Market Outlooks Simbrand

PRACTICE ROUND European demand is already at a good level. The annual demand growth is estimated to be between 30 and 100% annually, depending on the segment. In the Asian market the demand level currently is low, but the growth is expected to be even higher than in Europe. In both Europe and Asia the growth will be fastest during the next couple of years, after which the growth is likely to slow down. In any case, the consensus among analysts is that the growth rates will be positive for several years to come. The high-end segments in both the consumer and company segments play a major role in the first years. Later on, with market penetration, the low-end segments might well dominate the sales volumes. Because PDAs are still rather unfamiliar products especially among low-end segments, and since the companies are new and thus unknown, it is important to think carefully about advertising and channel investment decisions. Advertising and channel investments have a long-term effect on demand and therefore, it might be rather risky to neglect these areas of the marketing mix completely. Finally, the group’s financial officers as well as executives of the production company have emphasized the importance of accurate sales forecasts. Budgets are useless if forecasted sales are far from reality, which usually decreases the quality of decisions significantly. In addition, production facilities’ output is preliminarily planned according to the forecasts. Large adjustments required in case of poor forecasts result in increased unit costs. ROUND 1 European demand is already at a good level. The annual demand growth is estimated to be between 30 and 100% annually, depending on the segment. In the Asian market the demand level currently is low, but the growth is expected to be even higher than in Europe. In both Europe and Asia the growth will be fastest during the next couple of years, after which the growth is likely to slow down. In any case, the consensus among analysts is that the growth rates will be positive for several years to come. The high-end segments in both the consumer and company segments play a major role in the first years. Later on, with market penetration, the low-end segments might well dominate the sales volumes. Because PDAs are still rather unfamiliar products especially among low-end segments, and since the companies are new and thus unknown, it is important to think carefully about advertising and channel investment decisions. Advertising and channel investments have a long-term effect on demand and therefore, it might be rather risky to neglect these areas of the marketing mix completely. Finally, the group’s financial officers as well as executives of the production company have emphasized the importance of accurate sales forecasts. Budgets are useless if forecasted sales are far from reality, which usually decreases the quality of decisions significantly. In addition, production facilities’ output is preliminarily planned according to the forecasts. Large adjustments required in case of poor forecasts result in increased unit costs. ROUND 2 The total sales of PDAs in Europe are expected to grow hundreds of %. Growth will be fastest among the low-end segments. However, the price elasticity of these segments is rather high and thus the availability of cheaper models with reasonable features has a significant impact on the realized growth. The demand growth estimates for Asia seem even more promising than for Europe. In Asia, the market is still clearly dominated by high-end segments. By offering new high-tech models the companies can create more demand. Competence indices started to grow from the starting point of 100 but some analysts are waiting to see products with compactness and battery life ranging in between 105 – 110 this year. However, the production line cost of 3. 5 Mâ‚ ¬ is high considering the rather small size of the markets at the moment. This will certainly limit the enthusiasm in launching new models with nice new features. On the other hand, using the latest technology, that the R&D investments in the previous period have created, decreases the risk that products become obsolete rapidly. Therefore, new advanced products brought to markets now might turn out to be very successful in the long run. If companies decide to launch new products, they have to be sure that their products are not too close to each other in terms of features. Similarity causes the products to cannibalize each other. The financial market is turning cautious and more risk averse. The interest rates for start-ups are skyrocketing to two-digit figures. Companies are hit as soon as they run out of equity. ROUND 3 The adoption of PDAs is still accelerating in both market areas. Most analysts forecast that the stage of rapid growth is going to last for at least a couple of years, but later on the proportional growth will probably decrease. In addition, Asian growth figures are estimated to be constantly bigger than the European ones. PDA markets in Asia have undergone significant structural changes as low-end segments have gained a foothold in a relatively short period. What is more, it seems that the growth of low-end segments is mainly attributable to the areas associated with the lowest standard of living in the world. Companies are able to produce the same products they offered last year at a lower cost. This is partly due to economies of scale. In addition, lower costs are a result of knowledge improvements, i. e. as competence indices increase the earlier models can be produced more efficiently. Even though the low-end segments have become more and more important, companies cannot afford to cut R&D investments considerably. High-end segments are willing to pay more for innovative models and as a result they are going to be important especially in monetary terms in the future. The size of new PDAs is already very reasonable. Nowadays, the typical frontal area of a high-end device is largely covered by the display and further decreases in size will probably not be appreciated as much as previously. The components have also been pushed to very small sizes. As a result of rapidly growing PDA markets, the economies of scale factor has been decreasing the unit costs along with the increase in the technological know-how resulting from the R&D efforts. Interest rates remain at high levels. Therefore, interest payments might become a significant burden for highly leveraged companies. ROUND 4 As estimated in the previous period, the PDA markets in both continents continue to grow rapidly. Due to the vast population in Eastern Asia, the Asian households should grow to be the biggest segment even in global terms at the end of this period. However, the high price sensitivity of the segment will probably lead to low unit margins resulting in high growth at the expense of profit margins. Moreover, the high-end segments seem to be rather saturated and the increase in sales is about to stall to the level of repurchases. The differences in the Asian segments seem to continue to be larger than the differences in the European segments. This holds for all the preferences. What is more, the price sensitivities of the Asian segments are very different. As the number of models available in the markets has increased, the design has become a more important determinant of demand. This trend is prevailing in Europe. Comprehensive market research carried out in Europe revealed a challenging matter related to avant-garde design. High-end segments seem to appreciate avant-garde even more than before. However, some of the low-end customers reacted rather negatively to the design. Interest rates are at the same level as in the previous round. ROUND 5 As estimated, the growth of demand for PDAs has decelerated in both market areas. The deceleration of growth will turn into negative figures in high-end segments. However, the demand of low-end segments in both Europe and Asia might still grow at the rate of 100 %. As demand growth among all segments has been above 70 % in the recent years, these pessimistic scenarios bring about new challenges for the management in the future. Advertising seems to have a bigger effect on consumer segments than on corporate segments. The consumers’ response to advertising is approximately twice the response of the corporate segments according to the latest consumer research reports. Central banks all over the world have decreased their steering rates in order to lessen the severity of a threatening recession. As a result the interest rate level has decreased significantly. Moreover, the companies in the industry are now financially sound. The risk premium in the rates is decreasing. ROUND 6 The stage of rapid growth seems to be over in both Europe and Asia. Demand for PDAs is still growing globally but the growth rates are far from what they used to be. What is more, the long-term forecasts show that demand growth is going to slow down continuously as the markets mature further. However, the total size of both markets is rather large as a result of the rapid growth in previous years. Therefore, companies with satisfactory market shares should be able to earn nice profits. The high-end segments seem to appreciate functions, perhaps more than expected. Therefore, an extensive set of functions is required from the most popular models. As a result, the importance of functions is expected to grow gradually among low-end segments as well. However, the cost of adding functions is estimated to increase as the demand for them increases globally and the specific components become scarce. Interest rates continue to decrease. However, the difference between current and last round’s level is not very significant. Excluding the function-specific components (digital camera lenses, headsets, 3G-technology etc. ), the material costs should decrease as the most important manufacturers have managed to increase production capacity considerably. ROUND 7 The total demand for PDAs is still growing globally. The industry has clearly reached a stage of maturity and as a result, a significant growth in sales can only be achieved by increasing market share. Since typical devices are now characterized by large displays and advanced multimedia features, improving battery life and saving electricity consumption have become more challenging. The state of the world economy is rather unchanged and the interest rates are at the previous round’s level ROUND 8 Total Global growth rate is about the turn into negative figures, the competition for market share is expected to intensify. The number of products available has increased in both markets and as a result, the risk of similar products cannibalizing each other has become very real. Therefore, companies that manage to find new and innovative combinations of features might sell lots of devices at good prices. The most important piece of news of this period relates to the components. New double-core technology introduced by the two biggest manufacturers is going to revolutionize the processing speed, size and power usage of the devices in the near future. Therefore, investments in R&D are expected to produce new competences more efficiently than ever before. What is more, the new components are cheaper to manufacture and as a result, production costs are expected to remain at the current level for the next few years and to decrease after this. Economies in Asia are growing rapidly after the recent recession and thus, the interest rates might increase slightly. However, there are still many uncertainties in the world’s economy, for example, high unemployment in the EU and skyrocketing debt levels in the USA. ROUND 9 Despite the expected economic upturn, unemployment is still at high levels in most of the European countries. In addition, both consumer and business confidence indices have reached a decade low. Mostly as a result of these economic factors, the aggregate demand of PDAs in Europe is estimated to decrease for the first time in history. Households are the only segment that is associated with growth in demand. However, the price level has a large effect on the development and the realized demand might be somewhat different from these forecasts. In Asia on the other hand, the rapid economic growth continues and as a result, according to the analysts, the demand for PDAs continues to grow. The new generation of components has rapidly replaced the old ones. Companies are expected to launch several new models with advanced features. According to recent market information, the high-end segments in Asia are highly appreciative of the latest technology. The component prices have decreased earlier than expected. The development is going to be reflected in the unit costs already in this period. Interest rates continue to increase mostly because of the favorable economic development in Asia. ROUND 10 As the markets have matured and competition has become ever tougher, especially in Europe market demand for PDA’s has substantially decreased. This put an increased emphasis on marketing, features and price of the product. The overall appreciation of entertainment and good looks is still strong among households as is security for the corporations. According to market analysts, the weak European market development will most likely continue next year and now would be the time to consolidate one’s market position especially in Asia. Even though Asian market development was better than in Europe they too are expected to decrease more drastically next year. Analysts also predict a further reduction in sales next year due to the fact that second hand products are expected to come available in masses. As the broader market becomes more stable, mainly due to the strict interest rate policies of the largest central banks, and as the size of PDA market decreases material prices reach a new low. The decrease in material and manufacturing prices partly offsets the decrease in sales figures. Central banks fearing market overheating in Asia have yet increased their interest rates creating some financial trouble for the highly levered companies.

Problem Statement of Lubricant Industry Essay

Lubricant industry is a very competitive industry because many companies around the world have created their own private label and competition between the well-known product in the market such as Shell, Castrol, Royal Purple etc. The availability of a vast range of products at competitive prices has been a major factor in attracting customers to lubricants market. As a result, many manufacturers of lubricants, including big corporations, have been aggressively pursuing international and Asia markets. Moreover, the market share of the industry is monopolized by big corporations, such as, Petronas, Shell and Caltex. The big corporations and manufacturers have the advantages many small companies lack of, such as, expensive advertisement, sponsorship and expert management team. For the small businesses to tap into market that has been monopolized by big corporations is very difficult for companies. Psychologically, consumers always and only use products that are recommended by peers or they have been using it for a while (2). Because of this reason, products that are very new will be hard to market their brands into the market effectively. The user confidence is very low because weak brand image, uncertain quality and doubtful suitability. Besides that, counterfeiting has become the major issue for various types of products in the market. As technology become more sophisticated and cheap, many counterfeiters easily copied products that are well-known and established. This also becomes a problem by Moto7 Distribution S/B to overcome as it has to compete with the original products and counterfeit products, hence making the market shares become much smaller.

The ways children and adults may respond to media content that Essay

The ways children and adults may respond to media content that contains explicit material - Essay Example These programs show objectionable and socially offending content including promiscuity, violence, drug abuse and occultism among others. This paper examines the complaints that objectionable media content has generated, emphasizing on critical analysis of the linkage between the contents and the objections raised by the society. Complaints to objectionable content Various media contents have generated negative criticism from the society. Some of the complaints originate from particular segments of the society while others elicit widespread criticism. In a research study investigating the reactions of the society to objectionable media content, Stephenson (2007) identified religion, race, and culture in addition to sexual orientation as the major factors determining how particular media content is received in the society. In American society, the minority groups have been raising concerns about how their image is portrayed in the media. In the movie industry for instance Adler, et al( 2007) noted that most African American males play violent and vulgar roles that portray them as hardcore criminals with an inclination of abusing hard drugs. In addition, many television programs focusing on black people portray the negative side such as poverty, crime and chronic disease infection in addition to broken and unhappy families. These programs have recently fallen under heavy criticism because they hardly show achievements or positive side of the black people in the community. The negative media publicity of the minorities, especially in developed countries has been attributed by Bushman and Cantor (2003) as the leading cause of reinforcing crime, drug abuse and other social problems, among the minority groups. In addition, they promote racial prejudice, where a particular race is regarded with scorn, suspicion and mistrust. Besides negative depiction of African Americans, portrayal of people from East Asian countries such as Japan and china in the media is equally bias ed compared to white actors. A study conducted by Stephenson (2007) established that most movies with male actors from oriental countries portray them as extremely violent and cold hearted with exemplary martial arts skills. Similarly, female actors from these countries are portrayed as delicate, weak and sexually attractive. This perception creates an impression that Asian females are incompatible with their violent, cold hearted and inhuman counterparts in romantic relationships. Sexually explicit and pornographic programs are some of the most heavily criticized media content in all segments of the society. In extremely conservative societies and religious groups, media programs that broadcast scanty dressing or behavior with sexual overtone are not allowed (Adler, et al 2007). Pornographic content is considered as the epitome of sexual immorality in most societies. Currently, restricting access to pornographic materials to the young people is among the top priorities in most coun tries. Sexually explicit media contents are attributed to promoting promiscuity and other adverse sexual behavior, such as pedophilia, rape and homosexuality. Effect of objectionable content on behavior High prevalence of violent crime, promiscuity, drug abuse and other social disorders have been credited to the negative influence of

Yusef Komunyakaa Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Yusef Komunyakaa - Research Paper Example His complex background and unique voice show the power of poetry. Throughout his many years at the craft he has risen to become one of the foremost writers of his age. But his work is far from laudatory. Komunyakaa explores many complex and painful chapters in American life, many reflected through his background. He is not afraid to celebrate what is good, but nor is he unwilling to explore what is darkest and saddest about America. Biography Komunyakaa was born in Louisiana in 1947 into a family that was recently from Africa (Cocola, 211). He joined the army when he was a young man and fought abroad. When he returned to the United States, he began writing poetry and publishing and teaching. Over the years, he has won numerous awards both in the U.S. and internationally. His work takes as one of its major themes the dislocations and traumas of African-American life. It uses many of the techniques of this more traditional style to great effect. From the beginning it was clear that Kom unyakaa was a wilful man who saw himself as different. His original birth-name was James Willie Brown, but he changed it to his grandfather's name when he was young (Pereira, 45). His grandfather had been a stowaway from Trinidad. The poet's experience in Vietnam as an American soldier inform many aspects of his work. The Vietnam War was a difficult time for America. It was a war far from home against a people that Americans knew little about. The draft forced many people who would not normally fight in wars to participate. Back home, protests and riots broke out and brother turned against brother. Civil strife was common. For Komunyakaa this experience was a galvanizing one. But he did not see it through the mainstream lens of White America. He is not like other soldiers as his relationship with his country is more complex due to his ethnicity. He did not feel the same in Vietnam as the other American soldiers; indeed, he felt somewhat at home in the alien land (Cocola, 215). Influ ences and dialogue among writers Yusef Komunyakaa has many influences. Jazz is a key one. In a sense, Komunyakaa sees in jazz the same improvisational and emotive capacity of poetry. He also sees jazz as highly dependent on the blues and other traditions (Komunyakaa and Clytus, 121). But he is more formal than many jazz practitioners. He takes as inspiration the work of the Harlem poet Langston Hughes and even a man as remote as T.S. Eliot. Clearly, his own father is an important influence. In his father, Komunyakaa sees just how far he has come and how much he has accomplished in his years on this planet. While he may occasionally criticize America, Komunyakaa clearly recognizes that only in this country can the son of an illiterate man become a world famous poet. My father could only sign His name, but he'd look at blueprints & say how many bricks Formed each wall. This beautiful ending of a poem shows how Komunyakaa sees his own poetry as a product of accumulation and hard work o ver the years. That no single poem or brick stands alone appears to be the lesson he has taken from his father. Like a cathedral starts with a single brick, so a poem starts with a single line. The poet understands that the line cannot be written without education, without literacy, and so he has sought these things out. Writing theories/ style and technique Komunyakaa's writing theories are at the core of his work. A great example is the poem â€Å"Facing It† is an extraordinary journey through war and memory, and is surely one of Komunyakaa's best. At the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, the poet recalls his own horrifying experiences and is overcome with emotion. He remembers his comrades who have died in the bloody fray and his own complex feelings about the war and his place

Sociology - Alleviate peverty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sociology - Alleviate peverty - Essay Example There are various reasons why the causes and remedies of social problems are disagreed by people around the globe. Firstly, people don't usually agree to one specific cause and solution because the problems which plague the society today have arisen due to a number of factors over a period of time and the remedial actions differ too, depending on the role people play in a society. For instance, if the case of poverty is taken up, some people may argue that the cause of it is unemployment, some people suggest that it is illiteracy, while the others maintain that it is due to inflation.From an individual point of view, it is also plausible that a person may not be exposed to the real and immediate causes of a social problem, like poverty whereas the government or organizations running in a country may have a bigger picture and statistics of the problem and its causes. Due to this, it is natural that disagreements may arise between, say, an ordinary individual and someone who is working for an organization that is functioning to alleviate poverty. Moreoever, the remedial action taken on an individual basis to reduce the level of poverty will be different from actions taken on a broader basis. An individual may think that donating or giving alms or charity may be a possible solution to the poverty related problems while the government will obviously go with the larger picture and open up more schools and businesses to reduce illiteracy and unemployment which also lead to poverty. Secondly, social problems that affect one side of the world may not be so big a problem on the other side. The problems of developed countries may certainly differ from the undeveloped countries and thus the people living in both countries will argue about the causes and solutions of a social problem, like drug abuse. In developed countries, where government has taken effective actions against drug abuse and smoking, people may think that strong marketing and advertising from the side of drug manufacturers is the cause of the problem. Infact, if the government has been very effective in its remedial actions, people in the country may not consider it as a social problem anymore whereas, people in undeveloped countries may consider it as a very fatal disease to their society and will argue relentlessly about its causes being illiteracy, lack of awareness, lack of restrictions on the part of government and easy availability and access to drugs. Thirdly, disagreements arise due to misunderstandings. Problems like poverty, unemployment and domestic violence are quite home issues and almost every individual has a defined opinion about their causes and solutions but problems like mental disorders and and issues of lone parents are not as common and people often tend to misundertsand the problems related to less common issues. In some societies, mentally challenged people are treated as outcasts and are banished from social gatherings and talks. Same goes for the case of lone parents, especially women. Societies often don't view single parents kindly and consider them as

Case study about UPS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Case study about UPS - Essay Example Companies are focusing on the distribution system for providing a sustainable growth for the firm by understanding the adverse effect of the different environmental factors involved with the system which contributes significantly to global warming (McKinnon et.al, 2010, p. 3). Understanding sustainability is the major issue in the modern trend of the business which is very well implemented by UPS in their business process. UPS believes its sustainability as the core driver of their business. It not just about their care towards the different processes but it is the major requirement for their sustainable growth. It is the commitment of the firm not only towards the customers but also towards the employees of the firm. It is believed to be their responsibility towards the planet earth along with the community on which the company operates their business (UPS-f, n.d.). Over the years UPS is constantly craving new ideas and programs for better sustainability efforts. The company consistently improved its business operations and invested in greener shipping projects and also into effective logistics system to serve more efficiently to the customers of the company. UPS donated huge time on training and development of its employees and tried to focus on providing opportunities to the people to match with the need of the organization and the community at the same time. The company incurred a huge investment of $325 million into the training program of which 54 % is concentrated towards the development of safety training for the logistic system. UPS promoted about 1,168 employees to the company management in the year 2010 for a strong building of the base for the company. The carbon neutral small package service from the company gives a great competitive advantage for the firm to differentiate its service from the other player of the market. UPS is also involved into donating $1 million towards the support program for the Haitian relief effort.

American Psycho,The Slumber Party Massacre,Office Killer and Sister My Movie Review

American Psycho,The Slumber Party Massacre,Office Killer and Sister My Sister - Movie Review Example During a crucial scene of the movie Bateman confesses before his lawyer that he is a â€Å"pretty sick guy† and in another scene, he tells, â€Å"I like to dissect girls. Did you know I’m utterly insane?† Bateman is helpless to backtrack from the path of insanity and the worst things are in store for him. He is to be pitied rather than condemned; the world he lives in is cruel to him. The unconcealed consumerism, the environment of racism in which he has been brought up, the double-faced society and people wearing masks and stay far away from the pursuit of truth, internal beauty crushed by mad race for physical beauty, and the world full of negativities viewed from all ends, what more is required to make the man crazy and turn insane? He wants to strike back at the society that has been cruel to him. The viewers must know the reasons that land him in the pitiable mental condition. The ground realities related to the materialistic civilization impacted by technol ogical growth, the internet revolution, and globalization, have engulfed the society in a big scale and Bateman is the casualty of such a rotten society. The setting of the book relates to the year 1989. But the film is set two years earlier, resulting in gross irregularities. There is a scene where Patrick reads the 1987 Zagat’s survey. The televised speech of President Ronald Regan is set in the final scene. The President, in fact, has demitted the office by the time the events in the novel take place. The film has a major problem from the point of view of the discerning audience. To understand the character of Detective Kimball, one needs to avail the services of another detective! His mindset and inclinations are tough to understand. Why he is doing, what he is doing? Perhaps the concerned detective can only answer this question. He is a three-dimensional character. Firstly, it appears that the detective is aware that Bateman has killed the character, Paul Allen. Secondly , an impression is gathered that the detective is unaware that Bateman has committed the murder. Thirdly, the detective is not sure whether Bateman is Allen’s murderer. To keep the audience in the stage of uncertainty is the deliberate plan of the director. Bateman is a directionless, destination less and is a deranged individual. In any crime-drama the protagonist cannot be a divine character, and â€Å"American Psycho†, is no exception to this trend in the American movies. Christian Bale as the Wall Street blue-eyed young man Patrick Bateman is un-Christian like in all his killings. He has some responsibility in his father’s company and his passion and aggrandizement for wealth are not out of the economic necessities. The murders committed by him are deliberate and intentional. His life is engulfed in enormous wealth and yet the impact of materialism is so heavy on his mindset, being mad after homicidal activities. One wonders whether this man’s soul is operated upon, removed from its place to transplant some satanic version there and most importantly what are the circumstances that drive him to such a hopeless position?

Photography Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Photography - Research Paper Example The first factor that was known by the historians was the effects of the light on the darker space that is opened through to a pin hole. Due to this, the invert picture of the object was formed placed in the lighted area on the floor of the darker space. In 1400, it was written in the papers that in order to make the inverted image clearer and vivid, a lens was used at the hole. The term used to describe this latest invention was â€Å"camera obscura† that was widely used by painters to draw the sketches using the same technique without drawing it from their own mind (Davenport 4). The item was projected on a paper from a dark box and the painter drew the outlines of that object. The other factor of the present day camera that was known during that times was the presence of the material that are likeable for the changes when came in contact with light. All these light sensitive chemicals were dealt for many centuries but there was no success to make a coat on the surface. However, it was very hard to place the both factor at one place. In 1800, there was an experiment conducted to make the pictures on the surface of paper which was coated with light sensitive material. The experiment was a success though, there were many logistic issues occurred that required possible solutions. The initial problem was to make the permanent image on the chemical coated surface. The issue was solved through daguerreotype picture that made a revolution across the globe and became global in 1839. Nevertheless, there were other problems still there that needed to be resolved. The daguerreotype picture did come on the paper but there was an immediate loss of the image when the chemical surface got damaged. Moreover, the time of exposure was very large as compared to normal portraiture that was in high demand. As the latest ideas were coming for the better future, people were working on the errors and malfunctions that occur during the process.

Managing Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Managing Decision Making - Essay Example They are also long term thinkers and like recognition for their achievement; in fact, they are considered thinkers instead of doers. Guardian decision makers apply a model of fairness, which a high consideration of preserving health and creating a balance in terms of organizational values. Guardian decision makers undertake a sound decision making process by making choices that are fact based and carefully planned (Sherman, 2013, 1). These decision makers focus on facilitating continuity through moderate caution; in fact, they gather relatively broad information (Oliver and Roos, 2005, 889). Therefore, guardian decision makers are analytical individuals since they use large volume of data, and exercises great care during the analysis; besides, they enjoy problem solving and they are motivated by challenges. Motivators are decision makers who are charismatic; in fact, they have ability to convince people regarding the need for an action. Moreover, they have ability to align different components of a company. They are considered good storytellers willing to risk their conviction about the story, despite countervailing facts (Sherman, 2013, 1). Motivators do not rely on information; in fact, they hold a strong conviction that self-interest prevails over corporate interest (Wilcox and Bourne, 2003, 806). They can be considered behavioural individuals, who are very persuasive, supportive, good communicators, with reliance on limited data for analysis. They are also motivated by peer acceptance and they are emotional. Flexible decision makers are versatile compared to other types of decision makers; in fact, they are open minded in adaptation to varying situations. They are willing to seek involvement of different opinions and ideas from other people. Flexible decision makers rely on ad hoc approaches instead of formal processes, and they are fairly cautious (Sherman, 2013, 1). However, they have a limitation of being very open-minded, which can

Nurses Irony Poem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nurses Irony Poem - Essay Example Now her nurse side plays its role and she starts to become more considerate towards the child and she starts waning away from her own child, these feeling are not coming in her as sympathy or empathy for the child but because of the irony that in spite of all the resources the child is so helpless, so alone, and at the same time so negligent to the world that the feeling towards him automatically arose in her and she finds herself in a very helpless situation, one side it's her mothers emotions that are playing the role and the other side her selfless and emotions that are developing for the child. Might be that's why she is a nurse or we can say she is destined to be a nurse, as she is ready to take any curse any punishment in order to occupy the position of the mother of the child and at the same time become indifferent towards her very own, she is being pulled from two directions but the thought of her own child, her very own self and the thought of any wrong is not enough for her being pulled from the selfless emotions being developed in her. This poem reflects the irony of a situation and the role of human behavior on it which in turn is not something static but is a part of slow and steady development process in which some initial years of his/her upbringing plays a pivotal role. The situation in which our character is can be utilized by anyone for his/her self benefit as the mother of child is totally ignorant towards the child and the father indifferent, but our character instead of waning away from the child has developed more affection towards him and up to the limit that she has started ignoring her very own child. So one can derivate from the above explanation that the behavior is more based on your societal interactions, and they play a very pivotal role in the

Structural approaches to systems of signification are rooted in linguistic theory Essay Example for Free

Structural approaches to systems of signification are rooted in linguistic theory Essay A general analysis of language assists in the deconstruction of meaning as it inscribes in different types of narratives (whether verbal or non-verbal). This analysis can be divided into 4 processes. The first process is the identification of sign systems used in particular social situations. The second process is the determination of body movements, sounds, or letters that individuals use to express the sign system. For example, when an individual refer to the term ‘funeral’, then all individuals in a particular social group must know the proper reference to a funeral. The fourth process is called social convention. Every individual in a community or group must agree on a common set of meanings for the sign system. The fifth process is the rate by which signs changes meaning. This phenomenon is common in Western societies where words and symbols often change as a response to social, economic, and political changes. One of the leading figures of semiotics is Roland Barthes who applied the structuralist linguist theory of Saussure to the study of mythology. His research paved the way for the development of a ‘contemporary mythology. ’ The findings were as follows: 1) The elements involved in narratives are often objects which assume meaning that transcends beyond their aesthetic and normative value. The development of this set of meanings is often expressed in the so-called ‘second level language’; 2) Barthes also identified the so-called ‘second order semiological system’, a sign system which enables people to communicate with each other; 3) An object assumes meaning when society attaches a particular value to a place, object, and entities. However, the significance of an object, idea or place may also be ambiguous and may assume a set of meanings that may be hard to deconstruct. The ability to deconstruct meaning depends on a number of factors: 1) the complexity of the social situation, 2) the relationships of the actors involved, 3) the complexity of the general sign system used, 4) the range of possibilities, and 5) the biases of the researcher. Deconstructing meaning is a process by which an individual attempts to relate one set of meaning to another in a particular situation; that is, the repercussions of motives and intentions are always embedded in behavioral orientation. 2) Language is a system of distinct signs which correspond to distinct ideas (Saussure 1966:16). Please explain the nature of sign according to Saussure’s theory of language. With the publication of the Course of General Linguistics, Ferdinand de Saussure established a formal theory of language. Some of the assumptions of his theory were as follows: 1) There is a distinction between language and parole (speech). According to Saussure, language is the system of symbols in which individuals communicate. Parole refers to actual utterances. Since individuals communicate in an infinite number of utterances, it is the symbolic system which is deemed more important. In providing distinction between uttering and language, one is also separating: a) what is social from what is individualistic, and b) what is essential from what is supplemental. Saussure likened this proposition to a chess game. The chess game has rules which define the overall essence of the game. Utterances are the actual moves of the players. The rules reflect the language used in the game; 2) Languages do not produce different versions of reality; they in fact produce different realities. According to Saussure, the differences in language reflect the general differences not only in the interpretation of what is real but also the notion of what ought to be real. In short, if a language does not have a word for ‘natural’ then individuals who use such language will in effect submerged in a world which is unnatural. Here, the term ‘natural’ is both ambiguous and vague because individuals have no common assumptions of what is ‘natural’; 3) Language is the means by which social meanings is communicated through the use of signs. A sign or a word defines the relationship between the assumed image of a set of sounds or signifiers and the actual image in an individual or group’s consciousness. A sign is a mediator between the assumed and the actual, between the real and the immaterial. According to Saussure, signs define the conceptual outlook of particular objects, entities, and even other ideas (Wittgenstein called this as referent idea). For example, the word ‘family’ describes both the ideal notion of a ‘family’ and the actual image of a family (reality). In short, a sign define the ideal and realistic boundary of specific ideas, objects, and entities. The bond, however, between the signifier and the signified is both arbitrary and necessary. The principle of arbitrariness is predominant when all ideas about the boundary of language are assumed to be in unity. Here, language is assumed to be a matter of social convention; that is, a general creation of collective consciousness. Hence, the set of signifiers (signs) becomes a means to describe and define the image of an object, idea, or entity. Signs become, as what philosophers of language called, an ‘arbitrary assumption of events’ – events which are either singular or plural in orientation. Signs therefore are subject to social change – as actors periodically change the meaning and application of signs in a sign system. In some cases, the change is radical that the original symbolic meanings are radically altered. Here, the signs remained intact, but the associated meaning greatly changed. This radical change is though not separated from changes that occur in a larger social environment, for it is the social environment which is the initial source of change. Saussure defined language as both a ‘social phenomenon’ and a ‘psychological phenomenon. ’ It is a social phenomenon because the significance of signs is dependent on social context or milieu. Social context here refers to a state of perpetual change in language over time. In fact, Saussure argued that all languages are equal in complexity. This assumption may be ambitious, but it has not without basis. Languages change because the social contexts to which they are located also change. A good example of language change is the creation of new words in many of the leading world’s languages. This process of language ramification is perhaps due to the rapidly increasing communication among individuals, groups, and institutions. However, much of the newly created words are ambiguous and vague in form. Many individuals either attach multiple meanings to a word or simply fail to attach a clear cut meaning to such word. 3) Debord states: ` an earlier stage in the economy’s domination of social life entailed an obvious downgrading of being into having that left its stamp on all human behaviour. The present stage, which social life is completely taken over by the accumulated products of the economy, entails a generalised shift from having to appearing: all effective `having` must now derive both its immediate prestige and its ultimate raison dentre from appearances` (Debord 1994:16). Explain in your own words Debord’s analysis of the society of the spectacle. Much of Debord’s ideas of the society of the spectacle were derived from Marxian theory. According to Marxian theory: 1) Society is divided into two structures: the superstructure and the substructure. The superstructure is the set of institutions functioning in the society. The substructure is the economic system utilized by the society. There is a dialectic relationship between these two structures. Initially, the substructure influences the creation of the superstructure. The economic system determines the type of institutions that will be developed in the society. The superstructure then either reinforces or alters the substructure, depending on the needs of the society; 2) The behavior of human wants is always conspicuous. Every individual desires not only the basic needs of life but also the ideal notion of fruitful living. Here, Marxian theory suggests that human want is both arbitrary and unlimited. Individuals will strive to attain what is socially acceptable and what is necessary. Consumption is a means to ‘show’ that these ends are met (echoes Veblen’s idea on conspicuous consumption). Individuals therefore, disregarding the efficacy of moderation, engages in subtle confrontation with the sources of frustration. The end: the individual becomes more and more attuned to the affairs of the market, and subject to the whims of the ruling class – whom unconsciously is fueling individual frustration to obtain higher market value for their products. Debord expounded on the development of a modern society in which genuine social life has been displaced with its representation – that is, its image. Debord argues that the history and essence of social life can be understood as the ‘decline of being into having, and having into merely appearing. ’ Debord notes that this condition of human life is the event in which commodity completely colonized the virtue of social life – an unconscious process of colonization of the ideal notion of life. The term ‘spectacle’ connotes a social system characterized by the affluence of advance capitalism, the mass media, and capitalist led governments. The spectacle is the general opposite image of society in which the relationship between commodities have, in general, displaced the relationships between people. The worship of the commodity becomes not just a rule but the aspiration of social life. In the society of the spectacle, the quality of life is poor, human perceptions greatly altered by both the market and mass media, and a general degradation of genuine knowledge. Knowledge becomes a tool for distorting reality – obstructing the true essence of the past, and promising a bright future of mass consumption and happiness. Here, individuals becomes attune to the calls of the promise and prevent themselves from realizing that such ‘spectacle’ is only illusory – that the society of spectacle is only a moment in history which can be overturned by collective action. The responsibility therefore of the ‘drugged’ individual is to free himself from the chains of spectacular images through radical action. This radical action will restore the beauty and essence of social life – life defined not by the relations between commodities but by the relations between individuals. 4) Basing yourself on first Levi-Strauss and then Barthess analyses, describe how myths function as types of narratives that carry a message. Levi-Strauss applied the structural linguistics of Saussure to the analysis of family. Traditionally, the family is seen as the fundamental object of analysis and as a self-contained unit consisting typically of a husband, wife, and children (offspring). Levi-Strauss argued that families only acquire determinate identities through relations among units. Levi-Strauss fundamentally altered the classical view of anthropology, putting the secondary family members first and analyzing the relationships among units instead of the units themselves. Levi-Strauss’ application of structural linguistics is also evident in his work Mythologiques, a series of work on myths and legends. According to Levi-Strauss, myths are a type of speech in which a symbolic system could be discovered. This theory attempted to explain the similarities of myths across cultures. Levi-Strauss argued that there is no such thing as ‘singular authentic version of a myth’ rather a general manifestation of the same language. In order to understand this language, the fundamental units of myth, the mytheme, must be examined. To find the mythemes, Levi-Strauss deconstructed each version of a myth into a set of sentences, consisting generally of a relation between a function and a subject. Sentences with the same function and subject were given the same number. Both Levi-Strauss and Barthess analysis of myths revealed striking results. First, the coagulation of myths is a message of a common language. Second, the myth itself not only expressed social, economic, and political values, but also the means in which people throughout the ages communicate. Third, binary opposition is a common characteristic of language – that is, people communicate through binary opposites. And lastly, myths function as a kind of lingual illusion which drives individual to act on the basis of the myth itself (the myth is a self-sufficient source of action). Here, the degree of which an individual communicates the myth to another individual is related to the preponderance of a myth. Hence, the survival of a myth depends on the way and degree to which it is communicated.

Peer Editing Assignment Essay Example for Free

Peer Editing Assignment Essay The world we live in today is troubled one. The contradiction people face is that while some people sit in the lap of luxury and drive hundred thousand dollar cars there are others who are forced to take the bus to work. There are individuals who cannot afford healthcare who are generally those getting sick on a continual basis. There are definitely some aspects of our daily living that simply can’t be changed, but there is always room for change and it is apparent that this change is in demand. There are large populations of people in the world who die every year from health related problems, than those involved in violent deaths. Diseases like cancer and heart attacks are the number one global killers. A cure for genetic diseases through genetic research are quite possibly the answers to a world of questions. It is important to realize that genetics is one of the broadest subjects as it covers a plethora of areas such as disease, disability, geographical relations, ethic ramifications and ancestry to name a few. The answers to the variety of genetic malfunctions and other questions lie in the group of scientists and genetic engineers who explore the symptoms, as well as the cures, for so many ailments in the final goal of living in a disease free world where fear of death by an invisible killer is vastly unknown as â€Å"bioengineering is a field with such staggering potential for good† (Parker 68). The purpose of this essay is to shed light on some of the more unknown aspects of this area of research through the exploration of the history of genetics, what our current needs are and work that is currently being done, along with where genetics focuses toward the future of genetic technology in an attempt to prove that genetic research is essential to our society. Genetics is not a new area of research but has been around long before research into DNA ever began. When the creation of the first cells through the adaptation of cell mutation, genetic mixing can be traced back to the time of the dinosaur. One of the most obvious animals to win the fight in genetics is the giraffe. When you look at a giraffe and its long neck, it is important to realize that at one time, the giraffe was thought to have looked more like a horse. Both animals have similar bone structure even down to the hooves. But, as time went on and trees first sprouted along the landscape it was easy for the giraffe to get fed as the food source, at the time, was at eye level and close to the ground; then, as trees got taller over the centuries the giraffe needed to adapt in order to survive. Giraffes would therefore spend much of their energy stretching their necks toward the sky in order to reach the branches of the trees thus forcing a genetic mutation. As their bones and muscles stretched so did the size of their offspring thus leading to the birth of giraffes that were born with longer necks. Over the centuries these animals have grown to have the longest neck relative to their size. The brontosaurus may have evolved in a similar fashion but all life was brought to a screeching halt when the dinosaurs were extinct. As we have become a more civilized society and exploring science we have discovered the existence of genetics. Modern genetics has always known for a long time that was some blueprint that all animals of similar species have in common. The first documentation of genetics was centuries ago when a scientist experimenting with plants desired certain effects which were documented through the affects of different plants with others by mixing the seeds. This is also the first known documentation of gene splicing. Scientists interested in genetics as well as an amateur botanist, had developed ways of predicting the offspring given the dominant and recessive traits of the donor parents in a system called a Punnett Square. Since that time we have come a great distance, but the science was still primitive until some scientists discovered and laid the foundation of entire science. With discovery of the Double Helix, the structure of DNA by Watson and Crick the world was changed forever. James D. Watson was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois and was accepted to the University of Chicago at the age of 15 where he completed his Bachelor’s in Zoology, then continued on to the University of Indiana and received his PhD in 1950 in Zoology. Shortly after starting at Cambridge, Watson met Crick who shared his passion for the DNA structure mystery. In March, 1953 with a higher appreciation of the nucleic acid literature, his work resulted in the proposal and discovery of the double-helical configuration and publishing several papers on the topic. Watson and Crick worked on discovering the construction of DNA after several failed trial and error attempts, they succeeded and on February 28, 1953. Looking ahead, in 1992, Watson left to work for the Cold Springs Harbor Research Facility where he is currently sitting as President. The momentous discovery of DNA has created entire industries which has impacted mankind tremendously. Rewarded for their hard work in 1962 Watson, Crick, and Wilkins shared the Noble Prize in Medicine. The human body is an amazing structure with many cells all containing DNA strands with literally millions of strands of DNA making up the human body. More than fifty years after its initial discovery, the entire code has still not been deciphered; if you were to print the code in books and try to read it you would not be able to finish it in your lifetime. In the last several years research and development of genetic engineering has evolved ten times over. It is only recently that we have been able to prove some of Einstein’s theories this long after his death and I fear it will be many more before genetics and its possibilities is truly understood. Genetics in the last several years has gone into dangerous territories with studies in gene splicing and stem cell testing. Stem Cells are the most basic form of human life. Cells taken from ertilized embryos are cells that have not been assigned a specific task yet and whether they are to be heart cells, skin cells, or even hair cells. It is the hope of scientists that with stem cells can improve the quality of life through curing cancer and many other life ending and life changing diseases. Through the engineering of stem cells it is hoped that they can replace dead and damaged cells, for example, in someone’s legs thus helping them to walk again. Last year the boldest operation to date took place which saw stem cells help create and repair the diseased heart of a man. The stem cells replaced cells ravaged by disease removed by the doctors. This procedure, however, did come at a cost. The current government feels that using stem cells is unethical as they are life and harvesting the cells from embryos thus in turn killing them is not right. This all really needs to be taken into context and look at the balance scale; in one hand a father, husband, friend, coworker who never asked for a thing in his life except for the love of his family, and in the other, a cell that nobody knows and may not even make it to birth. The logical choice would be to look at the man as the gauging factor in saving his life. With the current policy and laws in place by our current conservative government would see the man who would choose to have a hospital in France perform a heart transplant harvested through stem cell growth instead of on his native soil and now that he has an illegally grown heart he can never set foot in America again or face the possibility of prosecution. When most people are faced with this type of choice, most wouldn’t want to live in a country that denies this possibility. Besides, our constitution states that â€Å"all men [women and child] are guaranteed life liberty and the pursuit of happiness†; (United States Constitution) but perhaps only when it is convenient. With regulation governing research it has been difficult to do studies in America thus forcing companies and scientists to seek refuge in other nations. This causes a major problem as US based companies are worried it is too high a risk to invest in and fund research of this kind. These scientists live on systematic research grants to continue their work. After these new laws were put in place only several years ago many companies went out of business because they lost funding (Technology Review 47). It is troubling that a nation founded on new ideas would ban such research but it all has to do with where the votes in congress are. Stem cell research is not all encompassing of what genetics is as the work in genetics is helping people born with disabilities. Through better understanding our bodies can better cures be found. People born with certain disabilities can usually trace these back to other members of their family. In a recent study more than 30% of mentally Ill patients in psychiatric care have heredity connections and other member of their family suffer from similar symptoms. Genetics, at its roots, is the study of possibilities: who we are and how we got here. Scientists don’t believe we just appeared like this centuries ago; we evolved, adapted and grew from a lesser species. Take a look at yourself in the mirror and you will see some of your family features; not just your parents, but your grandparents as well. For instance, I have my father’s hair and my mother’s eyes, but my grandfather’s nose as ‘we are our father’s sons’, as they say, and look as well as act like them. The use of genetics is not limited to the medical field as in recent years genetics and DNA have played a major part in law enforcement and has led to the apprehension of many criminals. While fingerprints can be smudged and unclear DNA is definitive, no two people in the world have the same DNA not even twins. Using DNA is essential to putting suspects behind bars: a hair, skin epithelials and bodily fluids all contain DNA and all can be used as evidence. Even old cases gone unsolved have been reopened using new technology to get a conviction. Some research organizations are government funded through doing research for defense and government funded programs paid for by our tax dollars. Then there is the private sector, which is the most driven. It would be of great importance to have systematic research grants and giving more of them to our scientists who are working on genetics and stem cell research. In a world where more money is spent researching breast augmentation surgery then life saving genetics, once again, he who has the gold makes the rules. More importantly, if there was as much money in curing cancer as there is spent in creating cosmetic surgery procedures and Viagra, we would have cured this disease a decade ago. Only the future will tell what is to be discovered. It is essential that we keep working to provide resources in funding, legal and administrative areas to keep the discoveries coming. Maybe soon we will not be at risk for any disease or ailments and maybe one day we’ll find a cure for the common cold but probably not in my lifetime.

Commentary for leaflet

Commentary for leaflet My elective was youth justice, within this elective I have chosen the topic of youth crime prevention. The preventative service I am communicating to service users in my leaflet is street-based youth work, this links into risk aspect of the whole family teaching.  Ã‚   The audience that my leaflet is aimed at is 13 to 17 year olds who are socially excluded and are at risk of offending and turning to crime. My audience are also difficult to reach through other services and agencies. My leaflet is advertising a preventative street based service for young people. The purpose is to draw in young people and offer them interesting and alternative interactive and challenging options so that they turn away from involvement in crime. This service is an effective way of youth workers building a rapport especially with young people who do not use centres and have not been previously reached by other means of youth prevention. Government guidance has given me insight and understanding into the links between street based youth work with crime prevention. Government guidance, Transforming Youth Work: Resourcing Excellent Youth Services (2002) has identified that youth work is a key aspect to prevention of crime. The guidance sets out that a contribution of youth service is tackling anti-social behaviour and crime. (pg4). Emphasis is placed on working with young people who may pose a risk of committing anti-social behaviour. The reason I chose this particular focus is that it is a preventative service already offered to young people in hopes of reducing crime, yet it is not as recognised and I feel that it can be an effective method where harder to reach risk groups can involved. Research was published by Joseph Rowntree foundation on the role of street-based youth work in linking socially excluded young people into education, training and work. Crimmins et al (2004) found that street based youth work had been successful in reaching and working with large numbers of the most socially excluded young people (pg 1, Crimmins 2004) The Youth Action Plan was a plan that looks at tackling youth crime. On discussion of prevention, the Youth Action plan recognises focus needs to be given to a smaller minority and to early identification.   Part of the prevention is to tackle unemployment, increasing opportunitiesin a much more targeted and individual way (Youth Action Plan, 2008, pg 1) as part of tackling youth crime, street based teams of youth workers will be in place to tackle groups of young people involved in crime and disorder (Youth Action Plan, 2008pg 7) Street based youth work, promotes development, especially social development. It is designed to be inclusive, empowering and needs led. It can be broken into three separate distinct branches these being mobile, outreach and detached youth work. My leaflet is promoting mobile and detached work. In the leaflet my focus is on activities that we provide as a service as well as opportunities that can be followed, for example, training, education, etc. This is to encourage young people to approach our mobile unit and this is where further work would be undertaken. By advertising potential benefits for young people when they work with street based youth workers, like activities, for example, DJing, sports, bowling, is ensuring that hard to reach youths are also interested. As a result of this, the content of the leaflet is an explanation of what we do, why we do it and examples of what has been provided in the past. The designs is very contemporary and is designed to attract the eye of a young person so they may find it interesting enough to pick up, this is why I have incorporated bright colours with graffiti style writing and pictures to grab attention and attract the reader to reading the leaflet. I chose a leaflet designs that folds in 3 times again as a means to attract and draw the reader in by the cover. The leaflet is also directing the reader to a group on face book and videos on YouTube. These are two known applications that young people use. This was confirmed by the young people I piloted my leaflet to. There are various literatures that relate to prevention of youth crimes and risk of turning to crime. J Margo (2008) explains three different levels of prevention in offending. The secondary level is relevant to my leaflet. The secondary level is more specific and is aimed at target groups who present risk factors. The approach looks at different stages and looks at those who have offended and those who are likely to offend. Street based youth work is a preventive scheme which targets risk groups in who are hard to reach through other agencies. Risk taking is recognised as part of our development, and to take positive and negative risk is very much part of this human development. Sharland (2006, pg 254) argues there has been evidence that presents the nature and success of the transition to adulthood are much influenced by class, culture, material and social resources. As a result of these influences those less privileged struggle harder, are more exposed to risk and more likely to take it. This is that there are structural disadvantages that lead people to take risks and lack of community resources that can be a factor that leads young people to turn to crime. These disadvantages can be related to lack of parents employment, educational qualifications, poor parenting, etc. These pre-existing factors can have an impact on young people and as a result young people with these structural disadvantages are at a risk of turning to crime.( White and Cuneen (as cited in Youth Crime and Justice) 2006 ) Issues of social exclusion of young people is relevant to why youth crime takes place, this exclusion is linked also to marginalisation and disempowerment. As a result of risk factors discussed, young people can be at the risk of being marginalised due to their parents status in the community, this being for example, and lack of employment. As a result young people may feel disempowered and as a result turn towards crime. (Youth Justice Board, 2001) To inform me on the leaflet I piloted my completed leaflet to a group of seven teenagers these included family members and friends in the age range of 13 to 17. In doing so, I collected feedback which led me to make adjustments. In the draft, It was reported that the colours used were too bright, there was too much information and not enough pictures. The final draft was piloted and positive response was seen. I have also looked to sources from the internet and other similar services to be able to guide my direction with the leaflet. A source that informed my leaflet greatly was information from a street based service that is provided by Derbyshire Youth Service. This guided my understanding of street-based youth work and explored the idea of reaching risk groups. Derbyshire Youth service, see street based youth work as having a preventative purpose but recognises young people and encourages them to get involved. The activities that are offered has given me an insight into the content of my leaflet and what activities I could offer. When examining my leaflet in retrospect I found some positive and negative points. The content in my leaflet is very basic and easy to read and understand. This is deliberate, as pointed out when piloted. It is designed this way to ensure that those reading will be able to read the whole leaflet without losing interest and it is also supposed to encourage young people to want to seek further information. However, this could also have a negative impact. The basic information could attract the youngest of my target group but may isolate the eldest, as they may prefer more depth and detail. I have also found that in retrospect the colours and background art used may overload the reader and may be off putting when trying to read the content. In designing this leaflet, there were issues that had an impact on what was included. Due to the restriction in space, all information could not be fitted in. As a result of restriction, there was not a possibility to aim the leaflet and individual from different diverse backgrounds, this is the reason I attempted to keep the leaflet neutral as possible. Within my target audience, there can various sub audiences identified, for example, class, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, disability and gender. These social groups are also significant when designing a leaflet and each group has issues that need to be addressed and affect a service however due to space constrictions, it was impossible to address these individually. In my leaflet, I was aware of these issues indirectly and kept them in mind when designing the leaflet and content. Overall, I feel that my leaflet will reach my target audience and will attract them to involvement with street based youth workers.

Dyslexia Essay -- Learning Disabilities Dyslexic Essays Papers

Dyslexia Growing, developing and learning are the facts of life for all children. Each day children are faced with many new concepts and various challenges. Can you imagine how it feels for a child to face not only new challenges life has, but to face these challenges while living with a learning disability? These challenges are met not just when they begin school either. Students suffer from learning disabilities from the moment they begin learning, not when they start school. Learning disabilities are real and they affect millions of people. â€Å"One such disability that affects over approximately 15 percent of the total American population is dyslexia† ( Nosek 5).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We will discuss the following issues and areas surrounding dyslexia: What is dyslexia? Causes of dyslexia. Two different terms to describe dyslexia. Characteristics of someone with dyslexia. The learning process. Three areas that are affected by the disability. Focusing and behavior. Misconceptions about dyslexia. Seeking help through organizations. What exactly is dyslexia? â€Å"The word dyslexia is derived from the Greek â€Å"dys† meaning poor or inadequate and â€Å"lexis† meaning language. Dyslexia is a learning disability characterized by problems in expressive or receptive, oral or written language†(Wilkins URL). Simply put, dyslexia means trouble with reading, writing, and spelling. Dyslexia is not stupidity, laziness, lack of interest, or anything to be ashamed of. Dyslexia is not a disease; it has no cure and it will not go away. It knows no age, gender, or class boundaries. â€Å"There is a significant disproportion between the sexes, however. The proportions of male to female dyslexics are 3 to 1. Dyslexia can also be compared to amnesia because it is selective† (Bakker 23). Some experts use the term specific learning disability instead of dyslexia† Despite much research, nobody knows what causes dyslexia. Current research is focused on such possible causes as genetics, physiology, biochemistry, and structural changes in the brain. â€Å"There are theories that something is wrong with the brain or that certain chemicals are missing. One of the most popular theory is that dyslexia is a structural defect in the brain which involves the central nervous system† (Irlen 98). Numerous studies have been done throughout the years. â€Å"In 1907, the idea was first expressed that the genetic fac... ...start to cry. -David Artuso People can learn to cope and adjust to dyslexia by using different avenues, just the same as a blind person learns to survive in his environment. â€Å"Dyslexics have to work with and around their condition, not dream of getting over it† (Hurfort 33). Dyslexia is a condition that requires change in the person’s everyday life, not just in reading and writing, in order to perform well in society. Once a dyslexic adapts, according to his or her needs, that person can do anything a non-dyslexic person can do. Works Cited Bakker, D.J. Developmental Dyslexia and Learning Disorders. Germany: Karger Publishing, 1987. Grolier’s Encyclopedia New York: Macmillan Education Company 1994 Hurford, Daphne. To Read or Not to Read. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1998. Irlen, Helen. Reading By the Colors. New York: Avery Publishing Group, 1991. Nosek, Kathleen. The Dyslexic Scholar, Helping Your Child Succeed in the School System. Texas: Taylor Publishing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Company, 1995. Savage, John. Understanding Reading Problems. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1985. Wilkins, Angela. What is Dyslexia? http://www.interdys.org/about_dy.stm. May 15, 1999.

Use of Imagery in Chopin’s The Awakening Essay -- Chopin Awakening

Use of Imagery in Chopin’s The Awakening Several passages in The Awakening struck me because of their similar imagery—a bird, wings, and nudity. The first passage I looked at is in Chapter 9 where Edna Pontellier has a vision of a naked man â€Å"standing beside a desolate rock† (47) on a beach who is watching a bird fly away. This image was evoked by a one particular piece that Mme Ratignolle plays which Edna significantly calls â€Å"Solitude. † Apparently Edna frequently envisions certain images while listening to music: â€Å"Musical strains, well rendered, had a way of evoking pictures in her mind† (47). Listening to this piece Edna envisions a solitary, naked man with an â€Å"attitude [†¦] of hopeless resignation† (47). This scene presents solitude in many different ways. The figure standing alone and naked near the â€Å"desolate rock† illustrates the mood of solitude and resignation. I was reminded of that scene at the end of the novel in chapter 39 where we find a description of a very similar situation. Now it is Edna Pontellier herself standing alone on the beach at Grand Isle. She takes ...

The Role of Educational Institutions in New Business Trends Essay

Jon-Arild Johannessen, a professor of Management and Innovation at Harstad University and Bjà ¸rn Olsen, a professor of Management and Organizational Behaviour at Bodà ¸ Graduate School of Business, Norway (2010) asserted â€Å"with this economic landscape, knowledge itself became a key factor of production—specifically, knowledge related to identifying and exploiting new ways to establish temporary competitive advantage† (p. 502). However, consider today’s company that conducts and performs business in a global level. Under globalization the environment also creates a higher level of competition in business. Therefore, how such a company enable itself to win in at business in the global game. A company needs accurate information for analyzing and evaluating business trends and the competitive environment in such markets for producing the right decision. Meanwhile, such a company needs talents who obtain leadership skills to play the role of decision-making. A s a result, educational institutions may need to prepare graduates to be able to use information effectively relevant to business strategy. Accordingly, these new business trends would affect a company’s strategy in human resources management, especially in the area of staffing. Because the new business strategy requires the use of these elements for achieving results, such as information, knowledge, and competence combined with technology, which focuses on the customer (customer centric) (Johannessen & Olsen, 2010). Meanwhile, the new business strategy would require certain personal talents as a leadership to use those elements to perform corporate tasks. Consider the elements of the new business trends that function as the business process, which identifies talents in using an in... ...alents to be ready for business practices. Works Cited Badke, W. (2009). How we failed the net generation. Online, 33(4), pp. 47-49. Retrieved from EBSCOhost database. doi: 2010356030 Johannessen, J., & Olsen, B. (2010). The future of value creation and innovation: Aspacts of a theory of value creation and innovation in a global knowledge economy. International Journal of Information Management, 30(6), pp. 502-511. Retrieved from Science Direct database. doi: 10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2010.03.007 Rusell, P. (2009). Why universities need information literacy now more than ever. Feliciter, 55(3), pp. 92-94. Retrieved from EBSCOhost database. doi: 41553415 Turusheva, L. (2009). Students’ information competence and its importance for life-long education. Problem of Education in the 21st Century, 12, pp. 126-132. Retrieved from EBSCOhost database. doi: 42742862

Thomas Hobbes Essay

The philosophy of Thomas Hobbes, especially that of his major work, Leviathan, is designed to understand the motives of human nature and, from these, seek the surest way to civil peace. This is one of the earliest examples of a â€Å"scientific† method of understanding political science in that the commonwealth was to be built on a handful of axioms, all deriving from what Hobbes considered facts of human nature (cf. Matthews, 118). The nature of these axioms leading to civil peace is the purpose of this present essay. The primary understanding of human nature that, if applied properly, would lead to social peace is that human beings desire power. This is nearly identical to Machiavelli’s approach to politics. It seems that in both Hobbes and Machiavelli, human beings desire power, and hence, develop â€Å"moral† systems that justify the present holding or seeking of power (Morgan, 528-530, and 581-582). But the nature of this axiom is that people are naturally programmed to seek power and no matter of moral suasion will stop this. Hobbes wants to begin from a single concept and build upon it rather than attempt to suppress it, since any attempt at suppression itself proves the axiom correct. If human nature is taken seriously rather than covered over with metaphysical theories, then peace might be the consequent: human beings must be taken as they are, not as one might want them to be. If the above axiom is true, that is, people desire power, than many other axioms follow from it. The first axiom that follows from the first is that reason is a slave to the passions (Morgan, 641). Reason, in other words, cannot provide ends, but merely means, and significantly, justifications after the fact. Appealing to reason is hence, not appropriate with such a view of humanity, and only the appeal to passion will work here. Passion is nothing that can be suppressed, but it can be controlled. Passion is the engine of human nature in a similar sense that hunks of matter in a vacuum will continue in constant morion unless acted upon by another force. This is an exact parallel to Hobbes here, and the only opposing force to passionate human motion is other human beings, and hence, the problem: humans are constantly, following from this, in a state of war. What makes this state of war particularly harsh is that the abilities of human beings as individuals, or organizing into groups, are roughly equal (Morgan, 591). This means that the war of all against all will continue constantly, with no clear winner. Any â€Å"winner† will be only a temporary winner, and will soon be dethroned by another faction. The fact of equality is not something here taken from observation, but from a deduction from â€Å"atomic† theory (or at least, the theories of matter current at the time), where atoms, in their basic structure, are all the same. Matter is matter, energy is energy, humans are humans. From the above, it follows that human beings are determined. Free will, to an extent, is rejected in Hobbes. For him, liberty is the ability to do what one wills without outside opposition (Morgan, 621). This is consistent with determinism in that the will must have a reason, that is, a cause, for having the desire it has and bringing it to fruition. Hence, man is determined, but since he does what he wants, he is thus free. This just underscores the fact that reason is impotent to being about peace, only the passions can be appealed to in that the constant clashing of wills and the frustration of one’s freedom as Hobbes describes it is constant warfare. From the above, Hobbes deduces that humanity is egocentric, power hungry and willful, and as a result, without some countervailing power, is in a constant state of warfare. The nature of this countervailing power is the real centerpiece of the Leviathan. The general point is that if humanity can be reduced to a few, simple, clear axioms that follow logically from one another, as any good scientific theory should do, then the state, the countervailing power that keeps these human â€Å"atoms† in line relative to one another, should also be simple, unified and follow logically from the axioms about human nature. Hence, Hobbes is seeking to be completely scientific and a â€Å"realist† about both humanity and the state that they will live under in order to reach peace. At this point in the logical progression, it seems impossible to live in a state of peace. Human beings are depicted as lustful, egocentric and equal beings constantly in a state of motion and hence, clashing with all other peoples, essentially hunks of matter in motion, connected to an almost arbitrary engine of passion. But it is the Leviathan that will bring this peace, and it is passion that it will use to justify itself and bring peace to the commonwealth. Hobbes describes humanity prior to all law and custom, that is, the â€Å"law of nature. † The primary motive force of humanity is power, considered generally. But if warfare is a constant feature of the â€Å"state of nature,† then the drive for power for each and all is constantly being frustrated. It seems logical to hold that eventually, these egocentric people will constantly see their designs thwarted and their purposes constantly harmed y others. From this, all those that seek power, that is, everyone, will be forced to come to some agreement, a â€Å"covenant† among themselves that will provide a measure of peace so that the power struggle can continue in more peaceful channels. This is the nature of the covenant (Morgan, 594). This agreement comes not about through reason, but through the constant frustration of passion. Reason is a means to an end, and power is always that end. But power cannot be had in the state of nature given its constantly shifting nature, and therefore, reason then acts as a slave to passion and demands some kind of agreement, a contract that will bring peace. The nature of this covenant must follow from the facts of human nature outlined above. Hence, it cannot really be a parliamentary democracy because that merely leaves the state of nature intact, one faction constantly unseating another, leading to the same chaos as before. The kind of state that is agreed upon is basically a dictatorship of a party that must act equally between individuals and factions within the society. All power is hence transferred to the state, the dictatorship, and in return, this power is used to keep the warring factions from destroying each other. The only real demand laid on the state is that of objectivity in judging among the factions, and hence, the state must ultimately be a monarchy (of sorts), equidistant from all centers of power in society and hence, able to judge among them fairly (Morgan, 613). Putting this differently, if power is the desire of all individuals and factions, then it follows that the state exists solely for security (Morgan, 606). If humanity is described in axiomatic terms all following one from another, and the state is itself part of this logical progression, then it also follows that the nature of the state’s action also must follow from the above. This means that the state is unitary, dedicated to one purpose and based on a rule of law that is simple and dedicated entirely to security and, according to the contract, treats all individuals and factions as morally equal to one another (Morgan, 641). The logical structure of the Leviathan comes down to working out contradictions in the axiomatic description of human beings. If human beings desire power and cannot get it in the state of nature, then a powerful state must be crated that permits humanity to live and seek after power through peaceful means. But since no faction will permit one group to rule at the expense of all others, the state must be single, focused and based on an agreed upon set of laws (a â€Å"constitution†) that enshrines this concept of political equality. Only then can all factions agree to give up their violent ways to the central authority. Since human beings are egocentric and passionate, the state based on the rule of law agreed to by all factions beforehand follows logically. The terms â€Å"peace† and â€Å"justice† are used here in highly technical and scientific ways that part radically with previous attempts to define and justify these words. Peace, according to Hobbes, is merely the absence of war (Morgan, 592). It simply is a state of affairs that permits power hungry individuals to pursue their designs in a peaceful manner. Any breach of this peace will, ideally, lead to swift and harsh action from the state that they have empowered to keep watch over their actions. Justice is similar in that it is based on knowledge. The early parts of the Leviathan are based on a scientific method, a means of coming to know human nature as generally and simply as possible. Justice just flows from this. Ultimately, justice derives from science, which is the knowledge of good and evil (Morgan, 603). In practice, this merely means that humans are attracted by the same set of things, and recoil from the same set of things. If power and what it implies are seen in the former, then the frustration of their liberty (as defined above) is what repels them. This knowledge alone allows one to see the basis and ultimate justice of the state. Hence, justice is defined accordingly, as the ability of the person, or, at last, the state, to control the passions of the population when they threaten to disrupt the precarious balance of peace in the commonwealth (Morgan, 599-600). But this is understood by all who are punished by the state in that they have agreed to this on the basis that their own liberty is endlessly obstructed by others in the state of nature. But, as a final thought, this is the very nature of one’s civic duty–to eliminate all private desires and to follow the laws as laid down by the sovereign and agreed upon by those who have demanded these laws (Morgan, 610-611). Duty is not something that is arrived at through reason, but through the passionate desire for power. It is frustrated in the state of nature, but permitted to function freely under the rule of law. There is no â€Å"thick† view of civic duty here, but rather, the control over one’s passions in the interest of those same passions, to permit them to develop in peace. The desire for peace derives from the identical desire for power, except that this desire is frustrated in a state of war. This is what makes Hobbes compelling: the approach to politics could not be simpler. The concept of civic duty is summed up by Hobbes as the act of giving up â€Å"governing oneself† (Morgan, 608), and permitting the more violent elements of one’s passion to be governed by the state only. What is left to the person is the peaceful pursuit of his passionate desires. Politically speaking, the commonwealth is that entity that exists for the sake of peace and security by the efficient control of the private desires of the people involved. In its place, the public will as expressed by the laws of the sovereign so far as they do not violate the very simple terms of the contract. In conclusion, the nature of peace and civic duty for Hobbes are two sides of the same coin. The public persona of the person in the commonwealth is as a public entity, a person dedicated to civic peace and dedicated to the elimination of all personal desires relative to other members of the community. The final end, according to Hobbes’ own description is the pursuit of power by peaceful means, engaging in commerce, etc. The sovereign is the public persona and serves to maintain this persona within the personalities of all involved.

Concept Application Project Essay

end-to-end the semester I stand explored many topics in sociology. While exploring these topics, three main metaphysical thoughts were used. I testament briefly deck each of the main speculative places of functionalism, departure theory, and imageic Interactionism. During this semester I go for watched twain look ats, pabulum Incorporated and The Vernon magic tricks Story. I will absorb how a theoretical perspective is used in each of these physical exertions. past I will provide my de hold waterr dickens casings where concepts and theoretical perspectives toilette be expatiated.My First exercising is the capital of Massachusetts endurance contest barrageings and the second is the Mass Medias coverage of the capital of Massachusetts Bombings. The Functionalist Perspective is a sociological perspective that emphasizes each part of federation contributing to the survival of that ships company. In Sociology in Modules, they define the functionalists perspect ive as, A sociological approach that emphasizes the way in which the part of a society be coordinate to maintain its st exponent (Schaefer 15). The functionalist perspective eject be compared to the human body model. each(prenominal) part of the body automobilery erupts specific tasks. For example, our legs quit us to walk or straddle and our lungs solelyow us to breathe. With come in each and every(prenominal) body part, one(a) simply can non perform to the maximum potential. Now when a functionalist is feeling at a society, they whitethorn try out different affectionate groups that contribute to a larger population. The Conflict Perspective is a sociological perspective that views the world as a constant struggle.In our textbook, Sociology in Modules, they define the contrast perspective as, A sociological approach that assumes that genial doings is best understood in harm of tension among groups over index finger or the allocation of resources, including ho using, money, access to services, and semi governmental representation (Schaefer 15). in that location are many areas where battle can a uprise in todays society. Religious groups, governmental parties, and different social classes, may all have strange views with separate or opposite groups.Examples of the conflict perspective embroil means of production versus labor and the parsimony of wealth. In recent hi horizontal surface, the conflict perspective is becoming more popular. With, The widespread social unrest resulting from battles over civil rights, caustic divisions over the war in Vietnam, the rise of the feminist and gay liberation movements, the Watergate political scandal, urban riots, and confrontations at abortion clinics have offered support for the conflict approach (Schaefer 16). Groups in society with different viewpoints very much stick by a great threat to conflicting parties.The Interactionist Perspective is the third main sociological perspective whe re the traditional way of cerebration comes from typical human interaction betwixt groups. Sociology in Modules defines the interactionist perspective as, generalizations about day-to-day forms of social interaction in locate to explain society as a whole (Schaefer 17). The interactionist perspective is overly go finished as signic interactionism. I entrust it is much easier to look at it from a symbolic interactionism perspective because symbols are easier to understand.From a symbolic interactionist perspective, one may discipline the world we hold up in as full of objects. These objects can come on the form of race, places, things, thoughts, feelings, or symbols. Symbolic interactionism looks at these symbols to characterize groups by their symbol. Each symbol may be different. For example, a symbol could be the type of color of car you drive, what you wear to work or civilise everyday, or even tattoos. Groups in society are often characterized by their symbols. The se symbols drop by the wayside stack with similar symbols to communicate with ease.Food Incorporated is a documentary submit that submits the corporate farming industry in the fall in States as unhealthy, harmful, abusive, and inhumane. Food Inc. the icon really gave me something to think about, it exactly strengthened my beliefs to eat healthy and support essential and free-range grass fed meats. The some meaningful thing to me was when one of the contributors tell the corporate farming industry just now wants to grow their products bigger, fatter, cheaper, faster. This agri product line in further in it for the sake of business and they dont see the some other side.On the other side in that location are these products that are creation mass-produce in factory farms. This seemingly only affects the lower class Americans who can only afford the cheapest of food products at the topnotch market. From a financial standpoint, it only makes virtuoso that people are forc ed to view such low quality products at their demise. As the conflict theory would describe it, this is a constant struggle between the producer and the consumer. The producers are producing animal products in close quarter factory farms and eating them corn, which is not a naturally occurring meal.specifically cattle and chickens are given ductless gland shots to make them grown bigger, fatter, and faster. These farms do not treat the animals well at all. The animals live in horrible conditions, often quantify in their own manure. This causes disease to telescope to food that eventually people eat. There are cases that come up all the time where products need to be pulled from the shelves in stores because of contaminated foods. The Vernon pottys reputation is a on-key story glum into a movie that portrays a Minister, Vernon can, who leads the African Americans in the fight for civil rights.This film demonstrated the development of social flip-flop in the south. First, th e blacks do not quantify up to the whites in social class. They often held position in social that were not important of looked down upon. For example, the position that Vernon rear end holds is viewed as a conflict by white law enforcement officials. During the early 1900s, disgraceful Americans were being segregated from society. Secondly, During this time, African Americans were not recognized by society as having any value other than slavery. go and ethnicity played a large single-valued function in society during this time.African American Racial groups formed and they were discriminated against. Vernon John is a leader of social permute. He stepped up and faced the danger in oral presentation his views. The movie illustrates two great examples of dislike crime in the 1920s. The first is when Vernon John was driving in his car later(a) at night to bring a girl who had been raped to the hospital. The white policemen pulled Vernon John over and just antagonized him for no reason. another(prenominal) example is when part of Vernon Johns church was set on fire. This was obviously planned by the white Americans out of offense for Vernon Johns following and community.The blacks were heavily being discriminated against. Third, the government used force and violence to exercise their will against Vernon John and the dusky Americans. The movie demonstrates a great example of what goes on in society today. Although the United States may not be departure through the exact same station of discrimination as the 1900s, we are restrained facing sorts of discrimination and hate crimes today. Which leads me into my abutting example, the recent Boston endurance contest bombings. The Boston Marathon bombings is an alleged terrorist attack that happened during the determination of the 2013 Boston Marathon.On April 15th, 2013, two Muslim brothers from Massachusetts detonated two explosives near the displace line of the Marathon, killing three people and inj uring more than 200 people. The 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings display the conflict some people have with society. I am not in the head of the bombers or the investigators so I am only intercommunicate from an outside perspective. With that being said, I cannot speak up what they were thinking when setting off these two explosions in front of thousands of people. From the suspects point of view, they must(prenominal) have seen the world from a conflict perspective.They must have believed that they didnt check over into society. In a Wall avenue Journal article, one suspect claims he and his brother were angry about the U. S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the killing of Muslims there (Authorities affirm Bomb Suspects Planned NYC Attack). My only guess is that their hatred for the United States is so fierce that they think in carrying out these horrible acts. It appears that other groups from over seas heavily influenced the suspects. This is just one example of how governmen t, religion, and cultural differences can bugger off conflicting in society.The mass media can influence the coverage of any story by the time it reaches the public. The mass media is defined by Sociology in Modules as, print and electronic means of communication that carries messages to widespread audiences (Schaefer 153). The supplement they have is huge in what teaching/sources they have and what they release. In the coverage of the Boston Bombings, the media helped the public understand of what precautions they should take almost the threatened area. The media also helped people from crosswise the country understand what was happening in Boston.In this case, I believe the media did a good job in providing entire knowledge to the public. However, this is not always the case. The conflict view states that gatekeeping can control what information reaches the public. For example the media can choose on which pieces of password to report on, leaving out specifics that could to tally twist the story. They can also choose which sources they want to use which may also have an affect on the outcome of the story. Not all social classes have access to certain news sources. Many sources are behind a pay wall, which prohibits some potential viewing audience from accessing the information.The functionalist view would say that the mass media plays a role in society that keeps it woful forward. Sociology in Modules says, the mass media is to occupy our unoccupied timefrom newspaper comics and crossword puzzles to the latest music releases on the Internet. While that is true, the media have other important functions. They also socialise us, enforce social norms, confer status, and pull ahead consumption (Schaefer 154). This is all very true and it reinforces our viewpoints of the media. Overall, multiple theoretical perspectives can portray the mass media.Indeed, concepts and theoretical perspectives learned in class are used to illustrate events in society tod ay. First, the example of the Vernon Johns story gives one the ability to see the upbringing of social change through the civil rights movement. The second example of the Food Inc. production is one that produces for pelf without taking into consideration all the honorable and health needs of American citizens. Third, my example of the Boston Marathon Bombings illustrates conflict and hates crimes in our culture today. Lastly. The mass media acts as an performer between information and the public through print and electronic versions.The conflict and functionalists theoretical perspectives can be used to prove the mass media. Therefore, social concepts and theoretical perspectives are used throughout the society we live in today. ? Works Cited Authorities Say Bomb Suspects Planned NYC Attack. WSJ. com. Associated Press, 26 Apr. 2013. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. Food, Inc. Dir. Robert Kenner. Movie One, 2008. DVD. Schaefer, Richard T. Sociology In Modules. New York McGraw-Hill, 2011. McGr awHills Connect. Web. 4 Apr. 2013. The Vernon Johns Story. Dir. Kenneth Fink. 1994. DVD.