AIDS Epidemic among the Gay Community

Gays or homosexuals are oftentimes criticized in the community because of the so-called â€Å"morality and/or religious† issues. They are often misunderstood and degraded since they are perceived as different or deviant.One never knows how it feels like to a gay unless you become one. Nevertheless, the society in general is not acceptant to homosexuals considering that they are also members of the bigger community. Ideally, this marginalized sector also deserves the same respect as straight individuals though the level of identification and approval of the gay community varies from one nation to another.In fact, many gay figures have emerged, gained popularity, and excelled especially in the entertainment industry and in the field of arts and designing.The health issue on AIDS or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome has been existent for a very long time yet it has remained and maintained its controversy mainly among homosexuals in the American community.Maybe because of the ri sing number of AIDS victims especially among gay men and yet the impacts of endeavors to eradicate, if not minimize, this infectious disease is not that comprehensive or maybe ineffective as of this time.In the United States, HIV infection and AIDS have had a tremendous effect on men who have sex with men (MSM) (HIV/AIDS, 2007, para.1).  Many health agencies not only in the United States but all over the world have created programs specifically for AIDS but so far some proved successful while other are still ongoing or under investigation. This topic on AIDS never lost its value of interest that is why this is chosen as the health topic at hand.AIDS Epidemic  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2Before going into this project, it is assumed that AIDS in the United States is not that prevalent among the American gay population. Nevertheless, according to the AIDS Primer (n.d.),  The fact that the disease affected mostly gay men and was transmitted through sexual contact further stigmatized those infe cted with HIV, and by extension, the gay community, in general.Because of this â€Å"origin† and the socio-cultural and religious climate in the United States at that time, AIDS was labeled then as the â€Å"Gay Men's disease†; in fact, it was considered then as primarily a â€Å"White Gay Men's disease† (para.2).It is also assumed that majority of the AIDS cases in America are not from the gay community. MSM accounted for 71% of all HIV infections among male adults and adolescents in 2005 (based on data from 33 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting), even though only about 5% to 7% of male adults and adolescents in the United States identify themselves as MSM (HIV/AIDS, 2007, para. 1).In North America, Western Europe and other developed nations, most cases continue to be transmitted sexually between men (Sowadsky, 1998, para. 1).Another assumption implicates that the United States is very much active with the AIDS movement and has trimmed down the number of deaths per year. Yet, â€Å"Despite the new drugs, 40,000 young Americans are dying (because of AIDS) every year† (Horowitz, 2001). This simply shows that efforts in eliminating AIDS are still reluctant in the United States.AIDS Epidemic  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   3Based on the readings from scholarly journals and the internet, it can be concluded that AIDS is still a dangerous health ailment with no 100% cure so far. It can be minimized or alleviated through certain drug treatments and therapies but total eradication from an infected individual is still impossible at present.It is also learned that AIDS cases in the United States are more catastrophic among the African-American community since two decades ago, especially among young gay adults who are sexually active and engaging in multiple male partners.In 2000, AIDS is the leading cause of death among 25-44-year old African Americans (United States, n.d., para. 2). A recent study, conducted in 5 large US cities, found that HIV prevalence among black MSM (46%) was more than twice that among white MSM (21%) (HIV/AIDS, 2007, para. 2).Based on the findings, it is further stipulated that AIDS should be taken more seriously since cases and deaths are still increasing annually in contrast to the former assumption that AIDS prevalence has been already successfully controlled. Even innocent children are affected.

Case Analysis

Organizations that remain stagnant In their strategy eventually become so salary to their competitors that the only differentiating characteristic between them is price; this hometown, according to Cummings and Gnawing transforms these companies into â€Å"lemmings† that blindly follow their peers without unleashing their full potential. An organization can set itself apart and create new paths for itself by changing its strategy to meet the new environment, a change Into what the authors call the Annual chimera† or PVC.In mythology, a chimera Is a multi-headed, different-faced creature with different body parts. The idea behind the chimera analogy is clear: organizations can differentiate themselves by adapting to the changing environment, hangs brought about by technology and increasing globalization. Most companies want to â€Å"differentiate themselves by developing a unique network of psychological characteristics and associations that separate them from others. Th ere is a clash between the old school management theories and the PVC: where the previous theories focused on cost reduction and efficient production, the PVC focuses on differentiation and customization. The clash emerges because the focus of these two ideas necessarily contradicts the other, as in how can you reduce cost but still customize your product? The PVC Is consistent with the resource-based model since It views organizations â€Å"In terms of their distinctive constellations of tangible and Intangible resources, the sum of whose parts create unique and often Inimitable capableness. The value chain analysis, according to the PVC, is not the preferred method of viewing strategy; instead, strategy should be a mixture of resources and value to create a hybrid organization that is both agile and also maintains its ability to produce what its customers want. 4. Dell faces Increased competition from Its rivals such as HP, Acre, Apple, and Leno and must stay agile to keep its ma rket share. All of them segment their customers effectively and then set their strategies to focus on each segment.Dell has four market segments that it has identified: home users, large enterprise customers, small/medium businesses, and the public sector. Dell's strategy is to maintain its focus on each of these segments to provide better customer service to malting loyalty. Acre group's strategy Is to acquire other competing brands and en to tailor tense Dramas to meet tenet segments needs. Acres strategy Is salary to Dell's, however Acre does not possess the knowledge that Dell has gained in-house to successfully focus its strengths into different brands for different segments.HP also segments is markets, however it started out by focusing on printing and imaging and not personal computers. HP also focuses its strategy on the services-side of computing, a segment that Dell does not compete in directly. HP seems to be focusing its PC sales on new, fancy-looking computers rather th an setting itself apart eased on its customer service or services business. Apple, on the other hand, does not segment its market in the same way that Dell, HP, and Acre segment their markets. Apple's market is a niche computing market that serves the â€Å"high-end† computer user.Dell does not need to directly compete with Apple since Apple-loyalty is based on the niche, and not based on the quality of service or quality of product like Dell's loyalty is based. Leno started out late in the game and purchased Vim's personal computer division and is the largest producer in Asia. Leno focuses, like HP, on the services-side of computing, a segment that Dell does not compete in yet. Dell also offers adjacent products like televisions and entertainment products, segments that Leno does not offer.Dell should compete with Leno only in Asia and the Middle Eastern markets in the future. Based on the previous analysis, Dell should continue to focus its strategy on its current market se gments and not venture into new territory such as services and other management tools. While Dell might consider Asia as its next frontier, there are many issues with facing Leno on its own ruff, as well as new entrants to the market as developing countries like India begin their own computer producing companies.I would recommend that Dell maintain its focus on Asia and keep its strategy limited to offering quality customer service and affordable, customizable personal computers in the U. S. 2. We must classify environments because firms can control certain aspects of it, and cannot control other aspects of it. General environment segments directly influence an industry and include segments such as political, demographic, and coloratura. Firms cannot control the general environment segments, however these segments directly influence the strategies these firms will choose.On the other hand, industry environment factors directly influence a firm and its strategic choices: the power of suppliers, threat of new entrants, and the intensity of rivalry among competitors. Successful firms gather all the necessary information on the external environment and then also gather intelligence on their competitors in the industry to properly form their strategy. Five important factors in the general environment include anemographic, technological, coloratura, global, and legal segments.The demographic segment considers that age and population of the market as well as the income of customers; technology considerations include advances in communication and product innovation; coloratura segment analysis includes workforce diversity, shifts in product characteristic preferences, and shifts in work/career preferences; the global segment considers emerging new markets and different cultural attributes; finally, the legal segment considers laws and regulations that may affect strategic decisions. Case Analysis Organizations that remain stagnant In their strategy eventually become so salary to their competitors that the only differentiating characteristic between them is price; this hometown, according to Cummings and Gnawing transforms these companies into â€Å"lemmings† that blindly follow their peers without unleashing their full potential. An organization can set itself apart and create new paths for itself by changing its strategy to meet the new environment, a change Into what the authors call the Annual chimera† or PVC.In mythology, a chimera Is a multi-headed, different-faced creature with different body parts. The idea behind the chimera analogy is clear: organizations can differentiate themselves by adapting to the changing environment, hangs brought about by technology and increasing globalization. Most companies want to â€Å"differentiate themselves by developing a unique network of psychological characteristics and associations that separate them from others. Th ere is a clash between the old school management theories and the PVC: where the previous theories focused on cost reduction and efficient production, the PVC focuses on differentiation and customization. The clash emerges because the focus of these two ideas necessarily contradicts the other, as in how can you reduce cost but still customize your product? The PVC Is consistent with the resource-based model since It views organizations â€Å"In terms of their distinctive constellations of tangible and Intangible resources, the sum of whose parts create unique and often Inimitable capableness. The value chain analysis, according to the PVC, is not the preferred method of viewing strategy; instead, strategy should be a mixture of resources and value to create a hybrid organization that is both agile and also maintains its ability to produce what its customers want. 4. Dell faces Increased competition from Its rivals such as HP, Acre, Apple, and Leno and must stay agile to keep its ma rket share. All of them segment their customers effectively and then set their strategies to focus on each segment.Dell has four market segments that it has identified: home users, large enterprise customers, small/medium businesses, and the public sector. Dell's strategy is to maintain its focus on each of these segments to provide better customer service to malting loyalty. Acre group's strategy Is to acquire other competing brands and en to tailor tense Dramas to meet tenet segments needs. Acres strategy Is salary to Dell's, however Acre does not possess the knowledge that Dell has gained in-house to successfully focus its strengths into different brands for different segments.HP also segments is markets, however it started out by focusing on printing and imaging and not personal computers. HP also focuses its strategy on the services-side of computing, a segment that Dell does not compete in directly. HP seems to be focusing its PC sales on new, fancy-looking computers rather th an setting itself apart eased on its customer service or services business. Apple, on the other hand, does not segment its market in the same way that Dell, HP, and Acre segment their markets. Apple's market is a niche computing market that serves the â€Å"high-end† computer user.Dell does not need to directly compete with Apple since Apple-loyalty is based on the niche, and not based on the quality of service or quality of product like Dell's loyalty is based. Leno started out late in the game and purchased Vim's personal computer division and is the largest producer in Asia. Leno focuses, like HP, on the services-side of computing, a segment that Dell does not compete in yet. Dell also offers adjacent products like televisions and entertainment products, segments that Leno does not offer.Dell should compete with Leno only in Asia and the Middle Eastern markets in the future. Based on the previous analysis, Dell should continue to focus its strategy on its current market se gments and not venture into new territory such as services and other management tools. While Dell might consider Asia as its next frontier, there are many issues with facing Leno on its own ruff, as well as new entrants to the market as developing countries like India begin their own computer producing companies.I would recommend that Dell maintain its focus on Asia and keep its strategy limited to offering quality customer service and affordable, customizable personal computers in the U. S. 2. We must classify environments because firms can control certain aspects of it, and cannot control other aspects of it. General environment segments directly influence an industry and include segments such as political, demographic, and coloratura. Firms cannot control the general environment segments, however these segments directly influence the strategies these firms will choose.On the other hand, industry environment factors directly influence a firm and its strategic choices: the power of suppliers, threat of new entrants, and the intensity of rivalry among competitors. Successful firms gather all the necessary information on the external environment and then also gather intelligence on their competitors in the industry to properly form their strategy. Five important factors in the general environment include anemographic, technological, coloratura, global, and legal segments.The demographic segment considers that age and population of the market as well as the income of customers; technology considerations include advances in communication and product innovation; coloratura segment analysis includes workforce diversity, shifts in product characteristic preferences, and shifts in work/career preferences; the global segment considers emerging new markets and different cultural attributes; finally, the legal segment considers laws and regulations that may affect strategic decisions. Case Analysis The Effects of Advertising CONSUMER BEHAVIOR COURSE – Brief overview The schedule will be available in September Dr. Anne-Laure Sellier Tisch 8-11 Phone: (212) 998-0553 Fax: (212) 995-4855 [email  protected] nyu. edu Office Hours: flexible, call for appointment Teaching assistant: TBA Optional Readings: I highly recommend you go through the readings below. However, please note we will never refer to the Solomon book in class. I will merely indicate what chapters are relevant for each class, and you can use the book as a tool to better grasp some of the concepts we will discuss in class. . Solomon (2008). Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having and Being (8th ed). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. 2. Additional journal articles, exercises, and recent news from the popular business press will be provided throughout the semester. The journal articles will provide you with a deeper insight into selected topics and methods of consumer behavior research. The business news articles, cases, and exercises will give you the opportunity to apply the conceptual framework to current real-world marketing problems.The readings and assignments will be handed out in class and/or posted on the Blackboard. 3. Most cases assigned for the class are in the course pack, and some will be posted on Blackboard, as we will enjoy freshly baked cases from the London Business School and the industry. Overview: Consumer behavior is one of the most interesting and important aspects of marketing management. Virtually all decisions involved in developing an effective marketing mix for a product or service rely on thorough knowledge of the consumers who comprise the target market.Understanding the behavior of the consumer can help marketers anticipate reactions to changes in the marketing mix, or determine whether new products are likely to be adopted. Consumer behavior is also closely related to marketing research. A practical understanding of the consumer can aid in the selection of an approp riate research methodology, question design and selection, as well as in interpreting consumer responses to such questions. In this course we will directly examine the available theory and research concerning the behavior of the consumer in order to understand its most basic principles.The majority of the course will focus on the consumer as an information processor of one sort or another. We will examine the motivational and perceptual factors upon which buyer behavior is built, as well as look at more complex processes such as persuasion, attitude judgment, and decision-making. In practical terms, we will address the following questions: What kinds of marketing stimuli do consumers notice? How can we get them to notice our marketing messages? What motivates consumers? What do consumers value?What elements can we include in our marketing mix to motivate consumers to learn more about our product or to buy it? What kinds of information are consumers good at remembering? How can we ai d consumer memory for our brand name and product features? What makes consumers evaluate products as good or bad, and how can we persuade them that our product is good? How can we get consumers to choose our product over competitors? What features do consumers care about, and how does this influence their decision? What are the main things that determine whether consumers are satisfied with a product or not?The goals of this class are: †¢ to acquire a framework for analyzing consumer behavior problems †¢ to learn how consumer behavior can be affected by different marketing strategies †¢ to show how behavioral evidence can be used to evaluate alternative marketing strategies †¢ to learn about and use consumer behavior theories in marketing and social psychology The course is structured as followed: we will discuss a case; it will be followed by a lecture related to the case. Note that we discuss the case for 1h30 / 2 hrs, so you are expected to be thoroughly prepa red for class discussion.Course prerequisites: a solid understanding of your Core Marketing course Course Grades: Class participation Written assignments (2) Final exam 20% 40% 40% N. B. on class participation: Attending all sessions is obviously crucial. It will also give you the opportunity to actively participate in class discussions and obtain a high class participation grade. Note, however, that your mere presence is not sufficient to earn points for class participation. What matters is the quantity and, especially, the quality of your contributions to class discussions.Assignments Assignments are due at the beginning of the relevant class. They are to be prepared in groups of 4 or 5 students. Students are expected to choose who they want to work with. All groups should be formed before the third week of class. Length: 3 pages (single spaced), plus any appendices, graphs, etc. The assignments involve a case analysis. Groups will write a brief paper examining the buyer behavior issues involved in two case readings assigned for the class, and describe the implications these principles have for the strategy they propose in the case.Each case will have associated questions with it that will help you structure your answer. Each assignment is due at the beginning of the class where the case will be discussed. Final exam The final exam will be a three-hour case-study, closed book, involving questions related to consumer behavior. It will take place during the last week of the course. We will finalize the exam date during our first class. Please make sure that you will not have any other work / interview-related commitment that day.Course Website This website has many useful things on it, including continuously updated information on assignments, readings, course schedule, etc. Also, we will use it as a platform to discuss consumer behavior issues covered in the press during the semester. Please check Blackboard regularly. Class Notes I will hand out hard copies of the slides after the case discussion in every session. In addition, the PowerPoint slides for each class will be available for downloading from the website as of right after class. Note, however, that these slides only present an outline of the class discussion.You will need to take notes to fully capture the material discussed in class. Additional Literature You can find additional relevant literature (e. g. , for your team project) using the Bobst Business Databases ( http://www. nyu. edu/library/bobst/database/d_bus. htm ), as well as links on the class website. Class Policy †¢ Be prepared: Make sure that you have read the readings assigned for each class. This will help you to better understand the material discussed in class and to actively participate in class discussions.Attend regularly: Regular attendance will provide you with more opportunities to contribute to class and thus increase your participation grade. Please note that you are responsible for knowing any ch anges or assignments announced in class. Arrive on time: Late-comers are very disturbing. Systematic tardiness will have a negative impact on your participation grade. Respect assignment deadlines: Late assignments will not be accepted without a prior agreement. Be honest: Cheating and plagiarism will result in a grade of â€Å"F† for the assignment/test for all parties involved. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Case Analysis Organizations that remain stagnant In their strategy eventually become so salary to their competitors that the only differentiating characteristic between them is price; this hometown, according to Cummings and Gnawing transforms these companies into â€Å"lemmings† that blindly follow their peers without unleashing their full potential. An organization can set itself apart and create new paths for itself by changing its strategy to meet the new environment, a change Into what the authors call the Annual chimera† or PVC.In mythology, a chimera Is a multi-headed, different-faced creature with different body parts. The idea behind the chimera analogy is clear: organizations can differentiate themselves by adapting to the changing environment, hangs brought about by technology and increasing globalization. Most companies want to â€Å"differentiate themselves by developing a unique network of psychological characteristics and associations that separate them from others. Th ere is a clash between the old school management theories and the PVC: where the previous theories focused on cost reduction and efficient production, the PVC focuses on differentiation and customization. The clash emerges because the focus of these two ideas necessarily contradicts the other, as in how can you reduce cost but still customize your product? The PVC Is consistent with the resource-based model since It views organizations â€Å"In terms of their distinctive constellations of tangible and Intangible resources, the sum of whose parts create unique and often Inimitable capableness. The value chain analysis, according to the PVC, is not the preferred method of viewing strategy; instead, strategy should be a mixture of resources and value to create a hybrid organization that is both agile and also maintains its ability to produce what its customers want. 4. Dell faces Increased competition from Its rivals such as HP, Acre, Apple, and Leno and must stay agile to keep its ma rket share. All of them segment their customers effectively and then set their strategies to focus on each segment.Dell has four market segments that it has identified: home users, large enterprise customers, small/medium businesses, and the public sector. Dell's strategy is to maintain its focus on each of these segments to provide better customer service to malting loyalty. Acre group's strategy Is to acquire other competing brands and en to tailor tense Dramas to meet tenet segments needs. Acres strategy Is salary to Dell's, however Acre does not possess the knowledge that Dell has gained in-house to successfully focus its strengths into different brands for different segments.HP also segments is markets, however it started out by focusing on printing and imaging and not personal computers. HP also focuses its strategy on the services-side of computing, a segment that Dell does not compete in directly. HP seems to be focusing its PC sales on new, fancy-looking computers rather th an setting itself apart eased on its customer service or services business. Apple, on the other hand, does not segment its market in the same way that Dell, HP, and Acre segment their markets. Apple's market is a niche computing market that serves the â€Å"high-end† computer user.Dell does not need to directly compete with Apple since Apple-loyalty is based on the niche, and not based on the quality of service or quality of product like Dell's loyalty is based. Leno started out late in the game and purchased Vim's personal computer division and is the largest producer in Asia. Leno focuses, like HP, on the services-side of computing, a segment that Dell does not compete in yet. Dell also offers adjacent products like televisions and entertainment products, segments that Leno does not offer.Dell should compete with Leno only in Asia and the Middle Eastern markets in the future. Based on the previous analysis, Dell should continue to focus its strategy on its current market se gments and not venture into new territory such as services and other management tools. While Dell might consider Asia as its next frontier, there are many issues with facing Leno on its own ruff, as well as new entrants to the market as developing countries like India begin their own computer producing companies.I would recommend that Dell maintain its focus on Asia and keep its strategy limited to offering quality customer service and affordable, customizable personal computers in the U. S. 2. We must classify environments because firms can control certain aspects of it, and cannot control other aspects of it. General environment segments directly influence an industry and include segments such as political, demographic, and coloratura. Firms cannot control the general environment segments, however these segments directly influence the strategies these firms will choose.On the other hand, industry environment factors directly influence a firm and its strategic choices: the power of suppliers, threat of new entrants, and the intensity of rivalry among competitors. Successful firms gather all the necessary information on the external environment and then also gather intelligence on their competitors in the industry to properly form their strategy. Five important factors in the general environment include anemographic, technological, coloratura, global, and legal segments.The demographic segment considers that age and population of the market as well as the income of customers; technology considerations include advances in communication and product innovation; coloratura segment analysis includes workforce diversity, shifts in product characteristic preferences, and shifts in work/career preferences; the global segment considers emerging new markets and different cultural attributes; finally, the legal segment considers laws and regulations that may affect strategic decisions. Case Analysis The Effects of Advertising CONSUMER BEHAVIOR COURSE – Brief overview The schedule will be available in September Dr. Anne-Laure Sellier Tisch 8-11 Phone: (212) 998-0553 Fax: (212) 995-4855 [email  protected] nyu. edu Office Hours: flexible, call for appointment Teaching assistant: TBA Optional Readings: I highly recommend you go through the readings below. However, please note we will never refer to the Solomon book in class. I will merely indicate what chapters are relevant for each class, and you can use the book as a tool to better grasp some of the concepts we will discuss in class. . Solomon (2008). Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having and Being (8th ed). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. 2. Additional journal articles, exercises, and recent news from the popular business press will be provided throughout the semester. The journal articles will provide you with a deeper insight into selected topics and methods of consumer behavior research. The business news articles, cases, and exercises will give you the opportunity to apply the conceptual framework to current real-world marketing problems.The readings and assignments will be handed out in class and/or posted on the Blackboard. 3. Most cases assigned for the class are in the course pack, and some will be posted on Blackboard, as we will enjoy freshly baked cases from the London Business School and the industry. Overview: Consumer behavior is one of the most interesting and important aspects of marketing management. Virtually all decisions involved in developing an effective marketing mix for a product or service rely on thorough knowledge of the consumers who comprise the target market.Understanding the behavior of the consumer can help marketers anticipate reactions to changes in the marketing mix, or determine whether new products are likely to be adopted. Consumer behavior is also closely related to marketing research. A practical understanding of the consumer can aid in the selection of an approp riate research methodology, question design and selection, as well as in interpreting consumer responses to such questions. In this course we will directly examine the available theory and research concerning the behavior of the consumer in order to understand its most basic principles.The majority of the course will focus on the consumer as an information processor of one sort or another. We will examine the motivational and perceptual factors upon which buyer behavior is built, as well as look at more complex processes such as persuasion, attitude judgment, and decision-making. In practical terms, we will address the following questions: What kinds of marketing stimuli do consumers notice? How can we get them to notice our marketing messages? What motivates consumers? What do consumers value?What elements can we include in our marketing mix to motivate consumers to learn more about our product or to buy it? What kinds of information are consumers good at remembering? How can we ai d consumer memory for our brand name and product features? What makes consumers evaluate products as good or bad, and how can we persuade them that our product is good? How can we get consumers to choose our product over competitors? What features do consumers care about, and how does this influence their decision? What are the main things that determine whether consumers are satisfied with a product or not?The goals of this class are: †¢ to acquire a framework for analyzing consumer behavior problems †¢ to learn how consumer behavior can be affected by different marketing strategies †¢ to show how behavioral evidence can be used to evaluate alternative marketing strategies †¢ to learn about and use consumer behavior theories in marketing and social psychology The course is structured as followed: we will discuss a case; it will be followed by a lecture related to the case. Note that we discuss the case for 1h30 / 2 hrs, so you are expected to be thoroughly prepa red for class discussion.Course prerequisites: a solid understanding of your Core Marketing course Course Grades: Class participation Written assignments (2) Final exam 20% 40% 40% N. B. on class participation: Attending all sessions is obviously crucial. It will also give you the opportunity to actively participate in class discussions and obtain a high class participation grade. Note, however, that your mere presence is not sufficient to earn points for class participation. What matters is the quantity and, especially, the quality of your contributions to class discussions.Assignments Assignments are due at the beginning of the relevant class. They are to be prepared in groups of 4 or 5 students. Students are expected to choose who they want to work with. All groups should be formed before the third week of class. Length: 3 pages (single spaced), plus any appendices, graphs, etc. The assignments involve a case analysis. Groups will write a brief paper examining the buyer behavior issues involved in two case readings assigned for the class, and describe the implications these principles have for the strategy they propose in the case.Each case will have associated questions with it that will help you structure your answer. Each assignment is due at the beginning of the class where the case will be discussed. Final exam The final exam will be a three-hour case-study, closed book, involving questions related to consumer behavior. It will take place during the last week of the course. We will finalize the exam date during our first class. Please make sure that you will not have any other work / interview-related commitment that day.Course Website This website has many useful things on it, including continuously updated information on assignments, readings, course schedule, etc. Also, we will use it as a platform to discuss consumer behavior issues covered in the press during the semester. Please check Blackboard regularly. Class Notes I will hand out hard copies of the slides after the case discussion in every session. In addition, the PowerPoint slides for each class will be available for downloading from the website as of right after class. Note, however, that these slides only present an outline of the class discussion.You will need to take notes to fully capture the material discussed in class. Additional Literature You can find additional relevant literature (e. g. , for your team project) using the Bobst Business Databases ( http://www. nyu. edu/library/bobst/database/d_bus. htm ), as well as links on the class website. Class Policy †¢ Be prepared: Make sure that you have read the readings assigned for each class. This will help you to better understand the material discussed in class and to actively participate in class discussions.Attend regularly: Regular attendance will provide you with more opportunities to contribute to class and thus increase your participation grade. Please note that you are responsible for knowing any ch anges or assignments announced in class. Arrive on time: Late-comers are very disturbing. Systematic tardiness will have a negative impact on your participation grade. Respect assignment deadlines: Late assignments will not be accepted without a prior agreement. Be honest: Cheating and plagiarism will result in a grade of â€Å"F† for the assignment/test for all parties involved. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢

Project Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Project Managment - Essay Example I will be discussing some salient points relative thereto project management and will also discuss how these key points will contribute to the enhancement and achievement of targeted company goals. The matter will be answered in accordance to the lessons learned from the module of this course which provided us learners the opportunity to work, plan, and manage a project using standard theoretical precepts. Some project management tools and techniques will also be used to introduce a technique in resolving organizational issues and concerns with sensitivity to available budget allocation and dynamics of the organization. In this questionnaire, I am expected to also use the tools for negotiations, teambuilding and quantitative estimation that can be drawn from the lesson using the case presented as my springboard for analysis. 2.0. Introduction Project management refers to the strategic capacity of an organization to put direction and implement programs and projects in accordance to sp ecific goals and objectives set by the company with a purposive end in mind (Lock, 2007). The outcome could either be about gaining profit, about organizational strengthening, attaining performance efficiency or developing a collaborative action with potential partners, venture-interest, or with possible business associates (Dinsmore, & Brewin, 2011). 3.0. Discussion 3.1. Case study Johnsons is a major player in the UK dry cleaning industry. Management has decided to move operations to a new site. The new site will allow Johnsons to expand its operational base by 50% and bid for new public sector contracts. Currently at its site, Johnsons has a capacity to deal with 20,000 kg of laundry. However, management prefers to work at 80% of its capacity. At a recent board meeting, the HR manager has been asked to explain the reason for poor workforce planning and lack of discipline which has reduced the working capacity to 60%. The above information can be used to define various terms. 3.2. Designed Capacity This is the average allowable level of capability, fitness and power of competence in the performance of services. In the case cited, the Johnson Company has a capacity to deal with 20,000 kg of laundry but considering some variables in the organization, e.g. human resource availability, laundry machines, spaces, and resource operational availability. 3.3. Effective Capacity This refers to an organizational design and value chain analysis pertaining to effective capacity management (Capacitas, 2013, p. 1). Often this correlates to the nature of organizational structure, model or framework of operation, the available resources with services, repository of service, information and system of reporting, scope of managerial function, and the training or educational capacity of the company’s human resources (Capacitas, 2013, p. 1). From the cited case, what is clear here is that from its designed capacity, the management agreed that it can only effectively delive r and perform 80% services. From the allowable percentile of work production, the company can only perform or produce services at a rate of 16,000 kg of laundry. It is further unclear, given the many variables, if these 16,000kg constitute the daily laundry operation of the company or in a weekly status or in a month. The case given have not expressly cited the time and days that such 60,000 kg average laundry service is attained. It’s also unclear about the technology that will be used for laundry operation and neither is the case clear

Discussion Topics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Topics - Assignment Example If power is centralized, an abusive government can come into existence and misuse the state of security, to cause massive and unreasonable destruction to both the United States and other nations. Divisive power observes control and regulation in decision-making. The American constitutional structure has advantages such as the practice of pragmatism, which is very relevant and applicable to a country as large as the United States of America. The constitutional structure creates laboratories of democracy. There is experimentation of policies and state governments can learn from the successes and failures of other states. It helps set a state of political stability by separating national government from areas of contentious issues. Finally, the constitutional structure helps encourage pluralism i.e. by expanding to local, state and national levels. By separating powers, it prevents tyranny (Beard & William 87). The disadvantages of the constitutional structure include prevention of national policy. It lacks single policy on issues i.e. each state with its own and this causes confusion. It also leads to lack of accountability; the overlap of state and national boundaries makes it hard to assign blame on policies that have failed. To other democracies, the structure of the constitution depends on the geographical and political coverage. Small nations would function well with parliamentary systems, but to fully practice democracy, federalism would be the most effective. Members of the public should be adequately informed on the issues of governance and politics in order to fully practice democracy. This also helps in the monitoring of the activities of the people in authority. Ignorance would definitely reduce the effectiveness of a democratic nation. Most of the Americans, however, are not well equipped with this information to guide the policies of the

Florence v. Board Of Chosen Freeholders of the County of Burlington Essay

Florence v. Board Of Chosen Freeholders of the County of Burlington - Essay Example He was also ordered to lift his genitals and finally take a shower. The Respondent spent six days at BCJ before he was transferred to the Essex County Correctional Facility, the second Respondent. At Essex, the Respondent alleges that he went through another strip search, which entailed the removal of clothing, opening his mouth, squatting, lifting his genitals, coughing, and showering in the full glare of officers. The charges brought against Florence were dismissed after he arrived at Essex, and the Petitioner was released from the correctional facility. Florence filed suit against the Board of Chosen Freeholders of Burlington and Essex on July 19, 2005 on behalf of detainees booked for minor offences at the two correctional facilities since 2003 that underwent strip searches. He alleged that the search policies of the facilities executed on a general basis violate the search and seizure protection outlined in the Fourth Amendment. A District Court issued a summary judgment to the petitioner, a former detainee in the 42 U.S.C.S. Â §1983 action filed against defendant jail officers in which he alleged violations of Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. The District Court decided that strip searches on non-indictable offenders without reasonable suspicion are a violation of the Fourth Amendment. The defendants appealed the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, where the District Court’s decision was reversed. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit granted Certiorari. The Court reached the conclusion that the chances of a prisoner possessing contraband cannot effectively be determined based on the arrestee’s history or the severe nature of current offences. The Court gave the example of Timothy McVeigh’s arrest in which a person who commits a minor offence is capable of serious violence. Moreover, correctional facilities have

Chapter Reaction Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chapter Reaction Paper - Essay Example In addition, due to the inclusion of principles developed by known authors like William Howell, David Kale, Martin Buber, etc., the chapter is able to demonstrate profound knowledge on areas that warrant scholarly support. Although it is relatively a long reading, the choice of words does not make it a turn off, and is direct to the point. 2. Lessons Learned Ethics define what actions are acceptable, appropriate, and worthy of approbation (340). I learned that owing to the different ways by which different people were raised, along with the environment that shaped their values, there is no standard form of ethics; or rather it is not possible to have one set of ethics that is universally applicable. Ethics influences the manner by which a person reacts to a stimulus. To consider an act as right or wrong is not merely contingent on its consequences. Of course, when an act evidently inflicts harm upon another human being, it can be readily deduced as malevolent. In a modern society, sp ecifically that of white Americans, due process of law is thereby practiced to evaluate intent and affirm guilt. The means does not justify the end, and there is no questioning to the liability of an act. Nevertheless, when it comes to behaviour, the chapter emphasizes that there can be justifications; and these are on account of inherent standards and cultural orientation. The ‘common good’ is also illustrated in its broadest sense. I realized that the way to determine whether I made the right decision or not is by asking myself if it was to the benefit of the many, approved by my conscience, and adherent to my values. We make a multitude of decisions everyday ranging from the trivial to the most critical. What is noted largely is not the craftiness but rather the effect it brings upon all concerned; and that is made even more complicated when one ought to choose between people and principle. Establishing relationship especially with people of different roots and forei gn customary ways can be difficult. Apprehension is not easy to set aside, and the feeling of indifference is rather disconcerting. One of the best ways in creating rapport with a stranger is through compliments. Starting a conversation with simple positive statements that declare appreciation of a certain deed can go far. Furthermore, the chapter asserts that finding things that one has in common with another bridges the gap, thus making the interaction more sincere and personal. 3. A Reflection Some points in the chapter, lead me to a more profound understanding of how I regard a person of unfamiliar background, and the feelings I have toward the principles that disagree with my own. I set my own rules of what is right and wrong, and in that respect, I may not have given the others due consideration. A conclusion is easily made without any attempt to discover the reasons behind a decision or behaviour. Although I do not consider myself a racist, it seems that I tend to consider my culture as superior to that of the others. There is no intention whatsoever to show disrespect; only that I can’t help myself from passing judgment on certain practices in which the purpose is not openly implied. For instance, I do not understand how women from the Islamic nations do not have the same rights as men do. I look ill at

Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui - Xidi and Hongcun Essay

Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui - Xidi and Hongcun - Essay Example However, in the villages of Xidi and Hongcun the ancient and traditional Huizhou-style houses are still well preserved. The houses which belong to the period of the Ming and Qing dynasties are considered to be architectural marvels, specially in terms of the design, material and craft used, as also from the environmental and social context they represent (english.cntv.cn, 2010). The villages thus represent a style of human settlement that came into vogue during a feudal period that symbolized a prosperous trading economy. The buildings and the street patterns in the two villages signify the socio-economic structure of a well established and long-lasting period of Chinese history. With the Huizhou businessmen natives of the time, that is, during the period of the Ming and Qing dynasties, strongly supporting the economic development of their hometowns, the areas became culturally prosperous. The houses constructed during that period displayed much aesthetic elegance and uniqueness. A n umber of prominent village landscapes also came to be established. A unique feature of life and culture of these ancient villages in southern Anhui is that their progress occurred generally independent of agriculture. Thus, in terms of their awareness, lifestyle and taste, the people of these areas were generally of a higher level than the common peasants and other common citizens. Thus, a strong cultural environment was created. They laid great emphasis on education since it was their constant endeavor to maintain a close interaction with the literati and officials. The villagers respected Confucianism. The picture below (Fig. 2) depicts an ancient Xidi clan temple. Fig. 2. An ancient Xidi clan temple (Source: http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-... Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui - Xidi and Hongcun The ancient villages of Xidi and Hongcun located in the southern Anhui province of China are World Cultural Heritage Sites. They are marvelous examples of well preserved traditional non-urban settlements most of which have disappeared or transformed during the last century. They possess architectural complexes of much historical and artistic value. Heritage sites everywhere are prone to environmental degradation while the inhabitants of those areas could likely experience socioeconomic problems. The preservation of such heritage sites requires active participation by the local government, international funding agencies such as UNESCO and the World Bank, local communities and the visitors who throng the sites. Another key issue related to tourism development is enhancement in tourism transportation which could lead to pollution caused by transportation (Jiang et al., 2010). A car is the mode of transport commonly used by tourists which has a high impact on the environment due to carbon dioxide emissions. An important issue related to social demography is the migration of villagers from Xidi and Hongcun to cities either as a result of the economic prosperity they have come to enjoy because of tourism or in the face of their inability to meet the competition from the same industry. Residents' perceptions and attitudes need to be periodically assessed, and conditions that encourage the local populace to continue to live and thrive in their hometowns should be created.

Medicating kids with add and adhd disorder Essay

Medicating kids with add and adhd disorder - Essay Example It is complex syndrome of impairments related to the development of brain cognitive management systems or executive functions. It affects a person’s organization skills, concentration, focus and prolonged attention on a task, processing speed, short-term working memory and access recall, sustained motivation to work and the appropriate management of emotions (Brown: 14) In analyzing the human brain, the frontal part of the cortex is responsible for thinking, problem-solving decision-making and behavior control. This area is affected in individuals with ADHD (Hammerness: 52). Their impairment is related to problems in the release and reloading of two crucial neurotransmitter chemicals made in the brain: dopamine and norepinephrine. Such chemicals facilitate the communication within neural networks that control one’s thinking (Brown:15). Because of their impulsive and inattentive nature, it is important to come up with interventions that can help people with ADHD to be mo re in control of their behaviours. On one hand, the option of giving them medication to augment their brain function deficits is a sensible way to help them manage their disorder. On the other hand, some people, especially educators, do not recommend medicating individuals, especially children, diagnosed with ADHD and instead, recommend non-medicated intervention alternatives. In terms of medicated interventions, Brown (16) contends that certain medications have been manufactured to compensate for the inefficient release and reloading of essential neurotransmitters at countless synaptic connections in the brain. Individuals with the ADHD disorder have experienced remarkable improvement in their functioning when they are treated with appropriate doses of such medications. These medications alleviate symptoms only for the time when the medication is active in the brain, thus helping the individual in most self-management tasks. Hammerness (55) reports that stimulant medications such a s Ritalin which is a methylphenidate are effective helping children with ADHD to be calm and focused. These stimulants increase the neurotransmitter messages from one neuron to another. For example, if the brain cells in the area responsible for attention are not getting enough messages between them then the brain does not function well and does not direct the individual’s attention to focus on his assigned task. When the individual takes the medication, it gets absorbed into the bloodstream then travels to the brain where it works to improve attention deficits. Stimulant medications have been proven to improve ADHD symptoms of 65-75% of children who take them (Hammerness: 55). Such medications provide children with more control of their bodies, their speech and their focus. They need to be part of the team deciding about the use of medication for their condition because when they grow up, they have to make their own decisions about their own treatment. The use of medication in helping individuals with ADHD manage their condition has been greatly welcomed when a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in November, 1990, reported that ADHD is a neurologically based behavioural disorder that is best treated by stimulants (Mayes & Erkulwater: 315). In general, vast research provide evidence that ADHD medication are safe especially when administered over short-term use. On the other hand, some camps are against the use of medic

Buyers Purchase Decision and Branding Coursework

Buyers Purchase Decision and Branding - Coursework Example The scope of the study covers all kinds of buyers with different behaviors making buying decisions with regard to different brands. There is also a detailed study on Consumer Decision Process. There is a good enough introduction on consumer buying process besides an extended and detailed introduction on Branding and Marketing emphasizing the difference between the two and how the concepts are different from each and in what way there can be a delineation between the two. There is an explanation on the different stages of Consumer Buying Behaviour, namely Need Awareness, Information Search, Checking Options, Purchase Decision, and Post Purchase Behaviour. There is also a detailed explanation on Types of Consumer Buying Behaviour in the form of Routine Response Behaviour, which is prevalent in the from of day to day items that do not need though process and are bought instantly, Limited Decision Making, which requires product research to an extent, Extensive Decision Making, which invo lves products that are unfamiliar, infrequently bought and expensive. The last form of Buyer Behaviour is the Impulse Buying that includes buying on an impulse. There is also a detailed talk about the effect of Brands on Buyer Behaviour, which includes concepts like Brand Loyalty, Influence of Brands on consumers and contribution of Brands in helping a Consumer in Buying Process, Co relation between Brand Image and self image, Brand Equity and so on. There is also an introduction of factors that influence Purchase Decision besides Brand. These factors are mentioned in the form of two main headings namely, Internal Factors and External Factors. Perceptions, Knowledge, Attitude, Personality, and Lifestyle are some such Internal Factors whereas Culture, Situation, are some of the External Factors. The final part of the study explains the general methodology to do research along with the secondary data collected. The methodology part also talks about CDP cycle in detail. The methodology part also tries to answer, why a consumer prefers some brands or stores over others and what are the basic reasons and linking factors connected to his choice. Introduction and Background In today's world where there are so many products thronged over every nook and corner of the market, it is an extremely difficult task for a buyer to choose amongst the products. Globalization has made it even more difficult with the entry of several new firms into any business. A buyer while purchasing or making a purchase decision goes through a process and reaches a final decision in favor or against the product, however Branding is perhaps the only powerful tool that not only helps a corporate establish a goodwill, but also helps a buyer in taking a fast decision regarding whether to go for a product or discard it. So Branding undoubtedly facilitates faster decision making with ease. The reason behind this phenomenon is that buyers are generally skeptical about buying any product because they have to spend money and part away from it, in lieu of some goods, which they may not trust in the beginning, until they have used and experienced them for a while. So they look up to a Brand ed product, as their savior in such an uncertainty. This purpose makes it important for us

Cultural Diversity-Race and Ethnicity 4 Essay Example for Free

Cultural Diversity-Race and Ethnicity 4 Essay †¢ What information about race and ethnicity in the United States has helped you better understand or relate to specific minority groups? I would have to say that I have learned a lot of information by taking this cultural diversity class. I know that there are minorities in the United States, but I was unaware of many of the discriminations that have happened over the years. I have always thought that we were all equal and that is how I have raised my children. We may come from different backgrounds, have different colors of skin and speak other languages, but we are all people living our lives and trying to become successful. I can now see the challenges that many minority groups have to face in the United States and understand why there are so many different programs available to the minority. o Have you learned something new about your own cultural history? I am about ? Native American and I learned many things about the Native American gaming laws and how that all works. It is interesting to see how the government has stepped up and showed the Native Americans that we want them to be successful and allowed them to produce these successful casino and resorts. I did not realize that many of the casinos are on Native land and there to help the Natives and there reservations. I have never researched much about where I come from or anything about my background, but it was nice to see that there are things that are offered for the wrongs that have been done in the past. I found that the Natives do not hold a grudge and are using what is offered to them to earn money and employee there Natives. Many of them still live on the reservation and are able to work right there on the reservation. †¢ Trends in immigration will continue to shape the face of the United States. What will this face look like in the year 2050? In 2050 I see that there will still be a small amount of discrimitnation in the United States, but there will be many minority groups that have multiplied and will continue to go to college become doctors, teachers, lawyers and so on. There will be no difference in our society as to who is going to help us when we need a doctor or even who is going to teach our childrens children. I feel that if they are taking the time to learn out language and go to school and earn a degree then they should be considered a part of our country and not have to live with discrimination. I know that we cannot change the way people feel and act, but we can start by accepting others ourself and respecting all of the people no matter the race. †¢ How might the country best prepare for the changing race and ethnicity of its current and future citizens? I feel that we need to accept all race and ethnicity into our country. I see that we can learn many things from other people that we may not have thought of ourselves. I feel that we need to educate our citizens so they can see what they are going to expect in the future of the United States. We cannot change who we are or where we come from, but we as citizens can show you why there is no reason to treat any race or ethnicity different from our own. There needs to be education to our children and our future to teach them that we accept all races and ethnicities and they are what form us as a community and society.

Sports Sociology from a feminist point of view

Sports Sociology from a feminist point of view Women participation in sports has a history marked by division and inequity. However, women have experiences major accomplishments by female athletes helping to make significant progress for gender equality and the empowerment of women. The essay will explain some of the historical developments with reference to different theoretical perspective of feminism such as liberal, radical and socialist feminisms. It will also critically discuss feminisms and how female are exploited by patriarchy society. Feminism is a dynamic, diverse and often conflicting collection of social theories and moral philosophies (Burke, 2008). It is similar to Marxism because both are political theories that were develop to solve the inequality, exploitation and poverty in society. While Marxism is largely motivated by the struggle of social class, feminism focuses on the experiences of women, particularly in terms of their political, social and economical inequalities. One prospective of feminism focuses on seeking no particular privileges but merely demand that everyone receive equal political, economical and social consideration without discrimination on the basis of sex (Adkins, 2004). Another opposing type of modern feminism, opposes existing political and social institution in general because its tied to a male dominated society. Thus, feminism has no single, universal form that represents all feminists. The rise of feminism movement can be divided into three waves. The first wave began in the late 1800s to early 1900s referring mainly to the statue of women in family and allowing womens right to vote known as the suffrage movement. The second wave refers to the action of the womens liberation movement beginning in the early 1950s which campaigned for social and legal equality for women. The third wave feminism began in the 1990s and embraced conflict, contradictions and accommodated diversity and change. Waves of Feminism The waves of feminism are a historical progression in each waves has bringing a swelling of momentum that carried women closer to equality in society. The early movement has come to known as the first wave which was established in United States and United Kingdom around the late 1800s to early 1900s. They major concerned was to help promote women equality in education, employment and property rights. However, by the end of the nineteenth century, many feminist such as Susan B. Anthony and Lucy Stone fought to gain more political power for women; particularly the right of womens suffrage. Woman did have success as a result of the 1st World War occur meaning women replaced men in civilian work-force and also served in the military support roles. Feminist also had significant success in reforms in education, and broadening access to different profession and in healthcare. It is considered that the first-wave came to end when the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution was passed enabli ng women the right to vote (Lee Ling, 2001). The progression of first-wave feminism was significant; however, without the continuation of the second-wave, feminisms would not be as advance as it is in current times (can u think of another way can say that), for each wave is interrelated and dependent on each others history. In the early 1960s Second Wave of feminism emerged. Second-wave focuses was broader than the first-wave. It was concerned on inequalities such as the economic freedom, the rights for female to have abortion, equal and accessibility to certain male dominated institution such as sports. It also began to challenge the domination of patriarchy society and gender inequality in all aspects. In 1963 A Feminist named Betty Friedan publicised a landmark book called The Feminine Mystique. This book would be a pivotal moment in the history of second wave feminism. The book give an insight on how upper to middle class women felt discontented about their restricted opportunity in life (Changfoot, 2002). Friedan soon became one of the leading feminist in the Second wave, and eventually helped establish the National Organization for Women, whose purpose was to promote gender equality and to protect and support women rights. Perhaps one of the biggest achievements of Second Wave Feminism was in the United States by the passage of Title IX (Ackerly Attanasi, 2006). This enabled women to have access to education, particularly in university and professional schools. In addition, the work of these feminists allow employment opportunities that before had been confined to men accessible to women. The Third Wave of feminism that emerged in the 1990s and is still current to this day. Like all feminism, the third wave focuses on the social, economic, political and personal empowerment of women, but this differ to pervious waves because it concerns were more on the individual empowerment of women and less on activism. Ferguson (2002) commented on the third wave as a new direction for feminism to celebrates womens voyage to build meaningful identities in a complex contemporary world (p2). Third wave feminists celebrate diversity unlike previous waves and the Womens Liberation Movement; it was often criticized for focusing too narrowly on the events of middle-class, Caucasian and heterosexual women. Third wave feminists do not reject political activism, but the emphasis relies more on women personal empowerment as an initial point for societal change. Zinn and Dill (2005) propose there are multiple systems of domination that create inequality for women known as a matrix of dominati on. Feminist theories Feminism is not a unified or a simple philosophy. Many women and man consider themselves feminists; most of their ideology may vary considerably. The feminist theories aim to understand the nature of gender inequality, promoting womens rights, while generally providing a critique of social relations. This essay will focus on looking a liberal, socialist and radical feminism. Liberal feminism is characterized on the emphasis of wanting both genders to be equal within society. According to the theory, society itself does not need a major revolution, but rather propose that laws need to be changed and opportunities which enable more accessibly for women to become equal in society. To a liberal feminist, evidence of progress occurs when a number of women gain more positions previous occupied by men, particularly high end positions. In the United Kingdom and the major of the Western world, liberal feminism is the most common form of feminism. Gale, (2009) argues that even if women are no longer reliant upon men, they will still need to be governed by a patriarchal state. Radical Feminist argues institutional changes such as the introduction of womens suffrage are inadequate to emancipate women. In contrast socialist feminism emphasizes that equality for women will not be achieve without a significant change within society mainly economic change also socialist feminists focus on collective change and empowerment. Similar to Marxism, socialist feminists argue that there are basic inequalities built in to a capitalist society because capital and power are shared unequally. Thus, it not sufficient enough for women to achieve powerful positions in society, but power and capital need to be distributed equally (Fleck, 2004). Critic argues that socialist feminism neither is revolutionary nor radical enough to generate a solution to the difficulty for women economic and social exploitation. Another argument is not all male and female relationships are characterised by exploitation and oppression. Radical feminism is focuses on patriarchy and the system of power that organizes society. It is similar to socialist feminism in the sense that it emphasizes the need for severe social change for women to truly have equality. Radical feminists believe that society is very largely patriarchal, and as a result founds that women are oppressed. A criticism for radical feminism is it focuses much on the patriarchy society and need to consider the concepts such as ethnicity, religion and social class. Another criticism is reverse discrimination when women pushed unfairly into senior position. Feminism in sports Womens participation in sports has risen significantly in the twentieth century, particularly in the last quarter. It this partly due to the changes in modern societies that encourage gender parity. While the level of participation and performance still alters depending on the country and by sport. Although there has been many improvement in the accessibility in sport many feminist argue, that sports has been socially constructed hyper masculine, thus it has been more limited to men. Vale, (1998) found evidence to support this by looking at the incredible resistance to included women in certain mens institutions. Augusta National is the golf club which is also home to the Masters Tournament which does not allow women members to join. When women have tried to join the club or have made protest outside the parameter, the reaction from the club has boarded on hostility. As a results Vale, (1996) question if sport is so beneficial for men, why do men and institution, hold such resistant to offer all that is good in sport to women. Radical feminism have criticised the patriarchy society on how they portray women in sports. For example Sports Illustrated portrays women by presents demeaning stereotypes of female sexuality, encouraging men to view women as sex objects and by turning voyeurism into a sport.

William Faulkner’s An Odor of Verbena †An Act of Courage :: Odor Verbena

William Faulkner’s An Odor of Verbena – An Act of Courage William Faulkner’s short story "An Odor of Verbena" is the tale of a young, Southern man, Baynard Sartoris, who must come to terms with his father’s sudden (but not entirely unexpected) murder. Because this murder takes place in the decade following the Civil War, young Baynard is faced with the South’s ancient honorary code. This code dictates that, as the only son of his father, he must avenge this death. Should Baynard fail to retaliate on his father’s behalf by confronting the murderer, Redmond, who once was his father’s business partner, both Baynard and his family would lose face within their community. Faulkner uses the two primary women of the story to represent the two options open to young Baynard—each is trying to pull him in an opposite direction. Drusilla, Baynard’s stepmother, and his Aunt Jenny represent the two conflicting views and solutions that Baynard must struggle with. Does he challenge Redmond to a duel? or merely walk away from the situation. Both women try to work on Baynard’s emotions and intellect in their attempt to sway him to their conflicting points of view. Either choice could have a lasting or fatal consequence for Baynard and his family. In this story Faulkner appears to be using Drusilla as the primary voice representing the old Southern honor system, an honor system that is distinctly masculine. As the grieving widow, it is Drusilla who seems to be pushing the hardest for retribution in the form of a duel—an option that would put Baynard’s life at risk. Baynard is barely home after his long ride back from college when Drusilla directs, not asks, him to take the dueling pistols (Faulkner 459). Drusilla expects Baynard to challenge her husband’s killer with "the long true [dueling] barrels true as justice" (Faulkner 459). She is inflamed and passionate about Baynard’s chance to kill and speaks glowingly of what so many Southern men in the same position must have thought: "to be permitted to kill, to be permitted vengeance, to take into your bare hands the fire of heaven that cast down Lucifer" (Faulkner 460). Drusilla expects that Baynard one day will be grateful for her support. She tells him that "you will remember me who put into your hands what they say is an attribute only of God’s, who took what belongs to heaven and gave it to you" (Faulkner 459).

Staff Recruitment and Selection Essay -- Business Management Studies

Staff Recruitment and Selection In this section I will be explaining and discussing the organisations (Southgate college) procedures for recruiting and selecting staff and also identifying the Key factors that have to be considered at every stage of this process. Procedures 1. Job analysis: is there a need for a vacancy? Either because: (i) The nature of the job has changed, which could result in restructuring hence the availability of more jobs. (ii) A person has left or been promoted, leaving an available space in their former position 2. If there is a vacancy a job description is complied: (i) The task of the job (ii) The behaviour to achieve these tasks So Southgate College will have to write a job description to show what the job is (i.e. Admissions Assistant) and what it involves. In the job description there must be a list of tasks required and what will be essential to do the job. 3. Person specification Characteristics and the qualities needed of the person needed for the job: (i) Physical make up: what should the jobholder look and sound like, Gender or ethnicity, generally the law does not allow the employees to specify. (ii) Qualifications: education, formal qualifications and experience (iii) Specific skills (iv) Hobbies and interests (v) Personality: temperament (vi) Personal circumstances The reason for the person specification is to find out more about the candidate and what the person is generally like. A person specification sets out the qualities of an ideal candidate. 4. Job advertisement: based on the applicant's personal profile Plus: 1. Wages and salaries 5. Holidays 2. Hours of work 6. Address telephone number 3. Perquisites 7. Closing date 4. Duties 8. Method of application: Application form Application form and c.v. Letter of application and c.v. 5. Drawing up a short list for interview: The short list consists of 4-5 people who best fit the person specification and the job description. There may be differences in age, experience, and qualifications. 6. Selection interviews: (i) Structuring the interview; depends on the nature of the job, size of the organisation. As Southgate College is a big organisation, interviews are conducted by a panel: Personal officer Head of departm... ...sight before actually applying for the job. The information written in these three documents are very important because in all the documents the information must be written accurately and also not misleading for the applicant e.g. the duties involved in the job. The information must be high quality for the applicant to be able to understand what is written and also to make sure the person knows what each document is telling them for example the applicant can not read a document which tells him a set of duties to do but the other document says something completely different. There is two ways of testing the applicant: 1. Informal method- this way of testing is based on an interview were questions are asked Through this method the employer will be able to find out what the person has to offer and what kind person he is on terms of e.g. appearance, attitude, body language. 2. Psychometric tests- this tests the person’s personality it will show the interviewers what the person is like generally. The questions must be checked before they can be asked the reason for this is to remove bad questions and also to remove social, racial or sex bias.

William Timothy O’Briens Novels :: William Timothy OBrien Essays

William Timothy O’Brien's Novels William Timothy O’Brien has written many stories during his lifetime. The first of which he wrote when he was nine years old. "Timmy of the Little League" was an autobiography of a youngster involved in sports (Myers, 143). As Tim was growing up, he took a break from writing. He began again while serving in the Vietnam war. When he began writing again, he quickly readapted to an autobiographical style of writing. These wartime stories are what has made O’Brien one of the leading writers today. His style is often compared to other factfiction writers; such as Hemmingway, Fitzgerald and Faulkner (Myers, 144). It is said by critics that O’Brien uses a lot of the same plot ideas as used by these other famous wartime authors. Even though similar plots are used, O’Brien uses his own experiences to make the stories realistic and inspirational. The same basic themes runs throughout all of O’Brien’s stories. According to Thomas Myers, all of O’Brien’s work contains these basic principles: "the continual interplay of fact and imagination in fiction and in life; the compulsive, absurd, noble quest for human truth; the difficulty in defining and obtaining the elusive quality of courage; and ongoing human need for fragile, made up, explanatory device we call story." With all of these elements together Tim is trying to write stories that fill his description that "War stories aren’t about war-they are about the human heart at war." While serving in the South China Sea, O’Brien wrote poetry and short vignettes about what he was experiencing. After returning from his Vietnam tour-of-duty, O’Brien wrote If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home. This autobiography is an account of a soldier facing death and searching for courage. O’Brien "offers a particular version of himself who is both a participant telling one man’s story and a symbolic emissary of his culture who exchanges traditional and pop culture myth for hard-earned knowledge of personal transgression and historical experience."(Oates, 438) O’Brien wrote about searching for personal courage while fighting a war he did not believe in. He also touches on the fear he faced as he grew from a naive young boy into a war-torn man. Some of the poetry and vignettes O’Brien wrote during the war show up in If I Die in a Combat Zone." O’Brien wrote this novel to help tell the public about the real horrors and fears that go along with war. This and the rest of O’Brien’s novels are used to show Americans the falsehood of the idea that war is glamorous. The same themes shows up in O’Brien’s second book.

Compare and Contrast Essay Essay

In the stories, â€Å"The Lie,† by Kurt Vonnegut and â€Å"Barn Burning,† by William Faulkner, the main characters mature from childhood into adulthood. This maturity either develops from support of one’s family and upbringing or it grows internally from one’s conscience. We see from both stories that the main characters use this maturity to courageously speak up. In the story, â€Å"The Lie,† Eli matures into adulthood. Due to his parents’ lack of understanding of his individuality in the beginning of the story, Eli has to deny his own feelings. When Eli receives the letter that he was rejected from the esteemed high school, Whitehill, he secretly tears it up since he is nervous of his parents’ disappointment. Eli’s mother, Sylvia, helps him transition into maturity as she begins to recognize her son’s individuality. At the beginning of the story, Sylvia thinks of her son as just another Ramenzal that will be attending W hitehill and even gives him â€Å"number thirty one† (Vonnegut, 2) in the honored list of the Ramenzals who have attended the institution. Sylvia fails to realize that Eli has unique qualities that are different from the rest of the Remenzels until the end of the story. When the Remenzels discover from the headmaster that Eli has not been accepted to the school and realize that Eli has ran away because of the tough situation he got himself into, Sylvia finally recognizes that Whitehill is not the best place for him. This allows Eli to open up and express his feelings comfortably. We see this when Eli expresses his feelings of anger at his father for trying to get him into Whitehill, for he realizes he will not succeed there. He says, â€Å"You shouldn’t have done that† (Vonnegut, 12). At the point that he is recognized as an individual, he is ultimately able to mature through his new ability to express himself without being intimidated. Sarty from the story â€Å"Barn Burning,† also develops and matures into adulthood. Throughout the story he has an internal conflict between loyalty to his family an d doing what is right. Sarty’s father, Abner, makes this struggle very difficult by pressuring his son to be loyal to a family that is living a life of vengeance, anger and retribution. He  accuses his son of almost telling the justice that his father did in fact burn down the barn. He hits his son and then tells him, â€Å"You got to learn. You got to learn to stick to your own blood or you ain’t going to have any blood to stick to you† (Faulkner, 3). He is faced with a conflict which he describes as â€Å"being pulled two ways like between two teams of horses† (Faulkner, 7). Finally at the end of the story he builds up the courage to run away from his family and tell the landlords that his father is planning on burning their barn. He realizes that he made the right decision of following his conscience and doesn’t regret being disloyal to his blood, as the story ends, â€Å"He did not look back† (Faulkner, 11). We see in these two stories the main characters’ initiation into adulthood. They both are able to openly express what they really thought was the right thing. Eli matures and is able to express his feelings when he is recognized as an individual and not as another Remenzel. Sarty also develops into an adult as he follows his conscience, and speaks out against his family. Sometimes a person, like Eli, needs support in order to mature, yet sometimes a person, like Sarty, matures, regardless of support, by following his conscience. Works Cited Faulkner, William. Barn Burning. Logan, IA: Perfection Form, 1979. Print. Kurt Vonnegut. The Lie. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Pub., 1992. Print

A Research Proposal to Counter the Implications of Sustained Global Warming

Global warming is one of the most serious challenges facing the world today.Defined as â€Å"an increase in the average temperature of the earth’s atmosphere, especially a sustained increase sufficient to cause climate change,† it poses a significant risk to the overall climatic condition and the world population in general. Substantial scientific evidence proves that a marked rise in the global average temperatures by more than 2 °C above pre-industrial levels poses a significant threat to natural ecosystems.A sustained temperate increase of this magnitude may cause a considerable melting of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, resulting in a distinct global sea level rise of up to several feet. Scientists fear that such climate change is hazardous to many life forms and predict that this could potentially cause entire species to be wiped out.Consequences of Global WarmingSeveral studies, not just in the recent times attest to this fact. It is projected that tempe rature rises if allowed to continue may many species stranded and unable to adapt to the swiftly changing conditions. It has been indicated that the coral reefs are prone to bleach and may be destroyed in circumstances of persistent warming.Other climatic changes of global warming include frequent storms and dangerous hurricanes, and unexpected or sudden variations in the weather including deadly heat waves, drought and wildfire.Several anomalies are known to develop that impact tropical precipitation under global warming. It has been shown that a significant fall in moisture levels is induced by the warmer tropospheric temperature and therefore precipitation is decreased. The variation in the gross moist stability is a potential factor that causes discrepancies in the predicted regional tropical precipitation (Chou, & Neelin, 2004).Statistical Evidence and AnalysisWhen the Kyoto Protocol came into force in 2005 Greenpeace, the attempt was lauded as a positive sign of environmental sensitization. There was now a price to be paid for causing climate pollution – penalties for polluters. The dreams of a ‘low-carbon economy had been born.Two years later, however, projections show that the European Union has fallen woefully short of its targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, from the committed 8 per cent cut from the 1990 levels by year 2012. Estimating based on current measures and policies by 2010 the emissions will fall by a mere 0.6% below 1990 levels (Clogherty 2007).Several studies indicate that the concentration of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere at or below 450 parts per million CO2-equivalent would halve the chances of a global temperature rise above a 2 °C average.

John Fante Ask the Dust

In the novel Ask the Dust by John Faint, the mall character, Arturo Banding, lacks the ability to have a true and sincere Identity. He traveled to California In hopes of becoming a successful writer. Rotator's journey to become a successful white American male fuels his hypocritical and contradicting lifestyle. His move to California influenced his self attitude, racial viewpoints, and perspective towards love. Arturo has a very strange relationship with women, whether It be Vera, Camilla, or a random women on the streets.Arturo develops an attraction towards Camilla, a Mexican-American women who he finds faintly attractive, â€Å"With a Amman nose, flat with large nostrils. Her lips were heavily rouged, with the thickness of a Negroes' lips. She was a racial type, and as such she was beautiful, but she was too strange for me† (Faint 34). Arturo starts off saying how lovely she is but then contradicts himself by saying she is too strange. One minute Arturo is happy with Camill a and the next his Is cursing her off under his breath. Foe call me beautiful at home, then you are ashamed to be seen with me In public. You are ashamed of beauty you recognize hat no one else does. You are ashamed to love me! † (Faint) Camilla recognizes that Arturo is unaware of how he feels and she confronts him about it. He hates the feeling of lust that she gives him so he runs to church to â€Å"cleanse† himself. Arturo is incapability of having true feelings towards a women stems from the fact that he is unsure of what love is. â€Å"By the all desire that had not come a while before†¦ T pounded my skull and tingled my fingers. I threw myself on the bed and tore the pillow†. (Faint) Arturo can not control the way he feels and due to that he becomes hypocritical and introduction to love. â€Å"She was forcing it with her scorn, the kiss she gave me, the hard curl of her lips, the mockery of her eyes, until I was like a man made of wood and there was no feeling within me except terror and a fear of her, a sense that her beauty was too much, that she was so much more beautiful than l, deeper rooted than l.She made me a stranger unto myself, she was all of those calm nights and tall eucalyptus trees, the desert stars, that land and sky, that fog outside, and I had come there with no purpose save to be a mere writer, to get money, to make a name for yeses and all that piffle. She was so much finer than l, so much more honest, that I was sick of myself and I could not look at her warm eyes, I suppressed the shiver brought on by her brown arms around my neck and the long fingers In my hair. I did not kiss her. She kissed me, author of The Little Dog Laughed. Then she took my wrist with her two hands.She pressed her lips Into the palm of my hand. She placed my hand upon her bosom between her breasts. She turned her lips towards my face and waited. And Arturo Banding, the great author dipped deep into his colorful imagination, romantic Arturo Banding, Just chock-full of clever phrases, and he said, weakly, kittenishly, ‘Hello. † (Faint) Throughout the whole novel Arturo talks to himself and contradicts all of the feelings he has towards love or Camilla and also towards himself. Sadly due to Rotator's lack of understand meet he ruins anything he could Arturo Banding thinks very highly of himself.Arturo likes to put on â€Å"performances† to show that he is better than everyone else. He is very arrogant with his performances and proclamations. Arturo will walk around with copies of his published story; The Little Dog Laughed. He goes around thinking that he is a well known writer and everyone should worship him like he worships his editor; Hackett. Arturo can not seem to find himself and who he really is until the end of the novel. When Arturo gets money his whole attitude and â€Å"performance† changes, he acts like a rich white American male.He starts to walk around with his head held hi gh and Just throwing money away like it is no big deal. Arturo wanted an expensive beer and he orders one from Camilla. Camilla says â€Å"it's expensive, forty cents† (Faint, 61) and she seems to have concern for him. She knows that he doesn't make a lot of money and if he does it is Just a lucky check from Hackett. He blows right through the money and Camilla evens warns him saying he should not spend his money like that after buying the two bartenders forty cent beers.He seems to not ever believe in a god or religion but he will go and write a letter to his mother telling her to pray for him and that he is praying for her. â€Å"Remember me to Him and give all and shiniest in the skies† (Faint 104) Arturo sends in the letter to his mother and we know that this is not the way Arturo acts. Arturo strives to be meeting he is not, a famous rich writer that everyone knows. Sadly that will not happen for him due to his hypocritical attitudes and unsure attitude towards hi mself.Deep down we can tell that he is not satisfied with his life and contradicts everything he says. Arturo bashes on anyone who is not full blooded American, like Camilla. Arturo is not even a full blooded American, he is Italian. Arturo enters the hotel he wants to live at and the lady at the desk is also very racist and makes sure that he is neither â€Å"a Mexican or a Jew'. Not even Just Arturo has his racial Judgments, everyone in the own does. â€Å"A cop won't pick you up for vagrancy in Los Angels if you wear a fancy polo shirt and a pair of sunglasses.But if there is dust on your shoes and that sweater you wear is thick like the sweaters they wear in the snow countries, he'll grab you. So get yourself a polo shirt boys, and a pair of sunglasses, and white shoes, if you can† is advise Arturo is giving anybody who is not of American decent. When he was younger he was called a â€Å"spice and greaser† and did not like it, but then he goes and calls Camilla th e same thing. â€Å"And Camilla, when I said â€Å"greaser† to you, it was to my heart that spoke, but the quivering of an old wound. And I am ashamed of the terrible thing I have done. (Faint 7) Deep down Arturo knows that what he had said was horrible and he should not have said that because he has true feelings for her even though she is Mexican. â€Å"When I was a kid, back in Colorado, it was Smith, Parker and Jones who hurt me with their hideous names. Who called me whop and Dagon and greaser, and their children hurt me. Just as I hurt you. They hurt me so much, I could never become one of them. Drove me to books, drove me within myself. Drove me to UN away from that town in Colorado, into your home and into your life.And sometimes, when I see their faces out here, the same faces, the same sad, hard mouths from my hometown. I'm glad they're here fulfilling the emptiness of their lives and dying in the sun. And they hate me, and my father and my father's father. Times. † Arturo loves being American and would not want to be anything else. He soon understands that Camilla wants to be American Just as much as he wants to be a famous writer. What he did was contradict himself by calling Camilla all those horrible names he was called when he was younger.Hypocrisy and contradiction plays a huge role in Arturo Banding's life and attitude towards whether it be towards love, himself, or other races. He struggles to realize that his actions are hurting him and the others around him. His desire to be a writer fueled his energy to become negative towards most of his peers. All he really wanted was to get famous and become rich, but he found out the true meanings of life and what is more important. Rotator's dreams of becoming a rich and famous writer in California did not fully come true. He found what love is, who he really is, and how it feels to not be American.

Biography of Ataturk

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was the founder of the Turkish Republic and its first President. He was born in 1881 to Ali Riza Efendi and Zubeyde Hanim. His father was a militia officer, title deed clerk, and lumber trader. Mustafa Kemal had five siblings, only one of whom survived until 1956 (Biography of Ataturk). Mustafa Kemal lost his father in 1888, at a time when the young boy had been attending school. The boy returned to his birth town, Salonika, to finish his studies after his father’s demise. After his primary education, he joined a secondary school only to be transferred soon to a military institution.Mustafa Kemal attended the Manastir Military School and later the Military School in Istanbul from which he graduated with the rank of lieutenant in the year 1902 (Biography of Ataturk). The young man entered the Military Academy afterwards and graduated with the rank of major in the year 1905. This began Mustafa Kemal’s career as a soldier. Between 1905-1907, the man w as stationed with the 5th Army in Damascus. He was promoted to the rank of senior major in 1907, and was posted in Manastir with the 3rd Army. When the â€Å"Special Troops† entered Istanbul in 1909, Mustafa Kemal was the Staff Officer of the troops (Biography of Ataturk).The man was sent to Paris in 1910 where he attended the Picardie maneuvers. In 1911, Mustafa Kemal returned to Turkey where he began to work at the General Staff Office in Istanbul. He won the Tobruk battle against the Italians in the same year, after which he was made the Commander of Derne. Mustafa Kemal’s rapid progress as a soldier did not stop here, BIOGRAPHY OF ATATURK Page # 2 however.He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1914 during the Balkan War because his contributions to the recapturing of Dimetoka and Edirne were considerable (Biography of Ataturk). When the First World War began with the involvement of the Ottoman Empire, the man was posted to Tekirdag and charged with th e formation of the 19th Division. Then, at Canakkale, Mustafa Kemal won more accolades for heroism. He was promoted to the rank of colonel after a victory he won in the First World War. Mustafa Kemal went on to win more victories against the Allied forces.At one time, he commanded his soldiers thus: â€Å"I am not giving you an order to attack, I am ordering you to die! (Biography of Ataturk)† Mustafa Kemal was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general in 1916. He returned to Istanbul in 1917 and soon began traveling to Germany with the heir to the throne. To Khalleppo he returned in 1918 as the Commander of the 7th Army. He was successful in his defense wars and soon appointed as the Commander of Yildirim Armies. On 13 November 1918, the man returned again to Istanbul to work at the Ministry of Defense (Biography of Ataturk).Mustafa Kemal went to Samsun as the 9th Army Inspector in 1919 once the Allied forces had begun to take over the Ottoman armies. He called the meeting of the Sivas Congress at this point and also convened the Erzerum Congress to define the path to be followed towards the freedom of Turkey. The initiation of the Turkish Grand National Assembly in 1920 was a significant step in this direction. Mustafa Kemal was elected at this time as the head of the National Assembly as well as the head of the Turkish Republic.With this decision, the Grand National Assembly also started putting into effect the legislative measures required for a successful conclusion to the BIOGRAPHY OF ATATURK Page # 3 Turkish Independence War. This war had begun on 15 May 1919 during the Greek occupation of Izmir. Militia forces called Kuva-yi Milliye had begun their fight against the victors of the First World War who had divided up the Ottoman Empire.The war was concluded when the Turkish Assembly achieved integration between the army and the militia. Under the command of Mustafa Kemal, the Turks recaptured Sarikamis, Kars, and Gumru besides attaining other imp ortant victories (Biography of Ataturk). After the conclusion of the Turkish War of Independence, Mustafa Kemal was free to form a new nation on the Turkish soil – now considerably shrunk through the Treaty of Sevres which had partitioned the Turkish Empire. On 29 October 1923, the Turkish Republic was officially proclaimed and Mustafa Kemal was elected as its first President.Ismet Inonu formed the first government of the Republic, and Mustafa Kemal assumed his position of principle leadership with the twin principles of the Turkish Republic: â€Å"Sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation† and â€Å"peace at home, peace in the world† (Biography of Ataturk). The man undertook a series of reforms at this point in order to modernize Turkey. He was elected as the Speaker of the Grand Assembly in 1920 and again in 1923. Moreover, in recognition of his efforts, the Turkish National Assembly conferred upon him the surname, â€Å"Ataturk† or the Father T urk and Ancestor Turk on 24 November 1934 (Mango).Ataturk died on 10 November 1938, finally defeated by a liver ailment (Biography of Ataturk). BIOGRAPHY OF ATATURK Page # 4 Works Cited 1. Biography of Ataturk (2007). Retrieved from www. ataturk. com. (27 February 2007). 2. Mango, Andrew. Ataturk: The Biography of the founder of Modern Turkey. New York: John Murray, 2004.