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This paper gives an in-depth discussion on the youthful life portrayed in (François-Marie Arouet) Voltaires Candide
Final
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Date
Final
This paper gives an in-depth discussion on the youthful life portrayed in (François-Marie Arouet) Voltaire’s Candide, Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Confessions and Marcel Proust’s Swann’s Way. Though written at different times in history, these are so insightful texts that give a lot of information on the challenging life of the youths.
To begin with, Voltaire explores the turbulent life of the young Marcel who is the protagonist and narrator of this book. Even if he so hopeful in life, it seems that he is destined for failure. At the beginning, he is not contented with the kind of up bringing he is give. He is suffers from nervous ailments and does not receive the expected night kisses from his loving mum. Later, his gets disappointed in life when he can not succeed as an artist and loses his lover. Besides, Charles Swann also becomes an equally demoralized fellow who only resorts to women. This lands him into an inconvenient marriage with the ageing Odette who later dumps him.
On the other hand, Jean-Jacques in his memoir gives a critical analysis of the first 53 years of his life. Just like other people, he lives an ordinary life full of problems. For instance, his mother died when he just nine days old. However, this did not deter him from succeeding and becoming one of the greatest philosophers ever known. It is important to note that he achieved this due to his persistence. If he were like other youths, he would have given up in life especially had messed up as a thief and a serial killer for his illegitimate children.
Lastly, Marcel uses his philosophical kills to satirically and humorously write about the ambitious Candide. Despite optimistic influences he receives from his mentors, Candit becomes disillusioned as a result of the numerous obstacles he faces in life. Instead, he turns into promiscuity and establishes a romantic affair with Cunegonde. Unfortunately, this also fails leaving him a more distressed man who then opts to elope with Old Woman to the New World.
In conclusion, I would like to agree with the fact that these authors have given a true representation of the life of the youths. In deed, this is the most challenging stage in the development of human beings. However, everyone should borrow a leaf from people like Jean-Jacques who beat all the odds and made imminent contributions in the society.
This paper gives an in-depth analysis of price elasticity of luxury goods
Luxury Goods
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Date
Luxury Goods
Introduction
This paper gives an in-depth analysis of price elasticity of luxury goods. In doing this, a lot of focus will be put on demand and supply of commodities in the market. This will help in explaining why these kinds of goods always have a lactic response to changes in their prices and income of the potential buyers. The analysis will be important in proving why this class of commodities always behave in a different manner from the rest of products in any given market situation.
Demand
To begin with, the term demand, as used in Economics, simply refers to the willingness and ability of an individual to buy goods and services. Meaning, if a person is willing, but not able to purchase a commodity, then there is no demand for it. Since the major goal of any business is to make profit, businessmen will only supply their commodities if there is a good demand for them. As a result, the quality of their supply will greatly rely on the buyers’ reception. In other words, the higher the demand, the higher the supply will be because the suppliers will not be afraid of accruing any losses from overstocking (O’Sullivan, A. & Sheffrin, S., 2005).
Factors Affecting Demand
Some of the major factors affecting the demand of commodities in the market include the following:
Price
According to the law of demand, the quantity of commodities demanded is inversely proportional to the prices of the same commodities. This is called negative elasticity and is applicable to most of the necessity and other products. An increase in price of a commodity reduces its demand (Perloff, J., 2001). This is because; the change in price will bring more expenses to buyers who many then opt to forgo that commodity or acquire substitutes from other competing suppliers.
Income
The quantity of goods demanded is directly proportional to the level of income of the buyers. Their consumption increases with an increase in their salaries. The additional income acquired can be spent on buying more goods than they used to do before. As a result, the suppliers will benefit from high stock turn over and subsequently increase their gains.
Taste, fashions and preference
The other factor determining consumer behavior is differences in their tastes, preferences and fashions. Because of personal uniqueness, everyone has their own likes and dislikes. This makes each of them have their own way of evaluating the most appealing commodities. Hence, the manufacturers should know that they are serving diverse personalities (Vogel, H., 2001). They must provide lots of uniqueness in their commodities in order to win the confidence of their clients.
Government interventions
The intervention of the government is another important factor controlling the buyers’ response towards the commodities sold in the country. Even if the market is fully left in the ands of the private sector, it is justified for the state to be incorporated. However, interventions like provision of subsidies will directly influence demand of commodities in the market. For instance, tax reductions and provision of subsidies will lead to the reduction of prices. This will motivate consumers to increase their demands of such products (Ruffin, R.J. & Gregory, P. R. (2008).
Luxury Goods
Luxury goods refer to the commodities that are not essential in life, but are acquired in order life more pleasurable and comfortable. They are usually more expensive as compared to the necessities. Therefore, they can only be bought by rich people. Some of these commodities include expensive car brands such as Ferrari, Spyker, Aston Martin, Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce; latest fashion brands including Chanel, Fendi, Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior and jewelries.
As already highlighted, these commodities do not adhere to the laws of demand. In fact, unlike others, they are lactic (Mankiw, N. G., 1998). In other words, their demand does not show a proportionate negative change to the changes in prices. Furthermore, their demand increases with an increase in consumers’ income. This can be explained s follows:
YED
In simple terms, YED is Income Elasticity Demand. According to this theory, the demand of inferior commodities decline with increase in income of the consumers. In my opinion, I can Abraham Maslow’s Need Hierarchy theory to explain this concept. According to Maslow, human wants are in an increasing order right from the most basic to the most luxurious. Immediately the ones at the base of the hierarchy are met, there is always a constant urge to acquire the rest (Goodwin, N. et al., 2007).
However, luxury goods do not obey the law of YED. Unlike other commodities, their demand increases with an increase in income. I think this happens because; as people get richer, they need to get more superior products to reflect the change in their status. For instance, a youth who was wearing Calvin Klein T-Shirts will no longer use the same if they get a job. Instead, they will shift to the most expensive designs like BCBG Max Azria.
Price elasticity of demand (PED)
In Economics, the term elasticity is used to denote the measure of responsiveness between two or more variables. In this regard, PED refers to the measure of the percentage of the amount f quantity demanded over the percentage change in price of that commodity. PED can be elastic or inelastic depending on the type of commodity. In this case, an elastic price shows that the quantity demanded is highly responsive to changes in prices and vice versa (Ferguson, C., 2009).
Luxury goods are more price elastic than the necessity commodities. Meaning, their demand is not greatly influenced by changes in prices. Consumers can still buy such goods whether their prices are lowered, constant or increased. This is because they are not bought as essential products, but only bought for prestige. Their work is to make life more comfortable and pleasurable to the users. Therefore, they do not care whether their prices change. What they need is to acquire them. For instance, a person willing to buy golden jewelries will not mind about its cost. They will buy them whether they are expensive or cheaper. Their main objective is to ensure that they are getting such commodities (Duetsch, Larry L., 2003). This is because, by getting them, they achieve personal fulfillment, besides holding a special position in society.
Cross Elasticity of Demand (XED)
XED is an Economics terminology which refers to the degree of response by the quantity of the commodity demanded due to price changes of others in the market. A typical market has a variety of goods which are either related as substitutes or complements (Frank, R., 2000). It is their closeness which determines the type of change they experience. Positive XED is realized when these commodities are substitutes while a negative infinity signifies compliment goods.
The quantity of luxury goods demanded may not greatly change as a result of changes in prices of other commodities. This is because the buyers always focus on single products when making their choices. They do no focus on the prices of these commodities because it is not a factor determining their choice. For example, a change in prices of the Prado Cars will not greatly affect the quantity of Honda demanded. Even if they serve the same purpose, the consumers will make independent decisions without such influences (Chaloupka, F. J. et al., 2002).
Conclusion
I would like to conclude by agreeing with the fact that luxury goods are exclusively meant for pleasure. They are not necessary in life and can be done without. Because of this, their demand is not greatly dependent on changes in price since they can be bought at any time. However, I would like to appeal to the clientele that they should focus on the necessities instead of engaging in such spendthrift behaviors. By doing this, they will save a lot and develop themselves economically.
References
Chaloupka, F. J. et al. (2002). The effects of price on alcohol consumption and alcohol-related
problems. Alcohol Research and Health.
Duetsch, Larry L. (2003). Industry Studies. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall
Frank, R., (2000) Microeconomics and Behavior 7th ed. Mc-Graw-Hill.
Ferguson, C. (2009). Microeconomic Theory (3rd ed.). Homewood, Illinois: Richard D. Irwin.
Goodwin, N. et al. (2007) Microeconomics in Context 2d ed. Sharpe.
Mankiw, N. G. (1998). Principles of Economics, Wall Street Journal Edition. Dryden Press, San
Diego. pp. 71–73.
O’Sullivan, A. & Sheffrin, S. (2005) Microeconomics 4th ed. Pearson Books.
Perloff, J. (2001) Microeconomics Theory & Applications with Calculus. Pearson
Ruffin, R.J. & Gregory, P. R. (2008). Principles of Economics (3rd ed.). Glenview, Illinois:
Scott, Foresman.
Vogel, H. (2001). Entertainment Industry Economics (5th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
This paper gives a detailed report of a research carried out in the partial fulfilment of my engineering course
University
Site Visit Report
Student’s Name
Course
Professor
Date
Abstract
This paper gives a detailed report of a research carried out in the partial fulfilment of my engineering course. It gives a detailed analysis of the visit that was made to the BP Refinery plant. It was aimed at studying the impacts of the location and operations of the plant at the surrounding environment.
A series of tools including interviews, questionnaires and direct observation were used to collect data. It was found out that indeed, the existence of this refinery has caused a lot of havoc to the people around. Hence, the report recommends that there should be a strict observant of the environmental ethics.
Table of Contents
Itempage
Abstract2
Table of contents3
Introduction4
Data Collection5
Research Findings6
Challenges Faced during the Research7
Conclusion8
Recommendations9
References10
Site Visit Report
Introduction
As an engineering student, I organized myself and visited an engineering processing plant called BP Refinery, Queensland to investigate the environmental impacts of its location in this locality. Of course, this is one of the most influential cautions that should be taken, because it is a legal requirement for the engineering firms and all their employees to be concerned with environmental pollution.
The management of such plants should not take anything for granted. At no one time should they contribute to the occurrence of the widely disastrous Deepwater Horizon, Piper Alpha, Mexico City, in the recent past. Therefore, I had to do a lot of preparations in order to ensure that my trip was a success.
It is only through this dedication that I could make the necessary observations and gather the necessary information that would be useful for my research. Hence, before my actual date, I had to seek for permission from the relevant authorities. Then, I sent an email to the park management seeking for permission to pay a visit to their facility.
After my reconnaissance, which was conducted on 1st/08/2012, I finally made an actual visit to the plant, on 20th/08/2012. I made the possible arrangements and paid my fee before I was given a guide to accord me the necessary help. Meanwhile, I was armed with my photo and video cameras, a note book, a pen, just to mention, but a few. What perplexed me was the cooperation I got from, Mr. Craig, my guide. He was useful to me throughout the period of my trip. He, thus, made my work easier than I could ever think. He was kind and knowledgeable on most of the activities of the firm.
Data Collection
In order to be able to achieve my goals, I had t use a variety of instruments in gathering information. These, included, but not limited the following:
Direct Oobservation.
I had to use my physical presence in this factory to help me get a bit of the data that would be useful to me. I spent a lot of time at observing the surrounding, location, machines and various departmental records, in order to carry out an in-depth evaluation of the environmental policies.
Interviews.
I also took time to conduct a series of live interviews with a number of people. I did all that, so I could seek the opinion of both the board of directors, senior management, engineers, suppliers, clients and the general public. Through this approach, I was able to gather a lot of information that would help me do this research as planned.
Use of Questionnaires.
I also opted to design sheets of paper, in which I gave a blend of open and closed ended questions aimed at helping me to satisfy my mission. I was immensely pleased with the marvellous responses that I got from my respondents. More specifically, I put a lot of focus on the engineers who freely agreed to answer my questions. From them, I gathered a lot of information that proved instrumental in accomplishing my mission at their facility.
Photographing.
Having carried my photo and video cameras, I was able to take a lot of still and video photos. I used my photographing skills to take pictures of amusing and pleasurable scenes. Through this, I managed to carry with me the images of the unique things: buildings, offices, machines, raw materials, products, employees and the surrounding.
These pictures were extremely useful to me when I was analyzing my data, because I could now provide first hand information in line with my research. Besides, it enabled me to have a tangible evidence of all that I could be interested in doing. On the same note, these pictures could later be preserved for future use particularly when writing any other research paper. It could be used as an important source of secondary data.
Research Findings
After carrying out the said procedure, I eventually got a lot of information that would be of immense importance in answering my research questions. Therefore, I would like to report the following as my findings:
It was found out that the location of this the BP Refinery is highly detrimental to the life of people in this place. This is true because it contributed to environmental pollution in many ways. It discharges hazardous wastes to the nearby water basins and causes a lot of noise to the people in this place. This was truly dangerous to their health.
At the same time, it was found out that the engineers employed at this plant have developed a careless spirit. Other than the aforementioned sources of pollution, there still exist radioactive waves and vibrations. However, this was also found to be unhealthy to the inhabitants of this town.
Besides, the research found out that the prevailing situation in this plant has restrained its relationship with the government and the general public. Many respondents attributed this to the plant’s management’s failure to comply with the legal, corporate social responsibility requirements. Hence, if this continues, it risks termination, as per warnings received so far.
Lastly, it was found out that the workers in this plant have not designed safer equipments to be used in its operations. Moreover, most of them are old, worn out machines that are not of any benefit to the lives of people living around the plant. They are not safe at all.
Challenges Faced During the Research
Though I could carry out one of the most successful field trips, I faced a lot of drawbacks during the whole of this period. Precisely, these included the following:
Time limitations.
Usually, the organization of a successful trip requires a lot of time. This is one of the main challenges I faced. As a student, I have a lot of activities to perform: reading, attending lectures, carrying out research, working on the assignments, participating in my clubs and other extra-curricular activities. All these challenges demanded my optimum cooperation. At the same time, going to the plant consumed a lot of my time than I could ever imagine, because I had to do a lot of many other activities beyond my expected participation.
However, despite tight schedule, I had to create enough time to prepare for the visit, design the questionnaires and personally visit the park. It was truly difficult to do all of these activities promptly without foregoing some noteworthy activities. For instance, I could not attend all my lectures and execute my leadership roles in my club.
Financial Constraints.
Indeed, we all understand that research is a highly expensive affair. Though I am just a mere undergraduate student with no reliable source of income, I had to look for funds, so as to sponsor my trip. At the same time, I had to make a lot of movements and purchases compelled, thus dig deeper into my pockets.
I would not have any way through which I would escape the buying of the cameras, pens, note books and spare more for my transportation, accommodation and upkeep. In the long run, I had to borrow extra cash from my friends.
Poor Weather Conditions
Even if I managed to reach the park as planned, I got interrupted by the heavy pours that occurred on that day. This created poor conditions in the plant, provided that I could not finish all my activities as had been anticipated. As a result, I could not conduct timely interviews, issue questionnaires and make my own observations.
All these activities had to be rescheduled for the following day. Hence, I only managed to wake up early in the morning the following day in order to catch up with my respondents. At the same time, it made hard for me to take any photograph or get in contact with anyone who could answer to my questionnaire or respond to my oral questions. Hence, I had to reschedule my activities to the following day.
Conclusion
Indeed, site visit is a very interesting activity that everybody should be encouraged to participate in. moreover, students should be given an opportunity to take advantage of it. This is simply because; it can help to expose them to the world beyond their immediate surrounding. Hence, they will be challenged and be able to acquire research skills that will build them in their scholarly life.
Honestly, going to this plant is the best thing to happen in my life. Other than the exposure and the lessons learnt, I became very strong owing to the extremely challenging situations I underwent. Truly, this was a life changing situation that will ever make me be an ethical engineer.
Recommendations
Based on the findings of this research, the report gives the following well thought recommendations:
The government of Queensland should intervene in finding a remedy to this menace. It should be duty of the government to formulate and oversee the enforcement of the environmental laws governing the operations of such industries. Typically, it can do this by outlining the environmental impact assessment procedures before establishing any commercial plant of this nature. At the same time, it should ensure that stringent measures are taken to deal with those who violate this regulate this regulation.
The BP Refinery engineers should be mindful enough to put the safety of the people primary to anything else. They should do this by designing safer equipments that will not be harmful in any way. Surely, this will help in the prevention of further cases of the persistent noise, radio active and vibration degradation trends. For instance, if they make silencers, no ear will ever be jeopardized.
The plant should be relocated to another place that is safer that the present one. Definitely, this will create room for cleaning the already degraded land in which it now stands. Nevertheless, the movement should act as an eye opener in helping the management to ensure that no negative impact is made anymore.
Bibliography
Cohen, Nissim andTamar Arieli. “Field Research in Conflict Environments: Methodological Challenges and Snowball Sampling.” Journal of Peace Research 48, no 4 (2011):423–436.
Creswell, John W. Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research (3rd). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2008.
Foley, Kim. The Big Pocket Guide to Using & Creating Virtual Field Trips (3rd ed.). Tramline, 2003.
Marshal, Vic and Steve Ruhemann. Fundamentals of Process Safety. Rugby, England: IChemE, 2001.
Trochim, W.M.K. Research Methods Knowledge Base. New York: Fordham University Press, 2006.