Push and Pull Factors of Immigration

One country’s flaw could attract a person to another country, people tend to look for certain characteristics in one country that theirs does not comprise of, and one country’s push factor can be another country’s pull factor. Emigration is a personal choice, but defiantly there are reasons for everything, they could be as simple as wanting to experience something new, or they could be more complex such as living the life that one wanted but couldn’t have in their homeland or previous country, due to politics, religion, education or work.Push and pull factors are liable to overlap, the stronger factors that help make the choice for the majority of the people to migrate from one country to another are the political differences, religious freedom, education and the future, as well as labor. For example during the first half of the twentieth century Canada was the most preferable places to migrate to because it evoked more freedom, and opportunity to those wi th a poor life. Very similar to today people leave their homeland for a better life, the conditions in their country could be very pitiful, their present and future are being destroyed, and their life becomes cautious.A push factor which most choices revolve around is the political factor, because politics is the most powerful characteristic about a country, and it controls how we live, people just can’t handle their lives with appalling politics so they are rather being pushed away by it, and another country with a more preferred political view is pulling us. Dictatorship is probably the most controlling type of government, where the population does not play an important role, and have no say in political choices. The country as whole is controlled by one group with fixed power.A simple definition of this political government is Dictatorship is a government that can be defined as those countries prohibited by authoritative, absolute leaders. Some countries with that type of government are North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Cuba, and Iran, just to name a few. So there is this population of people whose voice cannot be heard, especially a country like Korea where there is a population of approximately twenty-three million people, and they do not possess the freedom of speech, instead this massive population is controlled by Kim-Il Sung and his son Kim Jong-il.What happens is that the population, does not like having the same ruler for all their life, they do not like a dictatorship government, where they carry no voice, they are basically a mass of people with very little importance to the government. People living in a country like this date it, they prefer to make a choice on government and give a voice that would count to something, and in a dictatorship country that becomes impossible. So these people start to migrate to much freer countries, countries where their voice be heard such as Canada, the United States, countries that are democratic.Anyone w ould prefer living in a country where they can choose the life which they want, rather than living in a country where you are forced to live a certain life, and so the push and pull factor regarding government becomes very clear. A push factor is a dictatorship where one is being controlled mentally, while a pull factor is democracy where you choose your path, you choose a better life. Another big issue that affects people’s lives majority is war, whether it is genocide, or revolutionary, people have that fear in them.Wars often scare people off to another country, because they start thinking twice about their safety, and the future of the country. It is the weaker countries which we see today such as Afghanistan and Iraq who are being thrown into war, or being attacked, these countries are not attacking back, they do not hold the power to attack the country, or defend their own. People are kind of rushed away from political problems like this, people tend to ask for peace, a nd unfortunately for some they do not achieve that peace.A population would not want their children growing up or exposed to such violence. War plays a big part in a push factor, because after a while the population would start to think about their own future, the future of the country, and how could there be a personal future if the future of a country is destroyed? A country’s leader would typically try to put all the pieces back together after the attack is done and the other country has withdrew from the attack, but it would take a lot of patience to wait for those pieces to be put back nd readjust. People find it much easier to try to adjust to a different country with a hopeful future, which insures safety for their kids. A pull factor regarding politics is with a nation which holds peace or a special relationship with other countries, and does not hold many political problems and disagreements. Countries like that are once again Canada, Australia, alongside some other countries in Northern Europe such as Sweden, Holland or Denmark, where we see are already favorable for people who are looking to migrate.Finally the last effective push factor which kind of comes into play as a force of immigration is persecution. Political persecution would go hand in hand with religious persecution. First off persecution is â€Å"a program or campaign to exterminate, drive away, or subjugate a people because of their religion, race, or beliefs† for example â€Å"the persecutions of Christians by the Romans. † So this is more of a force, and the people are not given the choice.We saw in the past that Muslims were killed by the Christians during the crusades. This factor is more of a threat, people of certain religions could be offended in other countries, where people do not believe in the religion in which some would like to practice, and torture would come into play. So people are feared of this act. Instead they are pulled to countries that are mo re accepting of all types of religions, where equality is a factor.Freedom to practice your own religion is very important to those who are religious, and even for people who are considered to be atheist, or do not follow a certain religious path or believes, immigration is a big choice for them, and it comes to a sense where people are now free to start over, and live the life which they wanted, but could not have because they were threatened. So as stated above in some cases immigration is a choice, but where it is a choice or a force, there are push and pull factors that go along with it, in this case political reasoning is the most effective to people’s choice.And because of politics, people have felt threatened, and scared to stay in their own country, and they looked for a more clear path. We live to pursue our dreams, the future, and fortunately for most of us we have been taught to go after what we want, and that could mean escaping many obstacles and challenging ours elves to go from a place where our dreams and preferences were hopeless to a place where our dreams seem to shine bright.Without push and pull factors we there would be no reason to escape one country to go live in another. Politics, types of government, war, genocide, are all push and pull factors and with out them people would not realize why they are immigrating, and if there were no push factors, people are most likely to stay in their homeland and stick with their own culture and beliefs, and have the life they always dreamed of.

Core Conditions in Person Centred Counselling Essay

â€Å"The first element could be called genuineness, realness, or congruence. The more the therapist is himself or herself in the relationship, putting up no professional front or personal facade, the greater is the likelihood that the client will change and grow in a constructive manner. This means that the therapist is openly being the feelings and attitudes that are flowing within at the moment. The term â€Å"transparent† catches the flavor of this condition: the therapist makes himself or herself transparent to the client; the client can see right through what the therapist is in the relationship; the client experiences no holding back on the part of the therapist. As for the therapist, what he or she is experiencing is available to awareness, can be lived in the relationship, and can be communicated, if appropriate. Thus, there is a close matching, or congruence, between what is being experienced at the gut level, what is present in awareness, and what is expressed to t he client. The second attitude of importance in creating a climate for change is acceptance, or caring, or prizing–what I have called ‘unconditional positive regard.’ When the therapist is experiencing a positive, acceptant attitude toward whatever the client is at that moment, therapeutic movement or change is more likely to occur. The therapist is willing for the client to be whatever immediate feeling is going on–confusion, resentment, fear, anger, courage, love, or pride. Such caring on the part of the therapist is nonpossessive. The therapist prizes the client in a total rather than a conditional way. The third facilitative aspect of the relationship is empathic understanding. This means that the therapist senses accurately the feelings and personal meanings that the client is experiencing and communicates this understanding to the client. When functioning best, the therapist is so much inside the private world of the other that he or she can clarify not only the meanings of which the client is aware but even those just below the level of awareness. This kind of sensitive, active listening is exceedingly rare in our lives. We think we listen, but very rarely do we listen with real understanding, true empathy. Yet listening, of this very special kind, is one of the most potent forces for change that I know.†

The feminist media in middle est Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The feminist media in middle est - Essay Example I. A Brief History of Media in the Middle East and the Origins of the Female Presence From a historical standpoint though, Middle Eastern media dates back to the early 1800s. During the times of the Ottoman Empire and Qajar Iran to name but a few, media in official and private arenas began to take shape (Fortna, 97). Although Middle Eastern media at this time was largely financed by subscription and advertisements, it became a popular tool in the transmission and dissemination of cultural/technical works – largely aided by the newly imported printing technologies from European nations (Fortna, 97). However, it wasn’t until the early 20th century when media became a professional occupation, that the power of media (writing, journalism, and illustrations) was fully harnessed. By 1925, print and roving journalists had begun creating teams, to comment on the popular media of the day – radio and cinema (Fortna, 97). Regarding the first notable female presence in Middl e Eastern media, it appears that this is not well documented and varies greatly depending on the type of media. For example, since the inception of Aziza Amir’s first Arabic feature length film in 1927, females have been permitted to make and direct films (Skilli, 48). Filmmaking has offered women (feminist or otherwise) to encapsulate the complexities of female realities and offer a somewhat covert challenge to the dominant view of the female role – for example, Abnoudi’s 1971 file (Horse of Mud), encouraged Middle Eastern people to consider the impact of gender roles and socioeconomic class on the daily lives of Middle Eastern women (Skilli, 48). Critical feminist films that overtly challenge the dominant order are still subject to censorship in the Middle East to this day. For example, when Tahmineh Milani’s feminist film, roughly translated as the â€Å"Hidden Half† was introduced to the public in 2001, she was both arrested and then interrogat ed (Skilli, 49). Women did not become notable in the establishment of publishing houses until the 1980s, when Iranian feminist Shahla Lahiji became the first publishing house owner. Following this, several other women were able to establish publishing houses, and put women’s issues in the public arena for the first time (Skalli, 45). Females did not appear in contemporary journalism in the Middle East until the 1980s – and faced dual threats: from religious quarters and from censorship of the semi-military government when publishing materials that aimed to discuss women’s rights, women’s issues, or any other topic that threatened the prevailing order (Skalli, 41). Sakh (2004) argues that even when women were/are afforded the necessary freedom to participate in mass media outlets in the Middle East, there is no guarantee that they support feminist causes, or aim to promote discussion of issues relevant to women (Sakr, 8). In fact, female illiteracy is a ma jor Middle Eastern issue, which serves to promote compliance with the dominant system, preempt challenges to it, and keep women in a subordinate position (Sakr, 8; Skalli, 41). Regarding female appearance on television, much progress has been made in the past 30 years. Notably, Jordon’s most prominent female reporter, Rana Husseini, and Algerian reporter Horia Saihi, have constructed stories on the female experience of war

Light experiment Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Light experiment - Lab Report Example Introduction This project involves the study of Scenedesmus growth conditions. Scenedesmus refers to genus of the colonial green algae, with cell arrangements of 4, 8, and 16 in a row. It is a common component of fresh water plankton, which is most commonly used in the experimental purposes of water pollution and photosynthesis. It is also crucial in the process of sewage purification because it releases oxygen, which is necessary for the breakdown of organic matter, hence terminates the functions of harmful substances. In this project, we get to experiment on the growth conditions and developments. The main elements in test here will be light and pH since we discovered that the plant grows well under neutral pH. The main methodology in this project is to grow one experimental set in direct sunlight while the other will be places under no sunlight. The main conclusion will be based on the growth patterns of both experimental samples, and note the difference in them. Materials and met hods Details on culture setup 50ml conical cubes Number of replicates per treatment 4ml of initial culture added to 16ml culture Gro (Carolina Biological) Algae grown .Scenedesmus (Carolina biological) Growth conditions The cultures shall be natured in the growth chamber for 18 hours, day and 6 hours night at 250 C The light levels in the chamber placed at 300 mM photons/m2/sec2 Experiment treatments One should describe the treatments and the levels to which they should get applied. Methodology for measurements This section contains the details of the materials used and a description of how the experiment is executed. From here, one can easily conduct the same experiment and present the results for comparison. Hemocytometers get employed in calculating the cell density/ml at an average of four consecutive counts. NB: Washed hands before handling any materials to avoid contaminating them. 1. Set up the microscope and take a sample of scenedesmus. 2. Determine the number of scenedesmu s in 1 ml with hemocytometer. Make sure to swirl before taking sample (three count to get average concentration). 3. Set up three replications per treatment 20 ml total volume; adjust volume of growth medium by (4 ml of algae volume and 16 ml of treatment volume) in the test tubes 4. Write the number of the group and initial of the group 5. Divide the product to three groups; three simples each group (the three groups low, medium, and high light). 6. Put the simples in the light refrigerator. 7. Divide the simples to low, medium, and high light. 8. Wait three weeks to the product to grow. 9. Determine the number of scenedesmus. Results This section contains the results that were obtained from the experiment. The data is a brief summary of the whole experiment. The data here is only mentioned with no analysis given. The analysis gets handled in the next section. Low Light Medium Light High Light 83 68 33 80 58 43 80 55 42 From the above data, we can acknowledge that the experiment wa s conducted using three cultures. The presentation is done and the data per culture is presented in the way the performed in different light scenarios. The first case is the experiment under low light conditions then followed by results in the middle light conditions and finally the results obtained in high light, experimental conditions. However, in this experiment we are mainly going to use the data in low light conditions and the results from the experimen

People and organization management- leadership Essay

People and organization management- leadership - Essay Example The transactional leadership approach â€Å"works through creating clear structures whereby it is clear what is required of their subordinates, and the rewards that they get for following orders† ("Changing Minds"). This theory focuses on the interaction between the leaders and Subordinates.   It is rely on the concept that a leader’s role is to let his followers to know clearly what he expect from them, this theory uses the rewards and punishments approaches for getting these prospects.   8 The servant leadership model is one of the less mainstream leadership models. This theory believes that leaders have to put the interest of followers, customers, and the society ahead of their own benefit to get the success (Stevens 2003). The principle of this theory has a huge amount of recognition within leadership circles and it is described as a set of beliefs and morals that leaders are willing to embrace them. 8 There are many benefits of democratic leadership. By adopting this style of leadership better ideas and more creative solutions for the problems can take place. Group members also feel more touched by the higher management, involved and devoted to projects, all these making them more likely to care about the end outcome. Researches show that democratic style has a result to elevated productivity among group members. Empirical studies have even indicated that individuals with high self-esteem prefer democratic leadership models (Schoel, Bluemke, et al. 2011) Still, there are also downsides of democratic leadership. Even if this style has been described as the most successful and effective leadership style, it has a few downsides. In cases where roles are undefined and unclear or time is essential democratic leadership can lead to communication failures and incomplete tasks. In some situation, group members may not have the appropriate knowledge or skill to make quality contributions to the decision-making process. 14 In the modern world one often hears about

Strategy and change management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Strategy and change management - Essay Example With the aim to reduce the operational cost several business enterprises engaged in the airline industry decided to merge. The year 2008 marked the emergence of the world’s largest airline named Delta after the successful merger of two proclaimed organizations namely Delta Airlines, Inc and Northwest Airline Corp. The capability of the newly developed airline company increased as a result of the merger. Northwest Airline is now a subsidiary of the former organization. The low cost airlines seem to compete in the market where the density of passengers is high and in such a market the low cost airlines can enjoy the competitive advantages. They offer timely services and the low cost acts as the catalyst in driving the travellers to the airlines booking offices. In the airline industry the economies of scale theory has a major role to play. The density of traffic allows the airline organizations to offer such low fares and is a prime feature of the industry. The economies of scale theory also bring some non price benefits along with it. The airline companies try to compete with the tool of product d ifferentiation and the quality customer service seems to make up the other tools of competition. The airline operators in Europe and America had to face turbulences during the period of downturn. The competition revolved around fares, service and operational efficiency. The over reliance on the market of North America has been one of the reason for the turbulence for the company under consideration. The topic of merger and acquisition is a topic of discussion in the airline industry. The price of fuel and the increased cost of operation have acted to shuffle the balance of the forecasted growth for the airline operators. The assignment will take into consideration the significance of the merger that exists between Delta Airlines and Northwest Airlines. In 2008 the two companies discussed

Biology question to be answered Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Biology question to be answered - Coursework Example a situation in which organisms from different species compete for the same shared limited resources like food, water and space in which the less fit organism loses. This is a -/+ relationships. Predation, on the other hand, is whereby the predator kills then feeds on the prey while herbivory involves the herbivores feeding on the primary producer.(+/- relationship). Parasitism is a relationship in which one species benefits at the expense of the other but they do not kill the host. Only 10% of energy is transferred to the next trophic level. Most is used in metabolism, and the rest lost through excretion, hence making the successive level be smaller (Townsend et al., 2000). Ecosystems obtain all its energy from the sun that is transformed into chemical energy through photosynthesis in primary producers (plants) and moves up the trophic levels. It is converted to other forms like heat. Matter cycles through the ecosystem in various stages. For example, plants use carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere together with sunlight to make food. Primary consumers consume this food like human beings. Once these consumers die, carbon is stored in fossil fuel that may be mined in future and burned releasing

As We Are Now by Sarton Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

As We Are Now by Sarton - Essay Example Analysis In the novel ‘As We Are Now’, M. Sarton designates the reader to acquire her thoughts and sentiments regarding a critical issue with nursing homes in reference to how old people are deprived of respect and austerely shown inappropriate treatment through the mean approach of their keepers within an institutionalized setting. Equivalently, as Sarton exhibits this truth via the role of her protagonist Caro Spencer, the author’s creation in the form of journal entries by Spencer reflects at depth a character whose struggles are quite alarming to a reader who has stayed and observed matters at the surface. Little does everyone know that beneath the ideal perception toward social workers lies a huge mystery on the essential humanitarian traits for which only subjects like Caro, in coping with her sanity, can reveal what the real encounter with them is made of. As a retired educator who never married and lived without a single offspring, Spencer appears to deser ve opulently having the latter brief years of her life under fulfilled circumstances of living.

Being friends before lovers can lead to a succesful relationship Research Paper

Being friends before lovers can lead to a succesful relationship - Research Paper Example â€Å"The commitment to marry is perhaps the most important and most complex decision made by individuals irrespective of geography or cultural background† (Srinivasan). The financial, emotional, and psychological implications of breakup from marriage in the life of the partners are immense. Therefore, many people want to benefit from others’ experiences and know whether friendship or love is a stronger predictor of success in marriage so that they can select the right partner for marriage. Different people hold different views regarding the strength of the role of friendship in making a marriage successful relative to that of love and vice versa, thus providing the topic ground for debate. There is no clear interface between friendship and love. Many feelings and emotions are common between friendship and love, including care, empathy, respect, sincerity, expectations, and honesty. The enormity of these similar factors incorporates subjectivity in people’s judgm ent of whether it was friendship or love that made the marriage of a particular couple successful. Therefore, there is no robust basis of people’s support for either friendship or love as the determinant of successful marriage. One thing that fundamentally differentiates between friendship and love is that friendship does not need a physical relationship to grow whereas physical relationship is a fundamental element in the growth of love between marital partners. Since sexual health of individuals may deteriorate over the time, something more important than love is required to sustain the marriages. Friendship between two people is a stronger predictor of success in their marriage than love. It is hard to mark a strict boundary between friendship and love since the two often overlap in several areas. Both friendship and love lay the basis of every successful relationship, be that a marriage, the relationship of a mother and a daughter, or any other kind of relationship. Peopl e make friends with individuals they can place confidence in and share their feelings, emotions, and secrets with and the same holds true for love. Like love, friendship removes the barriers people normally place between themselves and others to keep them from learning about their secrets. People make friends because they like each other’s personalities and characters, and accept each other along with all of their strengths and weaknesses. Love also demands pretty much the same. The most important factor that differentiates between friendship and love is sex. Sex between the marital partners is a fundamental cause and effect of love between them. When two people enter the contract of marriage because of their love for each other, the marriage is just as healthy as the physical relationship between the two. â€Å"[F]riends may engage in casual sex, but may also become involved romantically† (Barry and Madsen 1). One of the most important reasons why certain friends get married to each other is that they want to make love to each other in a way that is legitimate both in the eyes of the religion and the culture. â€Å"Marriage is a natural institution whereby a man and a woman give themselves to each other for life in a sexual relationship that is open to procreation –

Overseas Students Participate in Cultural Activities Essay Example for Free

Overseas Students Participate in Cultural Activities Essay Cultural activities are activities where people spend their leisure time attending cultural venues and events. For example, cultural activities include going to art galleries, museums, libraries, operas, concerts and the cinema. People want to get feelings of well-being and gain more knowledge by participating in cultural activities. Participation in cultural activities influences the development of students in many aspects, such as for entertainment and knowledge. The involvement of students in cultural activities can help them develop a well-rounded education. For overseas students in Australia, participating in native cultural activities can also help them reduce culture shock and provide a better way for students to understand more information concerning the history, customs and beliefs in Australia. In a survey concerned with participation in cultural activities among Australian people, it was found that about 85% of the Australian people who aged over 15 years old participated in at least one of cultural activity during the 12 months in 2005-06 (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (ABS) (2007). Going to the cinema was the most popular activity which had the highest percentages at 65% of people. Going to zoological parks and aquariums were the two second most common activities, at 36%; libraries and botanic gardens were at 34% (ABS, 2007). In addition, the same study found that people with higher educational background had considerably higher attendance rates than people with lower educational attainment at art galleries, museums, zoological parks and aquariums, libraries, popular music concerts, other performing arts and the cinema. Moreover, in previous research, it was found that about 25% of respondents went to the library over 20 times during the year. (ABS, 2007). However, little research has been done to compare differences in participation in cultural activities between overseas students in Australia and Australian people. The aim of this research is to find out whether overseas students’ cultural activity behaviors were similar to Australians. Methodology This research was carried out in Navitas English language school on 10th December 2010, and was concerned about the participation in cultural activities of overseas students. Data were collected through questionnaires in the school. The participants consisted of 50 overseas students (25 males and 25 females), who were aged between 18-24 and 25-34, just one person was over 35. The majority of the sample were Chinese; other subjects were from Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, Indonesia, and Japan. The questionnaire, which was administered informally and contained 8 questions, was made up of three sections: demographic information, the type and the frequency of cultural activities. Specifically, 4 questions were developed to record general information; one question was about which cultural activities students participated in; the other 3 items asked about how often students participated in cultural activities per year, involving all cultural activities, going to the library and cinema. The survey was conducted by several groups; each group consisted of 2-3 students. These groups respectively entered different classes to collect data using questionnaires. After collecting this, the data was shared by all groups. Data from questionnaires were then collated and converted to percentages. The results were compared according to gender, education and frequency in graphs.

Analysing Product Development Within Dell Computers

Analysing Product Development Within Dell Computers The Product Development at the Dell Computer Corporation case can be summarized with just its name, product development. The case focuses on development of Dells personal computers, highlighting the area of the laptops. The personal computer industry can be dated back to the 1830s and Charles Babbage with his invention of the first digital computer. However with limitations of materials and marketing his vision mainly stayed on what is called the drawing board. It was not until the time period of World War II when a factory size computer was created by army engineers, they were named Mark I and Colossus and they were 50 feet in size. Through the 1960s and the 1970s only the government, mainly for defense, and big business had the opportunity to use computers. As technology increased and microchips replaced the wires and transistors, and financial availability became friendlier for consumers the microcomputer revolution began. In the 1970s and 1980s Apple Computer was a successful leader in a commercialized interface that was easy to use. Apple set the technological pace for cramming as much new technology in to their products as possible. IBM who was always trying to play catch up with Apple kicked off its traditional corporate based computer line, with strong direct sales and service. Dell also released its own branded personal computer in 1981. During the 1980s personal computer sales grew from nothing to $40 billion dollars. It was in 1983 when Dell Computer was started by Michael Dell, who at this point in time was a freshman at the University of Texas. He would upgrade IBM compatible computers and go door to door selling them. The success was overwhelming for Dell, and he moved off campus and dropped out of school, with the initial idea of returning back to school if there was failure with the business. However, with $180,000 in sales during his first month the idea of going back to school never entered his mind. The next step for Dell was to buy and assemble his own brand name personal computers and get them directly to the customers. This is where Dells principle to eliminate the middle man began. With this premise in mind, high growth rates and attractive margins the building of the Dell name began. Soon, Dell would start a 24 hour complaint hotline and they would offer a supply of backup replacement equipment. By 1990, Dell computers had a distinctive line of its own personal computers which won se veral trade magazine awards for service and products. By 1990 microcomputers accounted for 40% of all computers sold. And there was major competition the brands helping to drive down the costs of manufacturing as well the cost for the consumers. With the development and success of Dell and their direct to consumer sales as well as their laid back sales manner, imitators such as Gateway 2000 and CompuAdd began business. While focusing on the competition Dell expanded in to the retail market attempting to gain more revenue. However, this was unsuccessful since Dell overshot the target budget of sales, finding them in a cash crunch. It was then decided on that that needed to do something different. They needed to stand out again The Dell Business Model The Dell business model is a simple one. Eliminate the middle man. Dell sold its computers directly to customers with no retailers in the middle. Customers are able to order a customized computer that fits their needs. Customers like universities, large corporations, and government agencies all have different needs when it comes to computers. Dell also kept this strategy with its small customers. People can order a computer based on battery life, software applications, size, gaming, business orientated, and many other customizations. A great advantage with this business model is that Dell can maintain a low inventory cost which saves the company lots of money. How it works Dell achieves this business model by having a small lead time from when the computer order comes in to when it actually gets to the customer. This is very important to Dells success because the negative to directly selling to the customer is that the customer cannot just walk into a Dell store or retailer and just buy the computer. Dell has a general lead time of 3-5 days. This is the time is takes to build the computer and ship it. This doesnt include the couple of days for the shipping. The lead time can vary depending on the type of customization. Sometimes it could be longer or shorter based on inventory and the depth of customization. This is a major advantage for Dell to be able to ship computer within days. Dell must plan, build, and test vigorously all within the 3-5 days. This also allows Dell to maintain minimal inventory of hand. Unlike other computer companies, Dell does not have to have ready-made computers on hand. If Dell experiences a slow month in sales then it doesn t cost them as much as its competitors because Dell is paying less for inventory overhead. This great success is a product of the new structured operations that Dell has implemented starting with the product development process. Another advantage of Dells business model is the 24-hour customer support system that it offers. Dell offers this option so that customers can call at anytime to fix a problem with one of Dells computers. Not only is the feature convenient for the customer, but it is also very effective. In the Harvard case, it states that the customer support team was able to solve problems themselves 91% of the time. That is an amazing statistic that reflects Dells training program and due diligence on building and retaining customer relationships. Argument: Is Dells business model effective? Yes, Dells business model is a good one and is very effective. This has always been Dells business model and has brought it so much success. Only for a brief period in the 90s did Dell try and tweak the business model by getting into retail. This only proved to Dell that its original business plan was the best because Dell suffered some losses and sales decreased during this time. Also Gateway, a competitor, had adopted Dells direct sales strategy which gave them great success. Dells original business plan is the best plan for many reasons. The direct sales approach lets them build and retain customer relationships because there is no middle man in between Dell and the customer. The 24-hour customer support program lets customers give direct feedback to Dell and makes the customer feel appreciated when Dell is helping them, not an IT representative from a retailer. Another competitive advantage this business plan gives Dell is the inventory control. Dell is known for turning over inv entory better than any other computer manufacturer in the industry. This plan allows Dell to achieve such great inventory control. When Dell went into the retail side it could not keep up with turning over inventory as fast as it used to when it was selling directly to customers. In conclusion, Dells original business plan is very good and extremely effective. It is proven in the Harvard case when Dell moved away from its plan. Industry Technological Developments In the computer industry there were some key technological evolutions that led to a great competition between the industrys firms. During the 1970s the industry saw some great technological advancements. These findings were crucial to the computer firms today because they made it easier for the companies to make, sell, and meet the needs of its customers. The major developments were improved microprocessors, standard operating systems, increased availability of software, and cheaper memory. These developments made the computer industry an attractive market for many. Another development that came later was the battery technology. Batteries for laptop computers advanced which led to even more competition. Since the competition is so great, companies need to find other ways to compete other than resources. For the most part the computer firms used the same technology so one of the ways the firms could get a competitive edge is through its product development process. Dell was a firm that realized the highly competitive nature of the computer industry during the 1990s. In 1993 Dell found itself losing money and in the shakeout period of the computer industry. This is the period of time when competition is at its highest and only the strong firms survive. The weaker firms will be shaken out of the market and will dissolve. Dell was one of the few firms that realized that it needed to do something different to compete and survive. Dell decided that it needed to look at its product development process. Dell Product Development Process Original Product Development Strategy Dells original product development process was very informal. The process was very amateur and lacked structure. First, the process involved self governed teams that had no accountability or management. The teams were made up of engineers and developers that had all the same ideas or similar strategies. Second, risks were not being assessed properly in these teams. Since the teams all had similar viewpoints the members were collectively overlooking risks. The biggest problem with this process was that projects were being passed onto the next stage of development when it should not have been. This leads to fail projects which in return cost Dell lots of money and time which could mean the difference in such a competitive market. The margin of error for Dell was slim to none during this time. When Dell had a major project fail which cost it several millions of dollars, it went to management, engineers, and developers to see what their opinion was on trying a new process. The management wanted a new process that had more structure. The engineers and developers wanted to keep the old process mainly because they thought that structure would stifle their creativity. After a long debate Dell decided to change its product development process. Dell decided that its old process was similar to a start-up companys process and not an experienced company, like itself. New Product Development Strategy The new product development strategy was much more formal. The teams now were called core teams which were made up of a mix of engineers and managers who had different views and techniques. Dell wanted diversity in its groups to encourage conversation and debate. Each group was also held responsible for a project from start to finish and the team was governed by an outside manager. This made the teams accountable for all their decisions and moves. The new process had six phases in which each phase would last around 3 months. The total time for a project was approximately 18 months. Profile Phase- Teams would write a guide on the new product and its market that it would be sold in Planning Phase- Teams create a detailed business case for the product which must be viewed by a senior manager before it is passed onto the next phase Implementation Phase- Teams must design and test prototypes of the product and orders must be made to the suppliers Qualification Phase- Teams build production prototypes and key customers give feedback Launch Phase- The customer experience is tested, from opening the product to setting up and using the product. Early adopters have their orders filled Acceptance Phase- Teams collect feedback and reports are compared to actual results. Argument: Which process is better? The new product development process is much better than the old process. This is easy to see because of the results. Dell has survived the shakeout period and has become one of the industry leaders. The new product development process allowed Dell to create better products because of the versatility of the core teams and also cut down on failures because of the structure of the new process. Fewer errors were a result of each team being held accountable for errors and have a senior manager evaluate the product before advancing to the next stage. Which Battery? In 1991, Dell came out with its first line of the portable computer. And in 1992 Dells portable computers accounted for 17% of sales. However, with the backlash of rumors about unreliable screens, frequent power failures, being slower than most other portable computers and broken hinges Dell could not compete even with their low prices. Early 1993 brought about the cancelling of Dells new line of laptops. Under the guise that they were too slow and not ready for sales. After recalling 17,000 notebooks, Mark Holliday, the portable division head of Dell, calls a meeting with all of the company officers and forces a decision for a battery to be made. During this meeting it is decided that there are three different battery decisions that Dell can go with. At the meeting it was decided that the battery decision must be made at the end of Phase 1 (the profile phase) of development and the three different choices are NiHi Nickel Metal Hydride, LiOn Lithium Ion, and the last choice was to not make a choice really, it was to defer a choice. The first choice for batteries was the NiHi otherwise known as the Nickel Metal Hydride. The chart below shows what some of the disadvantages and advantages to the NiHi battery. Overall this battery would not have been a great choice for Dell, because it did not solve the problem of lasting more than 3 hours like the consumers wanted and it could not recharge to its full potential. The second choice was the LiOn also known as the Lithium Ion Battery this is was the battery that Dell ended up choosing and still uses today. The third and final choice that dell had was to defer the choice of batteries, this would give Sony time to develop the battery and get a good production line going. This would also allow for Dell to be prepared for either battery design. Types of Battery Advantages Disadvantages NiHi Nickel Metal Hydride Takes up less space then the LiOn Provide limited product differentiation in an increasingly competitive market Allows for more accessories Such as communication control and memory management Short battery life, normally less than 3 hours. Would involve no delays in Production demand Can only recharge a fraction of full capacity A less risky choice If not disposed of properly they could release heavy metal toxins in to the environment. Type of Battery Advantages Disadvantages LiOn Lithium Ion Longer rechargeable lives Unproven and more expensive technology MORE RISKY CHOICE Can recharge to full potential Takes up more space than conventional batteries Laptop customers insisted on longer battery lives No production demand studies completed Cold possibly boost sales Production committed to Sony for at least a year Type of Battery Defer Choice Advantages Disadvantages Dell could have 2 options for battery space Having the bigger battery (LiOn) would be less attractive to the customer Give Sony the time to test the LiOn battery Variable costs in both battery designs would be too high Dell could continue with product development of the laptop in general Cold possibly over design the battery space Could give highest return, if LiOn was chosen and fails there is the NiHi to use Battery charging circuitry would have to be designed for both batteries. Strategy and Finances One of the major decisions for Dell was to choose the right battery power for its new Laptop which was targeting the laptop market. A strategy is a set of actions that coordinate the resources and commitments of a business to boost its performance. Strategy selections should be guided by the firms situation rather than by historical choices. Choosing a strategy that makes sense for a particular business is a decision which may lead to superior performance. There are a few choices that steer corporate strategies. Cost- Based Strategy requires a firm to be the lowest cost producer in the market. This can be lowest cost labor to efficiency in operations. Spirit airline is an example of this strategy. They are billed as the ultra-low-cost carrier. Spirit operates 28 Airbus planes and serves Eastern and Midwestern cities in the Unites states. (Longenecker, et al. 2009) The second type of business strategy is Differentiation-Based. This model emphasizes the uniqueness of a firms product or service. This model places emphasis for the consumer to be convinced of the uniqueness and value of the product or service, whether real or perceived. (Schermerhorn, 2010). Dell looked to achieve this type of strategy. Dell focused on the need to connect with their customer, remove the middleman and speak directly to their customers. Dell start their innovation process with asking their customers, What would you really want this thing to do? Is there a different way to accomplish that? Then they meet with their suppliers and ask, Can we do this in a different way? Then they try to come up with a totally different approach that exceeds the original objectives. http://www.forbes.com/2009/09/02/dell-amex-marriot-cmo-network-adtrend.html The focus strategy selection of the battery power would impact the company in hopes of gaining market share through satisfied customers. Michael Dell and his team needed to relate to their environment, particularly to the customers and competitors. Choice of battery technology was of vital importance to Dell. Many factors were evaluated; 1. Competition abounded due to imitation of Dells direct model 2. Dell felt a cash crunch due to their rapid expansion 3. Lack of senior management capable of guiding the firm 4. Lack of structure in Dells product development process, growing importance of the portable computer market 5. Lack of senior management capable of guiding the firm toward maturity 6. Lack of structure in Dells product development process Growing importance of portable computer industry 7. High rate of battery life in minds of consumers 8. Limited life of the NiHi battery 9. Uncertainty of the emerging LiOn battery technology Dell was dependent upon the future success of the new Laptitude laptop product to revive its share in the portable computer market. Dell was hoping to distinguish itself with the introduction of the fresh LiOn battery technology. Unfortunately, the LiOn technology was immature and risky but, Dell needed to make a decision of whether to adopt this technology in the new product line or remain with current technology. Ultimately, Dell needed a winner and needed to make the critical and right decision to ensure an emergence back into the already competitive market along with a need for a significant financial infusion. Tenacious is a good word to describe Michael Dell and the company he created. And tenacity and efficiency will be enough to keep Dell in the game. But to rise to the next level and really boost its growth, it may have to find a little more heart. http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/09/18/8386121/index.htm Dells new product development process was put to the test immediately as the decision was being made on how to develop a new laptop PC. Market research identified battery life as the third most important feature to customers when purchasing a laptop. One way the company distinguishes itself from other suppliers of perform-alike PCs is by acting quickly on the masses of data it gathers from customers. Information is a valuable competitive weapon, says Tom Thomas, chief information systems officer. Our whole business system is geared to collect it. (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1993/09/27/78384/index.htm). Due to a chance meeting between Michael Dell and Sony executives, Dell had the opportunity to have exclusive access to the new Lithium Ion (LiOn) battery technology which greatly extended battery life, and offered superior overall performance to the standard Nickel Hydride (NiHi) technology. The new technology would add value to Dell laptops as they sought t o recapture market share. The technology was not fully developed however, and there was a risk that it would not work. Dell thus faced a critical decision about how to allocate resources for the development of the laptop. Four options were identified by the product development team: Option 1- commit to the old technology (NiHi) Option 2 commit to the new technology (LiOn) Option 3a over-design the computer so that it could accommodate either type of battery, thus deferring the battery commitment until later Option 3b dual design (in parallel) of laptops that would use either NiHi or LiOn technology Option 1: Continue with a proven battery technology (NiHi) According to estimates made by project manager and product marketer, Henry McCarty, Dells market share will be 2.5% if Dell stays with the status quo battery configuration of NiHi. This equates to 825,000 units sold over the estimated 3 year product life. Given an average gross margin per unit over life of product of $600 and expected $10 million expected cost of development effort, the expected profit margin is $485 million. There is 100% confidence that the NiHi battery product will work. Option 2: Go with the new battery technology (LiOn) The new Development Team, McCarty predicts Dells market share to jump to 3.0% or 990,000 units over 3 years, if LiOn technology works. If the LiOn technology fails, Dells market share will fall to about 1.25% or 413,000 units over 3 years. This drop in market share would be attributed to competitors already having an established product on the market, while Dell undergoes substantial rework, 70% of original schedule, and 30% of cost to switch back to NiHi. There is only a 60% confidence that the LiOn battery product wont fail. Given an average gross margin per unit over life of product of $600 and expected $10 million expected cost of development, the expected profit margin is $444 million under option 2. Option 3a: Dual Development Defer commitment until qualification phase review Dual Development option has an estimated $10 million expected cost of development and an additional fixed cost of $2.5 million because Dell would have to develop two technologies at the same time. These are the actual project costs incurred which incorporates the additional designers and engineers, material and tooling costs, etc. These costs do not include the product opportunities Dell would forego if they had to pull people away from other projects. Given the new fixed costs and calculating a weighted average of expected profit margins based on the success rate of the technology, option 3a has an estimated profit margin of $542 million, the highest of the three options. Option 3b: Over-design Defer commitment until qualification phase review Similarly with the dual development we need to calculate the cost of the over-design strategy. The expected cost will be $10 million for development and additional variable cost of 0.5% of revenue (2.0% of margin) since Dell would have to develop two technologies in the same time. Due to the LiOn batterys different dimensions and properties, Dell would have to over-design the computer case, charging circuitry, and battery management software to accommodate either battery technology. Given the new variable costs and calculating a weighted average of expected profit margins based on the success rate of the technology, option 3b has an estimated profit margin of $533 million. This is the second highest of all options. One study of Dell looked at the Sensitivity Analysis of estimated profit margin if the confidence probability of LiOn technology changes. Based on the assumption McCarty provided, it shows clearly that Option 3a is the best option as long the Confidence of LiOn Technology is between 10%~90%. It is also obvious that if Dell knows 100% that LiOn will be successful Dell should choose Option 2. If the chance of success will be 0%, Dell should choose Option 1. http://www.mbanerds.com/index.php?title=Product_Development_at_Dell_Computer_Corp.

Nothing Can Be Good or Evil in Itself Essay -- Philosophy essays

Nothing Can Be Good or Evil in Itself    "Truth, beauty, and goodness are not eternal, objective realities which man discovers, but are the creative products of the human mind as it exercises its 'will-to-power'.   In other words, man is a creator of values." (Nietzsche) So what is good and evil, but that defined by man and therefore a purely subjective concept.   Could we, society, have one without the other?   By determining what is good, we in turn determine what is evil.   How do we know what they are; that is if they really exist?   One must first try to define what good and evil are before attempting to question their existence. What is good?   Is it the selfless act of a volunteer at a homeless shelter or an honest and truthful taxpaying citizen?   Webster's dictionary defines good as being of favorable character, wholesome, and virtuous. (Merriam-Webster)   "A good will is not good because of what it effects or accomplishes--because of its fitness for attaining some proposed end: it is good through its willing alone-that is, good in itself." (Kant)   In essence, the traditional sense of good is an act done only with the benefit of others in mind rather than for one's own personal interests.   However, for society to view this as good, an act must be intended to benefit society as a whole as well.  Ã‚   Dr. Martin Luther King's speech, I Have A Dream, is an excellent example of a good will affecting the society as a whole.   "King believed that the struggle for civil rights was a part of a larger struggle in which the forces of freedom and individuality, the forces of righteousness, would triumph over the forces of oppression and prejudice, the forces of ignorance." (King)   He stressed freedom as a right, as an overall good... ....   "I Have A Dream."   The Twentieth Century: Mirrors of Mind.   Second Edition, Revised.   Winston-Salem, North Carolina: Hunter Books, Incorporated, 1991.pp 138-140. Merriam-Webster of America.   The Merriam-Webster Dictionary.   Springfield, Massachusetts:   Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, 1997. pp 325-326. Mill, John Stuart.   "Utilitarianism."   Philosophy: A Literary and Conceptual Approach.   Third Edition.   New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Incorporated, 1995.   pp 306-319. Nietzsche, Friedrich.   "Beyond Good and Evil."   The Twentieth Century: Mirrors of Mind.   Second Edition, Revised.   Winston-Salem, North Carolina: Hunter Books, Incorporated, 1991. pp 16-20. Sartre, Jean-Paul.   "The Humanism of Existentialism."   Philosophy: A Literary and Conceptual Approach.   Third Edition.   New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Incorporated, 1995. pp 434-443.

Comparing The Marble Faun Sartoris, The Sound and the Fury, Soldier’s Pay :: comparison compare contrast essays

William Faulkner - The Marble Faun   Sartoris, The Sound and the Fury,   Soldier’s Pay William Faulkner, originally spelt Falkner, was born on September 25 1897 in New Albany, Mississippi. The eldest of four sons of a middle class family, William grew up the in the South and enjoyed the luxuries of life in a rural area. Faulkner never finished high school; he left in 1915 after he got a broken nose playing football. Over the next few years Faulkner worked at miscellaneous jobs while beginning his writing career. Originally he worked with verse and had his writings published in small—scale journals and papers. In April of 1918, he enrolled in the British Royal Air Force but never made it into combat as the war ended before he finished training. The following year he enrolled in classes at the tin University of Mississippi. In 1924, Faulkner published The Marble Faun, a verse-sequence and continued to write his short stories. It was not until 1926 that he published his first major novel, Soldier’s Pay, in which lie depicted life of a soldier after returning from war In l929 Faulkner created the imaginary land of Jefferson and Yoknapatawpha County in Sartoris: it is these counties that are the setting for most of his following novels. In 1929 he married Estelle Oldhain and within a year he bought Rowan Oak, where lie spent most of his time in the following years. In October of that year The Sound and the Fury was published and proceeded to gain Faulkner a lot of recognition. It was a different approach to fiction in that it provided a look at a story from four very separate viewpoints. Each of Faulkner’s novels offers a little bit of enlightenment on the subject that they pertain to. Often they are stylistically enterprising, as well as the subject matter being of great interest Absalom Absalom! contrasts viewpoints from which the story is told as it depicts the life of a troubled. Southern family. The Wild Palms is another example of Faulkner’s creativity. The story is told from two distinctly contradicting points of view. In 1942 Faulkner again shocked the literary world with his graphic depiction of racial, specifically â€Å"black versus white†, interactions on a Southern plantation. Many thought that Faulkner had under taken the task of historically representing the south during this era.

Disagreement Between Me and My Teacher

It is commonly known that disagreement is something that cannot be pushed away. It is something that is usual to everybody’s life. Without disagreement people will not know and measure how important one person to others or how things work or does not work. Just like what happen between me and my teacher when I was in my high school, it was a long time ago but still the lessons I learned from it comes with me in my daily life inside my classroom. Students and teachers disagreed on what is actually being evaluated when a teacher gives a student a grade (Goulden and Griffin, 1997).Students are emotionally invested in their grades and can have different emotional reactions to their receipt. For example, a student may feel pride, disappointment, desperation, helplessness, humiliation, relief, hatred, resignation, etc. Depending on what attributions are made, students may be more probable to experience a specific emotion. For example, when a grade is negative, an internal, firm and controllable cause may illicit feelings of guilt, whereas an internal, firm and uncontrollable (for instance, lack of ability) could cause feelings of shame.On the other hand, an external, uncontrollable cause may illicit feelings of disappointment, an unstable cause feelings of uncertainty and external, controllable causes feeling of anger. It was the time when my teacher gave me a bad grade. It was just simple essay writing. My teacher told us to compose an essay with a particular topic. I happily do the paper but unfortunately my teacher did not like what I composed and give me a bad grade. Grades are important to me as a student. For me grades are seen as anything from an evaluation of my personal character to an expectation of my future success.I felt angry at that time. I thought that I was not good enough to be her student; I felt that I have done my part, my best but still my best is not enough. It felt so degrading. A negative grade that is expected is not a joyful occasion for me, but a negative grade that is unexpected is a more disturbing situation. Students usually have an idea of what a fair grade is for the work that they have done. If my expectation of a fair grade is not met, I get very confused and angry. When she is giving me my grade, at that time I had the belief that I was being evaluated on my learning in the classroom.For me as a student that grade in a piece of paper is a representation of me, of what I have learned in the school. I can not help my self but to confront my teacher for giving me such a bad grade. What was her basis of my grade? What did I do wrong? At first I was not being able to speak I do not know where to begin until she spoke and asked me â€Å"What is it about? I told her that the grade she has given me seems to be unfair. She asked me to sit down and explained to me something. She said that she as a teacher agreed significantly that grades usually do not correspond with how much a student has learned.Grades may o r may not be an accurate reflection of student learning. She explained to me that even I got a bad grade it does not mean that I am less intelligent than my classmates it just that I have not explained or elaborated more with my essays. That at the moment when I was doing my paper I may not be prepared or concentrating well enough. There can be so many reasons. She said that I have all the time to show and prove my intelligence to my fellow students. Grades are interpreted by me as something different than teachers intend them to be.From that moment I have realized that I must not feel less a person because of a bad grade. It will not be a representation of my whole personality as a person. It may be a part of me that needs to be developed. I just have to think of it as a step to my achievement. Knowing a thing that you are not good at is a step for learning. Start feeding your mind with information concerning the matter. Try to be knowledgeable with it. In due time without knowing it, you will gain knowledge that is more than what you aspire for.Students also have responsibilities with regard to their learning, which increase as they advance through their growth. Students who are enthusiastic to make the effort required and who are able to apply themselves will soon discover that there is a direct relationship between accomplishment and hard work, and will be motivated to work as a result. There will be few students, on the other hand, who will find it more complicated to take responsibility for their learning for the reason of the special challenges they face, which may include lack of support and other difficulties in the home or environment in which they are growing up.For these students, the attention, patience, and encouragement of teachers can be extremely important factors for success. However, regardless of their circumstances, learning to take responsibility for one's progress and learning is an important part of education for all students. I have re alized that when a conflict exists between a student and a teacher, it takes a various form, and depends on various issues, than a romantic or workplace conflict.When a teacher gives a grade, s/he may be thinking that the grade communicates an evaluation of a certain product of work; on the other hand, a student may feel that the grade represents a judgment of him/herself as a person. Conflicts between teachers and students regarding grade are likely for the reason that the teacher and student come from such different perspectives. I don't think grades ever tell the whole story about a student. I think every student is more than their grades. Students have a social life. Students have time-demanding after-school activities and maybe even a home life that stresses students out from time to time.

Prejudice and Stereotypes Essay

Everyone has dealt with being treated as an outcast at some point in their lives. Everyone has had an incident when we have been treated unfairly. Discrimination because of prejudice and stereotyping is one of the main problems that we must face in an ethnically and culture diverse world. Considering these beliefs and the means behind these actions may essentially help us be a step closer to resolving this social injustice. â€Å"Prejudice involves a negative attitude toward individuals based on their membership in a particular group†, (Feenstra, J.(2011). Prejudice takes place when a person has negative views about someone even if they do not have the complete background on the individual or group of people. Prejudice is mostly caused by a particular stereotype made about a person or group. A stereotype is â€Å"a fixed, over generalized belief about a particular group or class of people† (Cardwell, 1996). People make stereotypes by making generalizations such as females should only cook, clean and raise children. Or all Americans t are greedy, or all African Americans steal. â€Å"Discrimination refers to the treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit†( uslegal,2012).? An â€Å"ingroup† is a group to which someone belongs, and an â€Å"outgroup† is a group to which the person does not belong (hence, one person’s ingroup may be another person’s outgroup, and vice versa), â€Å"(Linville, 1998). On a personal level, I can relate to being placed in a stereotype. I can remember a time where I went to get my car fixed at a particular car shop. I could actually tell I was being treated different because I am a female. I think because they figured I was a woman I would not know about cars so the mechanic told me things were wrong with my car that were not actually wrong with it. I can also say I have discriminated against a certain group especially after 911. I would be scared to ride a plane if I saw someone from the Muslim community aboard the plane which I can see now it was a totally false accusation of mine. I had to realize just because there was one bad apple that decided to do such a horrific act everyone in that community was not that way. Society confirms prejudicial attitudes by focusing on personal differences such as ones nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation or their beliefs such as religion. Society seems to confirm it because people really don’t do anything to stop it. It seems that some prejudices are highly accepted in society. Individuals in society seem to accept some prejudices as opposed to being a team with your fellow neighbor, friend or coworker. One’s social identity contributes to prejudice based on the awareness of inadequate social control. One’s social identity contributes to prejudice because people in today’s society seem to have their own set of stereo types against other races, nationalities and genders. Some people associate certain actions or characteristics to a particular group. An example may be some people may think a woman should ever has a job as a mechanic and that should only be a man’s job, or think that a woman’s place is at home cooking , cleaning and raising the children. Another stereo type may be that all people from Iraq are violent and hate Americans. The more you have faith in that you can influence your surroundings or social status, the less of an influence social identity plays. Emotions encourage prejudicial attitudes because the majority of the time individuals make decisions from their emotions. The cognitive processes influence prejudice because cognitive thinking is the mental result of one’s opinion, learning and reasoning process. Discrimination is very prevalent, there are ways to improve our feelings, judgments and behaviors so that we are more accepting of individuals whom we view to be diverse from us. There are laws against discrimination such as the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Laws. These laws â€Å"prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin; the Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA), which protects men and women who perform substantially equal work in the same establishment from sex-based wage discrimination; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), which protects individuals who are 40 years of age or old, (www.eeoc. gov, 2009) Differences will always be around but it will be our outlooks and behaviors concerning these issues that will make a difference. I think the way to beat discrimination if everyone were to just open their minds and get to know one another as their equal.

First Tuesday Book Club Essay

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak ranks number two on a list of â€Å"Ten Aussie Books to Read Before You Die† voted for by viewers of the ABC’s First Tuesday Book Club. Discuss the Significant Features of the novel that have contributed to its success, analysing and evaluating their contribution. The novel, â€Å"The Book Thief† by Markus Zusak was first published in 2005. The story is set in Germany, 1939, the time of World War Two. Many significant characters are revealed though out the novel such as Death, Hans Hubermann, and Liesel Meminger. These characters are memorable as well as lovable, but also bring out the idea’s and style of the Novel. Death is one of the major characters in The Book Thief as not only does he give the book a certain style but also the book is set from his perspective. â€Å"It’s the story of one of those perpetual survivors.† (Markus 2005, p.6) Death is shown as impatient and spills in the beginning the main events in the book such as the bombing raid the takes place, the death of the American fighter pilot as well as the fate of important characters. Death even notices it and apologises. By him being exposed as impatient, Zusak has been able to use the literary style of foreshadowing. Markus Zusak mentions in one of his interviews, â€Å"I deliberately made Death let the plot out of the bag. It lends to the idea of his knowingness, and that he is not human. He does not function exactly how a human would in his story-telling†¦ There was also the idea that knowing what would happen in advance might soften the blow, and it’s also a challenge to myself.† (Little Willow 2006) Death uses colours to not only describe certain moments, but also the colour of the sky when people are dying. There are three moments in the book where Death comes across Liesel and he uses three colours to describe these moments, when her brother died it was white, â€Å"It felt as though the whole globe was dressed in snow.† (Markus 2005, p.7) When the American fighter pilot died it was black, â€Å"It was the darkest moment before the dawn.†(Markus 2005, p.10) There was the last time when he encountered Liesel, when the sky was red, â€Å"The sky was like soup boiling and stirring. In some places it was burnt.†(Markus 2005, p.13) the use of colours creates a style which sets the mood. Whether the mood should be silent, soft and still, or it should make you angry. Death isn’t given a gender in the the novel and although he has feelings, it gives the idea as well as shows he is not human. There are other ways that Death shows he is not human. He clearly states â€Å"I am haunted by humans† which separates him from humanity. â€Å"To prove to me that you, and your human existence, are worth it.† (Markus 2005, p.16) Death acknowledges the idea of whether humans are worth it. Throughout the Book Thief it is noticed that there are many characters that truely are worthy such as Hans and clearly Liesel. Death illustrates that through all the ugliness that is happening at that time, even though the story is set at the time of the Holocaust as well as World War Two, that there is beauty that shines. It makes a difference. â€Å"†¦ He had the ability to appear in the background†¦ He was always just there. Not noticeable†¦ There was most definitely a value in him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Markus 2005, p.34) Hans wasn’t a main character within The Book Thief, but was an important character. He creates the love and joy within The Book Thief. â€Å"I nearly wrote you a reply and signed your mother’s name†¦ I couldn’t. I couldn’t bring myself.† Hans is a caring, and gentle. This stands out as the book thief has many sad moments by him being caring and gentle it gives you another view of what life was like in World War two as Hans is an average German man, but he disagrees with what is currently happening in Germany. â€Å"When he looks at me and smiles and breathes, I hear notes.† Hans’s accordion was not only a symbol of his kindness, but also is a part of him. Markus Zusak has carefully placed this in the book by writing about Rosa clinging to it at night when Hans works for the military and Liesel mentioning that she sometimes imagines Hans as an accordion when he plays. Liesel is the main character who still finds happiness out of an awful situation. â€Å"The words. Why did they have to exist? Without them, there wouldn’t be any of this. Without words, the Fuhrer was nothing. There would be no limping prisoners, no need for consolation or worldly tricks to make us feel better.† (Markus 2005, p.521) Although at age 9 Liesel is illiterate she soon learns the power that words have to heal and save such as Liesel reading books to Frau Holtzapel to heal the pain she felt. â€Å"It’s the story of one of those perpetual survivors- an expert at being left behind.†(Markus 2005, p.6) Liesel is seen as a â€Å"perpetual survivor† because despite many people dying and all the suffering she manages to still have pure happiness. The style and ideas are shown through the characters and the book is unusual in so many ways as it tackles ideas most don’t want to think about such as the ugliness and beauty of humans and whether some deserve to live. It also shows the power humans have through words and what we believe in. It looks at a different perspective of death so instead of humans being afraid of death, Death is afraid of humans. It’s a sad, depressing story where many good characters die, but it shows lightness. Good people who stand out even if not important. The novel is beautifully written as it flows like a poem with such power. These are the significant features that have contributed to its success. Zusak, M 2005, The Book Thief, PanMacillan, Sydney. Little Willow 2006, ‘Interview: Markus Zusak’, Blog post, interview, 4 June, accessed 22 May 2013, .

Assessing different approaches to customer service

For my Customer Service Unit I will be interviewing two leisure centres, College of St. Mark and St. John and the Mayflower leisure Centre. I have chosen these two centres because they are slightly different and I thought it would be interesting to see how different companies have different customer service. The College of St. Mark and St. John is in Derriford, Plymouth. It covers a very large area and its facilities include a 25 metre indoor heated swimming pool, a fitness suite, two squash courts, a fully equipped gymnasium, three sports halls, each with four badminton courts and a specialist built-in rock-climbing wall, computing facilities, and an outdoor pursuits centre. In addition to extensive playing fields, there is a full size all-weather floodlit pitch for top level hockey and football. A smaller all-weather surface accommodates tennis and provides a good training surface all year round. In addition to this there is a 36m. square sports hall for participation in a variety of sports which is also large enough to accommodate Trade Fairs and other large events; a gymnasium for martial arts, aerobics, ‘step' and tone & trim classes; a standard size sports hall available for volleyball, basketball, badminton; 2 squash courts and a Fitness Suite with up to date cardiovascular and weight training equipment. Although this sports centre is within the college, it is open to any member of the public, not just the students at the college. The Mayflower Leisure Centre is situated in Central Park, Plymouth. It is quite old and may need to be revamped within the next few years. It's facilities include a fitness suite which has treadmills, cross trainers, climbers, bikes, rowers and resistance machines and it also has squash courts, indoor bowls and sun beds. There are two sports halls, one is a 5-a-side football hall and the other is a multi purpose sports hall, which can house badminton, volleyball, basketball, short tennis and dry board diving. The College of St. Mark and St. John is a sports college therefore it has numerous amounts of sports facilities. The college is a Church of England voluntary college, with a history of over 150 years and it moved from London to Plymouth in 1973. The Mayflower Leisure Centre is quite old, as I mentioned previously but is the most well used public sector leisure facility in the area. It works in close partnership with the Central Park Swimming Pool which is it's neighbouring building. To find out the information I want, I am going to visit each venue for an interview. For letter, see Appendix 1. I am going to ask them several questions on different topics to find out as much as I can about the Customer Service in their establishment. For questions, see Appendix 2. I will then analyse the answers of the questions and compare the two companies to see who has the best customer service.

Fast Food America Essay

Fast food has become a major phenomenon here in America. According to Eric Schlosser, he writes in the New York Times, on average $301,369,863 is spent a day on fast food. As Schlosser shows, American people are abusing fast food. In accordance with fast food binging, obesity has become a widespread epidemic. According to Joseph Mercola M. D. , on a personal website states obesity is, â€Å"A chronic condition that develops as a result of an interaction between a person’s genetic makeup and their environment. † Here Dr. Mercola expresses how obesity is directly related to an individual’s environment. Today it is not uncommon to find major fast food chains with in a short distance from residential areas. With so many choices for fast food, Americans turn to the fast food as an alternative to the healthy home cooked meal. The reason for so many Americans eating out is simply because they are in a hurry or unable to cook and just want something fast and easy. A majority of these people get into the habit of constantly eating at these fast food chains. According to Morgan Spurlock, in his documentary Super Size Me, he quotes Elliot Bloom, a young marketing wiz for Taco Bell, â€Å"The fast food chains were sustained by a large group of diners who ate out more than twenty times a month. A big chunk of this group, about 30% of customers, were considered to be â€Å"heavy users† and accountable for bringing in a whopping 70% of total revenue. † These numbers show how important fast food has become to Americans daily eating habits, and further demonstrates the connection between fast food eating and the increases in obesity. Accordingly, excessive amounts of fast food can be very damaging to ones body, and there is proof to back up this claim. Director Morgan Spurlock, set out to document a strictly fast food diet, â€Å"I am trying to prove, fast food makes someone fat. † Spurlock closely documented his thirty-day McDonalds binge, eating only foods and beverages served at the one of the many â€Å"Golden Arches. † Over the thirty-days, he underwent some amazing conditions that even the doctors and health care professionals could not have predicted. Besides the usual changes which included skyrocketing cholesterol and a major increase in body fat, his liver was showing signs similar to that of a smoker. Though the symptoms that Spurlock experienced were on a very drastic scale, this is what is slowly damaging many Americans who are unable to control their fast food cravings. Research has shown the severity of obesity since the late 1980’s, and the studies show the common health problems related with obesity are Type 2 Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, and Osteoarthritis. However, little is known publicly about the dangers of obesity, and the future repercussions if obesity. According to Nanci Hellmich, writing in the USA Today, she states that, â€Å"Overall, employers and privately insured families spent approximately $36. 5 billion on obesity-linked illnesses in 2002, up from an inflation-adjusted $3. 6 billion in 1987. † Hellmich’s statistics show a tenfold increase in obesity spending over a span of fifteen years. If obesity continues to increase at this rate, in the future obesity may become the deadliest disease in America. Hellmich goes on to say, â€Å"On average, treating an obese person cost $1,244 more in 2002 than treating a healthy-weight person did. In 1987, the gap was $272. † As Hellmich shows in her quote, there exist a connection between obesity and increasing health care cost. Since the majority of Americans pay for health care, the epidemic spreads beyond those affected directly, and raises prices for the healthy Americans too. Hellmich shows there is a cause for concern, simply because obesity has predominately increased over the past two decades. The problem starts with the media which influences Americans eating habits on a daily basis. Today Americans have numerous choices in fast food as compared to five to ten years ago. As well as more commercials there exists the convenience of eating fast food. Within minutes, fast food is ready to serve at most fast food restaurants, and for relatively cheap. Besides the fact food preparation is fast, every year thousands of commercials can be seen on TV. According to Spurlock, on average a single person watches about 10,000 different commercials per year, most of them being junk or fast food products. These influential commercials broadcast smart slogans and offer cheap food to attract customers. In a recent survey, at the Brea Mall Food Court, when asked if they ate on a daily basis, 28 % of males said yes, while 25% of women said they too ate out daily. A surprising portion of people, 30% said they enjoyed the taste and quality, while majority about 46% said there was no time to cook at home because of work or hectic schedules. With so many great food specials and a plethora of commercials, its no wonder Americans turn to fast food for meals. Fast food is practical, quick, and reasonably cheap, though unhealthy many seem to no care. The first signs of concern came in 2003 when legislation was passed by Congress to help to slow obesity among children. The new law banned all junk foods from public schools and enforced new cafeteria food requirements. Robert Colin Carter a medical researcher from the John Hopkins School of Medicine showed that the meals served prior to changes by school cafeteria’s exceeded the newly established limits for total and saturated fats, set by the National School Lunch Program and National School Breakfast Program. Here Carter shows the importance for the legislation, as well as exposing children to healthier foods. In a recent interview, with Sonya Dravenstatt, a School Nutrionist, she stated, â€Å"The new menu now consists of vegetables, low calorie pizzas, and salads. The unhealthy items such as Tatter-tots and French Fries have been substituted with corn, green beans, and fruit cocktail. † As Mrs. Dravenstatt mentioned, the meals are better for the students and follow the limits recently established by NSLP and NSBP. As well as healthier foods in cafeterias, there has been a fairly recent ban of â€Å"unhealthy† foods and drinks in public school vending machines. The soda selection has been exchanged with Dasani water, Minute Maid Juices, and various PowerAde flavors. As for food, all candy and snacks high in fat and sugar have been replaced with healthy low fat alternatives. As well as the changes Spurlock noted in his documentary, there has also been recent public out cry for fast food restaurants to create healthier portions. â€Å"In 2004 McDonald’s forever banished their Super Sized soft drinks and fries, and in 2005 Arby’s abolished their Giant Size offerings. While removing these bigger portions from the menu, food chains like McDonald’s now offer healthier portions and substitutions. For example french fries can be replaced with a side of apple slices or mini salad and instead of soda a variety of juices are offered† (Spurlock). These healthier changes need to be continued due to the fact fast food is a major contributor to obesity. However, the change must begin with the consumers. The numbers show that people are dining out too often and it is affecting their physical health. Since a majority of Americans are either unaware or uninformed on how to prevent obesity, the solution should be enforced by the Government. By issuing a plan of action for fast food companies, a majority of unhealthy food can be exchanged with healthier portions. If the Government passed legislation subjecting fast food chains to restrictions on what consumers can purchase, maybe then fast food consumption could help the obesity epidemic. Fast food companies need to abide by nutrition laws, in the same way schools do, to protect naive consumers. The creation of a program could strictly regulate the unhealthy content commonly found in fast food. A program with capabilities to regulate big corps such as McDonalds, Taco Bell, and Kentucky Fried Chicken would be a major success in terms of stopping the widespread disease. Americans need to wake up and face the facts. Consumers must take the initiative to learn the facts on healthy dieting. The problem needs to be dealt with now, and not in the future. Obesity is affecting millions of Americans each year and is a major threat to American children’s future health. If parents and children are not held accountable now, obesity will continue to shorten lives and cost billions of dollars in health care. Hellmich, Nanci. â€Å"Health Spending Soars for Obesity. † USA Today on the Web 26 June. 2005. 18 Oct. 2005 < http://www. usatoday. com/news/health/2005-06-26-health-spending-obesity_x. htm> Mercola, Dr. Joseph. Home page. 2005. 18 Oct. 2005. Schlosser, Eric. â€Å"Fast Food Nation, The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. † New York Times on the Web 2000. 18 Oct. 2005.

Pressure groups in U.K. and U.S. politics Essay

Pressure groups in U.K. and U.S. politics - Essay Example Pressure groups are essential part of democratic process - they provide a real possibility to influence governmental decisions and transform public views into actions which often assert government to change its policy, but there are also essential lacks: the groups often defend their interests ignoring other sections of population and making misbalance in governmental policy. Pressure groups activity is widely developed in such democratic states as the United States and the United Kingdom. There are differences and similarities of pressure groups activity features in these countries, and the aim of this paper is to analyze and compare the roles played by pressure groups in U.K. and U.S. politics. The paper will be referred to common trends of U.K. and U.S. pressure groups development, as well as specific organizations and their activities in the both countries. 2. The main difference between U.K. and U.S. pressure groups activities is that there are more such groups in the United States than in the United Kingdom. ... So, pressure groups features in Great Britain are determined by its political system. One more feature of U.K. pressure groups activity is that groups and parties in Great Britain cannot influence governmental policy so much as in the United States because of partial secretiveness of the British political system, and the range of pressure groups is not so widely presented as in the USA with their constitutional and more democratic traditions. Some of the most powerful British sectional pressure groups (groups which present interests of some sections of the population) are the National Union of Teachers, Trades Union Congress, the Confederation of British Industry, the Nation Farmer's Union and some others. There are also promotional pressure groups in U.K. politics. These groups are fighting for real aims, and they can consist as well of small amount of members as great amount. The examples of such groups are Liberty and Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), but their influence on British political parties and governmental decisions is limited unlike such groups in U.S. political life. One of the reasons of this situation is that the British government is not so fragmented and decentralized as that of the United States where the policy of federalism is prevailed. So, "in the early 1980s over 250,000 supporters of CND marched in London on several occasions. Despite this show of popular support, CND failed to influence the government's defense policy" (What are promotional pressure groups). As was mentioned before, pressure groups in the political process of the United Kingdom provide wide developing of democratic processes and allow public opinion to be heard. Political parties in Great Britain cannot represent the

Confederate Government Complicity in the Assassination of Abraham Research Proposal

Confederate Government Complicity in the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln - Research Proposal Example Among the authors who have substantively dealt with this issue is William Hanchet who states that like in any crime where the perpetrator is not appropriately tried or punished, there are a lot of conspiracy theories that came forth concerning the murder of Lincoln.3 Fingers have been pointed at the Vatican, the confederate Government and Lincoln’s own cabinet on the issue of the murder4. In analyzing the issues surrounding such a historical event, it is important to state what the known facts are before delving into the unknown. The assassination United States President Abraham Lincoln was carried out on the 14th of April, 1865, by John Wilkes Booth who was a renowned actor at the time. This was the first in a subsequent long list of assassinations of United States Presidents. On the fateful day, Lincoln was seated inside the presidential booth at the Ford’s Theatre in Washington watching a play Our American Cousin. With him in the box was his wife Mary who witnessed t he assassination. Booth sneaked into the box and shot the president from behind. He subsequently made good his escape even though he was challenged and nearly captured by Major Henry Rathbone who was in the President’s party to the show5. ... In fact, he shouted in Latin â€Å"Sic semper tyrannis!† which was the motto of the Virginia state that meant: Thus always to tyrants. However, the entire plan that booth and his two associates Lewis Powell and George Atzerodt did not materialize after the latter two failed to assassinate Secretary of State William Seward and Vice President Andrew Johnson respectively. Powell managed to wound Seward but Atzerodt totally freaked out of the plan6. The purpose of this research is to find out to which extent if at all the Confederates were responsible for the plan to assassinate President Lincoln. The Hypothesis here is that the assassination of Lincoln was solely the work individual extremist fanatics inspired by the lost Confederate cause. Background By April 1865, the Civil War was nearing a historic crossroads. With the surrender of Lee’s badly mauled army, a rising chorus of voices from inside and outside of Confederate government called for a radical change of tactics . Members of President Jefferson Davis’ cabinet and a core group of army officers proposed a guerilla campaign, to be based in the wilds of western Virginia. Others favored a direct strike at the heart of the federal government, a bold and destabilizing gesture aimed at bringing the Union to its knees in on stroke.To that end, the Confederate government conceived a plan to kidnap Abraham Lincoln to force the Union to free Confederate prisoners of war. This scheme never came to fruition but does call into question whether, and to what extent, the Confederate administration may have been involved in Lincoln’s assassination.7 To be sure, Davis and key members of his government had conceived of, and funded, an initiative aimed at striking the Union beyond the battlefield, an initiative that

The cause of Japan's nuclear pollution and afluences on environment Essay

The cause of Japan's nuclear pollution and afluences on environment - Essay Example This meant that Japan joined the United States and other countries interested in the utilization of nuclear power for the economic benefits and promotion of peace. Most importantly, the atoms for peace movement served to highlight the alternative uses of nuclear power contrary to what had existed previously. Prior to these initiatives, nuclear power was of central interest in the development of nuclear weapons. Over the years, Japan has established numerous nuclear plants and has benefited from them immensely. Worth noting is the fact that the country has over 50 reactors, which contributed to about 30% of the county’s electricity supplies. Japan has to invest in alternative energy sources such as nuclear power because it imports over 84% of its energy. The country has established policies that govern the utilization of nuclear power. However, investing in nuclear power poses numerous risks to the environment. The case of Fukushima is an evident illustration of the nuclear pol lution that took place in Japan. This paper will discuss the causes of Japan’s nuclear pollution as well as the effects on the environment. As highlighted above, Japan has invested immensely in developing nuclear power research stations. The main purpose of indulging in research as well as establishing numerous radioactive reactors was to develop energy solutions for the country. The potential of nuclear power and energy cannot receive any form of underestimation. The developed world has often regarded nuclear power as the basis of the future energy supply (Evangeliou et al 351). With the increasing overdependence on nonrenewable energy sources, countries such as the United States as well as Japan have focused on developing alternative energy sources from nuclear power. Japan has established policies that define its ventures in the development of nuclear power (Hayashi,

Cattle Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cattle Industry - Essay Example Cattle are raised in three phases before it is processed. Calves are first raised on pasture and raised land. They are then sold to a stock feeder who builds them around nine hundred to thousand pounds by allowing them to feed on pasture, crop residue and range land and finally go to feedlots where they are fattened with high-protein feed for slaughter. At the slaughterhouse the carcass is divided into â€Å"cuts†. Earlier the sides of beef would go to wholesalers but now disassembly occurs at the plant itself. After slaughter one portion goes directly to the wholesalers who distribute to institutional users or grocery stores. The grocery chains are directly linked to the packers. Another portion goes for processing into hot dogs or sausages or other forms of meat. It is then canned or frozen for further consumption. The bacterial count has to be kept low while storing so that spoilage is minimum. This is done through plant cleanliness, careful slaughter procedures and keeping temperatures low so that bacteria multiply at a low rate. Transportation is done in refrigerated trucks and spoilage and distribution too has become easy due to vertical integration of firms that deal with packed food. The links in the commodity chain have reduced as even restaurant chains are forming tighter linkages with packers, feedlots and stock feeders.

Jehovah Witnessess feelings about receiving blood and how it should be Research Paper

Jehovah Witnessess feelings about receiving blood and how it should be handled with a minor child in a life or death situation - Research Paper Example The insistence of Jehovahs Witness parents in refusing blood transfusions for their children can be viewed in the larger context of alternative religious beliefs and their effect on medical treatment. Many people in contemporary society are guided by religious beliefs which prohibit them from accessing medical care in favor of spiritual healing (Catalano, 2010, p. 157). Whilst adults have the right to refuse medical treatment, their behavior becomes controversial when they refuse medical treatment for their ill children (Catalano, 2010, p. 157). The decision to refuse medical treatment to children may necessitate intervention by the State in cases when children suffer from serious illnesses (Catalano, 2010, p. 157). Many Constitutional issues are raised by this situation, such as religious freedom, the right to privacy, and fundamental liberty issues related to parenting (Catalano, 2010, p. 157). In such cases the Courts are forced to decide between the religious liberty of the paren ts and the States interest in protecting the lives of minors (Catalano, 2010, p. 158). This matter if particularly controversial because no matter what the outcome of, somebodys rights are infringed (Catalano, 2010, p. 158). In some cases government intervention is secured too late and the childs life is lost (Catalano, 2010, p. 158). Between 1975 and 1995, 172 children died because they were denied medical care for religious reasons (Catalano, 2010, p. 158). The State must balance the interests of religious parents and their innocent children, respecting the welfare and autonomy of both parties. A fundamental concern of the state is the protection of the welfare of children, one for which it may intervene when it is absolutely necessary (Catalano, 2010, p. 159). Despite this fundamental concern, the United States gives parents ample autonomy to raise their children in the