“Taking Responsibility”

Robbery, rape, assault, murder, theft, and vandalism: These are just a handful of the crimes committed by children today. Whether the crime be violent or non violent, the crime rate of adolescents under eighteen has increased. Crimes like these have caused people to ponder the question: Should parents be responsible, legally and financially for crimes committed by their children under eighteen? Some believe that parents should not be held accountable for the crime their child commits.Others believe that parents should be responsible for their children’s actions. Parents should be held responsible for their children’s crimes because parents should teach their children what is right from wrong at a young age and they should be more involved in their children’s lives and be concerned with the people and places that he or she is associated with. On the other hand, some people determine that if a child under eighteen commits a crime, their parents should not take resp onsibility for it.When parents discipline a child too much, the child is likely to be rebellious and go against their parents’ wishes. There are parents that have done all that they could and in spite of that, their child gets into criminal activity. The opposing view also believes that even when parents are involved in their child’s life, there are other factors that corrupt a child into committing crime. Society and the media have a great influence on how children act. Peer pressure is another factor that may cause a child to commit a crime.Overall, a parent cannot control their child’s decisions and should not be held liable for their children’s actions. Parents should be held responsible legally and financially for crimes committed by their children under age eighteen because parents should teach their children what is right from wrong at an early age. If parents do not discipline their children for doing the wrong thing, how will their children ever learn from their mistakes? (Rhetorical question) Ministers believe that problems on the street often begin at home.When children have a dysfunctional family or bad influences at home, they are more likely to be involved in criminal activity. If the parents set a bad example for their children they are likely to follow it. It is the parents’ responsibility to let their children know what is not right. If parents make the effort to direct their children toward the right path in life, they will not be misguided or end up following criminal activity. (Cause and effect) If parents do not do their job in teaching their children hat is right from wrong, their children will never learn and assume that it is okay to repeat their false actions. Parents also have the responsibility of elucidating what is right from wrong to their children so that their children can grow up to become successful individuals. Parents should be held responsible legally and financially for the crimes their c hildren commit because parents should be involved in their child’s life and be concerned with the people and places that he or she is associated with.Parents should be familiar with their children’s friends because a child is like a parrot; they repeat the actions of their friends and are easily influenced by them. (Metaphor) If a child is friends with someone who is doing drugs or making bad choices, they are likely to be caught following in their footsteps. It would be wonderful for parents to dump their children in the streets, but they should know where their children are at all times. Satire) Parents need to question their children before they go out: they need to know who they are going to be with and where they are going to be. When parents are informed about the places their children spend time they can contact them and there is a smaller chance that they will be doing something illegal. Therefore, parents should be responsible legally and financially for crime s committed by their children under eighteen because as a parent, their job is to make sure that their children are safe and successful.Parents should have a close or good relationship with their children and they should be concerned with their children’s lives. They must also make the time to get to know the type of people that their children spend time with. If parents do this, not only will they benefit, but their children will benefit as well. Parents will be leading their child to live a pleasant life, striding away from crime and toward a better future. (Tone-Positive)

My Last Farewell by Joze Rizal Essay

1st Stanza * Rizal’s beautiful description of his Fatherland. He used the biblical Eden to describe the Pre-Hispanic Philippines which is an imaginary time of purity and innocence. He adores the beautiful country that he and others are fighting for. He said that he is glad to give his life to Filipinas even though his life was brighter, fresher, or more blest than it is now – pertaining to the time when he wrote the poem. 2nd Stanza * The men who gave their life to his beloved country. Rizal said that their dedication and patriotism to the country is without second thoughts. It doesn’t matter how one struggles, that all struggles, all deaths, are worth it if it is for the good of the country. 3rd Stanza * It speaks of Rizal’s love of Liberty. The image of dawn that Rizal used in the first line signifies the liberation that he adores. In the third and fourth line, he says that if the colour of liberation lacks his blood, he must die for the country to attain freedom. 4th Stanza * Presents the flashback of Rizal’s love for Patricia that started when he was young. He was young when he saw the martyrdom of the GOMBURZA and promised that he would dedicate himself to avenge one day for those victims. His dreams were to see his country in eminent liberation, free from sorrow and grief. 5th Stanza * Repeats Rizal’s dream of complete Liberation. â€Å"All Hail!† signifies that he is positively welcoming the dawn of freedom after his death. He also repeats what he has said in the third stanza that it is his desire to dedicate his life to the Patria. 6th Stanza * Describes the image of Rizal’s grave being forgotten someday. The grassy sod may represent the country’s development, the growth of liberty, and that with the redemption of the country, he becomes forgotten. Rizal does not say here that he wants monuments, streets, or schools in his name, just a fond kiss and a warm breath so he could feel he is not..

Learning Style And Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Learning Style And Theory - Essay Example The internal organisation of strategic decision-making processes needs to be adjusted for the high-risk levels attached to these potentially fundamental changes. To support investment decisions and business redirections, the firm should conduct strategic audits to identify and to determine its distinctive resources and capabilities. The 'resource-based theory' emphasises the necessity to assess the value of the firm's resources and capabilities, and of its ability to respond to threats and opportunities from its business surroundings. (Kolk , 2002, 4-31) It is necessary to establish whether the markets in which the company operates are markets in which its distinctive capabilities add value, and continue to do so. Equally necessary is answering questions on the identification of new opportunities in present or new markets. To facilitate sustainable investment decisions it is necessary to broaden the set of traditional investment criteria by including criteria on the ecological and social implications of potential investment projects.

History and Political Science - Critical Summary Essay

History and Political Science - Critical Summary - Essay Example In other words, Canada’s existing electoral system sets an issue of injustice giving the majority of seats to parties that do not represent the will of the voters. The particular view seems fully justified, having in mind that the actual role of elections is to reflect the citizens’ view in regard to the practices of their government; in addition, through the elections citizens can promote their claims for the replacement of persons who have the responsibility for critical governmental decisions. At the next level, it is made clear that the MMP system is often preferred because of its ability to set a balance between the traditional and modern electoral systems (Charlton and Baker 233); this means that the particular system does not lead to radical, and unexpected, changes on a country’s electoral system. The specific characteristic of the MMP system is quite important, guaranteeing the lack of political and social turbulences in the countries that it is first es tablished. Two different views are analyzed. According to the first view, supported by Hiemstra and Jansen, democracy ensures that the government of a state, where democracy applies, represents the majority of people (Charlton & Baker 234). This means, according to the above researchers, that ‘each vote counts’ (Charlton & Baker 234); also, this means that the structure of the House of Commons is aligned with the will of the majority of voters; in the context of Canada’s existing electoral system, there is no such issue (Charlton & Baker 234). The representatives of parties in House of Commons have not, necessarily, attracted the majority of votes. Moreover, it is noted that the MMP system is used in most countries internationally; there would be no reason for Canada to be excluded. Another important disadvantage of the plurality system, the Canada’s existing electoral system, is the limitation of oppositions in a country’s parliamentary body; in th is way, the accountability of the government for its decisions can become unfeasible (Charlton & Baker 236). In general, the plurality system is considered as threatening the democracy (Charlton & Baker 236) and for this reason its replacement by MMP is suggested. There is also the opposite view, supported by N. Wiseman (University of Toronto); according to N. Wiseman, who is a professor of political science, the plurality system guarantees democracy; in fact, it is noted that Canada, due to its current electoral system, is considered as ‘part of an elite group of states that are full democracies’ (Charlton & Baker 248). At the next level, Wiseman notes that the change of Canada’s existing electoral system has been already discussed; it is noted that in 1920s the specific issue was brought before the Parliament for discussion; after a thorough examination of the potential advantages and disadvantages of a PR system, it was held that the country’s electoral system should remain the same (Charlton & Baker 248). Also, reference is made to Canada’s cultural characteristics; it is explained that specific parts of the population, as for example, aboriginals are not expected to participate in elections if these are organized at national level (Charlton & Baker 253). This means that many people in Canada who are loyal to their traditions

Offensive strategy options - CostCo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Offensive strategy options - CostCo - Essay Example Nevertheless, with increased domestic competition within the U.S. retail industry and the maturity of the market, Costco needs to consider other offensive strategies that would not only enable them to improve their market share but also enhance their financial performance. Costco may consider implementing initiatives that capitalize on the weakness of competitors, and/ or pursue end run offensive strategies. The stiff competition in the domestic U.S. retail industry, coupled with the maturity of the market implies that firms should focus on holding and milking their market share (Valdani & Alessandro, 2012). However, Valdani & Alessandro observes that firms may seek to improve their market share in these markets by focusing on the weaknesses of their main rivals. The SWOT matrix rank reveals that Costco is a strong company, which is able to take on their rivals head on. Nevertheless, Costco may direct its internal strength, capabilities and resources towards attacking the weaknesses of its rivals in the U.S. retail market. Costco may achieve this by going after customers whom the competitors are less equipped to serve. It may also attack those rivals offering poor customer services. Alternatively, Costco may expand into regions and market segments where their rivals are either weak or have ignored completely. Apart from capitalizing on weaknesses of their competitors, Costco may consider pursuing end run offensive strategies. The end run offensive strategies enable firms to avoid frontal and head on attacks that may escalate and produce unhealthy competition (Cullen & Praveen, 2013). With the end run strategies, Costco would be able to go around competitors, capture the market segments that are ignored by the rivals and establish the first mover advantage in these markets (Cullen & Praveen, 2013). Cullen & Praveen observes that a company may implement end run strategies in four ways. Firstly,

The effects of social media on democracy in Egypt Essay

The effects of social media on democracy in Egypt - Essay Example People have always made efforts to liberate themselves from the fetuses of oppression and submissive rule. In the enhancement of democracy, it is evident that people have sought collective action strategies to achieve democracy. There are a number of studies on this aspect, and in light of the Egyptian efforts to achieve democracy. Researchers note that the struggle to obtain democracy can take place in three forms, through protests, collective action or contention (Gelvin 201). The protest actions are an expression of widespread discontentment with the current political discourse that makes people go to the streets and advocate for what they believe. On the other hand, collective action is a situation where the masses have a shared interest, with which they seek to rally and advocate for its adoption and act on its behalf (MacQueen 37). Finally, contention involves a more comprehensive approach, where a group or section of the population make claims on certain interests that will af fect the wider population. The fight for democracy in Egypt can be assessed in the context of the three political struggles and research proves that effective social ties were a major motivation towards the success of efforts to restore democracy. On this platform, it is evident that individual awareness is important for political struggles as well as social ties that facilitate the spread of such awareness (Noland, and Pack 68). Dense social networks are a great motivation towards establishment of well ties and are the route towards the mobilization of populations (Harper 145). This means that effective networks bridge the gap of information in political struggles and strengthens the interpersonal ties that define the extent of bonding within particular groups of people (Anna 42). It is clear that most modern dictators employ the use of high technology systems to consolidate their power

Communication Privacy Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Communication Privacy Management - Essay Example A friend of a friend of mine, Lisa, told my friend Anne and me that she discovered that her mother, Margie, was having an affair with a school employee, John (unmarried). The names here are all made up for privacy reasons. The news made me significantly uncomfortable because the woman was, in effect, committing bigamy, and I did not want to be a part of it. CPMT helps me understand this life experience and how it should have been resolved. Petronio offers five principles of CPMT, the first is that people think they own and have a right to control their private information. Private information refers to information that a person owns and that he/she feels must be controlled. Disclosure of private information pertains to the expression of private information to third parties. In my experience, Lisa discloses private information that she does not solely own, thereby breaching the privacy of her mother and John. I honestly did not think that these people would like their illicit affair t o be so openly shared in public, even if it was to Lisa’s friends only. Lisa practiced the first principle of privacy, which is that she thought that she owned the private information about her mother’s affair and she could control who should have access to it. The second principle of CPMT is that people control their private information through setting and using personal privacy rules. Personal privacy rules are not always openly discussed and fully agreed upon, however. Lisa said that when she saw her mother being too intimate with John, she confronted her at home. Margie broke down and disclosed private information about her affair, but she made her daughter promise to not tell anyone, especially her father. Lisa was so mad, but Margie said that she was planning to break up with John anyway, so it was better to keep everything quiet. Still, Lisa evidently did not know how to keep things quiet, and she broke her mother’s personal privacy rules. The five factor s of privacy rules can help explain Lisa’s disclosure behavior. First, culture may have something to do with her openness to Anne. They are both Hispanic Americans, which indicate a collectivist culture. Lisa needs emotional and social support that she thinks Anne can provide. Second, Lisa is a woman who wants another woman to listen to her and be her confidant. Gender can make some women be more open to other women with their private information. Third, Lisa has the motivation for disclosure. Her motivations are to get social support and to share her burden with others. Fourth, the context of the situation must truly be affecting Lisa. She must truthfully love her father and mother to try and keep the private information, but she must feel so hurt that she could not wait anymore to disclose the private information to someone close to her. She told Anne: â€Å"Anne, you’re my best friend in the world, and I feel so messed up. I can’t believe my ‘idealâ₠¬  mom would do this to my ‘ideal’ dad. Everything is a lie in my life.† She broke down and cried afterwards. Something so hurtful may compel someone to disclose such private information to others. Fifth, Lisa must have thought that the benefits outweigh the risk, when she made a risk/benefit ratio. The benefits of disclosure of private information are high: 1) reducing stress, 2) sharing emotional burden, and 3) getting social support. The risks are lower

Problems with morden life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Problems with morden life - Essay Example But modern science and technologies have made life the easiest ever. After man learned to travel fast from place to place within hours, during the present age of Information, they invented the Internet to communicate with others within seconds. All of these invented science and technologies have helped human beings to make their lives comfortable a lot. Now, human life has become more modern. Although, modern life may be convenient, it has negative sides too. The more life becomes easier and comfortable, the more man becomes idle. As a result, idle hours in modern life have caused serious damages the health of modern people. In our industrially developed corporate culture, we, the office-goers, can’t get enough exercise in modern life, because of sedentary jobs, cars and too many machines. As we know, sedentary jobs make people sit in the office andwork all day; they can’t do any exercise on their chairs. If people sit on a chair for a long time without any movement, their back may hurt and theirspinemay curve. It is really harmful for their bodies. Again the car is one of the great inventions in human civilization. It has changed humans’ lifestyle a lot. But, not all things that the car brings to us are good. One bad point is that people exercise less. In the past, when only wealthy people could buy a car, the commoners walked or rode bikes to go somewhere. Both of them are good exercise for people. But when cars become easily accessible to common people, they lose the chance to ride bicycles and also to walk. Thus, people became lazy and started to drive cars anytime instead of wa lking and riding bikes. The last thing that causespeople to get less exercise is too many machines of convenience.People need not only big movement but also small movement. Small movement is like using scissors to cut paper. It helps people to exercise their small muscles and sometimes it is important in preventing arthritis. However, when some machines of convenience

Film analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Film analysis - Essay Example 78. The movie focuses entirely on the narration of an incredible and observant soldier Paul Baumer. Paul is fast to portray and reveal the horrors that accompanied the trench wars that included gas attack, rat infestations, and fatal illnesses in the Western front. In addition, the film addresses and works on the goal of exploring the purpose and the destined purpose of the World War I. In the United States, the film remains as one of the most influential and popular educational tools in the education of concepts and unfolding events during the World War I. However, the film’s story line is in the perspective of the German that was among America’s enemies during the war. An American journalist by the name Henry Louis Mencken denoted the film as a classical and unquestionably among the best works regarding the World War. Since time immemorial, few films play the striking role of educating and delivering powerful anti-war messages in the American context and the world as a whole. Lewis Milestone’s extraordinary evocation in the film describes the tragic follies associated with the wars. Most reviews associate the film as the best movie as it displays and portrays innocent and determined German soldiers and their juxtaposed states in respect to the harrowing immediacy concerning the trench warfare. However, the soldiers fail at the expense of their tools and they fail to match the equipment of their enemies. In this light, the film displays a philosophical underpinning of the surging wars that leaves the audience in awe both in heart and mind. The youths are in the comfort of their class and in reference to the encouragement of their teacher they enlist for the inclusion in the army (Shmoop, 2010 Pg. 78). It is inconsiderate to think that the result is a good fight to in and this is contrary to the fact that there are no good fights and there is ultimately and always a winner. In addition, victory in most instances is similar to defeat. In the education of American history, this film serves a definitive role in ensuring that sometimes loyalty and patriotism is the source of death in the military men. In this context, the dialogue in the film in some cases expresses a sense of stagy and arch as compared to today’s standards. Paul watches helplessly as the world slowly crumbles them to their demise amidst all the madness, inescapable and indispensable loss as well as chaos in the trench wars. He recalls the butterflies he trapped as a young boy and put in glass cases. This reflective flashback serves as comparison to the current state he experienced in the trenches as he watched helplessly as their demise beckoning. With this summary, one may wonder why they should care in reference to the unfolding turn of events film affecting Paul and his comrades. The film provides a varied perspective regarding the events that unfolded during the World War in comparison to what the Americans allow. From the film, the audience h as the opportunity to hear and process the views of the German soldier that is a big enemy of the American nation as well the allied forces. This creates a sympathetic attitude towards the ‘enemy’ and this also induces reflective reasoning with the aim of defining the true

La Cosa Nostra Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

La Cosa Nostra - Essay Example It is the most notorious American organized crime in the country’s history, a notoriety that has often been depicted on the big screen such as the classic films The Godfather and The Untouchables. La Cosa Nostra: The Beginning When Sicily was annexed to Italy in the 1860s, the Sicilian authorities had trouble enforcing order due to a restructured society engendered by a land reform that redistributed public land to Sicilian peasants. Banditry became prevalent as peasants were forced to lawlessness to survive as the lands given to them were too small for them to live on. Traditional sources of livelihood such as firewood gathering were lost when church estates and public land were confiscated and redistributed by the government. The state of lawlessness gave rise to the formation of a secret society that offered its services for a fee to protect merchants and landowners from bandits and other lawless elements. This underground society was called the Mafia and protected merchant s and landowners. Although the group operated through vigilante means, a member is considered â€Å"A Man of Honor† because of the protection he gave his family and society. Eventually, members became abusive and turned to extortion to force landowners and merchants to hire them at high price. This was, however, tolerated because of their role as protectors (FBI). The Sicilian Mafia eventually branched out to politics, forcing people to vote for the candidates they want, but when Benito Mussolini came to power in the early 1920s he felt threatened by it and ordered a relentless campaign against its members. This became the turning point of the Sicilian Mafia as many of them were arrested and imprisoned. Some mafia members or Mafiosi, however, were able to flee to the United States (FBI). The American Mafia Mussolini’s campaign against the Mafia in Sicily drove many of them to flee to the US illegally. However, the first Sicilian Mafia who came into the US was Giuseppe Esposito, who fled with six other Mafiosi after murdering the chancellor and vice chancellor of a Sicilian province. He was deported to Italy after arrest in 1881 in New Orleans. In 1990, the first major Mafia operation took place with the execution of David Hennessy, New Orleans police chief superintendent. Although hundreds were arrested and 19 eventually indicted, a subsequent acquittal led New Orleans citizens to organize lynch mobs and killed many of the defendants (FBI). The LCN operates in such cities as Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and in Miami, but the group’s greatest stronghold is New York. Previously, the group also operated in Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Las Vegas, LA, New Orleans and Pittsburgh, but has been greatly weakened and is now almost non-existent. Eighty per cent of its estimated 1100 membership are said to be operating in the NY metropolitan area where five families are lording it over: the Bonanno family; the Colombo family; the Genovese family ; the Gambino family; and the Lucchese family (Finckenauer 1). LCN operation in the US officially began in the 1920s and since then this group has been known as the foremost criminal organization in the country associated with organized crime. The group is known for ruthless violence such as beatings and killings, which it uses as an operational tool externally and internally. Arson, bombings, explosions are used as tools by the LCN in operating its business and gain

Ten Most Effective Ways to Improve Your English Essay Example for Free

Ten Most Effective Ways to Improve Your English Essay 1. Read : Read anything and everything in English. You can read story books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, comics, English textbooks, instructions and ingredients on food packages, advertisements, etc. For story books, don’t force yourself to read something too difficult or something you know you won’t enjoy. Make reading fun! Read books that you ENJOY reading. I hate to read books that bore me too. Opening up books before you buy one and flicking through them to find one with lots of direct dialogue in it has several advantages. If there is less text on the page due to all the speech marks etc, this can make it easier to read and easier to write translations on. Dialogue is also much easier to understand than descriptive parts of a book, and is much more like the language you will want to learn in order to be able to speak English. 2. Start your own English language blog : Even for people who dont have to write in English, writing can be a great way of properly learning the kind of vocabulary you need to describe your own life and interests, and of thinking about how to stop making grammar mistakes. The problem most people have is that they dont know what to write about. One traditional way to make sure you write every day in English is to write an English diary (journal), and a more up to date way of doing this is to write a blog. Popular topics include your language learning experience, your experience studying abroad, your local area, your language, or translations of your local news into English. This is one way for you to practice your writing. Blog on something that you love. If you are a fan of movies, start a blog and write about your favourite movies, your favourite characters, what you think could be improved in the movie, what new movies to expect next year, etc. Besides blogging, try joining online forums, engage in online chatting and more . 3. Be best friends with a good English dictionary : You can use Oxford, Collins, Cambridge, etc. Buy a dictionary that you’re comfortable with and USE it at all times. Keep it next to you when you’re reading. I always put my favourite Oxford dictionary by my side when I’m reading. So when I stumble upon a word I don’t know, I don’t have to get up and look around for it. It’s right there by my side. Thus, I have no excuse for not looking the word up! Try and familiarize yourself with the phonetic symbols of your dictionary. Look up the correct pronunciation of words that are hard for you to say. Write down words and their definitions in a notebook for future reference it may come in handy! 4. Watch English movies with subtitles : This would be my favourite way of learning English. Not only do I get to have a fun time watching the movie, I’d be learning new words at the same time and knowing how to pronounce them! Usually, you can get movies with English subtitles on DVDs. 5. Listen to English songs : Read the lyrics as you listen to the songs. Listen to your favourite songs and sing along to them. Although just listening to a song in English can be a good way of really learning the words of the chorus in an easily memorable way, if you want to really get something out of listening to English music you will need to take some time to read the lyrics of the song with a dictionary. Once you have read and understood the lyrics, if you then listen and read at the same time, this can be a good way of understanding how sounds change in fast, natural, informal speech. 6. Relax and have a positive, confident attitude : If you make a mistake or forget a word when you are speaking English – it’s OK! Don’t be nervous or afraid. The person who you’re talking to will understand and be patient with you. If you are insecure when speaking English, it will be even more difficult to think of the words you know. 7. Learn a new word a day : Keep your own vocabulary notebook and write a new word and its meaning in it every day. Refer to it as often as possible so that the new words will stick in your head. 8. Read aloud in English for at least 15 minutes every day : Research has shown it takes about three months of daily practice to develop strong mouth muscles for speaking a new language. Find something you enjoy reading especially if it has a lot of dialogue, and read it aloud. Even if you dont speak aloud, reading as many English books as possible will increase your vocabulary and knowledge of sentence structure. Make sure when you read these books that you understand what the author is trying to say. 9. Record your own voice and listen for pronunciation mistakes : Many people hate to hear the sound of their voice and avoid listening to themselves speak. However, this is a very important exercise because doing it will help you become conscious of the mistakes you are making. 10. Speak the language whenever you can : Speak it with friends and family. You can also sing along to English songs! Try karaoke! Don’t be shy to try speaking the language. Don’t be afraid that others will tease you. In fact, they’ll admire you for your courage and confidence. References: 1. http://www.malaysia-students.com/2009/08/10-simple-ways-to-improve-your-english.html 2. http://www.espressoenglish.net/speaking-english-10-ways-to-improve/ 3. http://english.learnhub.com/lesson/4231-10-ways-to-improve-the-way-you-speak-english?id=4231-10-ways-to-improve-the-way-you-speak-english 4. http://www.usingenglish.com/articles/70-ways-to-improve-your-english.html

Social Media Influences Your Shopping Behaviour Marketing Essay

Social Media Influences Your Shopping Behaviour Marketing Essay Social media is constantly evolving and changing with more and more people around the world jumping on the social media bandwagon. This has impacted and influenced the buying behavior of the people. People are much more informed now and like to read opinions and reviews of other people online before buying any product or service. This report will look at how the buying behavior has been impacted and which stages of the decision making process have been influenced by the rise of social media. This has also changed the way companies used to market their products and services. Now, companies also need to use social media to interact with their customers, market their products, solve the problems faced by customer etc. Social media has given a wonderful platform to the companies for a two way interaction with the customers. Further, the younger generation has been impacted the most as they are the majority users of social networks and hence their buying behavior has under gone a drastic change. Table of Contents Introduction The report will analyze how social media has impacted and influenced the buying behavior of people. Nowadays it is common to see everybody around us joining Facebook, Myspace, Twitter etc. The interactions of people on these social networks impact their opinions about various products which in turn influences their buying behavior. This influence will be analyzed using relevant theories related to buying behavior and social media usage. What is Social Media? Social Media is defined as the use of web-based and mobile technologies which turn communication into interactive dialogue. Kaplan and Haenlein (2009) define social media as a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, which allows the creation and exchange of user-generated content. There are various internet based applications which are driven solely by the media generated by the consumers. These applications act as a platform where users from around the world interact with each other on topics which are of interest to them. Some of the famous social media websites are Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Blogger, MySpace etc. Facebook has more than 600 million users around the world and an estimated 41.6% of the U.S. population is on Facebook (Wells, 2010). These figures show just how popular social networks like Facebook are and how everybody is jumping on the social media bandwagon. Consumer Buying Behavior Process Consumer Buying Behaviour is the decision making process he/she undergoes while choosing a product or a service. The basic steps in the process are as follows: Need Recognition The buyer identifies the need for which the product or service is required. Alternative Search He/she searches for the alternatives that are available in the market in this stage. Alternative Evaluation Evaluation and comparison of all the alternatives on various factors is done in this stage. Purchase Decision The buyer chooses the best alternative and buys it. Post Purchase Evaluation / Dissonance This stage involves evaluating the benefits of the product / service after using it and forming an attitude about it. How Social Media affects the Decision Making Process ? People from all over the world use Social Media to create and share opinions, insights, experiences and perspectives with each other. Social Media affects the Alternative Search and the Alternative Evaluation stages of the decision making process. Lets see how it does that. Alternative Search After the consumer has identified the need for a product or service, he/she goes on the internet and searches for the same. The search results give an idea to the consumer about the alternatives that are available in the market for the required product or service. The various search results take him to various blogs, review sites, online retailers, Facebook page of the product etc. The user forms an opinion about the product after going through the various reviews and comments about the product which are posted by people from around the world on various social media websites. Alternative Evaluation After knowing the available alternatives the user zeros in on two or three brands which satisfy his need. He/she then goes on the internet to do a comparison between the brands and to know the opinion of other customers who hav used that brand below. Additionally, the user may post on his Facebook / Twitter account asking his friends about their opinion on which brand he/she should go for. After considering the reviews on the internet and the opinions of his friends, the user then decides the particular brand that he/she will finally buy. This is quite different from what previously used to happen in the above two stages i.e. before the coming of social media. Previously, the consumer had no option but to go to the market and visit various shops to find about the various alternatives that are available in the market that satisfy his need. Further, the consumer was solely at the disposal of the retailer for the comparison of the available alternatives and for reviews of the same. The retailer further pushed the product which fetched him the greatest margin irrespective of whether the product is good or bad. The chances of this happening now have become very less because the customer has become much more informed now. How has social media changed the nature of promotion and communication to target markets? Before the coming of social media, the information about a product or service originated from the company and was distributed through the sales rep, distributors and the retailers. But now customers have access to this information directly from the company website or by using Google Search, Facebook etc. The information is available on many websites on the internet and the customer is talking to his/her peers to form an opinion about the product. Thus it becomes essential for the companies to ensure that correct information about their products is easily available on the internet. Hence, companies have started using Google Ads and Ads on Facebook etc. to promote their products. They can also use Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) to promote their websites by increasing its visibility in search results. SEM industry in USA was 16.6 Billion Dollars in 2010 (SEMPO, 2011). Further, they can create official Facebook account for their products or services so as to give a platform to their customers to discuss the products. These accounts also act as an information channel which works both ways. The company is able to educate the customer about their product, its features, recent promotions etc. and at the same time the company benefits from the consumer feedback it gets from the consumers of its products. The company can further use this feedback to improve and create better products for the future. In the case of Twitter, companies can create an account where they can proactively update their customers aka followers with new updates, answers etc. It is also essential for the company to keep its followers engaged by coming up with different contests and promotions from time to time. This also helps spread the awareness of the companys Twitter account as the company gets more and more followers. Who are the most receptive target markets ? Around 53% of the US Facebook users are aged between 18 34 (Corbett, 2011). This clearly shows that the young population is the most active on social networks and hence is the most receptive target markets for the companies. Young users spend a considerably time everyday on social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Further, with the coming of smartphones it has become much easier for them to keep in touch with their friends etc. Hence, the impact and influence of social media is the most on the buying behavior of young consumer. This makes it much more important for companies whose target market is young people to get on the social media bandwagon and interact with its customers through various channels like Facebook, Twitter, Blogs etc. This two-way interaction will be beneficial to both the customer as well as the company. Conclusion If theres one constant in social media, its change. Social media is rapidly changing and evolving with more and more people around the world joining the social media bandwagon. Further, the social media influences and impacts the two stages in the decision making process of a customer. These stages are Alternatives Search and Alternative Evaluation. Before buying a product, buyers now search on the internet for the same so as to read the reviews and opinions of the other people. This is especially common among the young generation as they are the most active users on the social networks. Hence, the companies need to interact with its customers through social media channels like Facebook, Twitter etc. to effectively market their products to the target audience.

Case Study Of Johnson And Johnson Commerce Essay

Case Study Of Johnson And Johnson Commerce Essay For many Chinese people, they could buy some foreign products since 1980s, because many foreign companies have set up in China at that period, and huge amount of imported products were sold in Chinese market, which means the effect of the globalization can be seen in our daily necessities. In 1982, the first Johnson Johnson operating company was opened in China, then a series of products of Johnson Johnson entered Chinese market. Why Johnson Johnson would like to enter other foreign market, especially in developing country like China? This report will examine whether Johnson Johnson is an international corporation or a global corporation through two concept, corporate structure and geographical expansion. Although in previous studies, there is no sole definition of internationalization and globalization, this report will analyze Johnson Johnsons characteristics to support that it is a successful example of global corporations. Contents Introduction In todays competitive business environment, there are a lot of multinational enterprises. Like Johnson Johnson, it could be found in every country. However, in some studies, there is no clearly concept or explanation on whether the corporation is international or global. Many international corporations have been influenced by globalization where they would turn into global corporations. Therefore, the aim of this report is to analyse whether Johnson Johnson is an international firm or a global firm, and discuss what global characteristics it possesses. In order to do a case study of Johnson Johnson, its corporate structure will be described and geographical expansion will be analysed. To summaries when and how did Johnson Johnson become a global corporation? By using a corporate geography perspective, this report will include the analysis of whether geographical expansion is a good way to enhance firms scale or not and if it could change international corporations into global cor porations. However, globalisation might be constrained somehow. Globalisation might also bring corporations more challenges, which could be seen in long run. In the world economy, the use of globalisation might be exaggerated. Internationalization and Globalisation There is no unequivocal definition of what is globalization. According to David DeBry (2001, p. 42), who pointed out that internationalisation is like creating a round-toed shoe that fits people with all types of feet. It is not as comfortable as a perfectly fitted shoe and doesnt fit snugly, but can be worn by many people. Whereas globalization refers to the trend of a more integrated and interdependent world economy. Dicken, P. (2011) mentioned that the concept of globalization became familiar gradually in the past 30 years. Globalization is the method to solve the worlds economic issues (Dicken, 2011). Globalisation might influence the form of companies, which leads to the changing from trade to Foreign Direct Investment (Dicken P. , 2003). Trade volume has increased by the progress of globalisation (Dicken P. , 2011), for example, Chinese people could barely purchase foreign products in China before 1980s until the government approved the reform of Chinese economy approaches. Whi lst the volume of import and export of China reaches a really high amount. Figure 1 Source from Dicken P. 2011 table 2.1 Figure 2 Source from Dicken P. 2011 table 2.2 Nowadays, people witness the establishment of international corporations and global corporations. The worlds largest 500 corporation are usually being classed multinational enterprises (MNEs). An example of global brands is Johnson Johnson. However, how to identify the difference between international corporations and global corporations? First of all, being international corporations, the quantity of branches and subsidiaries are limited, it could be in only one country. But global corporations have many branches and subsidiaries among all over the world. International corporations have some investment in at least one country, they search profitable opportunities, whereas global corporations use the world as an opportunity. For most global corporations, they need to build a global brand, a successful reputation built should link the name, products and logo to many people. For instance, people could hardly find substitute for many Johnson Johnson products, and the majority people have heard this name. According to Giorgio et al. (2002), there are two reasons to why a company should change from international to global company. On the one hand, a company could open its market worldwide. On the other hand, the company could lower its cost. Dicken (2003) demonstrated that a global corporation would be a firm that has the power to coordinate and control operations in a large number of counties (even if it does not own them), but whose geographically dispersed operations are functionally integrated, and not merely a diverse portfolio of activities. The background of Johnson Johnson The concept of corporate structure is the arrangements whereby the firm motivates, coordinates, appraises, and rewards the inputs and resources that belong to its coalition (Caves, 1980:66). Many successful corporations would establish famous branded products and develop different type of products (Caves, 1980). A firms corporate structure is depended on many issues. For example, when one company start up for only 5 years, its corporate structure would be less complex than company which founded 50 years ago. In Johnson Johnson, their board of directors is a group of people who meet a set of General Criteria for membership and are elected to the Board by our shareholders each year. We currently have 14 Board members, 12 of whom are independent under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange. (Johnson Johnson, 2012). Many large corporations tend to have the same corporate structures. It includes about five departments, which are Marketing, Finance, Accounting, Human Resource and IT. Usually corporate structure are four types as following (Dicken P. , 2011): Figure 3 (Source from Dicken P. 2011 Figure 5.8) It can be seen that global corporates structure is more complex than international corporates structure. For Johnson Johnson, the executive committee is the main management team, which is responsible for the operations. The corporate governance is formed by accounting controls, independent auditor, audit committee of their board of directors and business results. Figure 4C:UsersREDesktopConcept2.jpeg This figure shows the board of directors of Johnson Johnson. (Johnson Johnson, 2012) 3.1 A strategy of Johnson Johnson The reason why Johnson Johnson achieves such great success is that it has strict operating mode. (Johnson Johnson, 2012) 1. Market penetration Johnson Johnson has improved the share of market by increasing the quality of products, meanwhile, offering discount is an appropriate way to influence consumers habits and purchasing. 2. Market development It developed new markets to provide the same products for consumers who have the same requires in different countries. 3. Product development It developed new products to old consumers, which would expand popularity. 4. Diversification It provide new products to new markets. 5. Consolidation This step is to retain its stable relationship with consumers. Chandler stated that a firms growth is always through three strategies as following (Chandler, 1962): 1. Expansion is to widen the existing line to the same kinds of consumers. 2. New markets and sources of supplies are very important factors. 3. Developing a wide range of new products for different types of consumers As one of the largest and most comprehensive health care corporation in the world, Johnson Johnson has experienced vital growth in recent years. Johnson Johnson was founded by Robert Wood Johnson with two brothers in New Jersey in 1886. With the expansion and development of its business needs from the 1920 of the 20th century, Johnson Johnson has set up a lot of branches and acquired many companies among Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. By today Johnson Johnson has established and acquired more than 250 branches and companies in over 57 countries, and has about 129,000 employees. Johnson Johnson is Ranked 42nd in fortune 500 list in 2012. (Johnson Johnson, 2012). In 1924, the first overseas operating company was set up in the United Kingdom, which indicated Johnson Johnson has started its foreign company period. In 1944, Johnson Johnson joined the New York Stock Exchange. (Johnson Johnson, 2012). Revenues of JJ has increased from only $7 billion in 1987 to more than $65 b illion in 2012. Profits increased at an even faster rate, from $329.5 million in 1987 to $9672 million in 2012. (FORTUNE 500, 2012) 3.2 Corporate Structure of Johnson Johnson For every MNE, as key driver of globalization, has its unique corporate structure on a wide variety of market, which influence the corporations management in marketplace. The main sector is the number and size distribution of sellers and buyers, height of barriers to enter and exit (Caves, 1980). Why Johnson Johnson can be called a global corporation is that it has complicated structure. It depends on the development and innovation, because Johnson Johnson has three business divisions: 3.2.1.. Consumer products Baby Care Skin and Hair Care Wound Care and Topicals Oral Health Care Womens Health Over-the-Counter Medicines Nutritionals Vision Care Online store The consumer products chain retail outlets are widespread all over the world, these products are sold to general public and both to wholesalers and directly to individuals, while Pharmaceutical products and Medical device Diagnostics are depend on acquisition of other companies. 3.2.2. Pharmaceutical products Janssen RD LLC Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. Janssen Healthcare Innovation Janssen Diagnostics Veridex, LLC These products offer medicines that treat widespread diseases. 3.2.3. Medical device Diagnostics Advanced Sterilization Products Animas Corporation Cordis Corporation DePuy Synthes Companies of Johnson Johnson Ethicon,  Inc. Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. Johnson Johnson Vision Care, Inc. LifeScan, Inc. Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Inc. These products might be used in professional fields, such as physicians, nurses, hospitals, and diagnostic laboratories. It has gained the competitive advantage through knowledge of recognition and integration in the world, and achieved implementation and operation. With the development of Johnson Johnson, it has shaped a very complicated company. There are approximately more than 200 different type of products are formed in three departments. To what extent the success of Johnson Johnson could achieve is depends on the relationship between three departments and other business departments. In the past 10 years, Johnson Johnson has purchased more than 60 small firms. It focus on managing the knowledge. Usually, corporation has the following ways to grow: internal expansion, exporting, licensing, franchising, mergers and acquisitions, and geographic expansion. (Bruce R. Barringer, Daniel W. Greening, 1998). These strategies support corporations to enter new markets, as well as develop corporations resources through different countries or regions. Previous studies have revealed that geographic expansion is a new operation in a different area. (Hsien-Jui Chung, Chun-Chung Chen, Tsun-jui Hsieh, 2007). It might form international supply chains, which firms would purchase components, raw materials and services. It was significant to gain growth and enhance performance when Johnson Johnson has set up the first foreign firm in 1924. Geographic expansion would bring a lot of advantages (Farok J. Contractor, Sumit K. Kundu and Chin-Chun Hsu, 2003) Global market often give more scope for economies of scale, which in this case study, has changed Johnson Johnson into a global firm. As Dicken (2011) mentioned that global economy are connected with geographical and organizational structure. He (2011, p. 96) pointed out closely related to the issues of geographical scale and organizational loci is the importance of territoriality in networks. Findings To sum up, from what is discussed above, Johnson Johnson is a global corporation. As a result of some literature, there would be two measurements to determine whether the corporation is globalised or not, which is from organizational and geographical scale. Firstly, Johnson Johnson has complicated corporate structure, it has executive committee to manage and operate Johnson Johnson. Compared with its geographical scale, Johnson Johnson has more than 250 branches and subsidiaries all over the world. Then corporations earn profits from the globalisation economy, which is why many international company would like to expand their subsidiaries and branches to other different countries or regions. Discussion Globalisation plays an important role, it changes the world economy. Firstly, it increases the trade from one country to another. Apart from that, globalisation makes economy prosperous because it raised foreign direct investment while there might be some limitations. When a company is already a global company, what should be their next steps or strategies? Is globalisation the destination for one company? In accordance to some literatures, globalization is end of geography (OBRIEN, 1992). Increasingly companies have gained more profits from globalization, in other words, the progress of globalization gets advantages for enterprises. Conclusions So far, for many people, it is hard to explain what are international corporations and global corporations, because internationalization and globalization cannot be easily distinguished, but actually there are different. Consequently, they can be differentiated by the geographic scale and corporation structure. Globalized companies often owns similar structures. It is easier to understand from some literatures. In this report, a case study of Johnson Johnson has determined that it is a global corporation by analysing its corporate structure, different product lines and company strategies. In competitive business circumstance, globalisation is an inevitable trend, not only for companies, but for the macro-economy. Globalisation makes the whole world look like borderless, it might boost international business.

Critique of Humes Analysis of Causality Essay example -- Philosophy P

Critique of Hume's Analysis of Causality Hume's analyses of human apprehension and of causality were the most penetrating up to his time and continue to have great influence. Contemporary Spanish philosopher Xavier Zubiri (1893-1983) has examined both and identified three underlying errors: (1) the failure to recognize that there are three stages of human intellection, and especially that the first, primordial apprehension, has quite unique characteristics; (2) the attempt to place an excessive burden on the content of impressions while ignoring what Zubiri terms their 'formality of reality'; and (3) the failure to recognize that functionality, not causality, is the basis for most of our knowledge. Causal chains in general cannot be adequately known, and therefore are not and cannot be the basis of our knowledge of the external world. Only in the area of persons and morality does causality play a critical role. I. Introduction Causality has been a pivotal concept in the history of philosophy since the time of the Ancient Greeks. After David Hume, however, many have questioned whether there is (or can be) any metaphysical meaning of causality, or valid inferences based upon it. Xavier Zubiri (1898-1983) has rethought and reformulated the question of causality in light of its historical roles, well-known criticisms, and relevant contemporary knowledge. In doing so, he has achieved a unique perspective on the subject which should be of great interest to those concerned with causality and any of its applications. II. Hume's critique of causality The figure of David Hume looms large in the philosophical tradition of English-speaking countries; and his two famous analyses, of human apprehension and of causality, were the... ..., (First volume of trilogy, Inteligencia sentiente), Madrid: Alianza Editorial/Sociedad de Estudios y Publicaciones, 1980, p. 82-83. (Hereafter, IRE; unless otherwise indicated, all translations of Zubiri are by the author). (6) IRE, p. 257. (7) IRE, p. 104. (8) Xavier Zubiri, Inteligencia y razà ³n, (Third volume of trilogy, Inteligencia sentiente), Madrid: Alianza Editorial/Sociedad de Estudios y Publicaciones, 1983, p. 45. (Hereafter, IRA). (9) Xavier Zubiri, Inteligencia y logos, (Second volume of trilogy, Inteligencia sentiente), Madrid: Alianza Editorial/Fundacià ³n Xavier Zubiri, 1982, p. 39-40. (Hereafter, IL). (10) Treatise of Human Nature, p. 74. (11) IL, p. 40. (12) IL, p. 41. (13) IL, p. 41. (14) Xavier Zubiri, Los Problemas Fundamentales de la Metafà ­sica Occidental, Madrid: Alianza Editorial/Fundacià ³n Xavier Zubiri, 1994, p. 229.

Chuck Close :: essays research papers

Chuck Close (born 1940) is an American photorealist specializing in close-up portraits and self-portraits. Close is one of the very few modern realists or photorealists who focus on the human face. In 1988, in mid-career, Close was paralyzed due to a blood clot in his spinal column. He regained partial use of his arms, and was able to return to painting after developing techniques which allowed him to work from a wheelchair.All of Close’s works are based on photographs he takes himself. Close always follows the same guidelines in planning a painting. The source photograph is a tightly cropped head and shoulder shot. The subject is a family member or friend. The finished work is always titled by the subject’s first name alone (with the exception of â€Å"Self-Portrait†). This decision was intended to project an aura of anonymity, allowing viewers to approach the work without preconceived ideas about the sitter.Close’s working method is extremely labor-intensive. He begins by dividing his source photograph into a grid and creating a corresponding grid on the canvas. He then meticulously transcribes the image onto the canvas square by square, proceeding from the top left to the bottom right. Some of the largest canvases contain thousands of squares; Close completes all of his paintings by hand. Given the painstaking nature of this work, some of the earlier large-scale paintings took up to fourteen months to complete.Close's work falls into two periods, the early and the middle, in which he is now fruitfully engaged. It is easy to divide the two periods on either side of Close's 1988 stroke that left him unable to hold a brush. (He paints with his brush tied to his hand by a metal and Velcro device.) Close started to work with bolder, more expressive and colorful marks before his great physical trauma. The new work is both the same; they're recognizable as works by Close and could be by no one else He still uses the grid and he still paints heads. Although the amount of information the new pictures carry is less than the old, the characters depicted seem warmer, more immediate, and more exuberant.Close's repertory of marks has changed dramatically. In place of the discreet dots and miniature strokes of his early work, not to mention the pictures constructed of fingerprints he made in the early'80s, each of the enlarged squares in the new grids contains colorful, painterly marks that function as mini- abstract paintings of their own.

Galileo Essay -- essays research papers fc

"Galileo was that guy who invented the telescope." This is what most people say when they think about Galileo. However, Galileo did not even invent the telescope; he only made improvements to it so it could be used for astronomy. Galileo did use it to make many important discoveries about astronomy, though; many of these discoveries helped to prove that the sun was the center of the galaxy. Galileo also made many important contributions to Physics; he discovered that the path of a projectile was a parabola, that objects do not fall with speeds proportional to their weight, and much more. For these discoveries, Galileo is often referred to as the founder of modern experimental science. Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa, Italy on February 15, 1564. Until he was about 10 years old, Galileo lived in Pisa; in 1574 the family moved to Florence where Galileo started his education at Vallombroso, a nearby monastery. In 1581, Galileo went to the University of Pisa to study medicine, the field his father wanted him to peruse. While at the University of Pisa, Galileo discovered his interest in Physics and Mathematics; he switched his major from medicine to mathematics. In 1585, he decided to leave the university without a degree to pursue a job as a teacher. He spend four years looking for a job; during this time, he tutored privately and wrote on some discoveries that he had made. In 1589, Galileo was given the job of professor of Mathematics at the University of Pisa. His contract was not renewed in 1592, but received another job at the University of Padua as the chair of Mathematics; his main duties were to teach Geometry and Astrology. Galileo taught at the university for eighteen years. Galileo made many important discoveries from the time he was born to when he left the University of Padua, 1564-1610. While attending the University of Pisa, 1584, Galileo discovered the principle of isochronism. Isochronism showed that the period of a pendulum remains the same no matter what the amplitude is. Galileo was said to have discovered this while watching a chandelier swing in the cathedral next to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Galileo proved the isochronism of a pendulum in 1602. He later used his discovery to design a clock that used pendulums. While Galileo was looking for a job after he left the University of Pisa, 1856, he invented the hydrostatic balance. Thi... ...eo made many important discoveries for the field of Physics; he opened the way for scientists to combined Mathematic and Physics. He also proved that the sun was the center of the galaxy. Galileo deserved to be called the founder of modern experimental science. Bibliography Dunn, Travis. Galileo Biography. Http:/es.rice.edu/ES/ humsoc/Galileo/index.html. 23 January 1996. Field, J.V. Galileo Galilei. http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/-history/Mathematicians/Galileo.html. August 1995. "Galileo Got it Wrong." New Scientist. 4 June 1987, p. 36. MacKeith, Bill. "Galileo Galilei." The Classical Scientists. Southside Ltd. Edinburgh, England. 1989. vol. 15, pp. 25-44. O'Malley, Charles D. "Galileo." The New Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. Chicago, Illinois. 1989. vol. 19, pp. 640-642. Stillman, Drake. The Life of Galileo Galilei. http://www. owlnet.rice.edu/-jessdave/Galileo2.html. 1980. Stillman, Drake. "Galileo." Microsoft Encarta. Copyright 1994 Microsoft Corp. Copyright 1994 Funk & Wagnalls Corp. Stillman, Drake. "Galileo." The World Book Encyclopedia. World Book Inc. London, England. 1995. vol. 8, pp. 11-12.

Barack Obama: The Audacity of Hope

The words â€Å"The Audacity of Hope† comes from Obama’s 2004 Democratic Convention keynote address. Much of the book deal with Obama’s policy positions on a number of issues, from health care to the occupation of Iraq. In this book, Obama criticizes the existing policy positions of the Bush government, and tries to reconcile political differences based on the twin principles of respect and statesmanship. There are several issues that Obama discussed in the book. The first issue is about racial discrimination. Obama rejects the notion that the United States is divided into politically racial spheres.Obama argues that the so-called ‘racial divide’ is a social construction – hence, cannot be immersed in policy-making. The personal attributes of people, according to Obama, should not become a hindrance to their own development. The second issue is rather unusual for the common reader. Obama rejects the ‘either – or formulationsâ€⠄¢ as a matter of policy. Here, he is referring to George W. Bush absolutists’ foreign policy that does not take into consideration alternatives. Obama provides a general background of such policy in the 60’s.According to Obama, the admission of African-Americans, minorities, and women to full citizenship had greatly undermined the power of the racial majority. What had developed was a system of grudge that, even today, manifests itself in government, business, education, and defense. The unity of the American nation had been greatly undermined. Obama argues that the only means to restore that unity is towards reconciling political differences. Although this is difficult to achieve, the price of success far outweighs the short-run costs.Obama’s idea of national unity transcends race, creed, and political differences. His idea of unity resembles that of Martin Luther King. Much of Obama’s thoughts on foreign, military, and domestic policies are a general t riangulation of liberal and conservative ideas – probably a way to appease both liberals and conservatives in society as Tony Blair did. In any case, his ideas about national security are much more enlightened than that of Bush. Obama’s argues that war in Iraq was a misguided war on the basis that it increased the associated risks to the United States.It did not put an end to terrorism, rather magnified it threefold. Tolerance, according to Obama must be observed in domestic and foreign policies. This is the only way to achieve an everlasting peace. The thesis of the book is: Unity of the American nation transcends race, creed, and politics, and the way to achieve peace is tolerance. For an intelligent reader, this thesis is something more of a vague statement. It does not attempt to give specific solutions to specific problems. There is no evaluation of alternatives.It is even possible to argue that Obama’s thesis is a coagulation of his political motives †“ a desire for higher political office. In any case, unlike his predecessors, Obama’s attempts to give a general view of American policies are generally unbiased and to some extent open-ended. Much of his enthusiasm of a possible end of conflict in Iraq is generally based on the hopes of a policy-shift – whether a Republican or Democrat is elected to the White House. Here, one can see that Obama’s audacity in intellectual leadership in his party exceeded that of George W. Bush.One can therefore argue that even if Obama’s thesis is a motherhood statement, it is in fact a radical alternative of the conservative-either-or policies of the Bush administration. Here, one sees the views of both a rising politician and a ‘dreamer of the 1960s. ’ Again, the specification of Obama’s thesis is still problematic, even though it carries a very meaningful radical policy-shift. In any case, there is no end to the question, â€Å"Is unity a long-ru n possibility? † Reference Obama, Barack. 2006. The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream. New York: Crown.

Crude oil

Crude oil is a necessity for the emerging as well as the existing industries all over the world. It has the power to affect production because it's a raw material which Is used for producing petrol etc. The fluctuations In the price of crude oil can affect the economy on a large scale. The price of crude oll Is affected by the demand and the supply like any other good. In times of bottlenecks the price Is expected to rise whereas when there is an oversupply of crude oll the price tends to fall. Crude oil prices have varied over the last 50 years.In June, OPEC production fell by 370,000 barrels, this was mainly caused due to hindrances such as conflicts In the Middle East and the production strikes In Nlgerla . As a result this affected the price of crude 011 and It rose substantially. The prices of crude oll were subject to some major fluctuations In recent years. It can be observed that the price of crude 011 rose as much as $140/barrel approximately in 2008. 1n the same year it fel l as low as $40,' barrel approximately. In the years 2010 and 2011 it constantly increased from $80,' barrel and reached a maximum price of $122/barrel approximately.In the years 2012 and 201 3 the price of crude oil fluctuated in the range of $100/barrel and $120/ barrel. High crude oil prices can be responsible for cost push inflation in the economy. Cost push inflation is caused mainly due to an increase in the price of raw material. Crude oil is a raw material and is predominantly used for transportation. Transportation is a vital part of the production process. Increase in the price of crude il would mean that the transportation costs increase. This in turn affects the production cost and finally the high costs fall heavily on the consumers in the form of high prices.The Oil market has been unstable since the 1970's and has been overblown by many serious disruptions. As a result the oil market has lost its market share and people have now shifted to other energy sources availab le . The market for alternative energy sources has expanded as its much cheaper then crude oil. People have now shifted to cheaper fuels such as natural gas, bio-diesel etc. However other ut expensive alternatives of crude oil have also emerged for e. g. Carbon free cars, these are cars which run on rechargeable battery and they are also environment friendly.Crude oil is one of the major energy source and most of the countries still consume It heavily-UK imports crude oll and as a result its suffering from Imported Inflation currently. The crude oil prices are expected to Increase In the near future and this In turn would further contribute to Inflation In the economy. If the prices of crude oll aren't controlled then It can be said that Crude oll will continue to lose Its arket share -In order to bring stablllty In the oll market It needs to get rid of disruptions caused by various conflicts In the oll producing countries. rude oil By ‘hatewar world. It has the power to affec t production because it's a raw material which is used for producing petrol etc. The fluctuations in the price of crude oil can affect the economy on a large scale. The price of crude oil is affected by the demand and the supply like any other good. In times of bottlenecks the price is expected to rise whereas when there is an oversupply of crude oil the price tends to fall. Crude oil barrels, this was mainly caused due to hindrances such as conflicts in the Middle East and the production strikes in Nigeria .As a result this affected the price of crude oil and it rose substantially. The prices of crude oil were subject to some major fluctuations in recent years. It can be observed that the price of crude oil rose as much as $140/barrel approximately in 2008. 1n the same year it fell as low as $40/ barrel approximately. In the years 2010 and 2011 it constantly increased from $80/ and 2013 the price of crude oil fluctuated in the range of $100/barrel and $120/ hare and people have now shifted to other energy sources available .The market for consume it heavily. UK imports crude oil and as a result its suffering from imported inflation currently. The crude oil prices are expected to increase in the near future and this in turn would further contribute to inflation in the economy. If the prices of crude oil aren't controlled then it can be said that Crude oil will continue to lose its market share . ln order to bring stability in the oil market it needs to get rid of disruptions caused by various conflicts in the oil producing countries.

Presentation Analysis Worksheet Essay

Who is the audience for this presentation? General public and computer programmers. What is the purpose of this presentation? Inform people of the new windows operating system by Microsoft, how it is improved over the last system, and the advantages it will bring. Explain how the topic is specific and relates to the audience. The topic relates to everyone because a majority of the general public own operate a computer system that is ran by Microsoft will most likely be interested in upgrading their current system to the newest edition. It is also relevant to the computer programmers because they will be dealing largely with this system when it is released and will need to have a knowhow of how it work and a knowledge of how to troubleshoot it if need be. Target Audience Analysis: What special adaptations for these audience types might be necessary for this presentation to be effective? Technical Personnel Going more in depth over the technical side of the presentation will be key for these audience members because they will want to know how the system work more in depth then say the general public and want to know how it will benefit them to know this new operating system. Non-Technical This would be important to target them in order to show them though they may not be non-technical they can still have an understanding of the system and be user friendly without a vast amount of knowledge. Management Targeting the management level will be important because they will likely be  the ones to push the product out to lower personal and will possibly be the ones to have to train them on it too. Client/Stakeholder You would want to target these people because they will be the ones with money and provide you with the funding needed to push your product. Age/Experience Both age and experience will play a special role into this because the younger crowd will want to have the latest products released in order to be relevant in society. On the other hand experience will play a role because the more experience you have the more you are going to want to have the newest technology if it benefits you. Other (specify) Environment Analysis: What special adaptations may be necessary for the environment or situation of the presentation? Size Size will be important in the matter of formatting and computer space, you do not want to offer up an operating system that will take up a vast majority of your computer memory system. Physical setting The physical system will not play too much of a role because it is something that the user will not see unless if you are presenting what the software will look like onto a computer. Audience knowledge Presenting to an audience that has a knowledge of understanding of what you are talking about or presenting forces you know what you are presenting to them and may allow you to go into more depth then what you may have presented to someone who may not know as much. Audience interest/focus Keeping the audience focused and locked into what you are saying is important because they will simply lose interest into what you are saying and could potentially lose possible clientele. Attitude toward topic Having a positive attitude of what you are saying is going to keep the interest of the audience because they are going to see that you are actively interested and feed off of your energy and want to learn more. Speaker credibility Being a credible speaker is going to bring more of an audience base because everyone will know that you are positive speaker, know what you are presenting and give out the best information to them. Occasion This will be important because you do not want to give a presentation on Christmas when everyone minds are not focused on what you are saying or presenting and all they want to do is go home. So having the right occasion can be important when presenting. Speaker ________________________________ Topic________________________________ What devices will you use in the introduction to gain audience attention? What steps will you take to relate the topic to this audience? What is the main idea you want to convey to the audience? What are the presentation’s main points? Why did you develop these particular points? What supporting materials will you use and why? What steps will you take to make language clear and appropriate to this audience? What adjustments will you make in delivery—rate of speech, volume, tone of voice, gestures, and the like—to communicate your ideas?

Nature is such a beautiful place Essay

Life is getting hard and expensive as the years are passing by. The prices on food, and other utility prices are going up. People have school, work and a family to look out for and do not have the time to enjoy the simple things in life that earth has to offer which is nature. In the essay of â€Å"An entrance to the Woods† Wendell Berry. He admits to living such a fast paste of life that is hard to come back down to the ground and enjoy what is in front of him. People pass by things so quickly and don’t pay attention that they fail to appreciate them. Once a person slows down, they could see what surrounds them. Nature is a good way to find yourself because it is easy to escape from the influence society has. Nature has away of taking away the things that are stressing us and giving away a chance to become refreshed. â€Å" In the middle of the afternoon I left off being busy at work, and drove sixty or seventy miles an hour, hardly aware of the country I was passing through, because on the freeway one does not have to be. The landscape has been subdued so that one may drive over it as seventy miles per hour without any concession whatsoever to one’s whereabouts. One might as well be flying. Though one is Kentucky one is not experien cing Kentucky. One is experiencing the highway, which might be in nearly any hill country east of the Mississippi.† (Berry, 88) During berry’s time in the woods, he writes â€Å"A man enters and leaves the world naked. And it is only naked–or nearly so that he can enter and leave the wilderness. If he walks, that is; and if he doesn’t walk it can hardly be said that he has entered. He can bring only what he can carry– the little that it takes to replace for a few hours or a few days an animal’s fur and teeth and claws and functioning instincts. And comparison to the usual traveler with his dependence on machines and highways and restaurant and motels–on the economy and the government, in short–the man who walks into the wilderness is naked indeed. He leaves behind his work, his household, his duties, his comforts–even, if he comes alone, his words. He  immerses himself in what he is not. It a kind of death.† (Berry, 90) We came to this world naked, and that is how we should enter and leave the wilderness. If we walk using our feet and explore the wilderness that’s how we can say that we entered the wilderness. The little that we bring to survive, it is gone in a few hours or days. An animal uses its fur, teeth and animal instincts to survive versus a traveler that needs machines, highways and restaurants and motels. To be in the wilderness one has to leave behind the work, the household, duties and comforts and even his words. One has get out of its comfort zone, and use your own abilities to survive the wilderness. It is like taking a risk of death. Wendell Berry own experience where he is up and left civilization. The work setting to enter a nature environment devoted to being self efficient on nature. Berry loved and respected nature, he wanted to develop his appreciation further, as he wanted it to evolve and understand for it. He wanted to know how nature worked, and learn it’s reason for being. Berry’s goal was met through this act and it was gratifying experience to escape from moderation and become organic. Berry realizes the purpose of the trip, but the connection to nature cannot replace to connection to man. In the essay of â€Å" Why I went to the woods† by Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau tried to produce his own crops, to live from the labor of his own hands, and to get rid of all the complicating things that distracted him from life’s true meaning by living in the woods. †Thoreau wanted time to read, write, and think. He wanted to make time for nature. And he wanted to test himself, to see just how much he could simplify his life, to determine how much time he could save to do what he really wanted to do with every minute of everyday†( Thoreau, 700) Thoreau mentions that he wants to live a deliberately life. To live deliberately means to take care and think of everything that you do in life, and not to do anything just for the heck of it. Everything that we do has to have a purpose and a meaning, and that is not a waste of time. â€Å"slow down rather than to speed up, to saver a few things fully rather than sample many things fleeting, and have time to decide what, in the long run of his short  life, matters most and why.† (Thoreau, 700) â€Å" I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essentials fact of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not live I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to proactive resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner and reduce it to its lowest terms, and if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it and publish its meanness to the world, or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion.† ( Thoreau, 701) By living in the woods he will be living a simple life away from civilization and to see his strength and weakness. By not being accustomed to that type of lifestyle he might die. When all hope is gone he realizes there are many things he have not tried. The simplest things in life could be and mean much more. Life is precious.

Home and Public Schools Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Home and Public Schools - Research Paper Example In an age-segregated classroom, a child would not be working on his/her own pace but rather someone else's pace. This environment would never be present in any time during our adult life. In a work environment, co-workers would be of all different ages and possesses knowledge in various areas. The assertion, "Home-schooling is inferior to the public education system", is an opinion that can easily be refuted. No one is able to state this as a fact due to the research that had already been done. Former director of "Education Resources Information Center" (ERIC), Dr. Lawrence M. Rudner, had done research to disprove the idea that home-schooling is inferior. He found that on average a home-educated student scores within the 80 percentile on a standardized test when the national average is within the 50 percentile. In addition, the home-schooled student population only made up less than three percent of the student population In America, but ten percent of top contestants for the nation's top scholarships, such as the "Presidential Scholarship", are home-schooled. In consideration of such outstanding records, it's safe to say that the parents are effective teachers despite their lack of a teaching license. This is also due to the vast resources supplied to both parents and students alike by their environment if any material was not understood. Parents are not the only tool or resource home-based educators get information from. In many cases, parents get the assistance of other friends, or any interested person in the family. For example, if an uncle in the family who is particularly skilled in computer graphics, he would be pleased to take part in the home schooling system for that subject. Additionally, parents can quest for on-line education web sites that... This report approves that some children lack social skills regardless of where they attend school. There are plenty of students in public schools who lacked social skills, and they were also tormented and ridiculed by the other children. Being around children everyday isn't going to help them. If anything, it hurts them because they will be dealt emotional scars that will take years to heal. Nonetheless, home-schooled children don't generally have to deal with the negative behaviors exhibited by children in large groups. Most home schooling groups are smaller in size and the children tend to play better with all ages rather than just their age level peers. Children are allowed to mature at their own speed and by the time they're exposed to large groups of children, they're more likely to be socially mature enough to handle the situations. This essay makes a conclusion that the best schooling is not just home or public schooling, its somewhere in the gray area of the two. For each child, one may have more of one or the other; but a combination of the two is much better than just one. While public schools teach us tolerance of different views and ideas; home schooling provides us with the care we all need for certain subjects. Public schools provide students with the social aspects required to stay active and prosper in whatever community they choose to be a part of. While home schooling provides the emphasis and time required for some students to grasp complicated theories or ideas.

Australiana Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Australiana Literature - Essay Example e again tends to generates a dedoublement, one that there is no mistaking this time, and one that, if only for the reason that Whites tributary insertion of Dostoevskys The Brothers Karamazov into his own text, is noticeably self-referring. Is its resolution of this crisis - if that is what it is - recognizable as well? To answer in terms of Whites theme of representation-at-the-margin a good number of his story White holds out an optimism of an Australian vernacular writing that will yet remain in touch with a parent European Writing (Wilke p 97). Finally, however, what has seemed a bearable, if problematic relationship between Arthur and Waldo - and we are talking constantly regarding possibilities of representation - proves to be non-viable. As a replacement for of making for a productive synthesis, the narratives in the novel are known as "Arthur" and "Waldo" is but the same crisis of potentially aggressive confusion seen from somewhat different viewpoints. except the fact that white sees a number of positive sacrificial meaning at this point only obvious conclusion in The Solid Mandala is collapse or regression into an undifferentiated condition, into the extremely confusion of Same as well as Other it has tried to reconcile: Waldo Brown, dead of spite, in addition to his non-identical twin Arthur, sent to a mental institution, and keeping just one of his four solid mandalas. The conflict never affected their relationship as Arthur said at one occasion Ill kill," Arthur continued to bellow, "the pair of you bloody buggers if you touch," he choked, "my brother."( White p45) this showed how one brother protected the other Bound together in conflict, Waldo and Arthur represent duality in totality. Separate yet whole, the brothers symbolize the two opposing halves of the self. White advocates the need for both parts as well as for balance between the two. For example, Arthur’s insight—his almost visionary capability—is too otherworldly for this

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Essay Example Dr.Gey extracted some of the cells for his own research without Henrietta’s knowledge or consent. Soon, Henrietta died because of the rapid spread of her cancer. The very cells which Dr.Gey had procured became the immortal HeLa cells that are being used worldwide even today. The HeLa cells history is shrouded by a number of ethical issues. One of the very first ethical issues that I find really surprising is that the HeLa cell industry was a huge and profitable industry but Henrietta’s family were not entitled to any profits or shares. Henrietta’s cells were being commercially exploited by the researchers who made billions of dollars from it but Henrietta’s own family which was very poor, remained in that very state unaware of the riches that Henrietta’s cells were fetching others. This was purely unethical on the part of the researchers because they commercialized Henrietta’s cells without the knowledge or the approval of her husband or othe r family members. In fact Henrietta’s family did not even know about the existence of Henrietta’s cells. But, in the 1950’s no ethical guidelines and tissue ownership rules had been laid down. However, today we understand that commercialization of cells and tissues may be of great worth to the donors and we do have bioethical laws to protect the right of the donors. However, there are loopholes in the law which is evident from Moore’s case. Moore suffered from a very rare case of cancer- hairy leukemia, which was diagnosed by Dr.Golde but soon Golde understood that Moore’s body cells were very special. â€Å"Most cells are worth nothing individually, but Moore's were special. They produced several valuable proteins used to treat infections and cancer and carried a rare virus that might lead to treatments for H.I.V. (Skloot, 2006) and without informing Moore, Golde got a consent. Moore was unaware of his cell’s potential but soon got to know about it worth. However he lost the case because he had signed the consent form. The court however agreed that Golde should have had informed Moore about his intentions. This brings me to my second ethical issue- voluntary participation and consent. It the right of every human being to be informed about a research before he/she voluntarily participates in it. In Henrietta’s case, she had no choice of being a voluntary participant. Dr.Gey decided to extract and study the abnormal cells of Henrietta’s body. Lacks had no idea what Dr.Gey’s intentions were. Her doctor told her nothing about the cells and his personal wish to extract and study them. This was surely unethical because the tumorous cells belonged to Henrietta solely and Dr.Gey had no right to use them without the knowledge of Lacks. In case he did want to use her cells for investigation, he should have had explained the same to Henrietta and waited for her approval but instead he opted to extract the c ells all by himself making Henrietta an involuntary participant in his studies. Today, researchers are bound to inform everything about the intended research before asking the participant to take part in it. Here too, the decision of participation lies solely with the participant and the researchers have no say in it. The final ethical issue that struck me was that of â€Å"confidential identity†. It should be the duty and moral obligation on part of the researcher to safeguard the true

Proposal - short online course to training the faculty member how they Research

- short online course to training the faculty member how they can manage their online class - Research Proposal Example Indeed, in the current environment of advancing technology, online training hugely facilitates development of critical skills and knowledge. It provides a more innovative approach to education and acquisition of knowledge that can be adjusted to suit the needs and requirements of individuals. The role of faculty in online classes becomes important element of the success of the same. The proposal is for short training program for the faculty members of online courses so as to equip them with necessary skills to manage their online classes with high degree of efficiency 2. Problem statement The online training courses are major elements of constant learning environment that incorporates the demands of changing business compulsions. The online courses are distinct in their teaching methodologies that rely on digital communication vis-a-vis online conferencing techniques, email etc. The electronic interaction is much different to classroom communication. It requires multifunctional capab ilities that incorporate pedagogical skills like: effective learning processes that can be easily grasped by learners; creating comfortable learning environment; skills to resolve technical issues; and administrative knowledge that can explain the course logistics (Sargeant et al., 2006). Very often, the faculty members of online courses are not trained appropriately in the modalities of online classes. The working population and adult learners are therefore not able to exploit the vast potential of the same. Most importantly, the spatial features of learning environment and medium are crucial factors that influence the learning process. In online courses, the multimedia becomes the key component that is exploited judiciously by the teacher to make course curricula interesting, powerful and highly motivating (Sims, 2003). The efficacy of online teaching is considerably increased when teaching skills are integrated judiciously with managerial skills and use of technology. As such, it becomes essential to impart training to the faculty members to make them more effective online teachers. 3. Objectives 1. One week training course on management skills as required for online courses to equip them with the methodologies of electronic communication techniques. 2. To make online classes more effective and motivating. 3. Managing workload of teaching online. 4. Program description/ design framework The design framework of course is important for increasing the core competencies of the participants and equipping them with skills that add value to their knowledge and teaching skills. The various approaches to instructional designs offer effective teaching under different environment and medium of instructions. The training program would use ADDIE framework or Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation structure. Its stepwise approach helps the teachers to develop easy and iterative instructions which can be applied to real life situations, thus making t hem hugely relevant to the learners (Peterson, 2003). The ADDIE design process promotes active participation of the learners that exploits tacit knowledge of the learners and helps them apply critical thinking to resolve problems or look at problems from wider perspectives of creative advantages (Tee & Karney, 2010). The five stages are described as below: 4.1a. Analysis This part of the program is intended to identify and evaluate the needs of the learners so

Questionnaire or Interview on Effects of Substance Abuse on Prisoners Assignment

Questionnaire or Interview on Effects of Substance Abuse on Prisoners in Austin, Texas - Assignment Example In doing this, the study focuses on establishing the reasons for the prevalence of substance abuse in Austin prisons as everything has its own cause. This is what will be used to determine the negative impacts on prisoners despite the existence of rehabilitation and treatment centers to take care of drug users. The questionnaire addresses all issues related to the effects of drug abuse on prisoners in Austin. Introduction Substance or drug abuse is a pattern of harmful and injurious use of drugs for purposes of altering one’s mood. According to Chang (2010), substance abuse refers to the consumption of illicit drugs for purposes that are meant to interfere with the normal mental condition of a person. Substance abuse is prevalent among many prisons in the modern world. There has been an increase in the rates of substance abuse in Austin prisons (Texas Statistical Report, 2012). This has been due to the fact that many prisoners want to forget their situation of being locked up in an institution with no freedom of movement. They, however, do not consider the long-term effects that substance abuse imposes on their lives as they are only focused on the short-term impacts, which in this case, is the altering of the normal condition. They do not consider the health and economic challenges that they incur later as a result of substance abuse. These conditions alter their social way of lives in one way or the other. Objectives of the study Specific objective I. To establish the effects of substance abuse on prisoners in Austin, Texas Other objectives I. To determine the prevalence of drug abuse in Austin prisons II. To determine the challenges faced by relatives of drug abusers in Austin Hypothesis I. Ho: there is no relationship between a weak criminal justice system and prevalence of substance use in prisons. H1: there is a relationship between a weak criminal justice system and prevalence of substance use in prisons. II. H: drug-related offenses influence dru g abuse in Austin prisons H1: drug-related offenses do not influence drug abuse in Austin prisons III. Ho: there is no relationship between negative effects on substance abusers and challenges to relatives of substance abusers H1: there is a relationship between negative effects on substance abusers and challenges to relatives of substance abusers A Questionnaire on Effects of substance abuse on prisoners in Austin, Texas SECTION A Personal Details 1. What is your name? (Optional) 2. What is your age? A. Below 18 years B. 18-30 years C. 31-40 years D. 41-50 E. Above 50 3. What is your education level? A. Primary B. Secondary C. Tertiary D. None 4. What is your religion? 5. What was the reason for your incarceration? Explain Possible answers to this question could be drug-related offenses or other offenses that may lead to incarceration. Jennifer et al. (2012), notes that drug abuse is implicated in three kinds of offenses related to drug. That is offenses related directly to drug ab use such as theft to get money for drugs, offenses defined by drug sale or possession, and offences related to a way of life that disposes an individual (substance abuser) to engage in unlawful activities. This may take the form of associating with other lawbreakers or with illegitimate markets. Therefore, most of the responses from interviewees on this question could be that they were imprisoned because of directly drug-related directly offenses.