation as to whether to stay the course with the current machine, delay the purchase, or buy the machine. For the purposes of this budgetary review and analysis the following assumptions are made: CU Boxes, Inc.'s discount rate shall be 10%. Let's see how the CFO tackles this request. There are two types of investments. "The investment decisions of any business are of two types: long term (where funds are usually invested for more than three years) and short term (where investments are for a year or less)." (Kapil p1). In this case, the boot sole machine, where the payback is longer than a year, is a long-term investment and fits the capital budgeting criteria. "The growth of any company is measured by the expected return multiplied by the amount of funds invested by the firm, that is, g = b x r - where 'g' is growth of the firm; 'b', the funds retained by the firm only for investment purpose; 'r' the required/expected rate of return; and r {gt} k (the cost of capital)." (Kapil p1) What the Kapil's model tells us is that as long as the expected rate of return is greater than the cost of capital (the discount rate at which cost of capital is calculated), there will be positive growth and that this is a good thing to have. "These decisions have to fulfill the criteria of creating net positive present value for the organization. Thus an organization should grab and hold on to every opportunity (both external and internal) that creates positive net present value (NPV) for its shareholders." (Kapil p1). Net Present Value (NPV) defined as "the present value of an investment's future net cash flows minus the initial investment. If positive, the investment should be made [unless an even better investment exists], otherwise it should not," (InvestorWords.com 3257), is one method of analysis used by CFO's. Another is the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) defined as the "discount rate at which the present value of the future cash flows of an investment equals the cost of the investment. When IRR is greater than the required return - called hurdle rate in capital budgeting - the investment is acceptable." (Zephyrmanagement.com/glossary). Using NPV first, we have an immediate outlay of capital and a constant return of cash flow calculated at year-end. NPV can be stated as follows: NPV = (10%, CF1, CF2, CF3, CF4, CF5)+CO where CF is cash flow and CO is cash outlay. In this case, with a discount rate of 10%, the result is a positive $14,998.98 at the end of year four and a positive $14,991.91 at the end of year five. (These calculations were made using an ExcelTM spreadsheet). Based on this NPV analysis the investment should be made and the CFO should make such a recommendation to his company's owners as per Kapil's statement above. Using IRR to determine whether the yield rate in a similar period is larger than the discount or hurdle rate, the result at the end of four years is a yield of 8%, which puts it below the discount rate. However, if the period of calculation is five years the IRR is now 15% and well above the 10% discount rate required. So, if the CFO had only used the IRR analysis for only a period of four years his recommendation might have been to limp along with the current machine, but if he ran the calculation out to five years the recommendation would be the same as

Monday, November 18, 2019

A critical review of an academic article in which ideas about learning Essay

A critical review of an academic article in which ideas about learning relevant to the module are discussed - Essay Example Research on MI has spread like wildfire, critically dissecting every angle and application. Basically, Gardner claims that intelligence is not limited to the cognitive domain, as traditionally conceptualized. He views it in a much broader sense to include the individual’s affective, social and creative domains. He has come up with a number of intelligences a person possesses within him, as follows: Linguistic intelligence – this has to do with how a person uses words to express himself well verbally or in print. Some people just have a natural flair for speaking or writing and keep their audience in awe of the language they use and how it influences them. This intelligence is exhibited by motivational speakers, preachers, orators, writers and journalists. Logical mathematical intelligence – this is what is usually studied by cognitive psychologists and educators, how the mind works with logic, reasoning and mathematical accuracy. This is very much related to critical thinking and analytical skills. Gardner calls it the traditional scholastic intelligence which was given too much focus in schools and intelligence tests. Musical intelligence – this is the ability to create, perform and appreciate music. Gardner rates this equivalent to the other intelligences and refuses to call them mere talents, relegated less than intelligence. This is exhibited by composers, musicians, singers and musical critics or reviewers. Spatial intelligence – this is the capacity to visualize and concretize how things will turn out from the way it was planned, and to accurately estimate space allocations. Such intelligence is displayed by architects, artists, photographers, aviators, navigators and surgeons. Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence – This is the ability to solve problems, express oneself or achieve a lot of goals using one’s body. Not everyone can be as limber and well-coordinated in doing so, unlike dancers, actors, mime artists, athletes and

Friday, November 15, 2019

Dystopian And Utopian Elements Film Studies Essay

Dystopian And Utopian Elements Film Studies Essay With close reference to no more than three postmodern films discuss the dystopian and utopian elements evident in their mise-en-scene. This essay will analyze Ridly Scotts Blade Runner (1982) and Alfonso Cuarons Children of Men (2006) in order to discuss dystopian elements evident in their mise-en-scene. The film begins with a panoramic view of the directors vision of Los Angeles in 2019. The night sky of the cityscape is lit an unnatural reddish hue and broken up by towering black skyscrapers and chimneys out of which sheets of flame erupt. This shot has the effect of immediately setting the scene for a post apocalyptic dystopia with the city being portrayed as demonic in the judeao- Christian tradition. At street level the sense of alienation the protagonist, Deckard, feels is reflected in the ethnic mix of his fellow Los Angelians. Hordes of Orientals throng about him. This sense of cultural alienation is compounded by witnessing Deckard struggling to order food from an oriental s treet vendor who struggles to understand what he is saying. The following scene further affirms this when a police officer arrests Deckard in order to bring him in for an assignment. The officer cant even arrest Deckard in English and the proprietor of the noodle stand has to translate for him. Another way in which the mise-en-scene conveys themes of dystopia in this sequence can be observed in the attire worn by the people in the street around Deckard. An eclectic mix of mismatched, castoff and recycled clothing is evident which seems somewhat contradictory when one considers this is also a society where space travel is normal and there is an abundance of flying cars. Continuing on this theme, the streets of Los Angeles are presented as being thoroughly dank, dirty and are perpetually strewn with refuse. Technologically advanced society where the common people still live in dirty, squalid conditions is a common trope of dystopian SF. Its function is to interrogate contemporary anxi eties regarding late capitalism and its effect on society. The mise-en-scene effectively conveys to the viewer this anxiety surrounding late capitalism and its dystopian undertones in a number of ways. The first and most symbolic way is through the opening shots of the Tyrell Corporation building: a gleaming glass and concrete pyramid reaching so far above street level as to be lit by natural sunlight: everything and everywhere else is dark and wet. Tyrell, Batty ironically observes, is the God of bio-mechanics and bio-mechanics is the citys ruling technology. Andrew Milner This immediately has the effect of emphasising the fact that it is corporate power that has shaped and moulded this apocalyptic vision of Los Angeles. Further examples of mise-en-scene which convey dystopian anxieties pertaining to late capitalism can be found in the repeated shots of enormous neon billboards which advertise various commodities, notably Coca-Cola, the product that perhaps best sums up the multinational corporate power of late capitalism. Additionally, a huge metal airship circles the city. Studded with searchlights, emblazoned with adverts and bellowing advertisements out of loud speakers it appears several times throughout the film. It could be argued that there is something inherently dystopian about such an imposing and intrusive contraption, especially during one scene where it shines its searchlights on Pris and Sebastian through the holes in the roof. Alfonso Cuarons vision of an infertile Britain in 2027 also makes effective use of mise-en-scene to convey dystopian themes. Unlike the corporation dominated future of Blade Runner, the society in which the protagonists inhabit in Children of Men is dystopian in part due to a fascistic, totalitarian British government that controls its subjects through fear and oppression. The sequence when Theo catches the train home from work (3:55) contains several elements of mise-en-scene that convey these dystopian themes. It is apparent that the Government broadcasts propaganda on public transport, in this instance its function being to warn the population about the insidious menace of illegal immigrants: Hes my dentist, shes my housekeeper, hes my cousin, they are illegal immigrants. Hiring, feeding or sheltering illegal immigrants is a crime. This is followed by a reminder to citizens that whilst the rest of the world has apparently collapsed, Only Britain soldiers on. This is command and co ntrol through fear in a classically Orwellian sense of the idea. These recordings bare a strikingly similar resemblance to the ubiquitous propaganda spouting telescreeens of 1984. Further aspects of mise-en-scene with dystopian undertones can also be identified in this scene. The train has metal grills protecting its windows, an ominous signifier of the level of crime in this society. They are quickly proven to be necessary when large group of adolescents pelt the train with rocks as it goes past. Graffiti is also used as a frequent reminder both of the level of antisocial behaviour and also the despair and nihilism that is felt in this society. Daubed on a billboard behind the group of youths is a slogan that reads Last one to die, turn out the lights. After alighting at the station, Theo walks past several armed soldiers and cages full of wailing immigrants. These cages are a sad sign of how this society has become utterly desensitized to human suffering, it is apparent that nobod y pays the people inside them the slightest bit of attention as they walk past. Throughout the film it is evident that although the narrative takes place 21 years after the films release, the technology of this future world has not improved in any significant way. This helps to convey the general trend of atrophy and stagnation that is an important theme in Children of Men. Throughout the narrative there are numerous instances where the mise-en-scene reflects this trend. For example, unlike Blade Runners rather optimistic portrayal of flying cars in 2019, British cars in 2021 appear pretty much identical to contemporary cars. If anything, they actually appear inferior, embodying perhaps a natural culmination of the modern trend for plastic, ugly Japanese manufactured cars that exist today. In certain instances it is apparent that technology has actually regressed. This is evident in the opening sequence where motorized rickshaws can be observed travelling down a street in London. In a further example of how the pace of technological advancement has in effect hal ted, the army and Homeland Security forces appear to use only contemporary weapons and hardware. It appears there have been no improvements in arms technology at all in the 21 years since the films release. For example, in the scene where Theo walks past the cages of immigrants at the tube station, the guards are armed with XM8 assault rifles weapons that were designed for the United States military in the nineties. The only minor exception to this lack of technological advancement can be found in the final battle sequence. Several soldiers in this sequence appear to be wearing some kind of HUD eyepiece device on their helmets, although this technology has been under development for some years and is not in itself particularly revolutionary. The governments control through fear and intimidation is evident in many of the scenes set in London and later in the Bexhill refugee camp. Again returning to the scene where Theo alights from the train, after walking past the cages he passes an army checkpoint complete with sniffer dogs and vehicle mounted heavy machine guns. This is reminiscent of Britain during the height of the terror alerts when Scimitar tanks and road blocks were deployed to defend airports against the threat of suicide bombers. In this sequence the fact that none of the public appears troubled by the sight of all this hardware arrayed against them is a further indication of just how routine this state of alert has become to the British people in 2021. A further example of this theme can be found in the sequence at 11:20 where Theo walks past a tower block that is being raided by security forces. The mise-en-scene in this sequence is inherently dystopian. A line of imposing riot police officers armed with trunc heons and shields denies access to the public whilst the black-suited Homeland Security forces menace the huddled occupants of the tower with assault rifles before throwing them into cages. It has already been mentioned that part of the reason for the dystopian nature of Children of Mens society is down to the totalitarian government. The mise-en-scene pertaining to the apparatus of their rule reflects this. For example, the faceless, abusive black suited government officials which appear throughout the film are a common motif in dystopian fiction. Also the vehicles the Homeland Security forces use are intimidating and authoritarian. For example, the vehicle that Sid the immigration official drives is a black, heavily armoured 44. It is also kitted out with what appears to be a remote-controlled Gatling gun mounted on the roof which swivels to track Theo as he emerges from the derelict school. All the government vehicles also appear to be equipped with loud-speakers which their occupants use to shout at the civilian population. This serves to further highlight the level of state oppression. The most powerful themes of dystopian governmental oppression are evident in the mise-en-scene during the Bexhill processing sequence. The protagonists are forced aboard a Homeland Security bus and driven past a heavy military presence outside the camps entrance. The camera angle changes to a first person perspective inside the bus looking out of one of the wire mesh covered windows. Somehow the view outside of two black Chinook helicopters flying in the opposite direction over a bleak moor manages to convey the sheer sense of hopelessness and futility of the protagonists situation and appears at the same time uniquely dystopian in nature. The mise-en-scene in the following sequence is perhaps the most useful to analyze in order to identify dystopian themes. The bus stops at a check point and search lights pierce the darkness and illuminate the busses occupants. A soldier with a large dog on a chain boards the bus and drags people off more or less at random if he doesnt like the look of them. From the activity that is visible outside it is easy to deduce that a nybody taken off the bus will be systematically stripped, beaten and shot. This scene seems to be constructed to be reminiscent of the way that Jews were treated upon entering similar camps in World War 2. A Nazi commandant would often stand at the entrance and Jews that he deemed that fit for labour would be sent off to the right whilst the once that werent would be sent off to the left and summarily shot. The Homeland Security soldiers in this scene behave in a similar fashion. The guard departs from the bus with the final remark You people fucking disgust me, uttered in such a way that there can be no doubt about their new status as beings that are less than human. A quote by Slavoj Zizek sums this scene up: And is it not that, in a strictly homologous way, the liberal warriors are so eager to fight the anti-democratic fundamentalism that they will end by flinging away freedom and democracy themselves if only they may fight terror? This is an apt quote, especially when one considers the hooded detainees in cages outside the bus which appear chillingly reminiscent of our contemporary equivalent, Guantanamo Bay, and the politics of fear that surround the Wests War on Terror. Word Count: 1928

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

St Francis Of Assisi :: essays research papers

Francis of Assisi lived about eight hundred years ago. He was born in the city of Assisi, Italy, in 1182. He was the son of Piero of Bernadone, who was a wealthy merchant. He received a education and seemed to follow his father's footsteps as a wealthy merchant. In 1201 he took part in an attack on Perugia, was taken hostage, and remained a captive there for a year. After his release, Francis joined the army but couldn't complete his time because he got sick. This period of time would change his life forever. During his sickness, Francis would spend hours meditating on the Lord in an old church, and he felt God drawing near to him. Some people come to Jesus with a memorable experience, but others come to Christ through a process. Francis' conversion wasn't an overnight experience, but it was definitely real. Francis was famous for his love of all creation. He called for simplicity of life, poverty, and humility before God. He worked to care for the poor. Thousands were drawn to his sincerity, piety, and joy. In all his actions, Francis sought to follow fully and literally the way of life demonstrated by Christ in the Gospels. He died in 1226, at the age of 44. Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker movement, was born in Brooklyn, New York, November 8, 1897. After surviving the San Francisco earthquake in 1906, the Day family moved into a house in Chicago. It was a big step down in the world because John Day was out of work. Day's understanding of the shame people feel when they fail in their efforts dated from this time. Day lived long enough to see her achievements honored. In 1967, when she made her last visit to Rome to take part in the Congress of the Laity, she found she was one of two Americans invited to receive Communion from the hands of Pope Paul VI.