What were the obstacles to the Unification of Germany by the beginning of 1848 Essay Example

What were the obstacles to the  Unification of Germany by the beginning of 1848 Essay Germany in 1848 was an almost unrecognisable place compared with Germany of today and even by the Germany of 1890, the main reason for this is not geographical, because its borders are not that different from 1848, or economically but political, Germany was not a Federal Republic but a group of 39 separate autocratic states ruled by Princes, Kings and even other countries unwilling to lose power and so unification was not even considered as an option at this time.It was not just rulers of the states that opposed German unification, there were a great many other obstacles, which I will discuss, therefore the forces against Unification greatly outweighed the forces of nationalism driving it. So you cannot simply describe Germany as a nation but more of a group of countries grouped by language and geography.Also the political sway of Austria and Prussia prevented even the publication of statements calling for unification, many modern historians consider the Vormà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½rz period as a time when nationalism and liberalism in Germany were suppressed by the German rulers, most notably Austria. With the suppression of Nationalism and Liberalism, the cause for a united Germany could never be expressed publicly and gain support, exactly as people like Prince Metternich wanted.Germany in the period prior to Vormà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½rz had been decimated by the forces of post revolutionary France, only a coalition of Britain, Prussia and Russia could defeat arguably one of the greatest historical figures of all time. Due to this life in Germany changed dramatically, the people of southern Germany for example were united under the Confederation of the Rhine, the French legal and social system were completely different to the feudal laws imposed by previous overloads also Austria and Prussia lost power when Napoleon was Emperor of France, they did not want to lose that power again so they repressed calls for unification by people who had been ruled by France and saw the power of a united state.I have outlined some points to consider but there are a many more to understand what were the obstacles to German unification at the beginning of 1848.One of the main obstacles towards German unification by the beginning of 1848 was Prince Clemens von Metternich, Metternich was a Rhinelander who came from a noble family but he devoted his services to the Austrian crown and excelled at what he did with no hint of modesty. He believed he could secure the control of Austria over the Confederacy and maintain the Status Quo. He made every step to crush nationalism he said to Tsar Alexander I of Russia, It is true that I do not like democracies. Democracy is in every case a principle of dissolution, of decomposition. This demonstrates that the foreign minister of Austria, one of the most powerful positions in central Europe, condones democracy and therefore one of the fundamental drives for unification, if a unified Germany could not elect its own rulers it would be no bett er than being controlled by France like in the early 19th century, therefore Metternich because of his opinion of democracy and his position was one of the major obstacles to German Unification, this also shows that Metternich was strictly against liberalism which gave people more rights, a proposal that would directly threaten Austrias position, if people had the choice they would obviously choose to elect representatives to govern because many states had tyrannical autocrats as leaders who had treated them badly, again as liberalism is a fundamental part of unification it could not be expressed while Metternich was in power.Also Metternich knew if there was going to be a revolt for a unified Germany it would come from the educated middle classes e.g. students, lawyers, teachers like it did in France in the 1780s. In order to stop the cause of unification developing he exaggerated the importance of students and the murder of Kotzebue this enabled him to take action against National ism, this actions consisted of the Carlsbad Degrees which enforced strict censor rules on the press and prevented groups of students from forming political societies as well as this he arrested Nationalist leaders. This again shows that he was an obstacle to unification at the beginning of 1848 after what he had ratified in the Carlsbad decrees.Also Metternich distrusted the German Confederation making any constitutional changes because it could threaten the status quo Metternich so wholeheartedly believed in. Each state in the German Confederation were not represented in person by the monarch but by ambassadors who were essentially educated middle class men. Metternich knew that any constitutional changes could give the Confederation more power therefore essentially creating a united German Assembly and therefore taking power from the Autocratic state governments, which Austria was one. Through the Assembly prominent middle class people would gain power, again similar to revolution ary France, and the status quo would be dissolving fast. To combat this Metternich publicly condoned constitutional reform of any sort. This meant that the Confederacy could not enact these constitutional chances because its president, Austria was against them. Without a single German government Unification was not viable and by stopping this Metternich was again putting another obstacle in the way of Unification at this time.Metternichs actions could be interpreted as the thoughts of the Habsburg Empire because Metternich was appointed by the Habsburg monarchy and if his views had been different from the king than he wouldnt have been foreign minister for as long as he was. This shows that if the largest and most powerful country in the Confederation did not want unification than it would use its influence to prevent it which it did through Metternich because what Metternich did was not to promote his own self interests but to secure the power of the Habsburg dynasty.Metternich was clearly one of the biggest obstacles preventing unification at the beginning of 1848 because of the policies he had enacted and the influence he had due to his position. It could be said that as long as Metternich was foreign minister than unification would be nearly impossible because Metternich would block any movement towards it, this shows how intelligent Metternich was and how unswerving the desire of the Habsburgs was to maintain power.Another obstacle to the unification of Germany at the beginning of 1848 was the concept of Particularism. Most people who lived in the area we know as Germany today held more loyalty to their individual states rather than the concept of a greater Germany. For example the people of the Rhineland- Westphalia, held a strong sense of identity towards the region they inhabited and they were proud to be called Rhinelanders. There was no such nationality as German, you could be a Rhinelander or a Prussian but never a German.Also the culture and histor y of each state varied although ethically they were all Germanic and spoke German there were differences some considerable e.g. Religion, most of south and west Germany were Catholic and the North was mainly Protestant. Also some areas were richer than others, the Rhineland and Saarland regions were quite rich because of natural resources and others were poorer because they did have not have as many resources.Finally, Liberalism varied from state to state some states such as Wà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½rttemberg and Baden gave their peoples constitutions and even a limited parliament but Austria and Prussia refused to even consider a constitution let alone a parliament.Germany could be divided by the lines of the river Maine, West-East, and Elbe, North-South, these were rough dividing lines between each region. You could clearly see the regional differences in 1848, they are still visible today but not as clearly. Also, Germany is the 2nd largest country in Europe so it would have been difficult t o traverse in 1848 so for example an average man from Danzig, Prussia, would not easily be able to see Aachen in the Rhineland, this emphasized the social and cultural differences because when a person from another reason visited they would have seemed foreign to most of the populous.It was not just the Princes and Kings of these 39 states that wished to preserve their independence, it was almost everybody in that state. Remember that independence doesnt have to just mean political independence; many people in these states would wish to preserve their cultural and social independence from chance. Even if the ruler of the state was a tyrant the population would still maintain loyalty to him because it was expected and traditional, it was rare that a ruler of German state would have to make concessions to the people at this time.The majority of German speaking people were uneducated peasants who cared about their village, their crop and their overload and not really considering the in ternal politics of the German Confederation, it would be naive to conclude that peasants did not understand the political climate of the time, but they would care to preserve their village, family and cultural identity. On a grand scale the majority of Germans wished to preserve the status quo at this time, this benefited Austria and Prussia because their power was not threatened as long as the status quo was preserved.Particularism was an obstacle to German unification because if Germany was unified many regional identities would be replaced with a national identity, this is not what the majority of people wanted because many peasants were bound by traditional and not educated in the benefits of a unified society. Furthermore, Germany was only critically linked by the German language, and only similar in terms of culture and social policies, so it would be difficult to unite a nation based on a single common bond.Up until the Congress of Vienna in 1815 there were over 300 German st ates each with their own princes or rulers, autocrats, now in the Vormà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½rz period (1815-48) there were now 39. The number of autocrats were getting smaller and with revolutions in France and other places, autocracy was becoming more difficult to maintain. The rulers of the 39 states were reluctant to lose any power what so ever, the quote the only threat to those in power, is losing it this epitomised these princes position in 1848. They had seen increased liberal and national movements and it worried them because these forces had already overthrown a powerful monarchy, France, and now it threatened them. There are many examples to prove this assumption. Firstly, the Habsburgs rule a large area of Europe almost completely autocratically and they did not want to lose any power to the middle classes, Metternichs actions demonstrated this because he represented the Austrian crown, also Austria was one of the Great Powers of the 19th century, they were one of the signatories of the Congress of Troppau, which aimed to depose governments which had usurped a monarch. This demonstrates that the Austrian monarch was determined to preserve autocracy in not just Austria but in Europe.The Hohenzollens, rulers of Prussia, worked with Austria in peaceful dualism and they had the same approach to Nationalism as Austria. The Hohenzollens had built up a powerful power base, economically and militarily, Prussia controlled the Rhineland and Silesia and next to Britain and France had one of the finest and disciplined military force in Europe because they copied the French military system and then Von Blucher and Wellington defeated Napoleon once and for all at Waterloo (1815). Through this, Prussia was now almost equal with Austria in terms of influence and power, the Hohenzollens had ruled Prussia through its rise and they would not want to be overthrown by a revolutionary government after their achievements, so like Austria they signed the Congress of Troppau also un like Austria they relaxed their feudal system a bit in order to beat Napoleon but the side effect of this was to give peasants more freedom which made them more loyal to the Hohenzollens.Princes and Rulers were an obstacle to unification in 1848 because they were reluctant to lose power, they had lost it when Napoleon conquered them but they regained it and they did not want to lose it again. This made unification extremely difficult because in order to unify Germany 38 rulers out of 39 would lose the majority of their power because they would have to yield to one king instead of answering to no-one. This was not a concept any of the rulers wanted because who would rule Germany? if it was Prussia, then Austria would not be pleased, if it was Austria, then Prussia would not be happy and if it were neither both would be unhappy, this is a clear reason why Germany could not unite in 1848 because no ruler was willing to lose power.I have mentioned the Carlsbad Decree and the Congress of Troppau in contexts of how they were used but by just existing they were obstacles to German Unification in 1848. The Carlsbad Decrees were signed by many German state under pressure from Austria, these decrees were an obstacle because no media could support unification and without the press the cause would not grow also students are known for being politically active and in history it is seen many times this group dictating internal politics, France 1780s and the failed counter-revolution of the 1830s, what the Carlsbad decrees did was to stop these political groups from meeting and forming there own movements, which would eventually call for unification of Germany. Also these decrees imprisoned key leaders of the unification movement, this stopped more people being convinced that unification was a good idea because if the leaders were imprisoned they could not spread their ideas.The Congress of Troppau stopped unification more critically because any group that threatened a kings authority would be under threat from Austria, Prussia and Russia. Ultimately for Germany to unify it would need to take power from kings and princes and therefore would risk attack to restore a monarchs power. So just existing the Congress of Troppau stopped nationalism dramatically because it threatened to overthrow any group that gained power over a monarchy. This made a Germanic monarchs power almost untouchable and made a nationalist revolt pointless because if it succeeded in overthrowing a king it would be crushed and the king restored.The Diet and the Confederation (Bund) were created to link the German states into a loose alliance but thy also were an obstacle to German Unification at the beginning of 1848.The main reason I believe this is firstly because the Bund was set up as a military alliance and no where in its creation did it aim to unify German. It was meant to keep the individual German states secure against foreign invaders, mainly France, also the Bund was headed by Austria and because of this Austria would make the Bund oppose to unification because of her influence. It would be easily to say that because every state was part of the Bund, Germany was partially united, this is simply not true because the Bund made Austria the guardian of the German states and it was not an assembly to govern Germany. The Diet was an obstacle to unification in 1848 because its name diet refers to a council of nobles in Frankish this had not changed in 19th century Germany, the Diet was indeed a council of nobles all unwilling to lose power so would oppose any move for a unified Germany.The Confederation the successor of the Holy Roman Empire, Voltaire once described the Holy Roman Empire as, it was neither Holy, Roman or an Empire. This is partly true its actions and policies did not directly help the church and religion in the Empire was divided between Catholicism and Protestantism, in no way was the Holy Roman Empire Roman because Rome had never been part of it or any of its Emperors Roman and it wasnt an Empire because it did not directly control any of the states in it, but besides this it did benefit the Habsburgs who gained massive influence because of it, the Habsburgs were always elected Emperors so the Holy Roman Empire secured Austrias position as the head of the German States, the Confederation was the Holy Roman Empire in all but name, Austria still headed it under a presidency and all German states were part of it. It was an obstacle because it reminded the German States that Austria was the leader of the states and it was still powerful, with Austria oppose to unification every other power in the Confederation would follow Austrias lead, not just because they disagreed with unification but because they would be foolish to come into conflict with the Habsburgs, so while Austria was oppose to unification was impossible.Another obstacle to German Unification in the beginning of 1848 was the power of Austria and Prussia, I ha ve already said why they were so powerful, these two states worked in a state of peaceful dualism but there cannot be dualism in a united Germany because then it wouldnt be united so for Germany to unite one or both would have to yield. This was not likely because Austria believed she had the God given right to dominate the German States and Prussia had become almost as powerful as Austria so it would refuse to yield to a equal power due to these attitudes Germany would never unify unless something changed, the Seven Weeks War is the changing force, but in 1848 there was no changing force, no driving force for either to unite no common enemy except unification, no similarities except language. In my opinion this is the main reason why unification did not occur in the Vormà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½rz period, because if they had united then many other German States would follow their lead and join them, but because they were so powerful it was never going to happen.To conclude, the obstacles to Ger man unification at the beginning of 1848 were Metternichs thoughts, actions and views as one of the most powerful men inGermany he could have encouraged unification but he resisted it wholeheartedly therefore he was an obstacle. Also regional Particularism was another reason why German could not unite in 1848, most German were loyal to their individual states rather than the idea of a German nation also they were very proud of their regions and would not easily give up their identities and regional differences prevented unification because many regions were completely different from others. The ruling classes of Germany prevented unification because neither the aristocracy or the rulers were willing to lose power and hand it to another king they did not appoint. The Carlsbad Decrees and the Congress of Troppau were obstacles because they silenced nationalist an liberalist movements in public therefore preventing them to gain enough support for a German unification.The Confederation prevented German Unification because it secured Austrias position and did not promote unification, but the main obstacle to German unification was the rivalry between Austria and Prussia, neither would yield to the other and neither wished to unite because they could lose power. If you asked an ordinary German in 1848 he would say that he could not see a unified Germany in the near future because of the obstacles but unknown to him it was closer than he thought just 30 years off, so with all these obstacles what changed in 30 years?

Henderson Hasselbalch Equation Definition

Henderson Hasselbalch Equation Definition The Henderson Hasselbalch equation is an approximate equation that shows the relationship between the pH or pOH of a solution and the pKa or pKb and the ratio of the concentrations of the dissociated chemical species. In order to use the equation, the acid dissociation constant must be known. Equation There are multiple ways to write the equation. Two of the most common are: pH pKa log ([conjugate base]/[weak acid]) pOH pKa log ([conjugate acid]/[weak base]) History An equation to calculate the pH of a buffer solution was derived by Lawrence Joseph Henderson in 1908. Karl Albert Hasselbalch rewrote this formula in logarithmic terms in 1917. Sources Hasselbalch, K. A. (1917). Die Berechnung der Wasserstoffzahl des Blutes aus der freien und gebundenen Kohlensure desselben, und die Sauerstoffbindung des Blutes als Funktion der Wasserstoffzahl. Biochemische Zeitschrift. 78: 112–144.Henderson, Lawrence J. (1908). Concerning the relationship between the strength of acids and their capacity to preserve neutrality. Am. J. Physiol. 21: 173–179.

Explanation of Newspaper Headlines for English Learners

Explanation of Newspaper Headlines for English Learners Many students have difficulty understanding newspaper headlines. This is because newspaper headlines are often incomplete sentences (i.e. Difficult Times Ahead). Here is a guide to the most common exceptions found in newspaper headlines. Noun Phrases Headlines often contain a noun phrase with no verb. A noun phrase describes a noun (i.e. around strange, exotic people). Here are some examples of noun phrase headlines: Under Pressure from BossUnexpected VisitOverwhelming Response of Voters Its useful to ask yourself questions such as: From what? About what? From whom? To whom? etc. when reading these type of headlines. By asking yourself these questions, you can begin preparing yourself for the article. This practice helps the brain prepare itself by starting to think about vocabulary related to the subject. Heres an example: Unexpected VisitThe questions I can ask myself are: From whom? Why was the visit unexpected? Who was visited? etc. these questions will help focus my mind on vocabulary related to relationships, traveling, surprises, important reasons for visits, etc. Noun Strings Another common headline form is a string of three, four or more nouns together (i.e. Country Leader Question Time). These can be difficult because the words dont appear related by verbs or adjectives. Here are some more examples: Widow Pension Pay CommitteeLandscaping Company Disturbance RegulationsMustang Referral Customer Complaint In the case of noun strings, its helpful to try to connect the ideas by reading backward. For example: Mustang Referral Customer ComplaintBy reading backward, I can guess that: There is a complaint made by a customer about a referral program for Mustang cars. Of course, you need to use your imagination for this! Various Verb Changes There are a number of verb changes made to headlines. The most common are: Simple tenses used instead of continuous or perfect forms. For example:Â  Forgotten Brother Appears A forgotten brother has appeared (after a long period of time).Professors Protest Pay Cuts Professors are protesting pay cuts (at the university). The infinitive form refers to the future. For example:Â  Mayor to Open Shopping Mall The mayor is going to open a new shopping mall.James Wood to Visit Portland (Famous actor) James Wood is going to visit Portland soon. Auxiliary verbs are dropped in the passive form. For example:Â  Man Killed in Accident A Man has been killed in an accident.Tommy the Dog Named Hero Tommy the Dog has been named a hero (by the mayor). Drop Articles Perhaps you have noticed in the examples above that both definite and indefinite articles are also dropped in newspaper headlines (i.e. Mayor to Choose Candidate). Here are some more examples: President Declares Celebration The president has declared a celebration.Passerby Sees Woman Jump A passerby has seen a woman jump (into the river).

The Importance Of Training Within The Organisation Essay

The Importance Of Training Within The Organisation - Essay Example However, not all organisations are able to establish a competitive edge utilising traditional differentiation tools and must, instead, rely on human resources to establish a tangible human capital advantage. There are some organisations, such as Sainsbury’s, a leading supermarket chain, that must establish a collaborative, culturally-sensitive model of teamwork in order to improve business position in a very mature and saturated marketplace. In order to ensure that employees have the skills and competencies necessary to gain competitive advantage, training becomes a critical imperative for HR professionals. This report describes the dynamics of the workplace that both hinder and support training in HRD, mitigating issues of organisational culture, and the potential conflict that can arise between theory and tangible HR practice when attempting to build human capital. Why training is an imperative Sainsbury’s positions itself on the market as a value leader and as an organisation with a strict compliance to multiple dimensions of corporate social responsibility to maintain a competitive edge (Sainsbury 2011). At the highest levels of governance, with decision-making occurring vertically throughout the organisational hierarchy, Sainsbury leadership establishes an ethical climate built on integrity, transparency and trustworthiness which are then disseminated throughout the organisational culture. Establishment of an ethical climate is quite different from development of an organisational culture, defined as the methodology by which employees perceive the established norms of the business culture (Denison 1996; Bartels et al. 1998). The premise of this ethical climate and supporting ethical culture is to ensure that the values and principles of Sainsbury’s business model are modelled by employees and managers to improve Sainsbury’s market reputation with mu ltiple stakeholders and shareholders. Why is this important in the domain of HRD? Sainsbury, in order to maintain its high market share in this saturated marketplace, must ensure that the ethical and socially-responsible values are transparent and adopted throughout the organisational model. Sainsbury differentiates itself from major competitors such as Tesco and Morrison’s through branding, â€Å"a core marketing practice emphasising the continuity of the firm with important buyer markets†, translating the intangible of market-based assets to a tangible representation of value (Abimbola 2001, p.98). Sainsbury establishes a brand personality in dimensions of sincerity, competence, and sophistication, three dimensions necessary to gain market loyalty and subsequent brand equity (Aaker 1996). However, in order to provide tangible and recognisable value associated with this established brand personality, employees must be properly developed so that job role functions are aligned with core values and the elements of brand that leads to competitive advantages. This cannot be effectively accomplished without establishing a training programme that is homogenous and relevant for issues of ethics and social responsibility. Because the integrity of relationships with many stakeholders along the value network distinguish Sainsbury’s brand reputation from competitors, it is critical that interpersonal relationship development be improved between internal employees and external stakeholders. Without proper training and development in these key areas underpinned by ethical values, Sainsbury cannot maintain a unified culture that willingly and openly role models these vital

An evaluation of dramatised advertising as used in Lan Chocolate Essay

An evaluation of dramatised advertising as used in Lan Chocolate - Essay Example Individuals and organizations in their purpose to promote goods, services, ideas, people, and issues use advertising . In light of this, Coca-Cola used a public-relations driven campaign in relaunching its Sprite brand through a fifty-city sampling tour. This is an illustration of how important advertising is in reaching far places and peoples and integrating them into one consuming populace.The advertising function may be equated to the creation and management of product imagery, which is the establishment of the set of meanings and associations that serve to differentiate a product or service (Reynolds and Gutman, 1984). Hence, one must consider defining and operationalising image in order to move beyond the basic posture that brand images add value to products. Image, as employed in advertisements, may be described as general characteristics, feelings, or impressions, product perception, beliefs and attitudes, brand personality, and linkages between characteristics and feelings/em otions.The importance of advertising is seen in the outcomes it produces for many products and organizations. It continues to be an indispensable necessity for product branding and marketing campaign. Effectiveness through consistency of the product and how far the advertising schemes have reached people and places determine the popularity of the product, usually resulting in good sales, good product perception, and consistent patronization. This is why all forms of mass media must be utilized by product owners in advertising their products. Different kinds of practical promotional plans must also be adopted in ensuring this. Dramatisation is one promotional plan that is proven both effective and attention grabbing. That is why many advertisers think of a sure-fire way to adopt a dramatised concept in their advertisements. This paper intends to evaluate this promotional strategy of the LAN chocolate. The purpose for such evaluation is to improve the advertisement in order that the chocolate will rake more sales, popularity, and profitability. An Evaluation of Dramatisation as Used in Advertising the LAN Chocolate Television ads are classified as either arguments or drama, or hybrids of these forms, influencing greatly how advertisements are processed (Deighton, et al., 1989). Appeal to objectivity is what is backed up by arguments, often evaluatively processed, while dramatisation appeals more to subjective criteria and is emphatically processed. When the drama is successful, the audience tends to be 'lost' in the story, emphatically experiencing the feelings and concerns of the characters (Deighton, et al., 1989). Dramatisation may serve as a transition between what the maker wants to say about his product and what the consumer intends to read about it (Sloan and Mooney, 2007). The focus of this form of advertising is to establish an identity and winning the public over to the product's point of view. Dramatisation s designed to create a favorable image for a certain product, which in this case is the LAN chocolate. The dramatization of the LAN chocolate is conceptualised this way: "Two men enter a grocery store for some shopping stuff. There were also two girls doing some shopping. One of the girls caught the attention of one of the guys, but she isn't interested. Just then, he looks at the chocolate LAN and thinks of giving it to her as a gift. She, out of coincidence, also buys the same chocolate. This reinforces the guy's confidence and gives the LAN

Domestic Violence in the Black Community: Policy Analysis

Domestic Violence in the Black Community: Policy Analysis ‘Behind Closed Doors’: An Investigation into the Effectiveness of Law and Policy in Cases of Severe Domestic Violence in the Black Community Introduction Over the last decade there have been an increasing number of cases of severe domestic violence that have resulted in injury and even the death of one or more parties. The researcher has highlighted a gap in current research into the effectiveness of policy in cases of domestic violence. This gap is mostly due to the relationship between domestic violence and the law being difficult to measure because very often the criminal events that take place, such as assault, occur within the privacy of private homes. Furthermore, research suggests that people who experience domestic violence are less willing to report their experiences, or talk about them afterwards due to feelings of inadequacy, guilt, and fear (Davis and Krane, 2006). Domestic violence in the black community has been recognised as being less likely to be reported mainly because women and young people do not wish to threaten the stability of their position within their community. Women from African Caribbean communities are le ss likely to report their experiences and therefore they experience prolonged abuse over a long, or sometimes indeterminate, time frame. Methodology The research hypothesis focuses on the premise that despite recent amendments to the law the law is not effective enough in preventing the perpetrators of domestic violence from seriously harming others in the home. An overview of current law and policy concerning domestic violence will highlight the need for the government to work more closely with social services in order to better protect women and children who experience domestic violence. Research focuses on inner-city areas in the UK, where black communities are most established specifically on parental relationships and parents’ relationships with their children, and how the law seeks to protect these relationships. Using journal articles and research conducted within the last decade, patterns of domestic abuse will be examined and reasons why some cases are more severe than others will be analysed. The case studies will explore individual accounts of domestic violence. Throughout the dissertation research will be placed into a relevant theoretical framework, informed by studies on criminological theory concerning domestic violence and the law; studies on social work theory concerning violence within the home, and the degree of variation within individual experiences of domestic violence (eg: McGee, 1997 and 2000). Literature Review Domestic violence has been defined as: â€Å"a continuum of behaviour ranging from verbal abuse, physical, and sexual assault, to rape and even homicide. The vast majority of such violence, and the most severe and chronic incidents, are perpetrated by men against women and their children.† (Department of Health [DoH] 2000) In most cases the violence is against women by their partners or spouse and affects children belonging to one or both of them. Children can become victims of domestic violence either through being directly targeted or witnessing scenes of domestic violence between parents and their partners. At least 750,000 children a year witness violence within the home, and nearly three quarters of children on child protection registers live in households where domestic violence occurs. (Dept of Health, 2003). Abuse and violence may be physical, emotional, psychological, financial or sexual, and may be constant or spasmodic, yet domestic violence is experienced by individuals from every class, race, religion and culture the world over (British Medical Association [BMA] 1999). While severe cases of domestic violence can often lead to women being hospitalised, others remain undetectable to the public eye, leaving women who live in constant fear of their partner or spouse, trying to avoid degradation. A study by Mayhew found that psychological and emotional abuse might be constant whilst the physical violence is intermittent (Mayhew et al 1996). For the child or young person this becomes a way of life one without stability or security and this can lead to behavioural problems and even crime. Government Policy The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 (Home Office, 2005) Developing police strategy for collecting evidence at the scene (Home Office 2000). Prosecutions from the Criminal Justice Act 1998 where the victim need not appear in court, but her statement used instead. The protection from Harassment Act 1997 ‘Policy for Prosecuting Cases of Domestic Violence.’ Crown Prosecution Survey (2005) Domestic Violence National Action Plan (http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crime-victims/reducing-crime/domestic-violence/) The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act (2004) (http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crime-victims/reducing-crime/domestic-violence/) Support Organisations There are many voluntary organisations such as Shelter, which provide counselling and places of refuge for women and children suffering domestic violence. Refuge provides a Freephone 24-hour National Domestic Violence Helpline Community efforts, such as the ‘Peace Week.’[1] Women’s Aid National Centre for Domestic Violence (http://www.ncdv.org.uk/) Case Studies One of the critical debates concerning domestic violence is the idea of ‘getting used’ to a way of being treated and thus for it to become the norm within family life. An article written by a survivor of domestic violence said of her early years in Jamaica: ‘in my experience it was commonplace to hear of or even witness women/men being beaten by their spouses or partners in public view.’ (Unknown author. http://www.2as1.net/articles/article.asp?id=49.). She comments of violence in the UK, saying that ‘particularly within the Black community, the fighting may not overspill onto the streets but it does occur, behind closed doors.’ The purpose of the case studies will be to expose the difficulties involved in cases of domestic violence, eg: Interpreters can be used to help report cases of DV, but involving a third party in a woman’s private life can be an off-putting idea. Furthermore, religious or cultural beliefs might forbid divorce, and religious community leaders mostly being men, only some speak out about domestic violence. psychological effects of domestic violence, such as blame, guilt (Davis and Krane, 2006) For migrant women there exists a fear that separation from family will not allow them to stay in the UK, and they experience the threat that the partner might abduct the children and take them abroad. (Greenwich Multi-Agency Domestic Violence Forum. 2003) The problem of law enforcement Statistics Statistical research will consider work such as The Home Office survey 2004 (findings from the 2001 British Crime Survey), and Domestic Violence: A Resource Manual for Health Care Professionals, by The Department of Health, 2000. Analysis of Results and Theoretical Approaches Results will be analysed and compared to other relevant studies. The analysis will be placed in the context of criminology theory concerning domestic violence, such as general strain theory and angry aggression theory. This section will also draw from Criminology: Theory, Research, and Policy by Vito et al (2006). Conclusion Research will aim to validate the main hypothesis: namely that recent amendments to law and policy concerning domestic violence have contributed to further protecting women and children. Yet there remain situations where the law sometimes cannot be enforced it is thus important that victims of domestic violence can access 24 hour support from their service providers, and that local authorities become more involved in helping to combat domestic violence. Bibliography Ballou, M, Margolin, A., Youga, J., 2002, ‘Voices of Violence: A Study of Male Adolescent Aggression.’ Journal of Humanistic Counseling, Education and Development. Volume: 41. Issue: 2. P. 215+. British Medical Association (BMA), 1999, Domestic Violence: a Health Care Issue? BMA: London Crown Prosecution Survey, ‘Policy for Prosecuting Cases of Domestic Violence.’ (2005) [online]. Available from: http://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/docs/DomesticViolencePolicy.pdf [Accessed 09/10/08] Davis, S.P. Fantuzzo, J.W.,1989, ‘The effects of adult and peer social initiations on the social behaviour of withdrawn and aggressive maltreated preschool children.’ Journal of Family Violence, 4 Davis, L., and Krane, J., 2006, ‘Collaborate with Caution: protecting children, helping mothers.’ Critical Social Policy. 26. 412. Available online from: ‘http://csp.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/26/2/412.’ [Accessed 07/10/08] Department of Health, Domestic Violence: A Resource Manual for Health Care Professionals. DoH, London. March 2000 Fantuzzo, J.W., and Mohr, W.K., 1999, ‘Prevalence and Effects of Child Exposure to Domestic Violence.’ The Future of Children. Vol 9. No. 3. Gaudoin, T., Home Truths, 2001, The Times Magazine, pp. 24-9, 10 November Greenwich Multi-Agency Domestic Violence Forum ‘Tackling Domestic Violence.’ 5th Edition. August 2003. Hester, M., Pearson, C. and Harwin, N., Making an Impact. Children and Domestic Violence: a Reader. London: Jessica Kingsley Home Office, 2005, ‘National Plan for Domestic Violence.’ [online] Available from: http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/domesticviolence/domesticviolence51.htm [Accessed 08/10/08] Home Office Research Study 276. ‘Domestic Violence, sexual assault, and stalking: Findings from the British Crime Survey. Home Office March 2004 Home Office 2000. Available from ‘http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/prgpdfs/crimlaw.pdf.’ [Accessed 07/ 10/ 08] Kelly, L., 1996, When Women Protection Is the Best Kind of Child Protection: Children, Domestic Violence and Child Abuse, Administration, 44(2), Mayhew, P., Mirlees-Black, C. and Percy, A., The 1996 British Crime Survey England Wales. Home Office Statistical Bulleting, Issue 19.96. Home Office, London 1996. McGee, C., 2000, Childhood Experiences of Domestic Violence. London: Jessica Kingsley McGee, C., 1997, Childrens Experiences of Domestic Violence, Child and Family Social Work, 2 Memon, K., Wife Abuse in the Muslim Community, Belfast Islamic Centre: http://www.khyber.demon.co.uk/comfort/articles/abuse/htm [Accessed 09/10/08] McGibbon, A. and Kelly, L., Abuse of Women in the Home: Advice and Information. London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. London 1989. Piaget, 1962, Dreams and Imitation in Childhood. Gategno, C., (transltr). New York: W. W. Norton. Richardson J., Coid, J., Petruckevitch, A., Wai Shan Chung, Moorey, S., and Feder, G., 2002, ‘Identifying domestic violence: cross sectional study in primary care.’ BMJ. February 2; 324(7332): 274 Shipway, L, 2004, Domestic Violence: A Handbook for Health Professionals. New York: Routledge Unknown author, ‘Domestic Violence within the Black Community.’ 2as1.Net. Available from ‘http://www.2as1.net/articles/article.asp?id=49.’ Vito, G.F, Maahs, J.R, Holmes, R.M, (2006) Criminology: Theory, Research, and Policy Jones Bartlett Wahl, R., Sisk, D.J., and Ball, T.M., 2004, ‘Clinic-based screening for domestic violence: use of a child safety questionnaire.’ University of Arizona, Department of Pediatrics, June 2004. BMC Med. 2004; 2: 25. Available from: ‘http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=455697.’ [Accessed 09/10/08]. URL’S Women’s Aid. Available from: ‘http://www.womens-aid.org.uk/statistics.php’ [Accessed 08/10/08]. http://endabuse.org/programs/healthcare/files/Pediatric.pdf http://cms.met.police.uk/met/boroughs/hammersmith/04how_are_we_doing/news/community_joins_together_for_peace National Centre for Domestic Violence. Available from: http://www.ncdv.org.uk/ [Accessed 08/110/08] [1] See ‘http://cms.met.police.uk/met/boroughs/hammersmith/04how_are_we_doing/news/community_joins_together_for_peace’ ‘Accessed 27/02/07].

Blaine Kitchenware Assignment

Blaine Kitchenware, Inc. : Optimal Capital Structure For this case study you will take on the role of the investment banker introduced at the beginning of the case study. A week following your first meeting with Mr. Dubinski, he has called to request your assistance with the analysis of a stock repurchase. He has operational experience, but little financial management experience (he does not have any debt on his balance sheet! ). As a result, he needs your help convincing his board of directors that the stock repurchase is a good idea. The board is more financially conservative than Mr.Dubinski. Mr. Dubinski wants you to evaluate a scenario where Blaine Kitchenware, Inc. (BKI) will repurchase 14 million shares at $18. 50 per share. To do so, BKI will borrow $50 million at an interest rate of 6. 75% (this is your stake in the deal because your bank will make the loan). Consider the following questions that are likely to be raised regarding the analysis: What effect does the proposal h ave on the balance sheet? How is operating performance impacted? How are earnings per share and ROE impacted? How is leverage affected? How is interest coverage affected?What is the expected cost of financial distress? How is the cost of capital impacted? What happens to the family control of the business? For this assignment you should write a memo to the board of directors. None  of these directors are  well versed  in finance and all are skeptical of using debt. Space dedicated to explaining leverage concepts in layperson terms and the calculations involved will prove to be very relevant and well received. Board members are also looking for advanced analysis with evidence of critical thinking, particularly as it regards optimal capital structure.They always appreciate well written memos that make appropriate use of correct grammar and spelling. They are also very busy running their own corporations, so memos written in a concise manner are better received. However, as state d in  Keys to Successful Case Studies: Write-up Tips, â€Å"if you have just one page of analysis, I will not read it. You will earn a zero. †Ã‚  While your memo should be concise, it should also contain a detailed appendix of your calculations. The course website will only allow you to submit one document. Thus, you will need to â€Å"insert† your Excel tables as objects† in your word document before uploading your write-up to the course website. I must receive both a hardcopy and electronic version submitted through the course website by 2:00pm on the due date. Otherwise, the write-up is considered late and will not be graded. Extra Credit Opportunity:  I will grade the assignments. Then I will go back through the assignments and award an additional 5 points (essentially half a letter grade) to any memo that properly references  at least two relevant  Harvard Business Review  articles and/or Wall Street Journal articles. See the attachment for the gra ding  rubric.