Indias Culture, History and Economy

Indias Culture, History and Economy Executive Summary Historical/Geographical background With traces of Human life dating back over 9000 years, India can be described as one of the oldest nations in the world. This brief analysis looks at the construction of a major European trading post and the downfall of the colonies as well as looking at how the current trends in populace are helping India develop into one of the worlds newest major powers. Type of government and State system employed Indian politics are described as a very grey area. What is construed as a democracy by the constitution is in reality a democracy where the people repeatedly vote in the same corrupt leaders. It is a country run by money and its idea of democracy needs to change drastically if India has any chance of catching up with the powerful G8 nations. Relationship with neighbouring countries Indias relationship with neighbouring countries varies completely from Pakistan their arch rival due to different aspects from religion to ownership of land. To their relationship with China which has dramatically changed from warring neighbouring countries to making friends with each other and co-operating with one and other. Judicial system Indias court system appears to be at fault. Terrorism is becoming increasingly frequent but punishment for such crimes is minimal. Although the court system is attempting to pass laws to eliminate crime, the government is failing to implement them efficiently and the corrupt police forces overlook these laws. Religion Religion within India is widely spread and very important to the people of India. Instead of having the usual class system, India has a caste system and as soon as somebody is born they are put into rankings according to the caste system. Culture Indias culture is one of the oldest and most unique. It is unlike any other culture in the world and each region of the country possesses its own distinctive cultural niche. Cultural diversity is reflected through Indias exciting traditional clothing and highly respectful family values. Health, welfare and education The healthcare in India has developed dramatically over the years from hardly any at all to a national health service; even though this is available many of the higher class population choose to seek private centres. Welfare in India differs from the cities where tourism is popular to the villages were at particular months, times can be a struggle. Education is very popular in the cities where the government can provide help, on the other hand, in the outer villages education is scarce. Government and Media Indian Press, TV, Radio and Internet media are all explored in this section. It explains quick growth of Indian media sector and how it came across Governments will to control it. Economic climate Currently India is doing very well itself and is in a boom state rather than a bust in comparison with many other countries. India has many imports and exports e.g. diamonds and fuel. India has some main trading partners that are America and China. Political Diplomacy India is a powerhouse in terms of their involvement in European relations. Relationships with neighbouring countries such as Pakistan are hostile but Bhutan and China are both working closely with India to improve trade routes. Introduction In our group assignment, the question we were given to answer was How can we accurately define the 21st century nation state with regards to the country India. This report consists of research into many different aspects of India including, Historical/geographical background and demographics, The type of government and state system employed, The nation state, relationship with neighbours, Judicial system, Importance of religion/class/caste, Culture and Ideology, Provision of welfare/education, Relationship of media and the Indian government, The modern economy. During this project, we will explore deep in to India as a country, to gain extensive knowledge, to help us to understand more about their life and culture enabling us to complete our report. Each section of the report will be researched in depth and the most important and relevant parts picked out and used to show our understanding and knowledge of India. This will then enable us to piece together everyones individual work and produce an overall project. The report will be created to the best of all our abilities, as it is a group project we will obviously be working together to complete the work. However, not only will we have to work together but we will also each have to do our own individual piece regarding our country, India. The information and the images e.g. diagrams that we will use in the report will be appropriately referenced in the bibliography along with any other relevant information we find. Historical background of India The Earliest know traces of life in India can be found as Stone Age rock shelters with paintings. These can be found in Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh. The first known settlement was traced back to over 9000 years ago. This settlement developed into the Indus Valley Civilization, which dates back to 3300 BCE in the western province of India. (http://www.harappa.com/indus/indus1.html) During the 16th Century India was used a major trading post to the far east by the Major European powers such as; the UK, Portugal, the Netherlands and France. During the later half of the 16th century colonies were set up in India aided by the countries internal conflicts. By 1856, India was mostly under the control of the British East India Company. (http://india.gov.in/knowindia/history_freedom_struggle.php) Within a year India would be brought under direct rule of the British Crown. These events are some of the major factors, which have helped India to develop into a developing nation faster than a lot of its surrounding 3rd world neighbors. In my opinion India would not have been considered a developing nation for some time without the early introduction to European trading and industry, which are now the foundation to a thriving economy along with other factors such as the huge population and modern investment. By the 20th Century India was ready for freedom and a struggle for nationwide independence ensued. The Indian National Congress as well as some other political organizations led the struggle. Infamous Indian Leader Mahatma Gandhi led millions of Indian people through non-violent campaigns for freedom. (http://www.kamat.com/mmgandhi/mkgtimeline.htm) On 15 August 1947, the nation of India was declared as free from British rule. At the same time as the gained there independence, some mostly Muslim areas where partitioned to Pakistan. (http://english.emory.edu/Bahri/Part.html) India became a republic on the 26th of January 1950 and the new constitution came into power. (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/in.html) Geographical background of India The seventh largest country in the world India is guarded from the rest of Asia by ranges of mountains and vast seas. This gives India a palatable geographical actuality. Spanning an area of 32,87,2631 Km square, India shares its borders with Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Burma, Bhutan, China and Kashmir. India has Borders with the Indian Ocean to the South West and Bay of Bengal to the South East with a coastline including non-mainland islands of 7,516.5 km. http://www.indiabook.com/india-information/indian-geography.html A lot of Indias strengths today can be attributed to its size. With size come resources and the power to export. Demographical background of India India has an estimated population of 1.2million people. (http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/wpp2008/wpp2008_text_tables.pdf) This Makes India the 2nd most populated country in the world. I believe that we can attribute some of Indias success and a growing nation to this. For example, their massive GDP that has been climbing steadily could be accredited to the cheap work force that they are able to get their hands on. With the labor cost in India being cheaper India has found that Developed nations have taken an interest in using that cheap labor. This Investment from other countries has also helped India leave its neighbors behind. In recent years the population has risen sharply. It has been claimed that this is due to the recent advancements in medicine. I agree that this is an attributing factor and Indias aging population could be a problem for the in the very foreseeable future. But as it stands with its huge population India can only become more powerful as they adva nce technologically and strive to catch up with Western nation. Indian Politics There isnt a more populated democracy in the entire world than India. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/country_profiles/1154019.stm) India also boasts the longest constitution by any independent nation. This exhaustive constitution was initiated on the 26th of January in 1950. The constitution outlines India as a Secular, Socialist, Sovereign and Democratic republic. (Identities and the Indian state: An overview) India adopted, beneficially, a parliamentary government but has shifted to a much more federal style in the 1990s due to internal social and economical change. The constitutional head of the Indian government is the president. He is elected by an electoral college and should serve a maximum of five years with out being re-elected. All real power in the country is shared between the President of India and the Council of Ministers. (http://www.tradechakra.com/india-political-system.html) On paper India is considered a very typical democracy. In reality voters keep voting for corrupt leaders. Democracy in India faces threats from leaders such as Abu Salem, who has recently requested to contest in elections. Abu Salem, and extradite of Portugal would almost certainly use his position of power to initiate hate campaigns against Hindus backed by his pseudo-secular followers. This puts forward the question, does democracy ever work? Thomas Jefferson once said, A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine. Is the majority decision the correct one? Some people would say that Indian politics doesnt work as a democracy, but if you were to compare them with Pakistan who have a very similar democracy to India, On Paper. In reality you would find that Pakistan has a much more corrupt government than India. This would suggest that the Indian system is a working democracy to some extent; to the extent perhaps that any democracy works. Relationship with Neighbouring countries Pakistan India Ever since 1947 when the British government went in and dismantled India as a country they have been arch rivals and even over the many years it has shown that they still do not get along. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/south_asia/2002/india_pakistan/timeline/default.stm These arguments go deep into religion and history the state of Jammu and Kashmir, and whom they actually belong to. Pakistan and India have not yet managed to agree on power over the equal equation in south Asia. An undeclared war broke out in 1947 between the two countries over the state of Kashmir; this was the first of three extreme conflicts that the countries have had with each other. On July 18th, both of the countries signed the Karachi Agreement establishing a ceasefire line that was supervised by the United Nations. This left Pakistan, India and China part of the land. Most of the tension between the two nations comes from a long history of conflict, through religion and ownership of land, ending up as a nuclear competition. http://www.ignca.nic.in/ks_41061.htm Each trying to push the other country to back down, one of the countries needs to take the first step to a harmonious relationship or things seem set to only get worse for themselves. China India China and India have had a completely different relationship with one and other, they are very similar in many different ways, both of the countries had to fight for their countries freedom and have been allies in war. However, the change in new world has managed to alter Indias perspective of China and their true intentions. Chinas military has had a rapid growth and this begins to worry India in several ways. China has always used their military forces to gain control of different aspects of their culture, for example for the fight for their freedom they used their armed forces to complete a gruelling task to fight until the end to obtain their goal. India went down the opposite route of using non-violent demonstrations to gain their achievements. So naturally, the development of the Chinese army has begun to worry India. Although these http://iaps.cass.cn/xueshuwz/showcontent.asp?id=262two approaches are completely different, both have seen success in their relationship, with one and other and other countries. By keeping there tactics the same, they now in the 21st century are aiming for the same goals of maintaining Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence around the world. I believe that India and china will continue to keep a harmonious relationship with one and other even with their different views on appropriate action so far they have managed to keep a friendship going and will continue this, using each others strengths to help themselves. Indian Judicial System How does it work? The Supreme Court of India is the uppermost part in the Indian legal system, consisting of a Chief Justice and 25 associate justices, who are appointed by the President. Under The Supreme Court of India, each state or group of states possesses High Courts and there are several subordinate courts under these High Courts. As of the 1960s, Indian eliminated the use of juries for most trials as they were deemed ineffective and corrupt and opted for the majority of trials to be conducted by judges (www.indiafacts.headlinesinindia.com www.wikepedia.com). Does India have a fair and working police and court system? From research, I have found much primary data that shows me Indias police and court system appears to be working ineffectively. Terrorism is rife in India and the most recent attack was the Mumbai bombings in November 2008. These were a series of attacks, lasting three days, on some of Indias most famous landmarks, notably the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower. The attacks resulted in the death of more than 170 people. According to the Amnesty International Report the government tightened security legislation and set up a federal agency to investigate terrorist attacks. However, the laws put in place failed to materialize and despite 70 death sentences, no executions took place. This suggests to me that the court system is failing in their attempts to improve the country and perhaps not enough effort is being put on important laws, such as punishing terrorists. (http://thereport.amnesty.org/en/regions/asia-pacific/india) Furthermore, a report released by Human Rights Watch on August 4th 2009 gives an in-depth 118-page account of a range of human violations committed by the police in India. The report is based on interviews with police officers and over 60 members on the public who have first-hand experience of the police forces unprovoked and unnecessary violence. One individual describes how he was tortured in an attempt to force a confession out of him. He describes how he was repeatedly beaten with a wooden stick until he nearly fainted. India is modernizing rapidly, but the police continue to use their old methods: abuse and threats. It is time for the government to stop talking about reform and fix the system. (http://thereport.amnesty.org/en/regions/asia-pacific/india) This quote from Brad Adams, the Asia Director at Human Rights Watch shows how feels that the police system is not working and that the government need to do something about it. Is the court system to blame for the corrupt police system? According to the report, in 2006, The Supreme Court of India judgment attempted to improve police laws. However, the implications of these laws were poorly put into practice. The article implies that officials do not view the need for police and human rights reforms at an urgent matter and are satisfied for it to continue as it is. Indias status as the worlds largest democracy is undermined by a police force that thinks it is above the law. This is another quote from Brad Adams, revealing that the Supreme Court of Indias efforts have been overlooked by a policing system that chooses to ignore the law. (http://www.hrw.org/node/84730) From research, I have learnt that Indias police and court system appears to be failing. Although there seems be attempts to make new laws the process of putting them into practice is poor and ineffective. Religion India is a very religious country and the main religion that is followed in this country is Hinduism, 83% of the population of India is Hindu (http://www.incredibleindia.org/newsite/cms_Page.asp) and therefore obviously it is a very important subject. Religion in India plays a huge part and is often a way of life for the people who live in India and is something they relate to every day. Although Hinduism is the main religion there are many others with Islam been the second biggest religious group in India, Muslims number over a billion globally, spread among many different countries, ranging from the Middle East and Africa to areas now part of Russia and extending as far as China and Malaysia in East Asia. They make up the majority of the population in 30 countries and large minorities in other (Book-The international Business Environment, 2nd Ed. Janet Morrison 2006, Palgrave, Macmillan Page 182) and others including Christianity, Sikhism and Buddhism. As religion is a way of life for the average person living in India they eat, sleep and breathe their religion because it is very important to them and this is what they live for. There are aspects of all religions within India that have become very common, the most recent of these aspects is the food and dance festivals that the people have to celebrate certain timesof the year within each religion. However because a large population of India go to these festivals regardless of their religion each actual religion has its own beliefs, heroes and culinary specialties (http://www.squidoo.com/indian-religions). This shows that no religion is the same despite the fact that they celebrate the same religious and cultural events. India has a caste system that is a hierarchical system within their society http://www.indianchild.com/caste_system_in_india.htm, the system is used for almost everything and puts people in a ranking order depending on certain qualities which each individual has e.g. wealth, relatives. This system seems very important because it is used to help identify who is of more worth and who should be looked at differently with regards to the caste system. It becomes easy to see who is where in the ranking and if you are at the lower end of the hierarchical caste system it is likely that people will act differently towards that person compared to if they were of a higher ranking. The extent of the impact will depend upon how severe the caste system is and how much people judge each other in relation to the system. I dont believe it is fair to judge and make opinions on people just based on the caste system that they use in India, however it happens and so the people of India have to cope with it. As there is a caste system the Indian people obviously class people according to things like wealth and power. This in my opinion shows that they have a class system and there will be a lower class who have the basic job and basic wages, the middle class who have the better paid jobs and the better power and then there is the ultimate higher class who most people will aspire to be because they are the wealthiest people among the classes and they have the power and the most powerful contacts and relationships. However most countries do class people according to how much money and power they have and this is unlikely to change any time soon. Culture India is renowned for possessing one of the richest and most unique cultures in the world. Each regions culture enjoys its own individual features, demonstrating great cultural diversity throughout the country. It would be difficult to identify any culture in the world that possesses the variation and individuality that Indian culture does. In this section of the assignment, I intend to explore some of the distinctive features of Indian culture, namely family values, clothing and dance. So what is culture? The term culture refers to a state of intellectual development or manners. The social and political forces that influence the growth of a human being are defined as culture. (www.indianchild.com) Distinctive features of Indian culture Family Values Traditional family values remain similar in all regions of India, despite the rich cultural diversity. A common belief among Indians is that children are a gift from God, boys being the more favourable sex as they can earn money to support the family. (www.essortment.com/all/familyindianli_rvuy.htm) Traditional family values are highly respected and a vast majority of Indians have their marriages arranged for them by their parents or other highly regarded family members. In India, marriage is thought to be for life and therefore the divorce rate is extremely low. According to statistics, (www.divorcemag.com) the divorce rate in the United Kingdom was 42.6% as a percentage of marriages, whereas India was only 1.1%; this huge difference reiterates that Indian family values believe marriage is for life. Clothing Traditional Indian attire exudes ethnic charm through the bright, rich colours and style and material can vary depending on the geographical location. For women, a draped garment called a sari is popular and an embroidered dress called a salwar kameez. Similarly, men wear a draped garment called a dhoti or a lungi. Also popular for men are European-style trousers and shirts. From research, when I think of Indian clothing I instantly visualise radiant and exciting colours. I think this is reflective of Indias rich and unique culture as there are not many other countries in which traditional clothing is so exciting. The picture shows a woman in traditional Indian salwar kameez, the embroidery detail on the dress along with the vibrant colours suggests to me a lot of effort goes into their clothing and shows that clothing is a significant part of their culture. Dance Dance forms are divided into two categories; classical and folk. Classical usually aim to convey a spiritual message, whereas, folk dances are mainly used as part of celebrations. Like other aspects of Indian culture, dance forms are equally unique and vary across the regions. Bharatnatyam is the most renowned dance from the South, as significant as a dance form it is viewed almost as a religion to many who revere it. I get the sense that dance is a highly significant part of Indian culture if it can be regarded to some people as important as religion. From family values, clothing and dance to their unique monuments and religions, I have found the culture of India to be diverse among regions and extremely interesting to learn about. It is notably dissimilar to any other country I am familiar with. Healthcare Health care was changed substantially between the 1950s and the 1980s; however, this managed to cause a large boost in population growth causing the number of practises per person to be at an extreme low. In 1991, India had about 22,400 primary health centres, 11,200 hospitals and 27,400 dispensaries. (http://www.indianchild.com/health_care_in_india.htm) They managed to produce a tiered health care system that placed more difficult cases into the urban hospitals while attempting to provide medical care for most of the cases in the countryside; this seems quite significant because most of the Indian population live in villages in the outer areas. Many of the hospitals were owned and managed by charitable trusts, and received some payment from the government, while the rest of the hospitals were managed by private trusts. Many of the medical equipment needed for the hospitals was limited as the money needed to by the products was scarce in the early 1990s. By 1992, however, most of the privately owned hospitals were part of the government scheme for colleges and contained enough medical equipment to treat all major types of diseases including cancer. (http://www.indianchild.com/health_care_in_india.htm) India has a free treatment at public health centres on the other hand however most of the public prefer to pay money for treatment by private physicians. This seems interesting as India is not known as a rich country so paying for treatment rather than take the free care seems to be a bit of a luxury, on the other hand, it shows that the standard of national free health care must be at a poor standard. Welfare In the case of welfare India is the same as everywhere else depending on its income to help it succeed. However, in India there are two scenarios with the richer parts of Indias population have no problem at all maintaining healthy living constantly all year round, however in the small villages of the less developed parts of India this can be an increasing problem with hot summers and no constant flow of tourists, times can seem very hard. (http://giik.net/blog/india-welfare/)With an enormous population in the billions many people live out of the main cities and even further into the country this can make it hard for them to access medical centres and other vital aid that they may need. This contributes to the high death rate, lowering the average life expectancy. Education Indias recent economic growth rates have helped them progress in the educational department. The story of Indias educational achievements is one of mixed success. On the negative side, India has 22 per cent of the worlds population and is home to a high proportion of the worlds out of school children and youths. On the positive side, it has made encouraging recent progress in raising schooling participation. While the base of Indias education may be weak, it has emerged as an important player in the worldwide information technology revolution due to the substantial numbers of well educated computing and other graduates. However it was not always this way in 1854, Sir Charles Woods introduced a new policy into Indias government, this was made to help those who have not got enough money to send their children to school, for help to be provided for them, so that all children would be treated equally. (Crisis and Change in Contemporary India)On the other hand, due to the enormous population of the country they could not make the school scheme compulsory, as the government did not have enough money for all of the children that needed their help and support. Media and government of India Relationships between the media and the government in India is not very different to the West European democratic model, however some historical and demographical aspects drove this relation in its own specification and pace. Recent changes in regulations of freedom and speech seems to follow global concept of independent media production and broadcasting news. The history of media in India began in the eighteenth century when the first prints were published. Indian media has been relatively independent throughout most of their history, however, over the period of 1975-1977 Prime Minister Gandhi declared the period of emergency with potential government retribution. This incident has not changed freedom of Indian media in the long term. (http://india.mapsofindia.com/india-forum/media-in-india.html) Nowadays Indian media markets with over 99 million newspaper copies in 2007, 60 million internet users in 2008 and large amounts of TV channels is one of the leading media markets in the world. With a population of over one billion the Indian market is a lot to fight for. Major newspapers like The India Gazette, The Calcutta Gazette, The Madras Courier were initially carried under the British rule, however same as The Bombay Times most Indian publishers are now independent. The Press Council is a statutory body of journalists, publishers, academics and politicians, with a chairman appointed by the Government. Designed to be a self-regulating mechanism for the press, it investigates complaints of irresponsible journalism and sets a code of conduct for publishers. This code includes a commitment not to publish articles or details that might incite caste or communal violence. Radio broadcasting became state responsibility in 1930. AM broadcasting remained a government monopoly. Private FM radio station ownership was legalized during 2000, but licenses only authorized entertainment and educational content. Although there were privately owned radio stations, they were not permitted to broadcast news. Major radio stations nowadays in India like All India Radio, Radio City, Big FM, Radio Mirchi are important informational channels all over the country. Some channels are more recognized as of the language dialect, but Hindi spoken media with over 422 million speakers are the most popular. Complete television broadcasting was initiated in 1965. The Government of India owned and maintained audio-visual apparatus and played a significant role in increasing mass education and publishing information. Some TV projects were specifically designed to educate village population. Following the economic reforms of the 90s, satellite TV channels from around the world including BBC, CNN, CNBC and other foreign television channels gained a foothold in the country. In 1993 there were over 47 million registered TV users. Private satellite television was distributed widely by cable or satellite dish. These channels provided substantial competition for Doordarshan, the government-owned television network, in both presentation and credibility. Doordarshan frequently was accused of manipulating the news in the Governments favour; however, in some parts of the country satellite channel owners used their medium to promote the platforms of the political parties that they supported. In addit ion, citizens had access to uncensored Cable News Network, the British Broadcasting Company and a variety of other foreign programs. Recently, with 562 television stations, the country ranked eighth in the list of countries by number of television broadcast stations as of 1997. Star Plus, Colors, Zee TV, DD1 are the top TV channels in 2009. Internet as the newest and the quickest growing media nowadays is the one that seems to be less influenced by Government regulations, however, some radical acts have also taken place in the past. The Government imposed limited access to the Internet. The Informational Technology Act provides for censoring information on the Internet on public morality grounds, and it considers unauthorized access to electronic information a crime. According to Reporters Without Borders, this law allowed police officers to search the homes or offices of Internet users, at any time and without a warrant. But it was another way to fight against crime and allowing legal acts against those who are breaking the law. In practice, the internet is the most popular media worldwide and is the most powerful source of information in India, same as the rest of the world. The Constituti

Research Paper on Clothes Essay

Fashion, is something that all girls want to talk about. Some people may think that the famous designers just magically came up with an idea to make a whole collection on their own. Well, in some cases that is true but in most cases it’s not. A lot of our clothes that we wear now are actually influenced by the clothes from the 15th/16th century. That’s why the clothes from the 16th century and the clothes now are very similar in some ways through the way women wore then and the way they dress now, the way men dressed and the way men dress now and how the children dressed then and now. The women from the 16th century and the women now aren’t so different. Both women then and now spent so much money trying to get the latest trends. It was/is so expensive to try to get the newest clothes. About 18% of women’s salaries go towards clothes (ABA Journals. com. ) Both then and now, only the upper class can afford these new trends. The upper class women got the most beautiful gowns and clothes that were available because they had the money to be able to pay for the latest and newest trends. This is a picture of a beautiful upper class woman. She is wearing the most wonderful headpiece. (Realmofvenus. renaissanceitaly. net/wardrobe) It must of cost a lot of money to put this creation together. It’s the same with today, the more money you have the more clothes you have. Those clothes that you have are top of the line, made by the most renowned fashion designers on this planet. Now of days, women can really wear whatever they want. They don’t have to wear what everyone else is wearing, which back then was dresses, dresses and dresses. Clothing now reflects personality and creativity. It gives people some freedom, freedom that women back then didn’t really have. The men then and the men now have a lot of things in common. They both got all dressed up for special occasions. Men now usually just wear a suit but back then the men went all out! The most famous suit designers are Michael Kor’s and Calvin Klein (nymsuits. com) Puffing and slashing was the thing that was â€Å"in. † The men puffed and slashed everything from breeches to bodices to capes. Bodices were a tight-fitting Elizabethan arment covering the torso; plural because the body came in two parts which fastened in the middle (Dictionary. com) Both the men then and now also wear drawers or underwear. So that’s something else that the men then and now have in common. Basically, the kids in the 16th century had to wear what the adults wore. The boys wore what the men wore and the girls wore what the women wore. Well, the sizes were smaller. The babies on the other hand usually just wore onsies. What I mean by onsies is that they wore one piece of clothing that covered their entire body. Minus the head, neck and hands. Today, like adults, kids can really where what they want to. But, they do have some limits. In some private schools, kids are ordered to wear uniforms. Like the one below. (windstan. com) This is something that a girl must wear to school. When there is no dress code in your school kids can really wear whatever they want. In conclusion, the clothes now and the clothes back then aren’t really different cause the clothes then and now have similar designs and inspiraions.

The Role of Propaganda in Animal Farm - 1706 Words

Propaganda is the act of perverting information in order to influence the thoughts or actions of others. Propaganda is used in order to accomplish goals which cannot be attained in more honorable or more principled ways. In the novel, Animal Farm, George Orwell’s characters use various examples of propaganda in order to achieve and promote their own selfish desires. Animal Farm is an allegory using a farm as a metaphor of communist Russia under Stalin. The pigs in the novel, or Stalin’s supporters, use propaganda to persuade the other animals to revolt against Farmer Jones, who represents the Czar. Throughout the duration of the Russian Revolution, propaganda served the purpose of keeping Russia under Stalin’s control. After the†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"‘What is that gun firing for?’ said Boxer. ‘To celebrate our victory!’ cried Squealer. ‘What victory?’ ‘What victory, comrade? Have we not driven the enemy off our soil†¦?’† This red herring is to assure the animals of how brilliant their â€Å"Comrade Napoleon† was, and that even after a defeat, they still praise and appreciate him. As we see, red herring is used to cause forgetfulness on a topic, which the user knows is false, to discourage attention. A final example of propaganda in the novel is sloganism. Sloganism consists of a brief and concise catchy maxim that is simple to retain. Because of this, it is declared and believed by all. The first example of this occurs in the beginning of the book after the revolution. The pigs construct â€Å"Seven Commandments† to which all animals that belong to Animal Farm must obey. The first of the six reads as following: â€Å"Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy† and the second law of â€Å"Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.† This, however, was difficult to rememb er, so the sheep originate a slogan – â€Å"Four legs good, two legs bad.† This locution creates a hatred for all humanity, thus expanding their faith to the higher authority – the pigs and Napoleon. The nextShow MoreRelatedThe Role of Propaganda in Animal Farm1255 Words   |  6 PagesRole of Propaganda in Animal Farm The novel, Animal Farm, is a well-known allegory written by George Orwell. As a satire of the Russian Revolution, Orwell portrays the rise of a cruel dictatorship and the mistreatment of the general population under it. Like the Communist government in Russia, the government in Animal Farm employs the use of many manipulative tools, especially propaganda. Propaganda was used by the pigs throughout the book, deceiving many of the animals. As this story showsRead MoreDescribe How Napoleon Became Dictator of Animal Farm and How He Maintained His Position over the Years905 Words   |  4 Pagesbecame dictator of Animal Farm merely due to the fact that he was a pig, and had the simplest of leadership skills. He maintained that power by propaganda and running the farm in a fascist, totalitarian manner. Violence, propaganda and the general ignorance of the other farm animals were major roles in keeping Napoleon in power. Power naturally fell to the pigs not because they had earned it, or were the best for the job, but merely as a result of their social standing in the animal hierarchy. ‘‘TheRead MoreThe Necessary Intellect of Ordinary People1449 Words   |  6 Pageswhen under the power of a leader using propaganda. Propaganda is an opinionated advertisement used to control and appeal to peoples judgement and emotions, and gets them to do what they want (Stults). Not all persuasion is propaganda, and not all propaganda is bad (Stults). George Orwell writes Animal Farm as an allegorical fable associated with Lenin’s lead over the revolution that established the Communist control of Russia. After the animals of Animal Farm are successful with the Rebellion againstRead MoreNapoleon Gained Power over Animal Farm811 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout the novel â€Å"Animal Farm† by George Orwell, Napoleon gained, managed and maintained his power over the animals of the farm. Napoleon gained power over the animals by using force, propaganda, manipulating the animals and sending his opposition into exile. His style of leadership involved using the med ia to support his decisions, enforcing a variety of new laws and using fear to keep himself in a position of superiority over the other animals. By changing events to his advantage and implementingRead MorePropaganda Has Been Used Since The Time Of War, And Can1729 Words   |  7 PagesPropaganda has been used since the time of war, and can be as dangerous as war itself. For if there is no propaganda there is no war. Propaganda is a tool used for centuries used in order to convince a group of people to believe in certain things and support certain causes. All great leaders, at one point or another, have used propaganda to gain followers and increase morale. Adolph Hitler knew this better than almost any individual, and used propaganda to convince his followers to believe in thingsRead MoreGeorge Orwell s Animal Farm Essay1696 Words   |  7 PagesEnglish 10 Honors 4/11/16 In animal Farm, George Orwell creates three themes and they are, absolute power corrupts absolutely, the pigs thoughts and rules, and role of populace. Orwell creates this story and it s almost the same as the Russian Revolution. What is the message of the story that George Orwell creates? First of all, It all starts on Mr. Jones Farm, where Old Major (the elder pig), makes an announcement. He includes in his speech that one day the animals will revolt against the humansRead MoreEducation, Religion, And Propaganda1292 Words   |  6 Pages religion, and propaganda, what do all three things have in common? All three things can produce desirable outcomes if they are used correctly. Education can lead to more innovation, religion can improve a person’s well-being, and even propaganda can unite the public on certain issues. In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, a group of animals revolted against a repressive human-regime. After a series of conflict, Napoleon the pig became the dictator of the farm. Soon, other farm animals realized that NapoleonRead MoreSquealers Influence on the Outcome of Animal Farm by George Orwell628 Words   |  3 Pagesrevolution in Animal Farm? â€Å"A lie that is half-truth is the darkest of all lies†, this quote by the poet Alfred Tennyson was supremely important to relate to the role of Squealer in Animal Farm. Squealer was the an allegorical figure who spreads all of Napoleon’s propaganda, including using demonstrations, which was parallel to Pravda, the official newspaper of Soviet Union. In Animal Farm, Squealer was known for his friendly, disarming charm. He used strategies to manipulate emotions of animals, to articulateRead MoreSummary and Comment on Animal Farm (6th Grade)965 Words   |  4 PagesThe book ‘The Animal Farm’ is a cleverly written book by George Orwell, which was first published in 1945. The time in which the book’s happenings play is not very specific, but can be concluded to the early 20th century in a farm house of rural England. In this book George Orwell describes the negative sides of communism by using different animals on a farm to substitute the different r anks and positions of people in a communist country. This fictional story features quite a few main charactersRead MoreAnimal Farm by George Orwell Essay1282 Words   |  6 PagesAnimal Farm by George Orwell Is Animal Farm by George Orwell merely a political argument or does it manage to entertain the reader as a story in itself In this Personal Study I shall be writing about how Animal Farm by George Orwell entertained me as a novel while putting over a political argument in the process. The opening chapter introduces the theme of revolution that dominates the whole novel, and aswell as doing that it also introduces the farm animals

Archaeology How Ancient Relic Hunting Became Science

The history of archaeology is a long and checkered one. If there is anything archaeology teaches us, it is to look to the past to learn from our mistakes and, if we can find any, our successes. What we today think of as the modern science of archaeology has its roots in religion and treasure hunting, and it was born out of centuries of curiosity about the past and where we all came from. This introduction to the history of archaeology describes the first few hundred years of this fairly new science, as it developed in the western world. It begins by tracing its development from the first evidence of a concern with the past during the Bronze Age  and concludes with the development of the five pillars of archaeologys scientific method in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Historical interest in the past was not solely the purview of Europeans: but thats another story.   Part 1: The First Archaeologists Part 1 of the History of Archaeology covers the earliest evidence that we have for excavation and preservation of ancient architecture: believe it or not, in the Late Bronze Age of New Kingdom Egypt, when the first archaeologists excavated and repaired the Old Kingdom Sphinx. Part 2: The Effects of the Enlightenment In Part 2, I look at how  The Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason, caused scholars to take their first tentative steps towards the serious study of the ancient past. Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries saw an explosion of scientific and natural exploration, and a chunk of that was revisiting the classical ruins and philosophy of ancient Greece and Rome. The sharp revival of interest in the past was a crucial leap forward in the history of archaeology, but also, regrettably, part of an ugly step backward in terms of class warfare and the privileges of the white, male European. Part 3: Is the Bible Fact or Fiction? In Part 3, I describe how ancient history texts began to drive archaeological interest. Many religious and secular legends from ancient cultures all over the world have come down to us in some form today. Ancient stories in the Bible and other sacred texts, as well as secular texts such as Gilgamesh, the Mabinogion, the Shi Ji and the Viking Eddas have survived in some form for several centuries or even thousands of years. A question first posed in the 19th century was how much of the ancient texts that survive today is fact and how much fiction? This investigation of ancient history is at the absolute heart of the history of archaeology, central to the growth and development of the science. And the answers get more archaeologists into trouble than any other. Part 4: The Astounding Effects of Orderly Men By the start of the 19th century, the museums of Europe were beginning to be inundated with relics from all over the world. These artifacts, picked up (um, okay, looted) from archaeological ruins all over the world by wandering wealthy Europeans, were brought triumphantly into museums with almost no provenience at all. Museums all over Europe found themselves overrun with artifacts, completely lacking in order or sense. Something had to be done: and in Part 4, I tell you what the curators, biologists, and geologists did to figure out what that might be and how that changed the course of archaeology. Part 5: The Five Pillars of Archaeological Method Finally, in Part 5, I look at the five pillars that make up modern archaeology today: conducting stratigraphic excavations; keeping detailed records including maps and photographs; preserving and studying plain and small artifacts; cooperative excavation between funding and hosting governments; and the complete and prompt publishing of results. These mainly grew out of the work of three European scholars: Heinrich Schliemann (albeit brought to it by Wilhelm Dà ¶rpfeld), Augustus Lane Fox Pitt-Rivers, and William Matthew Flinders Petrie. Bibliography Ive collected a list of books and articles about archaeologys history so you can dive in for your own research.

O and Othello Comparison - 929 Words

‘Othello is one of the brilliant plays written by William Shakespeare. It is the story of man named Othello and how his mind was twisted and manipulated by a man named Iago and how Iago made Othello think that his wife Desdemona was cheating on him with his lieutenant Michael Cassio, which results in many deaths. Tim Blake Nelson has creatively restructured ‘Othello’ into a film to appeal to a teenage audience. It still contains the same central ideas which are racism, jealousy and deception which will be analysed on how they are portrayed in ‘Othello’ and are creatively reshaped in ‘O’. Jealously is one of the main central ideas and is shown through many character but mainly Iago and Hugo and Othello and O. In act 4, scene 5 Othello†¦show more content†¦In ‘Othello’ Desdemona call him the Moor and she is his loving and faithful wife whereas when Iago says it, it is offensive. In the film ‘O’ there is a lot of racism, Odin and Desi jokingly discuss their different races. When she disapproves of his use of â€Å"nigga,† he tells her that he is allowed to say it but she cannot even think it. Despite his apparently shallow answer, Odin is â€Å"haunted†¦by a profound self-consciousness about his own blackness†. When Hugo tells Odin that Desi and Mike called him â€Å"the nigga,† This is extremely offensive to and he begins to act out his rage and self-loathing. In ‘Othello the word ‘Moor’ has been replaced by with a the word ‘nigga’ to appeal to younger audiences. Deception can also be seen throughout both texts and especially when Iago sets Cassio up to make Othello hear the Cassio has been sleeping with Desdemona. In ‘Othello’ this scene is set in a jail area whereas in ‘O’ it is set in Iago’s bedroom and Othello is hiding outside the room listening in on the conversation. Nelson has creatively reshaped this scene from early times to the 20th century. During this scene in ‘O’ Cassio talks about Desi as a floosy and talks badly of Odin calling the name Nigga, this in use of language from Michael is the language that teenagers use which is another way Nelson has creatively reshaped Othello. Overall, Nelson has creatively reshaped the central ideas jealousy, racism and deception into theShow MoreRelatedEssay on A Comparison of Othello and the Movie O1548 Words   |  7 PagesA Comparison of Othello and the Movie O When Shakespeare composed the tragedy Othello televisions were not. Along with no televisions, life in the late 1500s had many different qualities than it does today. This time period had no war on drugs and no high school shootings. Peer pressure was not an issue. The audiences of Othello in the 1500s did not face the circumstances that we, American high school students, face today. With these significant differences in daily life, come the attemptsRead More The Use Of Animal Imagery In Othello Essay1040 Words   |  5 Pages In William Shakespeare’s play â€Å"Othello† the use of animal imagery was evident throughout the telling of the story. Shakespeare explained several characters actions by comparing them to similarities in animals. The characters in â€Å"Othello† were often depicted as having animal-like characteristics. Some characters were even compared to animals by other characters in the play. By defining characters in terms of these characteristics one can get a clear description of what the character isRead MoreJealousy and Race in Othello 1430 Words   |  6 PagesOthello is one of Shakespeare’s tragedies; originally written as a play and performed to an Elizabethan audience. Othello and many of Shakespeare’s other plays have been performed to various audiences since, and have been adapted into Opera, Ballet, Film and television productions. Othello has survived the centuries to this day and age; and continues to captivate and remain relevant to a modern audience; Othello certainly is a timeless classic work of art. â€Å"The object of tragic imitation is menRead MoreIs Othello a Tragic Hero? Essay1479 Words   |  6 PagesTo what extent can Othello be considered a ‘tragic hero’? The extent of which Othello is a tragic hero has been open to much debate; the basis on which he is judged falls to Aristotle’s established view of the crucial elements that distinguish whether a person is truly tragic. According to Aristotle, a tragic protagonist is a nobleman or person from high status, who contributes to his own demise and illustrates a flaw or weakness in judgment. The tragic protagonist must make a fall from a highRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Othello, Desdemona, Emilia, And Bianca949 Words   |  4 PagesShakespeare’s play Othello, there are only three women characters; Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca. In this play, women are viewed as possessions to the men, causing critics to argue that the women to have no control of their lives. Women were viewed as their husband’s property, not being able to make their own decisions and listening to what their husbands told them to do. They were not seen as a human nor were females seen as being equal to men. Throughout Shakespeare’s Othello the three women showRead MoreConventions of a Shakespeare Tragedy1189 Words   |  5 Pagestragic flaw brings the downfall of the hero. Othello is the tragic hero, because Othello is a character of nobility. He is good at the beginning but at the end he starts to become evil. ‘‘Othello’s downfall is jealousy (Othello’s Tragic Flaw) Iago tells Othello not to be jealous when Othello thinks his wife is cheating on him. Iago says to Othello, â€Å"O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; it is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds (Othello Act 3 Scene 3).† The meaning of this quote isRead MoreTragic Hero in Othelo by William Shakespeare996 Words   |  4 PagesConventions of Othello Shakespeare has been a part of the American Society for many years. Compared to other Authors, he has a different style of writing but within his own writings, they are all very much alike. He has written many plays including Othello and Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare was a man who wrote plays that followed the same literary conventions. These conventions included tragic hero, fallacy, irony, and also suspense. A tragic hero is a male figure who is high in society and one whoRead MoreShakespeares Use of Language to Show Othellos Changing State of Mind1627 Words   |  7 Pagesfriendship. This is dramatically effective, being at the beginning of the scene because all through the scene Othello is seen thinking and talking about how disloyal she is. It also makes the tragedy at the end of the play more awful, as the audience knows she really is innocent. Iago then cunningly preys on the inquisitive nature of all humans, including Othello, to mould his mind to thinking the way he would like. He says unbeneficial things, dropping hints as to his feelingsRead More The Besieged Lieutenant in Othello1169 Words   |  5 PagesShakespeare’s tragedy Othello, the audience finds a victim who is beset by Iago more than once, but who recovers in both cases – Cassio. He is the sole survivor among the main characters. In his book of literary criticism, Shakespearean Tragedy, A. C. Bradley rejects the ancient’s accusation that Cassio is an inexperienced soldier: That Cassio, again, was an interloper and a mere closet-student without experience of war is incredible, considering first that Othello chose him for lieutenantRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare963 Words   |  4 Pagesaware of the scheme he is putting into action and plays on Othello’s weakness â€Å"O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock the meat it feeds on† (Othello. 3.3.167-169). Iago takes advantage of his own wife, Emilia, retaining Desdemona’s scarf from Othello from her and placing it in Cassio’s possession. By doing, this Iago is able to prove his allegations of Desdemona and Cassio. Othello expresses jealousy and believes that Desdemona has been unfaith to him with

Book Review of “Cheaper” by the Dozen Free Essays

The autobiographical book Cheaper by the Dozen was written in 1949. Since then, it has been reprinted numerous times, most recently in 2003. The book, written by Frank B. We will write a custom essay sample on Book Review of â€Å"Cheaper† by the Dozen or any similar topic only for you Order Now Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, two of the twelve children of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, is about Frank Jr. and Ernestine’s recollections of growing up, in the company of ten other siblings and two high-powered engineers as parents, in a huge house in Montclair, New Jersey, around the turn of the 20th century. Much of the humor within this book is because the father of this huge family, Frank, is a good-hearted man who loves his twelve children and their antics, but is also an engineer (as is his wife Lillian) by profession, and an â€Å"efficiency expert†. Frank Sr. likes to believe problems and conflicts can be solved in a sort of mechanical way, and sometimes with just one quick solution for every problem (at least that is his theory). Many funny and ironic situations arise from this questionable premise. Still, as the authors of Cheaper by the Dozen recall, â€Å"Dad was happiest in a crowd, especially a crowd of kids† (p. ). But since, as an engineer, Frank Sr. owns a scientific management company, he continually tries to apply his various principles of â€Å"scientific management† at home, with mixed results. In one incident, he does so by taking motion pictures of his children washing dishes and doing other household chores, which he calls â€Å"motion study† (p. 3) in order to study their efficiency at these tasks (or the lack thereof), and then hopefully apply what he has learned from these homemade â€Å"motion studies† to other workplace situations. Frank Sr. lso has each of his twelve children chart their weights and other progress each day, on a â€Å"progress and weight chart† (p. 3) he has put up on the bathroom wall, as soon as they can physically write (which is early, since the father has high expectations of his children in every respect). There is sometimes disagreement between Frank Sr. and the children’s mother, Lillian, which points out some of the differences between them. For example, Lillian wants to save a spot on the â€Å"progress and weight charts† for recording the children’s daily prayers, but Frank Sr. ever the practical man of action rather than contemplation, insists there is no room for that. Many of the funniest episodes in the book derive from these types of conflicts (always rather gentle ones) between the parents, especially since their mother, Lillian, is more relaxed in terms of her personality, and sees everything more individually and perhaps, at times, more clearly as well (although Lillian never directly insists on this to Frank Sr. , but just lets things happen until the truth becomes apparent on its own). Although both Lillian and Frank Sr. re brilliant engineers, Lillian seems to have more personal insight into her children as individuals. And, despite Frank Sr. ‘s considerable â€Å"efficiency†, Lillian often has more common sense. This is perhaps reflected in the way Frank Sr. and his philosophies of â€Å"efficiency† are joked about, much more in the book, than Lillian or her actions or beliefs are joked about. Lillian was an early career woman, and one of the other themes of this book is how she handled, so well, especially for those times, a high-powered career and raising twelve children. Lillian Gilbreth herself, although not the main focus of this book, is very inspiring in that way. The main reason, overall, that I liked this book is because the humor within it is good natured, and the high-powered Gilbreth family, even though it is so large and chaotic, and has its own share of challenges and setbacks, is not â€Å"dysfunctional† in any way, like so many, even smaller, families today. That, in and of itself, is amazing. Whatever is happening, inside or outside the family, there is always love, solidarity, and teamwork within the family itself. The authors also mention how Frank Sr. would never criticize his family to anyone outside the family. Obviously, this book was set in far simpler times than today. For example, as the now grown up Gilbreth siblings first describe their father: â€Å"Dad was a tall man, with a large head, jowls, and a Herbert Hoover collar†¦ † (p. 1). This tells us right away that the book takes place many decades ago, since Herbert Hoover was President in the 1920’s. Even the conflicts and disagreements detailed within the book, which are always described truthfully and in detail, seem humorous, good-natured, and reasonable, especially compared to many kinds of family conflicts today. Also, these conflicts are always agreeably resolved, without any lasting damage to any of the children or their egos. This, also, is truly amazing, since both parents are so busy, not only inside but outside the home. Also, the mother and the father are very different from one another by nature, but as the authors point out, they work well together and do everything well as a team. They are always supportive of each other and their children. Dr. Lillian Gilbreth seems the true hero of the Cheaper by the Dozen family. Frank Gilbreth Sr. died before any of his children had reached 20 years old. Lillian continued raising the children on her own, while working and lecturing full-time. Moreover, she managed to put them all through college. Lillian Gilbreth, amazingly, given both the time and the large number of children she had, also had a very distinguished career in her own right when few women had such careers, and even fewer were also mothers of such large families. Still, Lillian Gilbreth managed to be a loving and attentive mother to all of her children. I found Cheaper by the Dozen to be a very inspiring book, and always very honest and humorous. Cheaper by the Dozen conveys the message that family members who love one another, stick together, and have a sense of humor about things that happen in families, and in life, can make it through anything. Therefore, I highly recommend the book Cheaper by the Dozen as an excellent reading experience for everyone. How to cite Book Review of â€Å"Cheaper† by the Dozen, Essay examples

Financial Statement Analysis of Barratt Developments Plc. Sample

Question: Required to produce a financial analysis report for the business managers and owners (investors). The report should examine the financial health of the business and evaluate the business performance by summarising the financial performance and applying financial ratios to further analyse the business financial health. Your report will provide recommendations to the business managers and investors. Answer: Introduction Barratt Development Plc is a leading house builder in Britain. The company carries out its operations through four brands namely Barratt Homes, David Wilson Homes, Barratt London and Wilson Bowden Developments. Three of them are house building brands and the last one is a commercial developments brand. The company employs 5971 employees as on 2015 and has delivered a total of 16447 homes as of 2015. The company has the capability to deliver housing developments ranging from standard houses to highly complex housing schemes. The purpose of this report is to analyse the financial information of Barratt Development provided in the financial statements for the year ending June 2015. The financial position of the company is determined on the basis of the above reports and is further analysed with the help of ratios calculated from the above information. This analysis can be used by the managers to the performance of the company and by the investors to decide whether to buy or sell the shares of Barratt Developments. Financial Statements Year 2015 has been a very good year for the company in terms of profits and the company has also been able to maintain a strong balance sheet. A summary of the change in major items of the profit and loss account, balance sheet and the cash flow statement in the year 2015 as compared to 2014 is shown below: Particulars 2014 2015 % change Revenue 3157 3760 19.10% Cost of sales 2628 3045 15.87% Gross Profit 529 714 34.97% Profit from Operations 410 577 40.73% Net Profit 305 449 47.21% Current Assets 3896 4703 20.71% Non - current Assets 1248 1208 -3.21% Total Assets 5144 5911 14.91% Current Liabilities 1160 1412 21.72% Non - current liabilities 638 796 24.76% Equity 3346 3702 10.64% Net Cash flow from Operations 242 184 -23.97% Net Cash flow from investing activities -36 42 -216.67% Net Cash flow from financing activities -226 -140 -38.05% Net change in cash during the period -20 86 -530.00% From the above table, we see that the net profit has improved remarkably by 47%. This is due to an increase in the revenue accelerated by the growing demand for housing in Britain. Recently, Britain is recovering from an economic slowdown which has led to an increase in demand for houses so much so that supply is falling short of demand. Also there is easy availability of low interest mortgage finance which has led to an increase in the prices of the houses, thus increasing the revenue for the company. Even the operating costs have reduced owning to efforts made by the company to reduce the cost of raw materials procured and improving the overall operational excellence. The selling and administrative expense shave also reduced couples with a fall in the interest expense, thus increasing the net profits. The balance sheet has been strong in 2015. The cash and cash equivalents have increase by 30% leading to an increase in current assets by 21%. Other items which led to an increase in current assets are inventories and receivables. The current liabilities have increased in proportion to the current assets i.e. by 22% mainly due to trade payables, deferred taxes, and payable taxes. The company has decreased its short term debt by repaying a part of it. The non- current assets have not changed much, there is only a marginal fall by 3.2%. The non current liabilities have increased by 25% due to an increase in long term debt by 1 million. The share capital also increased by 1 million, thus increasing the equity by 10.5%. The position of cash balance has improved in 2015 with an increase of whopping 216% in cash flow from investing activities. This is on account of increase in the investments accounted for using the equity method. These investments were reduced by 59 million in2014 and as such 2015 shows an increase in value. Cash flow from financing though being a negative figure but is still better than what it was in 2014. The inflow from financing activities is in the form of share capital valuing 1 million and outflow includes payment of dividends and repayment of loan. Cash flow from operating activities has reduced by 58% in 2015 on account of an increase in inventory and taxed paid. The net cash has however increased by 500% amounting to a cash balance of 86 million, thus making Barratt Developments a cash rich company. Looking at the above analysis, we can therefore say that Barratt Developments has had an improved Profit and Loss Statement and Cash flow Statement and a more or less stable balance sheet. Financial Ratios Profitability Ratios Profitability Ratios 2014 2015 Gross Profit Margin 16.8% 19.0% Operating Margin 13.0% 15.3% Return on Equity 9.1% 12.1% Return on capital employed 10.3% 12.8% From the above table, we see that all the profitability ratios have improved in 2015. The gross profit margin has increased due to an increase in revenue and a less than proportionate increase in cost of sales. The operating margin has increased due to a fall in operating expenses in the form of marketing and distribution expenses and also a fall in interest expense as the company has repaid all of its short term loans. Return on equity has also improved due to an increase in the profits belonging to the equity shareholders. Though the equity has also increased by 1 million, but the net profits have increased by 47%, thus improving the return on equity. The companys return on capital employed has also increased mainly due to an increase in the companys EBIT by 41%. The total capital employed has reduced in 2015 due to a decrease in the capital in the form of loan. The company has repaid loans amounting to 24 million whereas it has issued share capital amounting to 1 million. Even wit h a reduced capital employed, the company has managed to improve its return on capital employed which is remarkable. The highest ever profit before tax has been achieved by the company in the year 2015 thus making it a highly profitable year. Liquidity Ratios Ratios 2014 2015 Current Ratio 3.4 3.3 Quick Ratio 0.3 0.4 Interest Coverage Ratio 6.9 10.5 The liquid ratios indicate good liquidity of the company in terms of current ratio. The current ratio is more than 2 for both the years. However, since most of the current assets are in the form of inventory, the quick ratio falls below 1. This shows the actual liquidity of the company is low i.e. if the company were to pay for all its current obligations, it would not be able to do so since inventory is not easily convertible. However, the low quick ratio is justified by the nature of the industry in which Barratt Development operates i.e. the construction industry. The process of building homes may take months together and thus place a lot of WIP and also a lot of funds is tied in already built homes as one home is of high value. Even if one house/product is sold, it reduces the inventory by a great extent. Another liquidity ratio i.e. the interest coverage ratio has increased to 10.5 from 6.9 in 2014. This is on account of reduction in debts as the company has repaid all of its sh ort term debts in 2015, thus reducing the interest expense of the company. The company can easily pay all its fixed charges from its operating income, thus making it a liquid company. Efficiency Ratios Ratios 2014 2015 Asset Turnover 0.61 0.64 Inventory Turnover 0.75 0.73 Inventory Turnover days 487.4 500.3 Receivables Turnover 30.6 24.6 Receivables Turnover days 11.9 14.9 The total assets turnover ratio measures the efficiency of a company to utilize its assets in generating sales. The turnover has remained the same for the company in both the years. Even though the revenue has increased by approx 20%, still the asset turnover has not changed much as the total assets have also increased by the same proportion. The asset turnover ratio for a construction industry is said to be 0.8 on an average, but the turnover ratio is poor in that comparison. The company should work towards better utilization of its assets. The inventory turnover for construction industry is more than 1; however, Barratt has a lesser inventory turnover. The turnover has not varied in both the years. There was an increase in inventory in 2015 but so was an increase in the sales also. Hence we can say that the company is managing its inventory well and the number of days of inventory turnover has also remained more or less the same. There is a decrease in the receivables turnover in 2 015. This is due to an increase in the receivables which is more than the increase in sales. The industry standard for a receivables turnover is 15, since Barratt has a turnover more than 15 in both the years, hence it can be said to have an efficient receivables management. Receivable turnover days has increased from 12 days to 15 days which means the company is able to recover its payments in 15 days, though there is an increase but the increase is not significant enough. Hence we can say that the company has an efficient inventory and receivables management systems, it only needs to strengthen its assets utilization. Financial Stability Ratios Ratios 2014 2015 Debt Equity Ratio 0.06 0.05 As compared to its equity, the company has very low debt. This means that the company finances its operation expenses as well as growth and expansion through internal sources of funds i.e. retained earnings and equity. The company has only 6% debt in its total capital structure in 2014 and the same has further reduced to 5% in 2015 as the company has repaid part of its short term debt in 2015 and also issued share capital amounting to 1 million. Both reduction in debt and increase in equity have led to a fall in debt equity ratio, making the company highly stable as it does not have fixed obligations like interest payment etc. Investment Ratio Ratios 2014 2015 Dividend Yield 1.5% 2.2% Dividend Payout Ratio 0.18 0.26 The dividend yield has improved in 2015 as compared to 2014. This is due to an increase in the market price of shares of Barratt Developments. The dividends paid has also increased significantly in 2015, it has been almost double of what was paid in 2014. The dividend paid is more than the increase in market value of the shares. This is good news for potential investors looking for a stable cash returns on their investment. However, it may be said that the company is not reinvesting its profits in the business to fuel growth and expansion and hence capital gains to the investors will be less. The dividend payout ratio has also increased owning to an increase in dividends paid. The increase in dividends paid is higher than the increase in profits. Recommendation and Conclusion From the above analysis, it is advisable to buy the shares of the company. This is looking at the financial performance in the years 2014 and 2015 and also since the housing market seems strong in Britain and the company is equipped with all necessary policies to carry out its business efficiently and thus make the most of the growing demand for houses, thus it is expected that the market value of the shares of Barratt Developments will further rise in the future. The profitability, liquidity, efficiency, financial stability and the investment ratios all show a positive result and hence gives the investors all the more reason to invest in the company. The managers of the company would be happy with the analysis as it shows increasing profits, it should only try to work on its efficiency ratio and also look at paying less dividends and rather reinvesting the profits to increase capital gains for the investors. References Morningstar, Barratt Developments Plc Financials, https://financials.morningstar.com/ratios/r.html?t=BDEVregion=gbrculture=en-US, 2015, (accessed 15th March, 2016) CSImarket, Construction Services Industry: Efficiency Information and Trends, https://csimarket.com/Industry/industry_Efficiency.php?ind=205, 2016, (accessed 15th March, 2016) FRC, Lab Project Report: Operating and Investing Cash Flows, the Financial Reporting Council Limited, 2012 Barratt Developments Plc, Barratt Development Plc Annual Report and Accounts, 2015, 2015 Ive, G., Murray, A., Trade Credits in the UK Construction Industry: An Empirical Analysis of Construction Contractor Financial Positioning and Performance, BIS Research paper no. 118, Department of Business Innovation and Skills, 2013 FRC, Disclosure of Dividends policy and practice, The Financial Reporting Council Limited, 2015 FRC, Lab Project Report: Reporting of Pay and Performance, The Financial Reporting Council Limited, 2013 Yahoo finance, Barratt Developments Plc, Historical Prices https://in.finance.yahoo.com/q/hp?s=BDEV.La=05b=30c=2014d=05e=30f=2015g=m, 2016, (accessed 15th March, 2016)