Victorian Decade of Crisis: An Overview

Victorian Decade of Crisis: An Overview Why have the 1880s been viewed by historians as a decade of crisis for London? Great city of the midnight sun, Whose day begins when day is done.[1] The late Victorian era was a time of many developments, and much progress. After a number of short trade depressions in the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign, the situation stabilised and then increased from the mid-1840s. This was largely due to the massive spread of railways at the time. This period of increasing industry was complemented by the so-called ‘Golden Age’ of High Farming; when agriculture enjoyed similar successes, despite the repeal of the corn laws in 1846. This Golden Age was followed, however, by a period of prolonged depression which spanned over twenty years from the early 1870s until the mid 1890s. It was only in 1914, with the outbreak of the Great War, that the relative decline of Britain as an industrial power became apparent. Why were the 1880s such years of crisis, and what was the extent of this crisis? Although the decade falls in what is usually described as the Great Depression, export and production figures for the period suggest the industrial situation was not as bad as some believe. The steel industry continued to expand, as did the coal and cotton textiles industries. The amount of cotton cloth exported was 3573 million yards between 1870-79, while between 1880-89, this figure increased 4675 million yards.[2] As Burnett states, â€Å"by the decade of the 1880s, it was clear that the growth both of the cotton and woollen industries had fallen off sharply†¦Ã¢â‚¬ [3] There were, however, other aspects of the period which warranted the description more. Prices were falling, for example, which meant the value of exports was reduced, thereby reducing profits. Unemployment in the decade averaged 5.4% compared to 4.6% in the twenty years before 1874. In 1886, the figure rose for that year to 10%.[4] The cause of the depression has been attributed to the reduction in railway building which started. In each five year period between 1845 and 1870, an average of 2000 miles of new track were laid, while between 1885 and 1900, this figure fell to 750 miles.[5] This affected one of the major growth industries of the earlier period; the steel industry, as demand fell. It was also during this period that the competition from other countries began to be noticed. This came most acutely from Germany and the USA. German coal production rose from 34 million tons in 1870 to 59 million tons in 1880, while US coal production rose to 64.9 million tons in the same period. While British production was still ahead at 149 million tons, competition was growing. The case was similar in pig-iron and steel production.[6] In the US, machines such as the typewriter and the sewing machine were being developed. Having been the first nation to industrialise, much of the machinery and equipment used in British industry was becoming outdated and surpassed by technology which the newly industrialising nations were utilising. It was in this period, and during the 1880s in particular, that the extent of this relative decline began to be noticed, and this was a major contributory factor to the decade being seen more generally as one of crisis. As Harris points out, â€Å"one of the striking facts that emerges from the Census of 1871 is that, a hundred years after the onset of the Industrial Revolution, the topography of Britain was still in many ways that of a predominantly rural country.†[7] Britain, as well as falling behind in technological developments, was being pushed out of her traditional markets by these newly industrialising nations. The US could increasingly meet her own needs, while the European markets were being flooded with cheaper, often better quality goods from other countries. Belgium, for example, developed cheaper, better quality methods of glass production, while the Germans were able to introduce Siemens furnaces for steel production. While these other nations increasingly introduced tariff systems to protect their domestic markets, this was anathema to the British laissez faire approach. Consequently, the British markets remained unprotected and were flooded with imported goods. Another industrial problem in Britain during the period was the failure of British management systems. These, too, were becoming outdated and surpassed by competitors’ newly-developed systems. Often based around the family firm, management positions were often filled by familial connection rather than ability. Coupled with this was the lack of investment in new machinery and industrial apparatus which in turn contributed to the lack of competitiveness in British industry generally. There was a general lack of initiative and failure to get involved in the newly developing industries such as the petro-chemical and electrical engineering industries, which would soon come to dominate industry. During the 1880s, imports of wheat and flour into the United Kingdom increased to 70,282 thousand cwt from just 50,406 thousand cwt the previous decade.[8] These imports often came from the US, where the vast prairies were developed by trans-continental railway. The imports were helped by the development of large merchant steamships. The cost of imports fell dramatically, making it much more viable to import larger quantities of foodstuffs. The average annual wheat price fell from 47.67 shillings per quarter between 1875-9 to just 31.58 shillings per quarter in 1885-9.[9] An important development in the 1880s was the introduction of the refrigeration ship, which enabled meat products to be imported from countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Argentina.[10] Despite this gloomy economic and industrial situation which was afflicting the country generally, London itself was not amongst the worst hit area. The flux of imports affected the agricultural sector, not many of whom were to be found in the metropolis; particularly those who relied on wheat and cereal growing. Again, the refusal of the government to introduce a tariff system to protect the domestic market did nothing to help the situation. A benefit of the depression, particularly for those not dependent on agriculture, was that it meant food was cheaper. This in turn meant that those who were employed actually enjoyed a higher standard of living. In 1888, the Conservative government set up the London County Council. This was a response to the political activism of the great reformers of the decade, but it marked a positive step in the battle against poverty and want. It involved direct election of 118 councillors, which allowed public opinion to have a say. Although struggles for power even within this new body continued, it moved the battle to political ground. This development was complemented in the 1880s by the growth and development of more organised trades unions in London. This attempt to organise labour often involved the transport workers, and therefore focused on London. While this was undoubtedly a positive development, giving many workers, for the first time, an authoritative voice bout their conditions, it can be said that this led to increased struggle and clashing between workers and employers, which contributed to the idea of the city being in crisis. The most spectacular manifestation of this was the riots in Trafalgar Square in 1886 and 1887, which although they involved the unemployed rather than unionised workers, highlighted the animosity felt towards the privileged and propertied people of London. This culminated in ‘Bloody Sunday’ on 13 November 1887. Mackail described the events. â€Å"No one who ever saw it will ever forget the strange and indeed terrible sight of that grey winter day, the vast sombre-coloured crowd, the brief but fiery struggle at the corner of the Strand, and the river of steel and scarlet that moved slowly through the dusky swaying masses when two squadrons of the Life Guards were summoned up from Whitehall.†[11] Another positive development for London during the period, which counters the impression of London as a city in crisis during this period, was the effect on the great city of the railways and steamships. Having already assisted the growth and development of the empire, by the 1880s, they had considerably magnified the importance of London itself. As well as being a great international seaport, the increasing rail network focused on London also. In 1880, the total value of London’s trade was greater than that of its nearest rival, Liverpool.[12] London also became a symbol of free trade, as it was the centre of the great importing warehouses. This, of course, was not as positive as it may have seemed, given the negative effects on the rest of the country of the massive growth in imports during the period. The flip-side of these developments in transport was the social cost. People often had to be turned out of their homes in order to build the new terminals. Industrial conditio ns amongst the workers were less than adequate also. This was most marked in 1889, the year of the great dock strike at the London docks, as the workers struggled to achieve the ‘dockers’ tanner’. This event can be seen to encapsulate much of the perception about the decade as a whole; one of struggle and conflict between workers and their managers. Urbanisation was a major factor during the period. Much of this was concentrated in London and Middlesex (as well as Lancashire, Durham, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, west-central and parts of south Wales). Increasing ground rents in the period were beginning to drive many of the middle and upper classes to the city limits. The term ‘Greater London’ was used for the first time in the 1881 Census; an area that was growing the most rapidly.[13] During the 1870s, rural population experienced an absolute decline for the first time since records began while urban population increased by 75% in some cases. In response to this there was a building boom in London during the 1880s. By the middle of the next decade, in London and Middlesex, nearly half of the population had been born elsewhere.[14] While this massive urban growth was positive for the city in many ways, it also meant more crowding, insufficient housing, increasing rents and costs and the dangers of disease that acco mpany such conditions. Harris discusses the fall in fertility during the 1880s. Commentators at the time put it down to the strain of urban living and the modern education system â€Å"eroding human procreative powers†.[15] This fall in the birth rate concerned many contemporaries at the time, and it has been debated at length by historians ever since. It is interesting that it coincided with the Great Depression, and another, later drop coincided with a fall in real wages in 1900. This general atmosphere of depression, economic an social, was perhaps at its most acute during the 1880s, and although it actually spanned over twenty years, it is this decade in particular that is remembered as a decade of crisis. During the 1880s, Charles Booth began his great survey of the London poor entitled London Life and Labour. this would become an important work in drawing attention to the want of the working class in the capital. It marked a realisation, or appreciation, of what was becoming a serious problem of poverty and low living. In one passage, he describes the typical working woman (who was often only partly-employed) as â€Å"generally elderly, infirm, penniless and a widow †¦ she is nervous and timid, and takes work at whatever price it may be offered to her.†[16] A major reason why the decade is seen as one of crisis, then, is that it was one of the earliest times that the poverty and dire situation of the working classes in London was forced to the attention of the wider public. Poverty was the â€Å"biggest single fact of contemporary existence.†[17] Poverty, poor sanitation and over-crowding were nothing new to the 1880s, but with Booth’s work, and the later wo rk of Rowntree, the situation was increasingly recognised. Booth’s work was followed quickly by other similar studies such as Andrew Mearn’s The Bitter Cry of Outcast London (1883) and General Booth’s In Darkest England and the Way Out (1890). In 1887, Henry Hyndman published a pamphlet entitled A Commune for Socialism which was a plea for municipal socialism. This was a cry that was increasingly being taken up, as the importance of local government as a means of social reform was being recognised. Joseph Chamberlain was one of the members of the government of the day to realise this importance, and indeed introduce it into the national debate. He spoke about this in 1885. â€Å"Local government is near the people. Local government will bring you into contact with the masses. By its means you will be able to increase their comforts, to secure their health, to multiply the luxuries which they may enjoy †¦ to lessen the inequalities of our social system, and the raise the standard of all classes in the community.†[18] It was, then, increasingly brought into the national debate, and this bears large responsibility for the impression of the 1880s being a decade of crisis. This was, however, a positive step, as it l ed to increased activism and political developments favouring the working classes. In Victorian Cities, Briggs describes London as ‘the World City’. This captures how London was seen, both domestically and abroad, throughout much of the Victorian era. By the closing decades of the nineteenth century, then, why was the greatest city in the world experiencing a crisis? During the 1880s, the Quarterly Review described the â€Å"complete separation of the residences of the different classes of the community.†[19] This was referring to the contrast between the East End and the West End of London, and the effective segregation of the population of London into rich areas and poor areas. It has been said that the residents of each respective part of London knew and cared little about the other area. In another work important in stimulating the better-off into action called Tales of Mean Streets Arthur Morrison asked â€Å"who knows the East End?† The description that followed in answer reflected the common perception of the situation in the East End: â€Å"an evil plexus of slums that hide human creeping things; where filthy men and women live on penn’orths of gin, where collars and clean shirts are decencies unknown, where every citizen wears a black eye, and none combs his hair.†[20] The situation in London, then, was not homogenous throughout the great city. There were pockets of serious depravity, while other areas enjoyed great wealth and luxury. It was this juxtaposition of the East End with the bright lights of the West End that highlighted the dire situation in the East End, and did more than anything to contribute to the impression of London as a city in crisis during the 1880s. The stark difference was that although poverty was present in parts of the West End, for example around Belgrave Square, it was largely hidden from view, while in the East End it was clearly visible for those who cared to see it. During the 1880s, however, as London was increasingly being seen as a world city, as the capital of the greatest empire in the world, it was the ostentatious and dazzling aspect of the city’s situation which was emphasised. Here, then, is an interesting paradox. Although the 1880s saw some of the early social commentators and reformers recognise and draw attention to the ills of the poorer classes in London (as well as other industrial cities of England), to many London remained one of the greatest cities in the world. In 1883, for example, an Australian writer described London in New York’s Century Magazine. â€Å"We may talk of our Western empire and our admirable ports, of our growth and our growing wealth; but here is, and will remain for generations, the centre of the commercial and political world, the focus of intellectual activity and the mint of thought.†[21] The 1880s were a decade of great struggle in London. There was much poverty and want, with disease rife, and sanitation poor. The dire situation did not affect the whole of the city, however, and it was the wealth and opulence of the West End which highlighted how bad the situation elsewhere had become. It was also a decade of increasing social comment and investigation. The middle classes were, for the first time, taking an interest in their less fortunate neighbours. The decade was not the first in which London was in crisis; it was simply one of the earliest that the situation was recognised. BIBLIOGRAPHY Baycroft, T., Nationalism in Europe 1789 1945 (Cambridge, 1998) Briggs, A., Victorian Cities (London, 1968) Burnett, J., Useful Toil (London and New York, 1994) English, R., Kenny, M. (Eds), Rethinking British Decline (New York, 2000) Feldman, D., Englishmen and Jews (New Haven and London, 1994) Fraser, H., ‘Municipal Socialism and Social Policy’, in Morris, R.J., and Rodger, R. (Eds), The Victorian City (London and New York 1993) Harris, J., Private Lives, Public Spirit: Britain 1870 1914 (Oxford, 1993) Lowe, N., Mastering Modern British History (London, 1998) Mathias, P., The First Industrial Nation (London, 1969) Morris, R.J., Rodger, R. (Eds), The Victorian City (London and New York, 1993) Pugh, M., State and Society (2nd edition) (London, 1999) Taylor, A.J.P., The Struggle for Mastery in Europe (Oxford, 1971) Footnotes [1] Richard le Gallienne (1895), quoted in Briggs, A., Victorian Cities (London, 1968), p311 [2] Mathias, P., The First Industrial Nation (London, 1969), p468 [3] Burnett, J., Useful Toil (London and New York, 1994), p15 [4] Lowe, N., Mastering Modern British History (London, 1998), p216 [5] Ibid, p216 [6] Taylor, A.J.P., The Struggle for Mastery in Europe (Oxford, 1971), ppxxix xxx [7] Harris, J., Private Lives, Public Spirit: Britain 1870 1914 (Oxford, 1993), p41 [8] Mathias, pp472-5 [9] Ibid [10] Lowe, p221 [11] Quoted in Briggs, p329 [12] Briggs, p318 [13] Ibid, p312 [14] Harris, pp41 44 [15] Ibid, p47 [16] Quoted in Burnett, p35 [17] Briggs, p313 [18] Quoted in Fraser, H., ‘Municipal Socialism and Social Policy’, in Morris, R.J., and Rodger, R. (Eds), The Victorian City (London and New York 1993), p263 [19] Quoted in Briggs, p314 [20] Quoted ibid, p315 [21] Hogan, J.F., Century Magazine (1883), quoted in Briggs, p317

My Love is Like a Red Rose Essay -- Robert Burns Poetry Literature Ess

Life is like A Red Rose This is the loveliest lyrical song of all time for Robert's wife - Jean Armour. It is widely known for not only its emotional significance bur its perfect form as well. Robert Burns opens this poem with a traditional comparison:"Oh my love is like a red red rose" Up to now, "rose" is considered the symbol of love. In this case, rose "is newly sprung in June", we can understand that his love is always at the starting point. Robert uses his rose with the meaning that it is very strong and passionate. In the second comparison, the poet shares, "the melodie" that "sweetly played in tune": "Oh my love is like the melodie" This is the conventional comparison that evolves the hearing sense of the beats of two hearts of those who are in love. This sounds very harmonious and is played sweetly in tune. The next stanza is begun with an inversion in the first and second lines to emphasize Robert's love becomes deeper and deeper. " So fair art thou, my bonnie lass So deep in love am I" The first speciality of this poem is the end of the second stanza and the beginning one of the third stanza are the same:" ...Till a'the seas gand dry" and "Till a'the seas gang dry, my dear..." Here is the link of the poem and also the continuing love Robert Burns has. There are two exaggerated images proving the poet's passionate and deep love: "Till a'the seas gang dry, my dear, and the rocks melt wi'the sun." The seas are so broad to get dry an...

The Highlights of My Teaching Pedagogy Essay -- Teaching Philosophy Ed

The Highlights of My Teaching Pedagogy Through my own experiences, and as enforced by others' opinions in the profession, I have found that teaching is one of the most rewarding careers. Not only are you placed in the position of instructing and guiding children and young adults through the life long learning process, but you are able to give back to the schools and communities which have supported your early education and experiences that opened you up to a bright future. In becoming an educator, I hope to someday share the knowledge and lend the helping, supportive hand that I was once given, allowing students to formulate their own perspectives of the multicultural society and world around them. Teaching is a career I have been interested in pursuing throughout high school, and as my experiences and study in the field expands, I feel that my desire to teach will grow stronger and develop more soundly. As a teacher, I have numerous personal goals. Mainly, my goal is to provide students with the opportunity and encouragement to succeed in life and to develop as free-thinking individuals in society. I consider myself a progressive and an essentialist, according to theory. I feel that students need to be given multiple opportunities to explore many different life skills that sometimes are overlooked in the education system. Testing, rote memorization, and lecture, in my opinion, do not promote students' own inquiry and does not give students opportunities to tap into their own source of knowledge that they each bring with them to the classroom. As a teacher, I hope to leave my students able to set and accomplish goals through the use of these life skills. Some teachers I have had while in hi... ...hods of fill-in-the-blank or multiple choice exams. In my classroom, grades won't carry as much weight as the actual learning the students undertake. I could go on at length, discussing all aspects of my praxis as an educator, however, that would lead to a paper of excruciating length. These aspects of my teaching pedagogy that are delivered in this praxis statement are those that I feel strongest about upholding. It is important for educators to value their students and the perspectives and cultures they bring to the classroom. Student-centered education is what I find to be the key to great teaching, and overall, is the greatest way to allow students to value and grow through their own self-exploratory and self-directed education. Valuing and appreciating each of your students is what makes teaching such an enlightening, uplifting profession.

Of Course Theyre Worth It :: Sports Athletics Texas Essays

Of Course They're Worth It The year 2004 promises to be exciting for sports fans and sports figures alike! Let's look at the state of Texas for instance: sports fans in Houston have the opportunity to enjoy professional sports' greatest show, the Super Bowl, in February, and then the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in July. Sports fans in San Antonio will welcome back their NBA Champion Spurs, and fans in Dallas will most likely be filling the seats of Texas Stadium to cheer on America's Team once again. For the athletes who call Texas home, 2004 might not be as exciting as it is lucrative. Up the middle, the Texas Rangers organization will pay nearly $30 million for sub-par defense and a combined .250 batting average, and $21 million alone is wrapped up in one man, Alex Rodriguez. Despite being the fourth best team in the Western Division year after year, Mark Cuban's Dallas Mavericks have the highest payroll in the league with four players making over $10 million in 2004. I guess you don't have to be from Texas to make bank as a professional athlete, though. Those guys on the hard-wood are doing okay I suppose. Orlando Magic shooting guard Tracy McGrady will "earn" about $13.5 million in 2004. Jason Kidd of the New Jersey Nets will make close to $17.5 million while Pacer center Jermaine O'Neal will rake in about $18 million in 2004. Am I the only one who thinks this is ridiculous? If that isn't enough, just take a look at baseball. Guys like Shawn Green, Pedro Martinez, and Carlos Delgado will all make close to $20 million each in 2004. Is this fair? Do these guys really deserve that kind of money? Does it make sense that a teacher, someone who shapes the lives of so many other people, makes around $40 thousand a year while these guys make that in about three and a half innings of play or a few trips up and down the court? From a purely ethical standpoint, I think it's safe to say that professional athletes are not worth the millions of dollars they get paid each season, no matter how many points they score a game, how many boards they pull a night, or how many home runs they hit a season. However, from a purely economic standpoint, it's hard to argue that professional athletes who generate billions of dollars a year in revenue for their respective cities aren't deserving of that kind of money. Of Course They're Worth It :: Sports Athletics Texas Essays Of Course They're Worth It The year 2004 promises to be exciting for sports fans and sports figures alike! Let's look at the state of Texas for instance: sports fans in Houston have the opportunity to enjoy professional sports' greatest show, the Super Bowl, in February, and then the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in July. Sports fans in San Antonio will welcome back their NBA Champion Spurs, and fans in Dallas will most likely be filling the seats of Texas Stadium to cheer on America's Team once again. For the athletes who call Texas home, 2004 might not be as exciting as it is lucrative. Up the middle, the Texas Rangers organization will pay nearly $30 million for sub-par defense and a combined .250 batting average, and $21 million alone is wrapped up in one man, Alex Rodriguez. Despite being the fourth best team in the Western Division year after year, Mark Cuban's Dallas Mavericks have the highest payroll in the league with four players making over $10 million in 2004. I guess you don't have to be from Texas to make bank as a professional athlete, though. Those guys on the hard-wood are doing okay I suppose. Orlando Magic shooting guard Tracy McGrady will "earn" about $13.5 million in 2004. Jason Kidd of the New Jersey Nets will make close to $17.5 million while Pacer center Jermaine O'Neal will rake in about $18 million in 2004. Am I the only one who thinks this is ridiculous? If that isn't enough, just take a look at baseball. Guys like Shawn Green, Pedro Martinez, and Carlos Delgado will all make close to $20 million each in 2004. Is this fair? Do these guys really deserve that kind of money? Does it make sense that a teacher, someone who shapes the lives of so many other people, makes around $40 thousand a year while these guys make that in about three and a half innings of play or a few trips up and down the court? From a purely ethical standpoint, I think it's safe to say that professional athletes are not worth the millions of dollars they get paid each season, no matter how many points they score a game, how many boards they pull a night, or how many home runs they hit a season. However, from a purely economic standpoint, it's hard to argue that professional athletes who generate billions of dollars a year in revenue for their respective cities aren't deserving of that kind of money.

Economic Course Work Essay

The market demand (red line) for oil is highly inelastic, and a large change in price only has a small impact on demand for oil. In essence, you will not drive twice as fast because oil is cheaper, nor can you easily switch from using one type of fuel to another(petrol to diesel) just because its price has changed to be cheaper. The supply of oil is relatively inelastic. This is because investment in the production facilities leads to an increase in supply, but the cost of pumping out the oil is relatively the same (Hillier, 2005). It will cost an oil production facility roughly the same amount to produce at half or full capacity. Maintenance and repairs will only be done if the price of oil is high. In essence, we can say that a small change in the demand and supply curve causes a larger change in the clearing price of oil in Russia. As the cost if oil goes up, the Bus fares will increase as transporters will try to recover the remaining cost from the passenger, thus reducing the demand for buses. This in turn will lead to passengers demanding more of the train services which are not affected by the rise in oil price, thus the shift in the demand curve to the right. Indicating a demand for trains. During world the demand for oil was low, thus the downward shift of the demand curve from D1 to D2. This was a result of consumers looking for alternative sources of fuel energy, since the price for oil was high. Also during the recess, due to the recession, the price of oil went up, thus the upward shift of the supply curve from S1 to S2. The high prices led to more production, thus more supply to capitalize on the prevailing high market prices of oil. iv) Use a demand and supply diagram to show what happens to oil prices when the UK adopts energy efficiency measures and invests in wind and solar energy There will be less demand for oil from the British as they will look for alternative means for energy, thus the downward shift of the demand curve from D1 to D2. Thus further development in alternative energy resources means that there is spread of technology thus the equivalent point shifts to the left. v) What happens to oil prices if high economic growth continues in India and China. India and china are following the traditional economic growth path which requires huge oil production and use. Since the national resources are limited, large scale of imports are necessary. Larger demands, higher price, higher expectation to prices attracts speculators to buy more of the oil, which creates the bubble, higher prices of oil due to increased demand (Copeland et al, 2005). 2. Use demand and supply analysis consider what factors on the demand side and which on the supply side will influence oil prices over the next few years? (50 marks) Prospects in the world economy. The world populations is increasing daily, signaling an increase in the demand for oil to meet some of the basic life energy needs . It is estimated that the population of India and China will grow by 8. 4% and 10% respectively. This alone is a big market (demand) for oil (Market Avenue, 2008). Thus this will affect the price of oil, as the demand will increase, thus a rise in the price of oil. Technological development. The world oil supply will improve with new technologies being propagated everyday to ensure more but efficient production and distribution of oil to the markets. This will lead to more efficient and environmentally friendly oil facilities that will increase the supply of oil at a global level (Market Avenue, 2008). As a result, the price of oil will go up in proportion to the investments put in place to do the renovations and maintenances of the oil production facilities. Global economic political situation as with Iran nuclear issue, in as much as Iran has high reserves oil and gas, it is has a nuclear development programme that is looking at using nuclear technology as an alternative to oil and gas. This has prompted political debates impasse, and sanctions as regards the future of energy resources in the world. Reports by Market Avenue (2008) shows that this affects the price of oil in the sense that Iran has the second largest oil reservoir, next to Saudi Arabia, and thus have a greater control over how their international relations plays out with the world super powers and the OPEC to regulate the supply and price of oil. According to Biswajit et al (2007), alternatives to oil, there are increasing alternatives to oil as a source of energy. Many other alternatives like, solar, propane, nuclear energy, bio diesel, hydrogen, battery and ethanol. All these are alternatives to oil that have been proven to work. Even though their use is still small scale compared to oil, they are emerging as good alternatives oil use. This affects the future of oil use globally as they tend to be more environmentally friendly and cheaper than oil. 3. Describe the structure of the world motor car industry (25 marks) The first producer of a petrol engine driven car was Karl Benz, 1885 Mannheim Germany. Over the years many inventions and different models of cars have come. These include brand names such as Toyota, Hyundai, Range Rovers, Mercedes Benz, Nissan just to mention a few. Globally there are many producers of cars. For ease of reference they have been ranked by country. In the top ten we have China, Japan, USA, Germany, South Korea, Brazil, India, Spain, France, and Mexico respectively. The top ten brand names include Toyota, General Motors, Volkswagen, Ford, Hyundai, PSA, Honda, Nissan, Fiat and Suzuki. This is relation to the number if volumes of vehicles the produced in 2009. Depending on the regions, various cars manufacturers have a specific share in the markets in which they operate in. Example is that Thailand is today, already the second largest globally, pick-up truck market after the U. S. and is ASEAN’s largest automotive market and assembler. In her report, Global Automobile Industry: Changing with Times , Chithra Gopal R. S. , M. Sc (Agri), says that in Thailand today all leading Japanese car producers as well as BMW, Mercedes Benz, General Motors, Ford, Volvo and Peugeot assemble cars along with their legions of suppliers. The country has become the main production base for auto- mobile exports in South East Asia. One of the biggest foreign producers located in Thailand is Toyota with a production totaling more than 300,000 vehicles a year and the number is having an upward trend. General Motors (GM), although a much smaller player in Thailand than Toyota, is also increasing production. The other big auto companies located in Thailand are Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Auto Alliance, Honda etc. In recent years, BMW and Daimler Chrysler (Mercedes-Benz) have also increased their investments to gain complete control on local manufacturing and marketing operations, indicating that the auto mobile industry in Thailand has the structure of perfect competition (Biswajit et al. 2007). References Biswajit, N. , Saikat, B. &Rittwik, C. (2007). Asia-Pacific Research and Training Network on Trade Working Paper Series, No. 37, July 2007. Retrieved on 21 August, 2010. From: http://www. unescap. org/tid/artnet/pub/wp3707. pdf. Case, K. & Fair, R. (1999). Principles of Economics, 5th Ed. New York: Prentice-Hall. Copeland, A. , Wendy, D. & Hall, G. (2005). Prices, Production and Inventories, Over The Automotive Model Year, Working Paper 11257, NBER Hillier, B. (2005). The Macroeconomic Debate. Oxford: Blackwell, pp. 7-85. Market Avenue (2008). Major Factors Affecting World Oil Market in 2008. Retrieved on 21 August, 2010. From: (http://www. marketavenue. cn/upload/articles/ARTICLES_1422. htm Parkin, M. & Bade, R. (1982). Modern Macroeconomics. Indiana University press Philip, A & Fischer, S. 1980. Rational Expectations and Economic Policy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press http://www. tradingtoday. com/26-oil-supply-demand, http://www. eco-action. org/dt/oilfut. html).

Mis “Myspace

What kind of databases and database servers does MySpace use? A database is an organized collection of data. A database server is a computer program that provides database services to other computer programs. In the initial phases, MySpace operated with two web servers (a computer application that helps to deliver web content that can be accessed through the internet) communicating with one database server and a Microsoft SQL Server database(as s database, it is a software product whose primary function is to store and retrieve data requested by other software applications).But as the number of accounts started to increase to 500,000 in 2004 one database server wasn’t sufficient. MySpace then deployed three SQL servers database. Which one served as a master database, which received all new data and copied it to the other two databases. As time passed and the number of accounts grew to millions, the database servers where approaching their input/output capacity and causing MySp ace to add many cheaper servers to share the database load.Still having problems with overload, MySpace switched to virtualized storage architecture. In which databases write to any available disk, thus eliminating the possibility of an application’s dedicated disk becoming overloaded. In 2005 MySpace added more servers between the database servers and the Web servers to store and serve copies of frequently accessed data objects so that the site’s web servers wouldn’t have to query the servers with lookups as frequently. Why is a database technology so important for a business such as MySpace?Due to the nature of MySpace and because it mostly receive from and serves to its uses are data objects like pictures, audio files and video files databases technology is the only technology that accomplish the mission. Its database must make the objects readily available to anyone requesting access to an entity (person). Database technology cuts through many problems of tr aditional filing. Rather than storing data in separate file for each application, data are store as to appear to users as being stored in only one single location.How effectively does MySpace organize and store the data on its site? MySpace. com was one of the most popular social networking sites and experienced one of the greatest growths in the history. But unfortunately it wasn’t able to keep with its data storage and challenged technical letdowns that degrade web site performance and frustrated its rapidly expanding network users. MySpace used two Web servers communicating with one database server. It was adequate when the site had a small number of users who were updating or accessing database objects.Obviously that won’t work with millions of users. Unfortunately, MySpace kept overloading more frequently than other major Web sites. With a log-in error rate of 20 to 40 percent on some days, the site is not effectively organizing or storing data. What data manageme nt problems have risen? How has MySpace solved, or attempted to solve these problems? Some of the problems MySpace has encountered are inadequate storage space on its database servers, slow access or no access through its log-in application, and users’ inabilities to access data.Over the years, MySpace has attempted to fix these problems by adding more and Web servers and more database servers. Some were simply â€Å"added on† without restructuring the entire system to more efficiently use its hardware and software. Workloads were not distributed evenly between servers which caused inefficient use of resources. MySpace developers continue to redesign the Web site’s database, software, and storage systems, to keep pace with its exploding growth, but their job is never done. MySpace switched to a virtualization storage architecture which ended the practice of attaching disk dedicated to specific applications.

Boost Juice Case Study Essay

3 reasons for Boost Juice experiencing economies of scale 1 – Purchasing inputs and raw materials in bulk †¢ Buying in bulk means that the average cost of each unit of raw material is cheaper than if each unit was bought individually †¢ In one year alone, Boost juice goes through more than 35 tonnes of mangos and you still have all of the other range of fruits that are bought. Therefore buying in bulk means that the average cost of the raw material decreases which therefore, using the value chain, means that the average cost per output decreases as output increases. †¢ As the order value increases, a business obtains more bargaining power with suppliers. It may be able to obtain discounts and lower prices for the raw materials 2- Cheaper marketing costs pet outlet †¢ Due to the rapid expansion of boost since it was established in 2000 (on average one new boost store opens every 4 days) has meant that the cost of advertising per outlet has decreased (e.g. if you had one outlet and advertising cost $10,000 and then the business expanded to 10 outlets it would mean that cost of advertising per outlet would go from $10,000 to $1000) †¢ This has enabled boost to undergo further marketing strategies which in turn brings more consumers to the product meaning that the price of each unit output would decrease 3- Economies of scale can be defined as reductions in costs per unit of output as output increases and so therefore arise when the cost per unit falls as output increases. They are the ‘savings of size’ if a firm is able to increase the size of its plant or operations in the long run production period. A business that is experiencing economies of scale in the present is the smoothie and juice making company called Boost Juice. Established in  2000, Boost Juice, managed by successful entrepreneur Janine Allis, is a business that has been able to be extremely successful through domination of their market and a number of marketing strategies that has enabled them to grow in size and thus currently be experiencing economies of scale. Since the very first Boost Juice was opened in 2000, the next 6 years saw the opening of 189 new stores and the rapid growth is still occurring today. There are two main types of economies of scale, internal and external each of which are leading factors as to why a business may currently be expericing economies scale. Within this case study of the highly profitable and highly successful business Boost Juice I will be discussing 3 of the reasons why Boost Juice are currently experiencing economies of scale which are bulk buying, cheaper marketing costs and —————— As stated above, economies of scale can occur due to both internal and external factors. One of the key internal factors of which has led to Boost Juice experiencing economies of scale is bulk-buying of raw materials and other inputs. Bulk buying can be defined as buying goods/ materials/ other inputs in large quantities which becomes highly relevant to business that are undergoing or have already expanded as a business due to the cost benefits that are associated with bulk buying. The leading cost benefit associated with the bulk buying is that the average cost of each unit of raw material is far cheaper that if each unit were bought individually. As businesses grow its essential that they order larger quantities of production inputs so that they can meet the increased demand and production. As the order value of wanted raw materials increases a business is able to obtain monopsony (buying) power with its supplier/s. This is extremely applicable to Boost Juice. Boost Juice is a highly successful fruit juice retailer thus requiring extremely large quantities of fruit (along with the other needed inputs). In one year, Boost Juice goes through more than 35 tonnes of mangoes alone and when you consider all of the other fruits that Boost Juice will have to purchase as inputs there is an extremely large quantity of fruit that needs to be supplied. Therefore buying in bulk is much more cost effective as it makes the unit price per input much cheaper through the cost volume benefits of buying in bulk. Therefore, Boost Juice has been able to experience economies of scale in the present through bulk  buying which drastically reduces the unit price per input, which reduces the cost of output.