Assignment #1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

#1 - Assignment Example In addition, the efforts put by the government during the period also made citizens appreciate institutions in general. The article is of the assumption that since the terrorist attack the society perception of the social circles and institutions has never changed. In the article The Strange Disappearance of Civil America, the American population is created with an image that depicts its ignorance on social relationships. Different from ancient American social setting, the modern day society do not value the significance of creating social relationships. Putman acknowledges this trend to numerous factors that derail persons from participating in social activities (2). For instance, the author cites the increased role of women, economic constraints, family acquaintances and technologically based distractions. According to Putman the trend is growing (10). Children are more inclined to television and other technological advances thus ignoring the importance of social circles. With society preferences changing to suit more personal needs, the traditional social setting would never be embraced by the modern

Marketing and Starbucks Essay Example for Free

Marketing and Starbucks Essay 1.0 Introduction: The Starbucks Corporation was founded by three entrepreneurs at the place called Seattle in 1971. Initially they were selling of whole bean coffee in one Seattle store and by the year 1982 the business had grown tremendously and has opened five stores selling the coffee beans, a roasting facility, and a wholesale business for local restaurants. When the Starbucks started its business it was only a small retail coffee shop as like the other coffee shops. The main vision of the Starbucks owners was to educate customers about the fine coffees and feel the smell of the Dark roasted coffee, selling just the coffee was not their aim as the coffee was sold in the USA since 1960s (Starbucks case study). Howard Schultz was recruited as the manager of retail and marketing and it was Howard who brought new ideas to the owners, but he was turned down. Schultz in turn opened his own coffee bar was named Il Giornale in 1986 based on Italian coffee cafes, selling brewed Starbucks coffee. By 1987, Schultz had expanded to three coffee bars and bought Starbucks from the original owners for $4 million and changed the name of his coffee bars from Il Giornale to Starbucks. His intention for the company was to grow slowly with a very solid foundation. For the first two years, Starbucks losses doubled as overhead and operating expenses increased with Starbucks expansion. Schultz stood his ground and did not sacrifice long term integrity and values for short-term profit. By 1991, Starbucks sales increased by 84% and the company were out of debt. Starbucks grew to 20 stores by 1988. By 1996 it grew to 870 stores with plans to open 2000 stores by the year 2000. 2.0 Marketing stategyof Starbuks: Marketing strategy is carrying out segmentation, targeting and positioning. Doing the detailed understanding of the marketplace into strategic decisions and the targeting of appropriate customer groups. This targeting should emphasise on any differential advantages and adopt a suitable positioning within the target segments (Dibb and Simkin, 1996). Starbucks has adopted a Differentiation strategy it is a strategy which seeks to provide product or service that offer benefits and should be different from competitors that are widely valued by customers. The aim this strategy is to achieve advantage by offering better products or services at same or higher price. When Starbucks was launched there were many coffee bars in the United States at that time but Starbucks wanted to stand unique from the others. Marketing has powerful potential to contribute to the highly important aspects of the organisational competitiveness, namely innovation (Kerin, 1992) and competitive analysis (Varadarajan, 1992) and Schulz wanted to innovate and recreate the experience of the Italian coffee bar culture. Starbucks mainly focused on the strategy of new products, a stronger connection with the customers as the Third place and expanding store locations in the United States and abroad. Starbucks has followed the simple STP process (Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning). 2.1 Segmentation: Market Segmentation is a process of dividing a market into distinct groups of buyers with different needs, characteristics, or behaviour that might require separate products or marketing programs is called Market Segmentation (Kotler and Armstrong, 2006). Initially Starbucks was based as a Socio-Economic segmentation base in consumer Markets as it has concentrated on social class particularly the business class people those who are working at the office and wanted to have a cup of coffee with a good atmosphere and facilities. Starbucks also had segmented his market by geographic and demographically by selecting the store location where they can find the educated and coffee lovers (Dibb and Simkin, 1996). 2.2Targeting: After a company has defined market segments, it can enter one or many segments of a given market and should make decision about how many and which customer groups to target (Dibb and Simkin, 1996). Target Marketing is a process of evaluating each market segments attractiveness and selecting one or more segments to enter (Kotler and Armstrong, 2006). The concept of target marketing is a logical implication of the basic philosophy of marketing (Lancaster and Massingham, 1993). A company should target segments in which it can profitably generate the greatest customer value and sustain it overtime. Starbucks wanted to develop a reputable relationship with the customers, Most of companies enter in a new market y serving a single segment, and if this proves successful than they add more segments, initially Starbucks did the same thing targeted the parents with the young children and it was hit concept and it has added more segments by including Teenagers and developed its product range also (Kotler and Armstrong, 2006). 2.3 Positioning: Once the company has decided which market segments to enter it should decide what positions it wants to occupy in those segments. Market Positioning is arranging for a product to occupy clear, distinctive, and desirable place relative to competing products in the minds of target customers. A products position is the place that the product occupies relative to competitors in consumers minds. Here in this case the Starbucks has developed a unique market position for their products because if a product is to be exactly same like the others on the market than consumers would have no reason to buy it. Starbucks has positioned themselves in the market as a highly reputed brand (Kotler and Armstrong, 2006). In this case Starbucks has planned his positioning in such a way that it distinguish their products from competing brands and give them the greatest strategic advantage in their target markets. Starbucks has a descriptively simple statement to inspire and nurture the human spirit-one person, one cup, and one neighbourhood at a time. Starbucks positioning strategy was customer base so that it can give the best service more than what the customers expect. Starbucks has gained a competitive advantage over customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction as Starbucks had developed its positioning strategy based on the customer and provided the utmost facility in terms of layout, furniture to the music, and in terms of employee satisfaction Starbucks make employee as a partners and gave them a personal security with a freedom to participate in the every decision of the business and make it successful (Porter Miller, 1985, Porter, 1998). 3.0 Developing Marketing Mix: One of the major concepts in the modern marketing is once the company has decided its overall marketing strategy than it should plan the details of the marketing mix. Marketing mix is the set of controllable, tactical marketing tools (product, price, place, and promotion) that the firm blends to produce the response it wants in the target market (Kotler and Armstrong, 2006). Starbucks has a made good decisions on marketing mix tools 3.1 Product: Product means the goods and services combination the company offers to the target market. Starbucks has used Brand name, Quality, Variety and Services as their Product tool which can be concluded by this statement, Starbucks with a good Brand name provides best Quality and with the Variety of Products, it has adopted Quality improvement strategy (Kotler and Keller, 2009). Initially Starbucks started with the coffee than it has included non-fat milk, cold blended beverages. Later on stated seasonal offerings such as strawberry and cream Frappuccino, gingerbread latte with some food items like cookies and pastries. Before launching the products Starbucks was getting the approval of the customers. 3.2 Price: Price is the amount of money customers have to pay to obtain the product. Though the Price of the Starbucks was higher than the other coffee shops, the customers were ready to pay the amount because Starbucks has developed a luxurious image with all the facilities inside the store. Starbucks as a good Brand have offered more benefits and facilities and the best quality of products to justify their higher prices (Kotler et al, 2006). 3.3 Distribution and Service: Starbucks has a good distribution channels initially it was selling coffee beans and doing wholesale business for local restaurants. In terms of service and location Starbucks opened the stores in a such a way that it can reach to targeted customers and it has also gave more stress on giving the best customer service by spending a lot of money by training its employees (Starbucks case study). 3.4 Promotion: Starbucks initially did not use the advertising tool for promotion but it was the Public relations and the Personal selling tool that helped the Starbucks to achieve its target

Forbidden Knowledge in Digging for China :: Digging for China

Searching for Forbidden Knowledge in Digging for China In Richard Wilbur's poem, "Digging for China", he writes, " 'Far enough down is China,' somebody said. 'Dig deep enough and you might see the sky as clear as at the bottom of a well.'" (Lines 1-3) Wilbur was suggesting to his readers that if one looks at the world in a different way, they could find a totally different place. We can see this concept when we explore Wilbur's poem as a whole piece. He is talking about finding a paradise in one's backyard. He emphasizes a lot about prayer, and looking harder and digging deeper for this other world. He warns his readers that they must not loose the rest of their life by trying to change one thing. When we, the readers, break apart Wilbur's poem, we find the continuous acknowledgement of religion. The person in the poem works day and night trying to reach China. He/she was on hands and knees trying to dig this hole. "It was a sort of praying, I suspect." (Lines 12-13) This person is realizing that they have to look other places for their "paradise" they are trying to find, so they look to God. When they do this, they are covered in brightness. Wilbur uses the word "palls" to express this idea. The true definition is a black velvet cover that drapes over a coffin. If the person wouldn't have looked to God in prayer, then their "paradise" would be covered in this darkness, rather than the brightness they found. Another word that Wilbur used in reference to prayer was "paten". A paten is a plate that the Eucharist is carried on. The Eucharist is the body of Christ; his life. In the poem, the life that the person was looking for was growing before them, but they were still looking into the hole. The person then begins to realize that they are looking in the wrong place. We see this when Wilbur writes, "my eyes where tired of looking into darkness, my sunbaked head of hanging down a hole." (Lines 18-19) They realize that this idea of their "paradise" is taking away from their life and that they must take their head out of the darkness that it has caused. Wilbur brings up the sun because it shows that the person is coming back to consciousness.

Quebec Essay -- Quebec Profound Nationalism, Sovereignty

The reaction to a majority vote in Quebec and their subsequent succession. Quebec has struggled with a need to be maitres chez nous â€Å"masters of their own house† (Young, 1998). Many attempts at resolving Quebec's issues has resulted in tensions from both sides. Because Quebec has a strong national identity, and do not define themselves as strictly Canadian, Quebec is seen as difficult, unyielding and discontented. Quebec's separation perhaps is inedible and the future of Canada questionable. Canada without Quebec will bring about many complications and whether there is a rest of Canada (ROC) after Quebec a major challenge. Western alienation and the lack of representation in federal affairs will be a factor; moreover, past actions and historical events may have turned Canada into a time bomb, and the deterioration of the provinces the only sulotion. How First Ministers react to Quebec's sovereignty regarding economic factors, political structure, and constitutional issues will be of great importance. Whether emotional issues will play a major r ole in decision making is subjective; however, it is fair to say that it will be an emotionally charged event and it could either tear apart the ROC or fuse it together. Placing emphasis on investigating what keeps Canada together is perhaps the key to Canada's future, and salvaging a relationship with Quebec. To decide what to do after Quebec separates, First Ministers and the ROC, must first look at why it happened. Perhaps Quebec's profound nationalism and unique national identity conflicted with citizens in the ROC; in order to gain understanding of their decision the ROC must look at Quebec's past. Quebec was not always treated fairly nor where they given many rights in regards t... ... A successful strategy in the accommodation of national minorities within a liberal democracy could be founded upon mutual trust, recognition and sound financial arrangements. However, a certain degree of tension between central and regional institutions may remain as a constant threat in this complex relationship since they entertain opposing aims. The federal governments determination to protect its territorial integrity, and its will to foster a single national identity among its citizens clashes with Quebec’s wish to be recognized as a separate nation and decide upon its political destiny and to foster its distinct identity (Guibernau pg.72). Moreover, if the ROC and the federal government can come to an agreement on terms that satisfy the majority and an identity that encompasses the heart of a country; Canada will continue to exist with or without Quebec.

Needs to qualify for a scholarship Essay

There are hundreds of young people, students who do not have the luxury of going to school and providing for essentials needed to get a decent education. Although there a many grants and scholarships offered to outstanding students which will shoulder their educational expenses, admittedly, the competition is stiff among them. Thus, an aspiring scholar must have an edge over other students who are also vying for the much coveted scholarships. I am one of these aspiring scholars who want to obtain support and funding for my education since I am not as fortunate as other students who have all the financial resources available to them. I believe that my perseverance and determination in finishing my education is the utmost reason why I should be granted a scholarship. It is true that the primary requisite for a scholarship grant is that the scholar must be at the top of his class and very brilliant. See more: how to write a scholarship essay But if we only consider this as the basis for granting a student a scholarship, then it is unfortunate that there will be many students who will be deprived of getting this kind of grant. I am proud to say that I am very diligent and that because of this diligence, I am quite confident that if given the chance to have that scholarship I will be able to keep the scholarship grant. Moreover, I am also a morally upright individual who believes that my interaction and relationship with other people must also reflect my personality, hence, I treat other people in the way that I expect myself to be treated too. The brilliance of an individual should not be the sole basis of granting him a scholarship grant since brilliance can be toppled by diligence too. My diligence and perseverance has brought me this far and I believe that if I will be granted this scholarship, it will take me further to my next journey. The scholarship grant is my passport for a better life – a life that can only be achieved through a decent and quality education which so far has been elusive.

Hamlet themes essays

Hamlet themes essays There are many themes throughout The Merchant of Venice; one is the discrepancy between love and wealth. The suitors and their pick of caskets serve as a good example. Each suitor is given the choice to discover the portrait of Portia from one of three boxes: gold, silver, and lead. The two suitors prior to Bassanio choose the caskets of the more precious metals and are unsuccessful because the scroll clearly states, You that choose by the view, chance as fair and choose as true. When it comes times for Bassanio to pick a casket, he picks the least precious one. Selecting this one makes it apparent that Bassanio is choosing his love for Portia, rather than her wealth. Consequently, this is also shown through the relationship of Jessica and her father Shylock. It is made apparent that Shylock is too concerned with his money, rather than his daughter. When Shylock hears news of his daughters marriage he comes out saying, "My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter!...My ducats and my daughter." By saying this, he puts his daughter and his money on the same level and shows off his nebulous values. Interestingly though, Jessica feels the opposite about her father. She is ashamed to have exchanged her love and loyalty to her father for the love of a Christian, Lorenzo. Also, Shylock does not like music and believes people who do should not be trusted. When Jessica says, I am never merry when I hear sweet music, this statement indicates that music has made her think of her father and reflect upon her own actions. Therefore, in Jessicas case theres love but in Shylocks case there is love versus wealth. On the other hand, another theme in this writing is friendship, which goes through a few different pairs of characters. Ironically, the play opens with friendship, friendship is an important aspect in the trial scene, and the play ends indicating what friendship will do. Tubal is ...

Candelo Review essays

Candelo Review essays Because it was possible we had all been lying. Not just he and I. But all of us. To each other and to ourselves (p. 93). Within Candelo, many major events are shrouded by lies and the unwillingness to tell the truth. In fact moral truth is at the heart of this book, which describes Ursula's attempt to set a direction for herself on which right and wrong are clearly distinguished. This is explored through her relationships with her lover, her ex-lover, and with the family that is so much a presence in her life. Ursula is endeavoring to deal with present dilemmas and also with the residue of a past that has never really been resolved. Ultimately it is this unwillingness to tell the truth throughout the novel that affects the inability of many characters to live normal, well-balanced lives. As the novel progresses, Ursulas guilt concerning the events that occurred at Candelo when she was fourteen is revealed, and she must confront not only her own actions, but those of each of the people closest to home: her mother Vi, brother Simon and father Bernard. She is also forced to ask herself what Mitchell really meant to her, and how he influenced all their lives. The consequences of lying for Ursula run quite deep and she has immense difficulty throughout the novel, in defining the important as opposed to the merely momentary issues in her own life. She has reacted against her mother's call for integrity and honesty at all costs, and her father's chronic lying, by making her life a series of half-truths and deception. She justifies this trait within herself by observing similar fabrications in others when she says These are the lies I tell. These are the lies most people tell (p. 35). However she is increasingly troubled by the question of what really constitutes a petty lie and what comprises an important one when she states My mother, Violetta, has always believed that there is a divi...

6 Kinds of Simple Machines

6 Kinds of Simple Machines Work is performed by applying a force over a distance. These six simple machines create a greater output force than the input force; the ratio of these forces is the mechanical advantage of the machine. All six of the simple machines listed here have been used for thousands of years, and the physics behind several of them were quantified by the Greek philosopher Archimedes (ca. 287–212Â  BCE). When combined, these machines can be used together to create an even greater mechanical advantage, as in the case of a bicycle. Lever A lever is a simple machine that consists of a rigid object (often a bar of some kind) and a fulcrum (or pivot). Applying a force to one end of the rigid object causes it to pivot about the fulcrum, causing a magnification of the force at another point along the rigid object. There are three classes of levers, depending on where the input force, output force, and fulcrum are in relation to each other. The earliest lever was in use as a balance scale by 5000 BCE; Archimedes is credited with saying Give me a place to stand and I will move the earth. Baseball bats, seesaws, wheelbarrows, and crowbars are all types of levers. Wheel Axle A wheel is a circular device that is attached to a rigid bar in its center. A force applied to the wheel causes the axle to rotate, which can be used to magnify the force (by, for example, having a rope wind around the axle). Alternately, a force applied to provide rotation on the axle translates into rotation of the wheel. It can be viewed as a type of lever that rotates around a center fulcrum. The earliest wheel and axle combination known was a toy model of a four-wheeled cart made in Mesopotamia about 3500 BCE. Ferris wheels, tires, and rolling pins are examples of wheels and axles. Inclined Plane An inclined plane is a plane surface set at an angle to another surface. This results in doing the same amount of work by applying the force over a longer distance. The most basic inclined plane is a ramp; it requires less force to move up a ramp to a higher elevation than to climb to that height vertically. No one invented the inclined plane since it occurs naturally in nature, but people used ramps to build large buildings (monumental architecture) as early as 10,000–8,500Â  BCE. Archimedess On Plane Equilibrium describes the centers of gravity for various geometrical plane figures. Wedge The wedge is often considered a double inclined plane- both sides are inclined- that moves to exert a force along the lengths of the sides. The force is perpendicular to the inclined surfaces, so it pushes two objects (or portions of a single object) apart. Axes, knives, and chisels are all wedges. The common door wedge uses the force on the surfaces to provide friction, rather than separate things, but its still fundamentally a wedge. The wedge is the oldest simple machine, made by our ancestors Homo erectus at least as long ago as 1.2 million years to make stone tools. Screw A screw is a shaft that has an inclined groove along its surface. By rotating the screw (applying a torque), the force is applied perpendicular to the groove, thus translating a rotational force into a linear one. It is frequently used to fasten objects together (as the hardware screw and bolt does). The Babylonians in Mesopotamia developed the screw in the 7th century BCE, to elevate water from a low-lying body to a higher one (irrigate a garden from a river). This machine would later to be known as Archimedes screw. Pulley A pulley is a wheel with a groove along its edge, where a rope or cable can be placed. It uses the principle of applying force over a longer distance, and also the tension in the rope or cable, to reduce the magnitude of the necessary force. Complex systems of pulleys can be used to greatly reduce the force that must be applied initially to move an object. Simple pulleys were used by the Babylonians in the 7th century BCE; the first complex one (with several wheels) was invented by the Greeks about 400 BCE. Archimedes perfected the existing technology, making the first fully-realized block and tackle. Whats a Machine? The first use of the word machine (machina) in Greek was by the ancient Greek poet Homer in the 8th century BCE, who used it to refer to political manipulation. The Greek playwright Aeschylus (523–426 BCE) is credited with using the word in reference to theatrical machines such as the deus ex machina or god from a machine. This machine was a crane that brought actors playing gods onto the stage. Sources and Further Reading Bautista Paz, Emilio, et al. A Brief Illustrated History of Machines and Mechanisms. Dordrecht, Germany: Springer, 2010. Print.Ceccarelli, Marco. Contributions of Archimedes on Mechanics and Design of Mechanisms. Mechanism and Machine Theory 72 (2014): 86–93. Print.Chondros, Thomas G. Archimedes Life Works and Machines. Mechanism and Machine Theory 45.11 (2010): 1766–75. Print.PIsano, Raffaele, and Danilo Capecchi. On Archimedean Roots in Torricellis Mechanics. The Genius of Archimedes: 23 Centuries of Influence on Mathematics, Science, and Engineering. Eds. Paipetis, Stephans A. and Marco Ceccarelli. Proceedings of an International Conference Held at Syracuse, Italy, June 8–10, 2010. Dordrecht, Germany: Springer, 2010. 17–28. Print.Waters, Shaun, and George A. Aggidis. Over 2000 Years in Review: Revival of the Archimedes Screw from Pump to Turbine. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 51 (2015): 497–505. Print.

European History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

European History - Essay Example In order to better explain how Orwell changed his view of the Spanish Revolution, this essay will discuss the Spanish Revolution and its manifestations among the civilian and military populations, how Orwell and other political groups viewed the Spanish Revolution at different stages, and how Orwell’s own peculiar biases may have affected his ultimate conclusions. As a preliminary matter, in order to define the Spanish Revolution properly, it is necessary to place it in its historical context. In many ways, the revolution was unexpected by the governing elite; indeed, the Spanish military had calculated that a military coup against the Republican elite would be effective in quelling domestic dissent and reestablishing a firmer sense of order for the civilian population. The political atmosphere was especially tense. What happened instead of a smoothly executed coup was a breaking apart of the country; more specifically, anarchists, communists, and those with socialist leanings mobilized against the military rebels while simultaneously rejecting Republican rule. The immediate result was a decentralization of power in many parts of Spain, particularly in areas influenced by the anarchists. The Spain that Orwell wrote about in Homage to Catalonia, therefore, was a Spain in which different areas of the country were held by the Republicans, by the military Nationals, and by the anarchists. Catalonia, the main subject of Orwell’s work, was firmly in control of the anarchists and like-minded groups. The manifestations were rapid and pervasive; as noted by Orwell, for instance, it was surprising how quickly the common workers had taken control of Barcelona. He described this initial sense of transformation by noting that â€Å"It was the first time that I had ever been in a town where the working class was in the saddle† (1.8). This simple statement assumes much meaning given the fact

Shareholders Enjoy Growth at Dick's Sporting Goods Assignment - 30

Shareholders Enjoy Growth at Dick's Sporting Goods - Assignment Example As the paper outlines, one of the key successes of Dick's Sporting Goods is the fact that products are stocked according to a local area's seasons. This can reduce costs, which in turn the company can pass onto the customers in the form of cheaper yet high-quality products. Another reason why business has flourished is that Ed Stack has placed key emphasis on the customer experience. For any business that is struggling to establish itself in the marketplace, developing strong relationships with customers is one of the few things that can be controlled. There are so many other variables that can change depending on different factors, but being nice and courteous to customers is something that is attainable. Ed Stack has realized this and the result has been that many repeat customers have been created.  The reason why rapid growth can sometimes be a bad thing for a company is that it has not prepared to expand business operations. Few experts can predict when a company will take off , so when it does it often happens by surprise. This causes the firm to adjust its strategic goals and objectives, and sometimes it does not have long enough to accurately form these. Another reason why rapid growth is not such a good idea is that expenses tend to rise faster than revenue, creating a short-term loss. While this may not prove to be fatal to a company, it can mean that the company has to secure external financing in order to break even and doing this can strain company finances and resources. It is often the case that steady growth is better than rapid growth for the long term because the company can adapt its strategies at a pace that keeps up with the company's growth. Trying to accomplish this feat when the company is expanding rapidly is difficult to do because simple mistakes can cause damage to the company in the long term.

Methods of research that warrant the use of qualitative research Essay

Methods of research that warrant the use of qualitative research methods in Criminal Justice - Essay Example Qualitative research is deemed as the more superior way with which to conduct important and meaningful research in the field of criminal justice/security management. Qualitative research methods provide several advantages which enhance the intensity of understanding with regard to the operations of justice system; criminals and crime as well as allowing for data processing that supersedes statistically oriented conclusions arrived at through the use of quantitative research methods. This mainly because of the difference in information due to the means of data collection applied, data analysis which generally provides a wealth of information on subjects being studied. Knowledge gained therein provides more information, is richer and allows for more concrete understanding. In this paper, I intend to discuss and analyze the types of research that warrant the use of qualitative methods in criminal justice/security management research.... myriad of intellectual techniques so as to effectively and efficiently facilitate for the organization, management, analysis and interpretation of data collected. Researchers in criminal justice/ security management use qualitative research which accords them the challenge to look for meaningful ways with which the acquired data can be produce workable trends and patterns required for meaningful research (Copes, Brown & Tewksbury, 2011). It is important to note that there are of course generally accepted guidelines in qualitative research which offer guidance as to how researchers can apply qualitative data information, actual tasks, and undertakings of data and information gathering, analysis as well as interpretation while ensuring an acceptable degree of innovativeness and creativity. Data collected and applied in qualitative research is sourced from a variety of data collection methods. These types include individual interviews, observing people, social interactions and place, an alysis of various forms of media, content guided conversations with regard to focus groups and personal engagements with respects to research sample settings in an effort to better understand how, where, when and what social interactions and social structures affect criminal justice/security management research studies (Copes, Brown & Tewksbury, 2011). Each and every one of these types of data collection differ, more so with the source and origin of data as well as in the means with which researchers carry out real time tasks towards the collection of raw data while also comparing these with similar and regularly realized events things and or situations. Interviews Interviews are in a nutshell structured conversations carried out by researchers with individual members of society in an

Imagine yourself in a different century and describe an average day in Assignment

Imagine yourself in a different century and describe an average day in your life - Assignment Example The handle can know how much force is required to lift an object. This was fascinating! As time moved by, the lab became my new home; I loved every independent project there. How I wish I could get access to such stuffs often. No single day passes without me passing by the game park, to watch the remaining species of birds and enjoy the relaxing sound of the three waterfalls. Can there be robotic birds, waterfalls, and trees? I bet not. And maybe never! While appreciating technological prowess, I have developed compassion with nature! I want to protect it because most robotic machines rely on command language. They can end up destroying naturally existing creatures. This must have been a good observation for today I guess! Who really thinks in such a direction? As I head home in the evening, I pass by the vendor machine to pick a cold drink! I sit quietly on a bench nearby to enjoy my drink. Do I love children again? How I wish I could join them in riding their robotic toy vehicles! Unfortunately I cannot because I am past that age! My eyes are left to admire and enjoy their

Creat a one page course participation and self-assessment Essay

Creat a one page course participation and self-assessment - Essay Example It was also interesting to consider the various countries of Egypt, China, and India and the important geographical features of each. I also stopped to consider the religions unique to each of these lands. Religion seems to divide us today, but it is certainly meant to unify. I wonder if religion was such a divisive issue back during these ancient times. As we moved in Chapter 2 and looked at the ancient Mediterranean, I found myself wanting to travel there. This is a region so steep in history. Not only this, but this history seems alive today. The food in Greece, for example, is so unique and has been around for centuries. It would be great to travel there, see the ancient buildings, and walk on the very streets that people centuries before me had walked. It was equally valuable to learn a bit more about the religious customs associated with this region. They are so different from Egypt, China, and India, yet they are traditional beliefs that have been passed down from generation to generation as well. I had never really considered all of the different customs and rituals associated with Judaism and Christianity. I suppose many of these are still practiced today and it would be great to travel to the Mediterranean region of the world and experience up

Imagine yourself in a different century and describe an average day in Assignment

Imagine yourself in a different century and describe an average day in your life - Assignment Example The handle can know how much force is required to lift an object. This was fascinating! As time moved by, the lab became my new home; I loved every independent project there. How I wish I could get access to such stuffs often. No single day passes without me passing by the game park, to watch the remaining species of birds and enjoy the relaxing sound of the three waterfalls. Can there be robotic birds, waterfalls, and trees? I bet not. And maybe never! While appreciating technological prowess, I have developed compassion with nature! I want to protect it because most robotic machines rely on command language. They can end up destroying naturally existing creatures. This must have been a good observation for today I guess! Who really thinks in such a direction? As I head home in the evening, I pass by the vendor machine to pick a cold drink! I sit quietly on a bench nearby to enjoy my drink. Do I love children again? How I wish I could join them in riding their robotic toy vehicles! Unfortunately I cannot because I am past that age! My eyes are left to admire and enjoy their

Accounting-IFRS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Accounting-IFRS - Essay Example This difference between the IFRS and the GAAP is the core of other differences between the two standards. A major difference between the two standards is the way revenue is recognized. The GAAP has more extensive guidelines on revenue recognition compared to the IFRS. The IFRS has two standards of dealing with revenue recognition while the GAAP provides several concepts as well as detailed rules to deal with revenue recognition in different industries. The IFRS requires revenue to be recognized when it is likely that the benefits associated with a transaction can be traced to the entity and quantified reliably. In contrasts, the GAAP provides criterion for determinable or fixed pricing in revenue recognition. In this case revenue cannot be recognized until the amount of the revenue is ascertained. This implies that under the IFRS revenue that is not of a set amount is recognized earlier as compared to the GAAP (Erchinger, and Winfried 124). Another point of difference between the two standards is in relation to financial assets. The IFRS only provides two standards to deal with financial assets while the GAAP has extensive guidelines that apply in various industries. While the IFRS classifies assets into various categories, the GAAP classifies financial assets into pronouncements. The GAAP looks into the legal form of the entity while classifying financial assets while the IFRS considers the nature of the instrument. Financial asset classification is important as this affects income statements and the entities equity. Different classification of financial assets by the two standards can significantly affect the amount in the entity‘s financial statements. There is also a major difference in the manner the two standards treat intangible assets. While the GAAP does not allow for capitalization of internally incurred costs related to development, the IFRS allows for this capitalization when certain criteria are met. In relation to asset impairment, the IFRS

Music theatre history Essay Example for Free

Music theatre history Essay Miss Saigon is the tenth-longest running Broadway Musical in music theatre history, according to Hernandez (2009). Such was its success that it has toured all over the world since its opening day in April 1991 (Broadway Musical Home n. d. ). The plot of the play is simple enough, a Marine fell in love with a young Vietnamese call girl while in Vietnam, serving in the Vietnam war (Music Theatre International n. d. ). He fathers her child but does not discover it until a few years later when he has another family from coming back to America (Music Theatre International n. d. ). In the play, he was forced to choose between his legal wife and the woman he loves (Music Theatre International n. d. ). The composer of the songs in the musical is Claude-Michel Schonberg, the lyricists are Alain Boubil and Richard Maltby Jr. and the librettists are Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boubil (Broadway Musical Home n. d. ). My experience Over a decade ago, I was fortunate enough to watch a production of Miss Saigon on Broadway with the original casts. These casts were: Hinton Battle, Barry K. Bernal, Liz Callaway, Kam Cheng, Willy Falk, Jonathan Pryce, Lea Salonga. I understand that Salonga and Pryce are Olivier and Tony award winners for their performances as Kim (the Vietnamese girl) and the Engineer (the pimp) for this musical. Back then, I was so overwhelmed by the production. I thought the cast was fantastic; Salonga was so good, so very convincing as Kim. She had such a powerful voice, constant and unwavering, so pleasant to listen to. I was perhaps 10 or 11 when I saw that original production on Broadway, and it was an amazing experience. At the time, I could not fully comprehend the seriousness of the issues being tackled in the script. I just knew I liked listening to the songs and I bought a CD to remember the play. When I was vacationing in Houston, Texas last February, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to see Miss Saigon again. I do not quite remember the Broadway actors who have played it, and to be honest, I have did not pay close attention, I simply wanted to see the reproduction of that Broadway play I remember from long ago. A quick search on Google tells me that this reproduction played at The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts was directed by Bruce Lumpkin. Kim, is played by Melinda Chua, Chris (the Marine) is played by Eric Kunze and Joseph Anthony plays the Engineer (BWW News Desk 2010). Having listened to the original cast’s CD of the play, the new cast fell short of the vocal prowess I have come to love. As such, I was underwhelmed by the casting and their singing despite their respective accomplishments in their craft. Salonga was just too strong a performer for me and her voice was perfect, in my opinion. The songs â€Å"Sun and Moon† and â€Å"Last Night of the World† did not have the certain charm they used to have with that reproduction’s performance. What I am thankful for for this reviewing is that I fully understand now what Miss Saigon is all about. I remember the story from memory and I knew it had a tragic ending. However, this second watching of the film helped open my eyes to the grave issues involved in the play. First, it talked about the horrors that war can do, especially to the innocent. Kim was orphaned because of the war and being an orphan forced her to work in a night club where all sorts of horror can be imagined. A third world country like Vietnam, would not miss the chance to serve the enemy for some good money. One particular scene that was intriguing for me was during the opening acts when the girls at the night club were competing to be Miss Saigon, the winner will be auctioned off to a Marine and the winner of such contest begged the Marine she was auctioned to to take her back to America, where she can live a better life. The Marine there refused. It shows how America is such the dream land for the third world country people. America that was their enemy in the war, who was killing their men in its continuous search for imperialism. Kim, in that night club met Chris, another Marine. Kim and Chris spent the night together, Chris was touched by the innocence of Kim and he tried to give her money so she can get away from the night club. Kim did not accept the money, even for her fee for spending a night with Chris. She was a virgin and she did not accept the money because, essentially she liked the experience and perhaps because she was developing feelings for Chris. Basically, Kim and Chris fell in love but Chris had to leave but before leaving he promised Kim that he will come back and marry her. This of course, did not happen because of a series of events that thwarted their love. Chris married another woman and before the play ended, he was forced to choose between Kim and his wife, he chose his wife. Kim committed suicide and such was the ending to this wonderful musical play. Such love story was poignant, evoking feelings of melancholy. References: BWW News Desk. (2010). TUTS Announces Their MISS SAIGON Cast, Show Opens 2/9. BroadwayWorld. com – Dallas. Retrieved 21 July 2010 from http://dallas.broadwayworld. com/article/TUTS_Announces_Their_MISS_SAIGON_Cast_Show_Opens_29_20100115 Broadway Musical Home. (n. d. ). Miss Saigon. Retrieved 21 July 2010 from http://www. broadwaymusicalhome. com/shows/misssaigon. htm Hernandez, E. (2009). Long Runs on Broadway. Playbill. com. Retrieved 21 July 2010 from http://www. playbill. com/celebritybuzz/article/75222-Long-Runs-on-Broadway Music Theater International. (n. d. ). Miss Saigon. Retrieved 21 July 2010 from http://www. mtishows. com/show_detail. asp? showid=000156

Karl Marx Notion Of Ideologies

Karl Marx Notion Of Ideologies This paper critically explores how Antonio Gramsci builds on Karl Marxs notion of ideology. It also compares Antonio Gramsci and Max Weber with regard to class, status and political party. The paper is organized on the major aspects and deficiencies of Marxist ideology which Gramsci builds on and as such, how Gramsci builds on Marxist ideology is based on: ideological basis, hegemony, historicism, class differences, historicism, materialistic theory of history and its concepts, Economic determinism, dialectic views, realism and modernism. The last sections of this paper focus on Gramsci and Weber with regard to class, status and political party. Antonio Gramsci work of the 19th century to a large extent was built on Marxist thinking about ideology and consciousness as it gave ideology (initially developed by Karl Marx ) a more active role in history and politics than in classical historical materialism. According to Gramsci, the proletariat is able to influence terms of its consciousness resulting in an extended struggle between bourgeoisie and proletariat regarding how the existing social reality is represented. He continues to suggest that the bourgeoisie in general exercises hegemony over the terms of ideology through its control of the consciousness and its instruments. However, according to Gramsci, the proletariat is able to exert its influence through cultural institutions initially mentioned above thus introducing major changes in classical ideological theories by denial of the subordinate class which is compared to the passive tool of dominant ideology. Gramsci uses the concept of hegemony which was previously used by Marxists to indicate the political influences of the working class in a democratic revolution. He develops this concept into an acute analysis to explain the reason for the socialist revolution predicted by orthodox Marxism not having occurred by the early 20th century. By developing on the Marxists concept, he suggests that capitalism remained entrenched than ever and it maintained control ideologically through a hegemonic culture and through violence, political and economic coercion. Therefore according to Gramsci, when a culture develops in which Marxists owners of the means of production identified their own good with the good of the bourgeoisie, and facilitated the maintenance of the status quo which Marxists attribute to class differences. Gramscis further builds on Marxists ideology of class differences by suggesting that for any aspiring class to dominate in modernism it has to go beyond its own economic-corporate interests, to exert intellectual and moral leadership, and to make alliances and compromises with a variety of forces, which he refers to as a historic bloc which forms the determinant to a particular social order that produces and re-produces the hegemony of the dominant class. This is built on Marxist ideology on the materialistic theory of history concept of relations of production in which he points out that the non owners of the means of production in order to produce a means of livelihood facilitate the economic dominance of the dominating class further creating class differences in society (p.33). Like Karl Marx, Gramsci was an ardent proponent of historicism. Gramscis view like Marxs points out that all meaning derives from the relation between human practical activities of which part is historical and social processes which are objective. He further builds on Marxs ideology by asserting that Ideas cannot be understood outside their social and historical context, apart from their function and origin. According to Gramsci, the basis of organization of knowledge of the world is not primarily derived from peoples relationship to things but between the social relations between the users of such concepts therefore the issue of unchanging human nature does not occur. He suggests that philosophy and science dont portray independence of man in reality but are only reliable if they express the real development trends of a given historical situation. This is further elucidated by the fact of Gramsci belief that Marxism was truthful socio-pragmatically because by articulating the class consciousness of the proletariat, it highlighted the truth of tits times better than any other theory. While criticizing Marxist capitalist forces of production, Gramsci builds his argument by claiming that the revolution in Russia had made the idea of socialist revolution awaiting the full development of capitalist forces of production invalid and he suggests that the primacy of the forces of production according to Marxists was a misconception because both economic and cultural changes are expressions of the basic historical process and none has primacy over the other. Therefore according to Gramsci, Marxism is a philosophy of praxis, and it cant depnd on historical laws which are not seen as the agents of social change. Gramscis inspiration is derived from Marx, but he expresses disagreement with Marxs focus on economic importance. According to Marx, the economy was predetermined through history and is a determinant of the rest of society (economic determinism) Building on this, Gramsci saw that the depiction of the superstructure (civil society), focused only on the economy and did not mention cultural realm as an important factor and is therefore negligent that culture has the ability to effect change. While Marx withheld negative perception that ideology was a distortion of what people perceive as reality that is achieved through the ruling classs ability who make their interests appear to be the interests of everyone, Gramsci, on the other hand, perceives ideology positively, and acknowledges many groups in society despite those based in class which compete with each other and have different perspectives. He calls the winning of consent as hegemony which operates through sustained reproduction o f ideology over a period of time till the perspectives of dominant groups are perceived to be legitimate and incase of absence of consent, it is through coercion to enforce dominance. According to Gramsci, consent is achieved through civil society (family, church, education system, and media). Marxs ideological concept regarding ideology was epistemological as it pointed out that ideology opposed knowledge which was grounded ion science and reasoning. According to Gramsci, people have two theoretical consciousnesses: one which is implicit in activity and another which is superficially explicit or verbal which is uncritically absorbed from the past. A large number of Gramscis theoretical concerns are almost similar and therefore built on the general questions of ideology and Marxist aesthetics, particularly because they have been highlighted as a result of the work of George Lukà ¡cs, one of the major proponents in the realism/modernism debate who is also a major Marxist aesthetician. For example, Gramsci builds on the way which Lukà ¡cs aesthetically and culturally confronted the immediate advent of fascism (Holub Renate, p.3). According to Holub Renate (3), Gramsci builds on and exceeds many concerns of received Marxism when he relates realism and modernism problems to transformations in structural modern world, examines phenomena related to effect and production of industrialization due to culture, studies production of significance in linguistic and phenomenological framework which anticipates a cluster of structural linguistics and a kind of a phenomenological critical theory , carries out a critical practice which is suggestive in terms of contemporary critical theory in terms of differential pragmatics. Holub Renate, (p. 6) suggests that Gramsci builds on Marx ideology by rethinking and Reconsidering Marxist theory and strategy with reference from dialectic questions to ideological theories, culture and the state. He further suggests that the rethinking of formidable occurrences in history resulted to key notions (political and civil society, hegemony, counter-hegemony his idea of the intellectual/organic intellectual) being conceptualized and such notions were later associated with him. In Gramscis concept of the intellectual, as perceived by Holub Renate Gramsci conceptualizes directed reproduction and dissemination of an effective hegemony, and collaborates in the Marxist intellectuals theoretical project hence using this approach, Gramsci builds on Marxist ideology. Additionally, Holub Renate (11) refers to Marxis text as being representative, along with those of Korsch and Lukà ¡cs, of early western Marxism. Gramscis further builds on Marx ideology regarding his treatment of realism in the context of Marxist aesthetics. Though Gramsci does not share some theoretical assumptions with Lukacs, his texts evolve against a background or a structure of concerns which he has in common with Lukà ¡cs (12), who is an ardent Marxist aesthetician. Again, the way in which Gramscis work displays its theory is homologous to many pivotal twentieth-century Marxist ways of theorizing for example when he relates realism and modernism problems to structural al transformations of the modern life world. He also builds on Lukà ¡cs work of cultural-aesthetic confrontation of the immediate advent of fascism and according to Holub Renate (15) he replays the realist/modernist drama, enacted by Lukà ¡cs {a Marxist Aeathetecian} on the one hand and by supporters of modernism on the other hand à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ his mode of approaching the problems of modernism and modernity, his way of posing questions and problemati zing issues of technologization, is similar to Marxist approach and therefore he builds on the ideology of Marxism. Holub Renate views Gramscis analysis of modernisms cultural problems, reflections on an anticipatory sensibility to very complex socio-cultural transformations and flexibility in adjusting previous concepts (by Marxists and other sociologists) as a building block in his new experiments and inventions so as to grasp new political and social realities .according to Holub Renate in his writings about Gramsci ideology, he confesses that he finds it difficult to separate Gramsci from the Marxist crowd in order to exclusively identify him with the German critical theory of the 19th century possibly as his work is built on the Marxist perception. Holub Renate further suggests that Marxist intellectuals are interested in literary problems, but Gramsci refused to perceive literature as unrelated to social life and political activity. So when Gramsci re-examined the significance of literature and how it is related to politics i.e. the failed revolution on one hand and fascism on the other, he builds on basic premises of Marxist aesthetics which states problems of culture are not separable from the realm of politics and hence production and circulation of cultural goods e.g. literature are related to production and circulation of political, ethical and moral values and norms. Gramscis thoughts in most cases are homologous or built on the critical theories of modernism and therefore there are multiple relations between his thinking and various other forms of critical theory forms of critical theory an example being neo-Marxism, Marxist linguistics, Frankfurt School modernism and critical phenomenology. Gramscis analyses relations of power and function performed by intellectual activities in the course of these relations and he builds on this to formulate the intellectual theory with models such as the traditional intellectual: artist, philosopher and poet, structure of feeling, intellectual community à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The organic intellectual à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the critical specialistà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the universal intellectual. Therefore, these models incorporate instances of power and is therefore built on a Marxist account and idealism of social function and responsibilities of the individualas it outlines the non neutrality of knowledge and ideas and partiality of the producers and disseminators of knowledge therefore the political trigger of the intellectual that inscribes power and domination (i.e. social classes having owners and non owners of the means of production according to Karl marx). Therefore Gramsci by deriving the intellectual models was primarily focusing on a determinate body of knowledge which is depicted in Marx and Engels writings as well as in the anti-Marxist writings of philosophers of the twentieth century Italian cultural history e.g. Benedetto Croce. According to Holub Renate, he terms Gramcis work as as aesthetic fragments under the general heading of Marxism and literature, therefore depicting the notion that Gramscis work is a fragment of Marxism or is derived from Marxist ide ology. Gramsci builds on Marxist ideology by deploying his skills to attempt to amend Marxist theories where they are most deficient and vulnerable (39) e.g. by relating superstructure to Marxs infrastructure which changes the perception of Marxs forces of production and relations of production as being the major concepts of materialistic history of theory. Therefore Gramsci derives and build on Lukacs definitive Marxist aesthetics and ideology by organizing his work around a cultural and political critique in his philosophy of praxis. Gramsci builds on the deficiency of Marxist ideology in exploring the ways that the superstructure, its culture, politics and ideology are linked to the base, and by exploring the several ways which the state, culture and politics result in production of ideology, power and authority. His unrelenting interest in the realm of the superstructure unlike the base was just an attempt to build on Marxist ideology by attempting to correct Marxist theory in the areas which it looked very deficient. According to Holub Renate (42), he argues that Gramsci built on Marxist dialectic on superstructure as he was a student and proponent of the work of Antonio Labriola who was an Italian Marxist who opted for a Hegelian basis of interpreting Marx dialectic amidst the theoreticians of the second international. He further strengthens his argument that: Marxist aesthetics, particularly in the Lukà ¡csian version, tended to ignore new cultural formations when measuring art against a new set of aesthetics. Gramsci does both and more (48). Gramscis ideology had a different view of Marxist historical materialism which he saw as infantilism. According to him, political acts were an organisational matter which facilitated party, group and societal coherence. These parallels are eminent with Webers status groups, though Weber criticizes the economism of certain aspects of historical materialism which he highlighted in his Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. On the other hand, Gramscis thoughts were anti-economist, but relied liberalism that claimed that the economy was a pure determinant of socio-political relations. His statement suggests that in certain ways, Gramcis perceptions are in agreement with Webers anti-positivism which gives the suggestion that both Weber and Gramcis works criticised both Marxist and liberal economism and positivism. The most pararrelism between Weber and Gramsci emanates from Weberian views on individual action. Regarding this concept, Weber perceives collectivities to be results of certain individual acts while Gramsci on the other hand perceives a collective will embodied in the party. According to Weber inexorable social forces were not a causative factor of conduct and Weber seems to disagree with Gramscis hegemony though Weber agrees that actors are sometimes unconscious with their actions. Weber perceives collectivities as being conceptual abstractions, but he is unable to account for structural inequalities, while Gramscis State and party can be perceived as ideal-type constructs according to his perspective of class of class action. Thus on several aspects, Gramsci accounts for deficiencies in Webers account on both bourgeois and proletarian classes unlike the individual. According to Weber class is heterogeneous in collective action and it is through status groups that the means for Gramcis hegemony are portrayed and the difference according to Weber is one of interpretation as was not convinced that values or ideology could result in a difference in realities of social structure at a bureaucratic stage. Gramcis ideology dominated and it is here that Gramsci and Weber agree. According to Gramscis philosophy of praxis, ideologies are arbitrary and must be combated for reasons of political struggle so as to make the governed to feel intellectually independent (Gramsci, 1988: 196). This is built on Webers argument of collectivities being results of the sum of individual actions. Gramsci continues to build on these ideas by defending ideology as being a social fact, hence he states that: To reinforce the conception of historical bloc in which precisely material forces are the content and ideologies are the form, though this distinction between form and content has purely indicative value, since the material forces would be inconceivable historically without form and the individual fancies without the material forces. (Gramsci, 1988: 200). Conclusion Gramsci explores factors which might play a role in arresting historical change as he (Gramsci) shifts his attention away from the material, economic and objective factor of Marx dialectic to the theoretical, subjective or supernatural factor and Holub Renate calls this shift as the beginning of western Marxism (50) because on the basis of Marxist paradigm contexts, Gramsci develops interest in understanding the complexity of the real of the super-structural while relating it to the economic basis There are crossovers in Weberian perception of legitimate domination and Gramscis imposed hegemony as they are both dependent on concept and Max Weber admits that the aspect of legitimacy has to be perceived in the same way as Gramscis hegemony. Does it mean that they shared a similar methodology? This question arises since they were both anti-economist and to some degree anti-positivistic. Critical analysis of their views makes one wonder whether Gramsci knew effects of Weberian status groups in civil society as he took the hegemonistic idea above the basis of economicism even though domination according to Gramsci was based on class.

Cyberculture and the Future of Print :: Writing Technology Technological Papers

I remember a time, when I would actually sit down and write out an assignment, with a pencil and paper before going to the computer and typing it. Those days are long gone. Now when I have a writing assignment to do, I simply go to my computer desk, sit down, and begin to type. The technologies that once were have become something of the past, and we are faced with these high powered machines that connect to the World Wide Web in a matter of minutes, or link you to anyone across the United States for a one on one instant message conversation. Within a ten year time period, we have become a very cyber centered society, and I dont expect a change any time soon. The purpose of this paper, is to explain how cyberculture has changed the way that we think about writing, and ourselves in particular as writers. As young adults, it is always instilled in us, that there is a right way to do something and a wrong way to do something. I was taught growing up to sit down and write out a draft for my paper(s) along with an outline before getting started. That was the right way. Doing it this way was supposed to provide the main idea and key points that I was going to use in my paper. Now 4 years later, I find that when I have to write a paper, I donwrite anything out. I sit at the computer and let it flow. I am not saying that this is the right way of doing things, its just my way. A way that has, for the most part worked for 4 years I try to think of myself as a very objective person. Just because I can appreciate all that a computer can do, does not mean that I do not see any problems with it. Many people argue that just sitting down and typing your assignments with no previous drafts wont work because people tend to think faster than they can write. This is true. But I feel that just as easily as you can forget to type a word, you can forget to write it. Landow said it best, when he said that All the strengths of electronic text, including adaptability, infinite duplicability, and speed of transport make these changes ultimately a means of saving time, energy, and other resources, particularly paper (Landow, p.

Satellite Radio :: Technology Essays

Satellite Radio When I drive my car around town running errands and going from place to place, it’s nice to listen to the radio. Now since this distance I am traveling seems to be within a 30-40 mile radius, flipping through the stations is not much of a problem for me. Now on the other hand, I do travel out of town frequently, and I hate it when I want to listen to the radio and there is no signal. The reason why none of us can is because radio signals don’t carry much farther than the town’s radius. Trying to find a station in the static is very annoying. Most of the time (especially in Iowa it seems) there are no stations for miles. Now who would honestly like to travel like that? Not me that is for sure. There is an alternative though. It’s not very expensive to get either. Satellite radio is the key to traveling without boredom. Satellite radio’s signals are cast from over 22,000 miles away from the earth’s surface. There is no static interferen ce either! From personal experience, I have sold these radios for a company. I don’t want to persuade anyone either way towards one brand or the other. AS I have researched though, there are subtle differences in each provider. For instance, if price is an issue, there are plenty of options that are affordable. The bills are monthly for the two that I have looked into, but depending on the different perks, the price can really make all the difference. â€Å"Radio to the Power of X†, is the slogan used for XM satellite radio. There is no contract requirement any longer to listen to premium quality music, with few to zero commercials. It’s only 9.99$ per month for any service plan. Here are a few perks for XM radio; †¢ 68 commercial free music channels. †¢ 33 channels of sports, news, talk & entertainment †¢ 21 channels with instant traffic and weather †¢ Delphi Unit-portable or fixed in a car. †¢ Receiver lists the artist and song. †¢ 2 satellites orbiting the earth †¢ Only 9.95$ per month These are just a few of the perks that XM has to offer. XM has teamed up with pioneer, Jensen, and audiovox to create the car decks that are â€Å"XM ready† so the price of the equipment can be very affordable. The Delphi unit is a little more expensive, but depending on when you want to listen to radio, whether it is at home or in the office, this unit is a prime choice.

Operations Management Review Questions

INTRODUCTION TO OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT Spring 2012-ASSIGNMENT # 1 Name 1: ————————————————— ID # ———————————————— Name 2: ————————————————— ID # ———————————————— Question # 1 [15 Marks] Bob Richards, the production manager of Zychol Chemicals, is preparing his quarterly report, which is to include a productivity analysis for his department. One of the inputs is production data prepared by Sharon Walford, his operation analyst. The report, which she gave him this morning, showed the following. |2011 |2012 | |Production (units) |4,5 00 |6,000 | |Raw material used (barrel of petroleum by-products) |700 |900 | |Labor hour |22,000 |28,000 | |Capital cost applied to the department ($) |375,000 |620,000 |Bob new the his labor cost per hour has increased from average of $13 per hour to an average of $14 per hour, primarily due to a move by management to become more competitive with a new company that had just opened a plant in the area. He also knew that his average cost per barrel of raw material had increased from $320 to $360. He was concerned about the accounting procedures that increased his capital cost from $375,000 to $620,000, but earlier discussions with his boss suggested that there was nothing that could be done about the allocation. Bob wondered if his productivity had increased at all.He called Sharon into the office and conveyed the above information to her and asked her to prepare this part of the report. Discussion Question; 1- Prepare the productivity part of the report for Mr Richards. He probably expects some analysis of productivity inputs for all factors, as well as a multifactor analysis for both years with the change in productivity (up or down) and the amount noted. 2- Assume additional information related to the cost of production were available. The cost per unit for 2011 was $120 and for 2012 was $125. Considering the increase in the cost is there a change in multifactor productivity growth? Solution Q1:Question # 2 [15 Marks] Forecasts based on average. Given the following data: (Stevenson page 96) |Period |Number of Complaints | |1 |60 | |2 |65 | |3 |55 | |4 |58 | |5 |64 | Prepare a forecast using each of these approaches: a. The appropriate naive approach. [2 marks] b. A three period moving average. [3 marks] c. A weighted average using weight of 0. (most recent), 0. 3 and 0. 2. [4 marks] d. Exponential smoothing with a smoothing constant of 0. 4. [6 marks] Solution Q2: Question # 3 [15 Marks] Using seasonal relatives, Apple’s Citrus Fruit Farm ships boxed fruit anywhere in Middle East. Using the following information, forecast shipments for the first four months of next year. |Month |Seasonal Relatives |Month |Seasonal Relatives | |January |1. 2 |July |0. 8 | |February |1. 3 |August |0. | |March |1. 3 |September |0. 7 | |April |1. 1 |October |1. 0 | |May |0. 8 |November |1. 1 | |June |0. 7 |December |1. 4 | The monthly equation being used is Yt = 402 + 3t Where t = 0 correspond to January of two years ago Yt = Number of boxes of fruits expected to ship in month t. Solution Q3:Question # 4 [15 Marks] Consider the following two techniques for forecasting F1 and F2. The actual and the two sets of forecast are as follows |Period |Demand |F1 |F2 | |1 |68 |66 |66 | |2 |75 |68 |68 | |3 |70 |72 |70 | |4 |74 |71 |72 | |5 |69 |72 |74 | |6 |72 |70 |76 | |7 |80 |71 |78 | . Calculate the MAD, for each set of forecast. Given your results, which technique appears to be more accurate? Explain b. Calculate the MSE, for each set of forecast. Given you r results, which technique appears to be more accurate? c. Calculate the MAPE, for each set of forecast. Given your results, which technique appears to be more accurate? Solution Q4: Question # 5 [10 Marks] Rick Wing, salesperson for Wave Soldering Systems, Inc. (WSSI), has provided you with a proposal for improving the temperature control on your present machine.The machine uses a hot-air knife to cleanly remove excess solder from printed circuit boards; this is a great concept, but the hot-air temperature control lacks reliability. According to Wing, engineers at WSSI have improved the reliability of the critical temperature controls. The new system still has the four sensitive integrated circuits controlling the temperature, but the new machine has a backup for each. The four integrated circuits have reliabilities of 0. 90, 0. 92, 0. 94, and 0. 96. The four backup circuits all have a reliability of 0. 90. ) What is the reliability of the new temperature controller? b) If you pay a premium, Wing says he can improve all four of the backup units to 0. 93. What is the reliability of this option? Solution Q5: Question # 6 [15 Marks] A weather satellite has an expected life of 16 years from the time it is place into earth’s orbit. Determine its probability of failure after each of the following lengths of service. (Assume Exponential distribution is appropriate. ) [2. 5 marks each a, b, c, and d] a. More than 9 years b. Less than 12 years c. More than 9 years but less than 12 years . At least 21 years Solution Q6: Question # 7 [15 Marks] An office manager has received a report from a consultant that includes a section on equipment replacement. The report indicates the scanners have a service life time that is Normally distributed with a mean of 41 months and standard deviation of 4 months. On the basis of this information, determine the percentage of scanners can be expected to fail in the following time periods. a. Before 38 months of service b. Between 4 0 and 45 months of service c. Within 2 months of the mean life Solution Q7:

Food and the Endless Waltz Essay

Akira Kurosawa’s seminal work Seven Samurai is a stirring and heart-rending commentary on 16th century Japan. The movie focuses on the rigid caste system of Japan where warriors fight while peasants farm to support them. The film’s artistic value makes it worthy of being called a Kurosawa masterpiece. However, it is in the lesson the film seeks to impart that is perhaps where the true genius of Kurosawa is seen. Set in the Sengoku Jidai, the century of war, the haughty warrior class are locked in an endless waltz of bloodshed while the food producing peasant, the true heart of Japan, are ignored though they always win in the end. For pure production value alone Seven Samurai was a masterpiece. Kurosawa introduced a number of filming techniques that would soon be mainstream fare for action films the world over. One example is the use of slow motion filming to emphasize the death of a main character. It was also the most expensive Japanese film of its time and is possibly the most successful Japanese film period. The premise of the film is as common as rice in Sengoku Jidai Japan. A group of bandits, either masterless samurai called Ronin or desperate peasants driven to banditry by the loss of their farms to the constant warfare, are terrorizing a village. Peasants lacking the skills and weapons to fight back they seek help from the Gentleman Warrior class known as Samurai. After much hardship they find Seven Samurai, well six considering that Kikuchiyo was just a pretender, who after much blood shed succeed in fending of the bandit. Ironically, instead of a victory parade or laurels they are ostracized by the people they just bled for. The main theme is the separation between the Warrior class and the peasants. The peasants humbly admit that they are incapable of fighting and are forced to go to the city and recruit Samurai who are willing to fight for mere three meals a day since that is all they can afford to pay. The haughty Samurai reject this offer since, as member of the gentleman warrior class they deserve better than three peasant meals a day as wages for their services. With the help of a grizzled veteran Samurai named Kanbei they managed to recruit Six Samurai plus a straggler named Kikuchiyo. They receive a cold welcome from the other villagers who fear them as much as they feared the bandits. This theme continues to be played out during the movie. In the past wounded, fleeing Samurai were killed and robbed by the villagers when the Samurai sought refuge there. The Seven Samurai are enraged at this brutality and nearly turn on their employers. The farmers are worried that the Samurai would take their young women and in fact one of the Samurai does carry on an affair with a village daughter. All this is the result of the age old tradition that only certain worthy individuals could become Samurai warriors. The rest of the rural folk are consigned to becoming peasants. The Samurai choose to break this tradition by training the local peasants to help them defend the village, albeit with limited success. The end of the movie displays the most poignant scene in the whole film. Four of the Samurai are slain but the village is sucessfully defended. Instead of showing gratitude, the villagers ignore the surviving Samurai and busy themselves with planting next year’s crop. Kanbei lament that â€Å"He has never won a battle† is given new meaning. Doubtless, the three surviving Samurai will move on to another of the endless battles of the era known as â€Å"The century of war† leaving the villagers in peace. Victory belongs not to the slain bandits nor the ostracized surviving Samurai but to the common peasants. They won because their life can now go back to normal to planting the life giving rice that sustains Japan to this day. True, they are maltreated by their lords, helplessly slaughtered in the battles, and at times forcibly conscripted as they were in the film. But the peasant’s life will continue, planting rice, water and tend the crop, then harvest just as he had for centuries, just as he will continue to do.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another theme is the superiority of modern technology over the old. Many subplots in the movie are about disabling the firearms of the bandits. There are fourty bandits and only seven Samurai but the Samurai are better skilled only the firearms give the bandits the upper hand. In fact all four of the Samurai killed died due to gunfire and not in honorable single combat.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Finally there is the wisdom of Kikuchiyo. He was a phony Samurai lacking the high-birth of a proper member of the warrior class. Yet with the exception of Kanbei perhaps he had the most significant role in the movie. He is the one who sucessfully breaks the ice and convinces the Villagers to flee from their hiding places and meet the other Samurai. He was also the one who pointed out that the reason the fleeing Samurai are maltreated by the villagers is because they too absorbed cruel treatment from the warrior class. It was mainly through his wisdom and understanding, he is not actually a Samurai but a farmer’s son, that the Samurai and the villagers are able to work together in harmony. Truly, despite his unworthy roots and oafish behavior he is probably the most ‘Samurai’ of the seven. He dies a noble and worthy death avenging a fallen comrade and slaying the leader of the bandits.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As stated earlier, Seven Samurai is a testimony to the skill of Akira Kurosawa in both writing and directing. The films shows the suffering of the peasants during the Sengoku Jidai. The Samurai win victories only to waltz on to another of the endless battles perhaps to win or perhaps to die. But after the warrirors leave the food producing peasant will stay in his field and contiue planting his life giving crop. Sources Kurosawa, Akira â€Å"Seven Samurai† (26 April 1954)   

Improving High Schools Service Quality in America Essay

Improving High Schools Service Quality in America - Essay Example There are many pieces of evidence that prove that the students are not very happy with the education system and this has made the education system very fickle and ineffective. Hence, the argument lies on the fact that the whole system of education needs modification that caters to the students as well as to the teachers as both of them to need to work together to make an education system a success. The article, â€Å"Put Teachers to the Test† by Diane Ravitch (2008) provides implications to the problems as it provides reasons of increased dropout rate. There are many reasons for a poor education system and one of the examples can be quoted in this article. An investigation was carried out regarding teacher’s role and to everybody’s surprise; it was found that the teachers themselves were not proficient enough to educate the students. When teachers were asked to take a test of 11th grade, a very small percentage of teachers could answer it correctly. Moreover, Diane (2008) states that there is a very less number of High schools teachers who have related education and experience of what they teach. This gap is disastrous for students as the teaching style may not be appropriate, accurate, relevant and reliable. In this regard, it is argued that the education system should have a policy that every teacher should have the license to teach. It is essential that the teachers should have knowledge about pedagogical methods of teaching as well as have information relating to child psychology in order to teach students effectively. The number of low-grade students and dropouts is due to these issues and the evidence is given by Diane (2008)as she states that research was conducted relating to unqualified teachers.

Capstone Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Capstone - Research Paper Example The company also deals with ensuring that the personnel can provide renovation services. The main purpose of the company is to provide advice and assessment services for individuals who wish to be qualified in building and renovating. Capstone is aimed at laying out the mechanisms of support of enhancing the technical skills of individuals who hope to further their understanding on building. The company ensures that individuals are provided with a qualified builder’s license to have properly designed and safe buildings. Building an engineering school at Lynn University requires implementing a proper layout structure of the site and the environment that surrounds the building. The successful completion of an attractive engineering complex requires a package that meets the technical approach utilized in the licensing state body. As investors, reading at the background of capstone is inevitable that it will provide a properly elevated engineering school at the University of Lynn. 2. Culture Capstone empowers its superior people to ensure that they deliver to their subordinates. Empowering the superiors gives light to the subordinates as they are directed towards the correct path. The company holds a culture of freedom as the employees are allowed to air their thoughts on given designs and layouts. In the building and construction industry it is important to give rise to new designs that may facilitate a better engineering building. Considering that the construction should cater for a growing institution, the design should facilitate the different number of students that will be using the new building. The company recruits individuals that hold a high passion for construction. Pride in what the employees does is emphasizes as they are the direct marketers of the company. Strong relevance on persistence and strong work ethics is an important aspect in ensuring that the integrity of the company continues to flourish with time. The culture of holding high integ ral values sets to set the company apart from their competitive companies. 3. Mission Statement Capstone Construction Company’s mission is to provide value added services to the customers through generating lasting partnerships in the construction process. The company’s aim is to continue providing reliable customers to existing and new customers (Breton & Wintrobe, 1995). 4. Product The product of capstone will include in ensuring that it provide a post modern engineering building will be divided in different sections of the building process. The foundation, the form building and the roofing will act as a guideline of producing the finished product. Foundation building is important as it will determine the ability of the building to stand alone. The building aesthetic will also determine the products used for construction. Lastly the finishing plays an important role as it will attract other projects of the similar design. The type of products to be used includes wood , stone, glass, concrete and masonry tools. The roof will be pre-engineered to support the structural wall systems 5. Gantt Chart Diagram This is an analysis of the processes involved in making one project process move. It will emulate the different steps of the building process from the foundation to the roofing and finishing process. Construction of the engineering building will require an articulate process that will show progress from the commencement to the finishing of the process. Continued assessment will also be included to aid in the report making and

History Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 23

History - Assignment Example Arguably, the most divisive political issue in American history has been slavery; understanding its evolution over time is key in helping to explain a significant portion of our nation’s past. Trace the path of slavery from its origins in early European colonization of North and South America to the time of the Constitutional Convention. How did the practice of African slavery begin? How and why did it expand in the 13 English colonies of North America? Finally, how was the issue of slavery impacted by the American Revolution? Slavery in Africa has existed even before the Arabian and the Atlantic slave trade. Owning of slaves is part of their culture and it was boosted by the Roman siege and influenced by Islam and other introduced as well as native religions (Lovejoy, 2012). But the start of African slavery in the American colonies is pegged at 1619, when the 1st African slaves docked in Virginia (Berlin, 2003). From Virginia, the practice of slavery spread to all 13English Colonies in North America. The slaves were used as laborers in cotton, sugar, and other plantations, household help, as well as skilled workers in the craft of carpentry, and welding among others. It was also a status symbol promoted by the government so as to quell the disparity of rich, land-owning Whites against the poor, land-less Whites. This move strengthened the foundation for racial slavery and racism (Wood, 2005). The American Revolution started the transformation in the attitudes of the colonial Whites towards slavery that w ill eventually lead in the abolition of slavery in January 01, 1863, with President Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation. The newly freed â€Å"Americans† set freedom as one of its country’s undeniable virtues and with that, slavery must be put to an end. The presidential proclamation against slavery became the key to abolishing African slavery yet a considerable amount of time still passed between the enactment of

The Question of Objectivity in Edmund Husserl Essay

The Question of Objectivity in Edmund Husserl - Essay Example Phenomenology refers to the continued endeavor to depict or illustrate experiences as well as conditions devoid of theoretical and metaphysical speculations. Husserl believed in the existence of an objective real world, which human beings have to limit, define, and bracket. According to Husserl, phenomenology refers to the science of consciousness and not of empirical things (Sawicki 2). Therefore, Husserl supported objectivity through phenomenology that aims at looking at particular examples minus theoretical assumptions before making judgments on the situation or circumstance. I agree to Husserl’s perception objectivity and that people need to make fair judgments without feelings, imaginings, and biasness on various issues pertaining to life. The reason why I support Husserl on the idea of objectivity is that it enables people become independent thinkers. When an individual is in a challenging circumstance, independent thinking might assist him make informed decisions that may relieve or save him from the situation. Being an independent thinker is beneficial to an individual since it makes him to reason out from a neutral and independent mind view (Ryan 37). The independent mind always encourages innovation and inventions since one is not confined to particular thoughts or perspectives derived from an outside source. Consequently, being an independent thinker prevents one from being brainwashed by misleading misconceptions and fallacies. This is because an independent mind usually seeks to view situations and conditions in a different perspective a nd not from experiences or assumptions of people in relation to the issue (Ryan 39). Secondly, Husserl’s position on objectivity is good since it creates a world of people with different views and thoughts, which is good for the progressive world. Since there are several challenges emerging in daily life, the need for

What is the value of play to promoting children's all round learning Essay

What is the value of play to promoting children's all round learning and development - Essay Example Playing involves a great deal of things. It could be playing with fellow children, playing with toys, a child playing by themselves and or playing with adults like a parent or teacher. Playing is done a lot when a person is young and the games played go with stages i.e. as the child grows older the type of play changes with each stage that the child is growing, these stages of playing expose a child to new possibilities and experiences. Since Child play is a universal subject, many scholars have addressed the issue of play and have developed theories on the subject. Pioneers in childhood and also modern day scholars have also widely discussed the subject and reiterated on its importance in learning and development. Governments have also made sure that play has been incorporated in the school curriculum. It will also be important to look at how the international perspective on child play has influenced various legislations to be incorporated into the education curriculum. It will also be important to look at the very crucial role that adults play (Burton 2002). In recent years people have become busy and operating on tighter schedules. Children have not been spared and more academic expectations are being demanded from them. It is for this case that play has been included in the curriculum to provide children with an outlet. Play is an extra curricular activity that helps learners, especially young children, to release stress and anxiety that comes from a society that is currently demanding too much from them. Apart from this, play helps mostly in the development of a child both mentally and physically and also in many ways that help that child to learn. In development, play helps a child to become physically strong or fit, up until the child is able to crawl, playing ensures that the child develops a strong physique. It also acts as a form of much required exercises, games like running

Educator Resume Essay Example for Free

Educator Resume Essay EDUCATOR Sociology / Psychology / Human Services Goal-oriented Professional with an education in Social Services pursuing a teaching career at a local junior college in the areas of sociology, psychology, and human services.   Currently completing a Masters Degree in Social Work and an Internship as a Group Facilitator at Brighton Rock. Prior professional experience includes 10 years with DePaul Medical Center and a part-time position at Sentara in the Healthcare Administration field.   Dynamic Leader known for being caring and compassionate, who enjoys helping the community through case management, referrals, needs assessment, and goal setting.    Excellent communication skills with an ability to provide superior social services to individuals, families, and community organizations in a faith-based setting.   In-depth knowledge of Medicare, Medicaid, and third-party payment plans.   Technically proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and Window’s Operating Systems. Functional Areas of Expertise  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Personal Assets    Fundraising Grant Writing Skills Psychosocial Assessments Program Development Support Group Facilitator Case Management Medicare / Medicaid Knowledge Community Outreach Programs Event Planning Office Management Customer Service Excellence Highly Organized Detail-Oriented Analytical Skills Hard Working / Reliable Self-Motivated Team Player / Positive Attitude Caring Compassionate Excellent Time Management Skills Oral / Written Communication Crisis/Problem Resolution Skills Excellent Interpersonal Skills EDUCATION Norfolk State University Masters Degree in Social Work, Graduating in May 2008 Bachelor Degree in Social Work, 2005 Tidewater Community College Associates in Applied Science in Liberal Arts, 2002 COLLEGE COURSEWORK Human Behavior in the Social Environment Social Work with Individuals Social Work with Groups+ Social Work with Families Fundraising and Grantsmanship Differential Assessment for Social Work Practice Community Mental Health Policy and Services Case Management in Social Work Advocacy and Social Planning Research Method Continue†¦page 1 of 2 INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE Brighton Rock, Inc., Portsmouth, VA  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2007-2008 Social Work Internship Serves as Facilitator for Grandparents as Parents Support Group. Assists with fundraising and grant writing projects. Effectively plans conferences and workshops for grandparents. Sentara Norfolk General, Norfolk, VA  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2006-2007 Social Work Internship Assisted in providing Psychosocial Assessments and Counseling for individuals with chronic illnesses and providing them with community resources. Evaluated, monitored, and assessed client outcomes and maximized the ability of families to move through the assessment process. Determined psychosocial stresses, coping mechanism and long term adaptation to chronic illness. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE   Gethsemane Baptist Church, Norfolk, VA  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2006-Present Director of Ministry Provides leadership development and oversight for ministry staff and volunteer services. Oversees the ministry programming and consults with ministry leaders in the implementation of a comprehensive ministry strategy. Recruits ministry staff and trains servant leaders in their specific area of ministry expertise. Develops community outreach programs. Transplant Sentara Norfolk General, Norfolk, VA  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2002-2006 Financial Coordinator Conducted the initial financial interview with patients. Screened and educated them on transplant process, policies, and procedures. Utilized established procedures for pre-certification, preauthorization, and letters of medical necessity. Coordinated the process for all transplant services. Maintained a comprehensive library of resource materials for patients, families and medical staff. Identified patients who qualified for indigent programs such as medications and charity care. Assisted patients with billing questions and collection notification.    DePaul Medical Center Rehabilitation, Norfolk, VA  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1998-2002 Office Manager Managed all daily office activities, provided administrative support for the site Director, and prepared monthly budget reports. Created and implemented office administrative procedures. Effectively mediated and resolved patient complaints and problems. DePaul Medical Centers Clinic, Norfolk, VA  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1990-1998 Office Administrator Conducted interviews with patients to establish eligibility at Clinic. Provided educational materials for uninsured and underinsured patients. Significantly increased patient experience and provided administrative support to medical staff. COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER SERVICE Norfolk Drug Court Foundation Norfolk Detention Center Advisory Board Member Second Chances Ex-Offenders Fundraising Campaign Norfolk State University Community and Outreach Program National Association of Social Worker Association of Black Social Worker, Norfolk, VA Gethsemane Baptist Church, Norfolk, VA Kinship Connection Inc.

Semantic Change Of The Word Gay

Semantic Change Of The Word Gay Language investigation into the ongoing semantic change of the word gay Introduction The meaning of the word â€Å"gay† has changed over time with its current; most commonly accepted use being to describe someone’s sexual orientation. This wasn’t always the case and at the moment is already changing to define something as being â€Å"rubbish or â€Å"unimpressive†. Such a big change as of this has led to me being interested into investigating the word and how over time specifically it has changed. The word gay also interests me language wise because of its importance in referring to someone’s sexuality, it provides a personal connection to some people’s lives as it describes them and who they are, so however the definition changes so will the effect to anyone who is gay. To investigate the semantic change I wanted to get the widest range of results for my investigation on the word gay. I went about choosing a wide range of people to give me the greatest range of views and opinions on the word and its definitions. To get this I asked elderly people who come from a generation where the word was completely different. I also asked people such as my parents who have come from another different generation and then finally today’s generation. I would aim to find a large difference between definitions between the elderly who would have grown up around the 1960s and any teenager I ask today who is currently in a completely different generation. Methodology Data collection: Going about my Investigation I decided the best way to get the most and best results was to produce a number of definitions and let the people who fill out the questionnaire pick one or two. I then would produce some follow up questions around the word ‘gay’ in a questionnaire style layout. I decided that a questionnaire style layout would best suit this investigation because it would be familiar with all the ages I am planning to ask to fill. Anything to complicated could potentially confuse an older person so the results wouldn’t be as reliable. For the first most important question I decided on using the four definitions used by the British Oxford Dictionary and found that gay has four meanings: (A) ‘light-hearted and carefree’ (B) ‘brightly coloured, showy’ (C) ‘homosexual, especially a man’ (D) ‘foolish, stupid or unimpressive’ Giving each of these definitions a letter I would ask the people I was giving my questionnaire to, to choose the letter they thought gay meant. I’d do this in the aim of testing one of the hypothesis that only older people will use gay with the first and second meanings, and only younger people will use gay with the fourth and fifth, most recent meanings. The earliest meaning is letter (B). Dictionaries usually give letter (D) as the most recent meaning. Analysis First Analysis As I expected the results from my questionnaires matched my hypothesis, that the older generation would answer giving the definition of the word gay as light-hearted or colourful where as the generation of today (15-21) defining it as something being rubbish or a homosexual man. Even with this result that the homosexual man definition is still in common use, more 15-21 year olds answered that it meant something being rubbish rather than a homosexual man. The new definition is starting to over shadow the older one. Surprisingly in my results some even went to say they used the word gay not even thinking about the older definition of a homosexual man. Therefore showing the semantic change of the word has changed so greatly that it’s other definitions are starting to be forgotten about and people are using the new definition almost unconsciously as this new definition becomes more common. Though my hypothesis was correct there were some abnormalities with two elderly people who f illed in my questionnaire saying they had picked up on the change of the word gay through their grandchildren and had stopped using it because of the possibilities that the word could offend someone. I also found that the elderly people who were grandparents that had completed my questionnaire talked about experiences where they had use the word to describe something and had been laughed at because of the different meanings that the Grandparents and Grandkids shared. When being asked if they commonly used the word gay, the younger generation used it extremely more with it almost being a day to day phase. The older generation were not the same with all but one of the people I asked not using it at all. Semantic Change Through back up questions I learnt that such semantic change was becoming more popular through the school; people see that if homosexuality has become more accepted into today’s society they have no need to put a label on homosexuality. Therefore the word gay is losing its original meaning and connection to the word homosexuality. School also plays another part in this because it is teenagers (school pupils) who have changed the meaning of the word gay, it was first seen as an insult. But the word has been so overused that it has lost its original meaning. In the majority of schools where pupils aged 15-18 and possibly even younger call each other gay it was here that the word gay was popularised with students first using it as an insult. Being gay was seen as being bad, so it picked up this derogative term but as time processed and the semantic change also, it transformed into having an overall meaning that something is stupid. An example of this would be that in my questionn aire I was given â€Å"school† as something which is gay. If we used the definition of a homosexual man this would make no sense but because of the semantic change this definition has completely changed meaning anything this person didn’t like could be gay. It is not just in school that the word gay had been used. Radio and television shows although rarely are using the word gay to define something which is lame or rubbish. One example is Chris Moyles, a former DJ on BBC Radio 1, he received complaints from listeners after he used the word gay to describe a ringtone that he didn‘t like. The BBC released a statement after the incident saying that the word gay may now mean rubbish.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬- The BBC said that the DJ was just keeping up with developments in English usage. Chris Moyles show was one the most popular at the time, his and the BBC statement about the incident would have given many people a new way to define the word gay and the fact a DJ such as Chris Moyles could use it in this way would have led to many people using it also While finding out that gay meant something as being stupid through the eyes of 15-18 year olds, I asked these people whether or not they saw gay meaning this because of the fact that being gay has been seen as a bad thing for many years and is only now being understood and more regularly accepted. I wanted to see if at the beginning of ‘gay’ starting to change semantically, it took on a negative connotation since many opposed homosexuality especially in schools and whether or not this had an effect on the semantic change, almost trying to understand that if being gay was never seen as being bad would the word gay had even changed semantically at all? In conclusion into this secondary research I found that many people in the 15-18 year old category were honest and admitted that at the start the semantic change could have been put down to the fact it carried a derogatory meaning. But now is seen more as ‘play ground speak’ and the increase with this new meanin g is led by the youth culture with many 15-18 year olds using the word because others do and may not even have a bad view on gay people. This semantic change In which I questioned was also being devolved through media and social networking sites like Twitter or Facebook where some of the 15-18 year olds would commonly use the word gay to describe something being stupid, as with schools people copy what everyone else does and this is maximised with the huge number of young people who have social networking sites. Along with this my research found that films such as ‘The Hangover’ where the term gay is used as a joke by an actor. In this film it is used as an insult, this could promote the semantic change. As that film was hugely popular a lot of people saw the scene and saw the new definition in which this word was used. The scene and the words the actor used in this joke have been copied many times and just show how films have an effect on semantic change because of the huge influential value on society. Patterns in the Language The word gay like all words are not set elements of language and are changing all the time. The word gay has been put as starting from the 14th century, when the definition was â€Å"stately and beautiful splendid and showily dressed. Through the late 14thcentury, it changed to define â€Å"full of joy, merry, light-hearted, carefree† this meaning was one of the definitions I gave in my questionnaire and the one I found was mostly used by the older people who answered my questionnaire. During the 19th century the word gay came to describe a woman who was a prostitute or a man who slept with prostitutes. This definition is obviously not used at all today and shows how one word can change so much based whether or not people use it. In the 1920’s the first use of it for referring to a man who slept with another man came about and this use has stuck till today. Although the definition started then, it was not used commonly until the 1980’s when this definition over shadowed all others. Until 2006, the word gay was still defined as a homosexual male until the definition changed meaning something is stupid. As with my research, the new definition describes having nothing to do with the previous definition and perhaps no offence is intended when using it to describe something as rubbish. This trait in changing words is also seen in the word â€Å"sick† which is changing from defining as being ill to something being cool. These words that are changing are most commonly used by the youth culture, this shows the great power that the younger generations have over the English language and what a word means. It seems to be very rare that an older generation define what a word is defined as. Alongside my research I read into Emily Jelsomeno’s â€Å"Bitch,Nigger and Gay: Exclusive Language? The semantic shift of Pejorative Words and Reclamation† and this gave me the view that the pattern in which the word ‘gay’ changes grammatical category and is used seems to go from â€Å"positive to negative† and is now currently negative. With its newest meaning, something being stupid, it gives me the idea that this is a negative. With being able to see this shift, it enables me to make the assumption that there are at least three kinds of semantic change ‘gay’ has gone through. These being degeneration, elevation and taboo. With the degeneration I refer to gay becoming a word to describe something as being stupid, the most recent definition. It means gay is known as being negative. With elevation I refer to the improvement of the meaning. This improvement came from it meaning ‘men who had sex with other men’ to ‘homos exual males’. The second meaning is more favourable because it removes the element of sex from the definition. Sex between two males for some people is wrong and looked down upon strongly, whether it is for religious reasons or personal views. Removing the sex from the definition evaluates the word gay because it makes it more acceptable in some people’s eyes. It makes being homosexual not necessarily about having sex with someone of the same gender, but someone who is different from the norms of what being a male is. Lastly with the word gay I’d refer it to being a taboo for the term ‘homosexual male’ as the word ‘homosexual’ can still be considered a offensive term when referring to a gay man. Changes in Grammatical category Using my research and some background reading, I can come to the conclusion that gay has changed in grammatical categories. The first definition of the word â€Å"stately and beautiful splendid and showily dressed† would define gay as an adjective. During the 19th century, it shifted categories and became a noun; â€Å"a women who was a prostitute† and then acted at the same time as a verb. The phrase gay meant â€Å"to have sex†. Up to the 21st century gay was both an adjective (e.g. gay marriage) and a noun (i.e. gay being connected to being a homosexual). The most recent and latest category change makes gay an adjective once again by using it to insult something or someone, an example of this most recent category change from my investigation would be someone saying â€Å"you’re gay†. Conclusion Finishing up my investigation and concluding it I can see a quite clear semantic change of the word gay which answers my initial investigation question. Though I set out almost knowing what the answer was going to be, I was still surprised along the way with some of the information I gained from my investigation. I was not expecting the amount to which people use the word gay daily and how common it now is. Through my investigation I was pleasantly surprised how most (if not all the people I asked) actually used the word gay unconsciously with no thought in mind of offending anyone who is actually homosexual. With my evidence from the investigation I can make the conclusion that the amount that the word ‘gay’ is actually used has helped steer it away from being used to cause offence and this is obviously a positive sign. The only thing I would change about my investigation is that I would have given more open questions. This would mean the questionnaire would get into mo re depth about the people who were filling it in opinions, giving me more detailed results. Apart from that I feel my investigation was a success.  Ã‚   By taking part in this questionnaire you agree to this information being used for research purposes (Please tick if you agree) Please fill in this questionnaire: How old are you? 15-24 24-34 34-4444-54 54+ What does the word Gay mean to you? (A) ‘light-hearted and carefree’ (B) ‘brightly coloured, showy’ (C) ‘homosexual, especially a man’ (D) ‘foolish, stupid or unimpressive How would use ‘Gay’ in a sentence? Any other comments? Thank you for taking part Thank you for taking part Bibliography http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/words-literally-changed-meaning-through-2173079 17/04/2014 http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/brendanoneill2/100246515/gay-now-means-rubbish-get-over-it/ 17/04/2014 http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/02/how-gay-came-to-mean-homosexual/ 20/01/2014 Bitch, Nigger and Gay: Exclusive language? The semantic shift of pejorative words and reclamation -20/01/2014 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7289390.stm -21/01/2014