Experiences of Child Poverty Essay

London is the capital of the United Kingdom. The administrative structure in Greater London consists of 32 counties (boroughs) and the City of London, extending over 1584 kilometers  ². The population of London is around 7.5 million however throughout Greater London about 13 million people live. The GDP per capita for The UK is $36,500. London is the richest part of Britain and yet it has the highest rates of poverty in the UK. Lagos is the largest city in Nigeria. With an estimated population of 8.8 million inhabitants in the city, or rather 10.7 million in the metropolitan area, Lagos is the second largest city in Africa. The UN estimates that at its present growth rate, Lagos state will be third largest mega city in the world by 2015 after Tokyo in Japan and Mumbai in India. Lagos is the main city of the south-western part of Nigeria, Africa. The GDP per capita in Lagos is $3,649. Over 10,000 people arrive at Lagos every week in search of jobs and most end up in the city’ s mega slum do to the lack of job opportunity. Children living in poverty are those who experience deprivation of the material, spiritual and emotional resources needed to survive, develop and thrive, leaving them unable to enjoy their lives, achieve their full potential or participate as full members of society. The easiest way to quantify child poverty is by setting an absolute or relative monetary threshold. If a family does not earn above that threshold, the children of that family will be considered to live below the poverty line. Absolute poverty thresholds are fixed, whereas relative poverty thresholds are developed with reference to the actual income of the population and reflect changes in consumption. This is not always accurate, as it is only an average and there are people earning millions who affect that average GDP per capita. In poor areas of London there are many problems that face children. The poor areas tend to be in places that lack jobs and job opportunities e.g. Hackney, Such poor areas can really affect the child’s life due to their living conditions. These children are living in relative poverty as they do have access to clean water, food and shelter which is provided by the state, but are considered poor to the rest of society as they can’t afford luxuries and normally depend upon benefits to get though life. These areas that lack job opportunities have high unemployment rates and so people have low incomes and often relate to crime as it is the culture of the area and people feel they do not get enough support from the government and feel let down and ignored. These poor areas are prime spots for drug dealers and drug addicts. This is significantly bad as they have a low income and so can’t afford the drugs and so they use the money which would have been spent on the children E.g. quality food. Rather than spending the money on better quality food they spend it on the drugs they are dependent on as they are addicted and so the child looses out as they tend to be mall nourished. Being mall nourished can increase the chances of becoming ill which then in turn means the child is less likely to spend time in school as they are off ill. This then affects their learning and they under achieve which means they have a less chance of ever getting a job and so they are trapped in the poverty cycle. It is then rely difficult for the children to break out of the poverty cycle due to many factors that affect them. Whereas Children living in the slums of Lagos also suffer from poverty, however the majority live in absolute poverty as they do not always have access to clean water, food and shelter, for example these children don’t have access to clean water and so most of the water is contaminated with diseases like cholera. Allot of children catch cholera from drinking dirty water which makes them ill and as most of the children have no access to health care due to their parents being born they can remain ill for a long time and it can be fatal. Being ill means they cannot help to provide for the family and the money being spent on their health cannot be spent on other vital things like basic food stuffs. It is hard to get out of both cases of poverty; however the children in the slums of Lagos are worse off and have a lower standard of living than the children living in Hackney. The majority of children living in poverty in Lagos are born to poor parents. Because of things like adult poverty, lack of education, unemployment, disabilities and discrimination significantly affect the causes of child poverty. Lack of parental economic resources such as disposable income restricts children’s opportunities and therefore the children are unable to go to school and allot of these children are forced to work. The problem is that allot of these jobs where children are forced to work are very dangerous and can cause injuries, health problems and even death. E.g. the recycling of old oil drums that contain harmful toxins. The main reason why the children in Hackney are trapped in the poverty cycle is because of the parents/Careers as well. The cycle of poverty is when a family remains in poverty over many successive generations. Family issues can play a big part in the reason for the child being submitted to a life of poverty. If the parents get in debt then this can be the cause of allot of stress, this can also cause the child to have stress which can affect their learning ability and health. Stress can also cause breakups between couples; this can lead to single mothers who are left on their own to support the child and themselves, which can also lead to father stress. Most single parents are unemployed because they haft to look after the children and so they rely on benefits. Teen pregnancies in both MEDC’s and LEDC’s are big causes of child poverty. Children resulting from unwanted pregnancies are more likely to live in poverty; raising a child requires allot of resources, so each additional child increases demands on parental resources. Families raised by a single parent are generally poorer than those raised by couples. This can be a big issue in LEDC countries such as Lagos. Many teens abandon their children as they simply do not have the resources available to support their child as they cannot claim benefits as they do not exist. Where as in MEDC’s, teen moms are supported by the government and family. The problem in Lagos is that children generally suffer from absolute poverty; however there is also relative poverty. With absolute poverty children generally do not have what they need. They are short of basic food, water, shelter, clothing and adequate or sufficient health care. Where as in Hackney people do not suffer from absolute poverty and so are better off, however they live in relative poverty that is poverty under relative terms is viewed as being what some people lack in relation to other people. In my opinion the worst experience of child poverty in Lagos would be the lack of Clean water which causes a significant amount of deaths and illnesses and affects the family as a whole as the money used to pay for the child’s healthcare comes from the money normally spent on other necessities like food or education. The government of Nigeria could provide communities with wells however it would cost a phenomenal amount of money , and the majority of the people don’t live on legal grounds as they have just moved there and have not actually paid to live there and so the government would not be allowed to build wells as most of the people don’t have permition to live there in the first place. The worst experiences for children living in Hackney would be the culture of the area and so children grow up with crime related experiences, this then means that most of the children get brought up with crime and this can keep them in the poverty cycle. The government of Britain could increase prison sentences and increase policing in these areas. This policy would be expensive however it would increase the standards of living for these people and help them get out of relative poverty. Both cases of poverty affect the child’s opportunities in life. This means they are limited jobs available to them or unemployment if there is a lack of job opportunities. There future generations will probably also live in poverty, whether absolute or relative. They will rarely experience if at all the luxuries and experiences we take for granted. Their only hope getting out of poverty is if the government adopts a poverty reduction strategy paper (PRSP) and use schemes like the growth of the cities and urban development, employment opportunities and poverty reduction and housing schemes. Also the best way to reduce child poverty would be to reduce child labour and increase accessibility to education by building more schools and improving the quality of education. This is a key point that governments need to adopt in order to reduce child poverty and help break the poverty cycle.

Famous people

The reason I'm writing Is to give you some Information about famous people and to express my thoughts about It. To begin with, I know many famous people In our world. They try to do their best to become such. My favorite personality Is the British actress Kerri Knightly. I think that Kerri Is the best combination of beauty and talent. Her acting amazes me, her actions make me speechless, her voice can attract anybody attention. She worked very hard and collaborated with the most ammos actors and became one of them very quickly.She played and is still playing in very popular movies with the most known directors and that's why she is very famous. The most popular her roles are in the films â€Å"Pirates of the Caribbean†, â€Å"Pride and Prejudice†, â€Å"Ana Karen†. So, I want to say that Kerri is very famous and popular nowadays. I usually get information about this person from the Internet, TV, some magazines and newspapers. Also, my friends are fond of her tale nt, so we often tell each other deferent facts about her life and exchange different Information.We know everything about her work and private life. As far as I'm concerned, I would not Like to be famous. There are many reasons why I think so. Firstly, I think, It Is very hard to be famous. Every time you must know that you are an example to follow by many. So, you should avoid some situations In which you can attract your fans and abandon the usual look. Secondly, every time you can be pursued by paparazzi, hat's why you won't be able to feel good in your daily life and work.Also, your fans will spy on you in every possible way. You will feel tired giving them your autographs. And lastly and most importantly, everyone will know everything about your life. Your private life will be public and you won't be able to hide some facts, which are very dear to you. In addition, I think that to be a famous person is not an easy task. So, people who work hard, must be successful in their life , but they must also remember that to be a famous person Is hard too.

Materials Engineering Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Materials Engineering - Assignment Example The bondage between the molecules is broken. In this region, the material can regain its original shape after the removal of the loading or rather the stress. At this juncture, the material obeys Hooke’s law and the stress and strain relate proportionally, and the constant of proportionality is the modulus of elasticity. The structure of the particles is not altered which explains the reason the material regains it original shape after the removal of the stress. It is the region just after the elastic limit. It is characterized by the graph flattening indicating destroyed proportionality between the stress and strain. Plastic deformations creep in, and the material loses the ability to regain fully its shape and size after the stress has been released. It takes place due to rearrangement of the molecular or atomic structure that allows for the new shape and size. Found just after the yielding region. It is characterized by a slight rise of the curve to the ultimate stress point. The behavior is due to the strength of the deformed atoms or molecules having a slight ability to withstand more stress up to the point beyond which complete deformation takes place. The rise of the curve in this region is what is termed as strain hardening. It is the region beyond the ultimate stress point. In this region, a further increase of the stress leads to a reduction of the cross section of the material only in some parts and not the entire material. The constrictions formed are what is referred to as necking. It is the continuous reduction of the cross section area that leads to the breakage and thus separation of the material. Metallic materials are ductile thus has the ability to deform plastically up to some extent. On the graph, it is represented by the region beyond the proportional limit where the elastic limit has been exceeded. Force

Information Technology and Social Trends Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Information Technology and Social Trends - Essay Example Project can broadly be defined as a specific time bound work with specific objectives and goals; budget; and resources (Reynolds, 2010). Project management helps provide the tools to achieve project goals through well planned strategy. It normally encompasses essential steps like: feasibility study of the project; project development; production and implementation process; monitoring and control mechanisms; and successful completion that leads to the smooth running of the project. Thus, effective management of project is critical to the successful delivery of its goals and objectives within the limited resources of time, budget and human capital. The Project Manager helps coordinate the various team issues of the project, which are vital part of project dynamics that facilitate wider understanding and promote improvement and improvisation of the process to achieve project goals and objectives more efficiently. ‘Access to information represents the basic precondition for success of a firm’ (Drucker, 1998). The access to information becomes vital to only promote efficient and knowledge based discharge of duties by the team but also a great tool for the management to exploit the available information to improve its performance. Hence, Information System Development helps in storing and manipulating strategic business information that are designed to improve the overall business prospects. The proficiency in using computers greatly facilitates the project manager to tacitly exploit data to identify the risks and shortcoming so that they can be addressed timely. When IT system is introduced, training on the use of hardware and software becomes intrinsic part of implementation. Barton emphasizes that ‘hands on real time interaction with the new system†¦ with a more broad based understanding of the flow of information through the system’ is needed (Barton, 2001). TQM promotes quality assurance at various levels of project processes

STARBUCKS Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

STARBUCKS - Coursework Example 10 Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Investment 10 Conclusion 12 References 13 Bibliography 15 Introduction In 1971, Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker and Zev Siegal start up a coffee store in Washington in the heart of Seattle’s Pike marketplace. During 1987, Mr. Schultz purchased the store and started expansion of the business outside the Pacific Northwest and Chicago. In 1993 Starbucks registered under company rules and started selling share to expand its business world-wide (Starbucks Corporation, 2013; Lee, 2009). Starbucks wanted to establish itself as the premier seller of the most favourable coffees globally. The company was committed towards ensuring and incorporating exceptional business principles, ethics, corporate social responsibility as well as unique product and services. The mission as well as vision of the company duly focused upon the motto "inspire the human spirit." During the year, 2002, Starbucks conducted qualitative research wherein it was discovered t hat the brand image of the company was deteriorating. As a result, Starbucks has been extensively concerned about its eroding customer base and reducing level of customer satisfaction. The company was duly committed towards mitigating the problem of reducing customer base in order to return to the mainstream of growth and expansion in the global market (Moon & Quelch, 2006). A. The Case Highlights Customer Satisfaction Issues That Starbucks Is Facing. ... This ultimately led the company to place due consideration to resolve these issues in order to remain viable at the marketplace and to gain greater competitive advantage over its rivals. Few important issues considered by the company are revealed below. . Consumer Frequency as well as Loyalty Issue The scores of customer satisfaction obtained from the qualitative research was taken into due consideration by the organisation because this factor was directly related with the customer loyalty and its overall performance. To ascertain the degree of customer loyalty, the researchers were concerns about analysing the data of customers’ frequency of visit in the Starbucks coffee stores. According to the research, it was found that 21% of its total customer visits the company’s stores more than 8 times per month while 37% of customers visit 3 to 7 times per month. At the same time it was ascertained that 42 % of customers visits just 1 to 2 times per month at the Starbucks stor es. Source: (Moon & Quelch, 2006) This research data revealed the negative impact on the organisation in terms of customer loyalty as well as level of customer satisfaction (Moon & Quelch, 2006; Hurth, 2006). Starbucks Brand Image The organisation also concerns about few more important attributes which were associated with the Starbucks brand image. Firstly, the researchers were concerns regarding the customers’ awareness about the speciality of Starbucks gourmet coffee. Through this analytical study the researchers discovered that 54%of customers were fully agreed about the Starbucks speciality coffee and they were aware about this product. Secondly, in

Federal Government Housing Policies Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Federal Government Housing Policies - Term Paper Example The contemporary housing assistance plans involve the comparatively flexible grants for the state as well as the local governments. This is done so as to assist the homeless people, build up reasonably priced housing and offer support to the first-time buyers. This was also done to encourage community development as well as more planned, direct support programs that would assist in providing low-priced apartments and even rental vouchers to the deprived families, managed through quasi-public, local public and the private intermediaries (McCarty & Et. Al., â€Å"Overview of Federal Housing Assistance Programs and Policy†). The main objective of the paper is to analyze the housing policies adopted by the federal government related to the mortgage and funding system. With this concern, the discussion of the paper will intend to identify the strategies implemented by the federal government persuade lenders and low-income borrowers in dealing with highly risky loans and mortgages. Furthermore, the paper will analyze the role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the recent sub-prime crisis of 2008. Government Policy Intervention The condition of extreme and mispriced mortgage liability is the main reason behind the current boom in the housing markets. It is not possible to understand the unusual character of this particular cycle without recognizing the parts that links the policies on the demand-side as well as the supply restrictions. The boost in the housing prices was positively aggravated by the policies that facilitated cheap credit, especially for borrowers belonging to the low-income group. With the increasing prices, the enterprises those were government-sponsored, started becoming quite insistent in assisting lending activities. This significantly contributed to the rising prices of households (Glaeser & Gyourko, â€Å"Rethinking Federal Housing Policy†). During the early period of 1980s, the subprime lenders such as Household Finance Corp along w ith thrifts like Long Beach Savings and Loan provided funding services for home equity. They also provided services frequently for second advances to borrowers whose credit record was still to be recognized or even had financial records that were disturbed. At times it mirrored setbacks like divorce, unemployment, medical emergencies etc. Rates of interest charged on the subprime mortgages with considerable collateral which was the house were not as soaring compared to the car loans and also quite lesser than the credit cards. The benefits of the mortgage were coagulated and intensified in the year 1986 over the various other varieties of debt with the assistance of the Tax Reform Act. This act excluded taking away of the interest payments on the customer loans, whereas, the subtraction was retained in relation to the payments for mortgage interests (Stanford University â€Å"Subprime Lending†). Throughout the period of 1980s and the beginning of 1990s, prior to computerized â€Å"credit scoring†, a statistical method that was utilized to gauge the credit value of a borrower, initiated the evaluation of risk and mortgage lenders along with the subprime lenders depended on other attributes at the time of underwriting mortgages. During the period of 1990s the mortgage companies as well as the banks along with the securities organizations of the Wall Street

Advantages of Database Management Systems over Traditional File Proces Essay

Advantages of Database Management Systems over Traditional File Processing Systems - Essay Example The file-based system also faces problems of security & integrity. The concept of database and the Database Management System (DMS) was introduced in order to overcome the limitations of the file-based approach. A database is a collection of interrelated data. The primary aim of the database is to provide a way to store and retrieve database information in a fast and efficient manner. (Seltzer, 2008) 5) Improved security: A database provides security to users in the form of username and passwords. Additional levels of security are also possible. It can identify the user type and accordingly provide them permission for retrieval, insertion, updating and deletion of data. (Jain, 2005) 6) Enforcement of standards: The integration of the database sets in place the standards for data formats, naming conventions, documentation standards, update procedures and access rules. Same standards for the data make it easier to access it & save a lot of time. 12) In a file-based system, each user defines his own constraints and sets his own rules for defining the data. Whereas in a database approach, a single repository of data is created which is accessed by multiple users. A database not only contains data but also contains the description of a database structure. This is also called ‘metadata’ ( data about data ). (Hoffer, 2007) 2) Higher impact of a failure as compared to a File-based System: The database approach increases the vulnerability of the system due to the centralization. As all users and applications rely on the database availability, the failure of any component can bring operations to a halt and affect the services to the customer seriously. (Thomas M. Connolly, 2004)  Ã‚  

Oil Prices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Oil Prices - Essay Example A customary perception based on what happened in the 1970s is that oil price shocks trigger recessions. However, the recent past does not fit this view-oil prices are about 2 1/2 times their 2002 levels-but this increase has seemingly not had much impact on the global economy. This seeming puzzle has brought attention to the need to identify the sources of the oil price increase, in particular, to distinguish the role of supply and demand reasons. [1] This box examines these issues using an extended version of the Global Economy Model (GEM) to analyze the causes and outcomes of changes in oil prices. It also looks at the global macro-economic impact of higher taxes on petroleum products. It is important to this clear this from the beginning the analysis does not take on to assess the relative importance of demand and supply causes in the recent run-up in oil prices. In contrast, the main focus is on patterning the channels through which oil prices and growth interact. Global Macro-economic Implications of a Supply Impelled Oil Price Hike First: take the case where oil-exporting economies restrict the supply of oil (as in the 1970s). Oil prices rise sharply (100 per cent at the peak of the simulation) and this results in a global slowdown as redistribution of income to the oil-exporting economies, which have a lower inclination to spend than the oil-importing economies. In addition, higher oil prices raise the cost of production a nd put upward pressure on the collect price level leading to an increase in interest rates, which- in sync with the direct influence on manufacturing outlays-would further decrease in the short run. As a result, world GDP falls 1.4 per cent below the baseline at the trough and global inflation rises about 1.5 percentage points (first figure). The regional macro-economic outcomes of higher oil prices depend on whether a country is a net oil exporter or importer, and on its oil intensity. Oil exporters run a large trade surplus, peaking around 6 per cent of GDP above the baseline, and enjoy a vigorous expansion. In contrast, the oil-importing economies suffer weakening in their external balances and a slowdown in. The impact is more significant in immerging Asian economies chiefly because of their higher oil intensities about advanced economies. On balance, the effects on inflation and GDP in this scenario are significantly smaller than viewed in many industrial countries in the 1970s . [1] First, this partially reflects the lower oil intensities of consumption and production, which lessen both the direct affects on inflation and the medium- and long-term affects on GDP. Second, these simulations assume that forward-looking inflation targeting central banks raise interest rates at once to prevent a ratcheting up of inflation expectations and a spillover into wages and other prices, unlike what happened in the 1970s. Third, many countries have fulfilled reforms that have increased flexibility in both labor and product markets, simplifying more rapid adjustment in relative prices in response to oil price shocks. Combined with creditable monetary policies that have anchored longer-term inflation expectations, these improvements have allowed containing inflationary pressures caused by the higher oil prices without excessively dampening. However, the simulations do not account for possible business and consumer confidence affects or capital market

CD 1 @2 W4 Parent P Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CD 1 @2 W4 Parent P - Essay Example The present value tables are used to determine the discounting factor to obtain the present value total. DQ2 When an analyst applies the NPV value method he should only consider projects with positive NPV value. The optimum selection of a project using NPV methodology is the project that has the highest NPV (Besley & Brigham, 2000). Corporations can use NPV to evaluate multiple projects. The math used in the NPV analysis is a proven formula that has been used for hundreds of years. There are circumstances in which an NPV analysis might give distorted data. For instance the risk of natural disaster in an area can increase the odds of failure of a project particularly if the project is time sensitive. A project with a higher NPV geographically located in the Caribbean region during hurricane season might be not chosen by a conservative risk adverse investor that feels that a project in the middle states of the Unites States has a lower risk of being hit by a natural disaster that could lead to project failure. References Besley, S., Brigham, E. (2000). Essential of Managerial Finance (12th ed.). Fort Forth: The Dryden Press.

Americans and Cinema Essay Example for Free

Americans and Cinema Essay Despite America as a country encompassing by different cultures and ethnic background, the historical significance of the American Indians are still unfelt and given recognition in the modern times. (Martin) In the United States and in Canada, the term Indians has established a connotation of some hegemonic designation which implies a culture that is very different from the perspective of the American Indians. In modern times, Native Americans are depicted as a culture with savage and barbaric background, implying an image of the Native Americans as dangerous and unacceptable to behavior of European decent. (Drinnon) American Indians today are struggling to correct the misconception about their culture, they seek to achieve a balanced and truthful portrayal of the people who were first to call America as their home. In the media, the Indians were portrayed as mostly villains with unacceptable behavior. The availability of the casting roles for Native Americans has been prioritized for the Westerns and has this stereotyped image that is always shown in films and movies. In the movies, there are four distinct tribes of native Americans used to be portrayed, the Apache, Cheyenne, Comanche and Sioux. During the 1950’s and through the 1960’s however, there were more sympathetic native characters that even American Indians get to act by themselves. Jeff Chandler is one who won the Academy Award for his portrayal of an Apache leader in the movie Broken Arrow. (Singer) During the 1970’s when the Vietnam War erupted, the country was greatly divided by social opinions by the war and this has seen the opportunity for the movie industry to highlight a more culturally inclined film. Little Big Man produced in 1970 featured Dan George as a Native American chief as a main character. (Singer) However, it was Dustin Hoffman who received the most attention for his role as the lead protagonist. The movie became a breakthrough film as it features a Native American as a lead character. During the 1960’s on the other hand, when the U. S has many upheavals form antiwar protests and civil rights issues, the Native Americans saw this as an opportunity to raise awareness of the people regarding destructive colonial policies that in their own culture brought harm. A group called the American Indian Movement (AIM) led the protests in front of theaters which depicted the Native Americans wrongly. Commercialized films mentioned are A Man Called Horse and Soldier Blue (both in1970) and Billy Jack in 1971. (Bataille) Another breakthrough portrayal of Native Americans came forth in the release of Dances with Wolves in 1990. (Singer) The movie starred Kevin Costner and included many actors and props to make the setting early western looking. There include buffalos, Indians and horses in the plains of South Dakota, the homeland of the Sioux. The film upheld original Native American tradition, from the language, features of the actors, behavior and others. Dances with Wolves has repeated the painful endurance of the Native Americans, as once again, the culture and tradition of the native settlers were resigned in defeat from the colonial powers. (Singer) Modern society today are confined with knowing what almost everybody knows about the Native Indians; barbaric and unusual. There are many accounts of growing children that has suffered the misconception of cowboys chasing the Indians. (Freeman) There are many stereotypes for the American Indians; from costumes, head dress, dances and chants. However, there lies the failure to realize that the message to children who has this misconception is an implicit disagreement to the real culture and background of the Native Americans. Most of what children today know about the American Indians is brought about by history books and other things they learn about in history that is why there are many stereotypes attached to the culture. Two predominant stereotypes of Native Americans is their physical appearance; moccasin-wearing people with feathers on their head, and second; powerless cultures defeated by the white man’s weapon. (Freeman) With regards to personal traits, Native Americans are viewed by non-natives as savage or wild, lazy, gets drunk quickly or drinks a lot, very soft spoken or quiet, and has no sense of humor. Other misconceptions also entails Native Americans having no money sense, makes little effort to get education, close to nature, adheres strictly to Indian time, and do handcrafts all the time. More over, in terms of how they view society, Native Americans are often misunderstood as a culture who wants their land back badly, always asks for handouts, ostracize themselves by avoiding the society, lack of unity and tribal factionalism and worship pagans as a consequence to being very close to nature. (nativeamericans) The Native Americans has endured a lot during the past years. As they continue to struggles against discrimination and the stereotypes attached to their name, it is very important for the modern society to also do the needed research and understanding of the real Native Americans. It is not enough that we rely on the portrayal of the Native Americans in movies or history books; we must get to know them as a culture, as a community who has always struggled to maintain and uphold their own identity in a nation that has truly forgotten their significance. Works Cited: Bataille, Gretchen M. and Charles Silet. The Pretend Indians: Images of Native Americans in the Movies. Ames: Iowa State UP 1980. Berkhofers, Robert. The White Mans Indian: Images of the American Indian from Columbus to the Present New York: Vintage, 1979.Drinnon, Richard. Facing West: The Metaphysics of Indian-Hating and Empire Building. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1980. Freeman, Andrea. Representing Native Cultures: Stereotypes and Inaccuracies in First Nations and American Indian Children’s Literature. Term Paper. Vancouver, BC Canada. Martin, Calvin, ed. The American Indian and the Problem of History. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987. Native America: Portrait of the People. (1994). nativeamericans. American Indians. (2007). January 25 http://www. nativeamericans. com/index. htm. Singer, Beverly R. Native Americans and Cinema: Native Americans in Movies. (2007). January 24 http://www. filmreference. com/encyclopedia/Independent-Film-Road-Movies/Native-Americans-and-Cinema-NATIVE-AMERICANS-IN-MOVIES. html. Thomas, Jeffrey. American Indians Seek Greater Understanding, Recognition. USINFO. 18 October ed: U. S Department of States Bureau of International Informational Programs, 2007.

Summary On Luxurious Watch In India Marketing Essay

Summary On Luxurious Watch In India Marketing Essay Good times are predicted and as well as seen for the watch industry in India, where the consumers going unmindful of their prices. Due to the emergence of a powerful middle class in India will keep the countrys economy on an upswing. If industry experts are to be believed then the country holds a very huge potential market for the luxurious watch, where earlier the market was dominated by only HMT and Allwyn brands. The industry currently is holding $195 million despite the fact that the penetration of watches is the lowest when compared globally and this resulting the other global companies to settle up there base in India where the average growth rate can be predicted to be around 20 25 percent per year, total size of the market for luxirous watch is estimated to be 600 cr which plans to stick to high tagline and is ready to witness a whopping 1.40 lakh families spending on such brands by 2010 as compared to 2000 families in 2002. The top brands in luxurious watch segment are the Swiss, Rado, Tagheuar, Casio, Cartier, Rolex, Omega and others. The government has control over the international brand price and there is severe price competition. Porters 5 force model Industry Analysis Intense Rivalry: This is where rivalry exists among competitors of the same industry to an extent where pressure is put on one another and limits each others profit potential. Luxurious watch industry in India is highly competitive as there are various numbers of different players fighting among themselves. The key players of Indian market are following : Titan HMT Timex The new entrants in to the watch industry are the Swiss, Rolex, Omega, and Rado where Omega is dominating the industry by 27 percentages. Due to the new entrants, the market share for the key players has lowered. The top 5players currently holding 15percentage of market share. The industry is very attractive for the new companies to come and therefore growth prospectuses are quite high. The main reason for the intense industry rivalry is due to entry barriers that are quite low. Swiss and Rolex have created big brands over the year. Bargain power of Buyers: Due to changing trend in the market, people have high preference of buying unpredictably. Consumers have been provided a wide scope on selecting on their choice along with the niche market that adds up an advantage to the consumer. As the market prices are not sensitive that is, it does not show the effect when there is change in stock exchange. Moreover, due to the uniqness in the product there is relatively low brand switching. Bargain Power of Suppliers: For an industry, achieving loyalty of customers is difficult, companies within the industry are having, and developing innovative products that fulfil customer needs in order to achieve the loyalty. Since there are number of companies with in the same industry, it has made tough for the suppliers to whom to work and supply. Threat of substitute: having an alternative product with lower price but with better quality and performance explains the concept of threat of substitute. For the watch industry, the threat of substitute is very high since most of us can access to mobile phones, handled computing devices, which are capable of providing correct timings as well for different countries without having to access other mobile phones. Since the growth rate of the market is rising slowly, there is the threat where the population considered to be, as middle class prefer to own watch, which are cheap, and does show time. Threat of New Entrants : threat of new entrants in the watch industry is quite low as India is growing at a slow space and since there is growing number of finance companies coming up to finance, more and more international brands coming in and settling down and establishing themselves. In the situation when a new entrant enters in the market, change major determinants of the market environment, determinants such as market shares, prices, customer loyalty. Entrants as Omega and Rolex consider the market as challenging because of the existing companies have closer relationships with the customers and most importantly have to consider the brand switching from one company to another. Pestle Analysis for the industry Political factors: Stability of government is not well settled and hence requires better stability though it is not highly affected. However, there are cases when instability causes a foreign company or a brand to enter the market. Due to excessive advertisement where family concern has to be taken, in some case it is not done and hence intervenes of the political issues. Moreover, since political issues are involved there are threatening to the investors who had to invest in foreign advertisements. Since most of the materials to build are imported which attracts huge amount of Excise Duty on Manufacturing Retail Price instead of the manufacturing. Due to which most of the luxurious watch are literally out of reach to those who wanted to at least own. Economic Stability : When talking about India, there are various number of taxes like, Excise duty (State and central), Custom duty, Profession tax, Service tax, Income tax, Royalty, Larcenous fees, hazardous substance handling and other charges to be paid which makes the total amount to be around 40 45 percentage of the actual cost. During the recession time, where Asian countries were least affected, where rising incomes in the emerging market which have led to the new categories of buyers. Though huge numbers of taxes are involved, there are still potential opportunities for ultra expensive watch manufactures to set up their base in India. Social Culture: association with the luxury items and having self-esteems and creating a social status of a person creates more demand for having a luxurious product; in this case, it is the luxurious watch. Culture is developing themselves to own a luxury watch in order to full fill their self esteem and also stand out of crowd, this attracting more number of investors to invest into the foreign brands. Technology: Here technology plays an extensive role where conversion of analogue to digital waterproof watches which have created a huge market for the developers to have more innovative watches. Environmental factor: this factor does not affect much of the watch industry, unless if its summer time where over heating of new technologies in watch are noticed and its very rare. The Structural drivers leading to the growth of industry The cost globalisation: this factor gives potential for competitive advantage since some of the international luxurious watch companies, which deal in large volume standardized production required for optimum economics of scale and find the electric components required manufacturing and other parts regarding the watch are easily available with less cost factor. Labour cost in India is quite cheaper than other countries because highly skilled but low cost staffs are available. The drivers to the growth of watch industry are due to the Economic factor, Social factors, Demographic factors which play an extensive role to motivate the consumers to buy which includes occupation, education level of a person, lifestyle of a person, and the main one is the Psychological attributes like attitude, value system which influences people to buying behaviour. Since nature of having a luxurious item is perceived by an individual is a status symbol in a society and displays the wealth or the income are related to conspicuous consumption, which is a socio economic phenomenon. There is an also increase trend in market globalisation where customer needs and preferences are becoming more similar. As markets globalize, those operating in such markets become global customers and may search suppliers who may operate on global basis. Other drivers are globalization of government policies and globalization of competition where most of the international brands find themselves less competitive in India as most of the international brands are not available in all parts of India and government policies have encouraged free trade markets between nations. Industry Life cycle If experts are to be believed then it has said watch industry entered in the market in late 1969 and since then it has been growing drastically. When compared with Switzerland which possesses close to 100percentage of the luxury market value which represents 45percentage of the market value and hence making them the world leaders. India is too coming up with the luxurious watch. However, not entire part of the country holds up the luxurious department stores but do have in majority ones. The watch industry in India is slowly moving from the shakeout stage to the maturity stage. Shake out stage is the second level of stage in industry where new industries are emerged and competitors start to realise business opportunities in the emerging industry whereas maturity stage is where efficiencies of the dominant business model give these organisations competitive advantage over competition (Kotler, 2003). The competition is very aggressive because of many competitors and product substitutes . Market Scenarios Intervene of new technologies, which is causing decline in usage of watches. Due to the involvement of mobile industry, the watch industry is being saturated. The product seems to be in a decline stage especially when seen in Europe where sales having dropped down to 20 % 30 % and globally fell off to 22.4 of percentage. The top leaders Swiss manufactures fell by 22.4% worldwide (Federation of Swiss watch industry). People have this perception when there exists a mobile handy, which could show numerous country timings then why an expensive watch that only shows limited country timings have. Another anticipated market scenario is that there would be no change in the growth rate of the industry, which would probably mean that the industry would not have any diversification and there will be no further expansion of the industry in the market. If profits decline for the watch industry, then it would probably take longer to recover. Another reason to be worried of in future is that the lifestyle and environment factors of younger generation where they prefer to have trendy look kind of product and at the same time the particular trend would be either outdated or faded in the industry and the main important factor is that the limited. Source of getting gems and liquid metals to manufacture watch would mean reduction or decline in growth of manufacturing. The main scenario which could be a problematic in future is the growth of luxurious watch brands in India, where the country is still considered to be as developing country and poverty still exists and due to this number of people who belong to the medium class average income earners would probably have a second thought of getting a luxurious watch which they could feel if mobile exists then why to go for a high end watch. As the industry is not in to that much of advertising about a particular brand or even if a new brand that comes into the market, people have no idea what a particular brand might represent as. In addition, for those who know little about a brand, only prefer a niche segment that is where the Tag Heuer as the brand ambassador of this brand happens to be a popular superstar. Since the growth in India is around 10 15 percentage annually, it is considered to be as the lowest in the market when compared globally.

New Life :: essays research papers

It’s another crisp blue morning in the town of Flagstaff. Two Dogs bark protectively from across the street warning a passer by not to shit in our neighborhood. In my mind Flagstaff is not a solid place, it is continually changing. As I’ve been getting older, my perception of Flagstaff has been growing too. I’ve been coming up to Flag since I was ten years old. At that time, the town felt so old and rustic. It was a place where one could escape from the desert heat, from sitting through boring Sunday sermons, and from the monotony of everyday life. I would come up every weekend with friends to climb in the surrounding canyons. This was our training ground for many years. Bouldering in the forest with beers and buds proved to be an excellent way of getting stronger. Flagstaff was a place where we could push our limits, work on projects and achieve incredibly rewarding goals. Although climbing was always our main priority, we felt that it was important to balance the anguish of rock climbing with the relief of Advil and cold beer. This is where the construction and corruption of my character began. As my friends got older, they began migrating north for college and a new era of Flagstaff emerged. I still came up on weekends to go climbing, but people were becoming harder to motivate. I guess it was half to do with the fact that the climbing was so accessible that you could just go climb any time you wanted, but a new force was also emerging. It came to be known as the â€Å"Evil Party Vortex†. It was a strong gravitational pull which had shifted our focus from climbing to boozing. Late nights lead to shorter days. We seldom got out of the house before 1:00. Coffee intake was so extreme that when you finally got out to the rocks, nervous tremors would shake you off the wall. My climbing was going down hill. I really wanted to move up to join my friends in pursuits of drunken belligerence, yet at the same time I really wanted to travel and rock climb. After I graduated from high school I knew I would be going to NAU, but not right away. I was originally just going to take one year off, but I ended up taking two. I was always searching for the next challenging adventure.

Inca :: essays research papers

The Inca The Incas were a distinct people with a distinct language living in a highland center, Cuzco. They were an ancient people, but had been subject to the regional powers during the entire history of South American urban cultures. They began to expand their influence in the twelfth century and in the early sixteenth century, they exercised control over more territory than any other people had done in South American history. The empire consisted of over one million individuals, spanning a territory stretching from Ecuador to northern Chile. Unlike the military empires in Central America, the Incas ruled by proxy. After conquering a people, they would incorporate local rulers into their imperial system, generously reward anyone who fought for them, and treated well all those conquered people who cooperated. So, in reality, the inca">Inca "empire," as the invading Spanish called it, was not really an empire. It was more of a confederation of tribes with a single people, the Incas, more or less in control. Each of these tribes was ruled independently by a council of elders; the tribe as a whole gave its allegiance to the ruler, or "Inca." The "Inca" was divine; he was the descendant of the sun-god. The social structure of the Incas was extremely inflexible. At the top was the Inca who exercised, theoretically, absolute power. Below the Inca was the royal family which consisted of the Inca's immediate family, concubines, and all his children. This royal family was a ruling aristocracy. Each tribe had tribal heads; each clan in each tribe had clan heads. At the very bottom were the common people who were all grouped in squads of ten people each with a single "boss." The social unit, then, was primarily based on cooperation and communality. This guaranteed that there would always be enough for everyone; but the centralization of authority meant that there was no chance of individual advancement (which was not valued). It also meant that the system depended too much on the centralized authority; once the invading Spanish seized the Inca and the ruling family, they were able to conquer the Inca territories with lightening speed. Conquered people were required to pay a labo r tax (mita ) to the state; with this labor tax, the Incas built an astonishing network of roads and terraced farmlands throughout the Andes. Agriculture was tough business in the Andes. The Incas actively set about carving up mountains into terraced farmlands—so successful were they in turning steep mountainsides into terraced farms, that in 1500 there was more land in cultivation in the Andean highlands then there is today.

Cultural , Political, and Religious Interactions in Ancient Asia Essay

Since Asian countries came in contact with each other, Cultural, Political, and Religious interactions between them, began. The Ancient Asian countries’ interactions with each other play a big role in affecting how the Asian countries are today. Political contacts and interaction were most often made because a country wanted to become allies to gain military security, or to join their forces to fight a mutual enemy that they couldn’t fight alone; but sometimes situations didn’t go the way they were planned. One example is Zhang Qian’s mission as an envoy. He was sent as an envoy from Wu Di, the Han emperor, to make contact and alliance with the nomadic tribes just west of them. The western tribes and the Han Empire had a mutual enemy, the Xiongnu, who roamed the lands just north of the Great Wall. Zhang Qian started off to the west, but when he came back to the Han Empire he was with a Xiongnu wife. His report was that he was captured by the Xiongnu and this woman helped him escape. He traveled to the western tribes to make an alliance but they refused. Missionaries usually made religious contacts. The missionaries’ main goal was to spread their religion so more people convert. Examples of religious contact by missionaries are buddhist missionaries. They traveled all throughout Southeast Asia, settled there for a while, and successfully converted a lot of people into Buddhism. The Asian countries’ cultures influenced each other. They influenced each other’s culture through trade. Foreign artifacts, ideas and craft skills were adapted into the local culture if they seemed useful. Indian influence spread all throughout Southeast Asia, largely because of Brahmins who had royal courts across Southeast Asia. They brought new government ideas, artistic ideas, and a written language called Sanskrit. The main Chinese cultural influence, aside from religion, was language and laws. They spread the Chinese language and laws along mainland Southeast Asia, especially Vietnam, when they tried to take it over. However, even though the Asian countries’ cultures influenced each other, they each had a strong local culture to begin with.

Importance of Respect

Why respect is so important in today’s society and what exactly is respect? Respect is a combination of appreciation, admiration as well as recognition of a person being worth something, or having earned a position because of their achievements. It could feel at times vague to some people, but most people understand and act with respect. In our modern world respect is sometimes confused with fear. For instance, Gangs, they kill and they fight to earn respect from others but what they actually receive is fear. Domestic abusers might also beat their significant other and demand respect and once again what they receive is fear not respect. In these situations it could become a cycle, reason being; as fear of a person builds inside of someone they lose respect for them as a human being. As regard and respect go down the need of the abuser to force respect gradually goes up, leading to more abuse than ever before. We also can confuse the broad feeling of being in love with respect. When we meet this amazing person and we set them up on a pedestal and they seem to be perfect through our foggy vision of physical reactions. We do not really see who that person is but instead our ideas of what we want to see. This can be especially challenging because it is so easy to confuse the pedestal of perfection for respect. True respect is seeing someone’s, flaws and mistakes, and still feeling appreciation of their unique talents, gifts, insights and simply appreciating the person for being who they are. It is not expecting perfection nor is it beating someone into submission. President Obama is to me a great example of a person who commands respect. Not by using his position but simply by his thoughtfulness, intelligence and presence, unlike past politicians who appear to believe people should simply respect them because of their position and not who they are. Obama is a person I respect, not only because I am a soldier but because he is just simply a respectable human being. I don’t have to like everything a person does or agree with them to respect them. On the other hand, I can really care for someone and not respect them, it can work either way for anyone. Respect, like many things, begins within yourself. Before we can truly respect others you must like and respect yourselves. If we feel we are worthless, dumb, a terrible employee, too this or too that, we will often treat ourselves badly. We will beat ourselves up in our own mind. Then when we meet another person we usually fall in to one of two categories; the â€Å"I am not worthy† as we put our significant other on a pedestal or the â€Å"there must be something wrong with this person if they like me. † At first when we are in the beginning stages of the relationship, we are on cloud nine, all is right in the world and nothing else matters. The beginning stage can last a while and when we are in it we do not think about respect, we are consumed by passion. Over time, the beginning stage fades and if you do not respect or like yourself, the questioning and insecurity start to damage the relationship. When we love and respect ourselves we treat others with respect and we receive the same amount of respect in return. When you really take a moment to think about treating other individuals with respect, it can solve so many issues. When we respect another person, we can begin to trust them to handle the truth in the long run so you should always be honest, trust their judgment in all aspects of life and you should and will demand that other people treat you with the same amount of respect in which you have treated that person or people with. You should always let other people such as, your boss or a fellow coworker know when you are running late and why you are running late, have made a mistake or think that you may have made a mistake , violated an agreement or just need time to be alone and collect your thoughts. When you are showing your respect to someone you should always listen to what they have to say and don’t blame them for your issues, or doubt their opinion on something you have asked for their opinion on. So many relationship, co-worker, and leadership challenges would be so much easier to deal with if you would just take a moment to think about the respect we have for other people and demonstrate that in our actions. This respect goes beyond the workplace, primary relationships, and acquaintances. It extends to the manner in which you’re going to be treated, depending on how you’re treating other people. Respecting time that someone has have set aside for you and giving that other person room for them to complete their tasks. If you respect every person you’re involved with, whether it be at your workplace, home, or just simply socializing at an event. That person will treat you with the same amount of respect, as you have treated them with. The same rules apply when you are at your place of work, communication, honesty and consideration are given out of respect and co-workers relationships can flow a whole lot more smoothly. In my experience when my superior in my workplace is speaking with me, and that person treats me with respect and I treat that person with respect then things work a whole lot more smoothly and everyone is happy. When any living person ignores agreements, pushes boundaries and just in general acts with disrespect towards another person, it is hard and challenging to all involved. When you withhold the truth, Manipulate, or Lie, you might as well be saying I don’t respect that person whether they are in a position of leadership or otherwise. They might think and feel that you can’t handle the truth. That person might also think you do not trust them to get their tasks accomplished and that you don’t trust that they will stand by you through the challenges in any given situation. The challenge with this is that when you don’t live up to the expectations you have promised to abide by, you could become angry and blame that other individual for not being what you might have thought they were. Looking at relationships between co-workers I have witnessed, including my own, the most successful were undeniably people who held each other with great respect. This is as true of business partnerships as well as personal relationships and even parents with their child or children. This is not to say they don’t fight or face challenges in relationships but rather these relationships have a grounded base of respect to help get through the challenges that they might encounter together. When you come from a place of respect, for instance, The United States Military, you do not give stipulations or make demands to be set into stone, you’re going to negotiate with consideration for your partner, co-workers and your own needs and feelings. To respect someone is also to respect their ideas, intelligence, individuality, goals as well as their personal preferences and who they are inside, as a person Life is wonderful but respect is the glue that can allow all different kinds of relationships to grow stronger, more trusting and more confident. Respect also allows everyone to retrieve companionship, understanding and support to make it through the challenges of life. Respect is crucial to lasting relationships, whether it be a work relationship or a personal relationship and also it is crucial to good partnerships, to good business and to build a better community and economy.

Isotoner Case Brief Essay

Facts of the Case: LaNisa Allen appealed the original judgment in favor of Totes/Isotoner Corporation on the issue of whether the Ohio Fair Employment Practices Act, as amended by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, prohibits an employer from discriminating against a female employee because of or on the basis of lactation. Relevant law associated includes whether Allen established a prima facie case of â€Å"sex discrimination on the basis of pregnancy,† or whether she â€Å"was simply and plainly terminated as an employee at will for taking an unauthorized, extra break.† Allen’s original complaint was termination attributable to discrimination, based on pregnancy and related conditions, even though Isotoner claimed to have released her for failure to â€Å"follow directions.† Evidence admitted in Allen’s disposition of taking unauthorized breaks for a two week period, which constituted the failure to follow directions, confirmed the trial courts summary judgment. As the trial court granted judgment to Isotoner, the Twelfth District Court of Appeals followed suit, as Allen admitted to ignoring directions and failed to establish a prima facie case of sex discrimination on the basis of pregnancy and it’s after effects. Issues: Although the lower courts concentrated upon the apparent facts of the case, especially â€Å"Whether Allen’s unauthorized breaks to pump her breast in order to avoid lactation constituted as sex discrimination†; a more superior issue arises from this case. Assuming a proper prima facie case was established, â€Å"Is purported discrimination due to lactation included within the range of Ohio’s employment-discrimination statute, R.C. 4112.02, as sex discrimination under R.C. 4112.01(B)?† Decision s: Ruling of the initial appeal of judgment in favor of Totes/Isotoner Corporation for discrimination Allen was affirmed. Subsequently, the Supreme Court of Ohio did not touch the issue of whether purported discrimination due to lactation is included within the range of Ohio’s employment-discrimination statute, R.C. 4112.02, as sex discrimination under R.C. 4112.01(B). An opinion of whether they thought this discrimination did fall in that range was included in Judge O’Connor’s judgment. Reasoning: Rationale leading the judges in a majority opinion to affirm the initial judgment, stemmed from the failure of Allen to develop a record from which a jury could find in her favor. However, several  of the judges felt â€Å"lactation is a physical condition associated with pregnancy and childbirth, hence the FEPA, as amended by the Ohio PDA, prohibits discrimination against females because they are lactating.† It is proposed that the Supreme Court of Ohio should reach the merits to clarify the laws. Separate Opinions: Judgment was affirmed by Judges Lundberg Stratton, O’Donnell, and Cupp, JJ. , as they believed Allen was discharged for taking unauthorized breaks from her scheduled employment. Since Allen failed to present evidence of a discriminatory motive from Isotoner, or that reason for releasing her from employment was a ground for discrimination, Lundberg Stratton, O’Donnell, and Cupp, JJ. felt only the issues presented by the facts of Isotoner discharging Allen due to ‘unauthorized breaks’ should be decided on, while issues of the facts not directly placed on issue should only be responded to with advisory opinion. Judges Moyer, C.J. and O’Connor J. concurred in the foregoing judgment only. They assert lactation to fall within the scope of R.C. 4122.01(B) and that the statute prohibits employment discrimination against lactating women. Also, they oppose the claim of opinions regarding issues not directly placed on issue to be strictly advisory. â€Å"A cause will become moot only when it becomes impossible for a [***627] tribunal to grant meaningful relief, even if it were to rule in favor of the party seeking relief.† Moyer, C.J, and O’Connor J. claim these indirect issues to be live, not as remote possibilities or based on controversies that may never occur. Their assertion that â€Å"lactation is a physical condition associated with pregnancy and childbirth, hence the FEPA, as amended by the Ohio PDA, prohibits discrimination against females because they are lactating† is fully discussed. Dissent is issued by Judge Peifer, J. as he declares the question needed answered by Ohioans was not resolute. Peifer, J. claimed â€Å"the court should analyze the case by asking (1) whether the plaintiff stated a cognizable cause of action and (2) whether the facts support the alleged cause of action.† Emphasis was placed by Peifer, J. on the circumstance of unclear facts of the case such as why Allen’s unscheduled restroom breaks outside of scheduled break times were different from restroom trips made by coworkers outside of their scheduled break times. Also, Judge Peifer argued that cases should be accepted not because of how the result might affect the parties in the individual case, but because of how a holding might affect other persons similarly situated. Peifer held â€Å"employment discrimination due to lactation as unlawful pursuant to R.C. 4112.01(B), that clear public policy justifies an exception to the employment-at-will doctrine for women fired for reasons relating to lactation, and that LaNisa Allen deserves the opportunity-due to the state of the record-to prove her claim before a jury.† Analysis: The significance of this case relates to the importance of establishing suitable evidence for a prima facie case and also to ruling on issues brought forward by cases. Although the affirmed judgment in favor of Isotoner was applicable due to Allen’s failure to provide evidence of sex discrimination related to after effects of pregnancy, it is important for courts to reach a decision on such cases the holding will/has affected other persons similarly situated. Similar cases of discharge or unpaid circumstances have been previously governed, including Fejes v. Gilpin Ventures, Inc. 960 F. Supp 1487and Martinez v. N.B.C. Inc. 49 F.Supp.2d 305l, among others. Therefore sex discrimination due to the aftereffects of pregnancy affects many individuals in Ohio and throughout the United States, and therefore a ruling of whether purported discrimination due to lactation is included within the range of Ohio’s employment-discrimination statute, R.C. 4112.02, as sex discrimination under R.C. 4112.01(B) is vital in reducing sex discrimination in the workplace.

Homeschooling should replace normal schooling

Homeschooling should replace normal schooling for the betterment of students in Hong Kong. Homeschooling refers to the education of children at home, typically by parents or tutors, unlike the formal settings of schools. In many countries around the world, children are not legally obligated to attend school. In England, France, Canada, the United States and Australia, it is perfectly legal for parents to educate their kids at home. Homeschooling is becoming more popular every day, with a growth rate of 7 to 15 percent per year over the world. There are about two million children currently earning at home in the world.Homeschooled kids do well on standardized tests, are welcome at college and universities, and as adults, have a reputation for being self- directed learners and reliable employees. This essay is going to examine whether homeschooling should replace normal schooling for the betterment of students in Hong Kong. Homeschooling makes children miss the golden opportunity to pr actice their social skills. School is the miniature of society. One needs to have not only knowledge of the world, but also interpersonal communication skills in order to survive, not to mention excel in a society.If a child is taught at home solely by his/ her parents, the child misses the chance to meet and interact with other kids. Peer learning has vital benefits as well. By communicating with friends, students can improve their interpersonal skills. Homeschooled children cannot take part in extra-curricular activities like debate, choir and team sports. As interactive learning is such an important component in modern education, homeschooling deprives children of their chance to develop their social skills and network, and even friends. Furthermore, home is not the most suitable environment for learning which lower he effectiveness of learning.Home cannot provide many different hardware which can only be provided by day schools. For instance, the different kinds of experiments m ust be conducted in a safety equipped and qualified laboratory . The many apparatus like Bunsen Burner, funnel and beaker can only be found in a laboratory. Home can never provide such hardware to support the diverse learning needs of children . The equipment of language labs, music room and library only appear in a school setting. Besides, there are too many temptations at home, such as television nd computer games, which would prevent children from concentrating on learning.Homeschooling undermines the development of creative thinking. Parents-to- children teaching is atter all the indoctrination ot parents thinking and values system to their children. In Hong Kong, most parents are very concerned about their children and hope them have a bright future. Therefore, they may try to give what they think is the best to the children. It is common that parents force their children to have piano lesson, choir practice, drawing class and so on in Hong Kong. Parents tend to orcefully spoon feed what they want their children to know.In many cases, children cannot develop multiple thinking perspectives. They Just do what their parents ask them to do. Their creativity and critical thinking, which are highly-valued in today's competitive world, can hardly be formed. On the other hand, it is not suitable to implement home-schooling in Hong Kong. Most parents have full time Job. They do not have time to teach their children. Moreover, parents are not professional in teaching when compared to trained teachers. They may not know how to teach their children effectively. Also, it is impossible for parents to know all knowledge of different subjects.In school, teachers are specialize in few subjects and they can concentrate on those subjects to prepare teaching materials. According to Bill and Ana Moody, who homeschool their children, they admitted that it is hard to teach science topics properly at home. They do not have sufficient knowledge of science and science requires to do experiments. Homeschooling brings another problem: how to assess the ability of students? Hong Kong is a knowledge-based society, it is important to have certificates to prove ne's academic Usually, one will get a Job easily with higher education level.Different jobs have different required education levels. If homeschooling is implemented, there is no standard to assess students unless all students Join public examinations offered by authorized organization and the Education Bureau. Homeschooling does not provide a standard to assess whether students has understand the knowledge fully. As every parents and tutors may have design a different curriculum for students, there is no standard of what basic knowledge that students should learn.Some people argued that a unified education system simply cannot cater for the individual needs of each and every student and, therefore, homeschooling is a better way for children to learn as it is more flexible which can cater individual's needs . It can provide a tailor-made learning schedule which can cater learning speed of the children and specific requirements by those who best understand them: their parents. It may allow students a more flexible combination of subjects which cater for individual needs. This would arouse interest in study, giving students the initiative to learn.However, small class teaching , which is quite popular in Hong Kong, can also cater the needs of different children. Due to the decreasing birth rate, schools started to implement small-class teaching and has smaller teacher-to student ratio. This allows teachers to pay more attention to each student in class. Flexible combination of subjects can also be achieved by new curriculum. In the past, usually students were divided into art, science and commerce classes and they were only allowed to choose subjects which are related to each other. Now, students under the new curriculum are allowed to choose subjects freely.For example, student can choo se to study Biology, a science subject, and grapny, an art subject. Some also claimed that homeschooling can enhance close family relationship. However, this may not be true. Conflicts and arguments are easily happened when parents stay with their children all the time. Parents may easily lose temper when their children are not listening to them or cannot follow their teaching schedule as they are more emotionally affected when facing their own children. Moreover, children may easily lose concentration on learning as there are too many temptations at home as mentioned before.If parents punished their children for this, the parent- child relationship would suffer. All in all, homeschooling should not replace normal schooling for the betterment of students as there are too many weaknesses of homeschooling though admitted that normal schooling has its flaws. In the current education system, students are required to study a fixed and long syllabus within a short period of time. Students study under tremendous pressure and may eventually lose interest in study. However, homeschooling neglects the social development of children which is vital in modern society.

The American Dream in the Jungle

Many immigrants migrate to America everyday with the hopes to achieve their American dream. For most immigrants the American dream consist of finding a country where effort and morality transcend to success. In â€Å"The Jungle† by Upton Sinclair, a family of hard working optimistic Lithuanians migrate to America with the belief that equality and opportunity dictates that all people should have the same opportunities open to them if they put out efforts. They arrive to the US expecting to find a land of opportunity, freedom, and equality, and acceptance.Instead they find a land where only crime, moral corruption and crookedness enables them to succeed. The hopes and dreams of these individuals are destroyed as they encounter a land of moral corruption, crime, exploitation and a life of depression and unhealthy daily labor that brings them physical and mental pain. Sinclair clearly shows that the American Dream is simply an illusion. The title of the book â€Å"The Jungle† creates an atmosphere of predators and prey like survival of the fittest.The predators being the criminals and the prey being the Rudkus family. The title of the book symbolizes how the lower class represented by the Rudkus family is being exploited or attacked by the capitalist society and how the country is turned into a jungle . Sinclair uses similes and metaphors to demonstrate the comparison between animals of the jungle and the people . For example in chapter 15, when Jurgis finds out that Connor â€Å"the great beast† rapes Ona, Jurgis â€Å"eyes were wild and his hair flying, and he was breathing hoarsely like a wounded bull†.Jurgis â€Å"sprang† into a room to find Connor, â€Å"his prey,† and â€Å"sunk his teeth into the man’s cheek, and when they tore him away he was dripping whit blood, and the little ribbons of skin where hanging in his mouth† (Sinclair 162). Such imagery is portrayed through out the novel. Exploitation is f oreshowed at the beginning of the story when Jurgis and Ona celebrate their weeding and the guest refuse to leave money to pay for the weeding. Ona is concerned that they wont be able to pay for the expenses and that they will be in serious debt but Jurgis assures her that he will work harder and earn all the money back. Leave it to me, leave it up to me. I will earn more money-I will work harder† (Sinclair 21). This quotation shows how in the beginning of the novel Jurgis is very optimistic, strong, determine, energetic and, devoted to his family and his new country, being unaware of how the system works. Even when the family tries to purchase their new home which is symbolize by what their American dream is, they get exploited by the real state agent. Grandmother Majauszkiene tells them â€Å"You are all alike all the rest, they trick you and eat you alive. They never sell the house without interest.Get your deed, and see†(Sinclair 73). The tone of this quote also exp resses the jungle atmosphere when she mentions how they are been tricked and eaten alive. Another individual that serves as an opposing force to the Rudkus family is Phil Connor. He is Ona’s boss at the factory and represents the higher corrupt authority in Chicago. He also rapes and takes advantage of Ona by pushing her into prostitution and makes life harder for Jurgis and his family when he decides to put him in the blacklist, making it absurd for Jurgis to get a new job.He is clearly an example of someone who abuses his power over others for his own personal profit It is an argument that its up to everyone to do whatever is in their power to be happy. By exploiting the Rudkus family the real estate agent was happy because his American dream is to sell and make as much profit as possible. But up to what extend is it fair to achieve one’s American Dream? It is not fair to exploit other individuals in order to achieve ones goals and dreams. These people are coming to America unknowingly of how the system works blind to the ways of capitalism.For example, in chapter 3 Jurgis is portrayed as a naive individual that is not familiar on how the labor system works, he is overwhelmed with his new job that he doesn’t understand Jokubus' cynicism when he cynically points out the signs posted that demand cleanliness, â€Å"That was why to Jurgis it seemed almost profanity to speak about the place as did Jokubas, skeptically†. Jurgis was grateful to have a job and that’s all he knew at the time â€Å"to be given a place in it and a share in its wonderful activities was a blessing to be grateful for, as one was grateful for the sunshine and the rain† (Sinclair 43).Is not until later on when he starts to understand more and more about the bitterness he sees in his co-workers. Another form of exploitation that doesn’t allow Jurgis and his family to achieve their American dream is the long hours of labor they must work in ord er to maintain the family alive. These unhealthy long hours of labor that they must work brings the family physical and mental pain. When Jurgis starts to work in the meat packing plant he is exited and happy to have a job, soon after he discovers that he is engaged in unfair labor activities as well as unsafe food handling.In chapter 11 Jurgis suffers from a terrible accident at work. The company doctor tells him that he'll be laid up for months with a severe ankle and foot injury. The accident poses a terrible problem for the family. Without Jurgis' wages, they might starve. â€Å"It was dreadful that an accident of this sort, that no man can help, should have meant such suffering. The bitterness of it was the daily food and drink of Jurgis. It was of no use to them to try to deceive him, he knew as much about the situation as they did, and he knew that the family might literally starve to death† (Sinclair 120).Soon after Ona becomes terribly ill with a cough similar to the one that killed Dede Antana, she also becomes pregnant and not long after dies when giving birth. â€Å"They were beaten; they had lost the game, they were swept aside. It was not less tragic because it was so sordid, because that it had to do with wages and grocery bills and rents. They had dreamed of freedom; of a chance to look about them and learn something; to be decent and clean, to see their child group up to be strong. And now it was all gone-it would never be! (Sinclair 163) Jurgis and his family have failed in the attempt to pursue the American dream because the wage slavery and unfair labor practices shatters every aspect of their lives. Not only does the unhealthy labor causes the family physical pain but also mental pain. For example Stanislovas, one of Elzbieta's children witnesses a little boy with severe frostbite to his ears that fall off when a man rubs them strongly to try to save them. After that, Stanislovas develops a phobia of the cold winter and throws a fi t before work each day.He doesn’t want to go out in the cold with the fear that his ears are going to fall off. Also seeing how the food is processed becomes a sort of trauma for the characters. Sinclair uses symbolism to show how the torture of the pigs and the meat is symbolic of the middle class. Workers get chewed up just like the meat. It is an argument that if one is working in a slaughterhouse one must have to be strong minded and expect to work with blood, and other bodily fluids that can cause effect.The problem with this argument is that at the cost of a whole factory staff only a few get to be happy, while those workers down on the killing floors are being hurt on a daily basis and get little to no pay. Ironically labor is suppose to be part of the American dream, immigrants travel to the country to find jobs to prosper and make money but in this case the hard long hours of work only corporate towards their family destruction. As the novel progresses the role of fa mily diminishes as the characters become increasingly abuse and battered.For example in chapter 13 Kristoforas, one of Elzbieta's children dies, Jurgis is more relief than sad because that only mean that there is one less mouth to feed. The only thing that concerns Jurgis is the expenses for the funeral since they have no money. â€Å"Kristoforas had howled his last howl. No one was really sorry about this except poor Elzbieta, who was inconsolable. Jurgis announced that so far as he was concerned the child would have to be buried by the city, since they had no money for a funeral† (Sinclair 134).At this point in the novel the main focus is survival and the desperate need for nourishment takes priority over compassion and love, as evidenced by Jurgis’s beating Stanislovas when he doesn’t want to go to work. The unity of the family is destroyed by the poverty, a result of capitalist economics and it doesn’t allow them to give affection to one another. In c hapter 10 it is evident that Ona and Jurgis don’t have time for their newborn baby, â€Å"Jurgis had to go to sleep himself. Then in the morning there was no time to look at him, so really the only chance the father had was Sundays.This was more cruel yet for Ona, who ought to have stayed home and nursed the him, the doctors said for her own heath as well as the baby’s, but Ona had to go to work and leave him† (Sinclair 114) Jurgis and Ona aren’t able to enjoy each other anymore, whenever they talk it is merely about their concerns and worries. â€Å"Talked they had only their worries to talk of- truly it was hard, in such a life, to keep any sentiment alive† (Sinclair 129). Ona doesn’t feel love anymore by Jurgis, she is concerned that the misery is wearing out their love. She wondered if he cared for her as much as ever, if all this misery was not wearing out his love†(Sinclair 130). Sinclair shows how this family has been destroyed by the corruption and greed of others, the tone is very depressing and tragic. In this point of the novel the characters have been consumed from head to toe by the oppression of their job, they don’t even have energy to show emotions such as love, hate, or sadness. Jurgis is clearly a robot to the society that engages in a routine from home to work and back to home just to sleep.Jurgis and his family have become dehumanized and become more zombie like as they are described with intense imagery â€Å"Jurgis cant not stay angry. The poor fellow looked like a homeless ghost, whit his cheeks sunken in and his long black hair straggling into his eyes; he was too discourage to cut it, or think about his appearance. His muscles were wasting away, and what where left where soft and flabby. He had no appetite and they couldn’t not afford to tempt in whit any delicacies.It was better, he said, that he shouldn’t not eat, it was saving. † (Sinclair 127) Some people a rgue that if Jurgis and Ona never had a baby, the money being used for that baby could have been used for other purposes like food or toward their home. having children while having no money is bad. But being happy with the little bit of money they had, Ona and Jurgis didn’t think it would be much of a problems In chapter 10 before Ona gets pregnant, the family has enough money to survive and even has money left to pay little by little his debts. During the early part of winter the family had had money enough to live and little over to pay their debts† (Sinclair 105). But Jurgis then gets injured and has no work. When he has no work there is no money flowing into the home, this causes despair and urgency. It was also part of their American dream, to have kids watch them grow and give them an education. â€Å"They were beaten; they had lost the game, they were swept aside. It was not less tragic because it was so sordid, because it had to do with wages and grocery bills and rents.They had dreamed of freedom; of a chance to look about them and learn something; to be decent and clean, to see their child grow up to be strong. And now it was all gone–it would never be! They had played the game and they had lost. † (Sinclair 144). This quote shows how Jurgis's life has been destroyed by the unjust social system that didn’t allow him to achieve his American dream. The American dream is cWork Cited Page Upton Sinclair. The Jungle New York: Bantam Classic edition, 1906

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The brand strategies which Toyota May Adopt to improve tarnished brand image - Essay Example In the end the individuals were asked about their opinions and views regarding Toyota’s recall process and the reasons associated with this critical situation. According to them their perceived quality of Toyota as a brand has decreased and they are unhappy to pay the same amount of money which Toyota is actually asking because they should be aware that their brand quality has been tarnished and needs improvement. Most of the security concerned individuals stated that they will altogether stop buying Toyota’s products as they are outsourcing most of their automobile manufacturing. Hence it is evident that the higher management must put more effort in building up to quality and service to reposition their tarnished image in the minds of their customers. 69 Chapter 5 70 Recommendations 70 Conclusion 75 Appendix 90 Introduction The modern age of business can be defined as age of competition. The competition within an industry is gradually increasing with the expansion of b usiness as many new players are entering into the market. There are several reasons behind this intensifying competition. Firstly, globalisation is one of the primary reasons for expansion of trade and business that lead to increase competition. Many business organisations have found greater opportunities in overseas market, and free trade policies and agreements between multiple countries facilitated their market expansion programs. The domestic markets have turned into global markets that heightened competition rivalry among existing domestic and new multinational enterprises. Since last two decades, the society has been experiencing a rapid technological improvement. The technological advancements have led to change the structure of entire trade and business. The management tasks and operational process are now backed with technology like e-commerce and e-business. A better grip of technological advancement helps a business organisation to gain an upper hand position. Finally, en hancing economic condition of consumers and increasing their disposable income have strengthened their purchasing power. This has also changed their consumer buying behaviours and they have developed their specific brand preferences (Vashisht, 2005, p.68). In the modern and competitive business world, business organisations always try to position itself in market for avoiding unnecessary competitions. In this process they aim to achieve strong competitive advantages and core competencies that enable them to gain upper hand position in the market. There are multiple ways to achieve competitive advantages; however, brand development is the most preferred way for creating high business value (John R. Schermerhorn, Jr, 2010). The American Marketing Association (AMA) describes a brand as a "name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers. About. com Marketing Guide further explains that the objective of branding is not just to project yourself as being better than your

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