Options for Company in Financial Difficulty

Options for Company in Financial Difficulty Introduction There are a few options for S.B. Ltd to consider getting through difficult times. The five main options are firstly, to discontinue the Nottingham division and Leicester and Loughborough divisions could use their spare capacity to produce 60% of Nottingham’s 2010 output in addition to their own 2010 output, close the Nottingham division and outsource Nottingham’s 2010 output, to launch a major campaign for all 3 products to increase their sales, to introduce a transfer pricing system between the division and the head office to increase motivation among the staff in each division and rightsizing the organisation. Discontinuation As seen Nottingham is not making growth, in response to market forces, the first option is to discontinue Nottingham division by selling its assets and settling its liabilities and shifting production from Nottingham to Leicester and Loughborough. The discontinuation decision is a decision when the division profitability highlights the potential of unprofitable (Drury, 2010, pp.91-92). In this option, assuming that Leicester and Loughborough have some spare capacity to produce 60% of Nottingham’s 2010 output on top of their own 2010 output. According to Drury (2010, p.92), discontinuing the Nottingham division could aid the company in eliminating cost of goods sold, and other variable costs in the division. Other cost such as advertising costs, distribution costs and Head Office costs remain unchanged and is not affected by the discontinuation of the Nottingham division. O’Hare (2010, Management Accounting Lecture 3) suggested other factors which will affect an organisation to discontinue a division, the division is making a loss, to identify avoidable costs or to discover other saving. Outsourcing Outsourcing option is also known as sub-contracting option has become increasingly common in organisations, which enables organisations to concentrate on their core performance while outsource other specialist their secondary activities (Collier et al, 2007, pp.220-221). In S.B. Ltd case, according to Oxford University Press (2009), outsourcing could help to get through this hard time by going on a process of business process downsizing. Outsourcing allows operations that have seasonal demands to bring in additional resources in time of needs. Other advantages of outsourcing are, outsource activities will allow S.B. Ltd to focus on important functions without sacrificing quality or service, outsource specialist could help improve the quality and standard of the jam. It may also be able to purchase the jam more cheaply or perhaps more quickly. Assuming the outsource price for raspberry jam is 20% more then the cost of goods produced and sold for raspberry jam. Hence, the sales of raspberry jam remains the same and Leicester division and Loughborough division have spare capacity which gives them room for expansion of 30% more sales each. All other expenses remain the same for both Leicester and Loughborough divisions. This gives the Head Office a net profit of  £76,000 On contrary to the advantages, outsourcing the jam to some specialist could lead to risk of unsatisfactory quality and standard of the jam. Other disadvantages could be leak of procedures and techniques of making the jam, outsourcing usually focuses on short-term cost-saving, and ignores the unchanged overhead burden. Major Campaign Another option is to launch a major advertising campaign for all three products to increase their sales and keep all three divisions. Advertising could boost awareness and generate demand of the sales of jams of S.B. Ltd. and hence acquiring more orders. In the advertising campaign, assuming the advertising cost increase by 20% and it bring the sales of each product to an increase of 20% each. It simply boost up the profit of the company to  £96,000. Transfer Pricing The other option is when an organisation chooses to decentralise its divisions, transfer pricing helps decide what price to charge for in-company transactions (Collier et al, 2007, p.38-39) and as a form of promoting divisional autonomy (O’Hare, 2010, Management Accounting Lecture 8). It is useful when goods are transferred between divisions; hence, the performance measurement of each division is not prejudiced by the corporate objectives. The profitability of each business units will be affected and according to Solomon (1965 cited in Collier et al, 2007, pp.38-39), companies might take advantage of the transfer pricing which are suitable for evaluating divisional performance for the corporate interest, instead of the business units. Transfer pricing strategies and can produce substantial tax savings in addition to enhancing operational performance and improving cash flow. In many organisations, in order to avoid de-motivating effects on different business units, negotiated p rices are adopted. Say, each product is transferred to Derby division and it pays each division 70% of the sales it made from selling all the jams and yet still bare the cost of advertising, distribution and the head office costs. The local administrative expenses shall be bare by the respective divisions. There are downsides of transfer pricing. The political process in an organisation might affect the transfer pricing between divisions. Incorrect prices adopted can distort reported performance, by making some divisions more profitable at others expense. Opportunities exist to avoid taxes using artificial transfer prices to transfer profits from a high tax division to a low tax division. Rightsizing Rightsizing, or corporate restructuring, with the aim of reducing costs and improving efficiency and effectiveness is also one option in difficult times. Rightsizing is downsizing in the belief that an organisation really should operate with fewer personnel. The primary reason to engage in rightsizing is to make the daily operations of a business more productive. For example, a company may be able to replace assembly line employees with machines which will be quicker and less prone to error. In addition, rightsizing increases profits by reducing the overall overheads of a business. S.B. Ltd operates a full cost (TAC) standard costing system. The standard costs set fot the year 31 March 2010 and information about future costs and selling prices are in Appendix 2. Part 2 (700) Assuming the company decided to go for the option of keeping all divisions open and launching an advertising campaign, you are required to produce a standard cost card for each product and a budget for the company showing clearly the costs attributable to each division for the year to 31 March 2011. State clearly all assumptions made. Standard Cost Card A standard cost card can be defined as ‘a detailed listing of the standard amounts of materials, labour and overheads that should go into a unit of product, multiplied by the standard price or rate that has been set for each elements’ (Anon 2, 2010). A standard cost card, for example must include the price, specifications, quantity and quality of material required, as well as such factors as the period of credit allowed from suppliers, cash and quantity discounts, spoilage due to wastage and deterioration. A standard cost card demands an investigation of all contributing factors that can constitute a cost before the cost is adopted. According to Drury (2010, p.278), standard costs are ‘predetermined costs’ and they are the target costs that should be incurred under efficient operating conditions. The standard cost card will be subjected to updating caused by revision of standards such as changes in prices, discounts, etc. Standard costing is a control system which sets standards that are ideal, expected and achievable (O’Hare, 2010, Management Accounting Lecture). Collier (2007, p.36) put forward that standard costing is a control technique which compares standard cost and all of production revenues with actual results. It is to obtain variances of each division and product (O’Hare, 2010, Management Accounting Lecture 8), which are used to stimulate improved performance and to increase motivation of staff in each division. It is a detective control used to prevent problems from reoccurring as it measures variances as it occur, thus allowing management to take necessary corrective action. The standard cost card for the year ended 31 March 2011 (per batch of 40 jars each 500 grams) for Strawberry Jam, Raspberry Jam and Orange Marmalade are as below: Budget The principal tool in planning is called ‘a budget’. A budget is a collection of predictions. It is an estimation of the revenue and expenses over a specified future period of time. There are three purposes of budgets as identified by Emmanuel et al (1990 cited in Collier, 2007, pp.39-40), ‘as forecasts of future events’, ‘as motivational targets’ and ‘as standards for performance evaluation’. Budget is a financial plan or qualitative statement for implementing the various decisions to be pursued during a specific accounting period, that management has made in the previous period. Collier (2007, pp.39-42) suggest that budgets provide a control mechanism through both the feed forward and feedback loops. The control mechanism in the budget is to provide a performance monitoring function to the appropriate managers who are responsible for implementing the various decisions by producing and presenting the performance reports. According to Drury (2010, pp.8-9), the performance report provide feedback information by comparing planned and actual results. Generally, a functional budget is drawn up for each division of S.B. Ltd. These budgets are, then, merged together into a single combined statement, which is known as the master budget, of S.B. Ltd’s expectations for the future periods. The master budget consists of budgeted profit, which it is expected to convey to everyone in the organisation the part that they are expected to achieve in implementing management’s decisions. The master budget, usually, consists of a budgeted profit and loss, a budgeted balance sheet and a budgeted cash-flow statement. In order to finalised a budgeted profit and loss, other budgets for the individual divisions and produced, such as the sales budget, direct materials usage budget, direct materials purchase budget, direct labour budget, and selling and administration budget. Master Budget Budgeted Profit and Loss Account for the year ending 31 March 2011  £  £ Forecast sales (Schedule 1) 816,000 Purchases (Schedule 3) Materials Fruit 130,272

British Architecture

Finally, the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, currently known as RCHME was added to this body on April 1st, 1999. English Heritage's principal role is as the steward of over 400 significant diversified, historical and archaeological sites. Concerning the ownership of these sites, they are principally owned by the body of government or by private that are managed under guardianship contracts. Its major missions are to watch the conservation of the buildings, to give advice, to register and to protect the historic environment.Finally, English Heritage owns a public archive: the National Monuments Records better- known as the English Heritage Archive. English Heritage improves its performances year atter year by asking any various groups and members ot the public to take part in consultations and web-based surveys in order to give views on specific issues. 1 1] English Heritage is governed by the Commission which is chaired by Baroness Andrews since 2009. The Com mission provides the strategic direction of the organization within the policy and resources framework agreed with Government.The Commission is composed by 17 people who are called commissioners and are appointed by the Secretary of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. [1 1] http://www. english-heritage. org. uk/ The Commission's role is also to delegate operational management to the Chief Executive, Dr Simon Thurley who is supported by an Executive Board of four directors. Moreover, numerous advisory committees and panels advise the commission and administer specialist areas such as The London Advisory Committee or Battlefields Panel.English Heritage has the status of I-JK Government's adviser and a statutory consultant on all aspects concerning the environment and historic sites. Archeology on land and under water is topics considered by this organization such as historic buildings sites and numerous designated landscapes and their historic elements. English Heri tage also has the mission to gather official statistics for the Government by publishing the annual Heritage at Risk survey. Its main goal is to insure the conservation of heritage of England in order to offer future generations the benefit of enjoying this fantastic heritage.English Heritage main precise missions are: Managing the national collection of sites, monuments, archive records and photographs Giving grants national and local organizations for the conservation of historic buildings, monuments and landscapes. Advising central UK government on which English heritage assets are nationally important and should be protected by designation Administering and maintaining the register of England's listed buildings, cheduled monuments, registered battlefields, conservation areas and protected parks and gardens known as â€Å"The National Heritage List for England†.

Descriptive Essay - Original Writing - 771 Words

bbI walked down to the beach by myself along side of a desolate road. The wind tossed the palm trees and my long hair in every direction. The sun was setting and the sky turned sort of a pink and lavender color which reminded me of my mother. Pebbles on the ground tickled the bottoms of my bare feet as I pondered about her. How her favorite color was lavender, how her hair always smelled like the pink tropical flowers in our front yard, how she always smiled and appreciated the rain for its beauty (even if it meant we couldn’t go surfing), she had dark olive skin with freckles across her nose and top of her cheekbones. Green eyes and a beautiful wide smile that always appeared to be on her face even when times were rough. I didn’t really look my mom, I had freckles like her but my face structure was totally different. Actually I looked like no one in my family. In fact, at family gatherings and reunions I was often asked if I was a good family friend. Even if people th ought I looked a little bit like my mom (because of the freckles) they wouldn’t tell me because they were constantly trying to avoid an awkward conversation. I don’t like those kind of people, who are afraid to say how they feel or afraid of what others might think of them. Just say what you feel because one day youÅ•e going to regret how much you cared. Nami and Kai drove up next to me in Nami’s topless jeep. â€Å"Are you going to Caden’s party?† Kai asked me â€Å"Ya everyone is going, it’s going to be huge!†Show MoreRelatedDescriptive Essay - Original Writing1110 Words   |  5 PagesI don’t know how I got to where I am, but I’m here now, and I have to win if I want to live. I am in a game, and in order to live, I have to escape. That’s the thing, though: I don’t know how to escape. I was running for my life around this old house that looked like it came straight out of a horror movie. I doubled over and held my head in pain as I saw the static, which meant it was coming. I was being chased by what looked like a person but in no way acted like one. Just as it was about to appearRead MoreDescriptive Essay - Original Writing1102 Words   |  5 PagesIt is on days like this when we stop to think about our life. Small drops of rain begin to dapple the cobblestone paveme nt as people whip out their umbrellas for cover. I continue sauntering down the busy street, relishing the feeling of a light shower. Moving with the mass of pedestrians, I stop at a crosswalk where I wait for the stoplight to turn green. A flower shop employee across the street scurries to bring in the numerous bouquets and close the doors as rain starts rolling down the displayRead MoreDescriptive Essay - Original Writing914 Words   |  4 PagesDreamy I thought. Standing on the corner is a young guy with a smile. I see him here almost every day, so I linger for a while. He tells me his name, and I tell him mine. I m Ester, what s your name? I enquired. My names David .,He replied. We end up talking for a while and I asked him if he had ever left this city. He tells me of all these stories of the places where he s been, the distant lakes and mountains, and in valleys oh so green. I can see it in his eyes, he really has beenRead MoreDescriptive Essay - Original Writing974 Wor ds   |  4 Pages I was used to moving round, having a mother who liked to travel more than making roots was something I had gotten used to. Still, I had never gotten used to the loneliness of an empty house when she was out exploring, or the feeling of leaving behind someone who could have meant something to me. Our most recent move was Oregon. It was pretty, and I didn’t mind it, but it was much different than Florida. Not only was it opposite sides of the country, it felt as if it were opposite worlds. InRead MoreDescriptive Essay - Original Writing1012 Words   |  5 Pageshave plenty of time in the next month to think about my feeling in regards to Kendrick. I needed to finish up the article and get it off to my editor. I should be able to get it done by tonight and send an email in the morning. I was thinking of writing my next article about the sea life around the Scottish coast. Since our salmon dinner last evening I thought I would do a piece about the commercial salmon farming that began in Scotland in 1969. In 2002 over 145,000 metric tons of farmed AtlanticRead MoreDescriptive Essay - Original Writing1561 Words   |  7 PagesThere’s something I need to say and what follows may not be something that you’d expect, it won’t be heartening or uplifting. If you remember today, I told you about going somewhere I wanted to go to†¦ I’m not sure if you believed and accepted what I now confess as untrue; it is partly. I needed to pull away emo tionally†¦ from you. You must have had fathomed that some degree of formality had seeped between us. Born of habit, formulaic greetings had become a routine. You presume that I’m a close friendRead MoreDescriptive Essay - Original Writing1387 Words   |  6 PagesI was wearing a beautiful blue dress with sapphire gems all around the chest area as I entered the ball with Ciel and Sebastian. I took a good look around here, the hallway was lined with gold. There was a servant ready to escort us to the ball room. Hello, come this way. He said, walking forward. Wow, this place is so fancy! I exclaimed, looking around. It s fake gold. Ciel bluntly replied, bringing my hopes down. I sighed. Ciel sounded like he wasn t in a very good mood. Ciel, lightenRead MoreDescriptive Essay - Original Writing1287 Words   |  6 Pages In the morning, Caireann woke me up. She stood above my bed, shaking my shoulder. I opened my eyes, looking at her. Then I looked across the room to her empty bed. Andy s empty bed sat in the corner. I swallowed, climbing out of bed. Sleep well? Caireann asked me, starting out the door. Yeah, I said, going over to our small dresser. I had the bottom two drawers. Andy had the middle two, and Caireann had the top. I pulled open the drawers, pulling on a colorful tank top and a grayRead MoreDescriptive Essay - Original Writing1345 Words   |  6 PagesLater that night, I was behind the wheel of my G-Wagon with Melissa in the passenger seat. She didn’t feel like driving since she was on the road all day and I understood so I didn’t mind when she asked me to. I had been tight-lipped. She kept eyeballing me as if she detected that something was bothering me but I just kept singing to my India Arie as if I was carefree. â€Å"So are you going to tell me what’s going on or no† Melissa said disrupting my own personal concert. I stopped singing and tookRead MoreDescriptive Essay - Original Writing1085 Words   |  5 PagesI WAS SITTING IN a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting through a Dumpster. It was just after dark. A blustery March wind whipped the steam coming out of the manholes, and people hurried along the sidewalks with their collars turned up. I was stuck in traffic two blocks from the party where I was heading. Mom stood fifteen feet away. She had tied rags around her shoulders to keep out the spring chill and was picking through the trash

Listening Comprehension Strategies

Listening comprehension, also known as oral comprehension, can present a struggle for learning disabled children. Many disabilities can make it difficult for them to attend to information delivered orally, including difficulties in processing sounds and prioritizing sensory input. Even children with mild deficits may simply find auditory learning difficult since some students are visual or even kinesthetic learners. What Disabilities Affect Listening Comprehension? Auditory processing disorder, ADHD or a language-processing deficit can have serious impacts on listening comprehension. These children can hear, but imagine a world in which every noise you heard was at the same volume—its just impossible to sort out the important sounds from the unimportant ones. A ticking clock may be as loud and attention-grabbing as the lesson being taught by the teacher.    Reinforcing Listening Comprehension at Home and School For a child with these kinds of needs, listening comprehension work cant only happen in school. After all, parents will have the same struggles at home. Here are some general strategies for children with auditory processing delays. Reduce distraction. To help regulate volume and keep a child on task, its essential to eliminate extraneous noises and motion. A quiet room can help. Failing that, noise-canceling headphones can do wonders for easily distracted learners.Let the child see you when you speak. A child with difficulty interpreting sounds or making them on her own should see the shape of your mouth as you speak. Let him put his hand on his throat when saying words that present difficulty, and have him look in a mirror while speaking.Take movement breaks. Some children will need a refresher in the struggle to listen. Let them get up, move around, and then return to the task. They may need this support more often than you think!Read aloud, at least 10 minutes a day. You are the best example: Spend time reading aloud one-on-one to kids with auditory deficits. Its important to cater to the childs interests.Help her with the process of listening. Have the child repeat what youve said, summarize what shes read, or explain to you how she will complete a task. This builds the foundation of comprehension.When teaching a lesson, present information in short and simple sentences.Always check to ensure that the child understands by repeating or rephrasing your instructions or directions. Use voice intonation to keep his attention.Whenever possible, use visual aids and or charts. For visual learners, this can make all the difference.Help children with organization by presenting the sequence of the lesson before you teach it. e Reference them as youre giving instructions.Teach strategies to these students that include rehearsing mentally, focusing on keywords and using mnemonics. Making connections when presenting new material can help them overcome the sensory deficit.For students for whom distractibility is not the main issue, group learning situations may help. Peers will often help or direct a child with deficits and lend additional support that will preserve a childs self-esteem.   Remember, just because youve said it aloud doesnt mean the child understands. Part of our job as parents and as teachers is to ensure that comprehension is happening. Consistency is the most effective strategy to support children with challenges in listening comprehension.

Critical Thinking Discussion - 764 Words

Introduction The relevance of critical thinking cannot be overstated. In addition to helping us properly evaluate arguments, critical thinking skills also do come in handy in the enhancement of our reasoning capabilities. In this text, I concern myself with critical thinking. In so doing, I will amongst other things discuss what critical thinking means to me and the role it is currently playing in my life. Critical Thinking: Discussion Question 1 To me, critical thinking is both the ability and courage to challenge explanations as well as ideas others would rather not challenge. Further, critical thinking to me is the ability to formulate and develop the best solutions to prevailing problems while at the same time evaluating proposed solutions for their relevance. To get things into perspective, it would be prudent to also take into consideration other peoples view of critical thinking. In the words of Moon (2012), the central activity of critical thinking is the assessment of what might be called evidence, in order to make a judgment. Currently, critical thinking enables me to bring out my arguments in a clear and reasonable way. For this reason, I am a better debater than most of my peers. My critical thinking skills have also been of great use to me in my academic life. This is more so the case when it comes to tackling my assignments. Question 2 Recently, we were watching a documentary film with a friend of mine regarding atheism. After we were doneShow MoreRelatedCritical Thinking and Discussion Student Observation566 Words   |  2 PagesThe Reading Assignment This week’s reading assignment fittingly focused on critical thinking beyond the assigned text, and course. It expressed the type of critical thinker you can become is completely dependent on your beliefs and willingness to abandon them to go outside your own realm of comfort. It also expresses the belief that although you should go outside our comfort zone, there is still a requirement to learn new words and established facts and ideas. This course began with assignmentsRead MoreConstructing Meaning Essay1124 Words   |  5 Pagescontroversial discussions and enhancing their critical thinking skills at the collegiate level. This article we will discuss some common issues that surface in college courses that encourage critical thinking. What strategies can educators use to promote enlightened and fair discussion of them† (Gainey Payne, 2003, p.52). The goal of the article was to share their findings from a research study in which through effective pedagogy is needed i n order to foster students having better critical thinking skillsRead MoreOutstanding Disscusion Board Princi Essay1017 Words   |  5 PagesGuide to an Outstanding Discussion Board Thread 1. Read your assignment carefully for content related requirements. Let’s look at the example below. Note that it does not ask for a vague opinion, but requires that your answer be based upon: * Five developmental theories found in your reading assignment. * Information found in reading and presentations related to human development. * Your Christian/Other worldview – this implies that you understand your worldview and clearly defineRead MoreEssay about Assessment of Critical Thinking976 Words   |  4 Pagesor the course modified. The aim of this paper is to define assessment and critical thinking skills, and then review a State University course and suggest different assessments that could be used to demonstrate learning. Theoretical Foundations of Nursing will be the course reviewed, as it is the only course I have previously taken, and therefore the only course which I have assess to the curriculum. Critical thinking is recognized by accrediting bodies as an outcome for graduates of bachelorRead MoreTeaching Strategies Used to Promote Active Learning Essay1159 Words   |  5 Pagessegment of the definition by nature an active endeavor is important because it allows the student to develop her critical thinking skills as well as practice her writing techniques. The student can discuss class material in a less formal setting, which can be beneficial in creating more open-ended discussions for the student. As a teacher, promoting various learning styles is critical because one student learn differently than another. It is an important life lesson a student to understand heRead MoreDiscussion On An Instructional Method962 Words   |  4 PagesDiscussion as an Instructional Method I would use discussion as an instructional method because it is a great interactive learning tool and facilitates listening, teamwork, confidence, critical thinking, critical listening and critical reading. Moreover, classroom discussions can help students sharpen their communication and speaking skills. Classroom discussion helps to dispel myths and preconceived prejudices about others and students tend to develop mutual respect for one and others. Read MoreCritical Thinking And Teaching Methods1648 Words   |  7 Pages but rather accept it and move on. Critical thinking and efficient teaching methods have been suppressed in the current U.S. educational system, and the U.S. is suffering: once one of the front runners in education, the U.S. has fallen to twenty-seventh place according to the 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Ironically, the definition of critical thinking, an often-used pedagogical term, requires the process of critical thinking, criticism, and debate, as the definitionRead MoreUse Of Discussion As An Instructional Method863 Words   |  4 PagesI would use discussion as an instructional method because it is a great interactive learning tool and facilitates listening, teamwork, confidence, critical thinking, critical listening and critical reading. Moreover, classroom discussions can help students sharpen their communication and speaking skills. Classroom discussion helps to dispel myths and preconceived prejudices about others and students tend to develop mutual respect for one and others. Above all, discussions foster better understandingRead MoreUnderstanding How Fallacies, Critical Thinking and Decision Making Techniques Are All Linked Togethe1689 Words   |  7 PagesHow it all comes together 1 Understanding how fallacies, critical thinking and decision making techniques are all linked together. What is a logical fallacy? According to the Webster dictionary (1996), a fallacy is a false notion. A statement or argument based on a false or invalid inference. Fallacies can be divided into two different groups; the first one is the fallacy of relevance where the premises are irrelevant to the outcome. The other is fallacy of insufficient evidence, where theRead MoreTechnology Is Becoming More Accessible And Portable Essay1363 Words   |  6 Pagesclassroom. On the other hand, others agree that technology offers sources of distraction, which undermine students’ ability of critical thinking. It is not true, however, that all the technology in classrooms has negative impacts. Thus, it is important to distinguish which kind of technology can help develop critical thinking skills among students. In order to cultivate critical thinking skills in classrooms, technology must be able to support the objectives of the theory of constructivist learning. This

The Nature of the Beast An Analysis of the Genre of Science Fiction Free Essays

All modes of inquiry correlate with each other due to their tendency to coalesce in their emphasis on questions, which raise issues on autonomy, justice, and politics. The differences of literary theories, for example, merely spring from their construal of the relationship between the exercise of power and the text. Structuralism views the relation in terms of the relationship of the formal elements in a linguistic system. We will write a custom essay sample on The Nature of the Beast: An Analysis of the Genre of Science Fiction or any similar topic only for you Order Now Marxism assesses the relationship in terms of the role of such relations in the existence of social structures. The same method is used by Psychoanalysis, with the emphasis on the conscious and unconscious mind. Deconstruction, on the other hand, perceives the texts’ role in destabilizing oppositional modes of power. Despite of these differences amongst discursive procedures, it does not overshadow the fact that these theories give emphasis on their analysis of the political and institutional structures within society. A concrete example of this can be seen in the opposing theories of constructivism and essentialism. Despite their adherence to competing narratives of oppression and resistance [constructivism places emphasis on multiple identities thereby opposing essentialism’s stance on singular categorization] both theories show interest on the subject’s position within society and how this position can affect the development of his identity. In fact, if one isolates the discussion of identity and narratives of oppression in both discourses, one will notice that the ultimate commitment of the theories they adhere to gives emphasis on the idea of political justice. Politics within these discourses is seen as a collective action of resistance, which aims for change in the hopes of attending to the problems evident in the formation of identity and agency. It is important to note that literature as a repository of human experience has always been influenced by politics. Exercise of power within society is associated with and dependent on the mass production of certain kinds of literature, which allows the cultural qualification of ideas. The relation between literature and politics can also be seen in literary theory’s assessment of the formation of consciousness and unconsciousness, which is related to the maintenance, and transformation of the predominant modes of power made possible by literary output (Eagleton 210). It is also dependent upon the ahistorical positioning of the literary text, since this allows the continuous creation of meaning for a particular text. This mode of relationship invokes the aesthetic character of literature. Literature as a form of discourse enables the perception of aesthetics as a process of communicating while remaking a work. The aesthetic act becomes the incarnation of meaning rather than a demonstration of truth. This is possible since in the process of reading a text, the subject -which can be both the reader and the author- produces another text which is the same as the earlier text yet entirely different from it. Perceived within the dialogic process, the interconnectedness of completion and fragmentation can be understood by recognizing that it is in fact the fragmentation of the text, which allows the completion of the text itself. Within this perspective, the aesthetic act becomes political through the social interaction necessitated by the creation and continual recreation of an artistic work. Literature, in this sense, becomes the locus of a condensed and social evaluation. Intersubjectivity precedes subjectivity wherein the production and repression of meaning is seen as a socio-ideological process rather than an individual process. In this scheme, the text is allowed the character of fluidity. No permanent theoretical stipulation and ethical meaning can be attached to it since to do so is tantamount to denying the ahistorical character of the text. This character is invoked since in the end when one considers a text, what is given importance is not necessarily the historical reading of the text but the various readings made available by the literary theories and ethical standpoints that one may attach to the text. Within this process, there is an emphasis on the reassessment and creation of new standpoints since the interpretation of the text involves the consideration of both the act of writing and reading the text. The re-conceptualization of a literary text through reading enables the individual to undergo a process of analyzing the truth connected with the discourse in which the text is situated, while at the same time reassessing its connection to his self. Due to this, assessing a text becomes a personal and political act wherein the common adage â€Å"the personal is political† can be phrased into an equally influential counter notion that â€Å"the political is personal†. It is important to note that there is a big difference between these two adages. To say that the â€Å"personal is political† is only tantamount to equating political importance to personal experiences whereas to say that the â€Å"political is personal† involves following an ideology and political theory in making decisions in everyday life. The function of the verb† is† in both adages is not that of identification. This process, wherein the reading of a text becomes a vehicle for self-realization and self-transformation is emphasized within the literary genre of science fiction. The Genre of Science Fiction Genres, as systems of classification, are means of strategic control. Within the field of literature, it is believed that the continuous division of literary works into different genres leads not only to the classification of the work and the text but also to the imposition of values and ideals to those people who read the works belonging to a specific genre. Through genre categories like ‘Romance’, ‘Horror’, or ‘Mystery’, those in control of the modes of production control both the reader and the author of the work. By promising the readers a familiar set of meanings and controlling the demand for the production and formation of those meanings, those who are in control of the modes of production direct the construction of narratives. Within this context, it is possible for the stories that are produced within society to be a part of a broader form of social classification. Due to this, there is the construction of a particular set of meanings, which can only be understood within specific systems of classification. Genres in this sense become instruments of control. This is evident if one considers that genres â€Å"encode rules that constrain the†¦production and reception of meanings†¦communicated through a large number of meta-texts† (Hodge 27). These meta-texts become the basis for the production of knowledge. All knowledge is positioned as knowledge in itself and knowledge produced from and within body. As soon as both forms of knowledge are connected to a knowing subject, the subject becomes ensnared to the poststructuralist dictum of the unity and independence of the self, which leads to the formation of the narratives of the self. Narratives then display the imprint of culture and its institutions on the individual’s sense of identity. Since self and language are mutually implicated in an interdependent system of symbolic behavior, the language that one uses for the creation of literary narratives dictates the creation of identities. The modern era thereby places the individual in a kind of political double bind as it coerces the individual to conform to normalizing and disciplinary forms of narrative construction evident in the â€Å"domestication of literature† (Suvin 373). Science fiction, however, as a genre eludes the monopolizing character of other genres. As a genre, it is at the intersection of various fields. It draws on the elements of popular culture, science, and all types of social relations (James and Mendlesohn 1). This is evident if one considers that it employs a methodology and an approach, which enables the specification of a new set of values through the depiction of a radical form of reality. In this sense, science fiction is less of a genre if one is to conceive of a genre as specifying a particular text’s subject matter and approach to themes. As opposed to the other literary genres, science fiction cannot be expected to employ a specific set of elements and tropes. It may however be depicted as a form of ongoing discussion since the texts within the genre may be perceived as mutually referential due to their characteristic opposition towards a naturalistic and empiricistic conception of reality. Science fiction as a genre is thereby defined by its critical stance towards the normative depictions of reality. However, to state that this is the defining characteristic of the genre provides problems for the genre itself. This is evident if one considers that it leaves the genre open to other forms of literary texts with the aforementioned characteristics such as fantasy and myth. Contrary to this, science fiction stands in opposition to the aforementioned forms of literature. Science fiction is neither totalizing nor deterministic as it presents a predetermined conception of the conception and end of reality [myth]. Furthermore, it is neither based upon a conceptual scheme that posits the impossible as ordinary [fantasy]. James and Mendlesohn state, â€Å"the sense of wonder is the emotional heart of science fiction† (3). David Nye refers to this as the appreciation of the sublime evident in science fiction texts. Such a description further echoes Frederick Pohl’s description of science fiction as â€Å"a way of thinking about things† (qtd in Malzberg 38). Generally, this â€Å"way of thinking about things† may be†¦ All of these will show that the spontaneous and habitual orientation of attention is inimical to the maintenance of reality. Therefore, scientific fiction provides a reorientation of attention and a kind of ontological conversion, which affects the aesthetic, ethical, and political perceptions of the reality. This reorientation also affects the ontology of the world. How to cite The Nature of the Beast: An Analysis of the Genre of Science Fiction, Papers

Critical Evaluation Frankenstein free essay sample

Frankenstein Mary Shelley creates strong meaning through her interpretation a monster by the main concept. Bringing something back from the dead is what created the mystery and curiosity for this lost soul. The idea of this impossibility is what has made it recognised today. Mary Shelley had conceived the idea for Frankenstein in a time of wonder. She uses imagery and strategic repetition of key descriptive words to create an atmosphere of horror and gloom in the first part of the chapter, when the monster comes to life. We will write a custom essay sample on Critical Evaluation: Frankenstein or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Shelley invites readers to believe Victors story through an objective person. Shelley also uses an important literary device known as the epistolary form — where letters tell the story — using letters between Walton and his sister to frame both Victors and the creatures narrative. She uses imagery and strategic repetition of key descriptive words to create an atmosphere of horror and gloom in the first part of the chapter, when the monster comes to life. She uses variations of words such as dreary, horrid, disgust, miserable, and wretched liberally, and paints vivid images of ugliness and decay. Frankenstein was deeply described as a monster that should not deserve the advantage of having a female companion through his life. The experiences which led Frankenstein understand the way the world perceives those who are different were unfortunately not the way they thought they would be. Within the book Frankenstein has a section where he speaks in first person narrative so that he can present his won perspective of the situation. Harmony was the soul of our companionship, is an example of personification to the concept. Shelley uses the issues of being different to influence the way the audience feels towards the monster and his brutal murders. Meaning is exposed to the way Frankenstein really feels. His vulnerability is shown when he reveals that â€Å"it tortured my heart† when he killed these innocent people. An understanding can also be gathered and influenced by the personalities and wishes of both Frankenstein and Victor. At first Victor’s mistake was to create this being of horror.It portrayed Frankenstein as the monster when actually Victor is refusing him of the only thing he wants and needs to live through this life which was not his choice to live. Mary Shelley guides you through the life of the creator and the creator’s created. Shelley gives the audience the change to make up their own mind of who caused the wrong doings by giving using different language techniques to give you an explanation on both sides. Why is it Valued? Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is so very valued because of the imagination which is depicted through the concept of life after death. Frankenstein is recognised worldwide because of his kind heart in such a sad life. Even though he is seen as positively repulsive Frankenstein still finds joy in seeing others act like a family and learning from their experiences in life. Frankenstein is cherished because of its shocking concept. Frankenstein was brought into the world without a second’s thought to what the consequences would be. It has captured audiences in our generation and generations to come for its passionate personalities and imaginary themes.