Dnatas financial performance

Dnatas financial performance Data gathering In the process of conducting the study, a number of issues which include the source of data, its accuracy and credibility were taken into account in the process of gathering the necessary data. The study mainly relied on secondary sources of data.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Dnata’s financial performance specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This was achieved by gathering data from published company reports posted on the firm’s official website and from other credible data bases. For example, the study relied on the financial information published by the Emirates Group on Dnata’s financial performance. As a result, a high degree of credibility, accuracy and reliability was ensured. In an effort to gather sufficient amount of data, a comprehensive questionnaire was designed. A comprehensive review of the questionnaire was undertaken prior its administration to the respondents in order to eliminate any form of errors and ambiguity. The questionnaire included both open-ended and close-ended questions. Open-ended questionnaires were used in order to provide the respondents with an opportunity to communicate their opinion while close-ended questionnaires were used where a specific answer was required. The questionnaires focused on five main areas which include the operational cost, trend of fuel prices, the impact of fuel process on the firm’s operation, logistics and location and how outsourcing can be used to minimize the challenges associated with high fuel prices. Considering the fact that the respondents are very busy, the questionnaires were mailed in time in order to provide them with ample time to look at them.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The target population for the study included all Dnata Company employees. In an e ffort to simplify the study process, the concept of sampling was integrated. Fifteen employees were selected to be the respondents. By selecting a small sample size, it was possible to increase the power of the study. Maxwell (2005) asserts that a large sample size reduces the power of a particular study due to numerous errors. However, a small sample size reduces such errors. As a result, the researcher was able to improve the degree to which the findings of the study can be relied upon in addition to lowering the cost of the study. Employees from different job categories were selected to be the respondents. Some of the respondents belonged to the top level management while others belonged to lower level of management. However, it was ensured that the respondents selected were conversant with the impact of high fuel prices on the operation of Dnata Company. Data analysis Both qualitative and quantitative data research methods of data analysis were used. This was achieved by integra ting descriptive statistics and inferential data analysis methods. Descriptive statistics entails calculating the mean, mode, frequencies and percentages. On the other hand, inferential statistics entails integrating tests such as t-test and the chi-square. Such tests aid in evaluating the statistical difference between categorical variables. On the other hand, multivariate analysis will be used to assess the impact of high fuel prices on the performance of Dnata Company. The research questions considered in the study will be analyzed individually.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Dnata’s financial performance specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More By using descriptive statistics, the researcher will be able to condense the voluminous data collected. The data collected will be presented using tables, graphs and charts. As a result, it will be easy for a large number of stakeholders to interpret the findings. Re sults Analysis of how the rise in oil price has affected Dnata’s operation Oil is an important component in the operation of organizations in various economic sectors. The data gathered from secondary sources shows that the UAE has been experiencing a significant fluctuation in oil prices over the past five years. The chart below illustrates the trend in the performance of crude oil price in the UAE from 2008 to 2012. Figure 1 Source: (Index Mundi, 2013) The chart shows that the price of oil in the UAE reduced significantly from May 2008 to November 2008. However, the downward trend was reversed from 2009 and the country been experiencing an upward trend with regard to oil prices as illustrated by the graph.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The table below shows a summary of the average oil price per barrel in UAE and the associated percentage change from 2008 to 2012. The chart shows that oil price from 2009 to 2012 has experienced minimal change. This explains why the cost of doing business in the UAE has been very high. Year Average oil price per barrel in AED Percentage change 2008 577.49 13% 2009 232.4 5.14% 2010 286.66 1.15% 2011 389.39 1.58% 2012 287.1 0.15% Figure 2 High oil prices increases the risks faced by an organization. From the illustrations above, it one can assert that Dnata is exposed to numerous financial risks. Consequently, it is fundamental for the firm’s management team to conduct a comprehensive analysis and evaluation on the risks that the firm faces. This will result in development of greater insight on the most effective risk control measures. This will improve the effectiveness with which the firm implements effective risk control mechanisms. The mechanisms integrated should enable the firm balance between the risks faced and the returns gained. Most of the respondents cited market risk as one of the greatest challenges that Dnata is currently facing. The respondents said that Dnata is currently exposed to a high degree of market volatility as a result of the prevailing fluctuation in oil prices. The high oil prices in the UAE have persisted since 2008 despite the numerous financial and economic reforms undertaken by the government to address the situation. The reforms instituted by the UAE government have significantly boosted business confidence amongst investors in various economic sectors. Dnata has experienced a significant increment in the cost of its operation over the past five years. The cost has been relatively high compared to the revenue. The increment is as a result of the high oil prices. The chart below illustrates the operating cost that the firm incurred from 2008 to 2012. The chart shows that the cost of operation has been on a n upward trend. Â  AED Year Amount in million 2007/2008 34,359 2008/2009 40,988 2009/2010 39,890 2010/2011 48,788 2011/2012 60,474 Figure 3 Figure 4 The high oil price has adversely affected the Dnata’s financial performance. The chart below illustrates the firm’s financial performance over the past five years. Year and amount in million AED 2007/2008 2008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011 2011/2012 Revenue and operating income 2,565 3,181 3,160 4,406 7,000 Operating cost 2,340 2,714 2,601 3,906 6,207 Operating profit 245 467 559 500 793 Figure 5 The table above indicates that Dnata has been experiencing a positive financial performance despite the high oil prices. This is evidenced by the increase in the firm’s level of profitability. During its 2011/2012 financial year, Dnata attained the highest level of profitability. The increment was associated with the aggressive international expansion strategy that the firm has integrated in i ts strategic management. The graph below shows the percentage change in the firm’s level of profitability from 2008 to 2012. Year Percentage change 2007/2008 12% 2008/2009 16% 2009/2010 19% 2010/2011 13% 2011/2012 12% Figure 6 Source (Emirates Group, 2012) Figure 7 Figure 8 The Middle East airline industry is expected to grow with a margin of 6.4% over the next two decades. The growth is expected to emanate from development in both long-haul and short-haul forms of air travel. An analysis of how outsourcing will help Dnata address the financial crisis In an effort to enhance its sustainability, Dnata Company entered into a 2-year partnership agreement with Al Ahli Club in 2012. During the two years, Dnata will act as the travel agent for the club. When asked about the impact of the partnership on the firm’s future sustainability, the respondents were of different opinion. Eighty percent (80%) of the respodents were of the opinion that the partnership will enable the firm increase its profitabilty. This is due to the fact that the partnershp with Al Ahli Club will stimulate higher sales revenue. The respondent were of the opinion that the partnership presents a unique opportunity for Dnata to market its services to a large number of potential customers. On the other hand, 90% of the respondents said that the partnership will enable Dnata develop a high level of loyalty amongst its customers. This is due to the fact that Al Ahli is one of the most popular clubs in the UAE and has a strong base of loyal fans. Discussion High oil prices have been a subject of concern for many organisaitons. Despite their enormous oil reserves, countries within the MENA region such as the UAE are ranked amongst the economies with the highest oil prices in the world. One of the reasons that explain the high oil price relates to the high rate of speculation by the various stakeholders. Business process outsourcing is one of the most effective strategie s that Dnata Company have integrate in its strategic manaagement. Effective implemenntation of the outsourcing strategy inncreases the effectiveness with which an organisation survives challenging economic times. Firstly, outsourcign enable an organisation to minimise the cost of operation. This is due to the fact that some operations are transferred to the outsourced firm. Secondly, outsourcing plays a fundamental role in attracting and retaining customers. Currently, the UAE is experieincing a financial crisis. Consequently, it is fundamental for Dnata’s management team to be effective in implementing its outsourcing strategy. Conclusion The study shows that the airline industry in the UAE is facing a major threat emanating from changes oil prices. Over the past five years, oil price in the UAE has been on an upward trend. This has presented a major challenge to firms within the industry in their quest to maximize profit. However, Dnata has managed to sustain a positive fin ancial performance despite the prevailing financial crisis in the UAE. One of the factors that have contributed to the firm’s success is effective integration of administrative strategies. For example, the firm has integrated the concept of merger and acquisition in its operation. As a result, Dnata has been able to achieve higher economies of scale. The high oil price in the UAE is one of the major challenges that Dnata Company will be required to deal with in order to survive in the long run. Thus, it is crucial for the firm to incorporate effective management strategies. One of the strategies that the firm should consider integrating is outsourcing. Outsourcing is ranked as one of the most effective strategies that can assist firms within the hospitality industry to deal with challenging economic situations such as financial crisis. Currently, the firm has entered into a partnership with Al Ahli Football Club. The partnership is likely to promote the firm’s sales re venue. This is due to the fact that the firm will be able to interact and create awareness to a large number of potential customers. To enhance its competitiveness, it is essential for Dnata conduct a comprehensive market analysis to in order to identify potential firms with which it can enter into a partnership agreement with. Secondly, to improve the effectiveness with which it deals with changes in oil price, it is fundamental for Dnata Company to incorporate the concept of hedging. Hedging will enable Dnata to safeguard itself from high oil price hence increasing the likelihood with which it sustains competitive ticket prices. By integrating these strategies, the likelihood of the firm attaining its profit goals will be increased. This is due to the fact that the firm will attract and maintain a large number of customers. Hedging will enable Dnata to compete on the basis of fair ticket prices. As a result, the firm will be able to appeal to a large number of potential customers. Upon integrating the above strategies, it is fundamental for the firm to conduct a continuous review of its performance. Reference List Emirates Group: Financial report. (2012). Web. Index Mundi: Crude oil. (2013). Web. Maxwell, J. (2005). Qualitative research design: an interactive approach. New Jersey: Sage Publication.

Visiting the Johnson Houston Space Center

Visiting the Johnson Houston Space Center Every NASA mission is controlled from the Johnson Space Center (JSC)   in Houston, Texas. Thats why you often hear astronauts on orbit call out Houston. when theyre communicating to Earth.   JSC is more than just mission control; it also houses training facilities for the astronauts and mockups for future missions.   As you can imagine, JSC is a popular place to visit. To help visitors get the most out of their trip to JSC, NASA worked with the Manned Space Flight Education Foundation to create a unique visitor experience called Space Center Houston.  Its open most days of the year and offers a lot in the way of space education, exhibits, and experiences. Here are a few of the highlights, and you can learn more at the centers website.  Heres what to do at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.   Space Center Theater People of all ages are fascinated with what it takes to be an astronaut. This attraction shows the excitement, the commitment and the risks taken by the people who fly in space. Here we can see the evolution of the equipment and the training of the men and women who dreamed to be astronauts. We want guests to experience first hand what it takes to be an astronaut. The film, shown on a 5-story tall screen, takes the viewer by the heart to bring them into the life of an astronaut from the time they receive notification of their acceptance into the training program to their first mission. Blast Off Theater The only place in the world where you can personally experience the thrill of launching into space like a real astronaut. Not just a movie; its the thrill of personally feeling the launch into space - from the rocket boosters to the billowing exhaust. After docking at the International Space Station, guests enter the Blastoff Theater for an update on current shuttle missions, as well as details on the exploration of Mars. NASA Tram Tour With this behind-the-scenes journey through NASAs Johnson Space Center, you may visit the Historic Mission Control Center, the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility or the current Mission Control Center. Before returning to Space Center Houston, you can visit the all new Saturn V Complex at Rocket Park. Occasionally, the tour may visit other facilities, such as the Sonny Carter Training Facility or Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory. You may even get to see astronauts training for upcoming missions. Keep in mind that the buildings visited on the tram tour are real working areas of Johnson Space Center and are subject to closure without notice. Astronaut Gallery The Astronaut Gallery is an unparalleled exhibit featuring the worlds best collection of spacesuits. Astronaut John Youngs ejection suit and Judy Resniks T-38 flightsuit are two of the many spacesuits on display. The walls of the Astronaut Gallery also contain portraits and crew photos of every U.S. astronaut who has flown in space. The Feel of Space The Living in Space module simulates what life could be like for astronauts aboard the space station. A Mission Briefing Officer gives a live presentation on how astronauts live in a space environment. It uses humor to show how the smallest tasks like showering and eating are complicated by a microgravity environment. A volunteer from the audience helps to prove the point. Beyond the Living in Space Module are 24 part task trainers that use sophisticated computer technology to provide visitors with the experience of landing the orbiter, retrieving a satellite or exploring the shuttle systems. Starship Gallery The journey into space begins with the film On Human Destiny at the Destiny Theater. Artifacts and hardware on display in the Starship Gallery trace the progression of Americas Manned Space Flight. This incredible collection includes: an original model of the Goddard Rocket; the actual Mercury Atlas 9 Faith 7 capsule flown by Gordon Cooper; the Gemini V Spacecraft piloted by Pete Conrad and Gordon Cooper; a Lunar Roving Vehicle Trainer, the Apollo 17 Command Module, the giant Skylab Trainer, and the Apollo-Soyuz Trainer. Kids Space Place Kids Space Place was created for children of all ages who have always dreamed of experiencing the same things astronauts do in space. Interactive exhibits and themed area make exploring the different aspects of space and the manned space flight program loads of fun. Inside Kids Space Place, guests can explore and experiment commanding the space shuttle or living on the space station. (Age and/or height restrictions may apply on some activities.) Level 9 Tour The Level Nine Tour takes you behind the scenes to see the real world of NASA up close and personal. On this four-hour tour you will see things that only the astronauts see and eat what and where they eat. All your questions will be answered by a very knowledgeable Tour Guide as you discover the secrets that have been kept behind closed doors for years. The Level Nine Tour is Monday-Friday and includes a FREE HOT LUNCH in the astronauts cafeteria which makes it a Big Bang for your buck! The only security clearance is that you must be 14 years of age or older. The Space Center Houston is one of the most worthwhile trips any space fan can make. It combines history and real-time exploration in one fascinating day!   Edited and updated by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE A PROBLEM BY MOUSTAFA BAYOUMI Essay

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE A PROBLEM BY MOUSTAFA BAYOUMI - Essay Example 9/11 is an incident the changed not only the course of history but uncountable lives. It gave the world a reason and a new direction to be vigilant. But most of all, 9/11 also became a crusade, a holy war, a war to purge the world of the evil that changed the way Americans looked at things. Everything has been tinged in the shade of suspicion since them. The world has been torn asunder in two, Us or Them which can be taken as a euphemism for the World or the USA. The US war on terror that started out as the war against those who caused the country the mighty suffering of 9/11 has been spilled from the battlefields and war zones into the houses of ordinary people. It has been seeped into the lives of ordinary people, people who had nothing to do with the atrocities committed on the fateful day of 9/11. aside from taking the war on terror to the arid lands of Tora Bora and or the fertile banks of Tigris and Euphrates, United States have initiated a war on its on ground and in the heart of one of the greatest cities in the world; Brooklyn, New York. Moustafa Bayoumi's How Does It Feel To Be A Problem, is an endeavor to delve deep into a war United State has waged against some of its own citizens and how the mounting paranoia at Pentagon has shattered the lives of some of the innocent bystanders that got caught in the crossfire. Bayoumi has utilized copious amounts of ethnographic data using the lives of some of the collateral damage the war on terror has caused. Using the first hand account of the lives of seven young Arab-Americans, Bayoumi explores the dark crevices of this new war, whose victims are indicted and trialed only because of their ethnicity and religion, hence coining the new term Islamophobia. Using a very simple and heartwarming dialect, Bayoumi tells us of the struggles these seven innocent people whose crime was to be from the same creed and ethnicity that was at war with the United States. Their lives are the testament of this new breed of hate crimes and racial segregation that has swept not only all across America but also has taken the whole world into its ugly clutches. After painstakingly interviewing and observation, Bayoumi draws a very intimate narrative of the lives of seven young Arab-Americans who may have Arab blood in their veins but are American by all aspects and narrates of how their worlds turned upside down after 9/11 when their ethnicity became the reason for them being ostracized and profiled not only by the populace but the state itself. How Does It Feel To Be A Problem, tells of the paranoia that gripped United States after 9/11 and the how it gave birth to a new breed of racial profiling and hate crimes, where everything that has anything to do with the East has been eyed with fear and suspicion. How Does It Feel To Be A Problem, introduce us to Rasha, Sami, Lina, Akram, Yasmin, Omar, and Rami, all young, all American-Arabs who either spent their entire lives in United States or moved here for the prospect of a better future. All of them belongs to Brooklyn, NYC, home to the largest number of Arab Americans in the United States and also termed as "Mecca of Arab America" (Brooklyn

Paul Laurence Dunbar's novel The Sport of the Gods Essay

Paul Laurence Dunbar's novel The Sport of the Gods - Essay Example Yet as Fannie fears, " there could not be so many people without a deal of wickedness." (49). This paper will analyze each family member's slow degradation, by means provided by the city, evils which are commonplace to metro regions, but natives grow defense against while newcomers quickly become ensnared. Joe proves to be the most easily susceptible to the new found charms of the city. In his hometown, before the scandal, his position as a barber to white men had caused him to become haughty in demeanor. Humbled first in his hometown, the exposure to metropolitan ways again continue his consternation. He is envious of the well dressed young men of leisure he sees everywhere, and uses Mr. Thomas to gain access to them but only after Joe has become employed and has money to spend. Joe soon finds himself with the mistaken illusion of satisfaction: he has friends (for whom he buys much alcohol) and has become involved with a starlet, Ms. Hattie Sterling (who likewise drinks heavily). Through the attainment of these dreams, Joe achieves a level of social acceptance and a semi-long term relationship. He also becomes an alcoholic, which causes him to lavish all of his funds on acquaintances and none on his family, simultaneously going to work less and less. When he confesses to Sadness his father's (wrongful) imprisonment, Sadness rattles off various people's histories. Sadness is trying to help Joe by first revealing how much worse off others have it, but also trying to insinuate that Joe needs to depend less on others. When Joe claims that Sadness' words have helped, Sadness angrily declares "You lie. I haven't; I was only fool enough to try." (85) Joe instead takes the advice to be an invitation to a society of leisurely leeches. His drinking becomes so pronounced that Hattie break up with him several times over it. Ultimately, drink and desperation result in Joe murdering Hattie and receiving a life sentence in prison. Thus, Joe's initial fleeing of the stigma attached to his father's supposed crimes have caused him to emulate a self-defeating strata of society; in distancing himself from his father's alleged crime, Joe has unfortunately perpetuated a stereotype of a violent Southern Negro. Mr. Thomas first interest had been to win over Kitty's affections; it was only failing this that he befriended Joe in order to get closer to Kitty. In a way, Mr. Thomas does aid Kitty, but through a circuitous route. Kitty in general adheres to the moral guidelines she has followed all of her life. Her only weakness with metropolitan life is the theatre, which Hattie is able to provide access to through a Chorus Line contact. Kitty quickly gives up singing her traditional songs in favor of what are referred to as 'coon songs'. Her voice insures her quick rise from chorus to headlining, yet she develops a necessary callousness to go with it. As Joe's fortunes declined and hers rose, Joe frequently came to 'touch' Kitty for cash which eventually resulted in them no longer being on speaking terms. When Joe was arrested and convicted, Kitty "felt the shame of it keenly, and some of the grief." (123)This stemmed in part from earnest regret and in part of the de ja v experience from her f ather's incarceration: people couldn't help but connect her name to her brother's. Fearing an assumption

ITES industry of India Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

ITES industry of India - Research Proposal Example In fact, the year 2002 witnessed a total leasing volume of 1.5 million square feet4 of office space in the NCR. The bulk of the fresh demand was from the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) companies (approximately 75 percent) and followed by banking, insurance and financial services." The factors which favored the growth of the Noida, Gurgaon as for locating ITES industry were proximity to the airport, cheap rental rates, and also good infrastructure, business friendly government policies, like a tax free holiday. Since real estate is all about location, the location of Gurgaon and Noida seems most appropriate in every way. There is a good supply of manpower too from all parts of North India, which makes it most suitable to locate this industry in the NCR region. One more reason for the spurt of the ITES industry in this area is the mobility of the people of Delhi and North India. The trend over the past seven to eight years has been positive. A call center typically needs about 100,000 Sq.ft or more space, which is quite a substantial amount. The amount of space that such companies require is much more than what any other company would need. The infrastructure that the new areas offer is topnotch and much better than that available in the Delhi region. The fact that many employees of the Call / BPO companies prefer to stay close to their place of work is also one more reason why the residential properties have grown in the region. This might not be a substantial proportion of the residential properties in the region nevertheless it has contributed its part to the whole. The employees in the ITES industry in Gurgaon and Noida are from different parts of North India, including Chandigarh, Jaipur, Lucknow, Kanpur etc. Most of the paying guest accomodations and rental properties are given to the thousands of employees who come from outside to work. "Infact, abou t 90 percent of the people in Sector 3 of Noida are South Indians", says Alok of India property research. The ITES is a manpower intensive industry and it is based on either language skills or Data processing abilities. Call s need to train their employees to speak in a neutral accent and also to handle specific processes in a defined way (process training). "The training business is a commodity business, and with the growth of the call centre / BPO industry the demand for training has only gone up" says Rohit Agarwal of The Learning Curve. Most of the training institutes provide training in soft skills and hence help aspirants land jobs in the call. "The ITES industry being a manpower intensive industry and this is an immense opportunity for training to come in and fill this demand," he adds. "There are two varieties of training offered- one is voice and accent and the other being soft skills training. Since most of the clients of call centers are American, an emphasis on the American accent becomes paramount. Understanding their culture, their way of speaking helps the call centre executives sell in a better way," says Akshay Datt of The Learning Curve. The team leads in a call center may undergo programmes like leadership development. The agents take programmes in stress management programmes, customer service and similar programmes to help them do well professionally. Many companies outsource their training work (which in itself is a huge industry). The number of people employed in the training industry has gone up, so have the

The Importance Of Memory Continuity Philosophy Essay

The Importance Of Memory Continuity Philosophy Essay In this chapter I will demonstrate that memories are very important to our conception of ourselves and the identities of others, but are unreliable and not alone sufficient for ensuring the continuity of ones identity. I believe that more psychological elements are required in instances where memories are erroneous or have been forgotten. Consciousness is a difficult term to define though. Thomas Reid points out that we cannot be conscious of the past, as you can only ever be conscious of the present (Reid, p. 222). So perhaps Locke means it is our memories which make us the same person as we were yesterday. The problem with this is that I can remember what my flatmates were doing yesterday, but this does not make me identical with my flatmates. So it must only be first-person memory, from my own perspective, which demonstrates that I am identical with myself from yesterday. Joseph Butler objects that this results in a circular position, as having first-person memories implies my remembering that I performed those actions (Butler, p. 324). However, we can see that it would be possible for someone to wake up with amnesia, knowing what actions they had performed recently but with no idea who they are. Therefore, it is possible to separate first-person memory from identity. This is the position popularly attributed to Lo cke. But does this mean that I cease to be myself when I sleep, or that when I temporarily forget that I went cycling yesterday I am no longer the person who went cycling yesterday? Locke would not believe this to be the case. As long as I remembered when I was prompted or woken up then I would still be the same person. But what if I could not remember, even with prompting? For example, someone with Alzheimers disease may suffer loss of memory of recent events. There was also the case of David Fitzpatrick, who suffered a dissociative fugue at age 25, causing him to forget everything about his life before the fugue (Channel Fives The Man With No Past). As Lockes theory of identity related to the responsibility of the agent, Locke would have to say that David Fitzpatrick could not be held responsible for any of the actions, good or bad, he had carried out prior to his fugue. We are reluctant to accept that people are not responsible for actions they cannot recall committing. A distinction which needs to be drawn in Lockes position on accountability is the difference between being conscious of an action now and being conscious of it when it was being committed. For example, (sleepwalker?) was not convicted of the murder of his father because he committed the crime while asleep. Since he was clearly not conscious of the actions he was performing, he was not held responsible for them. However, someone who intentionally hurts many people and later forgets what he has done should not be deemed innocent. As this pertains to identity, we can see that there may be parts of our lives we can no longer recall. For example, most of us recall very little of our early childhood. Thomas Reid objects to this element of Lockes theory of identity with a famous example. A young boy is flogged for stealing apples, grows up to become an officer and later becomes a general. The officer remembered being flogged, and the general remembers being an officer, but the general does not remember being flogged. According to Locke this means the general is not the same person as he was as a child. Reid argues, however, that identity is transitive (Reid, p.249). This means that since the general remembers being an officer, and the officer remembers being flogged, the general is identical with the boy who was flogged, which means Lockes response is nonsensical. But identity is not necessarily transitive. For example, the cup by my bed was full last night but this morning it is empty. This does not mean that the cup I see this morning is different to the one that was there last night. Not all qualities must remain the same in order for people and objects to be the same over time. The only aspect which Locke says must be consistent is our consciousness. ( A huge problem with Lockes theory is the possibility that one may have memories which have become distorted over time, or altogether false. Memories are extremely fragile, and easily led by suggestions from others. For example, Locke explains that, in the case of one who falsely suffers guilt for someone elses crime, when we get to Heaven, God will ensure that the only memories we have and can be held responsible for are our own (Locke, p. 473). But in order for God to determine which memories are ours, he must be able to determine who we are. Locke is unable to explain how God determines this, and why we cannot use Gods criteria instead of Lockes flawed system. A similar problem for Locke is cases of amnesia, whereby a person forgets everything of their past. A new person may seem to emerge after the episode. But what if they later recovered their memory? Similarly, what happens to their old self during times of identity loss. Should we consider the old person to have died? But then when they return we could only consider them to have come back to life. So body needed to act as a kind of enclosure for the memories, allowing for some kind of continuity during times of memory or psychological loss. Tan Tai Wei states that the unreliability of memories means that we need more in order to assure ones identity. He claims that our bodies are necessary for the authentication of our memories. [http://www.springerlink.com/content/jm4072410n14l705/]. As demonstrated in previous chapters, the only important aspects of our body are the brain and our genetic make-up. Yet these do not seem to offer any reliable authentication of our memories. Instead, I believe that what we ourselves would deem important for the continuation of our identity is our psychology: our beliefs, opinions, attitudes and passions. J. Butler, Analogy of Religion, Harper and Brothers, New York, 1860. J. Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, (ed.) T. J. Cobden-Sanderson and J. F. Dove, Oxford University, Oxford, 1828. T. Reid, Essays on the Intellectual Powers of Man, in: The Works of Thomas Reid, Vol. 1, (ed.) MacLaughlan and Stewart, Edinburgh, 1872. The Man With No Past 2006, television programme, Extraordinary People, Channel Five, UK, 15th November.

Identity in William Gibson’s Neuromancer :: Neuromancer

The Question of Identity in William Gibson’s Neuromancer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   William Gibson’s Neuromancer is a science fiction novel that is seen by many as the preeminent work of the â€Å"cyberpunk† genre.   Neuromancer, like the countless others of its kind to follow, addresses themes concerning identity and/or lack there of.   The â€Å"cyberpunk† genre as argued by Bruce Sterling was born out of the 1980's and was due in part to the rapid decentralization of technology.   With the influx of computers, the internet, and virtual reality into the everyday household came technological discoveries that affected the individual.   Certain themes that are central to â€Å"cyberpunk† involve implanted circuitry, cosmetic surgery, and mind invasions such as brain computer interfaces and artificial intelligence. (Sterling 346) With these issues in mind one must wonder what affect they have on the self or one’s identity.   Within Neuomancer, Gibson creates a future where identities can become obscure/ambi guous, due to the sophisticated technology available which may alter various facets of a person’s physical or mental identity.   Ã‚  Ã‚   In Neuromancer, Molly’s sunglasses can be seen as a technological adaptation prohibiting her eyes from being seen.   â€Å"...the glasses were surgically inset, sealing her sockets.   The silver lenses seemed to grow from smooth pale skin above her cheekbones...† (Gibson 24) The eyes are said to be windows to the soul.   Many emotions and states of mind are conveyed by the eyes.   Molly, however, does not relinquish this power of perception to others.   â€Å"The lenses were empty quicksilver, regarding him with an insect calm.† (Gibson 30) The mirrored sunglasses mask key characteristics of Molly’s identity (emotions).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cosmetic surgery is another means by which characters in Gibson’s Neuromancer obscure their identities.   On several occasions the reader comes in contact with individuals who have had surgery to make themselves appear more youthful or even to create a new face.   Armitage and Riviera are two such characters who had faces created for them.   â€Å"He was very beautiful; Case assumed the features were the work of a Chiba surgeon.   A subtle job, nothing like Armitage’s blandly handsome blend of pop faces.†Ã‚   (Gibson 97) In this instance we have an example of two characters who have utilized state of the art technology to alter their physical identity.   Referring to two policemen, â€Å"Case peered at them and saw that their youth was counterfeit, marked by a certain telltale corrugation at the knuckles, something that the surgeons were unable to erase.