Sunday, October 6, 2019
CASE STUDIES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
CASE STUDIES - Essay Example That is, the gestation period of any travel guides including Lonely Planet is an extended one due the need for extensive homework. Because of which, a somewhat, same kind of information or even a better current version is provided by the website. So, this out-datedness in the travel guide will be the issue for a number of customers who use both Internet and the books. So, the solution to reduce revenue losses or operational frictions is to promote each vehicle as different entities, according to the marketââ¬â¢s needs. That is, there are still markets where Internet technology have not improved much, in those places travel guides should be promoted. Then, people while traveling will not be able to access Internet any time, for them the travel guides of Lonely Planet will be feasible and so this segment of markets can be targeted With the advent of Internet and wireless technologies, the scope for Lonely Planet to develop has increased, a lot further. That is, like its joint venture with Nokia, in which Lonely Planet provides city guides on mobile phones, it could provide the city guides along with digitized maps to all telecom providers. That is, if it has a joint venture with telecom companies, it can reach more mobiles. As mobiles have become a lifeless extension of hand, which can be carried anywhere including during travel, Lonely Planet could expand its base. Then for the users of Internet, it can introduce features or products like seeing a virtual image of tourist spots like what Google earth is doing. Also, all the previous issues of Lonely Planetââ¬â¢s Travel guide that were published from 1970ââ¬â¢s can be digitized and made available as download able files for a fee, because all the new and young readers cannot access the previous issues in book form. So, with this launch of new products th e customerââ¬â¢s concerns about timeliness and currency of information can be looked after. That is, with the use of
Saturday, October 5, 2019
Summaries of two articles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Summaries of two articles - Essay Example The major influence on student learning and academic achievement are the childrenââ¬â¢s exposure to the quality of schools and teachers. A test based on the production function models was carried out on the quality of teachers and schools to explain their variance to a large extent on academic achievement rather than characteristics such as age, socioeconomic status and sex over which schools have little or no control over. As a result of the tests, governments have a responsibility to invest in quality learning levels by identifying the goods and services such as library resources, audiovisual equipment, different contacts and homework required and investing in them. Government resources on quality learning are weak and schools have control, but characters that the schools have little control such as preschool measures and out-of-school measures are the major effects on quality learning by schools(Little & Andy 168). Students from high income countries such as US practice preschool measures not influenced by the government or school control compared to low income countries which spend a lot of money on similar academic learning. Academic learning is of quality when it influences social achievement and students are not controlled by schools given their characteristics. The second article is on the importance of teaching as a career to first time tutors. It is necessary for any individual with an inspiration to become a teacher or enhance his or her teaching career to make an informed decision base. First time teaching requires proper understanding of the subject matter and the ability to recognize the learning needs of the students and, therefore, be able to engage them mutually according to their different learning capabilities in order to provide solutions for their success attainment and education progression. However, teaching poses numerous challenges for the first time teachers and, therefore, first time tutors should possess critical
Friday, October 4, 2019
Achilles - Greek Mythology Essay Example for Free
Achilles Greek Mythology Essay Ancient Greeks lived a very unique lifestyle in their times. They knew no one of Greece. This helped them to live by their own ways and not follow anything that happened outside of Greece because they simply could not. In parts of Greek mythology gods could not interfere with fate and gods intervened directly in mortals lives. There were many examples of these things happening. One aspect learned in the Voyage of Odysseus was gods could not interfere with fate. There were many encounters where fate overpowered gods in Greek mythology. For example, what happened with Polyphemus and Odysseus. Odysseus hurt Polyphemus by tricking him into drinking too much which left him unconscious and defenseless. Odysseus took advantage of this and stabbed him in the eye. He then left and went on his journey home. In the story Polyphemus says, I call upon Poseidon, the god of the sea, whose son am I, to avenge upon you, upon Poseidon to grant that you, Odysseus may never come to your home,or if the gods have ordained your return that you come to it after much toil and suffering, in an evil plight and in a strangers ship, to find sorrow in your home (Colum, 199-200) This proves that gods cannot interfere with fate because Polyphemus called upon Poseidon to interfere with Odysseusââ¬â¢ fate but Poseidon could not, Odysseus got home safely and untouched by Poseidon. He enjoyed a safe journey home. This shows how in the end, Odysseusââ¬â¢ fate overcame Poseidon as a god and what he wished or intended for in the story the Voyage of Odysseus. This is one of the examples of how gods cannot interfere with fate of others. Another aspect was gods intervened directly in mortals lives. This happened more than once, but one of the times was when Achilles hurt his knee during the battle between him and Hector. Achilles states in the story, ââ¬Å"Die, hound. My fate I meet when Zeus and the other gods decree.â⬠(Church 131) Achilles hurt his knee during the battle, and gods cured it so he couldà keep running. This is one thing that happened in the Trojan War that explains how gods intervened directly in mortals live. Therefore if Achilles was not cured by the gods he would not able to keep running and would likely not be able to win the battle. Overall, during Greek mythology there were many encounters with goals but we have realized gods could not interfere with fate. Although gods could not interfere with fate they did intervene with mortals lives. After reading Greek mythology what can truly be said about it is it is a very interesting topic to learn about and great for all ages.
Thursday, October 3, 2019
Developments of West End Musical Scene
Developments of West End Musical Scene Discuss the recent developments in the west end musical scene; this should include an analysis of the mega-musical mania, the trend to create new musicals based on existing songs (song migration) and stage transfers of successful films. From Sophocles through William Shakespeare to Eminem, writers have sought to use the rhythms of language to accentuate the story they are seeking to share. The pre-Caxton society relied on an oral tradition to deliver stories of fact and fiction. Cultures spanning the entire globe and all ages of civilization have instinctively adopted musical storytelling; it is prominent in various forms even now ââ¬â be it around a camp fire, at a tribal ceremony, an inner city playground or on a West End stage. In todays world, language and music are at our fingertips. They are both instantaneous. And they can be married in a second. Technically, music is intricate. Most writers will say the same about language. But in an inspired moment they can conjoin and express something wonderful both sonically and linguistically. The act of constructing such a moment can be the end result of many less fruitful moments ââ¬â but there is always the chance that it could just happen instantaneously. Our logistical minds tell us that it just is not possible; that we would never be able to express ourselves beautifully and eloquently in musical form. And yet the compulsion to try and do so has arrested most people, even if only for a quickly aborted solitary moment. So perhaps here lies the fascination with musicals. They show life as we know it happily residing in an alternate reality ââ¬â where music and language are easy bed partners and everything goes to extremes. Or does it? The West End is one of Londons most popular tourist attractions. It has built its reputation, in tandem with New Yorks Broadway, as the commercial mecca of musical theatre. Las Vegas has the showgirls but Broadway and the West End share the showtunes. Indeed, while their identities are undeniably distinct, the relationship between them is close; same sex twins rather than identical ones. Each has their own nuances of behaviour ââ¬â the younger twin Broadway hunts that bit more keenly for the next off-beat musical whirlwind; the older West End plays percentages but plays them with palpable success. The term West End was originally coined as a geographical short cut ââ¬â a way of describing a part of London synonymous with theatre. Since its inception into London vernacular the phrase West End has mutated to describe something meta-geographical. While once upon a time it merely represented an actual place, now it also describes the gateway to an invented world of glitz, glamour and show. The West End may still be the home of theatre, but the kind of theatre that it houses has become very easily classifiable. The listings do not lie. And neither do they try to. The West End is a haven for small ideas done big; big names, big shows, big spectacles, big budgets, big risks. The social and artistic significance of theatre as an art form has not suffered in the time since the West End theatres were constructed. But the immediacy of rival entertainments, chiefly television and film, has undoubtedly provided so comfortable an alternative for the borderline theatregoing public that its popularity has. Ultimately, the publics relationship with theatre has somewhat inverted itself; once the entertainment of the people, theatre has become high-brow, elitist, exclusive even. Or so we are led to believe. Every year the people entrusted with running the countrys theatres are ensconced in attempts to make theatre more accessible. Nicholas Hytner at the National Theatre has incorporated a sponsorship deal with Travelex with the express purpose of enabling its shows to be available to people for as little as à £10 a ticket. Theatrical output is continuing to diversify in new directions. The National Theatre still produces the time-honoured classics that will appease their traditional supporters. But they also invited outside companies including Theatre de Complicite, Improbable, Shunt and Kneehigh to co-develop their new work. Arts Council funding dictates a certain amount of programming for in-house producing theatres throughout the country. It is impossible to equate the artistic worth of a proposed project while it exists solely as an outline on a piece of paper. But it is easier to quantify the greater social import of the same project. Therefore the involvement in various local outreach initiatives including young peoples theatre and new writing programmes serves duplicate purposes. But in doing so it runs the risk of wrestling a certain amount of control from the artistic directors, or at least diluting the intent of their work. But the West End is not really concerned with any of this. The theatres are privately owned and have little social obligation. West End theatre is a notoriously unpredictable money market. Make a big success of yourself and you can eventually buy it up ââ¬â which is exactly what Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh have ended up doing. Lloyd Webbers Really Useful Group are the proprietors of twelve of the capitals larger theatres. By January 2006 Delfont Mackintosh will control another seven, and will have begun constructing the Sondheim Theatre ââ¬â the first theatre to be built on Shaftesbury Avenue since 1931. The long-term plan of Delfont Mackintosh is to refurbish and modernise theatreland. But one cannot help but think that their extreme makeover will be restricted to the facilities and layout ââ¬â and that the entertainment will remain as traditional as ever. The musical-as-we-know-it grew out of the 19th Century tradition of music hall, which itself was the bastard son of drink and rowdiness. After removing the alcohol from drunken singalongs, and relocating from the pub to theatres, the 1860s saw the popularity of the newly-arrived music hall go from good idea to massively popular entertainment. The humbling beginnings of the musical cannot help but reveal the nucleus of the idea; it was born of accident ââ¬â of people seeking to have pure, unadulterated entertainment. In that respect, it has no one form; no one philosophy; indeed no real sense of philosophy; no real sense of purpose other than fun, fun, fun! As the musical was developing it was the bastion of popular music of the time. Through Gilbert and Sullivan, Irving Berlin, Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill and Cole Porter, the men and women behind musical were the most revered song writers at work in the Western world. Ten years into the post-war era there was a marked shift. The musical standards that made dry, wry and witty observations about upper middle class were about to be trumped by rock and roll. And John Osbournes 1956 kitchen-sink-drama Look Back In Anger was going to have repercussions outside the world of the well-made play. The birth of transmittable media was only going to swell the amount of music being produced. In the early days of the wireless radio, families gathered to listen to the songs of Ivor Novello or Noel Coward. By the mid-1960s many families had television sets in their front rooms; radio broadcasts were a competitive business; and air transport links had made the world traversable for all those who could afford it. Music was a commodity that could be sent from one side of the world to the other. And in the slipstream of the music were the musicians themselves. Through television and radio, songwriters and musicians had an identity. They became icons ââ¬â the most celebrated people on the planet. And their music was nowhere near the West End stage. For the first time since their inception musicals were not using the popular music of the time. Rocknroll was being held in musical purgatory by traditionalists unhappy at its low-brow ideals. While cinema was running as fast and far as it could with the concept of the film musical, the stage was seeking to deliver variations on earlier themes. Elvis Presley made numerous musical films ââ¬â as did The Beatles. In the 1960s the West End was awash with Broadway imports ââ¬â the influence of Leonard Bernstein, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe and other transatlantic success stories was diluting the integrity of the West End as the older brother of the musical. But the psychedelic overtones of that time were to create musical anomalies; while some composers flirted with the conce pt of rock, others werent afraid to dive headlong into its bottomless pit. After its anti-Vietnam stance and inclusion of group nudity caused outrage on Broadway, Hair opened in the West End in 1968. From being the chosen playground of mild-mannered conservatives, the musical was being politicised ââ¬â and modernised. Within five years, the Age of Aquarius had been further capitalized upon by Godspell, Oh Calcutta and even Jesus Christ Superstar ââ¬â which proved to be the foundation on which the new dawn of the musical would be built. Todays twin Godfathers of musical composition for Broadway and the West End carry the bright torch of yesteryear; Stephen Sondheim represents his forefathers fascination with the off-beat, with Andrew Lloyd Webber never straying from the musically conservative beat. There are various factors that dictate the recent successes and failures in West End theatre. But the starting point for every West End production is money ââ¬â a fact beautifully demonstrated by the plot of one of the West Ends most popular current productions The Producers. Essentially, the capitalist dawn that swallowed up free love has made currency the new leading man in musical theatre. Producers need big ideas and big songs to legislate for big budgets. So instead of trying to predict what people may like and creating a musical story around it, the West End decided to reduce the risk and simply take the music that people already like and create a story around that. In some ways the origin of song migration is old revue style shows ââ¬â popular hits belted out with no real desire to create an accompanying piece of drama or comedy. Coupled with the screen to stage success of musical films like The Lion King, a producer was now able to weigh up potential West End shows safe in the knowledge that a stable of worldwide smash hits could enable a musical to run for years, even with a bad review. Suddenly the sheer bankability of Lloyd Webber was looking like an outlandish risk alongside the music of Abba, Queen or even (the critically lauded but never supergroup status) of Madness. Negotiations are in process for the trend to continue, with Bob Marley, The Beatles and Elton John just some of the musical legends in line to have their songs shoe-horned into some money-spinning stage extravaganza that makes almost no sense at all. Not that the public really care. They want to go and sing-a-long like the pub dwellers of the 1840s that unknowingly help ed begin the process of musical theatre. And who shall we choose to lead the sing-song? Well, preferably someone famous off the telly, of course. The West End is a remarkably lucrative place. For his unscheduled stint in the opening cast run of The Producers at the end of 2004, Nathan Lane was being paid à £42,000 a week for the lead role as Max Bialystock. It is a clear indication of the simple transaction between moneymen and talent; the star name guarantees the box office receipts. The West End has been flooded with stars ââ¬â some of whom have no musical pedigree ââ¬â because celebrity is deemed to have finally overridden talent. The good, bad and ugly (in no particular order) of recent years include David Hasselhoff, Martine McCutcheon and Denise Van Outen. And if you dont want to spend money on star names, then youd better be sure to have some seriously impressive stage gimmicks; Miss Saigon famously had a helicopter, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang got in to hot water when the eponymous flying car failed to take off in previews, and Phantom of the Opera has a plunging chandelier moment that will wake up anyone snoozing in the stalls. So with standard tickets averaging out at around à £40, the theatregoer demands a truly amazing experience. But amazing and original are poles apart ââ¬â and thats why when the formula is right, all you need to do is repeat it. There are exceptions. The Bombitty of Errors was a rap interpretation of Shakespeares Comedy of Errors, and was a small but perfectly-formed global success. Stomp became a phenomenon through gradual word of mouth and because it is a different kind of spectacle. Jerry Springer: The Opera began life as an idea at a scratch night at the Battersea Arts Centre and grabbed the attention of every newspaper and fundamentalist Christian in the Western World. But such shows grow from humble beginnings and are swept away on public curiosity. As in any art form, there are people willing to take risks because they believe their work has a market. Bombay Dreams and The Far Pavilions identify a recently developed appreciation of Asian music and culture. The off-Broadway hit Batboy continues in the tradition of earlier pacesetters The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Hedwig and the Angry Inch for kitsch rock operas. But some of these are accidental intruders in the world of the West End. They werent sure if they were really invited but came anyway. One group that certainly were invited are blockbuster films; whether they have songs in them or not. Seemingly the films dont even have to have been that successful. The Witches of Eastwick had a successful run in the West End. But more than likely, the film will have a readymade audience. The Full Monty was relocated to middle America from Sheffield to make it a Broadway success. Billy Elliott is well into previews, but the advance word is that it will be a significant hit. Or better still, just take a film with songs already in them ââ¬â you dont stand to make as much money, but the guarantee of an audience is that much stronger. Mary Poppins has been well-received by most, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is in its third year. There are currently 36 theatres in the West End of Londons theatreland. As of Monday 2 May 2005, 27 are currently housing a production. 17 of those are musicals. This ratio is fairly consistent ââ¬â and shows no signs of relenting. Essentially a hit West End musical needs a hook; star name, hit songs, hit movie, famous composer, popular revival. Something that can be reduced to a two-word phrase. If you havent got any of those, then heaven help you. Because the West End public certainly wont.
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
The Travellers: Irelandââ¬â¢s Ethnic Minority :: Essays Papers
The Travellers: Irelandââ¬â¢s Ethnic Minority Who are the Travellers? The Travellers, a minority community indigenous to Ireland, have existed on the margins of Irish society for centuries. They share common descent, and have distinct cultural practices - early marriage, desire to be mobile, a tradition of self-employment, and so on. They have distinct rituals of death and cleansing, and a language they only speak among their own. Travellers are not overtly conscious of a sense of group history. Concern with ancestry is an obsession of those who value permanence of place. Rather, the individual is defined by his/her place within the relationship network. They live in extended patriarchal families, prefer trailers, tend to nomadism interspersed with occasional house dwelling, and maintain a nomadic mindset even when settled; a house is considered only a stopping place between journeys, whether the stop lasts 20 days or 20 years! There are an estimated 21,000 Travellers currently living in the Republic of Ireland, over half of whom have no access to toil et facilities, electricity, refuse collection or piped water. In the past they invariably travelled, but misguided government policy from the 1960s onward ensured that many were persuaded to settle in houses ââ¬â a policy that, in undermining traditional values and lifestyle, is increasingly questioned, if not actively altered. Traditionally, they were metal workers, hawkers, traders in horses and used goods of all description, and provided services where and when there were gaps in the market. This resistance to wage labour and alternative cultural definition of work led to charges of idleness by the uncomprehending. The necessity of living on their wits led to a stereotype of Travellers as shrewd, even cunning, dealers. Having been persuaded to settle in houses, and consequently, having lost the mobility necessary to their traditional trades, many Travellers today rely on state welfare assistance. This could be construed as a sinister government plot, but for the fact that government policy on Travellers has never been well planned enough to effect any successful strategy! Ironically, Traveller representative Michael McDonagh believes that ââ¬Å"Travellers that are the most nomadic are also the most economically successful, and also have far less difficulty with their identity than people forced into settlementâ⬠(quoted in ââ¬Å"Nomadism in Irish Travellersââ¬â¢ Identityâ⬠. From Irish Travellers: Culture and Ethnicity.Eds. McCann et al. Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1994, 95-109). Their position is akin to that of the gypsy of Europe in some respects.
Dr. Faustus Essay -- essays papers
Dr. Faustus In Christopher Marloweââ¬â¢s play, Doctor Faustus, the idea of repentance is a reoccurring theme with the title character. Faustus is often urged by others to repent his decision to sell his soul to the devil, but in the end he suffers eternal damnation. Faustus was resigned to this fate because he lacked the belief in his soul of God. He was once a moral and devout man, but greed led him to sin. Although Faustus has signed a contract with the devil in blood, it is obvious that it is still able to repent. The good angel in the play is trying to make Faustus realize this. Throughout the play the angel encourages Faustus to stay away from dark magic, ââ¬Å"Oh Faustus, lay that damned book aside, and gaze not on it lest it tempt thy soul and heap Godââ¬â¢s heavy wrath upon thy head.â⬠(p. 26, line 69-71) Faustusââ¬â¢ growing interest in necromancy leads him to give the Lucifer his soul in return for twenty four years of luxurious life. The good angel is always accompanied by an evil angel who supports Faustusââ¬â¢ choice. Both spirits try to advise him on a course of action, with the evil one usually being more influential. The evil angel speaks of the power, which Faustus thirsts after. Faustus does not want to be a servant to God. He was become disillusioned with the idea of heavenly pleasures when he realizes he can profit immediately from service to the d evil. In an exchange with the good angel he shows his lack of interest in having to work for rewards: Good Angel: ââ¬Å"Sweet Faustus, leave that execrable act!â⬠Faustus: ââ¬Å"Contrition, prayer, repentance, what of these?â⬠Good Angel: ââ¬Å"O, they are means to bring thee unto heavenâ⬠With this display of lackadaisical attitude toward God, the likeliness of Faustus repenting be... ... but for Faustusââ¬â¢ weak soul it is impossible. The old man in the play is the opposing character to Faustus. The old man is a devout Christian soul, who in spite of all of the devilââ¬â¢s tortures, begs Faustus to repent. He clings to his faith to the very end and even Mephostophilis is wary of harming him because of his good soul. Mephostophilis says in response to Faustus request to kill the old man, ââ¬Å"His faith is great. I cannot touch his soul. But what I may afflict his body with I will attempt, which is but little worse.â⬠In comparison, throughout the play Faustus is unable to repent. His weak soul is not true to God. He would have to truly belief in the supreme power of God in order to be saved. He does not repent because his faith has changed, he repents because he fears death. All of Faustusââ¬â¢ decisions are made through a weak, greedy, power hungry mindset.
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Absolute and Relative Surplus Value – Seminar
In contemporary social science, the concept of ââ¬Å"valueâ⬠has attained currency in such disciplines like Economics, Sociology, Political science etc. in these disciplines, value is considered as those essentials needed by members of a society. It is further seen as scarce resources pursued by competing groups. Value in political economy, basically refers to that portion that creates wealth or the so called reward for the ââ¬Å"risk takerâ⬠, the entrepreneur.In other words, value refers to that unpaid labour of the worker which the capitalist pockets or recapitalizes. It should be noted that, the concept of value is an integral part of the labour process in general, capitalist commodity production, wear and tear of the working class and of course class antagonism. In essence, the concept of value (Absolute and Relative) cannot be understood without recourse to the mode of production that brings it about as well as the nature of social relations of production.Under capit alism, labour power becomes a commodity and like any commodity, it has its value and use value. The value of any commodity like labour power is determined by the expenditure of social labour on its production and reproduction. Therefore, surplus value is derived from surplus labour of a worker. The worker creates a value which the owner of the means of production appropriates without compensation. Marxââ¬â¢s Das Capital not only revealed the exploitation surrounding the extraction of surplus value, he as well revealed the degree and ratio of exploitation involving the labour power of the workers.In this direction, he maintained that that surplus value can be categorized into ââ¬Å"Absolute and Relativeâ⬠. With this, Marx gives an analogy of how the value of labour power is used in extending capital. A school master is a productive labour or his labour power becomes of value when he finds himself in a school factory, that he must ensure that teaching and non-teaching staffs become productive as to ensure not only the preservation of capital assets of the owner of the means of production but that they produce surplus value that exceeds the rate of hiring them.Beyond this, Marx situated the social relations of production in historical context which has continued to associate the worker and surplus value creation. From the foregoing, capitalist exploitation of the labour power of workers can be looked at from two angles: the first being the production of Absolute surplus value which becomes possible in the prolongation of the working day. In other words, to Marx, Absolute surplus value is obtained by increasing the amount of time worked per worker in a given time.From one stand point, any distinction between Absolute and Relative surplus value appears illusory. Relative surplus value is Absolute since it compels the absolute prolongation of the working day beyond the labour time necessary to the existence of the labourer himself; While Absolute surplus va lue is relative since it makes necessary such a development of the productiveness of labour, as will allow of the necessary labour time being confined to a portion of the working day.The second way of increasing the degree of the exploitation of labour power through the relative surplus value which is derived by a reduction of the necessary labour time without any changes in the working day. For Marx, it is possible to reduce the labour time primarily by increasing social labour productivity in branches producing means of subsistence for the workers. Consequently, both the Absolute and Relative surplus value are defined within the logic of the establishment of capitalism which perpetually subjects labour to capital.Again, Marx tries to highlight the differences between the Absolute and Relative surplus value, which he says is defined with the establishment of the capitalist mode of production; that is it is the prolongation of the working day beyond the point at which the labourer w ould have produced just an equivalent for the value of his labour power, and the appropriation of that surplus labour by capital. Although, as a special method of reducing relative surplus value, he continues capitalist industries get operated by by the army of workers themselves with the ultimate aim of ensuring the revolution of the entire capitalist production.It is with regard to the forgoing, that the author presupposes that when the above two conditions that creates surplus value for the capitalists are absent or when the labour spends all his labour time for the reproduction of himself, then the cycle of capital reproduction is obstructed and class division disappears. However, Marx goes on to say that the increasing complexity of the needs of society has correspondingly increased the absolute and relative surplus value extracted in the process of production.Regarding the origin of surplus value and labour power from its engagement, Marx is of the opinion that it was influenc ed under two conditions: The first being the subsistence of workers when man gathered natural wealth for subsistence. The second is market conditions when market production got underway, instruments of labour such as navigable rivers, wood, coal, metal etc became important in the capitalist production of goods and services. Inhering from the consequence of commercial production is the issue of climatic change which is caused the excessive demand for consumer goods.So, the lesser the natural wants of man; the greater the fertility of the soil and the suitable climatic conditions and ultimately, the less impoverished the labourer. From the foregoing, the capitalist mode of production, according to Marx, thrives on manââ¬â¢s assertiveness on the wealth of nature. The differentiation of the fertility of the soil and its components such as the changes of the seasons informs social division of labour in societies and by extension multiplied human wants, his capabilities, means of produ ction and surplus value. t therefore follows that human labour is the only source of new economic value since it is indispensable for the conservation and transfer economic value (maintenance and redistribution of capital assets). In other words, the ability of the capitalist to manipulate the surplus labour time in order to produce surplus product is the starting point for the extraction of surplus value. Bourgeois economists such as David Ricardo did not see surplus value as the driving force behind the productiveness of labour rather as an essential part of labour production that determines surplus value.Again, this view of the Bourgeois scholars contrasts from that of the merchantilists which believe that surplus value originates from the aspect of exchange of the labour product above its original value. Another, bourgeois scholar with yet another perspective is John Stuart Mill who sees surplus value as inhering from the duration of the product of labour. In other words, Mill b elieved surplus value can still be made without the exchange value of commodities. But, in reality, surplus value can be derived from subtracting the total expenditure made in the process of production and exchange from the final price of the commodity.Surplus value is in fact the main goal and the driving force of capitalist production. It is also important to note that it is on the basis of the engagement of labour power that surplus value is extracted. Since capital needs a steady flow of labour power to preserve the capital assets and provide surplus value, it is where the mystery of capitalist exploitation lies, it becomes pertinent to examine the views of Karl Marx on the following Sub themes: CHANGES OF MAGNITUDE INTHE PRICE OF LABOUR POWER AND IN SURPLUS VALUE: Labour power is determined by the expenditure of social labour on its production and reproduction. In other words, in order to live and work, a worker has to have food, clothes, housing, etc , in order to meet his nee ds and fulfill his role as a member of society. Essentially, for Marx, there are three important factors that determine the value of labour power: i.The value of the necessaries required by the worker ii. The expenses involved in skills acquisition of the labourer iii. The value of the means of subsistence required to maintain the workerââ¬â¢s family. In addition, labour power has a specific use value which no other commodity possesses. For example, the use value of commodities such as bread, clothes, footwear, writing materials, etc is fully used up in the process of consumption while the use value of labour power has the capacity to produce more value than it has itself.This also constitutes the cradle of capitalist exploitation and appropriation of surplus value. It is based o the above premise that Marx underscores that the Relative magnitudes of surplus value and of price of labour power are determined by three circumstances: a. The length of the working day b. The normal in tensity of labour c. The productiveness of labour The above factors or circumstances could variously be combined. One of the three factors could be constant and the others variable or two constant and one variable or lastly all three simultaneously variable.The following analogy further explains the various combinations that determine the relative magnitudes of surplus value and the value of labour power: LENGTH OF THE WORKING DAY AND INTENSITY OF LABOUR CONSTANT. PRODUCTIVENESS OF LABOUR VARIABLE : The above assumptions are determined by three laws: First, a working day of a given length always creates the same amount of value, irrespective of the productiveness of labour and with it the mass of the product and the price of each of the product may vary.What the capitalist would do in this circumstance in order to extract surplus value is to divide the working day into two parts: The first is the necessary labour time and the other is surplus labour time. The capitalist maximizes th e utility of the surplus labour time in which time the worker expends surplus labour and creates surplus value. Again, Marx added that the outcome of labour process varies with the productiveness of labour. Second, surplus value and the value of labour power vary in opposite directions.A variation in the productiveness of labour, its increase or decrease influence the variation in the opposite direction of the value of labour power and in the same direction in surplus value. In other words, the capitalists through the intensity of labour can reduce the value of labour power, while at the same time increase their extraction of surplus value. Further, the value of labour power cannot fall and consequently surplus value cannot rise without a rise in the productiveness of labour.For instance, a working day of seven hours created a value of #10,000 as a constant. The constant quantity is the sum of the surplus value plus the value of labour power; therefore, neither of them can increase without the other diminishing. It then follows that the value of the labour power cannot decrease from #10,000 to #8,000 unless an increase in the productiveness of labour makes it possible to produce in five hours the same quantity of necessaries as previously required in 7 hours to produce.On the other hand, the value of the labour power cannot rise from #10,000 to #12,000 without a decrease in the productiveness of labour, whereby 9 hours become sufficient to produce the same quantity of necessaries for the production of which 7 hours previously sufficed. Third, increase or diminution in surplus value depends on the corresponding diminution or increase in the value of labour power. Every change of magnitude in surplus value arises from an inverse change of magnitude in the value of labour power.According to this third law, a change in the magnitude of surplus value presupposes a movement in the value of labour power, which movement is brought about by a variation in the productiv eness of labour. WORKING DAY CONSTANT. PRODUCTIVENESS OF LABOUR CONSTANT. INTENSITY OF LABOUR VARIABLE : In this case, increased intensity of labour in a constant working day of 7 hours will amount to more products than one of less intense labour. Productiveness of labour will also result in more products in a given day of 7 hours.Evidently, the mass of surplus value can be increased both by increasing the rate of the exploitation of labour power and by increasing the number of wage workers. In addition, the reduction of the value of the workers means of subsistence and consequently the value of labour power or a reduction of the necessary labour time and increase in the surplus labour time can generate surplus value in the process of capitalist production. Again, technology increases surplus value at the expense of labour power.In fact, capitalism as a social system puts all the achievements of the technical progress at the service of non-working, parasitic classes and dooms the wo rking class to poverty and rightlessness. Machines serve to intensify the exploitation of labour and wear out the human organism at a faster pace. When the value created by a dayââ¬â¢s labour increases from #8,000 to #10,000, then the two parts into which this value is divided, ie price of labour power and surplus value may both increase simultaneously, equally or unequally.Here, the rise in the price of labour power does not necessarily imply that the price has risen above the value of labour power. On the contrary, the rise in price may be accompanied by a fall in value. This occurs whenever the rise in the price of labour power does not compensate for its increased wear and tear. PRODUCTIVENESS AND INTENSITY OF LABOUR CONSTANT. LENGTH OF THE WORKING DAY VARIABLE: The length of the working day creates a greater or less amount of value. In addition, every change between the magnitudes of surplus value and the value of labour power arises from a change in the absolute magnitudes of the surplus labour.Furthermore, the absolute value of labour can change only in consequence of the reaction exercised by the prolongation of surplus labour upon the wear and tear of labour power. From the foregoing, one can conclude that: A shortening of the working day under the conditions leaving the value of labour power and its necessary labour time unaltered; it then reduces the surplus labour and surplus value. A change in the productiveness and intensity of labour either precedes or immediately follows a shortening of the working day.Second, if the working day be lengthened say 2 hours and the price of labour power remain altered; the surplus value increases both absolutely and relatively. In other words, the change of relative magnitude in the value of labour power is the result of the change of absolute magnitude in surplus value. The point to be emphasized here is that the wear and tear of workers is not adequately compensated in Nigeria. SIMULTANEUOS VARIATIONS IN THE DURATION, PRODUCTIVENESS AND INTENSITY OF LABOUR The ifferent variations are capable of counteracting one another, either wholly or in part. In speaking of diminishing productiveness of labour, it is in relation with those industries whose products takes care of the subsistence of the worker such as the fertility of the soil and the consequent dearness of its products like food, shelter, clothes, etc. In the latter case, should there be no change in the working day, the capitalists will experience a fall in surplus value because the price of the labour power required for production would have increased.Therefore, with diminishing productiveness of labour and a simultaneous lengthening of the working day, the absolute magnitude of surplus value may continue unaltered, at the same time that its relative magnitude diminishes; its relative magnitude may continue unchanged at the same time that its absolute magnitude increases; both the absolute magnitude and relative magnitude may incre ase in so far as the duration of the working day is sufficient. On the other hand, the increasing productiveness of labour with a simultaneous shortening of the necessary labour time results in the relative surplus value.When the productiveness of labour is as a result of increasing social labour productivity in branches producing means of subsistence for the workers and their families, it serves to reduce the value of labour power and subsequently produces absolute and relative surplus value when the necessary labour time is reduced at the expense of the surplus labour time. However, the more the productiveness of labour increases, the more can the working day be shortened; and the more the working day is shortened , the more can the productiveness of labour increase.VARIOUS FORMULAE FOR THE RATE OF SURPLUS VALUE: The rate of surplus value in production is defined by Marx as the volume of surplus value produced by the workforce divided by the variable capital expended to produce: a Surplus value S = Surplus value = Surplus labour Variable capital V Value of labour power Necessary labour b. Surplus labour =Surplus value =Surplus product Working day Value of the Product Total ProductHere, the intensity and productiveness of labour embodied in a working day depicts the degree of exploitation of labour. The formula for the mass of surplus value (S) is = Sââ¬â¢x V, where S is the rate of surplus value and V is the variable capital advanced for the remuneration of all the workers. Evidently, the mass of surplus can be increased both by increasing the rate of the exploitation of labour power and by increasing the number of wage workers. Conclusion:
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