Plot Analysis

In her ground-breaking play â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun,† Lorraine Hansberry challenged widespread cultural conceptions about African Americans.By focusing her play on stark realism, Hansberry was able to create a play which, in both theme   and technical execution, offered something radically different than the portrayal of American life typically seen on Broadway stages in the mid twentieth century.The impact of the play, both visually and   textually, on American audiences was visceral and controversial. Hansberry relied on depicting vastly disparate emotional states and conditions for her characters, as well as enticing her audience to experience the world of her characters with as much empathy as possible.The play's opening, for example, establishes that the Younger family is waiting for a ten-thousand dollar insurance check to arrive after the death of the family's father.The fact that the family is so steeped in poverty that each of them concocts elaborate schemes and ideas of how to spend the money before it even arrives, grips the reader or alert audience member with emotion and concern.   The â€Å"intrusion† of the expected money also begins the tension in the play and drives the conflicts between the play's characters., most notably between Mama and Walter Lee.In order to engage the audience, and to cause them to identify with the Youngers, Hansberry uses the device of realism, which includes the construction of a one-room apartment set, complete with all the trappings of poverty: cramped quarters, worn furniture and carpets, and a conspicuous lack of privacy.Before the audience has even begun to grasp the events of the   play, they are immediately aware of the family's dire financial situation.The shock of the set at a purely visual and spatial level communicates the Youngers' distress to the audience.   Teh ensuing emotional tension between Mama and her son is meant to show that the external attributes of poverty have corresp onding emotional and psychological impacts and have extended to the relationships between the characters.By the end of the opening scene, the reader or audience member knows that great hope and expectation has been pinned by the family on the insurance money and many readers or spectators of the play would probably intuit that the family's emotional crisis goes far beyond anything which can be repaired with money.The idea is to advance the plot in a realistic manner so that the audience or reader not only experiences the events of the play but feels the emotional resonance which is intended to be a part of the event which are portrayed.   In order to accomplish this, every aspect of the play, not only the plot, are steeped in realism.One element of dramatic technique that enables Hansberry to successfully create a dynamic and realistic drama is her use of vernacular in the play's dialogue.Unlike the blank-verse constructions of Shakespeare, or the witticism of Oscar Wilde, or even the dreamy musings of Tennessee Williams, Hansberry delivers the dialogue of â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† in colloquial language and this aspect of them play enhances the play's verisimilitude.The realism of the play then causes the audience to more closely identify with the play's characters and plot, and each of these aspects of the play helps to communicate the important sociological and racial themes that drive â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun.†This attention to realism and detail is important to the play's plot, also, because as the vents of the play unfold, the reader is drawn more deeply into an emotional connection with the characters because the characters seem for all intents and purposes to be actual people who face actual, real-life struggles.As the plot progresses, the insurance check actually arrives and in their haste to be a controlling interest in the spending of the money, each of the Youngers manages to ignore the others emotional needs in pursuit of persona l materialistic dreams.When Mama decides to use the money to move the family to a white neighborhood, a further sense of doom pervades th action as the Youngers fall further into emotional discord.Throughout the progression of the plot, the play's dialogue leaves an opening for the emotional outpouring which is markedly absent from the (seemingly banal) progression of events.Hansberry's dialogue, in fact, becomes a key driving force of the play's ultimate revelatory impact on the audience. As the play progresses and the characters become more clearly defined with motivations that the audience can identify with (or despise)   the dialect of the play begins to attain a lyrical uniqueness — a vocal music which was unlike any other play on the Broadway stage of the time.Lines such as â€Å"Seem like God didn’t see fit to give the black man nothing but dreams†¦.’† (29) or â€Å"â€Å"There is always something left to love. And if you ain’t lear ned that, you ain’t learned nothing†¦.†(135) attain the status of aphorism in the context of the play and divulge important social and racial realities that, for most Americans in the mid-twentieth century, existed, if at all, as merely si-debar newspaper articles or in some other abstract realization.Hansberry's play, through its fierce and relentless realism, coupled with its themes of yearning and dreaming seemed to marry the â€Å"American ideal† to the â€Å"American nightmare† in a verbally original and thematically cathartic fashion, elevating the dialogue of racial issues in America to a place of cultural acceptance.Simultaneously, the play's plot moves in an arc of excited expectation to dissolution of dreams while expressing the internal progressions of the characters with a portrayal of external events.When Mrs. Johnson tells the Youngers about a black family that was bombed because they moved into a white neighborhood, the audience feels t he dream of Mama's to live in a better neighborhood deflating.The audience realizes that money, alone, despite the naivete with which the Youngers regard its power, will do little, perhaps nothing, to change the misery of their lives.The Youngers have regarded money and the future hope of what it may bring with a sort of â€Å"exotic† hopefulness which, in its perceived futility during the vents of the play, should cause emotional frustration and dissonance in the reader and in the the audience.This dissonance reflects the same dissonance which exists between the Younger's dreams and their actual position in the world.By combining a realistic set with realistic dialogue, a kind of exoticism was reached by Hansberry, through the depiction of extreme poverty and want, which is a powerful force in granting the play unity of theme, place, and time in keeping with Aristotle's theories of dramatic construction in his Poetics.This latter attribute helps ground the play in the tradit ional dramatic structure which off-sets the aforementioned â€Å"exoticism† of the play's set and characters.Despite the reluctance for most Americans in the late 50's and early 60's to face the racially based challenges of that era, â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† demonstrated, through creative expression, the urgency of the plight of African Americans in a racist society.The play's climax, when it is decided that — despite the conflicts and hardships that the money has caused —   that Mama's plan to move to a new neighborhood will go through, exerts a sense of hopefulness in the face of manifested obstacles (and potential violence) which seems to suggest that optimism, ambition, and â€Å"togetherness† can weather storms and find fulfillment despite the truth of prejudice and poverty.However, a close reading of the play is just as likely to reveal in the reader, a sense that the Youngers are simply caught in a vicious cycle of hope and despair and t hat with each new breath of hope a corresponding crush of bad luck or ill-fortune will be experienced.   It is not fitting to say that the play, therefore, has a â€Å"happy† ending, but simply an ending which reflects an unending cycle of hope against an equally unending series of obstacles.Work Cited  Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. Random House, New York. 1959

Life and Work of Mary Kay Ash

The corporate world has seen many great entrepreneurs, but May Kay Ash has a unique distinction of founding a company when it was very rare for married women to work outside the home. Mary Kay introduced a new way of life for women and opened up doors of unending opportunities for them. She spent her 80 years of life which every women in the world could dream off. Born on May 12, 1918, in Houston Texas, she had a promising childhood. Her mother worked at a restaurant, she did chores at home, attended to her sick father, and excelled at school. She brought home straight As and won every competition of public speaking. She outsold every other student from Girl Scout cookies to school-event tickets (â€Å"Mary Kay Ash,† 2006). She wanted to become a doctor until an aptitude test showed her selling ability outranked her science ability. After having decided to get into sales, she joined Stanley Home Products in 1938. Energetic and a quick learner, Ash found that direct sales suited her well. She rose at Stanley to unit manager and served there till 1952. Following a divorce from her husband, Ash moved from her job at Stanley Home Products to a similar sales slot at World Gift Company, where she remained for another 11 years and became National Training Director (â€Å"Biography,† 2005). While working at Stanley Home Products and World Gift Company, she broke every sales record and won numerous awards. She was however frustrated due to the discriminating attitude towards women. Her male colleagues she trained were promoted ahead of her and were getting twice her salary. After having served for 25 years, she finally decided to retire. Soon after her retirement she started writing a book for women. This book eventually turned into a marketing plan for a â€Å"dream company,† which Mary decided to implement herself (â€Å"Mary Kay Ash,† 2006). Mary Kay bought a skin care cream formula and enlisted her second husband to handle operations and started recruiting friends as beauty consultants for the venture she called â€Å"Beauty by Mary Kay.† Her husband died just before the launch of company but her children helped her to recoup and compose herself, and go ahead with the plan. Mary Kay formally launched her company on Friday, September 13, 1963. She wrote in her autobiography, â€Å"I knew I would never have a second chance to put my dream into action.† She started the company with investment of $5000. In the first calendar year, the sales reached $198,000 and by 1983 Mary Kay, Inc. sales exceeded $300 million. The company at present sells more than 200 products in eight product categories: facial skin care, cosmetics, fragrances, nutritional supplements, sun protection, nail care, body care and men's skin care (â€Å"Mary Kay Ash,† 2006). Mary Kay Ash worked day and night which contributed badly to her health. In 1996, she survived a stroke. Before her death in 2001, the business which she started with 9 beauty consultants had reached to over 800,000 representatives in more than 30 markets. The sales reported by the company in 2000 was $1.3 billion which even crossed $2.2 billion in 2005. During the period of Mary Kay’s life, there were 151 women who earned more than $1 million in commissions. Also during this period more than 10,000 pink Cadillacs were awarded to employees (â€Å"Company Information,† 2006). Mary Kay Inc. today remains one of the largest privately held firms in the United States. Mary Kay lived her life with simple and solid principles that never wavered. As a committed daughter, wife, mother and an employer, she was always sustained by her deep and abiding faith in God. Through her uncomplicated formula for success – put God first, family second and career third – she made the world a better place specially for women (â€Å"Mary Kay,† 2006). References â€Å"Biography.† (2005). Encyclopedia of World Biography. Retrieved September 29, 2006, from http://www.bookrags.com/biography/mary-kay-wagner-ash/ â€Å"Company Information.† (2006). Mary Kay Website. Retrieved September 29, 2006, from http://www.marykay.com/company/company_companyinformation.aspx?tab=home â€Å"Mary Kay.† (2006). Mary Kay Tribute. Retrieved September 29, 2006, from http://www.marykaytribute.com/ â€Å"Mary Kay Ash.† (2006). Mary Kay Website. Retrieved September 29, 2006, from http://www.marykay.com/company/marykayash_herlifeandlegacy.aspx?tab=home ; ; ;

The pros and cons of Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

The pros and cons of Globalization - Essay Example addition a crucial debate is continuously rising on weighing the positive and negative impacts of globalization and exploring the people who are directly or indirectly influenced by the changes brought in by this concept. Globalization is a comprehensive and broad topic and covers a huge list of important issues including economic, social, political, cultural, religious and moral etc. The definition of globalization is also defined in the light of all these perspectives. As it is defined by James Rosenau, a political scientist, as as "a label that is presently in vogue to account for peoples, activities, norms, ideas, goods, services, and currencies that are decreasingly confined to a particular geographic space and its local and established practices" (1997, p.360). Most of the researchers bordered their research on the economic impacts of globalization. It is undoubtedly clear that globalization has impacted the overall economic situation of the current world. However, the social, political and other areas also require attention as globalization has affected the policies, education, culture and overall social structure of the states. The economic aspects of globalization are not limited to its effects on microenvironment but it has affected markets on a macro level. The microeconomic effects refer to the technological advancements and the impact at individual firm levels, whereas, the macroeconomic effects involve the collaborative analysis of markets for business purposes (Oman, 1994). The list of positive aspects of globalization includes the excess availability of external finance. This excess amount of finance is helpful especially for the developing countries. The excess availability of excess finance from external sources is evidenced by the IMF, Direction of Trade Statistics Yearbook and World Bank, Global Development Finance, 1999. For instance the increase in capital flows is observed in the East Asia Pacific from 15.8 in 1980 to 36.3 1997.

Wind Shield Survey Community Assessment of a community in Queens , NY Term Paper

Wind Shield Survey Community Assessment of a community in Queens , NY - Term Paper Example The Wind Shield survey is a health client community that conducts surveys on continuing and comprehensive practices that are preventive, curative and rehabilitative. It also assesses the method in which a series of questions are used to collect data for analysis of specific group or area. The philosophy of care is based on the belief that health cares are directed to individual, family and the communities contribute to the health care of a population as a whole . Community parameters and history of community client The involvement of consumers of health care is encouraged in the development of community activities that contribute to the promotion of education and maintenance of good health. In order to achieve these activities, a comprehensive health programs are required that pay a special attention to social and ecological influences and specific population that is at a risk. As a community client, nurses should focus on environmental features such as physical, cultural, psychosoci al and political features that ensure good health of the population. As a matter of fact, Zuckerman (1998) adds that community client is not restricted to provision of health care to a particular age or diagnostic group but the health nurse is practicing their profession to all people without any biases. A healthy community is one that makes wise use of its resources and is prepared to meet the dangers and threats that may arise as a result of factors encountered when dealing with health problems. This has been the mandate and the aim of the community client over a quite a long time to ensure a mutual relationship between the community and the location . Community client and Windshield Survey assessment According to the ideas presented by Joint Commission Resources, Inc. (2008), they put it that in assessing the performance of Wind Shield survey in New York, a close examination of the original survey data on beneficiary is needed. According to our expectations, the general satisfact ion with the WindShield survey intervention should be high. However, the evidence was found that the endeavor of the WindShield survey to redress the balance between the rich and the poor communities was fairly satisfactory . There was a neglect of the isolated communities possibly due to cost reasons and that the accessibility of the WindShield Survey to beneficiary communities is lower in poor communities. As asserted by Shi and Singh, (2010), these factors significantly reduced the client community satisfaction with Windshield survey. The levels of Windshield survey induced community participation in decision making which also varied with some evidence that participation has an effect on community satisfaction Joint Commission Resources, Inc. (2008).Among the dissatisfaction that the members of the Windshield survey were accused of were self-serving, unresponsive and less than good in whatever they were doing. Assessment of Windshield Survey workers was also done. This was obtain ed through evaluation of the physicians and other professionals caring for the client . With the principles of continuity of care in mind, the nurses’ assessment on condition of care and treatment was done. Also all individuals receiving Medicare were also assessed using the OASIS guidelines. OASIS is an assessment tool developed to measure the outcomes of persons receiving the home health care. After this, assessment of the family was carried out as asserted by Shi

Age And Acquisition Of English As A Foreign Language Essay

Age And Acquisition Of English As A Foreign Language - Essay Example The ‘age factor’ has at all times been one of the chief issues in terms of research and investigations focused on the acquisition of second/foreign language. Nonetheless, the crucial point has now shifted from investigating the question of whether there exists a crucial phase, as observed during the 1970s and 80s, to the suitable time to begin education in L2. Such a trend is mainly applicable in foreign language acquisition perspectives across Europe and visibly apparent in countries like Spain where the age of instruction for teaching English was significantly reduced from 11 years of age to 8 years by the Reforma. It is hence, highly likely that advance improvements might press forward the starting age for learning a foreign language to age 6. Although these changes fail to consider the conclusions from current research, they do, however, replicate the common fear regarding the significance of languages, particularly English, in our every day lives. This book review i s, as a result, of supreme significance to teachers as well as students of English as a second/foreign language. It accumulates certain chosen contributions in two parts. The first part deals with "Theoretical Issues" discussed in three chapters which present a general idea about the role of age in learning languages. Chapter 1 in part 1 titled â€Å"Critical Period or General Age Factor(s)† written by David Singleton provides a methodical introduction to the CPH Critical Period Hypothesis as well as the theory of CP Critical Period.

Civic Argument Editorial or Letter to the Editor Essay

Civic Argument Editorial or Letter to the Editor - Essay Example The quoted constraints incorporate monetary setbacks, firm media rivalry, opposition and competition, enterprise marketing affairs and dogmatized prejudice (or bias) tied to particular media personnel. It is evident that these drawbacks contributed to blinded, superficial, and stereotyped pattern of news presentation in various cultures (Lifton 22). Do those individuals who ceaselessly hinder media from capturing fundamental societal aspects and often unleash untold torture to media professionals comprehend the nitty gritty (or role per se) the media plays in fostering equity, tranquility, and interactive reverence among vast ethnical, doctrinal, and general humankind fraternity both within federal and global ranges? Do those who maliciously opt to use advanced technology to dispense information to the masses simply to feed their ego ever realize how much trauma they inflict to the victims who end up affected by their baseless rumours? These queries remind us that personal responsibility in ensuring that the correct intended information that extends to the public (or any other target group) is an inevitable priority. Also, in a bid to sound the depths of the resources that the vast contemporaneous technologies can offer clear regulations, demarcations, bills and codes will have to be put in place to subdue information conglomeration, analysis and dissemination and dispensation to the general public (Lifton 25). It therefore means without doubt that when we sacrifice our ego and aim at rectifying the warped and biased standpoints concerning the general media at large, the entire media corporations globally will transcend to stardom and eventually transform into authentic and firm backbone of the entire global awareness and

Anything Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Anything - Essay Example As Hands notes, life has become difficult for millions of families. The median gross full-time weekly earnings have fallen, in inflation-adjusted terms, by 9% since 2008. Living standards for many households have been flat, at best, for much longer. During that same period, the value-added tax, which hits low-income workers hardest, has been raised to 20% (21). It is imperative to come up with means and ways to lift the incomes of those who are poorest paid. If the minimum wages are increased, this should correspond to changes in the tax code. If this were not put in consideration one-third of every pound in wage increase would be taken by the Treasury. What politicians who proclaim an increase in the minimum wage are less keen to share is that only 68% of every extra pound in increased wages actually reaches the pockets of low-wage earners. The rest is taken by the Treasury through a 20% income tax that applies to every pound of earnings above  £10,000 per year equivalent to aroun d 39 working weeks at 40 hours per week on the minimum wage and a 12% national insurance deduction on earnings above  £8,000. For the many who will also see their in-work benefits reduced, the effective marginal tax rate is more than 32% (Hands 21). This is why the claim of raising the minimum wage is a traditional method that is used by politicians. If the wages are increased the government gets credit but, on the other hand the tax revenues increased and worsen the situation. This shows that a better way to help the low-income earners is by a complete tax reform. The national insurance paid is nothing more other than tax by another name. While there has been considerable progress in raising the threshold for income tax, politicians are conspicuously quiet about doing the same for national insurance. The result is that someone working 40 hours at the minimum wage

Australia Water shortage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Australia Water shortage - Essay Example Australian water system is running low gradually. The water decline is due to human activities such as mining of ground water at a faster rate than the ecosystem of Australia can restore it. There has been massive land clearance, and water intensive production of food for Australian exportation since 2013. The rampant pollution has led to land degradation and consequent destruction of rivers and their sources (Philosophy Matters, 2013). Australians have been forced to restrict on how they utilize water on daily basis Nwc.gov.au (2014). The restriction effort has been boosted by the desalination systems put in place to use ocean water for human consumption. Water price has skyrocketed in urban centers. Australian government has been tasked with a transparent water management process. The government through Australian National Water Initiative program has a responsibility to implement mechanisms of combating water shortage. The mechanisms should be implemented without affecting subsistence and commercial production that depend on water. Nwc.gov.au,. (2014). National Water Commission - Water 2013 and beyond - sustaining the momentum. Retrieved 15 May 2014, from

The Effective Manager Cw3 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Effective Manager Cw3 - Coursework Example The mangers are responsible for the optimum utilization of resources in order to achieve the goals of the organization. Management is a set of activities which is directed towards the resources of the organization with a aim of achieving the required goal in an effective and efficient manner. In general a successful organization comprises of both effective as well as efficient mangers. In the competitive world managers tends to face new as well as interesting and challenging situations. The average working time is about 60 hours per week and has a huge demand place upon the mangers time and at the same time faces complexities due to globalization, completion, government regulations and other uncertainties. The job role of a manger is unpredictable and filled with challenges but it is also filled with opportunity which has the potential to make difference. Good managers have the potential to bring in success in the organization (Griffin, 2011, p.4). ... The quality and effective management styles of the mangers can determine the organizational culture, productivity of the staff and success or failure of the organization (Francis, 2012). Characteristics of Effective Management An effective manger is one who makes the right decisions and successfully implements the decisions. However there are many different characteristic that a manger should posses for the effective working of the organization. But according to me the most important characteristic for a manger should be a good team player and time management should be the next important characteristic for an effective manger. A team builder can be defined as a person who is strong and provides the required substance which holds the team together towards achieving the set goals and objectives (Francis, 2012). At the same time effective time management skills are important for mangers to perform the task. I would like to emphasis more on the aspect of time management. Literature defin itions With respect to the definition of time management, there are many different definitions as per different authors. However most of the authors referred to Lakein (1973) who said that time management involve a process which determines the need sets the goals which are to be achieved, planning and prioritising the task which are required in the process of achieving the goals. Therefore according to Elacqua and Jex, 1999; Davis, 2000; Macan, 1994, 1996; Macan et al., 1990; Mudrack, 1997) time management has been referred to as a technique used to manage time; a technique which can be used for effective use the many different task which are required Orpen, (1994) Slaven and Totterdell, (1993); Woolfolk & Woolfolk, (1986); according to

Labour education crisis Essay Example for Free

Labour education crisis Essay The man who promised us, Education, education, education, as the main priority of his government has failed again. Blair along with forever changing line up of education secretaries has again been branded a hazard to our children. The new crisis in hand for our Labour government evolves our youngsters within Primary education. The recent report has revealed that the number of children who can read and write properly has fallen in the last three years, as almost 250,000 seven year olds are not hitting required standards, for the second year running. In English only 75% have reached the required standards, leaving government hopes of 85% English pass rate for 11 year olds by 2002 in tatters. The report has shown three tenths of Primary school children are behind in reading from as young as seven. Four tenths our poor at writing, leading to one quarter of eleven year olds being classed as semi-literate! Chief school inspector Mr David bell has described the situation as disastrous and has said, I dont think we could possibly be happy with what primary schools are achieving. These chilling figures reported by Ofsted are causing concern amongst parents throughout the country. Although Mr Bell is claiming the route of this problem is due to the teachers and Heads of the schools. As it has been suggested that one in ten of our head teachers are weak, thats a figure just over 2,000 that are simply not up to the job. If the leaders of the schools are weak what hope does it hold for our teachers? Although Heads are saying they are being used a scapegoats Mr Bell insists that they are to blame, They lack knowledge and skill. This standard is simply not adequate as the government has admitted. This has left other parties, including the Liberals suggesting an education reform and the Tories claming the situation has reached crisis level. Although PM Tony Blair has barely mentioned the report, and went ahead with a speech on education standards. This new crisis has fallen into the hands of Estelle Morris successor Charles Clarke. The Education Secretary has been told by Ofsted the targets set for 2004 will not be achievable. This will make his job even harder as situations are just being passed on with each new education secretary. Along with Primary education being seen as a shambles Ms Morris has left the problems of AS and A level system with Mr Clarke. After last years mark fixing fiasco new guide lines need to be set to stop this embarrassing situation recurring. That saw up to 4,194 candidates having their A-level grades increased in 2002. As well as the A-level marking situation causing problems it now seems that AS and A-level lecturers are unhappy with the system. They are calling for a return to a system such as the old one qualification of the A-level over two years. Suggesting that its simply too much for students. These measures come just two years after curriculum 2000 was introduced, bringing in the AS and A2 exams. Although now former chief inspector of England schools, Mr Tomlinson, has been asked to make a report suggesting ways of maintaining the A-levels standards and credibility. Universities are unhappy with a possible move to re-secure the A-level as they feel by keeping the name it will cause confusion. The A-level was first introduced in 1951 and has changed dramatically. This in turn effects what people feel constitutes as an A-level in standards they require, which worries the Universities. Who have also been affected by Labours education crisis due to the clearance procedure after the mess-up with A-level marking. The last thing on the agenda for Labour in terms of education is the staffing shortage in Primary and Senior schools. At the start of the academic year many school remained closed due to staffing shortages. And it appears this situation to is getting worse. As a survey for the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teacher suggested that nearly 63% of teachers have considered leaving their jobs within the past 5 years. And in another survey for the National Opinion Poll of 1,007 NASUWT members discovered that 30% felt that no political party had the right education policies. In conclusion it seams that all areas of or education system our in danger and have been effected, all that is left to say is good luck Charles Clarke, who now has the mammoth task of getting things on track. A job that both David Blunkett and Estelle Morris have failed to achieve.

Mcdonalds As Good Corporate Citizens Marketing Essay

Mcdonalds As Good Corporate Citizens Marketing Essay Introduction The topic area of this research paper is to explore corporate social responsibility. A specific company will be chosen, researched and analyzed in depth to confirm or disconfirm whether it is truly socially responsible in its business practices. The chosen company in question is McDonalds Restaurant. In the past, McDonalds has been seen as both corporately irresponsible and socially responsible and has since been trying to keep its reputation high within its local communities and worldwide. By studying in depth the positive and negative research associated with McDonalds and its business practices, a stronger decision can be made on whether it is truly a socially responsible corporation or is putting on a faà §ade. Literature Review From initial research, many articles on social responsibility exist, however literature specifically involving McDonalds and its social responsibility do not. As a result, the topics preliminary research started on the company website to obtain an idea of what McDonalds claims to be doing to be socially responsible. The movie Supersize Me, in which the producer eats himself into an unhealthy life and body with McDonalds food, has given McDonalds a particularly unhealthy reputation. Yet, McDonalds seems to be going out of its way to battle this reputation. However, the corporations out-of-its-way actions lead to questioning whether or not there is a line between doing it out of genuine care or doing it to put on a show. Thus, this research paper serves to test the question of the fine lines of corporate social responsibility. Methodology The approach for answering the questions mentioned above is to research as much as possible to find both negative articles against McDonalds approach to social responsibility and positive articles supporting McDonalds and its many social business practices. The goal is to collect as much positive and negative data from all types of sources, such as journal articles, magazine articles, newspaper articles, databases and corporate websites. After all the research resources have been exhausted, the articles will be analyzed in terms of relevance to the question at hand and the most relevant examples will be analyzed individually in terms of the ethics of social responsibility. After interpreting all of the research together as a whole, the final result of whether McDonalds is a socially responsible corporation will be answered. Expected Results The group expects that the deep research into McDonalds intentions will yield more negative results than positive ones. It is expected that McDonalds is trying to put on more of a faà §ade than put into place actual socially responsible practices. Aside from its main and original charity practices, like the Ronald McDonald House and childrens charities, the group expects that the socially responsible acts that the corporation boasts on its website are not more than mere future promises that change with time but never become fully completed. Actual Results Environment McDonalds boasts that it prides itself on being environmentally safe and continuously innovative in its business practices. In the past, McDonalds eliminated its polystyrene packaging that had a problem being recycled and turned to newer, more environmentally friendly cardboard packaging. One of McDonalds more recent focuses have been on what they refer to as the Big Mac Problem, which is that beef production is one of the highest generators of greenhouse gases and the production practices are inefficient. However, without the pull in the beef production industry and without being able to eliminate the production of beef altogether, McDonalds would like to form a beef coalition, in which it trades with environmentally friendly groups and rallies or pushes many companies and farmers towards reducing greenhouse gases (Warner, 2009). Though McDonalds does not have the pull to change the direction of the beef production industry, it certainly has a plan to create that pull. The corporati on has also agreed to help reduce the amount of pesticide used in its potato supply chain by surveying suppliers and picking the ones that have the best pesticide reduction practices (Nations Restaurant News, 2009). As well as pesticide reduction, McDonalds has already implemented efficient, environmentally friendly, daily operating practices. The corporation has installed new fryers that are energy efficient and use less cooking oil, thus less waste (Nations Restaurant News, 2008). All around, McDonalds is implementing an act utilitarianism view into all of its environmental practices. By helping the environment, all of society benefits in health, in sustainability and in welfare. McDonalds may be taking smaller steps than what is expected of such a large corporation to help the environment and reduce their carbon footprint, but they are making sure they are benefitting the most people in every way while they do it. Health McDonalds is the most popular fast food chain in the world. With that prestige and recognition, comes the weight of both the positive and negative attributes associated with fast food. The largest criticism is by far the overall quality and health of their food. Amid the hype surrounding the 2004 documentry Super Size Me, there is a serious underlying issue that needs to be addressed. In favour of low prices and convenience, unhealthy and potentially dangerous fast food is consumed à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦an average of 11 times every two weeks (Heart and Stroke, 2005). This is certainly not a situation unique to McDonalds, but the company receives a large amount of negative attention because of it. To combat the McDonalds image of unhealthy living and its association with obesity, the company launched several initiatives in the 2003-2005 timeframe. They completely retooled their menu to include Healthy Choices salads, improved Happy Meal options such as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦low fat white and chocolate milk, apple juice, and Apple Dippers (White, 2006). With the menu change, came a complete marketing overhaul. This included McDonalds new Im Lovin It campaign promoting an active lifestyle, as well as the use of Ronald McDonald as a positive health role model for kids. Throughout the launch of the campaigns until the present, McDonalds has remained committed to their new vision, testing such ideas as mini-gyms for children in select stores (Horovitz, 2006), and including stepometers with certain purchases (White, 2006). McDonalds recognized that their previous business practices and overall product were not consistent with what the general public was demanding. The cultural norm has shifted over the last few decades, and the average customer began demanding that options were made available that were consistent with a healthier lifestyle. The company knew it was losing touch with its customer base, and implemented the theory of Ethical Relativism when determining what the best course of action to take was. First, they considered if their actions were the cultural norm. In the past, selling greasy hamburgers and fries may have been enough to appease the public, but today the average person is concerned with their diet and overall lifestyle. This push for an alternative from fast food chains meant that McDonalds had to consider alternate menu options if they wish to meet that cultural demand. Next McDonalds asked if offering only unhealthy options was causing harm to anyone. They saw that by offering o nly nutritionally poor foods and ignoring the promotion of exercise, people were definitely being hurt. This is represented by the climbing obesity rates, and the escalading rates of heart disease and other diet-contributing diseases. Overall, McDonalds saw that the ethical thing to do was to promote better diet and lifestyle practices in addition to their traditional menu, and went above and beyond what was expected of them to achieve this. Toy Safety McDonalds has always been very committed to safety, and this is revealed through their commitment to the safety of their toys. The toys included in McDonalds Happy Meals are a staple for kids and parents alike, and McDonalds realizes that it is important these toys are the highest quality they can be. McDonalds has been recognized for their exceptional safety standards by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and acknowledges their contribution of both funds and technology to the commission. According to the Office of Information and Public Affairs, the funds donated purchased, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a computerized virtual child and a life-like breathing mannequin designed to evaluate choking and suffocation hazards (2001). This is a commitment to safety that goes above and beyond what was ever expected of McDonalds, and their track record indicates that their strict protocols are effective. Act Utilitarianism promotes the greatest good for the greatest number of people. McDonalds could have chose to save the money donated to the USCPSC, but decided that the financial pain experienced by spending this money is worthwhile when considering the overall well-being of its large youth consumer base. McDonalds could have also chose to produce cheap and unreliable toys for their Happy Meals to save money, but again, they have demonstrated that the price of potentially unsafe toys is not worth the small financial gain by doing so. Ronald Mcdonald House The Ronald Mcdonald house is just one of the ways Mcdonalds is being socially responsible. The program began in the 1970s when the first fund raiser launched to help children with leukemia. This program provides housing for families with very sick kids. The homes are nearby to hospitals which helps to keep the families together in a very difficult time for a very low cost (Ronald Mcdonald House). There are 12 Ronald Mcdonald Houses in Canada. Another part of the Ronald Mcdonald House is the Ronald Mcdonald Room. This is a room located within the hospital where the families of sick children can go. This room provides a place for parents and families to do their laundry shower, dine, cook food and use the bathroom facilities. Based on Act Utilitarianism, which is a theory that states that an action is ethical if it creates the greatest amount of happiness or pleasure for the largest amount of people. When Mcdonalds provides services for children with serious illnesses and their familie s this is creating happiness for all parties involved. The children are able to have their whole family around them in a time that is without a doubt scary for young kids. Because the children have their familys support and love this benefits the child greatly, as this will assist in their recovery from illness. Ronald Mcdonald House also benefits the parents of the children because they do not have to worry about the hassle of finding a place to live near the hospital at an affordable rate (A World of Charity: Children, families turn to RMHC in time of need, 2005). Parents are able to be close to their children when they are needed the most (Busch, 1998). The actions of the Ronald Mcdonald House are moral because they also conform to the theory of Rule Utilitarianism. Rule Utilitarianism is based on the fact that an action is moral if it creates the greatest good for the greatest amount of people but can also be sustained if everyone took that action in society. If every business i n todays society chose a charity that management felt strongly about this would be sustainable and create the greatest amount of good for all members of society. McHappy Day McHappy Day is one of McDonalds longest traditional events, held annually to help support sick children around the world. This event was established in 1977 as a one-day fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House Charities, and has raised nearly over 26 million dollars in the past sixteen years (Z99, 2009). On this day, when you purchase a Big Mac sandwich, McMuffin sandwich or Happy Meal, McDonalds will donate $1.00 to its various childrens charities, which help support children in desperate need. In addition to the donations collected on this day, 10 cents from each Happy Meal sold regularly is donated to the Ronald McDonald House Program. (Marketwire, 2009) There are many ways in which someone can support McHappy Days in addition to purchasing the selected sandwiches. There are wristbands available for a donation of $2.00, or you can buy one of the McHappy Day products available for sale such as an apron, mugs, pens, bags, etc. You can also donate online through the McHappy Day website. Proceeds collected by the Ronald McDonald house Charities will help, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦build and maintain houses close to hospitals, allowing ill children to stay close to their families, creating homely retreat rooms within hospitals, and [providing] free holiday accommodation for terminally ill children and their families (McDonalds, n.d.). McDonalds McHappy Day celebrations are a special day for everyone in the McDonalds environment. Some locations are visited by special guests, sports and media personalities, politicians and entertainers as they roll up their sleeves to work behind the counter and show their support (Marketwire, 2009). This may be the biggest draw for the crowd: seeing celebrities and local figures, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦swap their glamorous day jobs for flipping burgers (Katu, 2007). For example, last years McHappy Day, Senior chief Mike Metcalf of Peel Regional Police visited his local McDonalds restaurant to lend a hand, helping to raise money for McHappy Day. Some of the proceeds from the purchase of selected sandwiches were also donated to the William Osler Hospital Foundation in Brampton, ON and Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga (Silver Creek, 2009). McDonaldsalso holds McHappy Days for elementary and middle schools. Students are given an opportunity to see their teachers flip burgers, deep fry fri es, fill drinks and more, on their designated McHappy school days. Teachers hand out McHappy school cards to their students, which are stamped with their schools name and address. When purchasing, they give the cashier the card and $1.00 of their purchase is given to their school. At the end of the day, employees, customers, volunteers, and sponsors alike embrace the spirit behind McHappy Day; the spirit of joy. They take comfort in knowing that they made a difference and helped someone that was less fortunate then themselves. The actions performed by McDonalds in partnership with the Ronald McDonalds House charities take the characteristics of Act Utilitarianism. Ones actions must promote happiness and avoid those actions that cause unhappiness. The consequences of your actions should matter to everyone, not just those that surround you. McHappy Day promotes happiness for all. It helps the less fortunate by allowing those that wish to make a difference to participate in their community, even though they may be too busy to volunteer in more detailed ways. It truly makes a world of difference for a sick child to know that someone cares enough to participate. Animal Welfare Another way in which Mcdonalds acts in an ethical manner is that they have begun to demand that suppliers treat animals with respect. The current process for slaughtering chickens is: the live chicken is picked up and hung upside down on hooks, they are then shocked in water that has electricity running through it (which does not always kill the chicken) and finally their throats are cut. Mcdonalds is currently working with their animal welfare board to find a more humane way of slaughter called controlled atmospheric killing (CAK) (Garber, 2005). The CAK method puts the bird to sleep painlessly with the use of a gas, which would eliminate a lot of the suffering that is endured during the traditional slaughtering process. Another action Mcdonalds is taking to promote the better treatment of animals is by asking hen farmers to stop the process of debeaking and molting hens. Debeaking is a common practice as it prevents the birds which are confined to tight cages with several other birds, from killing each other. The process is extremely inhumane, leaving the hens beakless. Mcdonalds has also got its suppliers to stop molting hens, this process is carried out when the hen is at the end of their egg producing life. At this point the hens are starved, which makes them produce even more eggs. This process is inhumane as it can result in the death of the hen. Although this is only a small step in the right direction with respect to the issue of animal welfare, Mcdonalds is moving toward a more humane treatment of food animals. The theory of rights (more specifically animal rights) proves that making sure animals are treated humanely before being slaughtered is the moral action to take. At first blush one may think that it is not in the best interest of Mcdonalds to be sure their suppliers are treating animals fairly because this will only drive the price of meat products up, which in turn will drive Mcdonalds sales down. However, whether Mcdonalds is taking this action out of a sense of duty to animals or to keep their corporate image high in the eyes of the consumer it is the moral thing to do (Fast Food and Animal Rights: An Examination and Assessment of the Industrys Response to Social Pressure, 2008). The fair and humane treatment of animals can and should be enforced, whether the animal is a pet or being prepared for slaughter, has t he right to live as close to it would in nature, be treated fairly, and free from abuse. Corporate Social Responsibility Making Good Business Sense, written by Richard Holme and Phil Watts, (representing the World Business Council for Sustainable Development) described Corporate social responsibility as the the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as the local community and society at large. (Holme Watts, 2000) Many feel that McDonalds owes a debt to society, and that any ethically initiated activity that McDonalds takes part in is a ploy to divert peoples attention from the real issue of obesity. However, McDonalds has been interested in portraying the role of a Socially Responsible company for a longer period of time than societys recent search for a scape goat to take the blame of the wealthiest nations of the worlds rapidly growing obesity problem. In 2002, McDonalds released its first Social Responsibility Report. This report was a message to the stockholders of McDonalds, and their consumers that they were interested in ethics, and that it played an important position in the role of the company. In the report, McDonalds stated its various core values such as Giving back to the communities in which we do business, [being] committed to people and [being] dedicated to providing customers unparalleled levels of Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value. (McDonalds CSR, 2002) Despite McDonalds efforts, both the Social Responsibility Report and the company were heavily criticized. McDonalds April 14 Report on Corporate Social Responsibility is a low- water mark for the concept of sustainability and the promise of corporate social responsibility. It is a melange of generalities and soft assurances that do not provide hard metrics of the company, its activities or its impacts on society and the environment. (Hawken, 2002) in essence, H awken and many other critiques argument is that McDonalds used a qualitative one-sided narrative to keep people stockholders happy and consumers spending. They avoided any real issues and just used numbers and data in the scenarios that would make the company look good. McDonalds has released four more CSR reports since 2002. With every new report, McDonalds has committed to increasing the transparency of the corporation to the public, and including more quantitative data rather than simply focusing on future goals. In addition, with every outcry from the public over an issue with McDonalds business the company has strived to address the issue and documented the results. McDonalds also has a code of ethics the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Senior officers must adhere. The waiver that each must sign can be listed in the appendix. In addition, Ethisphere even listed Bob Langert, VP of Corporate Social Responsibility at McDonalds, one of its top 100 most influential people of 2008 . Ethisphere had this to say: Langert and McDonalds unveiled a state of the art corporate responsibility report in 2008. If your company is working on a CSR report at the moment, it would be a waste not to take a look at McDonalds for a little inspiration. (Ethisphere, 2008) This serves as a testimony to virtue ethics. The executive officers at McDonalds are striving to cultivate virtues characters and pursue the right life for the corporation. Conclusion Critiques still argue that the CSR reports are biased and many people will argue that McDonalds is a two faced company that is only working on repaying their super sized debt to the worlds health. This will most likely continue to do so for the length of time that North Americans blame other people for their own self indulgence issues that lead to obesity. McDonalds offers a product that people ask for. There are many different types of food that are unhealthy in copious amounts. The restaurant exists however, because there is demand. McDonalds makes enough money that customers are not just paying for food; but they are also paying for McDonalds to take the blame for bad health conditions. However it is important to realize that despite the general mood that people have towards McDonalds, their policies towards maintaining environmental sustainability, auditing supply chains to prevent animal cruelty, supporting children communities, offering healthy menu alternatives, company trans parency and reporting on social responsibility demonstrates that McDonalds has dedicated itself to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as the local community and society at large.