Monday, September 30, 2019
Demographics and Culture of Brazil Essay
Brazil is currently enjoying the number 5 spot as far as big populations in the world are concerned with 190,010,647 people recorded as of August 16, 2007 (C.I.A., 2007, par. 7). Documents show that the population has grown steadily in the years with only 85,240,000 Brazilians in 1967 to 141,452,000 in 1987 (Lahmeyer, 2003, p. 1). This clearly illustrates that in just forty years, the population of Brazil has already doubled its number of natives. With a land area of 8,456,510 square kilometers, Brazil has around 58.2 people per square mile. It was estimated by the Population Reference Bureau that 81% of the population lived in urban areas in 2001, up from 66% in 1980 (Brazil Population, 2007, par. 2). The following are more details on the current population of Brazil: Population growth rate:       1.008% (2007 est.) Birth rate:                             16.3 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) Death rate:                           6.19 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) Sex ratio:      at birth: 1                   .05 male(s)/female under 15 years:         1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years:              0.983 male(s)/female 65 years and over:     0.697 male(s)/female total population:        0.976 male(s)/female (2007 est.) Age structure:  0-14 years:              25.3% (male 24,554,254/female 23,613,027) 15-64 years:              68.4% (male 64,437,140/female 65,523,447) 65 years and over:     6.3% (male 4,880,562/female 7,002,217) (2007 est.) Median age:  total:               28.6 years male:             27.9 years female:          29.4 years (2007 est.) *Source: C.I.A. The World Fact Book 2007 Brazil’s culture is very much influenced by their Portuguese invaders who have ruled the lands for three centuries. It was only in 1822 when Brazil finally became a nation. Although Brazil is a democratic country, education, health, safety (physical and juridical) are deficient in Brazil (Brazil Travel, n.d., par. 1). Brazil is the leading economic power and regional leader in South America yet uneven distribution of income is a pressing problem (C.I.A.). Its economic strength is dependent on its mining, agricultural and manufacturing industries. One of Brazil’s cultural attractions is the Carnaval or Mar de Gras which is annually celebrated at Rio de Janeiro.  The origins of this celebration dates back to the ancient Greek festival in honor of Dionysus which the Romans soon adopted for the Roman God Bacchus as the feast of Saturnalia (World Music Productions, 2007, par. 1). Back then they celebrated it by making slaves and their masters exchange clothes while drinking wine for the whole day. Saturnalia was converted by Roman Catholics into a festival leading up to Ash Wednesday or before the 40 days of sacrifices prior to Easter. It became known as Carne Vale which literally means farewell to the flesh and is a fiesta filled with every known sin the Brazilians could think of. Carnaval, as spelled in Portuguese, is a 4-day celebration. It starts on Saturday, and ends on Fat Tuesday, or Mardi-Gras. (All About Rio, 2007, par. 1). One of the major issues that had put a spotlight on Brazil in the recent years is regarding its environment. The very rich Amazon forest is the habitat of many endangered species and it plays a major role in the weather cycle of the world. If it continues to be cut down, global warming will greatly be affected because the Amazon Forest is one of the world’s best source of rain. Other problems include illegal wildlife trade, air and water pollution in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and other cities, improper mining activities, wetland degradation and severe oil spills (C.I.A., par. 7). References All About Rio. (2007). Ipanema.com. Retrieved August 31, 2007 from http://www.ipanema.com/ carnival/ Brazil Population. (2007). Brazil Population. Retrieved August 31, 2007 from http://www. nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Brazil.html C.I.A. (2007). The World Fact Book. Retrieved August 31, 2007 from https://www.cia.gov/ library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/br.html#Intro Lahmeyer, J. (2003). Brazil. Retrieved August 31, 2007 from http://www.populstat.info/ Americas/brazilc.htm World Music Productions. (2007). History of Carnival in Brazil. Retrieved August 31, 2007            from http://www.afropop.org/multi/feature/ID/33/
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Jane Eyre: a Critical Analysis of Gender Relations in Victorian Literature
Jane Eyre: A Critical Analysis of Gender Relations in Victorian Literature Modern society tends to view the Victorian era as one of oppression and constraint, despite the social and cultural upheaval of the time. This contradiction refers, in large, to the constraints imposed on the female gender. Women in Victorian England were viewed as inferior to their male counterparts, and were allocated clearly defined roles within society. Their treatment is a subject that is explored and critiqued throughout the literature of the time, and subsequent analysis by literary commentators.As Maynard comments (1984); ‘Few observers of the Victorian Scene have failed to point out the unusual degree of sexual restraint imposed upon social life and published literature’. However, it is in the work of the Bronte sisters that one witnesses the most comprehensive, and sometimes startling account of the social and gender restraints of the time. This paper will concentrate on the novel Jane E yre, written by Charlotte Bronte, and published in 1847 under the pseudonym Currer Bell.The adoption of a male pseudonym in itself reflects an underlying social prejudice towards female novelists, as outlined by the author; ‘Averse to personal publicity, we veiled our own names under those of Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell†¦ while we did not like to declare ourselves women†¦ we had a vague impression that authoresses are liable to be looked on with prejudice’ (Smith, 2000). This somewhat disturbing observation by the author sets the tone of the novel itself, and implies what it is exactly that set the Bronte sisters apart from their contemporaries; their ‘unfeminine’ style of writing.Jane Eyre is, in effect, a love story, and concentrates on the main character’s quest to find true love. It cannot be classed, however, as a solely romantic novel as the character’s quest for love involves a struggle for equal treatment, social acceptance , and value. In doing so, she questions and refuses to conform to an array of social norms associated with the era. Jane’s desire to be loved is evident in the opening stages of the story, in her conversation with Helen Burn’s; ‘if others don't love me I would rather die than live†¦I would willingly submit to have the bone of my arm broken, or to let a bull toss me, or to stand behind a kicking horse, and let it dash its hoof at my chest’ (Bronte, 1847). This somewhat distressing insight into the young Eyre’s mindset captures her quest for ‘true love’, as opposed to the loveless relationships and marriages associated with the time. This association is witnessed by Jane’s eventual husband, Mr Rochester, in his first marriage;  ‘Bertha Antoinette Mason, she was wanted by my father for her fortune. I hardly spoke with her before the wedding. I lived with her for 4 years.Her temper ripened, her vices sprang up, violent and unchaste’ (Bronte, 1847). Rochester’s summary of the ‘marriage’ is a disturbing insight into the arranged, and socially acceptable, marriages of the time. Bronte sets her protagonist apart from her peers in her views of love, but further cements this difference in her continued criticism of the attitudes of the Victorian class. This is apparent in chapter 17 in particular, when she questions her growing feelings for Mr Rochester; ‘You have nothing to do with the master of Thornfield, further than to receive the salary he gives you for teaching his protege†¦. o don't make him the object of your fine feelings’. (Bronte, 1847) It becomes clear, however, that despite Jane’s attempts to restrain her emotions, she is fighting a losing battle and is becoming increasingly enraptured with Mr Rochester, reacting in a heated manner upon receipt of a letter from him; ‘And while she broke the seal and perused the document, I went on t aking my coffee†¦ Why my hand shook, and why I involuntarily spilt half the contents of my cup into my saucer, I did not choose to consider’ (Bronte, 1847).Jane’s employment as a governess by Mr Rochester further complicates her situation and her increasing love for her employer. Hedgecock summarises the role of the governess in Victorian society (2008): ‘in ordinary Victorian life, the governess is the genteel spinster, self-effacing, having no ambitions outside the home in which she is subjected to a life of dependency’. Eyre, however, was not willing to conform to ‘ordinary Victorian life’, nor was she willing to fit the mould of the unassuming governess.Eyre’s constant struggle with her feelings for Rochester is impacted throughout by the norms of society at the time, and her resilience to them. She is unwilling to marry Rochester while Bertha is still in the picture, as it would equate her to a mistress, a position that she wh olly disapproves of and one which Rochester wishes her to take: ‘As a married man you will shun me, keep out of my way: just now you have refused to kiss me’. (Bronte, 1847). Despite Eyre eventually marrying Rochester, when his wife has passed away, she refuses throughout to conform to and comply with the social etiquette of the time.Just like her creator, she is almost masculine throughout the novel, thus portrayed through her personal values and strength of character. It can be understood that Charlotte Bronte depicted herself through the life of Jane Eyre, and used her fictional character as one whom modelled and almost mimicked Bronte as a person. Eyre possessed the same strong drive in seeking equality and independence as a woman. Her refusal in accepting the conformities of the time mirrors Bronte.Bernstein (1997) sets the scene for those non-familiar with the Victorian era: ‘in the larger cultural context of Victorian England in which women are not accorded by law or by custom much opportunity to act on their own behalf’. This supports the motive behind Bronte and her actions. It portrays the gender roles, which strongly influenced people’s behaviour and identities. This ‘social rule’ fuelled women’s endurance of the condescending attitudes about a woman’s place, intelligence, and voice. Thus, in turn, Jane became subjected to an uphill battle to become independent and recognized for her personal qualities.Bronte attempts to illustrate how personal virtues are better indicators of character than class. The red-room mentioned in the novel is a metaphorical image for Jane’s entrapment in the life she is expected to lead. A life of entrapment from society, limiting her freedom due to her independent streak, race and foremost – gender. Eyre’s struggles in attempting to overcome the oppression are all of a display through the feminine movement, in which the Bronte sisters each p layed a significant role in setting off. Eyre displays characteristics of masculinity, such of which in Victorian era would only be confined to that of male prominence.The strong connection made between both author and character is evident to the reader. In conclusion, Jane Eyre captures the struggle and oppression faced by the women of Victorian Britain. Despite the eventual happy-ending to the novel, the lead character is forced to overcome strict social and gender restrictions in order to be with her true love. We see throughout the novel, however, that Eyre is an exceptional character at the time and represents only a small number of women who were quietly moving against society’s expectations of them.Charlotte, the eldest of the Bronte sisters, received reputably the most critical recognition with her creation, Jane Eyre. Overall, the three Bronte sisters are highly known in English literature for their historical prominence that made them significant to the era of the V ictorians. Their livelihood painted the path in which their work followed and their upbringing greatly influenced their beliefs and outlooks. The three sister’s strong and willing characteristics aided them in delivering what can be perceived as staples in literature, and for centuries become only stronger with growth and eminence.As Winnifrith (1988) stated; ‘the Brontes had the courage to break away from the almost universal belief that sinners merited eternal punishment’. This reflects upon their independence and strength in striving for their own beliefs and expressing their opinions. These opinions were of such strong stature, resulting in the power to in script their everlasting effect on the literature of the Victorian era and even on English literature as a whole. Bibliography Bernstein, Susan David. Confessional Subjects: Revelations of Gender and Power in Victorian Literature & Culture. USA: The University of North Carolina Press, 1997.Bronte, Charlotte . Jane Eyre. United Kingdom: Smith, Elder and Co, 1847. Hedgecock, Jennifer. The Femme Fatale in Victorian Literature: The Danger and the Sexual Threat. New York: Cambria Press, 2008. Maynard, John. Charlotte Bronte and Sexuality. Great Britain: Cambridge University Press, 1984. Smith, Margaret. The Letters of Charlotte Bronte: Volume II: 1848-1851, with a selection of letters by family and friends. United Kingdom: Clarendon Press, 2000. Winnifrith, Tom. The Brontes and their Background: Romance and Reality, Second Edition. London: The Macmillan Press Ltd, 1988.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
A Social Reminder
â€Å"Cooking Mo, Cooking Ko†- A Social Reminder â€Å"Cooking Mo, Cooking Ko†is a short film directed by Chris Martinez that was shown in the year 2011 to commemorate Nestle Philippines’ successful 100th anniversary in giving Filipinos practical products. The movie’s main purpose is to advertise the product â€Å"Maggi Magic Sarap†and at the same time give us an abounding laughter and entertainment. The story circles between the attached Capule and Montano families who had a conflict with each other because of their eatery business.Later on, their children, Romina Montano and Julius Capule, engage in a love affair which worsens the cold connection between the two conflicting families. The couple strives hard to save their relationship, until they finally decided to abscond and marry each other giving birth to a child who became the key to solve the long existing clash the two families had. The actors that portrayed the characters in the movie lik e Sharmaine Buencamino, Nonie Buencamino, Isay Alvarez, Robert Sena, Eda Nolan and Dominic Roco showcased their magnificent acting prowess and delivery in their unconventional lines with humor and emotions.Its effective plot is also admirable because it gives extensive interest to its viewers. Behind this promotion, it tackles some of our country’s great social predicaments. In the movie, competition for money greatly influences a person’s every action and way of living. Commonly, it is the reason that crashes the important relationships and friendships we have. The case of eloping couples is one of the most common problems we hear that events to unplanned families and financial problems. It also illustrates disobedience to parents which may lead to distorted futures and broken families.Generally, the movie tells us that arguing because of money is a waste of time. Friendships should not be destroyed because of small problems. Instead, it should become stronger by thes e obstacles we face. There is nothing better than to be love and feel peace when you’re with your friends, neighbors and family. For me, this movie deserves a high mark for showing a total package short film and excellent cinematography. Furthermore, I would like to give this movie a credit in putting on a wonderful story in a short length film.
Friday, September 27, 2019
Ethics and the Canadian Wheat Board Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Ethics and the Canadian Wheat Board - Essay Example The Canadian Wheat Board has faced the incorporation of CSR theories since its conception on the early prairies; today the Board still operates as a dynamic organisation focused on trading high quality produce while giving farmers the best money for their efforts. Fisher and Lovell believe that Corporate Social Responsibility is something that every business, great and small, should be keeping in mind throughout the daily transactions and trade (Fisher and Lovell, 2006). They know that every country is built not directly on its government structure, but instead on its internal business structures, including those smaller organisations that make up a basic business infrastructure at the community level. According to these authors, CSR can incorporate any of three major ideologies into its structure: libertinism, universalism and utilitarianism. Each of these encompasses a different perspective of social justice and therefore will have a different method of identifying and dealing with perceived issues within a corporate structure. Libertinism theory will put the emphasis on the right of the researcher to try any new methods within farming, regardless of the criticisms of other individuals or government bodies. It is, Libertarians will argue, the right of the individual to pursue his or her own theories and try out new methods of seed manufacturing if these theories are basically positive. Scientists and other researchers who promote genetic modification are not singularly focused on the destruction of agriculture, after all; they simply believe that their methods will prove the most viable in the near future. Although at its core, libertinism in CSR aims to free the developer from government restriction for the good of technological advancement, in terms of real social responsibility it is better to use past successes and failures as a guideline when creating new corporate theories (Otsuka, 2003). Universal theory has a different approach to CSR. Promoters of this school of thought believe that the best way for corporations to better serve their customers and communities is for them all to adopt a universally accepted set of rules and laws for operation. This would mean that corporations of any size in the UK, Canada, the United States or in Africa would all have to meet the same guidelines as set out by an intermediary and international governing body. Because of a universal set of rules, corporations would not be able to argue that they can't compete with other similar bodies because of national restrictions; this lets each business come to terms with the same human rights and environmental guidelines within its own organisation and as such, there can be no question whether one business is morally better than another. In contrast to Libertinism and Universalism, Utilitarianism promotes yet another approach to Corporate Social Responsibility. Primarily, this ideology holds that the most crucial aspect of any business endeavour is to bring in new ideas and equipment as they are
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Evaluation on Mathematics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Evaluation on Mathematics - Term Paper Example Since the 1960s, the mathematic abilities of American Students has been deteriorating compared to those students from other nations. A recent study illustrated that mathematic performance depends more on education and attitude rather than inborn genetic talent (Kimball & Smith, 2013). As such, this particular analysis will focus on the ways in which mathematics is an essential component of the current society and how it is essential that students be effectively trained in math and taught not to simply â€Å"give up†if the first attempt (or attempts) were less than satisfactory. Math is objective, so students who do poorly on exams will tend to compare themselves to those who did well; not realizing that those students were well prepared. The dilemma occurs as the under-performing students identify themselves with the phrase, "Im just not good at math". From this point, it may seem the student will use this as a excuse that could decrease their motivation to prepare for math exams. This self-fulfilling prophecy can cause people to avoid approaching math with "perseverance, tenacity, and fearlessness," which is the attitude needed for people to succeed (Schwartz, 2006). Yet, as has been noted previously, the reality of this approach is that it creates generations of students that simply give up on math; rather than coming to appreciate the fact that it is a difficult subject that requires a certain degree of dedication and mastery to successfully understand and apply. In order to encourage the increased levels of dedication that should be reflected within st udents, educators would do well to remind them how fundamental math is and some of the reasons why is will come to be of ever increasing importance if these students would like to attain a well paying job after graduation (Goel & Reid, 2012). One of the first and
Commercial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
Commercial Management - Essay Example However the first stage of the project brought certain problems in the competition and thus before beginning of the second phase of the project it is important to address these for successful execution of the project. The lessons learned include: 1. Project Management The management of a project requires discrete attention to the managers i.e. the actions at an individual level. Spekman, Theodore, Lynn, & Thomas, (1998) claim that â€Å"little is known about the managerial requirements of the different life cycle stages through which alliances pass†and too little attention is given to the alliance manager as a central figure in determining the success/failure of an alliance†. Similarly, heavy reliance on the firm level analysis and the relationships between the parent companies often leaves out of consideration the actions of the individuals that are embedded in these relationships (Granovetter, 1985). Considering the above argument the project management team establish ed comprised mainly of the senior resources from both the companies however the overall in-charge of the project was from Inter-Optics plc where the Chief Engineer was reporting to the project manager. Since, the project was initiated the initial stages of the project were very slow and there turned out to be a lot of differences when working on site. The project manager was merely involved in the whole process and the decisions and solutions were taken by the on-site engineers in agreement with the local contractor. The overall project management essentials were not practiced and the project was late 7-8 weeks. In such situations it is the responsibility of the project manager to oversee all the activities in the so that everything goes well as planned and if problems may arise as it did in this case, a resolution is immediately implemented. In order to do so the eight essential steps for project management should be adopted for its successful execution these include (Westland, 201 0): i. Team Assembly - In project management the proper assembling of a team is quite crucial as it is a collaboration of different minds working together and they work together to come up with cohesive ideas and mutual strategies that are required for successful execution of the project. Although the teams were formulated for the project however it lacked collaboration and cohesiveness as the selection of the team members was not appropriately planned. ii. Project Initiation – The project initiation phase requires a complete understanding and identification of the project definition, objective and approaches to be used in the project. This project lacked planning and scope as when it was initiated the foreman did not have any direction, there was no understanding of the country and hence problems arose. iii. Project Planning - This phase of the project management is quite crucial and often serves as the backbone of any project. A complete and thorough planning serves as a me ans to prevent the chances of setbacks and problems along the course of the project. The project between Inter-Optics and SOI lacked planning as the project
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Applying Standardized Terminologies in Practice - Informatics Essay
Applying Standardized Terminologies in Practice - Informatics - Essay Example The defining characteristic in stroke treatment and management is neck-artery blockage which could be either symptomatic or asymptomatic. Individuals without any stroke symptoms are also likely to suffer from the disease. However, those who have shown stroke symptoms face a higher risk. Factors related to stroke management include micro-clots in the carotid arteries’ bloodstream, asymptomatic carotid disease, amarousis fugax (a TIA affecting the eye), cognitive impairment, brain stroke and ischemic stroke (Lovrencic-Huzjan, Rundek, & Katsnelson, 2012). Other related factors are symptomatic carotid stenosis and plaque instability. When a plaque is ulcerated or has irregular morphology, the risk of a clinical event increases. NOC outcomes suggested in the management of stroke using medical intervention include improved muscular and brain functioning. The main indicator showing improved status of a stroke patient with medical intervention is elimination of clots in the carotid blood stream. The elimination of neck artery blockage reduces the likelihood of suffering from stroke. Inherently, the use of standardized language in nursing profession is becoming prevalent in education and practice Suggested NIC interventions for stroke patients include use of surgery such as carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for the prevention of secondary stroke. A more recent and less invasive surgical alternative is carotid stenting. The nurse could also advise patients to stop smoking and limit intake of cholesterol for stroke prevention and management. Emboli monitoring is also recommended in order to minimize the risk of later developing stroke. Between the 1980s to early 2000s, aspirin was the only anti-platelet therapy for treatment of stroke. Since the start of the new millennium, medical interventions have increased to include statins, new
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Becoming who we are Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Becoming who we are - Essay Example For instance, my mother constantly updates the photos of herself in face-book platforms, so that her friends and peers may comment on them. This has an impact of shaping her identity and values, specifically because the comments normally determine the manner in which people are able to view her. For instance, I remember that one time, she was able to post a photo on her face-book platform, and she had put on some weights. This was able to attract a lot of comments from her friends, who suggested to her on the various methods that can be used for purposes of cutting on her weight. This was one of the values that was being decimated ton her, that weight increase is not desirable. Telephones, specifically smart phones and mobile telephones play a role in shaping our values and attitudes. As a young person, I am interested in the sending of short messages, to my friends, as a mode of communication. We normally communicate on a variety of issues, ranging from sports, relationships, and po litics. This has an impact of shaping my values and attitudes, mostly because I am able to know on the values and perceptions of others regarding a topic, and reflect on it, if, they are able to reconcile with my values and perceptions. This is because every human being has some elements of beliefs and values (Steinem, 3). The personality of an individual can also be influenced through the methods used in communication. For example, mobile phone texting enables younger people to chat with each other, and these results to the passage of some information that may not be conducive. This would in turn lead to changes in the personalities of an individual, mainly because of the kind of information passed, during the process of chatting. Explanation 2: Because of the emergence of the new methods of communication, many people have replaced the traditional methods of communication with these new forms of communication. This has made it difficult for an
Monday, September 23, 2019
HSA 530 wk 7 assignment 2 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
HSA 530 wk 7 assignment 2 - Coursework Example In addition, Human Resource Management can be seen as process of bringing people and their organization together as a way of accomplishing their goals. In the health sector, the HRM plays various roles such as; legal and ethical matters of treatment, deals with the health and safety of all employees and patients, deals with labor unions in the health sector, job analysis and design of all employees, selection and recruitment of employees, deals with employee benefits, training and motivation and lastly is also concerned with the termination of employees. All these are the activities required to be accomplished by any HRM in any given hospital. However, the HRM has to follow some rules and regulations from the Joint Commission while in the line of duty. According to the law, any HRM in any health service must be accredited by the Joint Commission. This is in order to prove that they are capable of providing the highest level of performance in their line of duty. In addition, the HRM has to adhere to all standards of the Joint Commission and especially when hiring new members of staff. Similarly, he or she has to ensure that the organizations objectives are all met (Anand & BÃ ¤rnighausen, 2004). This is seen as to undermine the duties of the HRM since they do know all their responsibilities and the procedures they should follow. Notably, the HR is forced to follow the policies and procedure of the Joint Commission rather those that are provided by the hospital itself. Resultantly, the HRM is compelled to follow the job description outlined by the Joint Commission thereby foregoing those set by the hospital. Due to these c olliding obligations, the HRM has no choice but to follow the commission. Collaboration is manifested when employees work together towards achieving a given target. Therefore, collaboration is an essential aspect of growth in any organization and especially in the health sector (Boddy,
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Scientology Definition Essay Example for Free
Scientology Definition Essay Scientology by many people is viewed as a cult and has no religious backing but according to Faith, Religion Theology (FRT) a religion constitutes as people (being able) to recognize that what matters most in life is or includes a level of reality that transcends, or goes beyond, what normally understands as human or finite meaning an ultimate mystery or Divine (Knitter 166). FRT also states that religion deals with ethical reasons how to behave and beliefs along with a creed, code, and ceremonies (Knitter 163). So according to FRT scientology would be a religion because it does believe in the higher being that is talked about in the first quote. Scientology also has a set ethical code that determines how people should behave inside their religion. The question that comes from this is where does Scientology get their creed, code, and ceremonies? Scientology began in the 1950s based on the findings of L. Ron Hubbard. Hubbard is known as the father of Scientology (Church). A formed the religion of Scientology after studying the human mind and life known as Dianectics (Church). So as Hubbards research expanded, so did the ideas of Scientology until it incorporated all the ideas from all of Hubbards publications. All this being said their creed, also written by Hubbard, is like most creeds a basis of what everyone in the religion believes in. Hubbard also wrote the 4 codes that Scientology is based around; The Auditors code, The Code of Scientology, The Code of Honor, and a code called The Way of Happiness. All of these codes play a key role in the scientologists life and what they believe in (Church). They believe in a God but they leave the image of God to the individuals. That leaves the ceremonies performed in Scientology. They perform a lot of ceremonies common to Christianity such as weddings, Sunday services, naming services, counseling, and funeral services Although they have the same ceremonies they are viewed in different perspectives because they have different beliefs than any other religion. With this different view they still show the connection between their ceremonies and their beliefs. This is apparent throughout what they do during their services and the layout of the church and chapel. Sundays services are headed by a minister whose main job is auditing or tutoring, because services are not a main focus of the religion, although they are offered (Beliefnet). The service is more a meeting place to get everyone on the same page and let people know they have fellow people on this journey with them. Most Scientologist still attend these services because it is another chance to take a step towards the eighth dynamic, which is the ultimate goal of scientology, and will be explained in a later paragraph. The service starts with the Creed of the Church of Scientology, Sermon, L. Ron Hubbard Lecture, group auditing, Announcements, and ends with the Prayer for Total Freedom. The opening of the service is an obvious showing of the overlapping of creed and ceremony (Church). It is difficult to tell when the sermon ends and the lecture begins since they usually have the same idea and lesson. They usually have the same idea and lesson. The goal of these lessons is for the people to take them and apply them to the real life situations. They believe that helping others is the only way to improve their lives. Next is the group auditing, considered the most important part of the service, which is led by the minister (Church). The minister also gives a few instructions to help the listener free themselves from the material world and make them more spiritually aware and open to improving their life. The announcements are the next part of mass and this is a chance for the minister to let followers know what is going on around the community. This plays into the role of scientologists always wanting to better mankind. Finally service closes with the Pray for Total Freedom. In this prayer the people ask the author of the universe to make their goals possible and to help all those that are in need (Church). After attending these two ceremonies I realized I still did not understand Scientologys view on God. This is when I met the man who would answer that and so much more. Ajax approached me after service and told me he would explain Scientology to me. He started with the layout of the chapel. From the doorway it looked like a normal worship room, but once inside there are posters going the distance of the room showing different aspects of the church. I will try and explain as well as Ajax explained to me. He started with the creed of Scientology. Ajax explained that you have to look deeper than the creed he then continued to talk about how this creed is more as a guide for you to find your own God as you want to picture him, but none of us can picture him until we have reached infinity (Ajax). I hope this confuses you as much as it confused me. He then had me watch a video on the eight dynamics which showed the different dynamics that humans have to go through before finding God. The seven dynamics go as follow: self, creativity, group survival, species, life forms, physical universe, and spiritual dynamic. A man has to reach the perfection of the first 6 dynamics before finishing the 7th. They say this because you have to have respect for everything in your life before you can be spiritually strong. Once the 7th dynamic is fulfilled only then will the eight dynamic appear to man. This dynamic is known as God or the creator by most religions, but the correct term for Scientology is infinity (Scientology). According to Hubbard Infinity is the allness of all (Church). This is where ones true vision of God will show itself and until then no one knows what their God truly looks like. This is why Scientology does not push one Dogma onto their followers (Scientology). Ajax proceeded to give me specifics on how other aspects of scientology works; such as auditing and classes. After the tour was over, I asked him What makes Scientology the right path to finding God and how does the services help this process of finding our God? Ajax took a deep breath and then proceeded to give me the following response Well, Seth have you ever had a doubt in your religion? I already know the answer it is yes, you know why I know this? because most religions are based on faith. Scientology is not like that. It is based on proven facts. I can tell you how people are going to act to certain events just because of who they are and how they carry themselves. The reason I know these is Scientology. This carries over to God. I came to America from Pakistan for college. I was brought up as a Muslim and firmly believed in Allah which I still do but I was brought into this religion and it just made sense to me, as it should for you too. I just view Allah in a different view now as being infinity and something I cannot picture till I fulfill everything else. I started studying Scientology, yes studying because Scientology does what a religion should be about, which is doing not believing which is how most religions are based on. So by doing these things we find ourselves and by doing that we find God. So that is what makes Scientology the right choice over other religions (Ajax) this round about answer was the thing that made everything about this religion finally click. The idea is that they believe in a God, but it is different for every follower since this belief system is their idea of the way of reaching Nirvana, Heaven, or in their case Infinity (Beliefnet). The best way to put it is how it is put on their offical website which says Scientology is not a dogmatic religion in which one is asked to accept anything on faith alone. On the contrary, one discovers for oneself that the principles of Scientology are true by applying its principles and observing or experiencing the results (Church). Scientology bases everything on experiences and through my experience there I learned that Scientology is a whole new idea that seems like a far cry from a religion, but after experiencing all that, I can see why people put everything they want into Scientology. Do I buy into it? Some things yes, but not the whole religion, although it helped me find more concrete reasons why I believe in my own religion. Work CIted Ajax. Tour of the Church. Personal interview. 28 Oct. 2012. Ajax gave me a in-depth tour of every aspect of the church and everything they do and through this tour I learned more than i could have ever imagined about Scientology. Beliefnet. What Do Scientologists Believe? Beliefnet.com. What Do Scientologists Believe? Beliefnet.com. Beliefnet, 01 Oct. 2011. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Scientology/What-Do-Scientologists-Believe.aspx. This website shows a general outline of what people who follow Scientology believe. It also describes how their religion works and in little detail how the world works through their eyes. The author is not told but their intended audience is someone who is curious about Scientology and they do a great job of making it simple and easy to understand for someone who is just starting to look into it. Church of Scientology International. Church of Scientology: Religion Beliefs-What Is Scientology?, L. Ron Hubbard. Church of Scientology: Religion Beliefs-What Is Scientology?, L. Ron Hubbard, News. Church of Scientology International, 2012. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. http://www.scientology.org/. This is the offical website for Scientology. It is very detailed in every aspect of the religion that is Scientology. Everything from who created Scientology to beliefs and practices. It also gives examples of multiple places of worship. The website was made by the international Scientology organization. Their goal of this page is to inform people on what they are doing at churches and how they work and how people in this religion are. Besides the obvious talking up of the religion the site seems very accurate and reliable. Knitter, Paul, and William Madges. Chapter Six Religion: What Is It? Faith, Religion Theology. By Brennan R. Hill. Mystic, CT: Twenty-Third Publications, 1997. 161-90. Print. This chapter focuses on what a religion is and what makes up a religion. It bases it on the knowing of something that is farther than humans. Then explains that code, creed, and ceremony is basis of behavior and beliefs. This source is targeted for students and is very reliable since it is used in a college course. Scienctology. Prod. OrgSync. Church of Scientology, 2010. DVD. Ajax gave me 8 hours of supplemental videos that went into farther depth of each of the topics he explained to me. Everything from their service projects to the 8 dynamics.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Starbucks Business And Marketing Plan Marketing Essay
Starbucks Business And Marketing Plan Marketing Essay What was once a small coffee shop opened by Gerald Baldwin, Gordon Bowker, and Ziev Siegl in 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has grown into the number one specialty coffee retailer. With over 10,000 coffee shops in more than 30 countries, of which 4,200 are licensed and franchised and 6,000 are owned, the companys main objective is to establish Starbucks as the most recognized and respected brand in the world, (Moon) . Currently, Starbucks is relying on retail expansion, product innovation, and service innovation to achieve a long-term goal once set by current chairman Howard Schultz: The idea was to create a chain of coffeehouses that would becomeAmericas third place. At the time, most Americans had two places in their lives home and work. But I believed that people needed another place, a place where they could go to relax and enjoy others, or just be by themselves. I envisioned a place that would be separate from home or work, a place that would mean different things to different people, (Moon). By working toward this goal, Starbucks wants to open new stores in both new and existing markets, expand their product development process, and cater to customers needs to eventually improve their financial position and dominate market share. Market Summary Target Markets In the early stages of development for Starbucks, Schultz identified their target market as affluent, well-educated, white-collar patrons (skewed female) between the ages of 25 and 44, (Moon). Over time, market research teams have recognized the new target market as younger, less well-educated, and in a lower income bracket than their more established customers, (Moon). Market Demographics Geographics (Moon) Data from 2002 showed that in the Southeast there was only one store for every 110,000 people. whereas in the Pacific Northwest. There was one store for every 20,000 people. Hence, the company was far from reaching existing markets. International plans showed Starbucks was operating in over 30Company-owned stores in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Thailand. Also, 900 licensed stores were operating in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Demographics Young, affluent, tech-savvy customers (Hoovers) a 1999 estimate showed that 70% of customers were internet users, and today the estimate has exceeded 90% (Hoovers). Moms with strollers (Hoovers) People combining work and a coffee break (Hoovers) The most frequent customers average 18 visits per month, whereas the typical customer visits five times per month (Moon). Market Needs Starbucks wants to create an experience for their customers that combine their on-the-go schedule, as well as a place to relax. Senior vice president of administration in North America Christine Day explains that, people come here for the coffee, but ambience is what makes them want to stay, Selection Starbucks menu contains brewed coffee, espresso traditions and favourites, cold beverages, coffee alternatives, frappuccinos, and the sale of whole beans. Accessibility Starbucks operates over 10,000 retail stores. Most of the 4,200 franchised stores are located in shopping malls and airports. Starbucks coffee brands are also marketed through grocery stores in the form of beans and even ice cream flavours. Customer Service Starbucks employees are referred to as partners. As of 2002, Starbucks employed 60,000 partners worldwide, 50,000 of those in the United States. From the beginning when Howard Schultz took Over Starbucks, he believed, Partner satisfaction leads to customer satisfaction, (Moon). Competitive Pricing Starbucks brand coffee sold in grocery stores are similar to these prices found in the cafes. Market Forecast (Moon) Over the next few years, an estimate for the U.S. retail coffee market expects specialty coffee to have a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 9%-10%. Starbucks was also estimated in 2002 to grow at a CAGR of about 20% top-line revenue growth. As of 2002, coffee consumption had risen with more than half of the population (about 109 million people) drinking coffee every day, and an additional 52 million drinking coffee on occasion. PEST Analysis Political Influences Relationships between coffee producing nations and US State Local government controls Economic Influences Constant demand for food and beverages Changes in disposable income could influence purchase levels Social Influences Consumer preferences could shift from coffee to other beverages Technological Influences Use of technology can improve operational efficiencies Market Growth Reports show in 2002, the number of specialty coffee drinkers has become the markets biggest growth. An estimated one-third of all U.S. coffee consumption takes place outside of the home and in places such as offices, restaurants, and coffee shops (Moon). SWOT Analysis Strengths The company is good at taking advantage of opportunities. Starbucks is very profitable and has a strong financial base, therefore allowing the company to undertake new business ventures. Revenue increased to $5294.2 million in 2004, a 29.9% increase from 2003 (Data Monitor) Profits increased to $610 million in 2004, a 43.7% increase from 2003. Net earnings increased 46% (SWOT). The company is internationally recognized and has a global presence. Their reputation is one of fine products and services. Almost 9,000 cafes in almost 40 countries (SWOT) Widespread brand recognition, which in turn becomes brand Preference, and ideally eventually brand loyalty. Strong customer base Clusters company units Expands business with the continuing growth of the coffee market, especially in areas where the company is already well established, and groups stores in an area, therefore able to dominate the region. Leads to considerable financial reward without suffering from cannibalism (Data Monitor). Focus on opening stores that have convenient access for pedestrian and drivers Helps the company capture an increasing share of the coffee market Weaknesses Reliance on beverage innovation Vulnerable to the possibility that their innovation may falter over time Company growth is mostly driven by beverage innovation. If U.S. store growth decreases, stock is lowered in value. Diminishing return from beverage innovation would have an adverse effect (Data Monitor). More than 75% of the companys stores are in the USA (Data Monitor). May need to look for an assortment of countries in which to open more shops in order to spread business risk 85% of revenue is from its domestic US market (Data Monitor). Has high international brand recognition and should look to generate a greater proportion of revenue from outside the USA Would suffer greatly if U.S. stores underperformed because of economic conditions or increased levels of competition Dependent on the retail of coffee, this could make them slow to diversify into other divisions if the need should arise. Employee efficiency is poor. Lower revenue per employee ($71,544-fiscal 2004) compared to the Industry average ($110,841) (Data Monitor) Lower income per employee ($5,294) compared to the industry average ($9,500) (Data Monitor). Lower Return on Equity than peers Companys 5 year average ROE (13.65%) have been lower than the Industry average (15.09%) (Data Monitor). Need to effectively manage its finances to ensure that returns are at par of higher than industry average. Problems in some international operations Problems of expansion: A number of openings are failing to be Successful. Japanese operations: The Company has experienced some same-stores sluggishness. Closures of stores in Israel and Tel Aviv: Hurts growth prospects in the region Opportunities In 2004, created a CD-burning service where customers can create their own music CD Opportunities for revenue growth by expanding its global operations New markets for coffee are beginning to emerge; for example, in Indian and the Pacific Rim (SWOT). Targeting 15,000 international stores in the next few years Expansion potential questionable in Brazil, India, and Russia China could be one of the largest markets, and therefore the company will focus on Beijing and Shanghai. Large urban population Rising economy Increase in coffee consumption Co-branding with other manufacturers of food and drinks and brand franchising to manufacturers of other goods and services Creates loyalty for Starbucks brand Recently signed agreement with Jim Beam Brands to develop and market a Starbucks-branded coffee liqueur drink (Data Monitor), which has strong revenue potential because: Liqueurs represent $4-5 billion opportunity (Data Monitor). Liqueurs with coffee represent a considerable segment of the Liqueur market. There is a significant overlap between consumers of liqueurs and consumers loyal to the Starbucks brand (Data Monitor). Growth in coffee markets: Starbucks has a market share of over 40% of the special coffee market (Data Monitor). Therefore growth in this category would result in considerable opportunities for further growth and expansion in the near future. Threats Coffee may not stay in favour with customers, and another type of beverage or leisure activity could replace it. Rises in the costs of dairy products could affect the companys margins. Competition Competitive coffee shops Copy cat brands Restaurants Street carts Competition could enter the market at any time. The U.S. specialty coffee market continues to grow, and an Increasing number of firms is looking to enter. At any time, a company with greater financial, marketing, and Operating resources could enter the market and compete directly with Starbucks. Volatile nature of the coffee market Multiple factors, including weather, political, and economic conditions for example, can potentially negatively affect the companys business. Green coffee prices may be affected due to agreements establishing export quotas or restricting global coffee supplies. Slowing U.S. retail sales Domestic retail accounts for about 75% of the companys revenue growth and an even greater proportion of profit growth (Data Monitor). If current U.S. store growth continues, saturation levels within the North American division may be reached within five years. Before Reaching this point, US retail sales growth will slow significantly (Data Monitor) Competition Competition comes in several forms: Independent/Local coffee shops Social and inclusive Diverse and intellectual Artsy and funky, typically cozy and very welcoming Liberal and free-spirited Lingering encouraged Particularly appealing to younger coffee house customers Wide variety of beverages/food Appeals to the non-traditional crowd Franchise/Large Companies Generally well-recognized names (McDonalds, Krispy Kreme, Dunkin Donuts, etc.) More convenient and accessible Easy access in and out Appeals to the more mainstream coffee drinkers Services (Company) Starbucks purchases roasts of the highest quality of whole bean coffees. Fresh and rich brewed Italian espresso Offers pastries and other appetizing confections Sells coffee-related accessories (mugs, coffee makers, cups, espresso, etc.) Expanded sales into supermarkets of whole bean coffee Introduction the widely popular drink, Frappuccinos, to the public Strives for satisfied customers and a welcoming environment Works to have highest standards of excellence in way of business Offers newspapers and other reading material, popular music, and Internet access (provided by T-Mobile) Keys to Success (Company) Rapidly expand retail operations Growth in its specialty sales and other operations Selectively pursue opportunities to leverage the Starbucks brand through the introduction of new products Continue to be widely available and welcoming Maintain reputation for having specialty and gourmet coffee Make customers feel welcome with friendly service Critical Issues (Moon) Must increase customer satisfaction through improvements to service Friendlier and more attentive staff Faster and more efficient service Increase in personal treatment (remember customers name and order) More knowledgeable staff Better overall service Offer better prices/incentive programs Free cups after x number of visits Reduction of price Offer promotions, sales to increase customer satisfaction OTHER Offer better quality and variety of products Improve atmosphere (friendly, welcoming) Reaching out to community through involvement and awareness More stores and convenient locations Other critical issues Starbucks is criticized for and must be aware of are: Clustering Driving out independents Loss of diversity Its policy toward farming communities in developing countries Fair trade Many of these issues are vital for Starbucks to improve their Customers satisfaction (Simmons). Critical Issues Marketing Strategy Starbucks Mission Statement (Company) Establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow. The following six guiding principles will help us measure the appropriateness of our decisions: Provide a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity. Embrace diversity as an essential component in the way we do business. Apply the highest standards of excellence to the purchasing, roasting, and delivery of our fresh coffee o Develop enthusiastically satisfied customers all of the time. Contribute positively to our communities and our environment. Recognize that profitability is essential to our future success. Environmental Mission Statement (Company) Starbucks is committed to a role of environmental leadership in all facets of our business. We fulfil this mission by a commitment to: Understanding of environmental issues and sharing information with our partners. Developing innovative and flexible solutions to bring about change. Striving to buy, sell, and use environmentally friendly products. Recognizing that fiscal responsibility is essential to our environmental future. Instilling environmental responsibility as a corporate value. Measuring and monitoring our progress for each project. Encouraging all partners to share in our mission. Other points of importance to Starbucks: Building customer loyalty around cappuccinos, lattes, and other fancy beverages, (Overshot). Want to create a sense of community Want to create a memorable experience for a customer that inspires the customer to return often, as well as to tell a friend Striving to become the most recognized and respected brand in the world Putting people before products (Company) What a Starbucks store should be: An authentic coffee experience that conveyed the artistry of espresso making, a place to think and imagine, a spot where people could gather and talk over a great cup of coffee, a comforting refuge that provided a sense of community, a third place for people to congregate beyond work or the home, a place that welcomed people and rewarded them for coming, and a layout that could accommodate both fast service and quiet moments (Thompson). Marketing Objectives To create a Starbucks experience that makes people come for the coffee, stay for the ambience and environment, and return for the connection To build an image separate from smaller coffee chains To clearly communicate the values and commitments of the Starbucks business to their customers, instead of only growth plans publicized in the media Financial Objectives Have each store reach a $20,000 weekly sales level Open new stores with lower store-opening costs (about $315,000 per store on average). Target Marketing Based on a sample of Starbucks 2002 customer base, the attitudes toward the brand were: The chart shows that the new customers have a poorer attitude toward Starbucks in every category than the existing customers. The new customer type that needs attention is: 45% female, 55% male Average age of 36 37% have a college degree Average income is $65,000 Drink an average of 15 cups of coffee per week Store Expansion Strategy Target areas with favourable demographic profiles, as well as areas that can be serviced and supported by the companys operations infrastructure. For each targeted area, select a large city to serve as a focal point. Goal of each focal city: Open 20 or more stores in that city in the first two years. Once stores cover the city, open additional stores in smaller, surrounding areas in the region. With this plan, the company had only closed 2 of the 1,500 sites it had opened between 1992 and 1997. Stores must be custom-designed. The company does not buy freestanding structures, and therefore each store is a different shape and size. Most stores range in size from 1,000 to 1,500 square feet. Most stores are located in high-trafficked, high-visibility areas, such as: Office buildings Downtown and suburban retail centres Airport terminals University campuses Busy neighbourhood shopping areas convenient to pedestrian traffic International expansion As of 2004, the company operated over 300 company-owned stores in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Thailand, as well as 900 licensed stores in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Goal: Have 15,000 international stores Other things to consider: Kiosks Drive-through windows Positioning Store Ambience Goal: To make customers want to linger Social Appeal-Offer a sense of community, a place where people can come together Physical layout Seating areas to encourage lounging Appear upscale yet inviting Aromas Smoking is banned in all stores Employees are asked to refrain from wearing perfumes or colognes, and prepared foods are kept covered so customers would only smell coffee aromas. Sounds Play soothing CDs that are also for sale Often offer live music Customer Service The company sees a direct link between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. The company believes that employee satisfaction leads to customer satisfaction (Moon). Voted onto Fortunes Top 100 Places to Work Employee satisfaction remains consistently around 80-90%. Turnover rate is 70%, one of the lowest in the industry Focuses on manager stability in order to decrease employee turnover, but also to help recognize regular customers and provide personalized services Employees are trained to connect with customers and focus on customer intimacy. Greet customers with a smile. Enthusiastically welcome customers into the store. Establish eye contact. Try to remember customers names and orders if they are frequent customers. Just Say Yes policy, in order to keep the customer happy, which may go beyond store rules Example: Always compensate dissatisfied customers with a Starbucks coupon entitling them to a free drink Example: Give a customer a free refill if he/she spills their drink. Advertising-The Company spends very little on advertising and depends on word-of-mouth promotion. Involvement in the Community Contributing positively to surrounding communities is one of Starbucks guiding principles in the companys mission statement. Howard Schultz had the plan to build a company with soul (Student). Starbucks has been the largest corporate contributor in North America to CARE, a worldwide relief and development organization to help Third World countries where Starbucks purchases its coffee supplies. The company has an Environmental Committee that looks for ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste, as well as contribute to local community environmental efforts. The company donated almost $200,000 to literacy improvement efforts (Student). Starbucks has many community building programs to contribute positively to the communities where our partners (employees) and customers live, work, and play (Corporate). As part of Starbucks ongoing commitment to share the comfort of coffee during times of crisis, the company continues to demonstrate our support of the men and women serving in the U.S. military overseas (Company). The Starbucks Foundation (Company) Established in 1997 by Howard Schultz Inspired by Schultzs childhood experiences and those of other inner city children Dedicated to creating hope, discovery, and opportunity in the communities of Starbucks Marketing Mix Marketing Research Schultz wanted to use research in order for Starbucks to challenge the status quo, be more innovative and take bigger risks. Examples of questions he asked were : What could Starbucks do to make its stores an even more elegant third place that welcomed, rewarded, and surprised customers? What new products and new experiences could the company provide that would uniquely belong to or be associated with Starbucks? What could coffee be besides being hot or liquid? How could Starbucks reach people who were not coffee drinkers? What strategic paths should Starbucks pursue to achieve its objective of becoming the most recognized and respected brand of coffee in the world? At the retail stores, a pamphlet is available for customers to share their thoughts about their Starbucks experience. Starbucks uses Customer Snapshots, similar to mystery shoppers, to evaluate partner performance in the retail stores (Moon). The four basic service evaluations include: Service Did the register partner verbally greet the customer? Did the partners make eye contact with the customer? Say thank you? Cleanliness Was the store clean? The counters? The tables? The restrooms? Product Quality Was the order filled accurately? Was the temperature of the drink within range? Was the beverage properly presented? Speed of Service How long did the customer have to wait? The companys goal was to serve a customer within three minutes, from back-of-the-line to drink-in-hand. Customer Snapshot Scores (North American Stores) Product  Starbucks product-mix expanded from 30 varieties of whole bean coffees to eco-friendly cappuccino, coffee makers, and other Starbuck paraphernalia. Its product offerings have also expanded beyond pastries and coffee to oatmeal, smoothes, and wraps to keep up with the competition and satisfy more customer needs. The company has also been constantly introducing new products, such as Instant via Ready and Full Leaf Tazo Tea Lattes and Tazo Tea Infusions. The Instant via Ready is an instant coffee that the company claims is indistinguishable from its regular brewed coffee (Jargon). Full Leaf Tazo Tea Lattes and Tazo Tea Infusions are the companys new tea offerings through which it hopes to attract tea drinkers (Edwards). The company also offers Starbucks coffee and cappuccino makers for consumers who wish to replace their existing home coffee makers. Price Starbucks products are priced higher due to perceived upscale image attached to its brand. The company also began to offer $1 bottomless 8 oz. cup of coffee, with unlimited refills that cost approximately 50 cents less than any other Starbucks products. The company is also implementing value strategies that would emphasize more on inexpensive coffee products rather being perceived as unaffordable to price-skittish consumers. For example, the company introduced $3.95 breakfast pairings, including popular breakfast items paired with a coffee, and highlights $2 brewed coffees instead of the more expensive specialty drinks (Jennings). Place  As stated earlier, Starbucks can be found in any neighbourhood where there is a perceived high traffic for its stores. Starbucks outlets can also be found in-store of various large chains including Barnes Noble and Target. Their locations are extremely conducive for individuals that are on the go and for those who enjoy reading or listening to music. Starbucks has also been recently testing stealth outlets, where the store is named after the street it is located on. The new stores attempt to localize Starbucks stores with no Starbucks logo on any of the products being offered there, and instead have the specific street address as the brand name (Allison). Promotion Starbucks has implemented numerous promotions to reach its target markets. Promotions are listed as follows: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ One of the promotions that Starbucks has used is the Starbucks Card. Starbucks Card is an initiative that offers customers the opportunity to promote companys products through a referral system. When a customer purchases a gift card, it not only shows brand loyalty, but it also provides the company with free advertising, and brings in new customers. Starbucks also provides a card for corporate sales, which are used for extrinsic rewards to show employee appreciation for a job well done, or a gift to client or a vendor. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Coffee services delivered to offices without coffee size restrictions. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Appealing to a diverse customer base by offering international teas and coffees to accommodate those customers that want a taste from home or for locals that enjoy tea. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Using philanthropy as a means for promotion Starbucks contributes to several non-profit organizations as a way to improve brand image and awareness in local communities. Controls Problems and Solutions In 2002, our fellow associates, including Christine Day, recognized that customer service needed to be improved upon, and one idea to conquer this problem was to invest $40 million annually in 4,500 stores. By adding almost $9,000 to each store, this would allow an additional 20 hours of labour per week. Day said, The idea is to improve speed-of-service and thereby increase customer satisfaction. According to a survey of customers, 65% believed fast service was a key attribute to their satisfaction. In the past when we thought of adding more labour hours to our retail stores, we decided against it due to the struggling economy, especially since labour was already our biggest expense. Another option instead of increasing labour hours is to increase the efficiency of the partners that we currently employ. We removed the no value- added tasks, simplified the production process, and manipulated the store layout to take better advantage of store space. Additionally, we installed an automatic espresso machine that was faster, reduced waste, and improved consistency while still fulfilling our customers needs. We want to continually implement the use of these machines in more of our stores. Furthermore, we want to add more drive-thru lanes to our stores. In doing so, we can still serve our customers who want a taste of Starbucks on-the go. Marketing Organizations Although we have been considered one of the worlds most effective marketing organizations, we lack a strategic marketing group (Moon). Instead, we have smaller divisions (Moon): Market research group gathered and analyzed market data Category group developed new products and managed the menu Marketing group developed quarterly promotional plans However, we need to find a way to get these divisions to collaborate so information about market and customer trends is not overlooked like it has been in the past and we can make better decisions about driving our business in the future. In 1995, a Stores of the Future project team was formed (Student). Their goal was to come up with the next generation of Starbucks stores to be debuted in 1996. Schultz communicated with the team and envisioned the retail stores to look and feel like, an authentic coffee experience that conveyed the artistry of espresso making, a place to think and imagine, a spot where people could gather and talk over a great cup of coffee, a comforting refuge that provided a sense of community, a third place for people to congregate beyond work or the home, a place that welcomed people and rewarded them for coming, and a layout that could accommodate both fast service and quiet moments. The team researched the art and literature of coffee throughout the ages, studied coffee-growing and coffee-making techniques, and looked at how our retail stores have already evolved in terms of design, logos, colours, and mood. The team decided upon four store layout designs: A store for each stage of coffee making: growing, roasting, brewing, and aroma. Each store had its own colour combinations, lighting scheme, and component materials. Also, the stores adapted to the environment, whether the store was downtown or on a college campus, for example. Recommendations For Improvement Revamp the employee reward system Tighten focus on creating the Third Place environment Focus profitability measures on profitable sales, not just reduction in staffing References Company, The. Starbucks. .Received by 8may, 2010 Corporate Social Responsibility. Starbucks Coffee. . Starbucks Corporation. 4
Friday, September 20, 2019
Clinical Reasoning And Decision Making In Nursing Nursing Essay
Clinical Reasoning And Decision Making In Nursing Nursing Essay All nurses use clinical judgement to make decisions while caring for patients. These decisions have an effect on the actions of the healthcare professional and the delivery of health care the patient receives Jones and Beck (1996). Its the nurses responsibility to make clinical decisions based on their learnt knowledge and skills. Simple decisions such as, would a bed pan or commode be more appropriate? To making quick, on the spot decisions, such as what steps to take if a patient began to rapidly deteriorate. Nurses rely on sound decision making skills to maintain positive outcomes and up to date care. Orme and Maggs (1993) identified that decision-making is an essential and integral aspect of clinical practice. Nurses are accountable for their decisions, therefore it is crucial that they are aware of how they make these decisions Muir (2004). This essay will discuss two decision making models, factors that may improve or interfere with clinical reasoning and decision making in pat ient centred care and how they vary across the different fields of nursing. The decision making models that will be discussed are Risk Analysis and Evidence Based. Risk assessment plays a major part in the process of supporting patients and it greatly helps to maintain safety in hospital settings. Its main purpose is not only to identify potential risks but also remove and prevent them. Assessment is considered to be the first step in the process of individualised nursing care Neno and Price (2008). Risk analysis provides information that is vital in developing a plan of action that can help improve personal health. It has the potential to decrease the severity of chronic conditions, helping the individual to gain control over their health through self-care RCN (2004). Not only is risk analysis for the patients safety but its also there to ensure staff safety Kavaler and Spiegel (2003). It is imperative that nurses use suitable risk assessment tools as a guide to enable them to make effective decisions. Once the tool has been implemented, using the gathered information and using their own clinical judgement, the nurse will then be able to provi de the right safety precautions for patients Holme (2009). There are many different types of risk assessment tools available for patients and staff within the clinical setting. For patients there is the Waterlow score risk of pressure sores and ulcers, the MUST tool Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool, FRAT Falls Risk Assessment Tool and Pain Assessment Tools are only to name a few and they are commonly used in clinical practice. Staff have Infection Control Assessments and Discharge Risk Assessments only to name a couple but they should be kept up to date and reassessed regularly Daniels (2004). The pressure ulcer risk assessment/prevention policy tool, is frequently used in clinical practice. Pressure risk-assessment tools have been described as the backbone of any prevention and treatment policy Waterlow(1991). The Department of Health set annual targets for an overall reduction of pressure ulcers by 5-10% over 1 year (DoH, 1993), so it is vital that nurses accurately determine which patients are at risk of developing pressure ulcers. A pressure ulcer is an area of localised damage to the skin and underlying tissue caused by pressure, shear, friction or a combination of these EPUAP (1998). The intention of the Waterlow pressure sore risk assessment is to recognise service users who are highly at risk of developing pressure sores, to avoid them becoming worse and/or even developing them at all, to serve as an early predictive index before the development of pressure damage Nixon and McGough ( 2001). It is imperative that patients are assessed using this tool, especially patients with Intrinsic risk factors such as restricted mobility and /or are confined to their bed for long periods of time, patients with poor nutrition, elderly patients, patients with underlying health conditions such as diabetes and patients who are urinary incontinent and bowel incontinent are also highly at risk of developing pressure sores, this due to the moisture, moist skin can be weak and susceptible to breakdown Andrychuk (1998). Accordi ng to the NICE clinical guideline 29 (2005) pressure ulcer grades should be recorded using the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel Classification System. There are four stages that pressure ulcers are graded at and it is down to the nurses own clinical judgement to decide what stage the ulcer is. Depending on the grade of the pressure sore, it will depend on the type of mattress that will be needed. There are factors to be considered before selecting a mattress for the patient which include, making sure the mattress does not elevate the patient to an unsafe height and to ensure the patient is within the recommended weight range for the mattress NICE (2005). Using their learnt skills, experiences and own clinical knowledge, nurses have to decide what dressings should be used in the treatment of pressure ulcers. They have to take into consideration the grade of the sore, any manufacturers indications for use and contraindications, previous positive effects of certain dressing and preference for comfort or lifestyle reasons Bouza et al (2005). Specially designed dressings and bandages can be used to speed up the healing process and help protect pressure sores such as hydrocolloid and alginate dressings which will be used at the nurses digression NHS Choices (2010). Nurses should always be aware of any potential risk factors that may worsen or add to the development of pressure ulcers when using any pressure risk assessment tool. The nurse will have to decide the frequency of re-positioning the patient, implementing a turning chart to keep times and dates documented and to communicate to other members of staff what time the patient needs turning. This involves moving the patient into a different position to remove or redistribute pressure from a part of the body Walsh and Dempsey (2010). By analysing the evidence on the effectiveness of repositioning this can help to reduce patient suffering and improve their quality of life, lighten the work load of staff and help reduce the financial burden on the health service Luoa and Chub (2010). In paediatric nursing, a child is to be assessed within six hours of being admitted and then reassessed daily. Most paediatric pressure ulcer risk assessment scales were developed using clinical experience, or by modifying adult scales Bedi (1993). The Glamorgan Paediatric Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment Scale was developed using detailed paediatric inpatient data Willock et al (2008). It is a clinical tool designed to help nurses assess the risk of a child developing a pressure ulcer, it uses a scoring system that takes things like mobility, equipment, haemoglobin levels and temperature into account and guides the nurse as to what interventions need to be put in place, such as what type of mattress or dressings will be needed. In learning disability and mental health nursing, a range of pressure sore assessment tools are used such as the Norton, Braden and Waterlow risk assessment scales, these are mainly used for patients who are not very mobile as in the adult field. Nursing is more concentrated on their patients psychological health OTuathail and Taqi (2011). It is the nurses duty to provide the best possible care for their patients and this involves using Evidence-based practice. EBP enables the nurse to make decisions about patient care based on the most current, best available evidence. It allows the nurse to provide high quality care to patients based on knowledge and research Rodgers (1994). Principles of evidence-based practice and the crucial elements involved in the process are explained by Cleary-Holdforth and Leufer (2008) in five steps. Steps are there to equip nurses with the necessary knowledge and skills to use evidence-based practice effectively and to make positive contributions to patient outcomes. The five steps Ask, Aquire, Appraise, Apply, Analysis and Ajust are to simply guide healthcare professionals in making effective clinical decisions when problem solving. Early Warning Score (EWS) is an evidence based method. Carberry (2002) identifies that the purpose of EWS is to provide nursing and medical staff with a physiological score generated from recordings of vital signs. NICE Clinical Guideline 50 (2007) suggests that physiological track and trigger systems should be implemented to monitor all adult patients in acute hospital settings, providing guidance on the standardization of EWS. Physiological signs that should be monitored and recorded are heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, temperature and level of consciousness. Vital signs should be recorded upon admission, at regular intervals during a patients stay and also before, during and after certain procedures Castledine (2006) and the frequency of monitoring, if abnormal physiology is detected should increase. EWS uses a scoring system 0, 1, 2, and 3 and colour codes white, yellow, orange and red, number 3 and the colour red being the highest risk indicators Morris and Davies (2010). Nurses should adapt to following guidelines the Early Warning Score offers, to help make clinical decisions that are best for their patients. Factors that may improve or prevent effective decision making while using the EWS could be down to capability, knowledge and ignorance. If health care professionals are well able and confident in recording and documenting patients vital signs, then any changes can be observed and prevented or dealt with quickly. The EWS implementation adds automated alerts hours before a rapid response would be initiated and can decrease treatment delays by up to three hours Subbe et al (2003). It only takes one nurse to lack competence when using the EWS, therefore putting patients lifes at risk. Early Warning Score is also used in the Mental Health and Learning Disability fields of nursing although it may not be used as often as in Adult nursing, it is imperative that patients who are physically or mentally unwell, require monitoring of their vital signs in an acute setting. Nurses may have to use their knowledge to improvise different ways of obtaining vital signs from some patients with learning disabilities or mental health problems, such as turning it into a game or distracting them especially if they lack the mental capacity and are unwilling to comply Hardy (2010) Medication can have serious effects on a patients health. Indications of these effects may be noticed in their EWS, combined with the knowledge and clinical judgement of health care professionals NIMH (2008) . If the EWS tool is not used as it should be in these fields then it will be hard for the health care professionals to obtain the needed evidence to make accurate clinical decisions. In the child field of nursing a similar tool to the EWS is used called PEWS, Paediatric Early Warning Scores. There are currently four PEWS charts used within the NHS for different age groups, 0-11months, 1-4 years, 5-12years and 13-18 years, the difference being the ranges for childrens vital signs NHS (2013). A key factor that may hinder accurate PEWS scoring could be due to the fact the child is scared when it comes to checking their vital signs, also very young children can be unwilling or fidgety Kyle (2008), this is where the nurse would have to use their knowledge to overcome such problems. The nurse could make it fun for the child, explain the equipment and what they are going to do and why. It is vital that the nurse gains consent from the childs parent before carrying out any procedure. It is important that the family play an important role in the care of the child DOH (2001). I have learnt various things while researching into the chosen decision making models and methods. I have been made aware of potential risk factors that may arise while using both tools in all fields of nursing and what could be done to prevent them. I feel confident in looking out for any risks involving the EWS and Pressure ulcer risk assessment tools while out in practice and believe that using these tools correctly can ultimately save lives.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
The Mantle of the Prophet Essay -- Islamic History, Mothhahedeh
Roy Mottahedeh is a professor of Islamic history at Harvard University. He has written widely in the history of Islam and religion. The Mantle of the Prophet is one of the books that Mottahedeh wrote. In this book, Mottahedeh covers different aspects that include Islamic faith, Iranian city of Qom, traditions derived from the history of Iran, political change in Iran and secular Islamic learning among other issues. Ali Hashemi and Parviz studied together in the same elementary school courtyard. However, each of them took different turns. This paper is a review of The Mantle of the Prophet by Roy Mottahedeh. It will discuss the similarities and differences of the ideologies of Hashemi and Parviz and their oppositions to the Shah. It will also discuss their social backgrounds and cultural influences on their outlook of the world. The book begins with a detailed description of Qom, an Iranian city where Ali Hashemi, the main point of reference, in the book was born. Mottahedeh also describes the Shi’ite faction of the Islamic faith that entails learning and tradition, in Iran. Mottahedeh managed to introduce readers to political climate, history and tradition from the middle of the twentieth century. Mottahedeh recounts the life of Ali Hashemi from his childhood through his education into adulthood. Ali Hashemi is the contemporary mullah of Qom. The book portrays Ali Hashemi as an alias of a mullah in the University of Tehran. This presents Ali Hashemi as a scholar just like Parviz. However, Hashemi is still engrossed in Islamic religion unlike Parviz. Mottahedeh used Hashemi to bring a clear picture of culture and history in Iran, in different times. Mottahedeh used Hashemi to create a scenario that depicts trends and issues that i... ...ries and the 1979 revolution. The author presents Iran through the leadership of mullahs and shah tradition. The book has rich information covering the history of Iran. Mottahedeh managed to develop an impressive book that satisfies the curiosity of a reader wanting to understand the history, culture and political atmosphere of Iran through the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth century. Roy Parviz Mottahedeh and Ali Hashemi represent two views of Islamic learning and Iranian history and culture. While Ali Hashemi represents a religious view of Islamic learning and history of Iran, Parviz represents a secular view of Islamic learning and ambiguity of culture in Iran. The two views help to bring out the ways in which Islamic religion and culture influenced political atmosphere, in Iran especially at a time when politics in Iran was shaped by religion.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Slavery In Illinois Essays -- Slavery Essays
Slavery in Illinois This essay talks about the dated events that happened in Illinois, focusing on slavery, from the time it begun, whether it should be implemented or not, its abolishment, and up to the time it ended. The paper also contains a well-opinionated reaction about slavery, how it is different from today. The Civil War Period has always been the primary hub of teaching in any American History classes. The era between the American Revolution and the Civil War was of a great importance since it has been the best and worst part of the western civilization during those times. The limelight was theirs when we turn back the pages of history. Consequently, slavery as an economic system and as a moral disgrace is one of the very most scandalous trend after the coming of the war. Prominent people had actual arguments about whether they are either pro-slavery or abolitionist, thus making the system even worse. Colonization to constraint of slavery on its natural eventual downfall is not merely the case now. Today, normal people have the same opinion about the moral repugnancy of slavery, and are left with a more complex idea about why many people supported the institution of slavery and why it was so difficult to eliminate that "peculiar institution." The first Africans landed in Jamestown, in Virginia in the year 1619. Having them appeared as an indentured servants, there was an institution that allows the black for hereditary lifetime service. From there, transportation of slaves from Africa to the West Indies became rampant. During this time, there were no rules applied for the slaves. The only rule is that restricting all the rights of the servants. (Davis, 79) Because of the ongoing scenario, the British America recog... ...is the historical fact." Up to this date, people still depend on slaves. It might not be as harsh or as controversial as before, but still there were distinctive similarities that should be considering each one as a racist. The Black people or the Africans still carry the brand name that they were once a slave. Even so, one should not be able to acquire such idea since people of today are quite more rational and open than before. †¢ Ekberg, Carl J., Stealing Indian Women: Native Slavery in the Illinois Country, University of Illinois Press 2007 †¢ Dunne, Edward F., Illinois: The Heart of the Nation, 1933 †¢ Dirst, T. Illinois During the Civil War, http://dig.lib.niu.edu/civilwar/teachers/afam1.html; Digitization Project 2005 †¢ Dexter, D. Slavery In Illinois: How and Why the Underground Railroad Existed http://www.freedomtrails2legacies.org/slavery.htm; 2004
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
My Interpretation of the Chrysanthemums
My Interpretation of â€Å"The Chrysanthemums†â€Å"The Chrysanthemums†is one of John Steinbeck’s popular short stories. â€Å"The Chrysanthemums†represents inequality of gender, limitations, and feminism. The story is about a married woman living in the early 1900s who longs for a more exciting, meaningful existence. Elisa Allen is intelligent, accomplished, attractive, and ambitious. Yet she feels confined in her life and marriage. Steinbeck uses the world around Elisa to give the reader a comparison to her life. The story takes place in the Salinas Valley at her husband, Henry Allen’s, ranch in the foot-hills.Steinbeck opens the story up by describing to us how the fog closes off the Salinas Valley from the sky and from the rest of the world. â€Å"The high grey-flannel fog of winter closed of the Salinas Valley from the sky and from all the rest of the world†(438). This comparison shows how Elisa feels inside. Even her house compares to a prison. â€Å"Behind her stood the neat white farmhouse with red geraniums close-banked around it as high as the windows†(439). Elisa spends most of her days alone, behind her wire fence. She feels cut off from society.Elisa’s husband works as a successful rancher but doesn’t involve the smart and interested Elisa with the business of the ranch. In his eyes she belongs in the house or the garden. They don’t have an intimate relationship and it lacks any kind of romance. In the beginning of the story, she watches from a distance behind the wire fence as her husband talks with the men in suits but Henry does not invite her over. Elisa wants to travel and be free to do as she pleases but is suppressed by society because of her gender. She becomes intrigued when she meets a traveling repairman by his way of life.When Elisa expresses interest to him about his life, â€Å"It must be very nice. I wish women could do such things. †The wanderer tells her, â€Å"It ain’t the right kind of life for a woman†(445). Elisa feels a little off-put by his response and tries to argue with him. Elisa asks â€Å"How do you know? How can you tell? †He protests â€Å"I don’t know ma’am, of course I don’t know†(445). We are given the impression of strength and capability in Elisa. We can tell Elisa’s a good nurturer because of the way she tends her garden and keeps a clean organized home.Her chrysanthemums are the biggest healthiest chrysanthemums around. Despite all that she has no children. Elisa puts all of her motherly energy into her flowers to fill the void of childlessness. Henry makes the statement to Elisa how she could make anything grow. â€Å"You’ve got a gift with things, some of those yellow chrysanthemums you had this year were ten inches across. I wish you’d work out in the orchard and raise some apples that big†(439). I believe this represents El isa’s fertility and Henry’s lack thereof. Steinbeck describes Elisa’s clothing in the beginning of the story as masculine. A man’s black hat pulled low down over her eyes, clod-hopper shoes, a figured print dress almost completely covered by a big corduroy apron with four big pockets to hold the snips, the trowel and scratcher, the seeds and the knife she worked with. She wore heavy leather gloves to protect her hands while she worked†(438-439). This description reflects her lack of sexuality. Shortly after she meets the traveler she begins to shed some of these items, like the gloves and hat. At first she feels irritated by the insistency of the man because she had no need for someone to repair her pots or sharpen her scissors.Her attitude changes toward him when he expresses interest in her flowers. The thought of her chrysanthemums shared with another part of the world makes Elisa feel like a little part of her might escape. Her demeanor suddenl y changes. He makes her feel intellectually and physically stimulated. Her feminine sexuality awakens. She turns the conversation of the chrysanthemums into something sexual. â€Å"When the night is dark-why, the stars are sharp-pointed, and there’s quiet. Why, you rise up and up! Every pointed star gets driven into your body.It’s like that. Hot and sharp and lovely†(444). She completely surrenders herself to him as manifested by her kneeling before him â€Å"like a fawning dog†as she hands him the chrysanthemum shoots. But despite all that, the traveler holds no interest in her or her flowers. This symbolizes society’s rejection of women in the workforce no matter their talents. Elisa has hope of a more interesting life. She takes special care in dressing for dinner. She stares at herself naked in the mirror. She pokes her chest out and tightens her stomach.She puts on sexy lingerie and a dress that brings out her beauty. She puts make-up on. By Elisa looking more like a beautiful sexy woman, she is stepping into her femininity. When Henry gets home and starts dressing for dinner Elisa nervously waits on the porch for a reaction on her appearance from her passionless husband. â€Å"She looked toward the river road where the willow-line was still yellow with frosted leaves so that under the high grey fog they seemed a thin band of sunshine†(447). Sunshine symbolizes happiness, she’s slightly hopeful for some happiness in her life.When Henry walks out onto the porch he feels off-put by her appearance. She fishes for a complement. Henry tells her she looks strong and she comments back to him â€Å"I am strong. I never knew before how strong†(447). Before they leave Elisa goes into the house and takes extra care in putting on her hat and her coat, which I think is interesting because she doesn’t put on gloves so there is still a feeling of feminine sexuality there. She isn’t hiding herself like in the beginning of the story. As Elisa and Henry drive to town she sees a black speck in the road.She immediately knows what it is, her chrysanthemum shoots she had given the traveler. He tossed them out on the road. She feels betrayed by this man. He didn’t care about her flowers, he only wanted her money. Her hope dwindles. Elisa starts to step back into herself. This act symbolizes how society deems woman as unimportant just as how the traveler sees her flowers as unimportant. She then asks her husband if they could have wine with their dinner. She tries to satisfy some of her needs through this small act of abnormality. She then asks her husband about going to watch the men fight.Henry says he will take her but doesn’t think that she will like it and was unaware that she was interested in such things. Elisa asks if any women go to the fights, Henry tells her there are some that go. Elisa changes her mind because she understands that it is not acceptable for a lady in those times to watch such things. Now she could have gone to the fights, of course, but fear holds her back. I believe in that moment she loses hope for a brighter, more exciting existence. â€Å"She turned up her coat collar so he could not see that she was cryingâ€â€weakly like and old woman†(448).Notice how she covers her body again. I think the assumption can be made by the last sentence in the story that Elisa’s life doesn’t become what she subconsciously hoped. She realizes her closed off, uneventful, lonesome way of living will continue. She grows old with this same unsatisfactory life, no children, passion, or exploration. â€Å"The Chrysanthemums†is an interesting story because it was published in 1937 when a married woman’s only place in society was at home, yet it is unashamedly written in the point of view of the woman.This story was carefully written by Steinbeck so we as readers don’t condemn her for her actions. We could have felt that she was betraying her husband in a way by flirting with the wanderer. Instead we sympathize with her and understand her feelings, and why she does the things she does and feels the way she feels. It is almost like John Steinbeck could see into the future and what was to come. Did he see society’s unequal treatment of women and men? Did he feel that it was wrong to treat women as if they had no other use in society?I believe he did. He uses this story to show the society of that time the inequality of men and women, and the way it makes a woman feel. The reader reads this story and doesn’t even realize that what they are feeling is compassion for Elisa Allen because of limitations that are set on her and every other woman at that time. This story could have been a very strong political tool in its time for feminism. Bibliography Steinbeck, John â€Å"The Chrysanthemums†The Seagull Reader Stories. Ed. Joseph Kelly. 2nd ed. New York: W. W. Norton, 2008. 437-448. Print
Monday, September 16, 2019
Do average people have an impact on the course of history? Essay
I most certainly agree with the position that average people have the ability to change history. Take for example Martin Luther, Bill Gates and Adolf Hitler. These people have changed history I both a good and bad way. Without a shadow of a doubt average people have a significant impact on the course of history. Martin Luther changed history in a religious way. He started off as a poor man, and then later in his life became a small time priest. As he became a monk, he saw that the pope and the church were misleading the people in order to make a bit of money. He went against the church and did everything in his power to set people back on the right path. Even though he was excommunicated, he still held on, and that is how Martin Luther has a great impact on the course of history. Bill Gates, as many of you may already know is a very rich man, if not the richest man in the world. But this was not the case when he was a young man. In fact he was very poor and he dropped out of school at a young age. A couple of years later he created Microsoft, the largest computer company in the world. Today he has over forty billion dollars and donates billions of dollars to charity. Although some people don’t agree that he has changed history and still is, I think otherwise. I mean take a look at the number of computers in the world; you will see that most of them are powered by Microsoft. Adolf Hitler, in my opinion has changed the course of history in a bad way that any other person in the world. Although he wasn’t rich at a young age, he became rich and very popular in his later life. He developed a strong hatred for the Jews which led to him killing thousands of them. This was known as the holocaust. Although many people don’t know what happened to Hitler after these events, many speculate that he poisoned himself. Over role these three historical icons have changed history in a significant way. Just to answer your question about average people having a significant impact on the coarse of history, my answer is without a shadow of a doubt average people can have a significant impact on the course of history.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Language Is Not the Only Problem Faced by International Students
Language is not the only problem faced by international students in the UK. To what extent do you agree with this statement? International students are very important for the economic growth of the UK. Number of international students in UK was about 405,910 in 2009 and in 2010 it increased up to 428,225 (which is about 6%). These students play a very important role in UK’s economy and bring huge income to the country. Shane Spiers, managing director of UNITE says â€Å"The UK's higher education sector-and, indeed, the UK economy-rely heavily on the income derived from international students†. As the research from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills called Estimating the value to the UK of Education Experts (June 2011) says that in 2008-2009 income of the tuition fee to the UK was oven than ? 4 billion where ? 2. 4 billion for HE, ? 139 million for FE and ? 880 million for english language. The same BIS research noticed that in 2025 this number could rise as high as ? 26 billion. Another income for UK income comes from science, technology, engineering and mathematics’: 40% of UK postgraduates, 50% of those doing full-time research degrees. English language became an international language and this is one of the main reasons why many students travel to UK to learn english. Another reason is that education in UK is recognized as high level or â€Å"world-class education†. International students in UK can face many problems and the most common one is the language barrier. Even for students who know english it may be hard for them to understand dialect of UK citizens. For example: In class teacher speaks academic english and uses special words which depend on the subject that they are learning.This is a common problem, but teachers are always ready to help students, so in a way, this issue is solved. There are many other problems that could be more serious for the students. International students are living in a foreign cou ntry where they could be victims of racial discrimination or they could face financial difficulties or just feel homesick of their country. Most of the students are inexperienced in living away from their home, so this is their first experience in an unfamiliar environment with different culture and traditions, trying to adapt and co-exist with the others.Evidently at the beginning they can face problems such as culture shock and the difficulties in communication. Two general issues are very popular for most of the international students which are finance managing and making/finding/building friendship. This essay will define three very popular problems that international students may face. Life and education in UK is very expensive and it might be hard for some students to afford it, so they have to borrow large amount of money from their parents or relatives in order to pay for education and life in UK. Students must be very good in managing finances.Comparing cost of products in UK with the cost of products in their home country will be different, so it might be hard for them at the beginning to manage their finances. Mis-allocation of finance can lead to large loss of money and at the end of year students may be left destitute. Apart from this overseas education represents a huge investment by family and students may feel that they have to return this money or at least to make a profit by working in part-time job and limit their expenditures. Students probably may try their best to reduce the pressure on their family.Students will try to concentrate more spend more time looking for work rather than concentrating on studying. Many university activities require membership fees to enter the society and may have further expenses for some trips or extra activities. This could keep away the students from joining the societies or clubs and isolating them from the social part of the university life. This could lead to loneliness and depression. Finance problems ca n push student to reduce the time at work available for study and this can cause academic consequences.According to the managing finances, problems with communication and friendship can happen. The satisfaction level of living in UK is very important and makes a positive impact on academy. This satisfaction can be provided by friendship with other students and more likely with British people. Friendship with local students could be more useful than friendship with co-national by several reasons the main one is the language improvement. However, international students may find it difficult. The reason of that is the big difference in culture or mentality.International students can find their behavior strange or dissimilar in contrast with people in their homeland. Communication is not just talking, it also contains eye contact, body language, tone of voice and even national privileges. All together they can make communication very easy or can be a cause of disaffection. For instance, international students may struggle with eye contact – when to give eye contact or where to look away and do not make people feel uncomfortable. Tone of voice also can be a reason of misunderstanding.The rules of communication people get from their parents and mentality and to change them can be hard. Finally, international students can have a problem known as â€Å"culture shock†. First this problem was defined by Canadian anthropologist Kalervo Oberg in 1960. Dr. Oberg stated that culture shock is â€Å"the anxiety that results from losing familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse†. The most common signs of â€Å"culture shock†are homesickness, avoiding contact with the locals, marital stress, loss of concentration, frequent desire to cry, and losses of all the aims in UK.Mostly duration of culture shock is 6 month but for some student may be longer. During this time students are comparing new country to their homeland. In conclusion, internati onal students in UK face many problems apart from the language barrier. All of these problems may have a negative impact on studies. However, solving these problems will help students to become morally stronger and more responsible. These three general problems can teach an international student how to adapt fast in a new country in his or her future life.These problems cannot stay unsolved and if students are struggling with them in university they can find some free tutorials and tutors who can give a good advice about how to juggle study with solving these problems. References Sally Adamson Taylor (2010,). Retrieved from http:// americansintoulouse. com/index. php? option=com_content&view=article&id=13&Itemid=47 Machalicek W. , Ganz J. B. , Flores . M. , Zimbelman M (2005-2009) Retrieved from http://www. asdvisualaids. com/social-communication-difficulties. htmlShane Spiers, (2011, June). Retrieved from http://ukcisa. org. uk , http://smartmoverelocate. com Colleen Ward, Stephen Bochner, Adrian Furnham (2001) Retrieved from book: The Psychology of Culture Shock (Second edition) Maureen S. , Andrade and Norman W. Evans (2009) Retrieved from book: International students – Strengthening a Critical Resource. Published by Rowman & Littlefield Education. Nannette Rundle Carroll (2010) Retrieved from book: The Communication Problem Solver. Simple tools and Techniques for Busy Managers
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