Stereotype and Prejudice Marjorie

Title: Prejudice Prejudice Marjorie W. Davis PSY/285 February 28, 2012 Michael Ford Abstract Our discussion is about how does society confirm prejudicial attitudes? How does ones social identity contribute to prejudice? How do emotions encourage prejudicial attitudes? What cognitive processes influence prejudice? Our text has explained competition; competition is an important source of frustration that can fuel prejudice. When two groups compete for jobs, housing, or social prestige, one group’s goal fulfillment can become the other group’s frustration. PrejudiceSociety confirms prejudice by what you possess and how much money you have. If you are not in a certain bracket such as (high class or middle class), you are considered poor. Prejudice helps justify the economic and social superiority of those who have wealth and power. Of course they will not give a chance at credit to buy a house, car, or start a business. Society, also confirm prejudice by the way you dress o r the car you drive. Society confirms prejudicial attitude by focusing on personal individuality and Independence, as opposed to becoming a team with neighbors and friends.I am so glad that God looks at the heart and man looks at the outer appearance. One's social identity contributes base on a realization of limited environmental control. The more you believe that you can impact your environment or social status, the less roll social identity plays Emotions really affect prejudicial attitudes because most of the time people make decisions based on their emotions. Emotions of fear and sadness or joy and gladness, which can cause you to project feelings in a hurtful way, rather than in a helpful manner Cognitive process influence prejudice through stereotyping, which cause prejudice.This can be a result of the normal ways in which we simplify and organize the world. Stereotypes are the social scripts we have in our heads about others and the roles we believe they should play in our s ocially constructed world. It is important to have the understanding of the basic concepts of prejudice and racism, and how to lessen their destructive effect (Rosado,  1995-2012). Reference Rosado, C. (1995-2012). Critical Multicultral Pavilion Research Room. Retrieved from http://www. edchange,org/multicultral/papers/caleb/racism. html

Vikram Seth

Vikram Seth Vikram Seth is a famous Indian poet, novelist, travel writer, librettist, children’s writer, biographer and memoirist. He was born on June 20, 1952 in Calcutta, now known as Kolkata. His father, Prem Seth, was an employee of the Bata India Limited shoe company. His mother was the first woman judge of the Delhi High Court, as well as the first woman to become Chief Justice of a state High Court, known as Shimla High Court. His childhood was spent in the town of Batanagar near Calcutta, Patna, and London. He has a younger brother, Shantum, and a younger sister, Aradhana. Seth admits that some of the fictional characters in his novels are â€Å"drawn from real life,† in comparison to his parents and siblings. Although discreet at times, he is not secretive about his personal life. He admits that the â€Å"I† in many of his poems is in reference to himself. His poems are addressed to both male and female objects. â€Å"Some men like Jack and some like Jill†¦What is my status? Stray? Or Great? are quotes taken from the poem Dubious, which shows him being open about his sexuality. He attended The Doon School in Dehadrun, where he admits to his â€Å"terrible feeling of loneliness and isolation,† during his studies. He also attended Oxford University, where he took his undergraduate degree in philosophy, politics, and economics. He was enrolled at Stanford University, as well as Nanjing University for his intended doctoral dissertation on Chinese population plann ing. â€Å"The Golden Gate† (1986), was his first novel. He has written a travelogue â€Å"From Heaven Lake: Travels Through Sinkiang and Tibet† (1983). His works in poetry include All You Who Sleep Tonight (1990). He has also written a story book for children Beastly Tales from Here and There (1992). His acclaimed epic of Indian life, A Suitable Boy (1993), won the WH Smith Literary Award and the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Overall Winner, Best Book). A Suitable Boy is the story of several Indian families-the Kapoors, Mehras, Chatterjis and Khans, whose paths intersect continually over a period of about a year. It never strays far from the subject of love and marriage–indeed, the book both begins and ends with weddings. Set in India in the early 1950s , which has only recently gained its independence from the British. A young girl by the name of Lata Mehra is the second daughter in her family. Her widowed mother, Rupa Mehra, is determined to find a â€Å"suitable boy† for her daughter. The book opens at Savita, Lata’s elder sister, and Pran Kapoor's wedding, where Lata decides that she does not want an arranged marriage like her sister. As the year passes three suitors come into Lata's life. Of the three, a handsome Muslim classmate and the self-made business man her mother wants for her. Lata is a rebellious kind of girl who is already in love with a Muslim boy. The novel shows a conflict between Hindus and Muslims in the fictional city of Brahmpur, where the story is primarily set. One of the main aims of the novel is to infuse the spirit of religious tolerance among the Hindus and Muslims. Family drama and Indian history unfold around her: Savita and Pran begin domestic life together and start their family. Life changes for Maan, Pran's brother, when he falls for a girl from an unsuitable family. The story also surrounds a fight that Lata’s brother has in Calcutta. The story delves into the normal and day to day routine life activities of India in 1951-52. Seth creates a compelling tale revolving around these four families and their love, hatred, sadness, daily chores, and lives in the times of a crisis. It shows a society that is a mix of different cultures, communities, and castes undergoing a change. Vikram Seth Vikram Seth Vikram Seth is a famous Indian poet, novelist, travel writer, librettist, children’s writer, biographer and memoirist. He was born on June 20, 1952 in Calcutta, now known as Kolkata. His father, Prem Seth, was an employee of the Bata India Limited shoe company. His mother was the first woman judge of the Delhi High Court, as well as the first woman to become Chief Justice of a state High Court, known as Shimla High Court. His childhood was spent in the town of Batanagar near Calcutta, Patna, and London. He has a younger brother, Shantum, and a younger sister, Aradhana. Seth admits that some of the fictional characters in his novels are â€Å"drawn from real life,† in comparison to his parents and siblings. Although discreet at times, he is not secretive about his personal life. He admits that the â€Å"I† in many of his poems is in reference to himself. His poems are addressed to both male and female objects. â€Å"Some men like Jack and some like Jill†¦What is my status? Stray? Or Great? are quotes taken from the poem Dubious, which shows him being open about his sexuality. He attended The Doon School in Dehadrun, where he admits to his â€Å"terrible feeling of loneliness and isolation,† during his studies. He also attended Oxford University, where he took his undergraduate degree in philosophy, politics, and economics. He was enrolled at Stanford University, as well as Nanjing University for his intended doctoral dissertation on Chinese population plann ing. â€Å"The Golden Gate† (1986), was his first novel. He has written a travelogue â€Å"From Heaven Lake: Travels Through Sinkiang and Tibet† (1983). His works in poetry include All You Who Sleep Tonight (1990). He has also written a story book for children Beastly Tales from Here and There (1992). His acclaimed epic of Indian life, A Suitable Boy (1993), won the WH Smith Literary Award and the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Overall Winner, Best Book). A Suitable Boy is the story of several Indian families-the Kapoors, Mehras, Chatterjis and Khans, whose paths intersect continually over a period of about a year. It never strays far from the subject of love and marriage–indeed, the book both begins and ends with weddings. Set in India in the early 1950s , which has only recently gained its independence from the British. A young girl by the name of Lata Mehra is the second daughter in her family. Her widowed mother, Rupa Mehra, is determined to find a â€Å"suitable boy† for her daughter. The book opens at Savita, Lata’s elder sister, and Pran Kapoor's wedding, where Lata decides that she does not want an arranged marriage like her sister. As the year passes three suitors come into Lata's life. Of the three, a handsome Muslim classmate and the self-made business man her mother wants for her. Lata is a rebellious kind of girl who is already in love with a Muslim boy. The novel shows a conflict between Hindus and Muslims in the fictional city of Brahmpur, where the story is primarily set. One of the main aims of the novel is to infuse the spirit of religious tolerance among the Hindus and Muslims. Family drama and Indian history unfold around her: Savita and Pran begin domestic life together and start their family. Life changes for Maan, Pran's brother, when he falls for a girl from an unsuitable family. The story also surrounds a fight that Lata’s brother has in Calcutta. The story delves into the normal and day to day routine life activities of India in 1951-52. Seth creates a compelling tale revolving around these four families and their love, hatred, sadness, daily chores, and lives in the times of a crisis. It shows a society that is a mix of different cultures, communities, and castes undergoing a change.

Answering questions based on the case study Essay

Answering questions based on the case study - Essay Example n business model, franchisees are provided with ample start-up support and training by the franchisor and the company maintains an established brand (Ramirez-Hurtado and Quattrociocchi 2009). From the Snap Fitness’ perspective, there is significant cost savings by having an independent investor take on the franchise. It spares the franchisor of the expenses of rentals or new facilities construction as well as the necessary labour needed to manage the business and provide services. Yet another advantage is that this gives the franchisor rather simplistic revenue production and royalties. The franchise contract indicates a level of profit sharing, usually between three and seven percent, without much commitment and service delivery by Snap Fitness. Therefore, costs are reduced in managerial labour whilst also giving the franchisor earnings simply as a basis of contract. A final advantage to this strategy is having access to more ideas. The contracted relationship with the franchisor and franchisee can create better strategic decision-making by combining talents and knowledge held by the franchisee. Usually these investors have business experience or management talents that are vital for improving problem-solving and responding more effectively to market conditions. Challenges of franchising include a loss of control over the franchisee. Monitoring management is a significant strategic challenge in business and franchisors cannot always be present to ensure managers are being productive. This is an agency problem of executive control (Brickley and Dark 1987). Additionally, not all franchisees maintain the same level of business talents and experiences which could conflict ensuring that the franchisee is adhering to the established model of management and leadership necessary to be consistent with the company’s brand ideology and service philosophy. Yet another challenge is that Snap Fitness could experience tensions and conflict with the franchisee. The

Concerto genre Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Concerto genre - Term Paper Example For the purposes of this genre study, I seek to research and discuss concerto genre. Particularly, I will work on piano concerto by Frantz Liszt. Frantz was renowned for his exemplary virtuosic skills with the piano. Many people still claim that his level of perfection with the piano matched Paganini with his violin. I really like his piano concerto No. 1, which was done in E-flat major. The concerto can listen on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KggSgpm8XuY. I would really love and welcome anyone who would help me deconstruct and analyze this concerto. I have listened to it several times and compared the concerto with others with the same artist. I wish to compare Frantz Liszt’s piano concerto No. 1 with one of the latest piano artists named John Ireland. His music can be found on http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/alan-rowlands/album/john-ireland-piano-music. After listening to the two set of music, I found some similarities albeit not much. Any assistance on comparison would be v ery welcome.Response to Post Number 2I like your approach since it is almost similar to mine. We are both exploring piano artists although yours focuses on sonata while mine focusses on concertos. Certainly, Robert Schumann did complicated pieces of sonatas. Although you have not yet generated a rhapsody URL for both artists, your link for Robert Schumann works and is good for both his history and music as well. Perhaps you should explain more about how his elements of insanity are reflected in his music.

Written Critical Analysis of a Literary Text Essay

Written Critical Analysis of a Literary Text - Essay Example Nevertheless, linguists and anthropologists have often marginalized poetics through believing that the aesthetic way of using language is solely parasitic upon the core subjects of linguistics (Achebe, 2012). For instance, the core areas are semantics, syntax, phonology and anthropological fields like social and economy organization. This position emanates clearly in the work of a Nigerian author in his latest work of â€Å"There was a country,† as the article explains. There Was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra by Chinua Achebe Chinua Achebe was a Nigerian writer whose story telling talent and moral courage gifts have left enduring marks on the world’s literature. The release of There was a Country work explains his experience during the Civil War in Nigeria, aka the Biafra War of 1967 to 1970 (Serpell, 2012). The war was not famous because of its impacts on the lives of Biafra’s, who went for numerous days without food or water. The war was the greatest among the humanitarian disasters all over the world. Chinua Achebe and his loving family were caught up in the midst of atrocities. As a worldly known novelist, Achebe resided in a Biafra homestead worked as a ranging cultural ambassador and witnessed the full horror of the war. As soon as the war ended, Chinua acquired one of the academic posts in university based in the U.S (Anya, 2012). for a period of not less than forty years Chinua hardly uttered a word regarding those horrific war years. Nonetheless, he addressed the terrible years solely through his novels and poetry (Achebe, 2012). After spending several years composing â€Å"There Was a Country,† he finally presents a towering reckoning fateful experience covering both his experience and how he came to understand the experience. Chinua uses the context of literature and language, character, narrative and awareness of genre in this book. Marrying memoir and history, weaving the poetry of the author all through the ch apters, the book distills a vivid observation, considered reflection and research (Serpell, 2012). More so, the book relates the birth pangs in Nigeria, on the subject of Chinua’s development both as a man and significant Nigerian writer, as well as, evaluates the obligation of an artist during war. In the past, Achebe has written short stories and poems regarding Biafra such as Girls at War (1972). However, people hoped and waited for a chronicle about Achebe's view on the contested Nigerian history. At long last Chinua produced, a narration titled There was a Country, which is striking because it is not personal for providing details about the war; even though he subtitled it as A Personal History of Biafra. This book serves right the admirers of Achebe, as well as, those who are not yet familiar with his significant work (Serpell, 2012). Some of the parts are same as the passages of his previous essays and interspersed poems in the narrative. The keen followers of Achebeâ €™s work will develop interest while reading some new revelations regarding his life as he states in the first section. However, the book’s second section provides details about the war especially how he foregoes own memory. In writing regarding the crucial events, Chinua utilizes the information about what people told him instead of his own feelings. As a result, the narration leaves the audience with the most nagging dissatisfaction that reflects as if the writer left things unsaid (Achebe, 2012). More so, the book has several glimpses. For instance, on paying a vacation as one of the Biafra ambassadors to Canada, a host contributed a joke. A loud laughter accompanied the joke and abruptly it dawned to Chinua that Biafra was

Air Arabia Formal Report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Air Arabia Formal Report - Research Paper Example The hubs are world’s tourist destinations. The strategic position of the airline gives it the power to establish business with local investors (Airarabia.com, 2014). There have been vagaries within the regional economic platform of Middle East, but Air Arabia has managed to make a profit consistently. It has proved to be a cost-effective airline despite the increasing oil prices. The airline also has survived the rising inflation in Saudi Arabia market since 2008. It has maintained its budget airfares to gain public support. The airline has operated in situations of political unrest in Middle East and North Africa. Its business survived the political unrest in 2011 and Libya ousting of Gaddafi. It boasts of strict adherence to Shariah Laws because most of its destinations are in Islam-dominant countries (Katsioloudes and Hadjidakis, 2007, p.593). Air Arabia has established a sound business portfolio over the years and has gained the attention of passengers who want to travel between Middle East and North Africa among other subsidiary destinations. It caters for clientele seeking cargo facilities between the destinations covered by the airline. It chose Sharjah as the central hub for its flights. Sharjah is an Islamic cultural destination that boosts high tourist influx annually. The airline also operates across 90 destinations with diverse cultures, but the help of agencies has helped it to offer a customized service for each cultural group. The airline carved a unique technological niche whereby it operates in remote aviation hubs with outstanding adherence to current IT developments. In a bid to increase brand awareness, Air Arabia has been compelled to adopt In-Flight advertising campaigns that have been by initiated in United Arab Emirates airlines. Moreover, the airline industry now demands technological adjustments in the form of in-flight entertainment system, overhead bin doors and graphic tray tables (Lück, 2013, p.65). Air Arabia is an

Discuss the role of hydrocholoric acid in protecting the body from Essay

Discuss the role of hydrocholoric acid in protecting the body from disease.Explain signs and symptoms associated with low gastric acidity - Essay Example Moreover, chronic conditions such as asthma, allergies and gallstones have been implicated in the reduced acid secretion (Ahmed 34). Most common age related factors, that causes impaired digestion, is the decline in the hydrochloric acid production in the stomach. This thus shows that hydrochloric acid plays a crucial role in the gastrointestinal tract. Digestion of food substances starts when food enters the mouth and progresses as the food is passed to the stomach, small and large intestines. When food reaches the stomach, gastric secretions are released which consist of; HCL, pepsinogen and a mucus layer that acts as a protective layer. The amount of HCL increases as digestion of food progresses. The ph of the stomach is maintained by HCL at 1 and 2.Apart from the digestion, the HCL helps in protection of the body against diseases (Barney 78). HCL plays a vital role in the protection of the body from pathogens. It does so by maintaining a sterile environment in the stomach, this is through protection against pathogens that are ingested during food intake. Pathogens cannot achieve overgrowth in the small intestines due to the action of this acid hence the gastrointestinal tract remains free of pathogens. Research has also shown that a common pathogen in the stomach, E coli is inactivated in the stomach when acidity is high at 1.5to 4.Inactivation of this organism thus eliminates possible E coli infection (Forleo 125). Low acidity of the stomach leads to fast invasion of microorganisms from the colon and bacterial colonization and overgrowth of bacteria hence leading to infection. Thus, hydrochloric acid is vital in body defense. Researchers have also found out that reduced levels of hydrochloric acid leads to infection by H. pylori which is one of the most common pathogen that cause chronic bacterial infection. It also causes gastritis, gastric carcinoma, gastric ulcers and B-cell gastric carcinoma. This acid also

Marketing Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Marketing - Article Example Change in consumers’ behavior can be seen. In the present century where consumers are faced with a turbo-charged variety of options, it is necessary to understand their needs and provide them with honesty, truth and advice about the product. Present day marketing is engaging people in a way so that they not only get entertainment, but also get the information that they want. It is no surprise that numerous companies and professionals are adopting new approaches to marketing for the better definition of their brands. But it is also important to understand where, how and what to market. It is also important to make best use of new technology while not obsolescing the old media. The trend which can be seen in new models of marketing is that all the consumers are moving online, predominantly the young ones. But we can’t say that print media is dying since it has its own significance. We have print and electronic media; marketing just needs to be done at the right place and at the right time. It could be through Internet, video games, print media, social networks or anything at all. There are brands and consumers. It is necessary to understand how to create relevant and meaningful conversations with them that engage and enlighten and make the consumers want to find us. Marketers should understand the consumers’ new and primarily used communication media such as mobile devices (and the apps on them), YouTube, blogs, emails and a must mention, social networking sites such as â€Å"Facebook†. Marketers can place their ads on Facebook, based on the demographics of the people they want to target. For example, Nokia may display its new smartphone ad on a teen’s profile page in a particular country and during different times. However, marketing may not only be limited to these media. In fact, each and every connection point with the consumer can

Social Studies Sba Outline Essay Example for Free

Social Studies Sba Outline Essay Introduction to CSEC S.B.A. Geographic fieldwork is about the application of geographic concepts and ideas in the investigation of a problem or issue. Instead of gathering information from books, we gather information about the world around from the environment. Geographers first identify an area for research. They ask geographic questions about the issues that have been identified and form hypotheses.. They then conduct a systematic collection of data to test the hypothesis. This is done through the systematic collection of field data through observations, collecting samples, interviews or surveys. The collected information will be analysed and presented in a field report. The Purpose of the School Based Assessment The School Based Assessment (SBA) will help you to understand how geographers build the knowledge that they present to us in textbooks and other publications. In this part of the course you must rely on the information, concepts and understandings that you have collected during your study of Geography. You are expected to design a simple study, collect and present information that is relevant and arrive at a conclusion about your study, using no more than 1500 words in total. Contents of a Geography SBA The Aim (or Aims) of the study ? Methodology Analysis and discussion Location maps Conclusion Bibliography Appendix There is a particular order in which the report must be done for presentation. This is as follows: 1. Title page 2. Strategy sheet 3. Table of contents 4. Location map(s) 5. Aim of the study 6. Method of data collection 7. Presentation of data 8. Conclusion 9. Bibliography 10. Appendix Mark Scheme (1) Table of Contents Details properly sequenced with correct page number 1 MARK (2) Aim of the Study At least ONE aim clearly stated as a direct or implicit question. 2 MARKS Aim is geographical and based on the Syllabus Aim allows collection of primary data. (3) Location of the Study At least two sketch maps: 4 MARKS ONE of the site (showing immediate environs), and ONE (usually of territory) showing its location in relation to other features (for example, roads, rivers, settlements within the parish or region or district); BOTH maps accurately drawn and properly labelled. Between the two maps: (Indication of scale, directional arrow, key or labels, title (1 mark each to maximum 4 marks) (4) Methodology A clear statement on HOW data were collected and an example of the instrument used or a brief outline of how observations were made and tests done. 2 MARKS EITHER A clear statement on HOW the data were collected. 1 MARK OR Little or no mention of HOW the data were collected, but an example of the instrument used is included. 1 MARK (5) Presentation of Data Illustrations: variety, for example, graphs, tables, labelled photographs (at least three illustrations to be used). These should be generated from field observation and tested by candidates and not copied from secondary sources (that is, they should be the candidates’ original work). 4 MARKS Accurate, appropriate, neat, fully labelled, and titled (Excellent presentation) (6) Quality of Data and Illustrations Accurate, appropriate and relevant 4 MARKS (7) Analysis of Data and Discussion of Findings Very well organized, coherent, points well developed, well sequenced and supported by comprehensive data (Excellent) 7 8 MARKS Integration of Illustrations Well integrated discussed and distributed (placed) 2 MARKS (8) Conclusion Is related to the purpose of the study, and provides an appropriate summary and conclusion consistent with the data obtained; may include assessment of methodology. 5 6 MARKS (9) Communication of Information No grammatical errors or flaws (2) and extensive use of appropriate geographical terms (2) 4 MARKS (10) Bibliography Alphabetical order by author with title, publisher, place and date with relevant and up-to-date references 1 MARK (11) Penalty for Exceeding Word Limit (Where the word length exceeds 1650 words, 10% of the candidate’s earned score is deducted.) 4 MARKS Create a free website with

Social Inequality Essay Example for Free

Social Inequality Essay Learning targets: †¢Functionalists have a consensus view of society. They believe that people in society work together for the common good of all, this is known as the organic analogy. †¢All societies are unequal. Inequality of whole groups in the social structure is known as stratification. †¢Functionalists believe stratification is good for society. †¢Functionalists say that the best people get the best jobs because they are more talented and work harder. Poor people are poor because they do not work hard enough for the best positions. Key questions (AO1) What is the functionalist view of society? (AO1) What causes inequality according to functionalists? (AO2) What are the strengths of the functionalist view? (AO2) What are the weaknesses of the functionalist view of inequality? Summary of Key Points What is the functionalist view of society? Many early writers and philosophers viewed society as being like an animal or human body. They shared the view that all the separate parts of the body worked together to create something whole. They claimed that everybody works together for the common good of us all, as do body parts for the organism. This shared view is known as consensus theory because it is based on social agreement. Durkheim argued strongly for the organic analogy because he said we share values and norms. He said that different people in different jobs equate in social terms to the differing organisms of the body. Society itself is more than the sum of the people who go to make up that society. The supporting evidence is that things which happen to society will affect you regardless of your actions or opinions (e.g. war). Society lives on when individuals within it die. Durkheim’s ideas became the basis of functionalism. Functionalists say that society is based on shared norms and values. They say that the job of the sociologist is to look at how parts of society work together for the good of the whole society. Social cohesion (sticking together like glue) is maintained through shared rituals and activities, for example state events such as Coronations and funerals, shared consciousness such as reading the same newspapers and watching the same TV programmes and major events such as sporting occasions which make people feel united with each other. How do functionalists explain inequality? The term social inequality describes a condition in which members of a society have different amounts of wealth, prestige, or power. Some degree of social inequality is found in every society. When a system of social inequality is based on a hierarchy of groups, sociologists refer to it as stratification: a structured ranking of entire groups of people that perpetuates unequal economic rewards and power in a society. Ascribed status is a social position assigned to a person without regard for that persons characteristics, for example, being a Queen is an ascribed status, as is being a female. By contrast, achieved status is a social position attained by a person largely through his or her own effort. This can be positive or negative so a person can be an ex-prisoner or a judge. These are achieved statuses. Functionalists claim that inequality and stratification is functional for society and a source of social order. Davis and Moore proposed this theory in 1945. It was heavily criticised, particularly in the 1970s for being an extremely conservative theory by Tumin, who remains their foremost critic. For Davis and Moore Stratification is a system of status positions and jobs. The key point of the theory is that Stratification is universal and necessary. This is argued because all society is stratified. They argue that society is therefore a functional necessity. The theory focuses on the following: †¢How do people get to their proper positions? †¢How do we motivate people to fill these positions? †¢Once in position, how do you get people to do what is required? Davis and Moore went on to claim that society needs to fill the most important and difficult jobs with the most talented and hardworking people. If people were all paid the same regardless of their work, they would take the easiest jobs and do as little training as possible. There would be no incentive to work hard and do difficult educational courses. Society ensures that the most pay and the best working conditions go to those who are prepared to put the time and effort into working hard for them. The high rewards act as motivation for the years of work and preparation required for the difficult and responsible careers that some people choose. There have been many critics of the viewpoint, for example Kendall et al. point out that the functionalist approach generally ignores questions of structural inequality because it does not consider the social factors such as racial discrimination, lack of job opportunities, and the inadequate funding of many schools that may contribute to the persistence of inequality in society. Nevertheless, this theoretical perspective is very powerful. It emphasises the view that the jobs of power and importance are given to those with the most talent. It is clear that this type of theory is very attractive to those who have positions of power and wealth in society. It suggests those who are poor and powerless lack effort, talent and determination. How has functionalism influenced politics? Many belief systems suggest that poor people brought their difficult situations upon themselves. This type of theory has a long history in Britain, for example the famous philosopher Herbert Spencer argued that poverty was good for society as it encouraged people to work in order to avoid being poor. He said that the poor themselves deserved to suffer poverty because of their lack of morality. Those living on benefits today are often seen as being lazy, and the term dole scrounger was frequently employed by the press to describe people dependent on benefits in the 1970s and 1980s. Even today, young single mothers are often demonised as becoming pregnant to gain housing, despite there being very little research evidence to support this claim. This type of popular thinking resulted in the election of Margaret Thatcher in 1979, and led to the subsequent dominance of the thinkers of the New Right. The political and philosophical perspective known as the New Right is associated with the politicians Margaret Thatcher in the UK, and Ronald Reagan in the USA. The principles of the New Right are based on the theoretical viewpoints that are very close to functionalism. The New Right believe that inequality is inevitable in society. They go further and argue that we should have economic freedom. We should buy and sell as we wish this is known as market liberalism. It assumes that all people are customers who are rational and make good choices. As a result, there is a philosophy of choice so that parents are encouraged to choose schools for their children or hospitals if they become ill. The subtext is that people also choose to be poor. In Britain, the New Right became associated with underclass theory, which is supported by writers such as Charles Murray and David Saunders. These writers both claim that in the UK, benefit systems mean that people make a rational choice to stay poor, because it is easier to stay at home on the dole than go to work. They claim that some people go on to develop a culture that is state dependent, against traditional values, criminal, irresponsible and destructive. They suggest that people are often lazy and selfish so they must be encouraged to work by making welfare payments low enough to make life uncomfortable. People who live in areas where few people have work will develop a culture that encourages laziness. People get used to relying on others if life is made easy for them and all their self will and self-reliance is lost. They must be encouraged to take control of their own lives and by punitive methods such as having their benefits cut, if necessary. Criticisms include the way that it ignores the way that some people have more access to wealth, status and power than others, so effectively it ignores social structure. It does not take inequalities of class, gender, ethnicity, age and ability into account. There are dual standards, rich people are expected to be rewarded for their work by the incentive of high pay, but poor people should be expected to work to avoid poverty. Businesses should have the freedom to sell what they like, but families should follow strict rules of behaviour. It ignores bad behaviour among the rich, poor people are controlled, but not the wealthy. In addition, it makes odd assumptions about people, for instance, that they are naturally selfish, and that they do things for rational rather than cultural reasons. From a sociological point of view one of the most damning criticisms is that there is very little research evidence to back up what is claimed by the New Right. What is trickle-down theory? Trickle-down theory is sometimes used in an insulting way to describe a theory that has been popular among politicians of the New Right and who have functionalist views of society. The basic belief is that by cutting taxes to the rich and to businesses, then the whole population will benefit as the rich people spend their money and boost the economy. This type of thinking formed the basis of economic policy in the USA under President Reagan and in the UK under Margaret Thatcher. There is support for this kind of thinking in the writing of the influential economist, Keynes who said that tax cuts for the rich promote investment. There are still regular and frequent calls by political parties to cut taxes in order that people can spend more of their money. The most recent and widely reported call for tax cuts came from David Cameron, the leader of the Conservative Party in May 2008. In the 1980s, taxes were cut in Britain in a way that benefitted the rich in the hopes that it would boost the economy. Many taxes were abolished, such as capital gains tax which applies only to the wealthier people in society. At the same time, some taxes that affected everyone and possibly the poor more than others increased. In 1981, Value Added Tax (VAT) rose from 8% to 15% to pay for the tax cuts to the rich. In 1991 it was raised again to 17.5% by the Conservative government of John Major government to pay for cuts in the poll tax. In practical terms, the very rich are often low tax payers in view of what they earn. The TUC suggests that tax avoidance by the super-rich costs the British taxpayer  £13bn a year. They point out that this is enough money to increase old-age pensions by 20 per cent. Tax planning loopholes mean that the super-rich put money into the names of their families or live abroad for large portions of the year to avoid tax. The government has policies which support the super-rich so capital gains tax at is set at 18% when the top rate of income tax is 40%. There is still debate as to the effectiveness of the tax cuts in supporting the economy. It is certain that the rate of inequality in British society has been growing so that a reduction in the growth of inequality is now seen as a government achievement! Trickle down theories are not supported by economic evidence but still hold considerable influence over public policy making. What is the Functionalist Perspective on class? Functionalists have a positive view about inequality, since it is seen to motivate the less well off to aspire to the income and status enjoyed by the rich and wealthy. Therefore, they applaud the existence of the class structure seeing it as promoting effort, motivation and success. Functionalists believe strongly in the existence of a meritocracy whereby there is equality of opportunity enabling the talented to rise up from any social class to occupy societys most important and demanding roles. Functionalists believe it is appropriate and right to highly reward those in the higher social classes since they believe they are there through merit. Rewarding those at the top only serves to motivate those at the bottom more, they argue. Inequality is therefore beneficial to society and the existence of a class structure becomes functional in providing that inequality. Functionalists like the competitive values that the class structure provides and genuinely believe society is open to social mobility thereby allowing the most talented to rise to the top of society. A fluid and flexible class structure rewards individual achievement by granting the glittering prize of income and status to those who work hard. Despite class inequalities of the class structure a meritocracy offers the opportunity for anyone to get to the top. The ideas of functionalism are probably best expressed through the culture of the USA where the American Dream is the widespread goal of almost every citizen. The argument that those at the bottom are held back by structural constraints such as poor housing, poor education and general poverty is dismissed my functionalists with the argument that they are simply not trying hard enough. The view that the lower classes are held back by their cultural values of laziness and fecklessness, rather than genuine structural disadvantages, is a functionalist theme adopted subsequently by the New Right. For example, the work of US New Right theorist Charles Murray portrays those at the bottom of society, whom he refers to as an underclass, as outside the cultural values of the rest of society. He sees them embracing an alternative subculture of deviant values centred around being workshy, living off welfare and having fatalistic attitudes, for example, taking life as it comes. Whilst influential, Murrays work has come in for sustained criticism for its refusal to recognise the significance of structural factors and his dogmatic obsession of scapegoating lone mother families for societys problems. In Britain, Murrays New Right contemporary, Peter Saunders shares a similar contemptuous view of those at the bottom of the class structure. However, adopting a view similar to postmodernism he sees society as divided less along lines of class and more in terms of consumption. He calls this consumption cleavage. He argues a process of social restratification has taken place, dividing those seeking to satisfy their consumption needs through private ownership of cars, housing, private education and health care, in contrast to those reliant upon social housing, public transport, state education and health care. Saunders argues that divisions of consumption and lifestyle cut across old class lines, with consumption now influencing and shaping identity and social attitudes to a far greater extent. However, Rosemary Crompton criticizes Saunders for claiming class is dead on the one hand; yet continuing to point to occupational class as a powerful influence on income, consumption and political attitudes on the other.

Combatting the Rise of Fake News

Combatting the Rise of Fake News Fake news in the recent decade has been propagated by traditional and, more so, social media, with the intention to deceive readers with false information to maximize traffic and profit. Although it is not a new phenomenon, the emergence of social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook have eased the dispersion of disinformation, making it nearly impossible to distinguish real and fabricated information at first glance. Fake news has been a strong factor in major events in the world including the recent U.S. Presidential Elections, where it has been linked to influencing the results of the elections. It is also used as a political weapon, used to dismiss any news that goes against the views of the political party as false all without a need for explanation or proof. Canada is not unaffected by this. In January 2017, Nick Kouvalis, the campaign manager for Conservative leadership candidate Kellie Leitch has been fired for posting false information about the Trudeau office claiming on Twitter that the Trudeau office was using billions of taxpayers money to fund terrorist groups rather than to help the homeless and jobless. In the same month, reports began circulating that the shooter of the Quebec mosque was yelling Allahu Akbar though it has been taken down after the Trudeau office took on those false reports. This does not take away from the fact that millions have been exposed to these false news and form opinions based on artificially created information. In an effort to curb fake news and their effects, the federal heritage committee is currently compiling a report about the future of media and journalism in Canada, in which fake news is heavily brought up. The report is to be shown to the Parliament in spring this year. Canada is also in talks with Google and Facebook to identify fake news on their site. However, curbing fake news is hard as doing so would limit the freedom of the press, something which goes against Canadas policies and beliefs. Furthermore, drawing the line in identifying fake news, after outright falsehoods have been removed, is hard due to the multitude of sites with ideological bias and views. In the light of concern about the spread of fake news, Canada is proposing several solutions that should: establish an international cyber board for the intention to tackle fake news; utilization of international cyber board to monitor news and distinguish between fake and real news; collaborate with large multinational social corporations including Facebook and Twitter; increase research and development into tools that can be used by citizens to identify fake news and report it; create a registration system for news sites to register themselves and to be verified by the international cyber board. Canada believes that the fight against fake news will be hard and long but knows that it is necessary to ensure that citizens are able to form opinions from real facts rather than alternative truths. References: Public Policy Forum (2017, January). The Shattered Mirror: News, Democracy and Trust in the Digital Age. Retrieved Feb 25, 2017, from https://shatteredmirror.ca/wpcontent/uploads/theShatteredMirror.pdf. BBC (2016, December 26). Canada MP Probe Ways to Curtail Fake News. Retrieved Feb 25, 2017, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38399892. The Washington Post (2017, February 26). The White Houses Big Fake News Cop-out. Retrieved Feb 25, 2017, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/thefix/wp/2017/02/26/fake-news-is-a-potent-political-strategy-its-also-a-copout/?utm_term=.f509281f95d6. The Canadian Press (2017, Jan 24). Facebook, Google to Tackle Fake News In Canada With New Tools. Retrieved Feb 25, 2017, from https://www.thestar.com/business/2017/01/24/facebook-google-to-tackle-fake-news-incanada-with-new-tools.html. Wood, L.S, Hatch, C (2017, February 2). How Vulnerable is Canada to fake news?. Retrieved Feb 25, 2017, from http://www.nationalobserver.com/2017/02/02/analysis/howvulnerable-canada-fake-news-very.

Scarlett Letter :: essays research papers

Pearl and the Spice of Life Really good salsa has lots of zesty vegetables and spices to make it good. But what if the spiciness of the salsa was taken away? It would just be tomato sauce. Pearl is the spice of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. If her character was not present, the book would have a completely different flavor. In his essay entitled â€Å"The Genius of The Scarlet Letter,† Anthony Trollope states, â€Å"Pearl is miraculous,-speaking, acting, thinking like an elf,-and is therefore, I think, a drawback rather than an aid. The desolation of the woman, too, would have been more perfect without the child† (Trollope 243). Trollope’s point is well made, however the absence of Pearl would have made The Scarlet Letter an entirely different story. Without Pearl there would have been no proof of Hester’s adultery, and she might have become more depressed, even sinned more. However, if Pearl had been a more normal and obedient child, she would have been more well liked by readers. The most drastic change that would have been made in the book in the absence of Pearl would be that it would no longer have been called The Scarlet Letter. The reason for this being that without Pearl, there would have been no proof that Hester had committed adultery. Therefore, no one would have known and there would have been no punishment. Instead, Hester would have gone through the same guilt and internal battle as the minister, Reverend Dimmesdale. The reason that Dimmesdale is so tortured inside is because of the incredible feeling of guilt that he has because of having never taken blame or punishment for his sin. If Hester took no punishment, she would feel that same torture inside. But Pearl is present, so she is proof of Hester’s adultery. Hawthorne says it best when he states, â€Å"God, as a direct consequence of sin which man thus punished, had given her a lovely child† (82). Hester’s punishment was the consequence of having a child. Pearl is not only the proof of Hester’s adultery, she is also the thing that keeps Hester going. Hester may have fallen into a depression and eventually died, but Hester has to keep sewing, keep getting out of bed in the morning, and keep taking care of herself because she has someone else to take care of too. Hester’s feelings about Pearl are revealed when Hawthorne states, â€Å"But she named the infant ‘Pearl,’ as being of great price,-purchased with all she had,-her mother’s only treasure!† (82).

international terrorism :: essays research papers

After reading Martha Crenshaw’s essay on The Causes of Terrorism, thoughts were provoked that allowed me to look at the causes of terrorism from an entirely new perspective. It took my preconceived notions and feelings towards terrorism out of the picture and really let me look at the subject from a balanced point of view. I found this appealing because I have never been able to comprehend how there could be rational justifications to such a harsh reality. It really motivated me to try and understand more about such a complex subject.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This essay explained settings for terrorism, reasons for terrorism, and individual motivation and participation. All three of which made me think of the America before the constitution, before equal rights were assured to all individuals. These privileges did not come for free; we had to fight for them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In settings for terrorism, the author talked about subgroups of larger populations that may be discriminated against, or suppressed and not given equal opportunity for political participation. These particular situations may be conducive to terrorist organization and activity. These were some of the same settings for the causes of wars in America’s history, from the American Revolution, to the Civil War. During the American Revolution fighters for their cause were not looked at as terrorist although they did participate in, what was considered at that time to be, unconventional warfare which most consider today to be a personality of terrorism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reasons for terrorism are more complex. One intention of a terrorist organization may be to provoke a counter reaction from the government, to increase publicity for the terrorists’ cause, and to demonstrate that criticism of the regime is well founded. The terrorists mean to force the state to show its true repressive face, thereby driving the people into the arms of the challengers. September 11, 2001 was an excellent example of this. After the attacks, Americans were outraged and emotional. Action had to be taken to revenge the lives lost and to ensure our national security. Everyone seemed vulnerable now, more than ever. America’s fight against terrorism led to the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, and at the same time America tried to spread democracy in, previously, undemocratic countries. The intention of the Al Qaeda to strike fear in their target population was only the beginning of what they were able to accomplish. Al Qaeda showed the world that their criticism of America’s attempt to force democracy throughout the world was true. international terrorism :: essays research papers After reading Martha Crenshaw’s essay on The Causes of Terrorism, thoughts were provoked that allowed me to look at the causes of terrorism from an entirely new perspective. It took my preconceived notions and feelings towards terrorism out of the picture and really let me look at the subject from a balanced point of view. I found this appealing because I have never been able to comprehend how there could be rational justifications to such a harsh reality. It really motivated me to try and understand more about such a complex subject.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This essay explained settings for terrorism, reasons for terrorism, and individual motivation and participation. All three of which made me think of the America before the constitution, before equal rights were assured to all individuals. These privileges did not come for free; we had to fight for them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In settings for terrorism, the author talked about subgroups of larger populations that may be discriminated against, or suppressed and not given equal opportunity for political participation. These particular situations may be conducive to terrorist organization and activity. These were some of the same settings for the causes of wars in America’s history, from the American Revolution, to the Civil War. During the American Revolution fighters for their cause were not looked at as terrorist although they did participate in, what was considered at that time to be, unconventional warfare which most consider today to be a personality of terrorism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reasons for terrorism are more complex. One intention of a terrorist organization may be to provoke a counter reaction from the government, to increase publicity for the terrorists’ cause, and to demonstrate that criticism of the regime is well founded. The terrorists mean to force the state to show its true repressive face, thereby driving the people into the arms of the challengers. September 11, 2001 was an excellent example of this. After the attacks, Americans were outraged and emotional. Action had to be taken to revenge the lives lost and to ensure our national security. Everyone seemed vulnerable now, more than ever. America’s fight against terrorism led to the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, and at the same time America tried to spread democracy in, previously, undemocratic countries. The intention of the Al Qaeda to strike fear in their target population was only the beginning of what they were able to accomplish. Al Qaeda showed the world that their criticism of America’s attempt to force democracy throughout the world was true.

Start Up of New Fast Food Chain in India

Group 3 Member Debashish Das Pallavi Talwar Hari Das Gupta Pramod Balakrishnan Ans Since the maiden business venture would be the first business venture of the group, we would prefer to keep the funding internal. The business venture we would start is Indian Street food restaurant â€Å" Pao Khao† Executive Summary Pao Khao is a locally owned fast food outlet that will be positioned as an international franchise through our creative approach to the company's image and detail presentation. Pao Khao will provide a combination of excellent food at value pricing, with fun packaging and atmosphere. Pao Khao is the answer to an increasing demand for snack-type & Ethnic Indian food. In today's highly competitive environment, it is becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate one fast food outlet from another. Delhi NCR , has population of more than 2 million. Our main priority is to establish starting in Gurgaon , preferably close to one of prominent shopping malls in MG road. Later, our effort will be a further development of more retail outlets in the surrounding area. This plan is prepared to obtain a location for the initial launch of this concept. Additional financing will need to be secured for the two subsequent outlets, anticipated in month 13 and early in year three. The financing, in addition to the capital contributions from shareholders, will allow Pao Khao to successfully open and expand through year two. The initial capital investment will allow Pao Khao to provide its customers with a value-driven, entertaining experience through the creativity of its founders. Pao Khao will entice youngsters as well as working couple (DINK) to bring their friends and family with our innovative environment, fresh Indian Snack /Ethnic food . 1 Objectives †¢To establish a presence as a successful local fast food outlets and gain a market share in Delhi NCR Fastest growing fast food industry. †¢To make Pao Khao a destination spot for mall-goers, leisure & pleasure seekers 1. 2 Mission Our main goal is to be one of the most successful fast food outlets in Gurgaon, starting with one retail outlet located inside a major shopping mall as a â€Å"market tester. † Pao Khao will strive to be a premier local fast food brand in the local marketplace. We want our customers to have the total experience when visiting our outlet(s) and website as they will learn about this fascinating new â€Å"pop culture. † We will sell merchandise from pre-packaged chutney and t-shirts, to innovative combinations such as Idli Dhokla, all with our official brand attached to them. Our main focus will be serving high-quality food at a great value. 1. 3 Keys to Success To succeed in this business we must: †¢Create a unique, innovative, entertaining menu that will differentiate us from the rest of the competition. Control costs at all times, in all areas and implement a conservative approach to growth policy. Although, we provide more than enough fund to open more than one outlet, we want to be on the safe side of the business. †¢Sell the products that are of the highest quality, as well as keeping the customers happy with all of our product categories from food to store merchandising. †¢Provide 100% satisfaction to our customers and maintaining the level of excellent services among other competitors. Encourage the two most important values in fast food business: brand and image, as these two ingredients are a couple of main drivers in marketing communications. †¢Get access to high-traffic shopping malls near the target market. †¢Promote good values of company culture and business philosophy. 2. 1 Company Ownership Pao Khao is a privately held company. It will be registered as a Limited company, with ownership 25% – Hari Das Gupta, 25% – Pallavi, 25% – Pramod, 25% – Debashish 2. 2 Start-up Summary The retail outlet will be rented at one of the target location shopping malls. Our preference is Space A, for the main reason of reaching larger traffic. Startup requirements will be financed through owner investments. (all values in INR) a 2. 3 Company Locations and Facilities Pao Khao locations will range in size from 70~100 meter square and will seat from 15 – 25 guests. Our first location will be on the larger end of this range. The location will feature its own originality in merchandise display and other brand building attributes. We will equip the outlet with modern furniture and aim for cleanliness and an open feeling. We are currently looking at several possible sites in shopping malls along MG Road. The space selection will be chosen based upon the following criteria: †¢Community size: minimum of 10,00,000 people within a radius of 5 kilometers. †¢Office Areas and Tourist destination. †¢Easy access. †¢Large percentage of upwardly mobile upper middle class in the community. All of these qualities are consistent with Pao Khao goal of providing a top quality fast food experience. We want â€Å"word-of-mouth† to be our best form of marketing, where our customers value our brand as something exciting and cannot wait to tell their friends and neighbors. Pao Khao will directly compete with several fast food joints inside the chosen shopping mall, including Mac Donald, Pizza Hut and other but create niche for its ethnic Indian Flavour. Products We want to focus only on selling Indian Food. Alcoholic drinks will not be sold in our outlet, as Pao Khao promotes a healthy and positive Indian lifestyle. 3. 1 Product Description Pao Khao primarily ethnic Indian Street/Snack food †¢Chole Bature †¢Dahi Bhalla †¢Indian Thaali †¢Executive Thali †¢Rajmaa chawal or noodles.. (fusion) †¢Pao Bhaji †¢Dhokla etc 3. Competitive Comparison Pao Khao has several advantages over its leading competitors: †¢Unique â€Å"fusion† concept of Indian Food. †¢We expect a high degree of enthusiasm and offer a fun store with friendly staff, that reflects the company's youthful and energetic culture. †¢Supporting merchandise items that support the company's brand building. †¢Our innovative packaging will be more entertaining than our competitors †¢Direct relation with farmers to procure fresh vegetable and grains at lower prices. Core essential for successful business strategy would be 1. Indentifying appropriate and correct place for the first restaurant. 2. Quality of service and food , cleanliness 3. Commitment to customer and creating the right ambience 4. Chefs are key USP and need to have competency to develop this and also keep in mind attrition due to competition. 5. Marketing – Without proper marketing, howsoever a good idea can fail , hence marketing strategy is paramount importance Marketing has to be both ATL and BTL†¦Since we are promoting amidst fierce competition, we need to have aggressive marketing strategy which creates buzz in

Context of Paradise Lost by John Milton Essay

Poet and political activist John Milton after a period of radical political revolution, religious turmoil, and his near execution; published the twelve book edition of Paradise Lost, a poem describing the biblical text of Genesis filled with hidden political meaning. Paradise Lost enraged those who supported the restoration of Charles II, was praised by seekers of religious toleration, and attacked by the Anglican Church. Critics denounced Paradise Lost for its construction, subject, and political meaning. England in the seventeenth century was a land of political instability and religious persecution. Dissention among the British people began during the reign of the Stuart, Charles I (1629-1640). Charles I along with kings in France, Spain, and Germany created absolute monarchies (Cheyney 419). Charles I in 1629 dissolved Parliament, and ruled 11 years without Parliament. Charles I was a member of the Anglican Church, and didn’t sympathize with various sects of Christianity that were persecuted by Anglicans (Cheyney 419). These sects included Puritans, Quakers, Scottish Presbyterians, and Catholics. In response to Charles’ religious intoleration Scottish Presbyterians threatened the English border, Irish Catholics rebelled, and Oliver Cromwell’s Calvary attacked the Royalist army. Cromwell and the Scotch defeated the Royalists at Marstoon Moor on July 2, 1644 (Cheyney 434-444). Parliament took control of the new English Commonwealth in 1649, resulting in the beheading of Charles I (Halliday 118). The English Commonwealth however was short lived. In 1653 Oliver Cromwell, took control of the Commonwealth. Cromwell dissolved the Rump Parliament (Parliament that took over after Charles I), taxed Royalists, imprisoned mutineers, crushed Irish rebels, routed Scottish rebels at Dunbar and Worcester, secured colonies in the Caribbean such as Jamaica, and defeated the Dutch regaining British naval superiority (Halliday 120-122). Cromwell died in 1658 leaving the control of England to rival generals. During Cromwell’s military rule however, religious toleration was achieved. In 1660 the Stuart’s reign was restored, as Charles II assumed control (Cheyney 513). Milton during the time of revolution against Charles I was an independent. Independents were a political party formed during mid seventeenth century.  Independents were proponents of religious toleration and did not believe in rule under a state religion Anglican, Presbyterian, Episcopal, or Papist (Cheyney 448). Milton was proponent of religious toleration, an opponent of tyranny, and a believer in man’s free will. Milton disagreed with the Calvinist theory of Predestination and believed that man should be free to will and will the good (Faggen 269-270). Milton’s belief of free will also was apparent in his political views. Milton was a republican and believed in a republican government for England. During Cromwell’s reign, Milton served as his Latin Secretary, charged with translating diplomatic correspondence into Latin. In the years before the restoration of Charles II, Milton published a series of political pamphlets urging republicanism and refusing monarchial and despotic governments. These pamphlets included The Aeropagitica, Eikonoklastes, and The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates (Faggen 270-271). Milton’s political and religious views are fused into the text of Paradise Lost. One interpretation of Paradise Lost explains the text as a dramatization of the balance between liberty and obedience. Milton demonstrates using the fall of man and the angels as examples of disrupting the balance between freedom and servitude. Satan is the tragic hero of the poem and is considered by many as an allegory for the English Monarch, the Papacy, or extreme individualism. Early in the poem Satan is a revolutionary hero rebelling against a brutal tyrant. Later in the poem, Satan himself becomes a charismatic tyrant (Faggen 279-280). Satan praises rebellion and complete sovereignty meanwhile undermining the idea of servitude. Satan states, †¦Here at least We shall be free: th’ Almighty hath not built Here for his envy, will not drive us hence: Here we may reign secure, and in my choice To reign is worth ambition though in Hell: Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav’n. (Book I: 258-263) Satan’s choice to rebel contradicts Calvin’s theory of Predestination. Milton’s exploration of original sin also transforms into an exploration of choice. God, according to Milton’s explanation has given free will to man and the angels (Faggen 281). God does punish the dissenting angels. God is portrayed as a monarch, so how could God create choice and freedom as a monarch? Milton has God explain, I formed them free, and free they must remain, Till they enthrall themselves: I else must change Their nature, and revoke the high Decree Unchangeable, Eternal, which ordained Their freedom; they themselves ordained their fall. (Book III: 124-128) Both Milton’s critics and Satan are troubled by the futility of a God’s rule over man and/or angels that are free to chose their own fate. Milton’s God explains in Book III that the abiding principle of his justice is freedom, and without freedom servitude would be meaningless. In other words, service to God is working for your own freedom. Milton explains also later in the poem, after the fall of the angels that God created the Earth and man to repopulate heaven. Man’s job was to serve God without ambition, to gain freedom in heaven (Faggen 281). Paradise Lost can also be examined with respect to the larger social context of Post Interregnum/Restoration England. Satan is combined extensively with anti-papist images, suggesting a strong anti-Catholic sentiment throughout the poem. Taking a Royalist position, Satan can also be considered as an allegory for Oliver Cromwell. Royalists supported both Charles’ and were  firm believers in the Divine Right of Monarchs. Royalists believed that God himself put leaders into power and that both Charles’ were Divinely guided. Only an act of Satan (Cromwell) would rebel against God. This battle between God (Charles’) and Satan (Cromwell) is similar to the rebellion in heaven (Achinstein 404). Milton however may have used this moderately obvious allegory to conceal a more meaningful sub-allegory. One interpretation suggests that Satan and the angels are a metaphor for Cromwell and the revolution. In Paradise Lost, Milton never assumes the presence of evil in the absence of good. Satan has rebelled against a tyrant, God who has total control over heaven. Satan rebels due to hatred of tyranny not hatred of God. Satan’s theoretical rebellion is justified according to Milton’s republican views. The actual act of the rebellion however, begins a war in heaven that is intensely violent. After gaining leadership in Hell, Satan himself becomes a tyrant, similar to Cromwell dissolving the Rump Parliament (Achinstein 405). Milton damn’s Satan’s tyranny not because it is Satan’s, because it is tyranny. Milton believes that tyranny over the individual conscience is the sin that Satan commits. Satan forces conformity and conformity is sin. Milton seems to suggest that the politics in England during Charles I reign was same as heavenly politics, and Cromwell’s reign is the same as Satan’s. He parallels man to the angel, in that Cromwell and the rebellion was rebelling for the right cause, however was not ready morally to deal with the power. Similar to Satan, Cromwell and the rebellion’s sin was ambition and tyranny over republicanism and self-government (Achinstein 405-407). Due to Milton’s involvement of Cromwell’s Regime (1653-1658), Milton’s books and political pamphlets were burned after the restoration of Charles II. Milton narrowly escaped death after being condemned in 1660 for â€Å"treasons and offenses† by the king (Achinstein 320). After the publication of the twelve-book edition of Paradise Lost in 1674, Milton again found himself in political trouble. Royalists attacked the poem for its hidden political meaning, and the Anglican Church attacked it for its religious brazenness. Milton had chosen a daring topic, and had taken enormous ideological liberties. Milton had not damned Satan as evil, and had called God a tyrant  (Achinstein 325). Assuming that Satan was an allegory for King Charles I, Royalists called for Milton’s execution. John Dryden, in The State of Innocence (1673-1674) rejects Milton’s adaptation due to â€Å"self stylized liberty.† However, Andrew Marvell, in a prefatory poem defended Milton’s Paradise Lost. Using rhyme, Marvell defended Milton’s choice to use blank verse instead of rhyme. Blank verse was associated with political allegory, synonymous with religious dissention. Marvell keeps the defense at a literary form, in an attempt to hide a hidden political meaning in Paradise Lost. Dryden also chastised Milton for using individual inspiration. Dryden says inspiration is represented by â€Å"prophetic utterances were dangerous misapplications of individual intention† (Achinstein 326). Marvell claims that the solution to Dryden’s problem with inspiration is up to the judgement of the reader. Marvell states that Milton may be â€Å"inspired† however the reader must judge if the â€Å"inspiration† is â€Å"false† (Achinstein 327). In Paradise Lost, John Milton parallels the Satan’s rebellion and fall from heaven with the period of revolution in England after the reign of Charles I. Using the biblical text of Genesis Milton explores republican ideals of conscience and self-government, the balance between servitude and freedom, and the problems of ambition and pride. Milton also analyzes what went wrong with the revolution lead by Oliver Cromwell in 1649.

Commercial Bank

A  commercial bank  (or  business bank) is a type of  financial institution  and  intermediary. It is a bank  that lends money and provides  transactional, savings, and money market accounts and that accepts  time deposit. Commercial banks represent the core of the credit for any national economy. In turn, the credit is the engine that put in motion the financial flows that determine growth and economic development of a nation. As a result, any efficiency in the activities of commercial banks has special implications on the entire economy.That is why we consider very useful to present an analysis of possibilities for evaluating the performance in the commercial banks. The management of every commercial bank must establish a system for assessing investment performance which suits its circumstances and needs and this evaluation must be done at consecutive intervals to ensure the achievement of the Bank's investment objectives of hand; and to know the general direction of the behaviour of investment activity in the past and therefore predictable as it in the future on the other hand.Because of the crucial role that commercial banks hold in the financial sector, this paper focuses specifically on the managing core risks is banking sector as a vital segment of the whole economy, without which no modern economy can exercise the role and own functions. ————————————————- ————————————————- Origin of the word The name  bank  derives from the  Italian  word  banco  Ã¢â‚¬Å"desk/bench†, used during the  Renaissanceera by  Florentine  bankers, who used to make their transactions above a desk covered by a green tablecloth. 2]  However, traces of banking activity can be found even in ancient times. — Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- The role of commercial banks Commercial banks engage in the following activities: * processing of payments by way of telegraphic transfer, EFTPOS, internet banking, or other means * issuing bank drafts and bank cheques * accepting money on term deposit * lending money by overdraft, installment loan, or other means * roviding documentary and standby  letter of credit, guarantees, performance bonds, securities underwriting commitments and other forms of off balance sheet exposures * safekeeping of documents and other items in safe deposit boxes * sales, distribution or brokerage, with or without advice, of: insurance, unit trusts and similar financial products as a â€Å"financial supermarket† * cash management and treasury * merchant banking  and  private equity  financing traditionally, large commercial banks also underwrite bonds, and  make markets   in currency, interest rates, and credit-related securities, but today large commercial banks usually have an  investment bank  arm that is involved in the  mentioned activities[clarify]. ————————————————- [editTypes of loans granted by commercial banks [edit]Secured loan A  secured loan  is a loan in which the borrower pledges some asset (e. g. a car or property) as  collateral  for the loan, which then becomes a secured debt owed to the creditor who gives the loan.The debt is thus secured against the collateral — in the event that the borrower defaults, the creditor takes possession of the asset used as collateral and may sell it to regain some or all of the amount originally lent to the borrower, for example, foreclosure of a home. From the creditor's perspective this is a category of debt in which a lender has been granted a portion of the bundle of rights to specified property. If the sale of the collateral does not raise enough money to pay off the debt, the creditor can often obtain a deficiency judgment against the borrower for the remaining amount.The opposite of secured debt/loan is unsecured debt, which is not connected to any specific piece of property and instead the creditor may only satisfy the debt against the borrower rather than the borrower's collateral and the borrower. A  mortgage loan  is a very common type of debt instrument, used to purchase real estate. Under this arrangement, the money is used to purchase the property. Commercial banks, however, are given security – a  lien  on the title to the house – until the mortgage is paid off in full. If the borrower  defaults  on the loan, the bank would have the legal right to epossess the house and sell it, to recover sums owing to it. In the past, commercial banks have not been greatly interested in real estate loans and have placed on ly a relatively small percentage of assets in mortgages. As their name implies, such financial institutions secured their earning primarily from commercial and consumer loans and left the major task of home financing to others. However, due to changes in banking laws and policies, commercial banks are increasingly active in home financing. Changes in banking laws now allow commercial banks to make home mortgage loans on a more liberal basis than ever before.In acquiring mortgages on real estate, these institutions follow two main practices. First, some of the banks maintain active and well-organized departments whose primary function is to compete actively for real estate loans. In areas lacking specialized real estate financial institutions, these banks become the source for residential and farm mortgage loans. Second, the banks acquire mortgages by simply purchasing them from mortgage bankers or dealers. In addition, dealer service companies, which were originally used to obtain c ar loans for permanent lenders such as commercial banks, wanted to broaden their activity beyond their local area.In recent years, however, such companies have concentrated on acquiring mobile home loans in volume for both commercial banks and savings and loan associations. Service companies obtain these loans from retail dealers, usually on a nonrecourse basis. Almost all bank/service company agreements contain a credit insurance policy that protects the lender if the consumer defaults. [edit]Unsecured loan Unsecured loans  are monetary loans that are not secured against the borrower's assets (i. e. , no  collateral  is involved). There are small businesss unsecured loans such as credit cards and credit lines to large corporate credit lines.These may be available from financial institutions under many different guises or marketing packages: * bank  overdrafts An overdraft occurs when money is withdrawn from a bank account and the available balance goes below zero. In this s ituation the account is said to be â€Å"overdrawn†. If there is a prior agreement with the account provider for an overdraft, and the amount overdrawn is within the authorized overdraft limit, then interest is normally charged at the agreed rate. If the POSITIVE balance exceeds the agreed terms, then additional fees may be charged and higher interest rates may apply. * corporate bonds credit card  debt * credit facilities or lines of credit * personal loans What makes a bank limited liability company A corporate bond is a bond issued by a corporation. It is a bond that a corporation issues to raise money in order to expand its business. [1] The term is usually applied to longer-term debt instruments, generally with a maturity date falling at least a year after their issue date. (The term â€Å"commercial paper† is sometimes used for instruments with a shorter maturity. ) Sometimes, the term â€Å"corporate bonds† is used to include all bonds except those issu ed by governments in their own currencies.Strictly speaking, however, it only applies to those issued by corporations. The bonds of local authorities and supranational organizations do not fit in either category. [clarification needed] Corporate bonds are often listed on major exchanges (bonds there are called â€Å"listed† bonds) and ECNs like Bonds. com and MarketAxess, and the coupon (i. e. interest payment) is usually taxable. Sometimes this coupon can be zero with a high redemption value. However, despite being listed on exchanges, the vast majority of trading volume in corporate bonds in most developed markets takes place in decentralized, dealer-based, over-the-counter markets.Some corporate bonds have an embedded call option that allows the issuer to redeem the debt before its maturity date. Other bonds, known as convertible bonds, allow investors to convert the bond into equity. Corporate Credit spreads may alternatively be earned in exchange for default risk through the mechanism of Credit Default Swaps which give an unfunded synthetic exposure to similar risks on the same ‘Reference Entities'. However, owing to quite volatile CDS ‘basis' the spreads on CDS and the credit spreads on corporate bonds can be significantly different. Assets and Liabilities of Commercial Banks in the United States * Glass-Steagall Act * Mortgage constant Functions of Commercial Banks Commercial bank being the financial institution performs diverse types of functions. It satisfies the financial needs of the sectors such as agriculture, industry, trade, communication, etc. That means they play very significant role in a process of economic social needs. The functions performed by banks are changing according to change in time and recently they are becoming customer centric and widening their functions. Generally the functions of commercial banks are divided into two categories viz. rimary functions and the secondary functions. The following chart simplifi es the functions of banks. Primary Functions of Commercial Banks Commercial Banks performs various primary functions some of them are given below 1 Accepting Deposits  :  Commercial bank accepts various types of deposits from public especially from its clients. It includes saving account deposits, recurring account deposits, fixed deposits, etc. These deposits are payable after a certain time period  2 Making Advances  :  The commercial banks provide loans and advances of various forms. It includes an over draft facility, cash credit, bill discounting, etc.They also give demand and demand and term loans to all types of clients against proper security. 3 Credit creation  :It is most significant function of the commercial banks. While sanctioning a loan to a customer, a bank does not provide cash to the borrower Instead it opens a deposit account from where the borrower can withdraw. In other words while sanctioning a loan a bank automatically creates deposits. This is kno wn as a credit creation from commercial bank. Secondary Functions of Commercial Banks Along with the primary functions each commercial bank has to perform several secondary functions too.It includes many agency functions or general utility functions. The secondary functions of commercial banks can be divided into agency functions and utility functions. a) Agency Functions  : Various agency functions of commercial banks are ————————————————- 1 To collect and clear cheque, dividends and interest warrant. ————————————————- 2 To make payment of rent, insurance premium, etc. ————————————————- 3 To deal in foreign exchange transactions. ——â₠¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- 4 To purchase and sell securities. ———————————————— 5 To act as trusty, attorney, correspondent and executor. ————————————————- 6 To accept tax proceeds and tax returns. b) General Utility Functions  : The general utility functions of the commercial banks include ————————————————- 1 To provide safety locker facility to customers. ————————————————- 2 To provide money transfer facility. ——————à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- 3 To issue traveller's cheque. ————————————————- To act as referees. ————————————————- 5 To accept various bills for payment e. g phone bills, gas bills, water bills, etc. ————————————————- 6 To provide merchant banking facility. ————————————————- 7 To provide various cards such as credit cards, debit cards, Smart cards, etc. Andrievskiy Wealth Management  establishes bank accounts for onshore and offshore companies and private individuals with one of the oldest banks in Switzerland, for asset management as well as for purely commercial transfers.Andrievskiy Wealth Management doesn’t charge any commissions for bank account openings. * Time period of an account opening: 7-10 days (available by mail) * Price: free of charge * Getting keys of electronic access to the account (e-banking) * Time period of getting keys: 7 days * Registering management mandate according to your strategy: 1 day * The minimum recommended amount to open a Swiss bank account is 500 000 CHF * Receiving reports: quarterly or on request Opening a Swiss bank account in the Internet age is a very easy thing to do.The main reason for opening a Swiss bank account is for the extreme security and privacy Swiss Banks uphold thanks to Swiss laws that have been in effect for over 75 years. Contrary to popular belief, opening a Swiss bank account does not always mean that you are a tax evader, criminal, or money launderer. Swiss bank accounts can protect one’s money from prying relatives, nasty divorce settlements, lawsuits, and more. Some people just want a Swiss bank account because of the allure and mystery often attached to Swiss bank accounts, but whatever your reasons it is relatively easy to find a bank and open an account.Till the end of the last century, opening a Swiss bank account may have included visiting the bank of your choice in person, paying hundreds of dollars a year in fees, and putting down a few thousand dollars as an initial deposit. As the Internet has allowed online banking to explode, you can now open a bank account at thousands of banks around the world wherever you are. Offshore bank accounts are available to anyone with money that needs a place to be kept, Swiss banks have a lot of competition these days. Sticking to trusted and insured banks is always the way to go.While most banks today have secure online banking and security features in place, a Swiss bank account comes built in with some of the strictest privac y laws in the world. Never wire money or deposit money to any site or bank without first verifying that the bank or site is secure and licensed to do banking. Making sure deposits are insured is also a good idea and be mindful that not all banks may be insured or may have deposit insurance limits. Read reviews and ask questions about the Swiss bank you choose before providing any personal information.Once you’ve found a good Swiss bank and open an account you’ll enjoy financial privacy at a level found only in Switzerland. In 1934, the Swiss passed a law that made it a criminal offense for bankers to reveal the identity of account holders. There are two reasons why this protection was reinforced: Nazi spies: The 1931 crisis led to intensified foreign exchange control in Germany. Hitler promulgated a law whereby any German with foreign capital was to be punished by death, and the Gestapo began espionage on Swiss banks. When three Germans were put to death, the Swiss gov ernment was convinced of the necessity to reinforce bank secrecy.Pressure from the French: The 1932 Basler Handelsbank affair revealed that over 2,000 members of the French elite had accounts in Switzerland. French Leftists took advantage of this to denounce the austerity program of the government. It called for legal authority over French accounts in Switzerland, but to no avail. Unlike American law where law enforcement agencies, the judicial system, and private citizens can gain access to all kinds of financial information, under Swiss law neither the bank’s officers or the its employees are allowed to reveal any information, relative to any account to anyone, including the Swiss government.No private citizen or their legal representative can ever receive any type of information about anyone’s Swiss bank account under any set of conditions. That includes all types of legal proceedings that the Swiss classify as non-criminal behavior. The Swiss consider tax evasion a political offense. Divorce, inheritance disputes and bankruptcy cases are considered private matters, and as such the secrecy of the account is protected from any legal action to verify the presence of, or attempts to seize any assets. There are some notable exceptions.The Swiss are bound by a treaty with the US to reveal accounts connected with organized crime, drug trafficking and insider trading. But the final say on revealing the identity of the account holder is up to the Swiss authorities. 7 myths about Swiss bank accounts Swiss bank accounts are only for millionaires. This is not true. The majority of our clients are not major manufacturers or movie stars, but everyday people (business people, computer engineers, civil servants, etc. ). Swiss banks are no longer only for stars. You can open a Swiss bank account with a deposit of only 5,000 Swiss francs.We even offer accounts with no minimum balance. Money invested in Switzerland yields no interest. Nothing could be more untr ue. You can invest your money worldwide from your account in Switzerland. Swiss bankers are among the best finance managers in the world, so it comes as no surprise that they manage over 35% of offshore holdings. It’s impossible to open an account in Switzerland by correspondence This is not true. Most of the accounts that we offer can be opened by correspondence as long as you comply with our opening procedures and provide us with the necessary documents.What is more, your banking relations can be conducted by correspondence, using the telephone, Internet banking, bank transfer and credit cards. That said, we encourage our customers to meet with their banker at least once in order to get acquainted and see where their money is held. Swiss bank accounts are very expensive to maintain This is not true. Most of the accounts we open don’t charge a cent in annual fees. Even if you would like additional services such as retained correspondence or numbered banking relations, the annual fees are very reasonable.It is difficult to close a Swiss bank account On the contrary. You can close your account in Switzerland whenever you wish and without any restriction. You will pay no financial penalty. If need be, you will just have to realize your investments. Contrary to many onshore banking practices, your money is not held hostage by Swiss banks. Swiss bank accounts attract only criminals and dictators Not true! The vast majority of Swiss bank account holders are honest people who want to keep their savings in a country renowned for its stability.Swiss banks are extremely cautious regarding politicians who wish to open an account and they systematically refuse to accept any money that is of dubious origin or poorly founded. Numbered accounts are anonymous There are no anonymous accounts in Switzerland. A numbered account is an account that is identified solely by a number, rather than a name, in order to preserve the strictest confidentiality possible durin g teller transactions or bank transfers. Only the bank manager and a few select people know the identity of numbered account holders. There exist two different types Swiss bank accounts.The first is accessible to (almost) anyone. Such an account will offer credit and debit cards, checking or whatever else you may want in a bank account. Opening such an account can be done in person–some Swiss banks have branches here in the US–or by mail. Then there are the Swiss bank accounts you’ve heard about from the movies. These are the numbered accounts, the ones with minimum balances anywhere from $100,000 to $1 million. It’s known as private banking and it’s reserved for folks who have a lot of assets to manage and who demand a lot of service.The services you receive at a private bank focus on private counseling in aspects of wealth management including investments, tax concerns, and estate planning. The numbered accounts aren’t anonymous, but only a few people know the name of the account holder and Swiss law forbids them from revealing it to most anyone. They can’t acknowledge that you have an account, give out the name of a numbered account holder or reveal any information about the transactions of any account holder. Generally, numbered accounts must be opened in person, though lawyers and/or brokers can perform this service for you by mail.Your signature and identity have to be authenticated by a notary public or consul, depending on circumstances. If you’ve got the money and want to open such account, here are links to the private banking departments of some well known Swiss banks: Ask Dr. Econ July 2001 What Is the Economic Function of a Bank? Commercial banks play an important role in the financial system and the economy. As a key component of the financial system, banks allocate funds from savers to borrowers in an efficient manner. They provide specialized financial services, which reduce the cost of ob taining information about both savings and borrowing opportunities.These financial services help to make the overall economy more efficient. Imagine a World Without Banks One way to answer your question is to imagine, for a moment, a world without banking institutions, and then to ask yourself a few questions. This is not just an academic exercise; many former eastern-block nations began facing this question when they began to create financial markets and develop market-oriented banks and other financial institutions. If there were no banks†¦ * Where would you go to borrow money? * What would you do with your savings? * Would you be able to borrow (save) as much as you need, when you need t, in a form that would be convenient for you? * What risks might you face as a saver (borrower)? How Banks Work Banks operate by borrowing funds-usually by accepting deposits or by borrowing in the money markets. Banks borrow from individuals, businesses, financial institutions, and governmen ts with surplus funds (savings). They then use those deposits and borrowed funds (liabilities of the bank) to make loans or to purchase securities (assets of the bank). Banks make these loans to businesses, other financial institutions, individuals, and governments (that need the funds for investments or other purposes).Interest rates provide the price signals for borrowers, lenders, and banks. Through the process of taking deposits, making loans, and responding to interest rate signals, the banking system helps channel funds from savers to borrowers in an efficient manner. Savers range from an individual with a $1,000 certificate of deposit to a corporation with millions of dollars in temporary savings. Banks also service a wide array of borrowers, from an individual who takes a loan of $100 on a credit card to a major corporation financing a billion-dollar corporate merger.The table below provides a June 2001 snapshot of the balance sheet for the entire U. S. commercial banking in dustry. It shows that the bulk of banks' sources of funds comes from deposits – checking, savings, money market deposit accounts, and time certificates. The most common uses of these funds are to make real estate and commercial and industrial loans. Individual banks' asset and liability composition may vary widely from the industry figures, because some institutions provide specialized or limited banking services. Banks Are Only One Type of Financial Intermediary Finally, the U.S. financial services industry and financial markets are highly developed. In recent decades, many new products and services have been created, as well as new financial instruments and institutions. Today, in addition to banks, there are several other important types of financial intermediaries. These include savings institutions, credit unions, insurance companies, mutual funds, pension funds, finance companies, and real estate investment trusts (REITS). Banks' assets have grown in recent decades in a bsolute terms; however, banks have tended to lose market share to even aster growing intermediaries such as pension funds and mutual funds. Still, banks continue to account for a significant share-over 23 percent-of the assets of all financial intermediaries at the end of year 2000, as the chart below shows. The main functions of commercial banks are accepting deposits from the public and advancing them loans. However, besides these functions there are many other functions which these banks perform. All these functions can be divided under the following heads: 1. Accepting deposits 2. Giving loans 3. Overdraft 4. Discounting of Bills of Exchange . Investment of Funds 6. Agency Functions 7. Miscellaneous Functions 1. Accepting Deposits: The most important function of commercial banks is to accept deposits from the public. Various sections of society, according to their needs and economic condition, deposit their savings with the banks. For example, fixed and low income group people d eposit their savings in small amounts from the points of view of security, income and saving promotion. On the other hand, traders and businessmen deposit their savings in the banks for the convenience of payment.Therefore, keeping the needs and interests of various sections of society, banks formulate various deposit schemes. Generally, there ire three types of deposits which are as follows: (i)  Current Deposits: The depositors of such deposits can withdraw and deposit money whenever they desire. Since banks have to keep the deposited amount of such accounts in cash always, they carry either no interest or very low rate of interest. These deposits are called as Demand Deposits because these can be demanded or withdrawn by the depositors at any time they want.Such deposit accounts are highly useful for traders and big business firms because they have to make payments and accept payments many times in a day. (ii)  Fixed Deposits: These are the deposits which are deposited for a definite period of time. This period is generally not less than one year and, therefore, these are called as long term deposits. These deposits cannot be withdrawn before the expiry of the stipulated time and, therefore, these are also called as time deposits. These deposits generally carry a higher rate of interest because banks can use these deposits for a definite time without having the fear of being withdrawn. iii)  Saving Deposits: In such deposits, money upto a certain limit can be deposited and withdrawn once or twice in a week. On such deposits, the rate of interest is very less. As is evident from the name of such deposits their main objective is to mobilise small savings in the form of deposits. These deposits are generally done by salaried people and the people who have fixed and less income. 2. Giving Loans: The second important function of commercial banks is to advance loans to its customers. Banks charge interest from the borrowers and this is the main source of th eir income.Banks advance loans not only on the basis of the deposits of the public rather they also advance loans on the basis of depositing the money in the accounts of borrowers. In other words, they create loans out of deposits and deposits out of loans. This is called as credit creation by commercial banks. Modern banks give mostly secured loans for productive purposes. In other words, at the time of advancing loans, they demand proper security or collateral. Generally, the value of security or collateral is equal to the amount of loan.This is done mainly with a view to recover the loan money by selling the security in the event of non-refund of the loan. At limes, banks give loan on the basis of personal security also. Therefore, such loans are called as unsecured loan. Banks generally give following types of loans and advances: (i)  Cash Credit: In this type of credit scheme, banks advance loans to its customers on the basis of bonds, inventories and other approved securitie s. Under this scheme, banks enter into an agreement with its customers to which money can e withdrawn many times during a year. Under this set up banks open accounts of their customers and deposit the loan money. With this type of loan, credit is created. (iii)  Demand loans: These are such loans that can be recalled on demand by the banks. The entire loan amount is paid in lump sum by crediting it to the loan account of the borrower, and thus entire loan becomes chargeable to interest with immediate effect. (iv)  Short-term loan: These loans may be given as personal loans, loans to finance working capital or as priority sector advances.These are made against some security and entire loan amount is transferred to the loan account of the borrower. 3. Over-Draft: Banks advance loans to its customer’s upto a certain amount through over-drafts, if there are no deposits in the current account. For this banks demand a security from the customers and charge very high rate of int erest. 4. Discounting of Bills of Exchange: This is the most prevalent and important method of advancing loans to the traders for short-term purposes. Under this system, banks advance loans to the traders and business firms by discounting their bills.In this way, businessmen get loans on the basis of their bills of exchange before the time of their maturity. 5. Investment of Funds: The banks invest their surplus funds in three types of securities—Government securities, other approved securities and other securities. Government securities include both, central and state governments, such as treasury bills, national savings certificate etc. Other securities include securities of state associated bodies like electricity boards, housing boards, debentures of Land Development Banks units of UTI, shares of Regional Rural banks etc. 6.Agency Functions: Banks function in the form of agents and representatives of their customers. Customers give their consent for performing such functi ons. The important functions of these types are as follows: (i) Banks collect cheques, drafts, bills of exchange and dividends of the shares for their customers. (ii) Banks make payment for their clients and at times accept the bills of exchange: of their customers for which payment is made at the fixed time. (iii) Banks pay insurance premium of their customers. Besides this, they also deposit loan installments, income-tax, interest etc. s per directions. (iv) Banks purchase and sell securities, shares and debentures on behalf of their customers. (v) Banks arrange to send money from one place to another for the convenience of their customers. 7. Miscellaneous Functions: Besides the functions mentioned above, banks perform many other functions of general utility which are as follows: (i) Banks make arrangement of lockers for the safe custody of valuable assets of their customers such as gold, silver, legal documents etc. (ii) Banks give reference for their customers. iii) Banks colle ct necessary and useful statistics relating to trade and industry. (iv) For facilitating foreign trade, banks undertake to sell and purchase foreign exchange. (v) Banks advise their clients relating to investment decisions as specialist (vi) Bank does the under-writing of shares and debentures also. (vii) Banks issue letters of credit. (viii) During natural calamities, banks are highly useful in mobilizing funds and donations. (ix) Banks provide loans for consumer durables like Car, Air-conditioner, and Fridge etc.