Dalcroze

Jaques-Dalcroze Emile Jaques-Dalcroze (July 6, 1865 – July 1, 1950), was a Swiss composer, musician and music educator who developed eurhythmics, a method of learning and experiencing music through movement. BASIC PRINCIPLES Inherent in his method are these basic principles &endash; truths he believed to be omnipresent. These six principles are: †¢The beginning of music happens when human emotions are translated into musical motion; †¢We experience emotions physically; Through our sensations of various muscular contractions and releases in our bodies, we sense emotion; †¢The body expresses internal emotions by externalizing affect through movements, postures, gestures, and sounds. Some of these are automatic, some spontaneous, and others the results of thought and will; †¢Internal emotions are translated into music through motions such as breathing, singing or playing an instrument; †¢The first instrument that must be trained in music is the human body . THE JAQUES-DALCROZE METHOD Choksy (1986) defines Eurhythmics as follows: â€Å"Eurhythmics . . is . . . based on the premise that rhythm is the primary element of music, and that the source for all rhythm may be found in the natural rhythms of the body. † Eurhythmics integrates three approaches: †¢ Solfege (the study of theory, harmony, and scales); http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=9qK6seVVBQ0 †¢ Improvisation (the development of a unified internal ear and body); †¢ Rhythmics (the exploration of inner and outer effects of rhythm in relation to the above two elements). Further, Jaques-Dalcroze developed a formula for the production of Eurhythmia:Space + Time + Energy + Weight + Balance + Plasticity = Eurhythmia? Gravity The best music happens when all of the above are balanced. The Jaques-Dalcroze method seemingly redefines the basic elements of music to fit within scientific definitions. It is a well established fact that all things are made up of matter. Ma tter is comprised of energy. Matter flows through space; energy flows through space. Matter (energy) flowing through space is called motion. Motion appears in music as beats. Those beats release their energy in various ways.The beat therefore is dependent upon the level of energy applied and the density of the space applied. Beats have a specified duration, or time value. The quality of the time is dependent upon how the beat is struck, sustained and released. Jaques-Dalcroze found that his students associated dynamic (energy) changed with tempo (time) changes, i. e. , softer meant slower also. This however is not the case. One goal of the method is to gain independence of time and energy as related to change so that students could indeed play a musical selection softer without getting slower.Beats have weight. Science defines weight as a body's attraction to the earth (which is related to gravity). When one watches a good conductor in front of an ensemble, one can sense weight in h is every stroke and pattern. Weight can also be perceived in a line of music. A solo line would have less weight than that of an eight part chorus. Likewise, the addition of low-sounding instruments in an orchestration gives a greater sense of weight. Note duration can also de indicative of weight (in appearance). Balance can be achieved only when weight is kept in control.Balance is a vital element of rhythm. (Caldwell,1995) The ultimate goal of the Jaques-Dalcroze method is to achieve a balance between all the elements that comprise the beat; space, energy, plasticity, and weight. It is impossible to separate the elements, therefore the method focuses on individual elements of the beat. Jaques-Dalcroze defines plasticity as the quality of the movement between the pitches. This is what makes the performance alive and vibrant and is largely responsible what the audience sees and hears.I think of plasticity as that gesture, expression or image that the performer conveys along with th e other elements of the beat. As mentioned earlier the ultimate goal of the Jaques-Dalcroze method is improvisation: the creation of original sound. According to Jaques-Dalcroze method, improvisation incorporates the following: †¢ Use of all faculties †¢ Exploration of movement with our bodies; †¢ Imagination and creativity; †¢ Consciousness of space and time around us; †¢ Flexibility and agility; †¢ Motor coordination; †¢ Expression through use of the body and sound; Careful and critical listening; †¢ Concentration and attentiveness; and †¢ Flexibility. The study of the Jaques-Dalcroze method requires the utmost in attention, concentration, memory, and ability to reproduce. It is a disciplined study. The role of the educator thus becomes one who focuses the energy inherent in students and transfers that energy into the production of eurhythmia. THE CLASSROOM SETTING In my experiences it is evident that it would be difficult to train anyo ne effectively in the Jaques-Dalcroze method unless it was begun at an early age.Dalcroze himself recommended â€Å"to bring children to art at an age when they have not yet been intellectualized into analyzing before observing, and expressing before experiencing. † (Dalcroze,1922) In short, the method would have to be taught during the age of innocence. The theory would also have to be constantly reinforced throughout life, even in college. The method has obvious merit in the elementary school, because it involves movement. Children learn best when moving, feeling, touching, sensing, and seeing things close at hand. The Jaques-Dalcroze method achieves just that. http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=n5DdjXZkPfg

How does Tony Harrison use language, form and structure to present grief in ‘Long Distance II’?

The poem ‘Long Distance II’ tackles the issue of bereavement and the emotions that are connected. In this poem, the speaker seems to be able to cope with the death of his mother and believes in a matter-of-factly fashion that â€Å"life ends with death†, however we learn that in reality he still feels grief and â€Å"calls the disconnected number† for his mother and father who have both passed away. The poet (Tony Harrison) uses few devices. This avoids an overly constructed and artificial style as Harrison wants to strike a more natural conversational tone.He uses words such as â€Å"he’d† and â€Å"can’t† to make the piece more understated and less theatrical. The use of enjambment also reinforces this idea. By running over lines, the poem becomes less methodical and well-planned out and more natural, as if it’s more of private confession rather than a structured poem. However the poet does discretely insert a slight per sonification when he mention’s his father’s â€Å"raw love†. Love is an abstract noun – something you can’t hear, taste, smell, see or touch. However Harrison decides to personify it, making it more human and fleshy.He makes love seem no longer invincible and robust, but instead makes it seem vulnerable and subject to injury. On the other hand, you could interpret the personified phrase â€Å"raw love†, in the way of his father’s heart being torn open by grief, revealing the fleshy wound which is still taking time to heal over. The poet bases his poem on the traditional sonnet. A sonnet is usually about love, and although this doesn’t immediately strike you as being a love poem, the primary message is that love and affection never truly dies.The writer has chosen to stick to the basic, monotone â€Å"abab† rhyme scheme of a sonnet. This shows him as being level-headed and emotionless, as the scheme is very rigid and regu lar. The use of iambic pentameter furthermore backs this up. Iambic pentameter is very regimental with emphasis on every other syllable. This again demonstrates his ability to remain stable during the grieving period. However, in the final quatrain, instead of ending it with the usual conclusive rhyming couplet, he brings in a completely new rhyme scheme.This shows him losing control, letting go of expectations and pouring out his raw emotions that he was earlier masking with his practical and detached appearance. This surprises the reader as it invites a completely new dimension and tone to the poem that is very unexpected. The poem is exactly 16 lines long. Although a sonnet is usually 14 lines long, this too reinforces the idea of a sonnet. Initially, the speaker uses blunt language to expose his seemingly practical and pragmatic response to bereavement.Harrison uses the word â€Å"dead† to show the speakers lack of euphemism. Whereas many people would subtly say that some one passed away, the speaker tells us in a straight forward way that his mum is â€Å"dead†. This coincides with when he tells us in a no-nonsense way that â€Å"life ends with death, and that is all†. However later on in the poem we find out that the speaker does miss his parents and still has their number in his â€Å"black leather phone book† which he calls.Although we may now think that the speaker is over his earlier emotionless self, the use of the words â€Å"black† and â€Å"leather† connotates coldness and masculinity linking directly back to his previous business-like attitude. Tony Harrison has used language, form and structure very effectively to capture the emotions of those grieving. He used specifically chosen language that showed informality yet decisiveness and structured his poem so that it represented the classic love sonnet but with a modern twist.

The Persuasive Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Persuasive - Research Paper Example Females in Islamism). In either case, the ultimate result is an unnecessary disturbance in public life. So, it seems to me that it is highly necessary in this modern world to ban all religious dress codes and set a specific dress code for the nation. The first point in favor of the argument is that most of the time, discrimination and hate crimes are propelled by different physical appearance which enables the perpetrators to identify the religion, ethnicity or nationality of the victim. To illustrate, American psychological Association website points out that hate crimes are crimes â€Å"committed because of real or perceived differences in race, religion, ethnicity or national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or gender† (public Interest Government Relations Office Staff). A perfect example of hate crimes based on dress and physical appearance is the recent attacks on Sikhs in the U.S. Sikhism has its origin in India and is known for its different outfits which resembl e Islamism, and even more complicated. They wear a headgear and never cut their hair, sport a beard, and even have a sword-like weapon as a part of their religious dress code. Obviously, this religion is peace-loving and has nothing to do with terrorism as is evident from their teachings (Introduction to Sikhism). However, these people fall prey to the hate crimes because of their dress code. Thus, the first obvious benefit is that a uniform dress code will reduce discrimination and hate crimes. Yet another vital benefit is that this can considerably improve public safety and reduce complexity at important public places where screening is required. The efforts being made by Transportation Security Administration to resolve disputes regarding passenger screening will prove that satisfying the dress-needs of various religious groups gives the agency more headache than dealing with Al-Qaeda and Taliban. The mere fact to be remembered at this juncture is that government cannot, and shou ld not, put public safety and money at stake to quench the unfounded demands of any religious group. Most people are aware of the fact that terrorists often use dress as a way to hide weapons and it is vey common for them to masquerade. No one can deny the fact that it is more important for the government to ensure a safe life for the common citizens than to allow dress codes which can play spoilsport. When nations around the world are spending sleepless nights devising ways to deter terrorism and billions of dollars developing new technologies, government should not leave this important stone unturned. The fourth point in support of this argument is that it is highly necessary to ensure proper practice of secularism because a moderate response to such religious demands only exacerbates religious fanaticism. Richard Dawkins argues that religious moderates are, to a great extent, the reason behind violence in the name of religion in the world because they create such a situation wher e religious violence cannot be strictly suppressed (Dawkins 341). This claim is all the more true about secular governments too. Evidently, secular governments create such a situation where religious practices are accommodated. However, problem arises when governments fail to clearly demarcate between what is harmful to public safety and what is not harmful. In addition, religious groups come out with allegations of

Unit 6 Case Management Discussion Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit 6 Management Discussion - Case Study Example The client was unusually perfect and smartly dressed. On the aspect of personality assessment, the client was apparently guarded in his responses. With respect to Summers (2012), the client remained significantly conservative and evasive, with minimum contributions accompanied by a substantial degree of suspicion. The client also appears awkward in behavior and posturing. He displayed consistent impairment in holding inappropriate sitting postures. The client was anxious throughout the entire diagnosis. During conversations, he appeared distressed and worried by the interview setting. Apart from anxiety, the client also showed significant degrees of emotional withdrawal. He was unexpressive and displayed no sign of change in moods and emotions. According to Summers (2012), this could be seen from the consistent and blunt facial expression of the client throughout the interview. Based on results from the mental status exam, numerous syndromes were established within the client’s mental problem. One symptom is that the client remained blunt and unexpressive for fear of being embarrassed or humiliated by his inappropriate actions. He also displayed elevated self-consciousness by dressing in an unusually smart manner. Summers (2012) say that additional clinical symptoms include the client’s display of extreme worry of being judged by other on what he says. In this regard, he remained rather guarded and evasive during the interview. The client’s sustained and inappropriate sitting postures suggests impairment in physical aspects when placed within a social

The rule in Salomon v Salomon & Co [1897] AC 22 has been described as Essay - 2

The rule in Salomon v Salomon & Co [1897] AC 22 has been described as one of the corner stones of English Company Law - Essay Example This article will examine the rationale of the decision and its impacts towards the development of company law. The status of limited liability went to specific companies before 1825 through the provisions of express available in the Royal Charter regarding Incorporation. Section 2 of the Bubble Act of 1825 governed the first efforts in officially, introducing the concept of limited liability to the English laws. The section provided that the shareholders of a particular corporation would personally be liable in their own persons as well as their property to that extent as well as subject to the regulations and limitations as his magnificence. Although there was no opposition from the Crown to the idea of legal personality, public pressure turned in opposing any extension of legal personality that later became troubled with the stance of creditors. This provoked public suspicions because of the expectation that the Bubble Act would lead to an increase in the number of licensed companies with limited liability. This therefore was the reason for the withholding of the doctrine of limited liabil ity from Company Act in 1844 (Ferran 1999). However, public opinion moved in the reverse direction in favour of the principle of limited liability. In the 1850s, the doctrine acquired recognition in the law. In the year 1852, the Court of Exchequer chamber in the case of Hallet versus Dowdall accredited the legality of the clause of limited liability of 1952. This in turn prompted the parliament to pass the Limited Liability Act in 1855 as well as more contemporary act of Joint Stock Companies of 1856. Consequently, this led to the enactment of the Companies Act in 1862, which formed the foundation for the delivery of the rule in Salomon. The intention of the House of Lords in the Salomon rule was to send a clear message to the members of the public

Chinese popular culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Chinese popular culture - Essay Example To be more specific, this paper will also drill into the deep contrast between college graduates and peasant laborers in terms of the issue. The roles of crime and corruption and social stability and mobility will also be discussed to understand the spread of the issue in China fully. Unemployment and Population The current population of The People’s Republic of China has climbed to 0.01% since last year’s update. To date, the country’s population is approximately 1.354 billion, which is 363.3 people per square mile, basing on its total land area—still the largest in the world (World Population Statistics n.p.). The huge population of China is said to be one of the primary reasons why the problem with unemployment still continues. There are so many advancements in China like the establishment of the world’s largest building called the New Century Global Center, which has an area of 1.7 million square meters alone could provide more job opportunities for fresh graduates and other job seekers (Beam n.p.). However, because of their population density, it is still very difficult to accommodate all of those who are jobless. Aside from large buildings for businesses, there are also amusement and entertainment parks that aid in the country’s tourism industry. ... It is twice as difficult for the peasant laborers coming from poor families in rural areas with less or no education at all because they are most likely discriminated or abused at work compared to educated Chinese (Ren 105). In addition, because of the increase in population, landing a job will even be harder for both the white collared and the peasants in the neoliberal globalization era of PRC. Increase in population will also mean increase in social issues because it will be difficult for the government to balance everything by tending to the issues one by one. Problems in housing, education, and social services are also rooted from overpopulation in China. These problems remain unsolved, and they badly need to be paid attention to by the government. Housing, Education, and Social Services The problem of providing houses to so many people also springs from overpopulation. It will be stressful to provide land areas for families to build houses on that is why most of the families li ve in apartments or other high rise buildings in order to save space. However, not all can afford this type of housing. They may be a really rich country, but there is still poverty in some areas there. In terms of education, many are able to go to school, but there are also unlucky ones who do not have the chance. Thus, the competition becomes biased to those who are more educated when it comes to choosing the people for a job position. In the socialist China, they developed a household registration system that has also a connection with education and benefits. This has created a great divide between the rural and urban China creating different levels of social classes.

Why should national parliaments have a role in the EU framework What Essay

Why should national parliaments have a role in the EU framework What role should national parliaments play in a) shaping, and b) scrutinising, EU decision making - Essay Example In the commission, each commissioner’s cabinet includes a member responsible for relations with the parliament, and the regular meetings of this group of advisers has become an important feature of policy co-ordination within the commission; in addition, one commissioner has designated responsibility for relations within the European Parliament1. While relations between the EU institutions have become increasingly interdependent, there has also been growing need for co-operation between the national and EU level for the purposes of development and significance in implementation of EU policies. Since, in the course of establishment of the single market, much of the European economy has been re-regulated at the European level, greater responsibility has fallen on the Member states’ administrations to implement European legislations. This has had a dynamic effect on both the national and the European level; within member states, national (and often regional and local) authorities have had to familiarize themselves with the European Union regulations that they have to implement. Hence each of the national parliaments has to be involved in the consultation aspects when it comes to the formulation and scrutiny of these regulations. On the European level, the decision making institutions, and the commission in particular had to design regulations for centralized application, anticipating and overcoming difficulties in ensuring uniform implementation and compliance. The result from these ripple effects of developments in the 1980s and 1990s has been the need for effective and continuous communication between the policy makers and the scientific experts from the member states, commission and council officials and members of the European and national parliaments. The absence of any institution or set of interests having hierarchical control over the decision making process is one of the reasons why committees have become such an institution or

Reddix Hospital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Reddix Hospital - Essay Example It also has 375 intensive care beds in total and can accommodate a total of 2000 patients in the intensive care unit. The hospital aims to specialize in caregiving for cancer and cardiovascular patients. it has employed around 200 doctors whose expertise includes breast cancer, cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal diseases, and pediatrics. Reddix also employs nearly 400 nurses and other caregivers. The hospital has entirely integrated faculties for medical tests that are related to cancer and cardiovascular prognosis and diagnosis. One of the major problems that the hospital faces is the difficulty in the interoperability within the department systems. The hospital has different departments that cater to the different information needs. The hospital information system comprises the following six systems: Considering the number of systems it has it is evident that the hospital could have interoperability issues. Interoperability refers to the capacity of different and diverse systems and or physical components of a single system to work together through the use of agreed standards and specifications (Cetis, 2008). It helps the organization to create synergy in the organization. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, being inter-operable, the organization is able to work as a whole instead of working as separate entities. A recent report by the National Health Services criticized the Hospital Administration System of Reddix and said that it was extremely outdated and old and stated its concerns about the patient’s files not being available to the concerned caregivers when it is direly required. This is because Reddix is unable to meet the IT needs that are needed so that the doctors, nurses, and caregivers can easily access all patients’ files electronically when ever they need them. There are many strategies that the hospital can use in order to bring out a successful change.

Will Genderless Fashion Change Retail Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Will Genderless Fashion Change Retail - Essay Example Additionally, gender fashion is becoming the norm in many fashion centres. Many people in the fashion industry are wondering whether the genderless mode of fashion will apply in the retail industry. Some, however, are quite confident that people will do away with gender codes that have been considered for many years. For example, some women go for Givenchy men’s collection. On the other hand, men have been found eyeing and buying brands for women such as the Celine. Traditional demographic segments such as location, age and gender no longer applies in the fashion industry. The fact is that many people are creating their brands that are not dictated by traditional demographics noted earlier. For example, it has been noted that close to 30% of menswear are genderless. However, research shows that women, many of them, go for men’s clothes. Despite the move by both sexes to any store regardless of their gender, there is a problem of size. For example, with both sexes going for the same product, it is quite complicated to tell their sizes based on specifications such as medium size. The future is, however, bright for a genderless fashion. This can be noted from a few things that women and men share such as makeup (Mellery-Pratt). Picture A and B shows men dressed on women fashion. Those are some of the strategies called by Franà §ois-Henri Pinault, the chief executive who noted that there should be a change in the industry. Women have, for many decades dominated the fashion industry. The solution to Michele’s ailing industry is having both sexes on the runway. They should also have fashions with some similarities. As noted from the two pictures, the two men are dressed in women’s fashion. This is a change that has to go beyond the fashion industry to retail centres. Some fashion centres have tried the strategy of having women and men models. Saint Laurent is one that

Competition Bikes Inc. Storyline Essay Example for Free

Competition Bikes Inc. Storyline Essay To: Vice President The following is a summary report to recommend whether Competition Bikes should change its traditional costing method to activity based costing, and an analysis of the breakeven point with regards to sales units and dollars for both CarbonLite and Titanium bikes. It also discusses the impacts to the breakeven point. The cost-volume-profit evaluation and the traditional vs activity based costing method overhead analysis were used for the review and analysis. Traditional Based Costing vs Activity Based Costing Traditional Based Costing Method (TBC). TBC uses one rate, the overall cost of production, to estimate costs based on the revenue production created. Unlike ABC, manufacturing costs in TBC are only assigned to sold merchandises and do not account for nonmanufacturing costs such as administrative costs. This method is general not as accurate as ABC as it does not account for costs specifics to the level of products. For Competition Bikes, the company can see its manufacturing overhead is $239,020 for the Titanium bikes, and $232,380 for the CarbonLite bikes for a total of $471,400 in overhead costs. This means the unit cost for each is $713 for Titanium bikes, and $1359 for the CarbonLite bikes. Activity Based Costing Method (ABC). ABC determines and allocates cost by activities a company executes. This generally happens in four steps: identify each activity and its associated costs, both total and indirect; estimated cost driver and quantity; allocation computation; and cost allocation to the respective activity. ABC refines the way indirect costs are allocated to production and focuses on the costs of each individual activity. Costs are also further assigned to each product within the activities and each activity has its own cost driver. Because of the  specificity, active based costing provides a more accurate picture of the true costs. Direct material (DM), and direct labor (DL) are the same for each bike in using TBC or ABC. However, in using ABC, the company can break out the manufacturing overhead into factory setups, quality control, engineering services, product movements, utilities and services, and depreciation. The total for each bike using the ABC method is $590,715 for Titanium bikes, and $729,985 for CarbonLite bikes. Although the total is still the same $471,400 in overhead costs, the ABC method allows Competition Bikes to see that the Titanium bikes depreciate much faster than the CarbonLite and that it takes more utilities and services to make those bikes. Factory setups and quality control are much higher for CarbonLite bikes than those for Titanium ones. Per unit, the Titanium Bikes cost $656 each and the CarbonLite bikes cost $1460. Recommendation. It is recommended to use ABC to determine true costs associated with activities and products. This will give the company more knowledge of its finances and spending and in return by seeing a clearer picture of costs, make better decisions on funding and budget, and gain cost savings. Activity based management in Competition Bikes can use ABC to make decisions that increase profits while still meeting customer needs. Understanding where costs are going will help Competition Bikes to remove unnecessary costs and set fair price for the products. Overpricing products causes a lost in market sharing while underpricing products diminishes revenue. Better prices for consumers means more business for the company. With activity based costing, Competition Bikes will be able to determine the optimum sales units required with the sales mix of 9 Titanium bicycles produced for every 5 CarbonLite bicycles that will produce the bikes at San Diego at breakeven. The company will also be able to reevaluate activities on a regular basis to reduce future costs as well. Evaluating activities and setting sales prices are part of value engineering. Currently the company thinks it costs $1359 to make a CarbonLite bike and have set the selling price accordingly. In reality, the bikes cost $1460 to make. With a $101 difference, the company may want to adjust their selling price in future months. Using ABC also allows the company to use the Just in Time (JIT) system. This system allows ensures materials are purchased just in time to produce the products, and products are completed just in time for delivery. JIT uses the demand-pull system to receive the order, schedule production, delivered materials, and finished product delivered to the customer. This lessens the amount of excess parts and inventory saving the company money as well. Breakeven Point This analysis will evaluate the breakeven point for Competition Bikes Inc. Sales units and sales dollars will be identified for the breakeven point. These sales units and dollars will be broken down between CarbonLite and Titanium bikes. The breakeven point is used my companies to prevent loss. The Cost Volume Profit (CVP) is the tool in which to capture the breakeven point. Sometimes it is referred to as the breakeven analysis. The CVP assists the company in identifying future operation need, production costs, and expansion possibilities based on estimating costs, prices, and volumes. This profit response can help Competition Bikes determine the amount of needed sales, what products to manufacture, pricing policies, marketing strategies, and how much profit is actually needed. In this analysis we will assume that the fixed and variable costs remain constant, and that the number of units produced equals the number of units the company sells. CVP is defined by the equation Total Revenues – Total Costs = Profit. The breakeven point is the point in which the CVP equals zero or, Revenues – Expenses = 0. Meaning, the revenues cover all the costs, fixed and variable. Therefore, the CVP can be further broken down into Total Revenue – Total Fixed Costs – Total Variable Costs = Total Profit. The contribution margin is then identified by Total Revenue – Total Variable Costs (leaving out the fixed costs). Contribution Margin is important to identify the differences in each product’s profits. For Competition Bikes, the contribution margin for the Titanium bikes is $900-$679=$221. The  CarbonLite Bikes yield $1495-$1384=$111 each. Using the 450 Titanium bikes and 250 CarbonLite bikes sold, the total combined contribution margin for Competition Bikes is $127,000. That’s broken down like this: Titanium Bikes contribution margin of $221 per unit, 450 units equals $221*450, or $99,450. CarbonLite bikes contribution margin of $111 per unit, 250 units equals $27,750. Contribution margins $99,450 + $27,750 = $127,200 Total Contribution Margin. To determine the profits in more detail, we use the equation (Selling Price (per unit) * Quantity Sold) – (Variable Costs (per unit) * Quantity Sold) – Fixed Expenses = Breakeven Point (Zero). The fixed costs are the units sold * the weighted average contribution margin. The weighted average contribution margin is used to find the breakeven point and is essentially the average of contribution margin amounts per unit. The equation is Total Contribution Margin / Total Quantity Sold. For Competition Bikes, our combined weighted average contribution is $181.71. That’s $127,200/ 700 units sold (450 Titanium and 250 CarbonLite bikes) = $181.71. To establish the breakeven point, we also need to know the combined revenue and costs as well. So we calculate total revenue as the following. Titanium bikes are $900 each and 400 units sold, equals $405,000. The CarbonLite bikes are $1495 each and 250 sold which equals $373,750. Combine the $405,000 + $373,750 = $778,750 Total Combined Revenue. The variable costs for each are Titanium bikes: $679 in costs, 450 sold, which equals $305,550 or $679*450 = $305,550. CarbonLite bikes: $1384 in costs, 250 sold, which equals $346,000, or $1384*250= $346,000. The two together, $305,550 + $346,000 = $651,550 Total Combined Variable Costs. The total combined margin can also be calculated by taking $778,750 subtracting the $651,550 and it equals the same $127,200 Total Combined Margin we calculated earlier. We use this as a check and balance system here. To determine the breakeven units, we look at the fixed costs and weighted average contribution margin discussed earlier. The fixed cost for the company is $400,000. Divided by the weighted average contribution margin  181.71, we get the breakeven units for the product sales mix of 2201. The contribution margin ratio is the percentage of contribution margin to revenue. To find the contribution margin ratio, we divide the total combined margin by the total revenue. This tells us by how much the price per unit exceeds the variable cost per unit. In this scenario, Total Combined Margin $127,000 divided by Total Revenue $778,750 which is .163, or $127,000 / $778,750 = .163 Contribution Margin Ratio. Since the bikes are not equal, we must calculate a product mix in addition to the weighted average. Using the weighted average, we can calculate the breakeven point in a proportionate way using sales units and sales dollars. For sales units, we take the breakeven units for the product sales mix and multiply it by the ratio of units sold divided by the total number of unit sold. So for Titanium, the sales units at the breakeven point is [450 / 700] * 2201, or 1415 units. For CarbonLite, [250 / 700] * 2201 = 786 units. To calculate the sales dollars, we multiply the sales units by the sales price. In this instance, Titanium is 1415 units multiplied by $900 cost for each unit or, 1415 * $900 = $1,276,500. CarbonLite is 786 units multiplied by $1495 price for each unit, or 786 * $1495 = $1,175,070. The combined total sales dollars is $2,451,570 To break even, the profit must be zero. Gains and losses are equal. For Competition Bikes, the breakeven point is 1415, or $1,276,500 in Titanium bikes, and 786 CarbonLite bikes, or $1,175,070. Impacts of the Breakeven Point A2b. Based on an evaluation of cost-volume-profit, Prepare a summary report that describes the impacts to the breakeven point if company management needed to increase the cost of direct materials by 10% cost increase and needed to add $50,000 in fixed costs to the production facility. Company management has asked for a report on the impacts of increasing the  cost of direct materials by 10% and fixed costs by $50,000 in relation to the breakeven point. The contribution margin and weighted average are based in part on direct materials, or variable costs. Raising the costs by 10% is significant and will have a great impact on the company. Total Revenue is $778,750 and variable costs now $681,800. This increase is broken down by variable cost per unit to $709 for Titanium bikes, and $1551 for CarbonLite. The Contribution Margin per unit is now 191 and 44 respectively lowering the total combined contribution margin to $96,950. CarbonLite bikes contribution margin decreased from $111 to $44 per unit, over a 60% decrease. Calculated by dividing the Total Combined Contribution Margin $96,950 by the Total Units of 700, the 138.50 weighted average contribution margin per unit also dropped by 24% from 181.71. This shows how significant a 10% can be to the contribution margin. Ten percent in one area can mean much larger impact in other areas. With an increase in fixed costs to $450,000 that now brings the breakeven units for the product sales mix to 3249. We calculate this by $450,000 fixed costs divided by the lower weighed average contribution margin 138.50. This continues to affect numbers as we calculate sales units and sales dollars. Titanium bikes sales units are 450 units divided by 700 total units, multiplied by the weighted average 3249 for 2089 units. CarbonLite bike sales units are 250 units divided by the 700 total units, multiplied by the weighted average 3249, totaling 1160 sales. Sales dollars are calculated as Titanium bikes 2089 units * $900 = $1,880,100 and CarbonLite bikes as 1160 units * $1495 = $1,734,200 for a total $3,614,300. The breakeven point is now increased. Sales for Titanium bikes is now up to 2089 units, or $1,880,100 and CarbonLite bikes up to 1160 units, or $1,734,200. By raising direct costs 10% and fixed costs 13%, Competition Bikes now has to sell 674 more Titanium bikes, and 374 CarbonLite bikes to break even. That’s a 48% increase. Based on this analysis, it would be in Competition Bikes best interest to try to keep costs low. Variable and fixed costs show that a small increase can significantly impact the company’s breakeven point. Variable costs have a higher impact than fixed costs. Direct costs per unit should be specifically addressed in reducing costs as well as increasing sales.

Social Psychology Theories and Prosocial Behaviour

Social Psychology Theories and Prosocial Behaviour Using social psychology theories, discuss the situational factors that affect the likelihood that people will engage in prosocial behaviour. What is the evidence for these effects, and how might changes in our society affect the likelihood of people acting prosocially? Introduction Societies strive for more social cohesion and better integration of members in the community, to foster wellbeing; thus it is important to study ways of achieving better interpersonal relationships. Research indicates that some situational factors increase prosocial behaviour in society. According to Dovidio et al (2006) prosocial behaviour is influenced by biological, psychological, and environmental and social factors. â€Å"Prosocial behaviour is voluntary behaviour intended to benefit another. Thus, it includes behaviours such as helping, sharing, or providing comfort to another† (Roy F. Baumeister Kathleen D. Vohs, 2007, p.1). In addition, Roy F. Baumeister Kathleen D. Vohs (2007) argue that prosocial behaviour is important for the quality of close relationships and interactions with other individuals and groups. People in groups help each other more in time of need or distress, and societies need people to help each other in order to successfully have a healthy and pea ceful society. This essay would explain three social psychology theories; the need-to-belong theory, the self-categorization theory, and the sociometer theory. These theories would be discuss with research about situational factors that affect the likelihood of prosocial behaviour, and how societies could increase these probabilities. Social Psychology Theories Three psychology theories are examined in order to discuss the situational factors that affect the likelihood that people will engage in prosocial behaviour. According to Fiske (2012), these theories are linked with social core motives: these need-to-belong theory is linked to the social need to belong, and reflect the reasons why people want to be part of groups. Secondly, self-categorization theory is related to the social motive of understanding people’s motived for sharing social accounts. Thirdly, sociometer theory is associated with the social motive of self-enhancing where people assert themselves. Need to belong theory Baumeister (2012, 3) claims that humans’ minimum need for forming and maintaining social relationships drives human behaviour, emotion and cognition. The need to belong to groups makes people follow social norms and to act accordingly to social standards, in order to feel accepted and integrated into the community. Several studies observed that excluded people are more likely to engage in aggressive, non-cooperative, and disruptive behaviours. For example, excluded minorities result in less academic performance, more prone for violence and crime, and lack of engagement in prosocial activities (Baumeister, 2012, p.30). Also, Baumeister claims that the government has the duty to make more social connections because of the increasing individualism, decreasing social connections, and continuing small families and relationships. Therefore, the need to belong theory could suggest that people are more likely to act prosocially in order to feel included in the society. Self-categorization theory (SCT) Turner and Reynolds (2012, p.3) clarify that the self-categorization theory explains in what circumstances people perceive themselves as individuals and as members of groups, and its repercussions. Groups change people’s behaviours and attitudes in accordance to expected behaviours in order to maintain their membership in the group. The group impact on member’s attitudes and behaviour depends on the level of internalization of belonging to a group (Turner and Reynolds, 2012, p.15). The authors suggest that it is possible to change core people’s features by altering the norms, values and beliefs that delineate that particular group. They suggest to use social identities to foment cooperation within subgroups, and deeper integration to a group (Turner and Reynolds, 2012, p.24). Sociometer theory Sociometer theory claims that people’s actions are based in protecting and increasing their value in relation with others, therefore enhancing the probabilities of acceptance in society (Leary, 2012, p.3). It has been suggested that through evolution human begins have been able to survive because of living in supportive groups. Acceptance and affiliation of these members facilitated natural selection over those members who did not follow the norms nor values of the community, and who were rejected (Leary, 2012, p.12). People with low self-esteem also lower their value in relation with others, and this could lead to depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug problems, and other troublesome behaviours. (Leary, 2012, p.13). In addition, according to the sociometer theory, there are three problems related with dysfunctional behaviours. First, rejection creates negative feelings in people, and foster abnormal interpersonal behaviour, usually creating depression, anxiety, and hostility. Second, people normally strive higher relational value with desirable social means, but rejected people are more prone to be involved with deviant groups because their standards are lower. Third, people ineffectively accepted make distances and devalue themselves in relation with other individuals, and lower their self-esteem, increasing their probabilities to engage in problematic behaviour, such as drug abuse, and violence (Leary, 2012, pp.22-23). Situational Factors and Prosocial Behaviour There are many situational factors that affect how people act prosocially. For example, people are more likely to engage prosocially if the cost of helping is low, if the person is attractive, if there is no one else who could aid, if they are in a good mood, and if they have been exposed to prosocial models (Roy F. Baumeister Kathleen D. Vohs, 2007, p.2). In addition, personality also plays a role; for example, shy people are more likely to help others in a situation where they won’t be exposed. (Roy F. Baumeister Kathleen D. Vohs, 2007, p.3). Furthermore, Firske (2001) claims that the presence of bystanders can interfere with prosocial behaviour in a negative way. Regarding the need to belong theory, people who have been exposed to prosocial models reflect the importance of following societal norms in order to feel included. Secondly, SCT says that they can change people’s attitudes and beliefs if it is changed in their group; therefore, based on the situational factors mentioned above, people can be taught about the bystander effect to diminish its effect, and to encourage helping others disregarding their mood, appearance of the victim, and the cost-calculation. This would foster a more harmonious society, where people help each other with less trivial impediments. Finally, the sociometer theory would suggest that people would engage more in prosocial activities if they are included in society, and feel valued in regards to others. Prosocial Behaviour According to Dovidio et al (2006) prosocial behaviour is influenced by biological, psychological, and environmental and social factors. Biological: Trivers (1971) introduced â€Å"reciprocal altruism†, where people are more likely to help others because of the probabilities of receiving their help, thus increasing their survival opportunities. For instance: identical twins (sharing 100% genes) are more likely to help each other than fraternal twins (share 50% of genes) (Roy F. Baumeister Kathleen D. Vohs, 2007, p.3). According to the need-to-belong theory, reciprocal altruism could be a societal norm in the community, therefore people would engage in this behaviour to feel accepted. SCT would suggest that reciprocal altruism could be internalized in new groups in order to foster prosocial behaviour. The sociometer theory would claim that reciprocal altruism contributes to the acceptance of the group, therefore member would help more others. Social learning and cultural influences: from childhood people are taught social norms, such as the norm of reciprocity and the norm of social responsibility (De Cremer van Lange, 2001). Several parenting skills of providing support, prosocial values, and behaviours of helping others tend to foster prosocial behaviours in children (Krevans Gibbs, 1996). Limitation: cross-cultural variations in helping. Some evidence are: Robert Hampson (1984) claims that status in the peer group is associated with the level of group acceptance and type of prosocial behaviour. In addition, Francesca Gino and Sreedhari Desai (2012) argue that childhood memories produce moral purity, which elicits to greater prosocial behaviour. Furthermore, Authoritative parents’ models are linked with teaching prosocial behaviour to their children (Roy F. Baumeister Kathleen D. Vohs, 2007, p.3) According to the need-to-belong theory, parents would teach social norms and skills of prosocial behaviour in order to feel part of the community. Secondly. SCT suggests that these norms can be internalized to groups and subgroups in order to increase social cohesion, and prosocial behaviour. Finally, sociometer theory would claim that parents teach these social values in order to increase the relational value of their children compared with others who do not help. Empathy and Altruism: both empathy and altruism could stimulate prosocial behaviours (Batson, 2006). Some evidence is: firstly, some argue that prosocial behaviour is always based on selfish reasons. For example, people help to enhance their mood or to avoid negative feelings. (Eisenberg, 2007). Secondly, Batson et al. (2007) concluded that empathy produces altruistic motivation to help others and is independent of egoistic motivation. Thirdly, Findlay et al. (2006) claim that more empathic children are link to greater prosocial behaviour. Fourthly, Simpson Willer (2008) argues that prosocial behaviour happens even when there are not reputational incentives. Finally, Nancy Eisenberg et al. (1989) argue that sympathy partially facilitates prosocial dispositions in early stages and it is consistent overtime. According to the need-to-belong theory empathy and altruism could be practiced in order to feel part of society. SCT would suggest that altruism and empathy could be internalized in the values of groups, and increase prosocial behaviour. Finally, the sociometer theory would claim that empathy and altruism would be use to increase member’s relational value to others, and to be more accepted in society; therefore people would practice them more if they were more suggested to society. Conclusion The need-to-belong theory, the self-categorization theory and the sociometer theory explain the psychology behind why people act prosocially, which is mainly based on being part and influence by a group, and feeling accepted and integrated. These social psychology theories could be applied in prosocial behaviour research, including biological, social learning and cultural influences, empathy and altruism, and situational factors. These studies suggest that several factors, such as parenting, socialization, level of empathy, altruism, mood of people, among others, play an important role in internalizing prosocial values in society. There are high probabilities of increasing the probabilities of prosocial behaviour with teaching people their importance for belonging into the community.

Renaissance Values Essay -- essays research papers

In today’s society most people who are asked to name a great artist of all time reply with names such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Michaelengelo. These people created their genius masterpieces during a time of growth and change in Europe known as the Renaissance. I think that the Renaissance came about when it did for many reasons such as changes in the church, new money, trading, education, and humanism. Some of these same changes in our society have made it possible for us to have the new innovations in art we have today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, during the time of the Renaissance the Catholic Church was making great changes and the Reformation was right around the corner. Before this time people devoted much of their time and lives to trying to live by the church so they could have salvation. I think that was once the people became freer to live their lives they found new interest in things like art and education. On the other hand, I don’t think that they lost total devotion to the church because they took many voyages to new lands in order to try and convert others. These voyages led to another change in their society, money.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It seems to me that before this time the aristocracy were the only ones who played a part in the making of art. I imagine that this was because the lower class had to use their money for things to survive with. This all began to change in the Renaissance because of things like trading. The people of these coun...

Abolishing the Death Penalty in Louisiana :: essays research papers

Capital Punishment Capital punishment should be abolished in Louisiana in order to optimize rehabilitation methods and increase spending in more important areas of the state budget. One alternative to the death penalty is rehabilitation. Prisons in Louisiana should not be viewed solely as confinement for inmates, but as a last resort for those looking to make serious life changes, even if they are condemned to life in prison. Since prisons are rapidly reaching maximum capacity, the government should really be looking to reform its current statutes to provide a rehabilitation center for criminals and provide a safer environment for all involved in the prison system. Prisons that have implemented rehabilitation programs such as The Second Chance Program have documented a 10% decrease in criminal recidivism. In turn, fewer prisoners are coming through the judicial system. Prisoners that desire to once again become contributing members of society should be urged to do so, and should be given the necessary materials in order to achieve this. Rehabilitation can also include things like job training and education. Statistics show that well educated criminals are less likely to relapse into a life of crime and are more likely to continue using their learned skills, even if they have been granted life without parole. Although some claim that â€Å"getting rid† of Louisiana’s worst criminals gives the public peace of mind, this peace of mind comes at a tremendous cost. The extra money spent on the death penalty could be spent on other means of achieving justice and making the community safer: compensation for victims, better lighting in crime areas, more police on the streets, even longer periods of incarceration for certain offenders, or projects to reduce unemployment. Quite a few jurisdictions with the death penalty have recently had to cut back on other vital services. In some states, people are being released from prison early as a cost saving measure. Other states are closing libraries and government funded offices. A second reason why the costs of the death penalty are so central is that they play a key role in how the death penalty is implemented. Supporters and opponents of the death penalty agree that the capital punishment system should not take unnecessary risks with inn ocent lives and should be applied with a strict fairness. As with many things, the death penalty really isn’t a bargain. There is no abstract dollar figure for the cost of the death penalty and it depends on the quality of the system one demands.

The U.S. Constitution and The Patriot Act Essay example -- Government

George Washington once said, â€Å"The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon.† The first President of the United States knew that the Constitution was and still is the greatest and most important document in America. He said that he would never abandon it and he would never deny it. He would follow it, like it was a guide. The Constitution is supposed to be a guide, which would never be neglected. However, the current government has deserted and almost discarded the United States Constitution. George Washington and the rest of the founding fathers would roll over in their graves if they knew that The USA Patriot Act was an Act now being followed. As Abraham Lincoln said, â€Å"Don't interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties†. The Constitution should not be hindered, and it should never be disregarded. This country was built on the base of the Constitution and the founding fathers wo rked hard to come up with just the precise way to run a republic. The USA Patriot Act is a controversial Act that was made to prevent and penalize all terrorist acts in the United States of America as well as all around the globe. This act was made in order to improve law enforcement investigations, the tools used in those investigations and more. The USA Patriot Act stands for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism. The USA Patriot Act was passed to create some sort of a huge surveillance superstructure. This act was signed into law in 2001 by President George W. Bush and then extended in 2011 by President Barak Obama (Electronic Privacy Information Center). The Patriot Act was largely passed becaus... ... May 2012. . Drucker, David. "Bipartisanship Forms on Both Sides of PATRIOT Act Extension." Roll Call. An Economist Group Business, 03 23 2011. Web. 13 May 2012. . Electronic Privacy Information Center, . "USA PATRIOT Act." Electronic Privacy Information Center (2010): n.pag. EPIC. Web. 13 May 2012. . Ramasastry, Anita. "Explaining the U.S.A. Patriot Act." CNN. (2002): n. page. Web. 13 May. 2012. . Savage, Charlie. "A Patriot Act Surprise." New York Times. (2011): n. page. Web. 13 May. 2012. .

Horizontal Integration

Competition DG Information, communication and multimedia Media Vertical and horizontal integration in the media sector and EU competition law Miguel Mendes Pereira* â€Å"The ICT and Media Sectors within the EU Policy Framework† U. L. B. -SMIT (Studies on Media, Information and Telecommunications) CEAS-Norwegian School of Management, Oslo Telenor Broadcast Brussels, 7 April 2003 OUTLINE Introduction I. Convergence and integration 1. Technical convergence 2. Economic convergence 3. Efficiencies II. Competition issues 1. The competitive arena 2.Foreclosure 3. The dominance test III. Vertical integration 1. 2. 3. 4. The gate-keeper issue Foreclosure of input markets Leveraging Network effects IV. Horizontal integration 1. General assessment 2. The Newscorp/Telepiu case 3. The EMI/Time Warner case V. Remedies 1. The balance between efficiencies and foreclosure 2. Remedies in the Newscorp/Telepiu case 3. Remedies in the cases Vivendi/Seagram/Canal Plus, Vizzavi and AOL/Time Warner Conclusion * Administrator, European Commission/DG Competition/Media Unit. Lecturer at the Law School of the University of Lisbon.The opinions expressed are purely personal and only engage the author. â€Å"Vertical and horizontal integration in the media sector and EU competition law† – M. Mendes Pereira Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish first of all to thank the SMIT Center and Telenor for inviting me to speak here today. I intend to give you a brief overview of the competition issues raised by vertical and horizontal integration of companies in the media sector. I will start by referring to the convergence trend in the media and telecommunications sectors and its link to the concentration wave we have witnessed during these past three years.I will then highlight the main competition issues which this type of operations raise from a theoretical point of view. I will subsequently address the issues linked specifically to vertical as well as to horizontal integration, and c onclude by illustrating how the European Commission has dealt with these problems by means of remedies accepted as a condition for the approval of this type of concentrations. In so doing, I will refer to a number of cases recently assessed by the Commission such as AOL/Time Warner, EMI/Time Warner, Vizzavi, Vivendi/Seagram/Canal Plus and, decided just last week, Newscorp/Telepiu.I. CONVERGENCE & INTEGRATION Convergence has become all too familiar to most of us as one of the main driving forces behind the recent changes occurred in the media and telecom industries. However, as it so frequently happens with notions that turn into â€Å"buzzwords†, the many meanings attributed to the term â€Å"convergence† are often ambiguous and, as such, unhelpful in order to describe the evolution of the media and telecom industries. Let me therefore turn, first of all, to the two meanings of the term â€Å"convergence† that I consider to be most relevant from a competition la w point of view. . Technical convergence Technical convergence mainly concerns the possibilities offered by digital technology. Those possibilities are reflected, for example, in the infra-structures required to deliver contents like movies or music. With the current digital technology, huge amounts of data may be transmitted to a high number of users through different networks (mobile networks, Internet, satellite). This allows for the dematerialization of media products traditionally sold as physical products (newspapers, films, CD’s) by transforming them into packages of bytes.At the same time, digital technology allows for the convergence of traditionally separate media into a single product, putting together text, sound, video and voice in what has become known as multimedia. Access to TV broadcasting, or rather webcastig, on the Internet is already nowadays a reality and listening to an MP3 music file on a cellular phone is nothing new. 2. Economic convergence Audio-vis ual products were never cheap but the growing competition induced by the proliferation of TV channels has inflated production costs. For example, the by now famous saga â€Å"The Lord of the Rings† has had reported costs of â‚ ¬ 278 million.In order to have an idea of the recent increase in the price for audio-visual contents it is sufficient to compare, for example, the price paid for broadcasting rights of the Football World Cups of 1990, 1994 and 1998 – 241 million ECU – with the price paid for the same rights in respect of the World Cups of 2002 and 2006 – 1,7 billion Euro. Only large companies seem to be able to afford such astronomical costs. 2 â€Å"Vertical and horizontal integration in the media sector and EU competition law† – M. Mendes Pereira In face of economic barriers of such dimension, media companies have shown a trend towards concentration. . Efficiencies What appeared to be particularly new about these alliances and mer gers in the media industry was the search of not only the traditional economies of scale but, above all, the search of economies of scope. This translated into an attempt to use the same product in a number of different ways: pure entertainment and telecommunication, or entertainment and information, or information and telecommunication. From an economic point of view, economies of scope basically translate in lower Average Total Costs as a result of producing a wide range of products.The main feature of this type of concentrations is the vertical integration of the different levels of production and distribution of media products that leads to companies which are able to, for example, produce films or music, register them in DVDs or CDs and distribute them not only to â€Å"brick and mortar† shops but also through the cable, satellite or mobile telephony networks they own. Vertically integrated companies are in a position to exploit their products at every single level of th e value chain. „Create Once, Place Everywhere! seemed to be the motto for the media industry during the Internet bubble, illustrating the need for media producers to place their products in the largest possible number of different platforms. This was the underlying reason for alliances and mergers between companies which are active in sectors of the economy that used to be separate like television and telecommunications. Operations like AOL/Time Warner, Vivendi/Universal, Vivendi/Vodafone for the setting up of portal Vizzavi or the acquisition of Dutch entertainment producer Endemol by the Spanish telecom company Telefonica clearly illustrate this trend.It should be said that, to a large extent, the ratio underlying some of these operations was a deep faith in the Internet potential and a strong belief in the synergies resulting from cross-supply between different technical platforms belonging to the same vertically integrated company. The burst of the â€Å"dotcom bubbleâ₠¬  showed how some of these expectations were possibly premature. We now start seeing some of the vertically integrated groups selling off some of their units (AOL/TW or Vivendi/Universal) and witness consolidation caused by heavy losses incurred during these past few years.Such is the case of the pay-TV industry, as illustrated by the merger in Spain of the platforms Canal Satelite and Via Digital and the merger in Italy between the platforms Stream and Telepiu, approved by the Commission just last week. After a period of extensive vertical integration, we now witness a reflux of horizontal integration dictated to some extent by financial reasons. II. COMPETITION ISSUES 1. The competitive arena Turning now to the competition issues raised by integration of companies, the first step required in order to understand the forces at play is to determine the perimeter of the competitive arena.What do media companies compete for, whom do they try to sell their products to and how do they intend to do it? Media companies compete for – essentially – three things. First, they compete for content, which is what they will ultimately sell to their customers. Access to content produced by third parties or the establishment of production facilities is a sine qua non condition for entering or staying in business. Secondly, they compete for the best way to deliver such content to customers. Access to delivery channels owned by third parties or 3 â€Å"Vertical and horizontal integration in the media sector and EU competition law† – M.Mendes Pereira the possibility to establish their own paths to the customer is what allows media companies to distribute their output. Finally, they compete for the obvious ultimate addressee of all this competition: the customer. But this is a contest which goes beyond the obvious competition for a onetime sale. Some of the businesses in the media & telecom sector (e. g; pay-TV, Internet access), like most IT-driven b usinesses, are based on a durable relationship with the customer. An established customer basis allows for the progressive development of new services and products and for the consequent increase in ARPU1.Access to potential clients managed by third parties or the build-up of their own client basis is the ultimate target of media companies. 2. Foreclosure Foreclosure of the competitive arena is a central concern of EU competition policy in relation to vertical agreements and mergers. Restricted access to input markets (copyrights or contents) or to sales markets (customers, at retail level) may limit inter-brand competition. The extreme example is where a company, as a result of a vertical or horizontal integration, succeeds in simply barring the access to a given market to its competitors.However, in real life foreclosure does not arise in such simplistic terms and mostly materialises by indirect means. For example, by raising rivals’ costs, by raising barriers to entry or b y engaging in tying/bundling. Tying is particularly relevant in the media and telecom sectors given that it is often present in explicit (and in most cases, legitimate) commercial offers: for example, a bundled offer of pay-TV and Internet access, or both plus fixed telephony (so called â€Å"triple play†). The ability to raise rivals’ costs may easily arise where a dominant firm is in a position or acquires such position as a result of a concentration) to control the access by competitors to a given infra-structure or input (a technology or a copyright) and where it has the possibility to charge supra-competitive prices for such access. In the media sector one could think about, for example, access to a satellite platform for TV distribution or to a proprietary standard for Conditional Access System. A company in these circumstances is commonly referred to as a â€Å"gate-keeper†. A central element in the assessment of market power of a company and its possibil ity of foreclosing a given market is the concept of barriers to entry.Where entry barriers do not exist, easy entry will quickly eliminate the problem, even where the incumbent holds large market shares. Entry barriers might be described as â€Å"the advantages of established sellers in an industry over potential entrant sellers, these advantages being reflected in the extent to which established sellers can persistently raise their prices above a competitive level without attracting new firms to enter the industry†2. Although in most cases barriers to entry will indeed have an economic nature, they may in some cases assume other forms.Regulation may function as an entry barrier when it provides for the establishment of special rights, for example when only a limited number of licenses is foreseen. This is the case of terrestrial TV and/or radio broadcasting due to spectrum scarcity. 3. The dominance test Most competition law issues related to vertical and horizontal integrat ion in the media sector have been dealt with by the European Commission under the Merger Regulation, i. e. in respect of concentrations notified under the EC Merger Regulation3. As 2 3 1 Average Revenue per User.J. Bain, Barriers to Competition, H. U. P. 1965, p. 3. Council Regulation (EC) No 4064/89 of 21 December 1989 on the control of concentrations 4 â€Å"Vertical and horizontal integration in the media sector and EU competition law† – M. Mendes Pereira you know, pursuant to Article 2 (3) of the Merger Regulation, â€Å"a concentration which creates or strengthens a dominant position as a result of which effective competition would be significantly impeded in the common market or in a substantial part of it, shall be declared incompatible with the common market. The test applied by the Commission when assessing these operations was therefore a dominance test. The concept of dominance used under the Merger Regulation is equivalent to the one defined by the Court o f Justice in Article 82 cases: â€Å"The dominant position (†¦) relates to a position of economic strength enjoyed by an undertaking which enables it to prevent effective competition being maintained on the relevant market by giving it the power to behave to an appreciable extent independently of its competitors, customers and ultimately of its consumers†4. (†¦) such a position does not preclude some competition, which it does where there is a monopoly or quasi-monopoly, but enables the undertaking which profits by it, if not to determine, at least to have an appreciable influence on the conditions under which that competition will develop, and in any case to act largely in discard of it so long as such conduct does not operate to its detriment. †5 III.Vertical integration The reason why vertical integration is a particularly relevant competition issue in the media sector is because many media companies have during these past years actively sought to take vert ical integration as far as possible. This has been a constant between undertakings, OJ L 395/1, 30. 12. 1989, as amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 1310/97 of 30 June 1997, OJ L 40/17, 13. 2. 1998. ECJ, United Brands, case 2/76, ECR [1978] 207. ECJ, Hoffman-La Roche, case 85/76, ECR [1979] 461. eature of the concentrations in the media sector assessed by the Commission. The multiplication of the presence of a company throughout a number of markets along the value chain of the product concomitantly multiplies the possibilities for such a company to foreclose one or more of the corresponding markets where the company possesses market power. In these circumstances, vertical integration may in itself raise barriers to entry. A number of recurrent competition issues has arisen in the cases dealt with by the Commission, and I propose to address the most significant ones. 1.The gate-keeper A gate-keeper role is played by a company possessing a certain infra-structure, technology or know -how allowing it to exert a significant degree of control in respect of the access to a given market. This degree of control is relevant from a competition point of view only where the market power of the gate-keeper is significant and where the infrastructure is a crucial gateway to the market or where the technology at stake is an essential input for any potential new entrant. A gatekeeper will be able to engage in exclusionary practices vis-a-vis its competitors and/or excessive pricing vis-a-vis its customers.A clear gate-keeper issue arose in the recent Newscorp/Telepiu case6, concerning the merger of the two Italian pay-TV platforms Stream and Telepiu. As a result of the merger, the new entity would become the gate-keeper in respect of the access to the only satellite platform in Italy for the provision of pay-TV distribution services. Furthermore, it would become the gate-keeper in respect of a number of technical services associated to 6 Case COMP/M. 2876 Newscorp/Telepiu. S ee prior notification notice in OJCE, C255, 23. 10. 2002, p. 20; press release IP/02/1782 of 29. 11. 2002; press release IP/03/478 of 02. 4. 2003. 5 4 5 â€Å"Vertical and horizontal integration in the media sector and EU competition law† – M. Mendes Pereira pay-TV such as Conditional Access Systems, set-top boxes and Electronic Programme Guides. A gate-keeper issue also arose in the AOL/Time Warner merger7 approved in the year 2000. AOL was the leading Internet access provider in the US and the only provider with a presence in most EU Member States. Time Warner, on the other hand, was one of the world’s largest media and entertainment companies with interests in TV networks, magazines, book publishing, music, filmed entertainment and cable networks.The Commission found that the new entity resulting from the merger would have been able to play a gate-keeper role and to dictate the technical standards for on-line music delivery, i. e. streaming and downloading of music from the Internet. Consequently, AOL/TW could end up holding a dominant position on the emerging market for on-line music delivery. This could happen in two ways. First, AOL/Time Warner would be in a position to develop a closed proprietary formatting technology for all the downloads and streaming of Time Warner and Bertelsmann tracks.The formatting language of AOL/Time Warner could become an industry standard and competing record companies wishing to distribute their music on-line would be required to format their music using the new entity’s technology. Because of its control over the relevant technology, the new entity would be in a position to control downloadable music and streaming over the Internet and raise competitor’s costs through excessive license fees. Alternatively, AOL/Time Warner could format its music (and Bertelsmann’s) to make it compatible with its own software Winamp nly, ensuring at the same time that Winamp could support and play di fferent formats used by other record companies. By formatting its music and the music from Bertelsmann to make them compatible with its own software Winamp only, the new entity would cause Winamp to become the only â€Å"player† in the world capable of playing virtually all the music available on the Internet. By refusing to license its technology, the new entity would impose Winamp as the dominant music player as no other player would be able to decode the proprietary format of TW and Bertelsmann music.As a result of the merger, the new entity would control the dominant player software and could charge supra-competitive prices for it. 2. Foreclosure of input markets A given company may hold a significant degree control over the source of the different businesses at stake in the relevant markets, i. e. of the primary input at the top of the value chain of the product. In the media industries, this will generally refer to the company producing the audio-visual product (films, music, TV-programmes) and/or holding the corresponding copyrights.The control exerted at the source will become relevant from a competition law point of view where the amount or breadth of products and/or copyrights is such as to allow the company to gain a competitive advantage by means of exclusionary or discriminatory practices vis-a-vis its competitors. In AOL/Time Warner, for example, the combined entity would not only possess one of the largest music libraries in the world (Warner Music is one of the 5 music majors) but would also, due to contractual links, have preferential access to the library of Bertelsmann Music Group, also part to the group of the 5 music majors.This would result in the combined entity controlling the leading source of music publishing rights in Europe. 6 7 Case COMP/M. 1845 AOL/Time Warner, decision of 11. 10. 2000, OJ L 268/28, 9. 10. 2001. â€Å"Vertical and horizontal integration in the media sector and EU competition law† – M. Mendes P ereira The problem was aggravated due to the simultaneous notification of the projected merger between EMI and Time Warner8. The preferential access by AOL/Time Warner to the music copyrights of EMI, Warner and Bertelsmann would have put in the hands of the new entity half of all the music content available in Europe for on-line delivery.A similar problem arose in the Vivendi/Seagram/Canal Plus9 merger in respect of both music and films. Vivendi was a leading company in the telecommunications and media sector, with interests in mobile telephony networks, cinema production and distribution, and pay-TV services. Seagram was a Canadian company which, among other interests, controlled the Universal music and filmed entertainment businesses. In terms of content, the merged entity would have the world’s second largest film library and the second largest library of TV programming in the EEA.It would also be number one in recorded music combined with an important position in terms of publishing rights in the EEA. The position of Vivendi/Universal concerning music rights became particularly relevant in respect of the Vizzavi portal, a portal run by a joint-venture between Vivendi and Vodafone. The Vizzavi joint-venture10 had itself been notified to the Commission just some months before the Vivendi/Universal merger. 3. Leveraging A classic competition concern is the leveraging ability of the parties, i. e. their ability to transpose their market power in a iven market into a neighbouring market, thereby creating or strengthening a dominant position. This problem may become particularly acute in cases where the parties extend their activities into different product or services markets, something that is explicitly sought for by media companies wishing to distribute their products across different platforms. In the Vizzavi case, the creation of the jointventure raised concerns in respect of the ability of the parties to leverage their market power in the market fo r mobile telephony into the market for mobile Internet access.The stated purpose of the Vizzavi portal was to create a â€Å"horizontal, multi-access Internet portal†, providing customers with a range of web-based services across a variety of platforms (PCs, mobile phones, TV set-top boxes). As regards Internet access via mobile phone handsets, the issue arose in respect of the significant market position of Vodafone in the market for mobile telephony in a number of European countries (and of Vivendi in France). Vodafone and Vivendi already had a very significant customer basis in these countries and therefore a solid path to the future customers of the JV was already established.On the basis of their client basis for mobile telephony services, the position of the JV-parties in the market for mobile Internet access would be strengthened by the Vizzavi branded and integrated approach to Internet across various platforms, which would allow for cross-selling and bundling of offe rs. This would allow the new entity to leverage a strong position in the mobile telephony market into a dominant position on the mobile Internet access market.As regards Internet access via TV set-top boxes, a similarly solid distribution channel was also owned by Canal+ in respect of its customer basis for pay-TV services. A similar concern therefore arose in respect of the ability of Canal+ leveraging its strong market 7 Case COMP/M. 1852 Time Warner/EMI, see Press Release IP/00/617 of 14. 06. 2000. 9 Case COMP/M. 2050 Vivendi/ Seagram/ Canal Plus, decision of 13. 10. 2000, OJ C 311/3, 31. 10. 2000. 10 Case COMP/JV. 48 Vodafone/Vivendi/Canal Plus, see Press Release IP/00/821 of 24. 07. 2000. 8 Vertical and horizontal integration in the media sector and EU competition law† – M. Mendes Pereira position in the pay-TV market into the market for Internet access via set-top boxes. The overall concern therefore arose in respect of the ability of both Vodafone and Canal+ to m igrate their customer basis from the mobile telephony and pay-TV markets to the Internet access markets by using the already existing distribution channels. Another clear vertical leveraging issue arose in the Vizzavi case, as regards the buying power of the J-V parties.Already before the operation, Canal+ was an important buyer of content for pay-TV, such as TVprogramming, sports and films. Furthermore, it had a large customer basis accustomed to pay for content. The Vizzavi portal would combine a powerful new Internet access mechanism with paid-for content. Given the dominant position that the parties would acquire on the Internet access markets which I mentioned before, the operation would allow the parties to leverage their market power in the markets for Internet access into the market for the acquisition of paid-for content for the Internet.Moreover, the structural link between Vivendi and Canal+ and AOL France (55%) made the concern in respect of the increase in the bargainin g power of the parties even more serious. The leverage allowed for by the operation would naturally work in detriment of the parties’ competitors in the markets for mobile telephony and pay-TV. The concerns identified in the Vizzavi operation were strengthened when Vivendi and Canal+ notified some months later their acquisition of Seagram, the Canadian company owning the music and film business of Universal.The Commission considered that Canal+ would further increase its dominant position on a number of European pay-TV markets at national level. Already before the operation Canal+ enjoyed an almost monopolistic position in respect of the acquisition of the exclusivity on Hollywood films produced by the major studios (in France, Spain and Italy). The acquisition of Universal Studios would further strengthen Canal+’s position as purchaser of Hollywood films, not only in respect of Universal itself but also in relation to other studios due to underlying financial links.Du e to the vertical integration of Universal and Canal+, Canal+ would be able to leverage its position in order to secure the renewal of the exclusive agreements for pay-TV with all of the Hollywood studios and in fact also to enter into new deals. The bargaining power of Canal+ vis-a-vis the film studios would therefore be increased, allowing Canal+ to further foreclose the payTV markets where it already was active. 4.Network effects Let me now turn to another issue that often arises in media cases, most notably since convergence with the telecom industry became a reality: network effects. A network effect may, in simple terms, be described as the self-multiplying power of a network. In economic terms, a network effect occurs when the benefit of an individual who is linked to the network increases with the accession of other individuals. In AOL/Time Warner, the Commission found that the distribution strength of AOL combined with the content of Time Warner and Bertelsmann would create network effects n respect of both content providers and consumers: – for content providers, the AOL Internet community would become an essential outlet for the distribution of their products; – on their side, consumers, would be deprived of any incentive abandon AOL. The network effects would work both ways: more subscribers would bring more content and more content would bring more subscribers. Newcomers would also be attracted to AOL community because the 8 â€Å"Vertical and horizontal integration in the media sector and EU competition law† – M. Mendes Pereira arger the community, the more the possibilities to chat and communicate through AOL. The reason for this lies at the critical mass of content owned by Time Warner and Bertelsmann (namely their huge music library) combined with the huge Internet community formed by AOL subscribers and the members to its Instant Messaging services. The critical mass of content owned by TW and Bertelsmann would att ract further music from other record companies. Competing record companies would feel obliged to distribute their products through AOL’s online outlet, which would end up having access to all the available music.Furthermore, AOL would be able to bundle TW and Bertelsmann music content (or filmed entertainment content) with Internet access and other proprietary services and give its subscribers preferential access to that content, allowing for instance its subscribers to access new releases before they were made public through other distribution channels. Attractive content such as music or films could also be used as promotional tools or loss-leaders in order to subscribe to Internetaccess services.Consequently, the more subscribers AOL would attract, the more important it would become as a carrier for content providers seeking to secure maximum distribution. First mover advantages are particularly strong in network industries. It comes as no surprise that, for example, mobil e telephony companies give away, or strongly subsidise, mobile handsets to their customers such as to quickly establish a significant customer basis leading to increasingly stronger network effects.This circumstance justifies a particular attention by the Commission when assessing concentrations in the media & telecom industries. The combination of network effects with a strong market position may significantly raise barriers to entry and consequently lead to market foreclosure. IV. Horizontal integration Competition problems which are specific to the media sector are more likely to be found in cases of vertical integration than in cases of horizontal integration.I would argue that in cases of horizontal integration, the competition issues arising in the media sector are equivalent to the ones to be found in any other sector. The issue basically concerns classic market power and the required exercise translates into measuring such market power with the help of the traditional analyt ical tools: market shares, barriers to entry, etc. Furthermore, there haven’t been that many examples of problematic cases of horizontal integration in the media sector dealt with by the Commission.The two most significant examples are probably EMI/Time Warner and the recent Newscorp/Telepiu. 1. The Newscorp/Telepiu case This concentration was notified to the Commission on 16 October 2002 and was cleared on 2 April 2003, further to the submission by the parties of an extensive package of undertakings. Newscorp, the acquiring firm, is a global media company, which is active in the film and TV industries, publishing (newspapers and books) and a number of other areas.It controlled the Italian (satellite) pay-TV platform Stream jointly with Telecom Italia. Telepiu, the acquired firm, was controlled by Vivendi Universal, itself a global media group. Telepiu is the dominant pay-TV operator in Italy. Its platform started operating via analogue-terrestrial means in 1991 and went on s atellite in 1996. The markets affected by the operation were: a) the market for pay-TV services; b) the markets for the acquisition of contents, namely: 9 Vertical and horizontal integration in the media sector and EU competition law† – M. Mendes Pereira G G G G premium films; football events; other sports; TV channels. parties’ music recording publishing11 businesses. and music It should be underlined that experience shows that some of this content, namely premium films and football, is crucial for the success of any pay-TV operation. The notified operation would give rise to significant horizontal overlaps and would have a very strong impact on actual competition.In more concrete terms, the operation would lead to: a) the creation of a near monopoly in the Italian market for pay-TV; b) the creation of a near monopsony in the markets for the acquisition of rights Furthermore, the characteristics of the markets at stake would cause entry barriers to rise signific antly. 2. The EMI/Time Warner case This concentration was notified to the Commission on 5 May 2000. It never materialised given that, further to a statement of objections issued by the Commission, the parties withdrew their notification.Time Warner is a global media company, with interests extending from film production and distribution to TV production and broadcasting, cable systems operation, magazine publishing, book publishing, recorded music and music publishing. EMI is a company incorporated in the UK, its main activities being music recording and publishing world-wide. The notified concentration involved the combination of the There were serious doubts as to the compatibility of the proposed operation with the common market due to the significant horizontal overlaps in the relevant markets.The assessment carried out by the Commission showed a very high likelihood of the operation resulting in a single dominance of the merged entity in the music publishing business and collec tive dominance, jointly with the other four remaining music â€Å"Majors†, in the market for recorded music. V. Remedies Having gone through some of the competition problems raised by vertical and horizontal integration in the media industry, let me now conclude by explaining how the Commission has tried to solve these problems.The Commission had to achieve a balance between two somehow conflicting elements: – on the one hand, the Commission was aware of the reasons that lead companies to seek further integration, namely where these reasons were related to clear efficiencies; – on the other, it became aware of the serious competition problems to which some of these concentrations gave rise, namely the risk of foreclosure of the affected markets. The approach taken by the Commission was therefore not to prohibit most of these operations but rather approving them on the basis of strict undertakings proposed by the parties and accepted as a condition for the approv al.However, the Commission can only accept commitments by the parties when the 11 Music publishing consists of the acquisition by publishers of rights to musical works and their subsequent exploitation upon remuneration, mostly in the form of a commission charged by the publisher to the author on the revenues generated by the commercial exploitation of musical works. 10 â€Å"Vertical and horizontal integration in the media sector and EU competition law† – M. Mendes Pereira competition problems are effectively solved.In fact, the underlying objective of any remedy package should be to create the conditions for actual competition to subsist and/or for potential competition to emerge. This aim must be achieved by lowering barriers to entry in the affected markets and through the creation of competitive constraints which effectively operate as a disciplining and restraining factor of the dominant player. The main concern of the Commission in media-related cases was to ens ure access, access to the relevant markets or access to those crucial elements allowing for new entrants to establish themselves in those markets.In parallel, the Commission has often imposed divestitures or the severance of structural links that aggravated the foreclosure problems. 1. Remedies in the Newscorp/Telepiu case In Newscorp/Telepiu, the undertakings accepted by the Commission can be divided in three major groups: a) access to content, via namely a reduction in the duration of exclusivity agreements with premium content providers and the establishment of a sub-licensing scheme through a wholesale offer; b) access to infra-structure, i. . access to the satellite platform for pay-TV distribution as well as to the technical services associated with pay-TV; c) withdrawal from terrestrial broadcasting activities. As regards access to content, with respect to ongoing exclusive contracts, a unilateral termination right shall be granted to film producers and football clubs. Furthe rmore, the new entity will waive exclusive rights with respect to TV platforms other than DTH12 (terrestrial, cable, UMTS, Internet etc. ).The parties shall also waive any other protection rights as regards means of transmission other than DTH. With respect to future exclusive contracts, the new entity shall not subscribe contracts exceeding two years with football clubs and three years with film producers. The exclusivity attached to these contracts will only cover DTH transmission and would not apply to other means of transmission (for example, terrestrial, cable, UMTS and Internet ). Furthermore, the parties shall waive any protection rights as regards means of transmission other than DTH.Lastly, the merged entity shall offer third parties, on a unbundled and non-exclusive basis, the right to distribute on platforms other than DTH any premium contents if and for as long as the combined platform offers such premium contents to its retail customers. Such wholesale offer will be mad e on the basis of the retail minus principle and will imply an account separation and cost allocation between wholesale and retail operation of the platform. The beneficiaries of the wholesale offer shall be free to determine their own pricing policy.As regards access to the infra-structure, the merged entity shall grant third parties access to its satellite platform and access to the application program interface (API) and conditional access system (CAS), according to a fair non-discriminatory pricing formula. The new entity will also have the obligation of entering into simulcrypt agreements in Italy as soon as reasonably possible and in any event within 9 months from the written request from an interested third party. As regards the withdrawal from terrestrial activities, the merged entity shall divest of Telepiu's digital and analogue terrestrial 2 Direct To Home satellite. 11 â€Å"Vertical and horizontal integration in the media sector and EU competition law† – M . Mendes Pereira broadcasting assets and commits not to enter into any further DTT activities, neither as network nor as retail operator. The frequencies will have to be acquired by a company willing to include pay-TV broadcasting of or more channels in its business plan for the operation of the divested business after the switchover from analogue to digital terrestrial television broadcasting in Italy. . Remedies in the Vivendi/Seagram/Canal Plus, Vizzavi and AOL/Time Warner cases In Vizzavi, the project of the parties provided for the Vizzavi portal to be the default portal on Vodafone and SFR mobile phone customers, as well as on Canal+ set-top boxes. The Commission imposed the possibility of customers changing the default portal on their devices, as well as the possibility of competing telecom operators accessing the customers’ devices.This commitment by the parties prevented them from bundling their offers on a fully exclusive basis and prevented them consequently from l everaging their market power in a way such as to gain dominant positions in the markets for Internet access and Internet portals. In Vivendi/Seagram/Canal Plus, the parties undertook to grant access to Universal’s music content to any third party on a nondiscriminatory basis, therefore reducing the concerns in respect of the Internet portals market and the on-line music market.The parties also undertook not to offer more than 50% of the Universal’s film production to Canal+, thereby reducing the concerns in respect of the foreclosure by Canal+ of the pay-TV markets. As regards the severance of structural links, Vivendi undertook to divest from BSkyB in which it held a 25% stake. The severance of this link to Fox, namely through their joint venture UIP for the distribution of films in Europe, significantly reduced the impact of the acquisition of Universal.In AOL/TW, you may recall that the competition concerns started at the source, due to the breadth of music copyrigh ts that the new entity would control. Warner Music, combined with Bertelsmann music due to crossed shareholdings, and in addition the EMI library (should the EMI/TW merger be approved), would put in the hands of the new entity a huge amount of content that rendered the gate-keeper role played by AOL in respect of music player software and the network effects resulting from the AOL community as serious competition concerns. The abortion of the EMI/Time Warner merger already reduced significantly the competition concerns.Therefore, the attention of the Commission was focussed on the structural link between AOL and Bertelsmann in AOL Europe and AOL France. In this respect, AOL undertook to put in place a mechanism pursuant to which Bertelsmann would exit from AOL Europe. Once solved the problem at the source, the other concerns were partially dissipated. As regards online music delivery, AOL also undertook not to take any action that would result in Bertelsmann music being available on line exclusively through AOL or being formatted in a proprietary format that was playable only on an AOL music player.Conclusion If I had to sum up the Commission’s approach in three words as regards competition in the media markets, they would certainly be: access, access and access! No matter how far media companies integrate, vertically or horizontally, access is crucial. Access to inputs, access to contents and access to infra-structure remains fundamental in order to ensure the freedom of choice by the ultimate addressee of competition policy: the consumer. Thank you for your attention. 12

The Praise of Folly

The Praise of Folly The author of â€Å"The praise of folly† Erasmus, wrote this book not with the intention of starting wide spread theological debates but with the intention of showing how pointless these debates are. The book is written in first person so that Folly herself is the one who the readers/listeners (because the book is written as if she were speaking to a crowd) are hearing and not just some man acting like he knows more or is better than anyone else. The book addresses three different classes of people and how folly affects them.The first class is the regular people and women. The second type of people she calls out is the academic and higher standing social classes. The third and final group folly talks about are Christians and religious men. Folly is not saying anyone is a bad person for having foolishness in their lives, but she is calling out the society and how she is looked down upon while everyone not only takes part in folly, but folly is a necessary pa rt of our lives. One of Folly’s points that she brings up is women and how they are in and of themselves full of foolishness. I, who am both a woman and folly herself, attribute folly to them. †(29) Folly later states that women owe it to folly for being far better off than men. Women’s beauty is a natural thing according to folly, she bring up how men grow beards, have course skin, and go gray in the hair as all signs of aging. While women have soft delicate feature which are almost eternal signs of beauty. According to folly all some men want from life is pleasure, and who can give them pleasure other than a woman who will have sex with them? No one according to folly, but the folly is not of men wanting pleasure.The point Folly makes is that a woman must have folly to have sex with a man(30) She says â€Å"Women have no other way of giving pleasure but through folly†(30). Women are not the only ones involved in folly in this first class of people; Folly also speaks of friendships, marriages, and of parental love as well. Folly states that friendship is held in a high regard in this society and this it is as necessary as air and water. She does not use clever words or parables to point out the folly in friendship but simply states how one treats a friend, wife, or child to prove that folly is involved in all of these relationships. Tell me know to wink at a friend’s faults, to be deceived , to be blinded to his vices, to imagine them away, even to love and admire certain notorious vices as if they were virtues-surely this is not far from folly. †(31) She later brings up how a man can love a mole on his wife even though it is an imperfection, or how a father can has a cross eyed son and say that he only has a light squint. Folly is not trying to say that these average people are idiots or foolish for these things, Folly simply is showing that she is everywhere even in the good things.Folly in her second class of people she mentions are the higher class people the nobles, doctors, lawyer, and the philosophers. Unlike with the first group of people folly speaks to with a light and somewhat cheery tone, her words toward this crowd become sharp and somewhat brash. These men who spend so much time with their jobs and with their peers trying to prove themselves by out doing everyone around them are full of themselves and their folly is in the fact that they are missing out on the true happiness of life that is going on around them.Unlike the people in the first section of the book Folly knows these people are too smart to be able to just enjoy the small things in life like the average people of the first class. For example she says how wise men are unable to overlook the follies and faults of their friends but instead notice them with the â€Å"eyes of an eagle† or the â€Å"nose of a bloodhound† (32). Where the normal man could overlook these faults and even accept them as part of their f riends’ personality and possibly come to adore this part of their companion, these supposedly wise men are too smart to overlook the follies of their peers.The final group that folly points out is the religious people of the time. The monks and priest are the main targets of Follies words. A time of reform and a time of questioning is beginning to appear and rules and customs that have gone on for years without question are now being put under scrutiny. Even harsher with her words to this particular group of people Folly now is calling out not only the group of people in charge of the church but also the people who think they can find their lives only through the church.Her main charge against these people is there refusal to understand that folly and foolishness is as if not more regarded than wisdom in the Christian religion. One could say Christ is the biggest fool of all for accepting man’s sin and dying for us while he had lived a perfect and sin free life. Knowle dge and wisdom are the downfall of am according to Genesis when Adam and eve eat the apple of forbidden fruit and gains the knowledge of good and evil it separates them forever from the full relationship they had with God before that.Folly is not attacking the religion of Christianity it is the opposite in fact. Folly says how peter and the disciples went around baptizing everyone but not explaining why, not because they didn’t know but because the people only need to know the basics and not the understanding of everything to be happy, in other words to keep them from overcoming their follies. She also brings up how the disciples didn’t need certain words or rules to worship, but in face they worshiped the way god intended them to in spirit through their deeds done only for him and not for some church or for others to see. 92) Folly was giving her speech with the intent of trying to explain that foolishness and folly is not bad and evil thing that need to be avoided, b ut that the opposite of that is true. Wisdom is to be put on display for others and folly is to be hidden, in the same manner do people not hide their valuables and protect them from unwanted visitors. She believes and proves her point that foolishness is essential to a happy and fulfilled life. In a quote from Folly herself â€Å"Fortune loves those who are not too bright, headstrong, and are fans of the proverb let the die be cast† (116). Taylor Shadwick