Case Study Essay

Why is it important to get the patient’s assessment of health care quality? Does the patient have the expertise to judge the health care he or she receives? The patient is the customer. If the patient â€Å"perceives† that the health care received is inadequate, then he or she may go elsewhere the next time these services are needed. Although patients may not have the expertise to judge some aspects of 2 health care, they can judge appearances of competence, improvements in the way they feel, how they are treated, the cleanliness and comfort of the environment, and timely responses to service requests. . How might a hospital measure quality? Measuring quality in a service setting such as a hospital can sometimes be dif? cult. One obvious way is to keep track of the number of patient complaints—or even lawsuits. Some other measures that could be used include, but are not limited to, the following:  ¦ Average time for nurses to respond to a patients’ call  ¦ Average time spent by patients in intensive care  ¦ Average recovery time after surgery  ¦ Average condition of patients upon discharge  ¦ Change in patient condition between admission and discharge  ¦ Number patients per staff member 3. Using the steps in the table in the case discuss how each might apply to FCGH. To answer this question, one must remember that the product provided by FCGH is health care. However, it must also be remembered that the hospital’s staff (nurses, physicians, lab technicians, etc. ) are the suppliers of that service. Thus, quality of service will depend a great deal on the staff—their motivation, attention to details, morale, level of caring, etc. Quality to the Customer:  ¦ Is conformance of the service provided compared to established quality standards? Is quality of the hospital’s health are service compared with that of competitors? Quality Costs:  ¦ Have the costs of quality been measured and have possible areas for cost savings been identi? ed? Design Review:  ¦ Do procedures exist to review patient treatment for quality? Are these procedures being carried out? Product Quali? cation:  ¦ Have procedures been established and followed to qualify new treatme nts before they are used on patients? Product Liability:  ¦ Has each treatment been scrutinized regarding safety and are appropriate records kept? Does a written plan exist for dealing with major problems regarding patient? Process Capability:  ¦ Has the effectiveness and risk of each treatment been measured, and is that information used in selecting treatments? Incoming Inspection:  ¦ Is incoming material inspected? Are staff members evaluated before being hired? Are records of these evaluations kept? Supplier Quality:  ¦ Are suppliers and staff members made aware of their quality responsibilities? Are records kept on nonconformance? Process Control:  ¦ Has the hospital developed policies for controlling treatments and lab tests? Have employees been trained to follow these policies? Inspection and Test Planning: Do inspection and test plans exist for all services provided and are records maintained on the results? Are all test procedures and equipment regularly checked for accuracy? Quality Performance Indicators:  ¦ Are quality performance indicators regularly published throughout the hospital and made available to employees? Employee Involvement Program:  ¦ Are employees involved in quali ty improvement through some process such as quality circles? Multifunctional Quality Improvement Team:  ¦ Has a quality improvement team covering all functional areas been established to monitor quality work and to work o improve it? Quality Business Plan:  ¦ Has quality been integrated into the hospital’s business plan—and from there into the overall strategic plan? 4. How can the value of a human life be included in the cost of quality control? Placing a cost on a human life is, of course, dif? cult. However, even companies that manufacture goods must deal with this if there is the possibility that a defective product could result in death. In a hospital setting death is always a possibility due to unforeseen complications or adverse drug reactions. The best approach for FCGH may be to follow whatever policies and rocedures will produce the least chance of patient death. 5. There are certain parallels between the evaluation of health care quality and educational quality. How are customer surveys used to evaluate the quality of teaching at your institutions? How are the results used? Are any other measures available to assess educational quality? What improvements would you suggest to the current system? Teaching evaluations are the â€Å"customer surveys† of education. They are used by faculty and administrators to improve curriculum and teaching methods, to evaluate faculty performance, and to bestow teaching awards. There is general agreement, however, that student evaluations of teaching are insuf? cient assessments of education quality in and of themselves. Students may give high marks to teachers based on personality, lax administration of the class, or the level of dif? – culty of the course (easy grades). Further, how can students (who are just learning) judge whether the appropriate material is being taught? On the other hand, the student perceptions should not be ignored. A professor who is very knowledgeable about a subject, but who cannot communicate that knowledge is of little use to the educational process. Therefore, in assessing educational quality, multiple measures of performance should be used, including:  ¦ Teaching evaluations completed by students  ¦ Peer evaluations by faculty  ¦ Surveys of employers  ¦ Surveys of alumni  ¦ Ranking of departmental performance by other deans or industry  ¦ Placement data  ¦ Overall student evaluations based on assessments of total curriculum, rather than individual courses or teachers. QUALITY CLEANERS This case can be used to address several issues and objectives:  ¦ All employees throughout the process must be involved.  ¦ Employees must be accountable for the quality of their work. In service organizations, determining the attributes that de- ?ne quality service, and the corresponding question of how to measure quality can be dif? cult, but must be done,  ¦ The student should have suf? cient understanding of SPC to determine when, where, and how it should be applied.  ¦ Small increases in prevention and appraisal cost wi ll result in large decreases in total cost of quality.  ¦ Records are kept to maintain accountability of the employee to determine bonuses, additional training required, or possible dismissal. Another problem area identi? ed would include quipment (cleaning machine, presses) not functioning properly. These records would also indicate areas where future improvements should be directed. Given below are some points that should be included in the case analysis. 1. Inspections should occur throughout the process with each worker checking his or her work and previous activities also. The astute students will also recognize the capability of using the customer as an inspector. When the garment(s) is brought into the store, the customer should be asked if there are any spots or stains that may require special attention, repairs eeded, special requests, etc. Getting this information from the customer will greatly increase the probability that the service provided meets the customer’s expectations. The counter person and the marker should be checking the garments closely for foreign objects, rather than leaving this for the cleaner, because this has the greatest potential dam age in terms of dollars and dissatis? ed customers. A load ruined by an ink pen would impact 10–20 customers and cost several thousand dollars in claims. 2. Allow for some student creativity. Possibilities would include he counter person, marker, and assembler initialing the ticket at a designated point. The cleaners and pressers could use special shaped (circle, square, triangle, etc. ) punches to punch the identi? cation tag pinned in the garment. Another option would be for the cleaners and pressers to use small plastic tags (as sometimes seen on bakery items) placed on the hanger. Whatever the solution, it should achieve the objective of accountability and require limited time and supplies cost. 3. The additional workload must be tracked over time. Time consumed must be matched with the number of complaints.

Inclusive Education Essay

The management of inclusion is a source of enormous challenge to many schools across the globe. Developed countries in particular are faced with the mounting challenge of ensuring that every child is educated up to adequate standards (Ainscow 1995). Similarly, families that have children with special needs are seeking institutions that can provide their children with the standard level of education received by other children. Educational Institutions are also in a similar boat, continually faced with the mounting challenge of accepting and responding to the diversity that each child brings to the classroom. While many definitions of inclusion are pervasive, it remains widely accepted that the notion of inclusion involves welcoming and encouraging diversity amongst all learners. Inclusive education can be viewed from different perspectives. Different educational settings and social communities have differing perceptions of what it means. Most literature however start with the general notion that education is a basic human right that forms the foundation of every just and fair society. However, the basic elements of its meaning can be categorized into four. Ainscow (2005) suggests the first element involves seeing inclusion as a process – a continuous process that analyzes and recommends improved ways of responding to diversity by accepting and learning from peoples’ differences. Every one’s difference is seen as an asset which can be used to ensure learning takes place under varied and flexible circumstances. Ainscow (2005) also refers to the second element of inclusion as identifying and removing barriers. The teachers or managers of the inclusion process should be actively involved in collecting, analyzing and managing information from diverse sources which can be applied to policy refinements and modifications. The third element is centered on enforcing active participation and goal achievement for each student. The fourth element highlighted by Ainscow (2005) is the need for teachers or those in charge of learning to place an increased emphasis on those who are at greater risk of being marginalized or who are less able to benefit from the current modes and aspects of learning. In summary, Ainscow (2005) suggests that the practices that are pervasive in most organizations today is a reflection of present culture and norms. Learners may be impeded from learning optimally under certain conditions due to over learned behaviour imposed by social institutions and their thinking patterns. Consequently, Ainscow (1999) suggests that the development of inclusive practices should focus on reforming the way actors think in order to be able to realize the full potential of inclusive education and make its practice more reinforced in schools across the world. Armstrong (2003) describes inclusion as a set of principles, values and practices that are executed to initiate a revolution of education systems and communities.   It seeks to challenge thinking that is conditioned to assume that certain pupils need to be dealt with in a particular way (Armstrong 2003). According to (CSIE 2010) Inclusive education has a long history but centers on the need for equality and human rights. It is based on a moral perspective that values and respects every person while welcoming diversity. Schools are becoming more open to people of different abilities, backgrounds, ethnic and cultural histories. Consequently, there’s an extensive need for schools to fend for different learners. According to CSIE (2010), inclusion in education has a large number of connotations and the basic ones include:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The need for schools to value everyone including staff and students equally.  · The participation of all students in cultures and learning communities, while reducing barriers to their learning and the inclusion of students, even though categorized as having special educational needs  · Revamping school’s practices and policies so that they are responsive to the variety of students within the region  · Learning from attempts at inclusive education and implementing the changes more widely  · Acknowledging the basic right of every child to a fair education and recognizing that inclusion in education is paramount to inclusion in society.  · Emphasizing the role of schools in community development, sustaining relationships and adjusting the resources of the schools to support learning. According to CSIE (2010), the world is changing and stereotypical thinking needs to be nipped in the bud. Valuing some people over others is deemed unethical; people should not be prevented from participating in culture and curricula and neither should segregated schooling be used for children with special needs since it violates their right to education without any form of discrimination (Ainscow 1994). Academic achievements should not be the sole aim of schooling – there is also the moral and personal development that every child should have a right to. Also, isolating schools and communities from each other deprives students of rich and multifaceted experiences that can enhance their learning. The right to an inclusive education is in Article 24 (Education) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (2006). Even though the idea of inclusive education is generally accepted, some schools have reservations to it and claim that they do not have the resources to cater for all categories of children. It is unclear whether this problem is persistent due to funding, personal reservations or a lack of resources. In addition, inclusive education can be seen as an educational practice that emphasizes that students who can learn normally, without any learning inhibitions, spend time with those who have special educational needs which may be of any form. This type of inclusion emphasizes the child’s right to participate while schools are also inclined to accept the child as they would any other normal child. This principle rejects the use of special, isolated classrooms and learning environments for students with disabilities. The social, civil and participatory rights of students are emphasized and form the heart of any inclusive education strategy. It is a collective form of education in which all types of children can sit and learn together and it proposes the need to emphasize diverse learning approaches to handling children with varying educations and academic limits. With inclusive education, children who were previously excluded may now spend time with other children, which would not have been possible earlier. The use of segregated schooling is however still pervasive and one must bear in mind that Inclusive education does not apply only to disabled children but to everyone (CSIE 2010). The Benefits of Inclusive Education There are a number of ways to analyze the benefits of inclusive education. This section will start off by examining the benefits to disabled children. There are many aspects to inclusive education that can benefit disabled children as well as the normal children. Children with special needs would have the chance to learn in the same environment as normal children; they are thus subjected to the same learning environment and resources which will on the long run, ensure that they also have the opportunity to learn at the same pace as the normal children. Inclusive education may also nip in the bud, future psychological problems that a child may have when they eventually become aware that they have special needs. Inclusive education helps them to mix with other children thereby reducing possible issues of inferiority complex that may arise in the future. With inclusive education, schools can become flexible to adapting to the needs of the children, and not the other way round. The differences between the students can also serve as a means of achieving diversity and variety – the educational facilities and teachers would then have to develop unique responses to deal with each child (Ainscow 1999). In terms of society, the benefits are multi-fold. Inclusive education can help in forming stronger links between schools and communities. This on the long run will lead to stronger societies, partnering, consolidation and the forging of self respect for every individual in the society.   For developing countries, the benefits are extensive. Education is one of the hallmarks of any progressive society and as such should not be taken lightly. Inclusive education would give every child the right to fair education and a chance of a bright future. Inclusive education should be central to the educational polcies of any country claiming to be democratic. When countries embrace this ideal, it promotes a culture of fairness, comraderie and may nip societal ills such as racism and discrimination in the bud.

Theme of Status in Daisy Miller

In the short story, â€Å"Daisy Miller†, by Edith Wharton, a common obsession is found with the status and respectability of the characters presented in the story. Edith develops this obsession as a theme that is supported by European and American ideals, character’s viewpoints, and character’s actions in the story â€Å"Daisy Miller†. The theme of status and respectability is largely developed by the ideals of the society found within Daisy Miller. The story originates in Switzerland and then later goes on to take place in Rome. In each of these cities, the story implies that status is highly regarded and that the society looks down upon certain unrespectable behaviors. The European societies of Daisy Miller watch and titter over the apparent reckless behavior of this young girl, as this behavior is not acceptable to the upper class. Daisy Miller, as viewed by the European society, a reckless, flirtatious, and imprudent girl, who does not heed societal standards. Her most dishonorable actions are that she tends to spend time with various men in the community. The upper classes find that Daisy’s promenading with various men in public is of upmost disgrace. Throughout the story their views on this sort of behavior are often voiced. In a conversation between Winterbourne, a man who becomes slightly involved with Daisy, and Mrs. Walker, an overseer of Daisy, the criticism of Daisy Miller’s actions is voiced. â€Å" That girl must not do this sort of thing. She must not walk here with you two men. Fifty people have noticed her. † Winterbourne raised his eyebrows. I think it’s a pity to make too much fuss about it. † â€Å"I think it’s a pity to let the girl ruin herself! † The story Daisy Miller tends to revolve around this idea that Daisy is â€Å"ruining herself† due to her irresponsible actions. The society of Europe is very absorbed with Daisy’s respectability; an example of how to the respectability of an individual greatly affects their status in society. Because Daisy and her family are of low class, Daisy’s irresponsible actions easily bring them to an even lower status. The main character Mr. Winterbourne supports the theme of respect and status by acting as a narrator for the follies of Daisy Miller as well as a connection between her and the upper-class ideals of status and respectability. When he is not with Daisy, Mr. Winterbourne is often listening to what is being said about her. â€Å"They ceased to invite her, they intimated that they desired to express to observant Europeans the great truth that, though Miss Daisy Miller was a young American lady, her behavior was not representative. Mr. Winterbourne is highly aware of Daisy’s dishonorable reputation that she gains in the European, especially Roman society, and continuously notes how she falls on the societal scale. Mr. Winterbourne’s obsession with how Daisy Miller is perceived in their society is an important part of what carries the theme of respect and status throughout the short story. Mr. Winterbourne not only perceives Daisy Miller’s affect on society but also d ebates with himself the reasons behind her dishonorable actions. He asked himself whether Daisy’s defiance came from the consciousness of innocence, or from her being, essentially, a young person of reckless class. † In instances such as this, Mr. Winterbourne continuously seeks to rationalize why Daisy dishonors herself through such reckless actions. The theme of status and respectability is also supported by the actions of Daisy Miller herself. Daisy Miller begins by chasing after status in the European society. She often talks of the â€Å"society† in her European community as a class which she strives to be apart. Daisy Miller realizes that she is found to be disrespectable however, tries to believe that this is not the truth. When Winterbourne implies how Daisy Miller perceived in Rome, she acts as though she does not believe him. â€Å" â€Å"Of course I care to know! † Daisy exclaimed seriously. â€Å"But I don’t believe it. They are only pretending to be shocked. † She illustrates the importance of respect and status in both European and American societies. She is very concerned with the respect and status that she has in her society, however is naive of how she fails to gain either of those things. Daisy’s innocence is what saves her from the realization that she is in fact, bringing herself down to a lower space in the social ladder. â€Å"Miss Daisy Miller looked extremely innocent. Some people had told him that, after all, the American girls were exceedingly innocent.. † Daisy Miller is also important to the theme of respect and status in that she provides an outlet for the societal views of what is respectful and what is not. Obviously, â€Å"going around† with men is not a respectable course of action for Daisy Miller, and for this she is ostracized from her society. In the short story, â€Å"Daisy Miller† a societal criticism of respect and status is provided as a major theme. Daisy Miller’s actions are the central to the stories plot, and the criticism that she receives by the â€Å"society† is a constant aspect of the stories plot. Various characters express this criticism, however, the most important of these characters are Mr. Winterbourne, and Daisy herself. Mr. Winterbourne and Daisy each express opposite views towards the societies criticism; however, their separate views, as well as those demonstrated by the society of Europe dramatically support the theme of respect and status in the short story.

Social networks and the internet shrink our understanding of the Essay - 1

Social networks and the internet shrink our understanding of the world. Argue your position on this statement - Essay Example At the initial stages, the excitement and hype involved in the development of new technology prevent to outlook the negative consequences. It becomes hard to find any people who are not connected to any forms of social media. The prime purpose of the report is to argue on the statement the internet and the social networks can shrink the people’s understanding of the world. The emergence of social media is a perfect intermediate for individual to connect with each other via internet. The introduction of social media has completely altered the human relationship dynamics in to new perspective. The pivotal cause of drastic growth of this new technology is the ability of creating user-generated content. The downside of the causal connection in electronic surroundings can shrink the understanding of the world. Recent survey states that, more than 90% of the total world population is some way or another connected to social media and internet (Giuffre, 2013, p.18). This resembles the massive growth of social media has encouraged people to provide power in their hand and can act as a communication tool. Social media has become an inevitable part of human lives as it created a global reach for human beings to share information, knowledge and communicate. In today’s society, routines and daily patterns of internet and social media has become more popular due to the upsurge of number of internet users (Lyron, 2010, p.8). According to Georgetown University, â€Å"the rise of social media and internet means that everyone is critic and publisher†. According to Ethan Zuckerman, the enormous amount of information can be acquired from social media and internet but problem arises when people do not necessarily know about the information and knowledge that are required to know about the world (Johnson, 2010, p.78). It is true that, the wider expansion of social media has benefited people to gain knowledge and discover

What good life is Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

What good life is - Essay Example At some cases, the trip is such a rapid process one hardly realizes to have not gotten anywhere interesting in the end. Readers get a good time they hardly care. However, repeatedly, the poem ask s a lot from the reader and very few given for compensation. Subjects also limit pay-offs, inchoate and too minor, puzzles with gears can complicate churning and might finally reveal the clunk and clink of dullness of mind. The emotionally and spiritually flat dressed up information in technician is some type of poetry, but this is not to a large extent. Poetry with a few conviction and clear voice is more interesting, even when it is not formally accomplished. In the poem entitled â€Å"love† by Michael Dickman, he expresses how people fall in love. This is mostly in weddings and restaurants as they take wine. He analyses various environments where people often like making love and happiness as a sign of love. These occasions are naturally a symbol of good life. They make friendship with strangers as they watch movies. In this poem Dickman, explains how men fall in love with girls in restaurants. He brings out the issue of thighs, how it contributes to love. He uses an example of a boy who sold them popcorns meets a girl who was selling tickets. Dickman explains how love without care come. He compares it with how teeth are in the mouth. That he loved her the way his teeth loved the mouth. He compares his love to that of a boy he knew would attempt to have a purple dinosaur who loved him for real. He says that there is no one who can account for it. That in fact there are no people to do the accounting to balance the books love. He argues that there are even no one to measure the speed and distance between two loving hearts. As Dickman explains about happiness in love, he explains how S&M goddess love her husband. He puts clearly how the goddess brings him to a mall, leading him through the court of food by a leash. This is all because of strong feeling of love.

Deferent between men and women in media IN American culture Essay

Deferent between men and women in media IN American culture - Essay Example For example, a woman might purchase a car because it shows a baby well placed and secure in it. Decision making during advertisements distinguishes men and women Men usually make decisions through an elimination process because they choose the aspects of advertisements that matter. Consequently, they usually eliminate aspects that are non-beneficial and unlikely to affect how they view products. For example, a man might purchase a Volkswagen Golf regardless of its small size because it has a powerful engine compared to most Toyotas. Women make decisions after comprehensively examining the various variables and attributes. For example, a woman’s choice to purchase a Volkswagen Golf will be dependent on the size, engine capacity, face value and cost. It is crucial to acknowledge that gender identification, advertising and decision-making usually distinguish men and women. It determines their attitude and outlook towards advertisement. It also determines their perception and ability to

Juvenile Justice and Policing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Juvenile Justice and Policing - Essay Example . However, the types of cases and age of criminals are distinct factors in all systems. Despite the fact that juvenile cases include dependency, neglect, status offences, and delinquency, today, cases of neglect, dependency, and status offences are processed by family courts, while the juvenile courts process cases of delinquency. The juvenile justice system therefore comprises of the police subsystem, the judicial subsystem, the corrections subsystem, and the community-based subsystem, each with its own roles and personnel. To ensure fair legal handling of youth offenders the juvenile justice process is used. It comprises of four phases namely custody, intake, adjudication, and disposition, each of which has its own roles to play in the juvenile justice process. This paper gives a detailed discussion of the juvenile justice system and the juvenile justice process. Keywords: Juvenile, Youth, Cases, Juvenile Justice System, Crime, Offender, Delinquency, Juvenile Court, Juvenile Justic e Process, Police, Judiciary, Corrections, Community-based Institutions, Custody, Intake, Adjudication, Disposition Introduction Juvenile crimes and wrong treatment of children have a profound impact on the well-being of the society (Martin, 2005). Juvenile crimes in the United States are a major cause of national concern. In recent years, juvenile crimes have been on the rise, with about a quarter of the crimes in America being committed by suspects whose age is less than eighteen years. Delinquent behavior has been noticed to occur as youths go through the difficulties of adolescent life. It is during this time that they engage in relationships, dating, drinking, working, and learn to drive. For all children in the United States, the risks of growing up are increased by social developments. The chances of adolescents taking risks are increased by economic, social, and political problems in America. These include the inequalities of race, ethnicity, age, and class, individualism, t he uncertainties of modern social life such as lack of jobs, prominence of consumerism, and lack of real opportunities for people of low social standing. Siegel and Welsh point out that â€Å"about 1.5 million youths are now arrested each year for crimes ranging in seriousness from loitering to murder† (2011, p. 10). The juvenile justice system was established in order to handle crimes committed by young offenders. Despite the fact that they are interrelated, the system is different from the adult criminal justice system, especially in the way juvenile crimes are handled, and the legal and political actions taken. How the Juvenile Justice System Functions According to Martin, â€Å"the juvenile justice system is composed of institutions that have been organized to manage established procedures as a way to achieve justice for all juveniles† (2005, p. 4). Juvenile justice procedures in the United States differ according to states and even counties (Burfeind & Bartusch, 2 011). Burfeind and Bartusch mention that â€Å"each state has a separate juvenile justice system, and they are systems only in a limited sense† (2011, p. 295). The federal government has very minor involvement in the system of juvenile justice, due to the fact that juvenile crimes are usually violations of the laws of the states (Burfeind & Bartusch, 2011). However, the types of cases and age of criminals are distinct factors in all systems. The age of a

Salary Negotiation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Salary Negotiation - Essay Example The service of professionals has a market value that is measured based on the median pay of professionals with similar educational and professional background which is a baseline that helps a person determining how much labor of a person is worth. This essay discusses various strategies a professional can utilize in the middle of a salary negotiation and analysis the scenario of the person with a salary demand with counter move of the firm mentioning a specific budget for the position which is lower than the professional’s minimum salary demand. The salary negotiation scenario has many alternative solutions the person can choose to gain an upper hand and maximize the salary offer from the employer. The first argument that must be brought to the negotiating table is the employer’s improper conduct of setting up an interview with full knowledge of the minimum salary requirements to then bring a wild card of an alleged company budget for the position. The time of a person is worth money, the interviewee’s time is subject to the economic law of opportunity cost which stipulates that the value of a person’s time can be measured by comparing what the person could be earning if he were doing something else (Varian, 2003). There are online sources that allow a person to determine their market value based on multiple variables such as experience, education and geography. The website Salary.com provides in depth free reports about thousands of job profiles. For example an accountant with cero to two years of experience is categorized an Accountant I; this category for professionals living in the state of Florida has an average salary of approximately $37,000 per year (Salary.com, 2008). In the salary negotiation scenario the person with the salary demand should have based his initial minimum requirements on the median salary for his profession based on a verifiable source. When the company came with the salary

Marketing Exam Question (Marketing Mix) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing Exam Question (Marketing Mix) - Essay Example So what is market segmentation? Consumers differ and they â€Å"place differing degrees of importance on the individual elements of the marketing mix.† â€Å"They differ not only in the price they will pay, but in a wide range of benefits they expect from the product and its method of delivery. As a result, the market becomes split into several segments.† (SBDC, 2005) SBDC, (2005) argued that understanding the concept of segmentation is central to marketing because each different customer group will require a different marketing mix strategy and that each segment will offer differing growth and profit opportunities so the trick is to deliver the best offer to the best segment. Assuming now that there is market segmentation, it is now easier to answer the question how to have differential advantage. SBDC, 2005 advised saying: â€Å"Differential advantage can be obtained via almost any element of the marketing mix - creating a superior product, more attractive designs, better service, more effective distribution, better advertising and so on. These are actually the three P’s which include the Product (creating a superior product, more attractive designs, better service), Place (more effective distribution) and Promotion (better advertising) The key is to understand that the advantage must be based on research into what customers really value and that the differential is developed after due consideration of competitive strategies and offers. (Emphasis supplied). With the three P’s strategically combined, the fourth P, which is Price, would be easier to handle. In fact the purpose of the differential advantage is to avoid mere competition based on price, because the customers look at the four P’s as four C’s. These four C’s include cost to the customer for price, convenience for place, communication for promotion and customer needs and wants for product. It must be noted that knowing what

Macbeth Act 3 Scene 5 Essay Example for Free

Macbeth Act 3 Scene 5 Essay This scene takes place in a deserted area where there is thunder which also parallels with act 1 scene 1 where the witches meet each other with thunder and lightning. The scene establishes the mood of darkness and violence and also creates suspense and eerie atmosphere due to the presence of witches. It begins with Hecates monolog where she disapproved the witches for meddling with Macbeths future; this passage foreshadows the appearance of the witches to Macbeth along with his downfall. Her anger is shown at the opening of the scene with the use of three rhetorical questions. In the first rhetoric question, Hecate criticizes the witches in a deeming way. In the second rhetoric question the alliteration trade and traffic emphasizes her upset tone and in the third rhetoric question she asserts her superiority over the witches mistress of your charms, the close contriver of all harms. Through the metaphor, wayward son Hecate gives clues that Macbeth attempted to defy the witches prophecy by trying to destroy Banquos line. It also shows his self-centered ambition, and he is called a wayward son because he is not a genuine devotee of witchcraft and only aims to the profit by it. The lines by Hecate give a clear hint that Macbeths reliance on the witches is misplaced and that he is doomed. After rebuking the witches for the past errors Hecate commands them to make amends of their folly action. Hecate gives out a feeling of betrayal through the use of her language. She uses rhetorical questions, rhyming couplet, and enjambment which disguises her underline message. Hecate also asks the witches to help her manipulate Macbeths emotions and plans to create illusions which will lure Macbeth into a false sense of security. Hecates speech is ironical when she says that the witches tempted Macbeth by saying riddles when they actually prophesied to Macbeth. Euphemism is used in the terms glory of art and great business to refer to the witches plan of destroying Macbeth. The great business also refers to the major illusion that they are going to destroy Macbeth. Imagery is used in the scene were a vivid description of the scheme of the witches plan is described there hangs a vaprous drop profound; Ill catch it ere it come to ground; Hecate intends to lead Macbeth to his doom and distraction by magic spells which will conjure up powerful apparitions that will be able to lead Macbeth to his ultimate doom. As a result Macbeth will defy fate and death and will ignore all warnings of wisdom and fear of consequences security is mortals chiefest enemy, Hecate says that overconfidence is the greatest enemy of man as by depriving of his own wisdom and making him complacent, it sends him to the path of ruin and destruction. These captivating lines encapsulates the fascinating rituals of which craft.

Network Rail has a key objective to Earn and Retain a Mandate

Network Rail has a key objective to Earn and Retain a Mandate Using PESTLE/Porters 5 Forces / Scenario Modelling or any other relevant identify the key strategic Macro challenges the Company faces. Using Financial Analysis / Marketing Mix / Core Competencies / Balanced Scorecard or any other relevant tools, scan Network Rails Internal / Micro Environment to inentify the key Micro challenges the Company faces. Pull your conclusions regarding parts 1 and 2 together in the form of a SWOT analysis. You could also identify what options an ANSOFF matrix for Network Rail would suggest are the most viable. Given your analysis, what do you conclude about the relevance of the Key Objectives above (to earn and retain a mandate etc.) and What should be the strategy of Network Rail in the coming 2-5 years? And what would be the vital few measures which would help to track progress toward achieving your suggested strategy. Introduction I have been employed in the UK Rail industry for over 30 years, and am currently based at Saltley Delivery Unit in Central Birmingham. My role is Infrastructure Maintenance Engineer, which gives me overall responsibility for all of the maintenance carried out by Netwrok Rail on its main infrastructure, which is the tracks and Signalling system connected to them. My geographic area of responsibility runs from London Marylebone, through Banbury and Birmingham Snow Hill and onto Droitwich Spa. I have 300+ staff reporting to me through a team of Engineers (3) and Section Managers (9), working out of two main depots, Saltley And Banbury, with smaller depots at Stourbridge, Whitacre, Leamington, Aylesbury, High Wycombe and London Marylebone. Background Network rail has been in existence since October 2002 when they took over the running of Britains Rail infrastructure from Railtrack. They currently employ over 35,000 people in various aspects of this work, from day to day maintenance to major renewal projects. In Using PESTLE/Porters 5 Forces / Scenario Modelling or any other relevant identify the key strategic Macro challenges the Company faces When you analyse the macro-environment, identification of the factors that might affect a number of vital aspects that will influence the supply and demand and costs of the company is critically important. (Kotter and Schlesinger, 1991; Johnson and Scholes, 1993) Various checklists are in use as ways of cataloguing the vast number of possible issues that might affect different industries. A PESTLE analysis is one of that is merely a framework that categorises environmental influences as political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental. PESTLE examines the likely impact of each of these factors on the industry. The results are then used to take investigate and enable opportunities and to be aware of and to make contingency plans for threats when building business strategy (Byars, 1991; Cooper, 2000). In a recent study (1998), Kotler claims that PESTLE is a strategic tool that can be useful to help understand market growth and decline alongside business position, in order to decide on potential and future direction The use of PESTLE analysis reveals that the major external influences upon Network Rail are: POLITICAL : The recent change in Government could still have a far reaching effect upon Britains rail industry, the recent Comprehensive Spending Review has made sure that the industry must change and in a big way. ECONOMIC : The current economic climate of the United Kingdom is such that a lot of passengers will be thinking of alternative ways to travel, low cost coach and bus services will have their appeal increased, albeit the long term prospects for rail travel are good, given the current lobby against road transport by the green parties. In order to remain an attractive alternative, the rail industry must compete economically with road transport. SOCIAL : The major social concept in the UK Governments Sustainable Development Strategy (DEFRA, 2005) is noted as: ensuring a strong, healthy and just society, but this can be split into six main aspects: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Accommodating the diverse needs of the population both now and in the future; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ promoting personal well-being; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ encouraging social cohesion and inclusion; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ maintaining equal opportunities for everyone; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ promoting good governance; and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ engaging the creativity, energy and diversity of the people of Great Britain. The Rail industry has a major part to play in the satisfaction of these social goals. Increasingly the industry will be judged on delivering the services, and even more so on the way they are delivered. The UK Railways run alongside houses belonging to a vast array of the population, and it must be seen to engage correctly with all of its lineside neighbours. The industry must also be seen to be an employer that values its workforce and treats them correspondingly. Safety of the travelling public is a major social factor in the business, both those travelling by train and the road user that use any of the hundred of level crossings on the network each day. The key causes of accidents on the railway infrastructure are trespass and the misuse of level crossings. TECHNOLOGICAL : The incredible speed of technology advances has a big effect on any transport industry. The likes of faster and more reliable broadband connections will increase the amount of work done by teleconferences and reduce travel to meetings. Faster and more efficient trains will effect upon the nature of Network Rails infrastructure, and compel the company to look at new ways to maintain the infrastructure, and new forms of powering the trains. LEGAL : Legally Network Rail is governed by many bodies with an influence, including The Office Of Rail Regulators, The Health Safety Executive, UK Government, Environment Agency. ENVIRONMENTAL : Network Rail has a responsibility to maintain its infrastructure and the huge number of wildlife habitats alongside the railway. The company also has to become as green as possible, ensuring timber that they use is from sustainable sources, and that all depots and offices are committed to reduce their carbon footprint as much as is possible. Porters Five Forces The Porters Five Forces model is a simple tool that can be utilised to help strategic understanding where power lies in a business situation. The tool can also be used to understand both the strength of a companys current competitive position, alongside the strength of a position the company may be looking to move into. The Five forces framework focuses on business concerns rather than public policy but it can also emphasise extended competition for value rather than just competition among existing rivals. The ease of its use has inspired numerous companies as well as business schools to adopt it. (Wheelen and Hunger, 1998). If you have clear understanding of where your power currently lies, you are able to take advantage of a situation of strength or act to improve a situation of weakness. Porters 5 Forces for Network Rail: Supplier Power: For Network rail, it supplier power can be said to be relatively high, there is a very strict approvals process to go through before any item can be introduced into the infrastructure. This process can be time consuming and expensive for new suppliers and so those that already have this approval have a large amount of power to wield. There are also very few suppliers that provide the dedicated technology that is used to provide modern signalling systems which again will provide a great deal of supplier power. Buyer Power: Buyer power with regard to Network Rail would be classed as low. The company is operating in somewhat of a monopoly, giving buyers very little flexibility to shop elsewhere for similar services. Network rail is therefore in a very strong position when it comes to dictating terms. Competitive Rivalry: Other than companies providing engineering expertise with renewal of rail infrastructure, there are few firms who could provide the day to day expertise that Network Rail has in the safe running of the railway network in Great Britain. The number of staff employed by Network Rail (18,000+) would also be a barrier to the threat of substitution by smaller firms, not willing to take on the huge responsibility that employing this number of dedicated staff would present. Threat of Substitution: The threat of substitution may be classed as medium as there may be alternatives to a rail system within GB. Other than Road Transport, there is very little realistic direct competition for the services that Network Rail provide. Road transport does present a certain amount of competitive rivalry to Network Rail, but there would be few that would be able to compete direct with leading the GB Rail network. Obviously this puts Network Rail in a position of great strength. Threat of New Entry: The cost and time elements required for companies to be set up to provide effective competition to Network Rail would be barriers that would prevent this happening. For this reason the threat of New Entry is low. Using Financial Analysis / Marketing Mix / Core Competencies / Balanced Scorecard or any other relevant tools, scan Network Rails Internal / Micro Environment to inentify the key Micro challenges the Company faces. Using FiMO as discussed during the BES module of the Network Rail business leaders programme to scan the Internal or Macro Environment shows the following results: FINANCE : Network Rails strengths are based around its huge asset base and its growing asset value. Network Rail also owns a massive property portfolio that can be used for diversification. The major weaknesses of Network Rail are based around possible Governmet spending cuts, the Recent Comprehensive spending review and Lord McNultys value for money report. MARKET : Strengths Currently the business is well thought of by relevant bodies including the Office Of The Rail Regulator, OFT and HSE (BES 2010) Prime locations for retail developments, Achieving Control Period 4 (CP4) targets to date. Weaknesses Internal financial process that makes it almost impossible to trade with other parts of the same company. OPERATIONS Strengths include an enviable safety record, both for its own workforce and for the travelling public. Delivery of its own promise The Timetable is our Promise. When we Promise a train can run, it will run safely, punctually and reliably. And we Promise that more trains are able to run next year. Network Rail (2010) Weaknesses -. The industry is perceived as difficult to work with, by others within the industry. As part of the BES course a RECoiL exercise for Network Rail as a company was completed, the scores have been reproduced below. Network Rail Resources 8 Experiences 7 Controls and Systems 6 Ideas Innovation 7 Leadership 6 This would seem to highlight issues within two main sectors, those being Controls Systems and Leadership. Controls and Systems There is a school of thought that its processes are far too bureaucratic and that any change can only be effected over a long period of time. This may well have a bearing on the apparent issues with leadership Leadership There seems to be a large number of long serving railwaymen in supervisory and management positions. This has the effect of creating a resistance to change. There seems to be a feeling that the processes and procedures inflicted corporately are so rigid that they prevent innovation because of amount of bureaucracy in place. Pull your conclusions regarding parts 1 and 2 together in the form of a SWOT analysis. You could also identify what options an ANSOFF matrix for Network Rail would suggest are the most viable. According to Barney (1995), a SWOT analysis is a framework that points to the relevance of external and internal forces to give an understanding of the sources of competitive advantage. SWOT analysis will help decide if the main problems facing a company revolve around a need to change its strategy, a need to improve its current strategy and the implementation of it, or both of the above. The tool helps look at the companys current performance (Strengths and Weaknesses) and its future (Opportunities and Threats) by accounting for the factors that exist in the external environment. The framework is a powerful and at times highly successful technique that can be applied to individuals, groups, teams, or organisations (David, 1997).

Reasons for Returning to College Essay -- Personal Narrative, Admissi

Returning back to school was a very natural decision for me. It seemed to be the next logical step in my personal and career goals. My ultimate goal is to be happy and healthy and be a good provider and role model. With that set aside for now, my next goal is to be financially stable and able to provide for my family in ways that my family was not able to provide for me. I definitely expect to work for what I want and earn every bit of it. The most recent motivator was that my company was willing to contribute a huge chunk of the yearly tuition, therefore removing some financial burden. This makes me feel like they truly care about my future and they really want to see me succeed. I have several personal reasons for returning to school. I take my personal goals very seriously. Some might say that I am my own worst critic and I am very hard on myself. I simply feel that I can and will do better and I do not settle for anything but the best out of myself. Ultimately, I have to live with myself and the decisions I make on a daily basis for the rest of my life. I must fulfill my own personal goals otherwise I am not giving myself to others completely. I have very clear and specific personal goals. To begin, I want to be financially stable. By having my degree, I want to be able to get a better job through a promotion thus making more money. I want to be able to help my child pay for college so he doesn?t have to struggle as hard as I did to put myself through school. Plus, m...

Non-determinates Prices Of Sup :: essays research papers

Most people that are common shoppers have encountered a situation where the product that they were seeking to buy was not available. It is very easy to see that certain products do have an ample supply due to many reasons. Other than the price of that product, there are six major non-determinate factors of supply. These factors are: Number of Sellers, Technology, Resource Prices, Taxes and Subsides, Expectations of Producers, and Price of other goods the Firm could Produce. With these factors and the demand of the product, the supply of a product can be determined, and a price can be set.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The number of sellers can be one of the most determining factors of the supply of a product. The concept is very easy to understand. If there are more sellers, that is more stores and manufactures, there will be a larger amount of supply of a certain product. On the other hand, if there are a small number of sellers then there will be little supply of the product. When considering the price of a product, if there are more sellers then there will be more competition; therefore, the price will be at a low cost for the buyers. The sellers will not make a large profit. Moreover, when there is a small amount of sellers then the price can be higher for the buyers. This means the sellers will make a larger amount of profit. For example; there are more sellers for a Toyota Carmry, then there are for Dodge Vipers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This world has experienced a huge technological advancement. Our knowledge in inventing new technologies has allowed us to become more efficient in the production of products. Also, we have been able to develop many new and better products for the buyers. Technology can do two things to the supply of a product. First, it can drive the price down due to more production of a certain product. With technology, production of a certain product has become cheaper and more efficient. The second thing that technology has done is decline the supply of certain product. With the production of new and better products, older products have become less used and not produced as much. A good example of how technology has effected this world is the invention and production of CD’s. In today’s world most Americans own a CD player and have gotten ride of the record player. Non-determinates Prices Of Sup :: essays research papers Most people that are common shoppers have encountered a situation where the product that they were seeking to buy was not available. It is very easy to see that certain products do have an ample supply due to many reasons. Other than the price of that product, there are six major non-determinate factors of supply. These factors are: Number of Sellers, Technology, Resource Prices, Taxes and Subsides, Expectations of Producers, and Price of other goods the Firm could Produce. With these factors and the demand of the product, the supply of a product can be determined, and a price can be set.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The number of sellers can be one of the most determining factors of the supply of a product. The concept is very easy to understand. If there are more sellers, that is more stores and manufactures, there will be a larger amount of supply of a certain product. On the other hand, if there are a small number of sellers then there will be little supply of the product. When considering the price of a product, if there are more sellers then there will be more competition; therefore, the price will be at a low cost for the buyers. The sellers will not make a large profit. Moreover, when there is a small amount of sellers then the price can be higher for the buyers. This means the sellers will make a larger amount of profit. For example; there are more sellers for a Toyota Carmry, then there are for Dodge Vipers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This world has experienced a huge technological advancement. Our knowledge in inventing new technologies has allowed us to become more efficient in the production of products. Also, we have been able to develop many new and better products for the buyers. Technology can do two things to the supply of a product. First, it can drive the price down due to more production of a certain product. With technology, production of a certain product has become cheaper and more efficient. The second thing that technology has done is decline the supply of certain product. With the production of new and better products, older products have become less used and not produced as much. A good example of how technology has effected this world is the invention and production of CD’s. In today’s world most Americans own a CD player and have gotten ride of the record player.

Drug Testing in the Federal Workplace Essay -- Substances Employment Pa

In September 1986, President Reagan issued Executive Order 12564. This was done in an effort to make the Federal Government a drug free work place. He believed that persons who used illegal drugs were not suitable for Federal employment. The order required the heads of governmental agencies to establish both a voluntary and mandatory testing program to determine the use of illegal drugs by employees in sensitive positions. Sensitive position employees were defined to include employees granted access to classified information and individuals serving under presidential appointment. It further included Law enforcement officers and other positions that the agency head determined involve law enforcement, national security, the protection of life and property, public health or safety, or other functions requiring a high degree of trust and confidence. Executive Order 12564 allowed the testing of federal employees when there is reasonable suspicion of an employee using drugs. Testing can be done if there is an examination authorized by the agency regarding an accident or unsafe practice. It can also be used as part of a follow-up to counseling or rehabilitation for illegal drug use through an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). A follow-up two months later to the order spelled out the requirements for random drug testing of employees in sensitive positions. Agency heads were to take into consideration the nature of the agency mission; it's employee's duties, and the efficient use of agency resources. Also taken into consideration was the danger that could result from the failure of an employee to fulfill his responsibilities sufficiently. Right of Privacy Most Americans probably feel they have a right to privacy concerni... ... Bibliography Cozetto, Don A., Theodore B. Pedeliski and Terrence J. Tipple. Public Personnel Administration. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1996. Federal Employees Almanac, 45th Edition: Federal Employees News Digest, 1998. Inaba, Darryle S. and William E. Cohen. Uppers, Downers, All Arounders. Ashland, Oregon: Cinemed, 1989. International Labor Office. Conditions of Work Digest, Volume 12, Number 2,Workers Privacy Part III: Testing in the WorkPlace. Geneva: International Labor Office, 1993. Potter, Beverly and Sebastian Orfali. Drug Testing at Work: A Guide for Employees. Berkeley: Ronin Publishing, 1990. Savage, David, "Federal Workers Lose Bid to Halt Drug Testing," Los Angeles Times, 3, March 1998, Sec. 1A, p.10. Thompson, Robert Jr., Substance Abuse and Employee Rehabilitation. New York: Bureau of National Affairs, Library of Congress, 1990.

Sports Play a Vital Role in Our Daily Life

We all like games and sports because they are essential for a healthy life. They play an important role in the development of our personality. Therefore they are given great importance almost all over the world. They are an important part of our education. This is the reason that every educational institute holds a sports week. Honorable principle! Sports and games are indication of life full of joys. They keep a person healthy and fit. Sports provide us a mean of physical exercise. My friends! Some special games like hockey, cricket and football not only make our body sound and healthy but also provide us a source of amusement and entertainment. As we have seen the excitements and rejoice of the World cup 2011. These games create cheerfulness not only in the players but also in the visitors. People gather around in thousands to see a match. They praise the players and clap for them. In this way they create an atmosphere of happiness, rejoicing, joyfulness and brotherhood. Respected Mam! Sports are also great moral value. They teach us team sprit. The p[layers play not to win personal fame but for the team. Sports and games teach us cooperation and discipline. Players obey the orders of their captain and the Umpire without any question. They have training in getting defeat with a good heart. Mam! These values are of much in every day life. Sports teach us to become good citizens. Hence I am compelled to say that sports play a vital role in our life.

Is totemism a religion? Essay

Defining what constitutes a religion is a difficult, if not an impossible quest. However, before determining whether or not certain belief-systems and/or ritualized practices can be considered a religion, a definition is imperative. For our purposes, I am going to use the extremely elementary definition from Webster’s New Dictionary , â€Å"A system of faith and worship.† In The Elementary Forms of Religion, Emile Durkheim, a French Sociologist from the 19th Century, examines totemism in an effort to draw universals between all religions. Durkheim sets his focus on Australian totemism, because it is the most â€Å"primitive culture† with the most resources available. From Durkheim’s perspective, the basis of totemism is to create lasting societal bonds. Totemic tribes are assorted into clans whose unity results not from kinship, but from the religious relationship between the members. From Durkheim’s perspective, the totemism in this culture is based on the sacred relationships developed by the clan’s members in addition to some totemic unit, which is usually a plant or animals species common to the area. If an entire society is based around its sacred ritualized practices, it is only fair to consider those ritualized beliefs and practices as constituting a religion. Thus, the real question is, can a society whose spirituality is based on kinship, and whose idea of sacred lies only in the ties within the clan and not on a god or gods of some sort be considered a religion? The answer to this question is yes. Although totemic practices may not be familiar to many Westerners, when real speculation is given to various totemic religions, it is easy to see the complexity that underlies many forms of totemism. In addition, when looking at the religions that are common to us Westerners, can we really argue that our common religions are more logical than theirs? Through the totemic principles of the universe, and the worshiping of idols, even if these idols do not represent G-ds, it proves that totemism is most certainly a religion. Durkeim uses totemism as a basis from which answers to our lingering questions about modern religions can be drawn. â€Å"In our eyes, the question whether totemism has been more or less universal or not, is quite secondary. If it interests us, it does so before all because in studying it we hope to discover relations of a nature to make us understand better what religion is( Durkheim, 176).† Durkheim is using totemism as the platform from which  all other religions shall be compared to derive new and provoking ideas about religion. Durkheim believes totemism contains obvious religious qualities, even with the lack of a god or gods. † Finally, that which we propose to study in this work is the most primitive and simple religion which it is possible to find ( Durkheim 176).† Durkheim clearly considers totemism a valid although â€Å"simple† religion. Of course, this is only the opinion of one, we must delve into totemic rituals and beliefs before it can be proven that totemism is just as much of a religion as any other. Before arguing the attributes of totemism that allow it to be classified as a religion, a more thorough understanding of various totemic practices and the principle’s and beliefs behind those practices is necessary. The first and most prominent example that will be used to describe totemism, will be from the various Australian tribes described by Durkheim. The critical belief in Australian totemism, is the notion that the totemic entity, whatever it may be, is sacred. The entity is thought to bestow sacredness on whatever carries its mark. The totemic entity is used to mark various objects such as stones, sticks, wood, etc. in various rituals. â€Å"The totem is in fact a design which corresponds to the heraldic emblems of civilized nations, and each person is authorized to bear it as proof of the identity of the family to which it belongs ( Durkheim 180).† It is true that we have symbols and emblems that represent our society, which we deem sacred. Is that notion really so outlandish? Many patriotic Americans would be offended by the burning of the American flag, which is only an inanimate object to which we grant sacredness. This, however, is a nation and not a religion, but it is additionally quite common in many religions to revere objects. In Judeo-Christian religions, sacredness is assigned to a book, the Bible, among many other symbols from the Jewish Star to the Christian Cross. If the Bible is dropped or thrown down in many religions, it is seen as a direct offense to G-d, and one must kiss the book to compensate. Notice, also the dropping of the â€Å"o† in G-d. To many religious Jews even writing the name God is considered highly offensive. Assigning value to an object is a common trait across many religions, the difference is that the symbols used in totemism are not a representation for an actual god. Although the totemic emblem is not representative of a god that bears human-like qualities, it is deemed sacred and thus must be some sort of a representation of higher forces as opposed to higher beings. Totemic emblems are not only found on trees, in houses, on wood, etc, but also on the bodies of humans ( Durkheim 181). Whether they are marked on a body through mutilation, scarring, and tattooing, or whether the totems is represented on jewelry and on clothing, the adornment of totems on humans is yet another indication of its sacred value. â€Å"These totemic decorations enable us to see that the totem is not merely a name and an emblem. It is in the course of the religious ceremonies that they are employed; they are part of the liturgy; so while the totem is a collective label, it also has a religious character. In fact, it is in connection with it, that things are classified as sacred or profane. It is the very type of sacred thing (Durkheim 183).† â€Å"Sacred† is used to mean the things that are unworldly which cause humans to revere while â€Å"profane† is simply worldly matter. Once again, the assignment of so much value that one deems it sacred is evidence of religious qualities. Aside from the actual totemic emblem, there are other objects used in worship which are also considered sacred. The Arunta in particular, a tribe in Central Australia, uses an object called a churinga which is literally pieces of wood or polished stone, with the totemic entity marked upon it. Each group has a number of various churinga’s which sometimes bare a whole at one end where a thread made of human or opossum hair goes through. The thread allows the churinga to, when suspended, whirl into the air producing a humming noise which Durkheim compares to the toys of children ( Durkheim, 183, 119). These objects accompany rituals of any importance but also have a direct effect on the â€Å"sacred† and â€Å"profane.† The actual word churinga translates to mean sacred, and women, children, and young men who have not yet been initiated are not granted access to these instruments of piety. Having access to these instruments could be considered positive and negative. Certain churinga’s could not to be handled or viewed at by profane persons when not in use. Sometimes they were placed in secret hiding locations where the † sacred character of the churinga [was] so great that it communicates itself to the locality where they are stored ( Durkheim 184, 120).† Additionally they had powers such as they could create courage and  vigor in combat, heal sickness, and ensure fertility of the totemic animal or plant etc ( Durkheim 184, 120). In all, the sacredness the clan placed on these object is more than apparent and indicates the religious qualities of totemism. It is crucial to remember that the objects chosen to represent totemic symbols are in no way related to the actual symbol itself. The totem itself is not creating the religious feeling, but is solely a means to make tangible the spirituality that bonds a clan. In other words, totemism really has nothing to do with the totem. Instead it is the accumulated experiences of the various social units that creates those intense feelings of awe and reverence that has caused religion to last throughout the ages. Durkheim rationalizes this by saying that most individuals are vulnerable to authoritative figures in societies. In other words, people are inclined to follow individuals who have earned some sort of respect. Durkheim believes that in group environments, the authoritative individual has the capacity to make other individuals feel as though they are experiencing something that can not be experienced alone. People usually are incapable of distinguishing the cause of the intense feelings they are undergoing. Thus, the individuals in such a setting assume that it is some otherworldly force that is the cause of their newfound spiritual experience. The source of whatever is causing those feelings of intensity is what is deemed sacred. The sacred comes in different forms in all religions. In most religions sacredness is assigned to a god or gods. In totemism, it happens to be a totem which symbolizes the sacredness of the kinship in a clan. An interesting perspective that Durkheim holds is that in practice totemic religion in particular arose out of tribal life style. Individuals in tribal societies lived in groups too small to create the type of religious forces recognized by Durkheim. They usually lived spread across vast landscapes. On various occasions social meetings would be held that may be considered large enough to be called a mass of people. In Durkheim’s opinion, gatherings of this sort would effervesce, meaning that the spirituality that lies in the bonds of the group would build creating an even larger sense of religious awe. The group environment would cause the essential production of excited  behaviors and heightened emotions that propel belief in the sacred. A continuation off the previous belief, is Durkheim’s notion that sacredness is contagious. Through these group gatherings, Durkheim argues that the sacred is passed on by means of physical contact. This is proven through rituals that deem new things sacred when touched by previous instruments considered sacred. This is also common in Judaism where the Torah, the first five books in the Bible considered very sacred to the Jews, is touched by all those worshipping in the temple as a way of passing on the sacredness of the Torah to the members of the congregation. Catholics feel drinking wine that is blessed is equivalent to drinking the blood of Christ and thus feel they have attained a degree of sacredness through this ritual. Totemism is most certainly a religion, and bears all the qualities that many consider necessary before labeling something a religion. Durkheim used totemism to analyze the origins of religion in addition to the role religion plays in aiding people in understanding present society. It has been made evident that Durkheim considered religion essentially social viewing it from the eyes of a sociologist. In Durkheim’s mind, primal societies are where religion originated. He believed that although religion is only felt by individuals, it is an episode caused by a few factors. Due to the fact that religion is passed from generation to generation, the perspective that it is larger than any one person is created. The notion that it is larger than an individual allows individuals to become awe stricken by its seemingly evident power. In addition, in closed societies such as the ones which employ totemism, religion is universal, meaning that everyone has the same belief system. The collectiveness ensued through the belief system creates a unity and spiritual bonds among the members of the clans. Lastly, Durkheim believed that individuals in closed societies really have no other options but to believe in the religion taught to or experienced by them from an early age. Durkheim also touched on the fact that the forbidden and the unknown play considerable roles in understanding the essence of religion. Because totemism possesses and even exemplifies Durkheim’s opinions of religion, in addition to standard definitions of religion, it is only fair to label it as being one.

School play – “Heroin Lies”

Drugs and the use of drugs is a common problem with young people in society. The two productions I will be comparing in this essay both run on the theme of drugs. Our play performed in class is called â€Å"Heroin Lies† and this will be compared to â€Å"Junk† a book and then tv programme also running on the theme of drugs. â€Å"Heroin Lies† the play was written by Wayne Denfhy in 1991, compared to â€Å"Junk† written by Melvin Burgess in 1996, and as research I read the original book as I felt it would help me to compare to â€Å"Heroin Lies†. In our performance of â€Å"Heroin Lies† I play the part of ‘David' who is the father of heroin addict Vicky. I had to take up the role as a strict father who wanted his family to be strong and was very dissapointed in his daughter Vicky when she admitted to taking the drugs, however he shares a mutual respect with his other child Jason, who also featured in out perfomance. I watched and read some shows and books to try and find different aspects of fatherhood to make my perfomance spot on, I also made diagrams of my character and would write different aspects of their life around the diagram to try and get to know the part I would be taking up and thei characteristics. To help me in my work I looked for information in many different places, such as the library where I would read books on heroin so that I would feel knowledgeble to the work we were studying. I also went onto the internet and watched tv programmes where I would be able to watch a performance by an actor playing a Dad that could enhance my performance as I would try and learn the way the actors I watched would move and talk etc. In addition to this I would also watch the actions of my own dad to see if any of his characteristics would help me when rehearsing for the part of David. To help me with undertand â€Å"Junk† I read the book as research for more background information on the story and characters. â€Å"Heroin Lies† is basically a story of a normal family getting pulled apart and ruined down to the daughter ‘Vicky' taking heroin. The four main parts are David (Father, played by myself), Jean (Mother), Jason (Son, brother of Vicky) and Vicky (Daughter and heroin addict). As the plot continues throughout the play, Vicky ends up dying at the end,this saddening the auidience and most notably the three remaining members of the family. The play targets drugs and young people just givig into them, â€Å"Teenage pressures†¦ that the excuse eh?† (David, scene 15). Throughout the play, family arguments, monologues all add to the theme of drugs as they are mainly arguments about how Vicky has let the family down. Another key theme is the one of giving in, as thats how Vicky takes the heroin in the first place as she gives into her friend Mandy. â€Å"Junk† is alike to â€Å"Heroin lies† in many ways, its also a story of drug abuse and young people giving in and getting addicted to heroin. Its set in Bristol in the 1980's. Its a story of young lovers Tar and Gemma both running away from home to live together but end up with drug users who get the two of them into drugs such as heroin. Tar is very different to Vicky and Gemma as his parents dont really care that he has left and wouldnt care to find out he does drugs, whereas Vicky and Gemma both has protective paresnts that are devasted to find out that their daughters do drugs, although Gemma's dont really ever find out. Again like â€Å"Heroin lies† Gemma starts drugs down to peer pressure and giving into friends, â€Å"I got something in here that might change your mind† – Tar says to Gemma as he waits to give her a cigarette. Our performance is set in the present day, compared to â€Å"Junk† which was set in the 80's. I feel that the 20 year gap between the two productions is hard to tell as drugs have been, and always will be a danger to society and in both we can feel the dangers of heroin taking and the affect its having on characters such as Gemma, Tar and Vicky. Some characters are alkie to one another on both plays, in â€Å"Heroin Lies† Vicky is alike to the part of Gemma from â€Å"Junk†, I think this is because they are around the same age, they both gave in to taking heroin and they are both from working class families who are bitterly dissapointed in them becoming drug addicts. Also its evident that in both plays the father roles played by David in â€Å"Heroin Lies† and the father in â€Å"Junk† are alike as they both command the relationships with their wives and they are both feeling that they are in control of the situations regarding Vicky's drug problem, and Gemma running away from home, although really neither of them have any control in the matter whatsoever â€Å"He asked you to stay out all night with him!† (Gemma's father to Gemma when she tells of how she wated to stay out with Tar). Many of the viewers may be able to relate to the parts of Vicky, Gemma, Tar, Jason David, Jean etc, as they too may have been in a similiar situaion. This shows how effective a play can be with this sort of relevance and social histroical content. The members of our performance are all young and we cn relate to the arguments with the parents, therefore making it a lot easier to act as we can relate to real life issues. This may be alike to the actors and actresses in the tv programme of â€Å"Junk† as they were around the same age as the people in my group and myself. The theme of drugs and heroin usage is a strong theme to use as a stimulas in our performance and the original of the book and play. In our play we used many theartre skills to master the script we were given. We have used real life issues from our own lives to use in the performance as we feel that it would give us a better understanding of the words we were saying, this meaning better acting, giving off a better performance to the audience. I used research from the internet as did other member of the group. Mainly used for the work on our characterisations. We have used props and we have rehearsed our stage direrctions to perfection so that it symblises real family life yet letting the audience see all of the characters and their emotions clearly. Also we used monlogues and hot seating where people would ask us questions and we would answer in character, this helped us and the fellow memebers of the group understand each character with a better undertsanding. In conclusion comapring my groups peformance of â€Å"Heroin Lies† and the book â€Å"Junk† I feel that they share many similarities and few and far between differeces. The main themes and characters were alike in both productions, even the storylines had its similairites! I have learnt a lot from this whole experience, I learnt not only about heroin and the usage and affect it can have on families, but I learnt how to put that into a performance. Its been a great experience overall, and I have enjoyed working on this project a lot! Also out of it I have read two very interesting different pieces of work, that have left an everlasting impression on me.

Effects of Social Problems Symptoms Essay

The symptoms of social problems among teenagers in this day will give you an impression of the enormous impact and in the individual, society and the State. Teens on this day is the main asset and it is essential in the development of the country at the time to come. Effect of long term and short term will surely apply if teenagers and society on this day does not know how to menanganani problems that exacerbated the tapered, this makes the formation of identity and the glory of the morals of our society’s eyes fragile self.Morals is mirrored themselves for personal and individual. If the individual has a bad character, then that personal individual will also be bad. Teens who have bad attitudes, and may give the impression to oneself, family, community, and country. One employee who was born this mortal circle like a white cloth sesuci no kotoranya, it is it is up on the individual it how he wants to mencorakkan his life. Individuals who mencorakkan himself with a good character will be seen noble and high, as opposed to the individual who mencorakkan himself with negative things will be perceived by the public and angle dicemuh round. For someone who had the title of Muslims are predominantly teens, good morals should be decorated with the things of faith and devotion to God. Instead, the muslim teenager kebanyankkan on today is not in accordance with the teachings of islam, by contrast, Nations and religions humiliating the country. Cannot be disclaimed warranties are also symptoms of social impression this gives a deep impression on a person’s teens. Families play a role that is very important because of the happiness and harmony of the institution of kekeluargaanlah something that society was formed. The collapse of the family institution will cause a loss of happiness and harmony experienced something of the community. The morals of an individual good and noble juveniles comes from a family institution that harmony and happy. Therefore, the collapse of morals in the family institution will give a great impression upon the happiness and harmony of the family institution. something As a result of his careless harmonian in family a family no doubt will be the enactment of penceraian. This will make the future children will be left unattended and not well maintained, beyond missing site dependent and bermanja. The effect the enactment of social problems such as drugs, addictive lepak cultures, prostitution, gambling, same-sex relationships and other issues. Falls and ups something the State, religion and the nation at present is to see morals and moral thing for society. The disclaimed warranties not the morals of adolescents in today’s highly membimbangkan society. If this is not dammed by the party – the party that, chiefly by the Empire, then it is not surprising, someday will come our society will crumble and collapse the morals of adolescents – Malay teen will chiefly rosak and perish. However there is the sharpest impression that will be seen on teen attitudes, and presumably today is not dammed quickly. People in this country will be porak-peranda, were divided and not United-ECE. As a result the bad feelings and prejudices will exist within the community. The nature of each curiga-mencurigai will be enthroned in the hearts of the people. This impression when menberi goes pergaduhan in the community. The incoherent issues will exist if pergaduhan this involves between two clans. As for the crime levels in the community will also increase to which this is due to the levels of moral collapse among teenagers has increased. The main implications against the State if the symptoms are not social ditengani soon will lead the country will lose the leadership generation upholstery in the future. This will make the country’s development will be terbantut kerancakan and State socioeconomic data into humid country because his social and moral collapse of the symptoms is high among the public. This makes the case for the crime levels in the country will also increase in line with increased social symptoms he while enhancing the perbelajaan of kos to reduce rates for the crime. Beyond the evils outside evils will seep into the country if the young generation today don’t know keep their morals. And, the main impression is that teens today are predominantly of Islamic morals teenagers crushed and then view rosak Gentiles against religion that we anuti on this day surely gone Askew and bad.

Fashion Blogging Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fashion Blogging - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that in this highly competitive globalized world fashion has become an integral part of our lives. Fashion is no more a personal choice for one’s own happiness but knowledge of fashion to some extent has become a requirement in workplaces, universities, social gatherings etc. This increased following and interest in fashion has led to newer ways of searching latest knowledge about ever changing fashion. This has led to the emergence of the phenomenon of fashion blogging. A vague and somewhat loose definition of blogging is the practice of posting information on the website. It is a medium where a strong view point, a differing view or just an attempt to â€Å"be yourself† is employed to engage the audience. Personal blogs are the most common where personal affairs of a person are discussed that are of interest to their friends. However the popular type of blog is the topical blog. In topical blogs a topic of interest is discus sed and hence it has wider audience. Fashion blog is a kind of topical blog. Fashion blog provides the platform for the creation of an ideal self with one’s online identity. Fashion blog provides the intersection of this self created ideal self and the off line consumer. There are different types of communities of practice created from â€Å"top down† i.e. by the fashion industry itself and the â€Å"bottom up† i.e. by the women who are interested in fashion.... Another type of fashion blog is like a fashion magazine that gives a glimpse of the season’s offering at the comfort of your home. While some focuses on finding our own style instead of spending a lot of money trying to keep pace with the ever changing fashion. An example of it is Bargain Queen. Another type of blogs only focuses on some of the fashion items such as shoes, hand bags and other fashion accessories. Generally speaking a shopping blog shows realistically priced things affordable by many as well as some aspirational items which are admired by many but affordable by very few (Leung, 2008). The Rise of Fashion Blogs The role and importance of fashion blogging has increased so much that fashion bloggers are now an integral part of the elitist and the most exclusive of fashion functions which were previously reserved for fashion schools and fashion magazines. Fashion blogs has such profound influence over the people that the British fashion blogger Susanna Lau has beco me a minor celebrity of UK fashion with her blog Style Bubble. Her blog attracts more than 10,000 visitors per day. Same is true for the popularity of other fashion blogs such as BryanBoy, Fashiontoast, SomethingNavy, and TheBlondeSalad. The popularity of these fashion blogs has turned them into an effective marketing tool. This increased importance not only enhanced the number of bloggers on the web but also their role. Now the bloggers are not just satisfied with being invited at fashion parties but they have a professional role to play. Some of the bloggers are now becoming a part of the branded network that is conducted by web Media Company. However their role is different from online magazines because they are

Bowdoin College and the Point of Education Essay

Bowdoin College and the Point of Education - Essay Example Bowdoin College's commitment to the common good is expressed in its mission, on the Academics – Common Good page: â€Å"A commitment to the common good isn’t just about giving back. It’s about looking forward and connecting who you are and what you can do to a greater purpose. We all want to live in a better world, but it’s not always clear where to start†. The common good is what inspired me to choose Bowdoin College to attend. In my opinion, the academy has to justify its existence, it's funding. People are putting in their hard-earned money, through taxes, donations, grants and tuition, to subsidize this institution. It is true that expanding the boundaries of human knowledge is a worthy endeavour. But so are many other things that people could spend their money on. Bowdoin College distinguishes itself by giving back to the community. I am interested in the Bowdoin College community outreach programs. Not only are these programs excellent for the college to build its connection to the communities that it resides in, but this is also a great way to apply my skills immediately. I will learn how to interact with the community, with leaders, and get real-world experience while still in college! What a wonderful career builder, and a great way to build the contacts essential for my ongoing professional success. Bowdoin College recognizes that the point of education is to give back to our communities, and I am proud to consider this institution for that reason.

Critique the quality of the literature review in the study below, does Essay

Critique the quality of the literature review in the study below, does the literature review support the problem statement defend your answer - Essay Example There follows a survey of empirical studies, all of which appear to show how a lack of time, or pressure on financial resources have since prevented nurses from actually making use of past research in their daily practice. This empirical part of the literature review focuses on the negative, and does not cite work which identifies cases where research is successfully implemented in daily practice. Overall the quality of the sources cited in this article is generally good, although it is noticeable that most of them are American or Canadian in origin, with few from Europe or further afield. There is some coverage of theory, including cultural theories, innovation theory and change theory, but this is extremely brief and again heavily focused on the difficulties and failures rather than successes. The author seems intent on pointing out previous negative results in order to justify new research but she does not explain clearly why this is the case, or what alternative proposals have been suggested to improve the situation. In more recent studies there has been a growing emphasis on building on successes in this area. One very recent article (Leeman and Sandelowski, 2012) concurs with McCloskey’s observations about the underuse of interventions that have been demonstrated as successful and proposes that the reason for this may lie in a tendency in the literature to provide quantitative data, whereas more focus on qualitative data would of much greater relevance in the drive to encourage evidence based practice. An interesting recent article on the much more severe barriers to the implementation of new research in China (He and Hu, 2012) advocates the setting up of a website for nurses which offers practical guidance in several languages. In Europe, post-graduate qualifications and the increased professionalization of nurses have improved

Crisis Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Crisis Management - Essay Example While security cover is definitely essential for public figures, it cannot be implemented at the cost of inconvenience to other public. The essential concept of security cover needs to be based on preventive strategy which also caters sufficiently for abnormal and emergency security conditions. Security cordon needs to ensure prevention of carriage of arms in close vicinity of the dignitary, visible and invisible security protection in two or three security tiers, traveling to be undertaken in protected convoys, deceptive actions like frequent alternative routes, frequent rotation of dignitary in convoy vehicles, medical evacuation facilities and other such measures as described below: Security Cordon. Visible elements like uniformed and civilian clothed security guards should form a cordon in two or three tiers with bullet-proof jackets around the dignitary during all his movements in public areas. Metal detectors and physical check-up of people likely to come into close proximity with the dignitary should also be undertaken to prevent anyone carrying arms with an intention of harm. Travel. The dignitary is to travel in a convoy of three vehicles with his seating to be decided at last moment. An ambulance with necessary medical and emergency equipment is to join as the fourth vehicle. 02 armed guards are to be present in all the three vehicles. As far as possible, he is to be carried in a bullet-proof car. Three routes are to be pre-decided out of which one is to be chosen at the last moment. Public Appearances. Efforts have to focus on proactive prevention techniques by developing ways to identify and neutralize people who pose a threat to the dignitary. Essentially, this would involve cordoning off the immediate area to the extent possible with facilities for observation from elevated towers, preventing carriage of arms to the meetings, identifying and preventing individuals with past known criminal record from entering the area, take assistance from all law-enforcing agencies in achieving such precautions to the extent possible and ensure his safety in public places with or without use of force. Meeting the Press. Most dignitaries love to meet press and show their security-be-damned attitudes for sake of cheap popularity. Security personnel have to accomplish their duty in spite of these conditions. The press members should be thoroughly sensitized regarding security threats to the dignitary. Further, the press members have to be clearly identifiable and preferably segregated from the public to interact with our dignitary. The dignitary should also be advised of the measures undertaken by us and requested to cooperate by not breaking the security cordon. If possible, an organized press conference should be arranged at an appropriate closed in-house location than publicly. Medical. A competent medical attendant duly cleared by security agencies for his clean and reliable background record with all necessary emergency equipment is to follow the convoy in the ambulance. A specialist doctor should remain on emergency call during the entire duration. Protection Plan for Residence. Security arrangements at residence would involve the following: a. A well laid-out security cordon to block any miscreant from entering the residence. b. Regular patrolling of all vulnerable points along the residence. c. Scanning and keeping a watchful eye on all incoming visitors including employees at

New York Times Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

New York Times - Essay Example These changes both in the use of the English language and the newspaper itself can be attributed to circumstance and the changing times including progress itself where language become more simplified to facilitate understanding. Some things however did not change such as the general look of the newspaper New York Times. The 1800s can be said to be still part of â€Å"wordy literature† and this can be observed in the August 2, 1888 publication of the New York Times. It is important to note here that newspapers are the simplest form of English of a society in a given day. But still, we can observe in 1838 edition of New York Times that used long sentences with several phrases in a sentence. It can even said that it did not follow the modern rules of writing the first paragraph of newspaper writing which is to use the five W’s (What, Where, Who, Why) and one H (How). This can be observed in the article entitled â€Å"THE POSITION TAKEN BY CONNECTICUT PROHIBITIONISTS: AN ENTHUSIASTIC STATE CONVENTION AT HARTFORD YESTERDAY-NOMINATING A FULL TICKET†. The first paragraph is so long that it took almost half of the length of the page. The content also reflected the conservative perspective of the day where it â€Å"favourably† reported the prohibition of liquor which is unthinkab le today in modern America. The technology of the printing press was obviously primitive as what we can observe in the simple column layout of the 1838 version of New York Times newspaper. The writing style of the New York Times newspaper dramatically changed 50 years later in its August 2, 1938 publication. The language â€Å"modernized† or became more simplified and adopted the modern rules of newspaper writing of following the 5W’s and one H in the first paragraph as an overview of the story to be written. The banner remained the same but the layout of the body of the newspaper allowed some fluidity and style because titles can now be written across columns unlike

Activeion - Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Activeion - - Case Study Example The lonator provides health and benefits to the staff of the business. Activeion has no side effects to domestic users and can be used in cleaning household goods. Activeion cleaning tools targets hotels as it is known to kill germs. Food customers are becoming more sensitive to chemicals used in hotels and other food kiosks; hence hotels are a better target for the products. Activeion also targets single families with small children as it has no side effects to the kids. Activeon also targets people with sensitivities since their products have no chemicals. They also target those with pets in their homes as their products are harmless to pets. This is according to their websites. â€Å"Lonator! The chemical free cleaning solution for all your household chores, it is easy to use as it only requires only water. Lonator is suitable for child washing, those with sensitivities and all your cleaning solutions. ‘Lonator ‘for only $ 177† Activeion can market cosmetics with no chemicals; it can market eco friendly cosmetics e.g. herbal nourishers. The company can also market children wear since it is perceived to have friendly products this can be a niche market. Detergents can also make a good market for