Issues Faced my Working Mothers

Issues Faced my Working Mothers Since the dawn of civilization, men have been responsible for hunting and providing food to their families. Women had to look after the needs of the family and raise the kids. This has been the norm for several millennia until the world wars. During the First and the Second World Wars, when the men went away to fight, the factories and business establishments hired women to replace them in large numbers. Since families also needed money to sustain themselves during the wars, huge numbers of women went to work in factories and offices. A number of armament factories also needed women to work in their assembly lines to manufacture the guns, bombs, tanks and airplanes used in the war. By the end of the two wars, the position of women at the job market was solidified. Women thus began to play two roles – to work like men and provide their families with all the needed things, and also to take care of the family. Although this dual role involves a lot of pressure, women are so versatile that they are able to handle these two tasks simultaneously with relative ease. Men can hardly perform either of these two roles properly, but women have been able to successfully handle them. While some women work to supplement the family’s income, there are many homes where the woman is the sole bread winner in the family. Therefore, they are left with no other option but to work and provide for their children. They also have to come back home and cook, wash the dishes, do the laundry and take care of the kids’ homework. Working mothers are, therefore, excellent managers, who are able to take care of multiple things simultaneously and do a great job at that.

A Political Activists And Author Ralph Nader - 1464 Words

A political activists and author, Ralph Nader, wrote the book Unstoppable to give a detailed explanation of the emerging Left-Right alliance that dismantles the corporate state. Nader covers many of the important issues that are occurring currently, and most importantly, he has explained past occurrences that many people have looked passed. As a student, I feel as though it is important that he explains many political things in ways where we can understand what is truly happening in the political world. Nader explains thoroughly the potential for an enduring Left-Right alliance and the obstacles it is going to take to over come them. In chapter 4, Nader begins listing the twenty-five proposed redirections and reforms through convergent actions. I most certainly agree with Nader that a Left-Right convergence is an effective way to bring policy solutions to the list because this way people will begin to pay attention to the listed topics. For example, â€Å"Expand contributions to cha rity, using them to increase jobs and drawing on available dead money† (Nader page 65). There are so many people who do not have any income coming in their family, and so it would be more than appropriate for people to have a job and help those in need. The government has so much money that they like to hide from the public saying that â€Å"they don’t have enough money† yet there is no audit â€Å"for the 9 billion unaccounted for the first months of the Iraq war† (Nader page 72). This is what the governmentShow MoreRelatedEssay on Seventeen Traditions1086 Words   |  5 Pages Textual Analysis: The Seventeen Traditions Ralph Naders Seventeen Traditions, published in 2007 is a short and slim 150 page novel. Nader was born and raised in Winsted, Connecticut and is an American political activist, author, lawyer, and lecturer. Nader reflects on the seventeen traditions that shaped his life as a child of Lebanese immigrants, growing up in a small town. The traditions reveal the importance of social values and the role families play as the transporter of those valuesRead MoreGovernments Role in Consumer Protection Advertising2633 Words   |  11 Pagesfollowing and consumers began pushing for legal protection against malicious business practices. Two of the most well known and significant consumer activists are Ralph Nader and the late John F. Kennedy. Mr. Nader has had a tremendous effect on car safety through the publication of his book Unsafe at Any Speed. President JFK was also a key consumer activist and created The Consumer Bill of Rights. Many corporations and businesses regulate themselves in an attempt to be better corporate citizens andRead More The Progressive Era Essay2711 Words   |  11 Pagesthe early twentieth century, modern reformers are trying to change things for the better. One modern reformer is Ralph Nader. Nader is a leader in the consumer-protection movement. He organized investigative teams of young lawyers, consumer specialists, and students, popularly called Naders Raiders, to conduct surveys of numerous companies, federal agencies, and the U.S. Congress. Nader is a controversial man; his investigations have at times been criticized as biased against big business and governmentRead MoreImpact of Consumer Protection Agencie in Nigeria15948 Words   |  64 PagesBoardman v Guinness (Nig.) Ltd. (1980) NCLR 109 at 126; Okonkwo v. Guinness (Nig.) Ltd. [1980] NCLR at 130; Ebelamu v. Guinness (Nig.) Ltd. FCA/101/82) Given this scenario, the establishment of State Consumer Protection Committees is seen by consumer activists as a development that has the potential to engender interest in the enforcement of consumer rights. This study will attempt to examine the reasons why Nigerian consumers are victims of shoddy, harmful and sometimes fraudulent service delivery dueRead MoreMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 Pageshappened since the case was written, both to the company and even to some of the individuals involved. In the final chapter, the various learning insights are summarized and classified into general conclusions. An Instructor’s Manual written by the author accompanies the text to provide suggestions and considerations for the pedagogical material within and at the ends of chapters. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS It seems fitting to acknowledge everyone who has provided encouragement, information, advice, and

Corporate Governance and Collapse of Companies

Question: Discuss about the Corporate Governance and Collapse of Companies. Answer: Introduction: The Introduction of the principles of corporate governance in Australia in 2003 was a huge turning point for companies in terms of management. This came in the backdrop of the collapse of major companies as a result of unethical behavior and poor corporate governance practice. As such, the framework was meant to change management styles and place more responsibility on the key stakeholders (Buchanan, 2004). Central to the principles was to increase accountability among the boards of directors of companies so that their style would be supportive of the new corporate governance outlines. The fundamental characteristic endorsed by the corporate governance principles of 2003 is diversity. The composition of BODs of companies enlisted on ASX was required to exercise some degree of diversity in terms of age and gender. These boards ought to have a balance of gender and age so that the decisions made are reflective of the same (Jackling Johl, 2009). This resolution was made in response to the realization that most of the companies that had collapsed had limited diversity and as such, key decisions were made void of inclusivity of age and gender. For instance, only 10% of Australian firms had female directors before their collapse. Therefore, as part of the compliance process, there was a need to bring the balance and enhance inclusivity. Another characteristic of the BODs of companies listed on ASX is independence. Before the introduction of the new corporate governance principles, companies had both independent and non-executive directors. However, after a series of collapses involving companies like Harris Scarfe and One Tel, the role of non-executive directors was scrapped and their functions merged with the independent directors. This meant that the new boards were more empowered to oversee operations while being answerable to the shareholders. The essence of this independence was to increase responsibility and accountability while eliminating bureaucratic processes that had proved to be a major impediment for good corporate governance. The Boards of Directors also exercise absolute control of all affairs directly or through their committees. Part of the problems companies experienced before their collapse emanated from the failure of the board to monitor financial reporting since the non-executive directors oversaw this role. Once this division was abolished, boards became the sole observers of financial reporting to ensure the relevant guidelines were followed. Therefore, the boards of directors exercise absolute control over all financial affairs of companies. The Response of Shareholders to Corporate collapses The popularity of the corporate governance principles has grown rapidly after their introduction in 2003.The ASX Corporate Governance Council oversees the enforcement of the specific provisions and works with companies to improve performance and reduce potential collapses. As a result, shareholders have been forced to pay more attention to the framework in all undertakings not only to increase performance but also to avoid possible action. Following the collapse that hit One Tel Ltd in 2001, the subsequent years have witnessed an increased streamlining of activities by embracing diversity (Dakhelalla, 2014). Companies realized that the gender and age imbalance in their composition was abetting failure. Consequently, shareholders resorted to bring about balance and increase the number of women and young people in their structures. Another response by shareholders is independence in engagement and decision-making. The collapse of Enron and HIH Insurance in 2001 was blamed on the bureaucratic decision-making processes that exposed the companies to possible ill motives propagated by a section of the directors. There was evidence that the decision-making process was marred by people pulling in different directions and this resulted in delayed action to save the companies from corruption scandals. Consequently, upon the introduction of the ASX framework, shareholders streamlined company structures and made them leaner so that there was little space for infiltration by ill-motivated individuals (Dale Grey, 2005). Part of this resolution culminated in the merger of executive and non-executive directors. Shareholders were now aware of the gravity of the failure to make timely interventions to creeping problems. The significant corporate collapses prompted companies to strengthen their ethical frameworks and increase compliance with the ASX provisions. The fall of Enron provided one of the biggest corporate shocks across the globe. The company had experienced unprecedented growth within a short span to the envy of many. However, its fall was a huge statement to other businesses. The reasons cited for its collapse pointed to shareholder negligence and less insistence on ethics. Consequently, companies started realizing the value of ethics, organizational culture, and values (Del Brio Maia-Ramires, 2005). Major companies rushed to assess and revise their codes of ethics so that any loopholes for bad behavior could be sealed. In the same regard, companies increased financial monitoring by the directors so that any embezzlement can be detected early enough to avert a bigger disaster. There was more effort directed at increasing transparency and accountability among all employees. The Collapse of Companies and Corporate Governance The collapse of major companies in the US, UK, and Australia was as a result of their failure to adopt good corporate governance principles. Corporate governance framework forms the backbone for all organizational activities with the aim of enhancing ethical behavior and good business practice. Additionally, it abets good relations with the community and other stakeholders in proximity to the organization (Clarke, Dean Oliver, 2003). Therefore, the failure of companies to comply has negative implications on the long-term wellbeing of entities including potential collapse. Therefore, it is critical for companies to evaluate their principles and make relevant changes from time to time to avoid possible failure. Enron was a major causality of inability to observe good corporate governance and its collapse can be attributed to that. The energy company was doing well before the structures took a toll on the communication channels and caused a total breakdown (Mallin., et al, 2005). The company eventually went bankrupt since vested interests infiltrated the financial reporting system. The financial statements of the company were under the custody of Ken Lay, and after realizing the accounts were not doing well, he resolved to manipulate them so that they would reflect positively (Swartz Watkins, 2003).Whereas this can be seen as an individual move, it is pertinent that this was down to the absence of open communication structures that would ease early detection. The CEO deprived the other departments of access to the financial reports over a prolonged period until the company was declared bankrupt. In fact, the fall of Enron had started more than two years back before the eventual collapse. Australian telecommunication company One Tel also collapsed in 2001 as a result of failure to adopt good corporate governance systems (Monem, 2011). Before its collapse, the company was the 4th largest telecommunication firm with presence in seven other countries apart from Australia. Studies that followed the collapse revealed that the company collapsed because of the managements failure to establish robust internal control, communication, management and quality measures. For example, the company failed to regulate the ballooning wage bill and supplier expenses despite spotting the problem in early 1999.The administration continued to roll out to new markets despite the realization that its financial position was weakening as a result of much of the money going to buying licenses at inflated rates. The company was spending more than her competitors oblivious of the repercussions. This culminated in a loss of $291 million by the end of 2001. Therefore, the company was unable to contr ol its expenditure because of the inefficiencies of their corporate governance approach. HIH Insurance Company also suffered the same fate as other companies which collapsed as a result of failure to adopt good governance policies. The company was put into liquidation in 2001 for failure to settle its debts (Jiangbo, 2012). By the time of its collapse, the company was Australias second largest insurer. This development was more shocking and underlined the importance of corporate governance in the country. The company collapsed because of poor financial management stemming out of competition between the major stakeholders. This happened despite the fact that the company had complied with the ASX guidelines but some gray areas were not accommodated (Monem, 2011). One such aspect is the stockholders-debtors equilibrium that checks the flow of financial benefits between them. In the absence of this, there arose conflicts that eventually gave rise to the total disintegration of the company's factions and paralyzed operations altogether. Australian betting company Centaur also collapsed in 2012 as a result of poor corporate governance (Stapledon, 2006). The company's failure came in the wake of a revelation that instead of trading on shares, the company was investing clients resources in betting. This happened as the company deceived their clients into believing that their accounts were safe and the money used for betting was not theirs. However, when the company eventually went into liquidation, the customers accounts were found to be empty with the firm failing to pay them. This is an indication of poor corporate government. It portrays a company that engaged in massive business malpractice. The company turned customers savings into theirs and invested in dubious bets. The companys management failed in all aspects to safeguard the welfare of the clients and in the end sunk in avoidable collapse. References Buchanan, B. (2004). Australian Corporate Casualities. InCorporate Governance(pp. 55-79). Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Clarke, F., Dean, G., Oliver, K. (2003).Corporate collapse: accounting, regulatory and ethical failure. Cambridge University Press. Dakhelalla, R. F. (2014). The impact of corporate governance principles on board characteristics: an Australian study. Dale, L., Grey, K. M. (2005). Australian companies and Sarbanes-Oxley: Governance regulation in a parallel universe.Keeping Good Companies,57(5), 284. Del Brio, E. B., Maia-Ramires, E. (2005). Corporate governance mechanisms and their impact on managerial value. Jackling, B., Johl, S. (2009). Board structure and firm performance: Evidence from India's top companies.Corporate Governance: An International Review,17(4), 492-509. Jiangbo, X. U. HIH Insurance Limited: Corporate Governance and Corporate Excesses. Mallin, C., Mullineux, A., Wihlborg, C. (2005). The financial sector and corporate governance: the UK case.Corporate Governance: An International Review,13(4), 532-541. Monem, R. (2011). CEO quality, corporate governance, and CEO compensation. Monem, R. (2011). The One. Tel collapse: lessons for corporate governance.Australian Accounting Review,21(4), 340-351 Stapledon, G. (2006). 15 The development of corporate governance in Australia.Handbook on International Corporate Governance: Country Analyses, 170. Swartz, M., Watkins, S. (2003).Power failure: The inside story of the collapse of Enron. Crown Business.

Analysis of Target Market of Woolworths Limited - Free Samples

Question: Explain Of Target Market of Woolworths Limited? Answer: Introducation Woolworths Limited is of the leading company of the Australia that is also known as Woolworths Supermarkets. The company provides various retail products and services to their customers at the reasonable price as compare to others. In addition to this, it is also important to know that, the company is also use target market strategy to promote and sell their products in the market (Woolworths Limited. 2017). For example, mainly, Woolworths is targets the high income earners customers in the market in order to maximize the level of profit. In addition to this, the company is also targets the people of all the age groups in the Australia those require quality products. Moreover, it is also accessed that, in order to target the customers, the company considers several segmentation characteristics of the customers including demographic, psychographic, geographical, and behavioral factors. For instance, the company considers demographic factors in order to target their customers and sell the product. As per the demographic characteristics, Woolworths is targeting their customers on the basis of customers age, income level, educational level, gender, employment status, saving patterns etc. This strategy is helping the company in targeting a specific class of customers (Pride, Hughes, and Kapoor, 2014) On the other hand, based on the psychographic characteristics, the company Woolworths involves various factors associated with the target customers such as: personality traits, lifestyles, attitudes, expectations, activities, values, opinions, interests, lifestyles. By characterizing these factors about the customers, the company design and provides products in the market in order to satisfy all the needs and wants of their customers in an effective and proper manner. Along with this, it is also found that, Woolworths is also characterized their customers or target market by considering several geographical factors including local, state, regional or national marketplace segment. This method allows the company to effectively and properly provide the products at the right time at the right place. In addition to this, geographical factors are also help the company to reach the customers (Mooij, 2010). At the same time, the behavioral factors are also involved when the company targets its customers from the market. For example, as per this, the company targets the customers on the basis of product usage rates, brand loyalty, user status etc. This is also helping the company to make more profit from the market. On the basis of these characteristics of customers, it can be said that, Woolworths Limited is making and creating their marketing strategies, tactics and methods in order to attain strategic organizational goals and objectives effectively. In the same way, the company is targets their consumers on the basis of these characteristics or factors and offers the products and services based on these factors. Overall, it can be said that, Woolworths Limited is creating products, differentiation, and target market, marketing and other business strategies based on these features or characteristics of the customers that allowed the company to effectively target the customers (Lancaste r, and Massingham, 2010) References Lancaster, G. and Massingham, L. (2010). Essentials of Marketing Management. UK: Taylor Francis. Mooij, M.D. (2010). Global Marketing and Advertising: Understanding Cultural Paradoxes. USA: SAGE. Pride, W., Hughes, R. and Kapoor, J. (2014) Foundations of Business (4th ed.). USA: Cengage Learning. Woolworths Limited (2017). About Us. Available At: https://www.woolworthsgroup.com.au/ {Accessed on: 20 May 2017}

Definition of Positive Psychology in Psychology

Positive psychology is the systematic analysis of the strengths and qualities that permit individuals to thrive. This field is based on the principle that individuals desire to lead momentous and satisfying lives, to promote what is superlative, and to develop their knowledge of love, employment, and fun.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Definition of Positive Psychology in Psychology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Positive psychology is mainly concerned with three aspects, which encourage individuals to adopt it in solving life problems. The three characteristics are encouraging institutions, individual features and helpful sentiments. Understanding individual Sentiments is important in studying gratification in the past, pleasure in the present and optimism for the future. The field is all-inclusive because it identifies the causes of problems and goes ahead to solve them using the most cost effecting techni ques. The field develops some theories that explain why some behaviors or actions occur. Positive psychology is strong because it is responsive to misery and aims at eradicating it. In this regard, it can bring about lasting pleasure, human brilliance and develop some methods for solving problems. Positive psychologists correctly observe that human suffering cannot be separated from well-being. Therefore, psychologists must consider the two possibilities in life, instead of focusing on only one of the two. Positive psychology is resourceful because it argues that happiness is not related to stupidity. Before the invention of positive psychology, most scholars believed that happiness was linked to stupidity. However, positive psychologists proved through research that happiness is indeed related to success at either school or home. As earlier noted, positive psychology is said to promote optimism, which in turn facilitates comprehension of risks. An important quality of positive psyc hology is that it encourages self-actualization and individualism (Rath, 2007). This imply that individuals have freedom to do as they desire, without being restricted by societal institutions such as the family and the state. Even at work, positive psychology suggests that people should be given freedom to decide on the best ways of achieving their goals and objectives.Advertising Looking for article on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Antagonists of positive psychology point out that the field is unrealistic and idealistic. The scholars opposing positive psychology argue that individuals tend to ignore negative thinking in their lives. People embrace only positive reasoning meaning that the idea of considering both situations as argued by positive psychology is misplaced. Individuals may consider the possibility of an event but end up focusing only on the positive outcomes. In real sense, human beings have a natur al bias towards negative events, meaning that they cannot deliberate on them. Thinking about negative or positive events is situational implying that it depends on the occasion. The media for instance will always focus on the negative events, even though some positive ones could be found in an event. Furthermore, doctors focus on curing diseases instead of coming up with measures aiming at preventing them. From the above analysis, it is advisable that scholars should engage in extensive research to establish the truth as regards to the applicability of positive psychology. Existing scholarly gaps in the field should be sealed by generating theories that are more appealing. Positive psychology scholars should engage other researchers in scholarly discussions in order to strengthen the validity of the subject matter. For instance, culture is identified as one of the impediments to the understanding and application of positive psychology. The Chinese culture for instance has its own un derstanding of positive psychology. Such differences should be eliminated through conducting extensive research. In conclusion, the above findings are important in understanding the existing gaps between scholars of positive psychology and other fields. Understanding the limitations or weaknesses of a field is important in conducting future research. Therefore, future studies will be shaped by the findings of this article.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Definition of Positive Psychology in Psychology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reference Rath, T. (2007). Strengths Finder 2.0. New York, NY: Gallup Press. This article on Definition of Positive Psychology in Psychology was written and submitted by user Finley H. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

How far was the limited impact of British Fascism in the 1930s due to Sir Oswald Mosleys failings and errors as a political leader Essays

How far was the limited impact of British Fascism in the 1930s due to Sir Oswald Mosleys failings and errors as a political leader Essays How far was the limited impact of British Fascism in the 1930s due to Sir Oswald Mosleys failings and errors as a political leader Essay How far was the limited impact of British Fascism in the 1930s due to Sir Oswald Mosleys failings and errors as a political leader Essay Sir Oswald Mosley, leader of the British Union of Fascists, undoubtedly had his flaws and failings which were, of course, a key feature in the failure of fascism in Britain. However, more important were the political and economic circumstances in Britain at the time. Unlike Germany and Italy, in which the circumstances were highly conducive to the rise of fascism, Britains political, and more importantly economic position, was such that fascism was simply unable to flourish and the BUF was unable to succeed.Sir Oswald Mosley was in many respects a brilliant man. He was, in reality, far from untalented. The historians John Stevenson and Chris Cook state that it is difficult to conceive of a fascist movement of any significance at all in Britain without Mosleys leadership, and this may well be the case. He had risen to the top of the Labour Party at a young age in a meteoric rise and by the age of 33 he was effectively in the cabinet. This was an achievement simply too great to be acco mplished by someone completely incompetent. Furthermore, he was charismatic and a fine orator (although more so prior to the creation of the BUF, when he adopted the mannerisms of Hitler), as well as being a prolific writer, writing extensively on fascist ideology. His three most notable titles were The Greater Britain, Fascism: One Hundred Questions Asked and Answered, and Tomorrow we Live- British Union Policy. In addition, he was an imaginative man, with a genuine interest in ideas. He was, in fact, no less talented than one of the leaders of a successful fascist movement. Mosley was not as talented as Hitler, who was an exceptional orator, judger of public mood and propagandist. But equally, he was no less talented than the Italian fascist leader, Mussolini.However, Mosley had his flaws which, among other factors, proved crucial in the BUFs lack of success. His character was undeniably flawed, he had a desire to be taken seriously as political leader whilst at the same time soci alising in Mayfair. A.J. P. Taylor once described him as a highly gifted playboy. As a result, he was never fully able to devote himself to a cause without becoming distracted by women or his rich friends in Venice.His second major flaw was that he was prone to making poor political judgements. Firstly, he had an appetite for violence; this was demonstrated most clearly with the Olympia meeting. On the 7th June 1934, the BUF held a large rally at Olympia. About 500 anti-fascists managed to get inside the hall. When they began heckling Oswald Mosley they were attacked by 1,000 black-shirted stewards. Several of the protesters were badly beaten by the fascists. This tasteless violence resulted in a public outcry. Lord Rothermere, proprietor of the Daily Mail (the BUFs principal backers), and author of the article Hurrah for the Blackshirts! withdrew his support of the BUF. Over the next few months membership went into decline, indicating that people were not willing to support a party as tastelessly violent as the BUF. His second poor political judgement was his imitation of continental fascism. Mosley copied several features directly from his European counterparts. For example, the name and uniform of the BUF paramilitary organisation (the Blackshirts) was copied directly from Italian fascism. From Nazi Germany, Mosley borrowed the Nazi salute.This earned him the nickname Moslini from his critics and opponents. He also had strong links with the continental fascist governments, with large amounts of funding coming from Italy and Germany. Mosley, however, failed to understand that these links and imitations made fascism appear un-British, thus damaging the prospects of the party. Another of Mosleys political misjudgements was his misunderstanding of the nature of the economic crisis. During his time in the Labour Party, Mosley emerged as the foremost advocate of economic radicalism to tackle the unemployment crisis. He presented his ideas to Ramsay Macdonald in t he form of the Mosley Memorandum but this was rejected and subsequently leaked, causing much embarrassment to Mosley. He resigned from the labour party and created the New Party, expecting to achieve spectacular support for his policies of ridding Britain of the old gang holding her back, but this support was simply not present. Mosleys also made the mistake of expecting widespread support. He expected the party to sweep to power on the basis of this support, but again, the backing was not there.Mosleys third major flaw was that his political strategy was inconsistent and not at all well thought out. This inconsistency was demonstrated by Mosleys complete change of direction from the early 1930s to the later 1930s. In the early 1930s, Mosleys strategy involved public meetings, paramilitary activity and propaganda with the intention of increasing the momentum of British fascism and creating a violent crisis from which the BUF could arise as Britains saviour. However, following the di sastrous Olympia meeting of 1934 the BUF strategy changed, placing much less emphasis on paramilitary activity and instead concentrating on electoral strategy. This complete change of direction could have been confusing to potential supporters of the BUF.More important than Mosleys flaws, however, was the economic and political context. The impact of war had a great effect on the way in which fascism rose in Europe. In Germany and Italy there was an intensely nationalistic mood. In Italy this was the case because at the signing of the Treaty of Versailles she was sideline, when initially she had been promised huge territorial gains. Italy had lost a larger proportion of the population than Britain and had been engaged in a mountain war just as horrible as the Western front. This became known as the mutilated peace. Germany had an intensely nationalistic mood due to the loss of the war and the huge losses made at Versailles. In Britain, there was no heightened sense of nationalistic feeling as Britain has won the war. There were psychological effects, but this did not take the form of nationalism because Britain was not defeated, her empire remained fully intact and in fact, her imperial position was actually strengthened, making territorial gains in the Middle East and South Africa. Externally, this made Britain look stronger than ever (although internally the empire was beginning to fall apart); Britains world influence was at a zenith.The economic factor in the failure of the BUF, rather than its leaders flaws or other external factors, was the most crucial factor. There are three main economic factors. The first was that the economic conditions in Britain were simply not severe enough to be conducive to a rise in fascist support. Undoubtedly, there was an economic crisis in Britain, however this crisis was nowhere near as severe as the European crises that occurred in which fascism was able to succeed. In Italy there was suffering during the transition from war to peace. During the bennio rosso (the two red years) there were large scale military socialist acts and chaos in the industrial cities. Germany from 1929-1933 faced massive economic collapse like never before, the crisis was out of control making the country appear ungovernable. In both cases there was genuine fear among the middle classes that their respective country was about to fall to communism. This fear was simply not present in Britain. Clearly there was a UK economic crisis, but the most severe conditions were localised. Furthermore, from 1932, the British economy began to recover. Areas such as Romford and Ilford had a huge house building boom bringing with it a sense of prosperity. There was new industry too, for example, a new car plant at Dagenham.Also, there is the fact that the BUF was founded too late. The BUF was founded in 1932, by which time the depression had already bottomed out and things were beginning to get better. In early 1932, unemployment peaked at just under three million according to official figures (although this may well be inaccurate). Therefore, the party could not take full advantage of any desperation that was present.The economic factor in the failure of fascism was the most important factor, although this has been disputed. The historian Alan Sykes argues that the political factor is the most important. He states that there was a point in the first half of the 1930s at which the British economy appeared to be in sufficient trouble to threaten social and political instability. Although in reality the situation was never as serious as Sykes suggests with safety features, such as the dole, preventing great unrest within the working class. Furthermore, he states that it was during this time that fascism achieved its peak membership, but this is wrong. By this time, the BUF had barely been created; it was in fact formed after the depression had bottomed out. The economic factor was the more important for two main reason s. Firstly, because the political factors were to some degree dependant on the economic position.Had there been a complete economic meltdown it is highly possible that the Communist Party would have gained more support. Another reason was the political culture. There was a political culture in Britain. Belief in British values of tolerance, non-violence and respect for the constitution was also dependant on the economic situation. Had the circumstances been as severe as in Germany, it is possible that the opposition to violence would have disappeared. In Germany there had also been a strong political culture, but the loathing of violence disappeared in the depths of the depression.Despite this, the political factors were nonetheless important. There were two political reasons why the BUF was unable to succeed. Firstly, in Italy and Germany there was always a fear that the country was about to fall to communism, but again, this fear was not present in Britain. The Communist Party in Britain was a negligible and inconsequential force which at its peak had less than 18000 members. In Germany there was an acute economic crisis and Nazi propaganda led to panic in the Mittelstand. Support for communism in Britain only grew during the Spanish Civil War; the economic crisis had no effect on Communist support. The Communist Party was useless at targeting the discontented whereas Labour Trade Unions were effective at doing so.Therefore, it was not plausible for Mosley to generate a Red Menace alarm. There were several features of Britain which prevented the Communist Party of Great Britain from gaining support. Firstly, if people were badly hit by the depression, public welfare was available. In 1911 the National Insurance Act had been introduced, which involved the employer, the employee and the state each putting a certain amount of money into the National Insurance fund which would grant benefits for a fixed period of time in the event of unemployment. The dole was n ot generous but it allowed people to retain a sense of self respect. It was sufficient for little more than basis subsistence but it prevented complete desperation. Public welfare in Germany and the USA was nowhere near as generous.As the unemployed did not face destitution, they were much less likely to turn to communism. Secondly, young people (often the most active supporters of extremism), moved to look for work, particularly to the South East of England to the areas in which prosperity was returning, moving from their home patches and avoiding becoming embroiled in extremist politics. Therefore, the middle classes were not worried that the country was about to fall. Also, in the worst affected areas, unemployment was no new problem. For several years, Britain had been facing structural unemployment. This is when one industrial process supersedes another due to technological changes or a permanent fall in the demand for a product causing long term unemployment. Structural unempl oyment had hit coal, iron and ship building industries particularly badly since the 1920s. The areas in which these industries had been most prominent were also the areas worst hit by the depression, the result being general apathy as they had been facing unemployment since the 1920s.Secondly, Mosley could not play the Red Peril card with the Labour Party claiming that labour where the main threat from the left. This would have been completely implausible as Labour was a moderate political party with no revolutionary feelings. It even banned Communists from the party and shunned any affiliation with militant socialists. Labour had not supported the General Strike of 1926 and during its periods in government in 1924 and 1931 it had not done anything radical at all. Also, Labour was too weak to be dangerous. The party had only advanced at the expense of the Liberals and even so, it had not advanced spectacularly. Even when there was a Labour government (1924, 1929-31) it was still a m inority. In 1931 Labour became weaker because of a split. This was catastrophic for the party as it brought their advance to a halt and they fell from office.Thirdly, there is the argument of the distinctiveness of the British national character. However, it is debatable as to how important this is as a factor. D.S Lewis suggests that it is as well to dispense at the outset with the popular myth that fascism was eliminated by the moderation and toleration of the British character, or culture. This argument can be supported by the fact that there were acts of violence in twentieth-century Britain, for example, the Tonypandy incident where there was fighting between miners and police. Although this may well be true to a certain extent, states do have a political culture and indeed Britain has its distinctive features. It is true that Britains political arrangements were the product of several hundred years of evolutionary change and the assumption at the time was that Britains politic al system worked effectively thus making people willing to stick with the system with the expectation that it would pull through.Also, both the Conservative Party and the Labour Party had very deep roots in British society and therefore could claim to be national as opposed to sectional. The Conservative Party, although having started off for the Conservative sections of the landowning class, had under Peel and Disraeli opened its doors to new social groups and from 1885 the Party was the dominant force in British politics. Also, when Baldwin was the leader of the party, he reinforced the image of moderation. Likewise, Labour was also a moderate party who even after the 1931 split was able to retain the majority of working class support ensuring that Mosley was unable to attract it.A less important point, but nonetheless a factor in the failure of fascism, was the response of the British government to the BUF. Following the Battle of Cable Street, the government passed the Public Or der Act of 1936, giving police the power to ban marches and all marches had to take place with the permission of the police. It also outlawed the wearing of paramilitary uniform in public. This knocked back Mosleys plan of marches. It showed the government was capable of robust and decisive action. This not a key cause as it came late in Fascisms life.In conclusion, although Mosleys failings and errors were a key reason for the failure of fascism in Britain, there were more important factors. Namely, the resilience of the British political system, more importantly, the economic conditions in Britain and less importantly, but a factor nonetheless, the response of the British government.

The development of Art Deco Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The development of Art Deco - Essay Example According to a website, Oaktown Art, â€Å"Art Deco was an international design movement popular in the 1920†²s and 30†²s, focused on themes of luxury, technology, modernization, and craftsmanship† . Art deco can be termed as an art movement that originated from Paris and within a span of very short time, it spread to both European and American regions. Art deco was basically an outcome of the earlier Art Nouveau movement . That movement was facing popularity decline by the end of the nineteenth century and some new modifications appeared necessary to keep art growing and flourishing. That was the reason why artists felt the need of adding some new themes to existing art. The modifications gained a level of acceptance and fame and within no time, art deco became one of the main trends related to the world of art. Art deco is similar to its previous form, Art Nouveau, in a sense that it also focuses on the significance of artisan craftsmanship. Art deco kept the same theme of Art Nouveau featuring curves, arcs, and natural motifs of flora and fauna . Although Art Deco has many features similar to Art Nouveau, but it is known as a modern form of art blended with the use of attractive colors schemes and sharps lines and edges. French artists are considered as the founders of Art Deco because they were the ones who started giving a new shape and look to exiting objects. The aim was to renovate the existing objects and make them, more attractive and appealing as compared to before. French artists are also known.