Monday, September 30, 2019

Groupon Analysis

1. Research process As the secondary data on evaluation of customers in Vietnam with regard to groupon are not available, the method to be used in this study is almost research employing a combination of qualitative and quantitive approaches. Problems de? nition Quantitive research Research design Qualitative research Questionnaire online survey Sampling Fieldwork Data analysis Managerial implications Figure : the stages of customers evaluation research Normally the starting point of any research process is the research problem and research objectives.The next stage is to design plans of getting information of both quantitive and qualitative ? gures. Then the the objectives transform in to questionnaire. In the survey both quantitive and qualitative questions are used. Multiple choices with scale measure is used on the other hand question with open answers are use to identify the quantitive problems. Information to be obtained should be determined prior to the building of questionnai re. Table 1 shows how information is to be collected. Each variable have 5 question to determine. Variables Reliability! Who to ask Customer!What to get How is the customer valuation of groupon companies’s reliability ! How is the customer valuation of groupon companies’s responsibility!! How is the customer valuation of groupon companies’s assurance! How is the customer valuation of groupon companies’s empathy! ! How is the customer valuation of groupon companies’s tangibles! Responsibility Customer Assurance Customer Empathy! Customer! Tangibles Customer! The next step after questionnaires were designed and sampled, ? eldwork was executed that involved the completion and return of questionnaire. Data analysis can start after the returned questionnaire were checked.Finally, the research process ends with the most important part that is the managerial implications. 2. Quantitative study The purpose of the quantitative study is to identify the relat ionship between 5 factors reliability, responsibility, assurance, empathy and tangibles and the quality of groupon companies’s services. The details about sampling, data collection and data analysis methods are described in the next part. a. Sampling †¢ Sample size: a sample of 390 people was drawn from residents living or working in some districts in Hanoi and some part of districts 1 Ho Chi Minh city. 90 people answered some question to classify in 3 groups which are the people have used groupon service, the people never use groupon service but they know about it and the people never use groupon and do not know anything about it. As expected, 50 percents of people who were asked to do survey are student because large number of people who use groupon to buy product and services is low income people; 30 percents of that is white collar worker the reason is that they have to work with computer and internet in plenty hours in a day and they want to buy product with low cos t lso and the last group of people the survey focusing on is housewives which is have 20 percents in total sample. Sample should include both women and men, belonging to 5 groups of age (from 18 years old to over 55 years old). †¢ Selection criteria: the selection criteria for those participating in the study were age (between 18 and over 55 years old), income ( at least more than 1 million Vietnam dong per month), ability to use computer and the internet ( because almost all groupon companies are working base on internet environment).In addition, respondents should not be acquaintances of each other because they can share the same attitude about some services and companies. b. Data collection The questionnaire consists of 25 questions to determine 25 items which belong to 5 factors. These factors were developed from the study model Serqual . The Likert ? ve-point scale was used for those items that aimed to measure consumer’s evaluation and felling. †¢ Factors 1: r eliability have 5 questions which were designed to explore customer’s belief †¢ Factors 2: responsibility was aimed to ? d out the felling of customers about responsibility of the companies whether they can respond the requirement of customer immediately or with some delays. This factor was determined by 5 questions †¢ Factor 3: Assurance is the factor which have 5 question to measure the security of the companies’s service. †¢ Factor 4: empathy use 5 question to explore if the staff of companies try to help and understand customer or not. †¢ Factor 5: tangible have 5 question to determine like the last 4 factor. Those question use to evaluate the appearance of the companies such as the website, voucher or uniforms of staffs.Every question uses multiple choices with ? ve-point scale from 1-5 which mean terrible, poor, average, very good and excellent. The questionnaire was translate into Vietnamese and pre-test on 5 respondents to ensure the correct understanding and the ease of answering. Pretest results were satis? ed. The questionnaire were distributed to 730 persons in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city via online survey which is designed by Google and send by email, direct message and social networking(Facebook, Twitter). (Appendix Phu luc bang hoi )Of 730 person sent survey 390 returned result, of which 163 were usable (163 respondents use groupon as the media to shopping). The valid questionnaire must (1) not having more than ? ve missing values; (2) not selecting all â€Å"1† or all â€Å"5† for all questions. The distribution of questionnaires and the collections of returned ones were carried out from 8th October to 20th October 2012. c. Data analysis Answers from the respondents were reviewed for completion and usefulness. Accepted questionnaire were coded and the raw data input in the SPSS package version 20 for Mac.The reliability of measurement scales was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha value. A scal e is reliable if the alpha is higher than 0. 6. Descriptive analysis is used to describe the variables in term of frequency. Due to the small size sample, subgroup analysis is not meaningful. Analysis variance (ANOVA) or cross tabulation results therefore were not used. The lis of codi? ed variables is shown in Appendix phu luc cac bien Factor analysis was used to reduce the number of variables and to identify the underlying common dimensions.Factor scores were then analyzed using multiple regressions, through linear relationships between a dependent variable and various independent variables (predictors) were determined. 3. Results 3. 1 Sample pro? le Groupon-buying discount products or services online are consumed by a large number of population due to the development of the internet past 10 years. Sample includes 46 men and 117 women, aged from 18 to over 18 years old with the majority being the age group of 18-24 years old. Of 162 respondents 20. 2% using groupon for their work, 64. 4% using for their personal purpose and 15. % using groupon to buy products and services for both purposes which are personal and work. More than 60% of people who are asked have a low income which is less than 5 million Vietnam dong per month, it can be reasonable when most of groupon customer have a low income and it may explain that price is very importance when they decide to buy somethine. And a large number of the respondents are student which are a young generation. They can easily using internet and modern way of shopping. Figure : Gender distribution Figure : Purpose distribution 15% 28% 20% 72% 64% Man Women Personal WorkPersonal and work Figure : Age distribution Figure : Monthly income 1% 7% 13% 16% 11% 12% 79% 9million 5-9 million other 61% 18-24 25-29 30-40 40-50 Figure : Job distribution 150 100 50 0 Student New employee Employee Housewife Other Table show the demographic characteristics of the sample with regards to gender, age, income, job and voucher’s value. Table : Summary samples’s characteristic Percentage (n=162) Female Gender Male 18-24 25-29 Age 30-40 40-50 less than 5 million 5-9 million Monthly income more than 9 million other Student New employee Jobs Employee Housewife Other 1. 500. 000 11% 16% 69. % 12. 3% 15. 3% 1. 8% 0. 6% 17. 8% 69. 9% 9. 2% 1. 8% 1. 2% 7% 1% 61% 12% 28% 79% 13% 72% 3. 2 Descriptive analysis In the study, ? ve factors were used to measure customer evaluation and felling. For the statistical purpose all variables were described in term of frequencies (percentage) and average values (means). Finding related to customer’s evaluation and felling are summarized in tables. a. ! How customers trust groupon companies services in Vietnam, those thing can show up by some factors such as the quality of products what companies guaranteed and the punctuation of delivery. Consequently, the result will show how customer believe in companies and their goods. Groupon companies always sale all product w ith a very cheap price so this factor explore how is the customer’s belief. Table : Customer’s belief in groupon companies Percentage (n=163) Terrible/ poor 2. The customer’s belief in discount price 3. The customer’s thinking of products and services qualities 4. Delivery’s punctuation 5. Customer care staffs’s knowledge 6. Customer care staffs’s respond 22. 6% 21. 5% 17. 8% 19. 6% 22. 7% Very good/ excellent 30. 7% 31. 3% 55. % 42. 9% 34. 7% Average value (means) 3. 08 3. 10 3. 53 3. 29 3. 21 As can be seen that customer belief indicator is more than 3 but still below than 4. The respondents accepted and trust those companies. b. How customers evaluate the responsibility of Vietnamese groupon companies: Online shopping is very different from traditional shopping because clients can pay money and have goods or services immediately so that responsibility is a very important factor to rate ? rms’s qualities. It can be seen that customer evaluate ? rm’s after sale service is poor .It is probably due to many groupon companies in Vietnam think that responsibility which is taking care customers after they had bought products and service belong to suppliers, they only have to sale goods. It may lead to 47,9% of respondent thinks ? rm’s responsibilities are terrible and poor. Table : Response to companies’s responsibility Percentage (n=163) Terrible/ poor 7. Staffs's enthusiasm 8. Companies solve your problems actively 9. Hotline for customer care 10. Recheck customer’s information to ensure fast and correct delivery 11. After sales services 16. 6% 26. % 31. 3% 23. 9% 47. 9% Very good/ excellent 40. 5% 27. 6% 33. 8% 44. 1% 19. 6% Average value (means) 3. 28 3. 08 3. 06 3. 29 2. 60 From the table it can be concluded that ? rm’s responsibility is acceptable but they some aspects are poor for instance hotline and after sales services. c. How customer rate companies’s assura nce: Not as tradition transactions, online shopping should have a more secure transaction. Most of payments for groupon company are electronic payment which have many potential risk. As the result keep customers’s personal and payment data is very essential.Vietnamese people do not care much about security but in the modern life but when credit card, online wallet etc†¦ are becoming more popular everyday it has to be a factor to evaluate service qualities Table : Customer evaluation of transaction assurance Percentage (n=163) Terrible/ poor 12. Trading process is quick and exactly 13. Privacy of transaction 14. Company always keep clients's data safe 15. Contrasts are sensible and clear 16. Reputation of companies 22. 1% 10. 4% 17. 2% 11. 7% 14. 7% Very good/ excellent 44. 1% 56. 4% 52. 5% 55. 2% 40. 5% Average value (means) 3. 33 3. 9 3. 54 3. 60 3. 29 Every items belonging to assurance factor are shown on the table. It is believed that respondents rate this factor pret ty good. d. How companies and their staff empathize customers: This factor was designed to uncover customer’s felling about companies’s empathy. There is an idiom that â€Å"customers are always right† so that communication between sellers and their customers is very importance . Those 5 questions explore how respondent think about staff attitude and empathy. Table : Customers’s evaluation of companies’s empathy Percentage (n=163) Terrible/ poor 17.Staffs’s behavior and attitude 18. Companies's staff pay attention of customers's private requirement 19. Customer always feel convenient and satisfied of services 20. Company makes improvement after client’s complain 21. Clients don’t have to wait for a long time to user service 14. 1% 27. 6% 21. 5% 31. 3% 21. 5% Very good/ excellent 46. 7% 35. 6% 33. 1% 20. 9% 41. 1% Average value (means) 3. 37 3. 09 3. 14 2. 88 3. 31 The table show that customer’s evaluative criteria is une ven, some items have a high value some is quite low.Respondents evaluate that improvements of company after their complain are poor, 31. 3% think that it terrible and poor. e. How is the tangibles of companies: Although almost all groupon companies do not impress their customer by a fancy shop or building but there are some aspects to evaluate their tangibles such as their vouchers and websites whether they are beautiful or ease of recognizing. Respondents think that about these 2 things groupon companies do well and they probably appreciate that. However there is a aspect having a low evaluation by respondents which is staffs’s uniform.It can be a result of companies category which is online company because of that they do not think staff’s uniform is the serious problem. Table : Customers’s evaluation of companies’s Tangibles Percentage (n=163) Terrible/ poor 22. Transaction place 23. Vouchers design 24. Website designed 25. Staff uniform 26. Transporte rs have transportations to deliver products to clients quickly and safe. 19% 11. 6% 8. 6% 33. 2% 16. 6% Very good/ excellent 45. 4% 59. 5% 64. 4% 24% 46. 6% Average value (means) 3. 42 3. 66 3. 74 2. 85 3. 41 4. 3 Factors in? encing groupon services quality a. Evaluation of the measuring scales In the reliability analysis, items that have total-item correlation smaller than 0. 6 were removed from the scales but in this sample there is no variable was eliminated. All items were tested for reliability. The resulting Cronbach alpha of each scale is presented in Table . Table : Alpha values Codi? ed variables Reli1-Reli5 Res1-Res5 Assu1-Assu5 Emp1-Emp5 Tan1-Tan5 Number of items 5 5 5 5 5 Alpha value 0. 804 0. 831 0. 863 0. 826 0. 856 Measurement Scale Reliability!Responsibility Assurance Empathy! Tangibles b. Factor analysis Twenty four variables were submitted for factor analysis. The extraction method used was Principal Axis Factoring, accepting all Eigen values which are higher than 1. The rotation method was Oblimin with Kaiser Normalization; rotation was coverged in 9 iteration. The factor analysis resulted in e Component 1 Tan1 Tan2 Emp5 Tan5 Tan3 Tan4 Assu3 Assu2 Assu4 Emp1 Assu5 Emp4 Res5 Res3 Emp3 Emp2 Res4 Reli5 Res1 Reli4 Res2 Reli2 Reli1 Reli3 Assu1 Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis.Rotation Method: Varimax with Kaiser Normalization. a. Rotation converged in 9 iterations. 2 0. 767 0. 760 0. 742 0. 714 0. 699 0. 561 0. 803 0. 771 0. 732 0. 552 0. 542 3 4 5 0. 521 0. 708 0. 609 0. 580 0. 550 0. 502 0. 524 0. 772 0. 754 0. 723 0. 564 0. 784 0. 746 0. 549 Eigen values and variance of each factor are indicated in Appendix Ph? l? c Eigen. The factor correlation matrix (Appendix Ph? l? c ma tr? n tuong quan) illustrates that the correlation between factors is insignificant (correlation coefficient are smaller than 0. ). This is an underlying assumption required for multiple regression. For those variables that load on two factors, the higher loa d on two factors, the factor with higher value is selected. However if loading difference is not significant (that is not more than 0. 3) the variable will not be used for multiple regression (Tan4 and Emp2). Table Nr :Factor nomination Factor name Transaction place Vouchers design Clients don’t have to wait for a long time to user service 1 Tangibles Having transportations to deliver quickly and safe.Website designed Staff uniform Company always keep clients's data safe Privacy of transaction 2 Assurance Contrasts are sensible and clear Staffs’s behavior and attitude Reputation of companies Company makes improvement after client’s complain After sales services 3 Responsibility Hotline for customer care Customer’s convenience and satisfaction of services Attention of customers's private requirement Customer care staffs’s respond Staffs's enthusiasm 4 Staff quality Customer care staffs’s knowledge Companies solve your problems actively Factor componentNr Factor name Factor component The customer’s thinking of products and services qualities 5 Reliability The customer’s belief in discount price Delivery’s punctuation The above 5 factors were considered independent variables in the multiple regression model and the dependent variable was â€Å"Quality of groupon service†. Multiple regression results are presented in the next section. c.Multiple regression Multiple regression is use to identify the relationship between the dependent variable and many independents variables. The multiple regression model has the following form: Y= ? + ? 1X1 + ? 2X2 + ? 3X3 + ? 4X4 +†¦.. + ? nXn The relationship between the dependent variable â€Å"Quality of groupon service† and the factors identified through the above factor analysis is determined using multiple regression. Table shows the variance of this analysis. Tab

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Quiz About the Great Gatsby Essay

1. Who is â€Å"The Great Gatsby† narrated by? What do you know about his family background, and why does he com e to New York? What business is he in? Nick Carraway, the novel’s narrator, comes from a well-to-do Minnesota family. He travels to New York to learn the band business; there he becomes involved with both Gatsby and the Buchanas. 2. What is the difference between East Egg and West Egg? East Egg: East Egg is the fashionable group of social elite, also known as â€Å"old money† or people who have always had money. Tom and Daisy represent the â€Å"old establishment†, having lived the wealthy upper class for most of their lives. West Egg: West Eggers are the newly rich. The people who have worked hard and earned their money in a short period of time, sometimes by bootlegging (Gatsby). 3. Describe Tom Buchanan. How old is he? What was he famous for at college? How do you know that he is a racist? Tom Buchanan is 30 years old and he’s a former Yale football player who comes from an immensely wealthy Midwestern family. His racism and sexism are symptomatic of his deep insecurity about his elevated social position. He tried to interest others in a book called â€Å"The Rise of the Coloured Empiresâ€Å". 4. Where did Nick first meet Tom? How does Nick meet Gatsby? Tom Buchanan: Nick first met Tom at Yale University, and when Nick heads over to East Egg to have dinner with Daisy, his second cousin, he meets Tom again. Gatsby: Nick goes to his first party at Jay Gatsby’s after receiving an invitation via Gatsby’s chauffer. Suddenly a man tells Nick that he has to come with him. The man brings Nick to Gatsby, in his house during the party. 5. Where did Daisy first meet Gatsby? Why didn’t she wait for him and marry Tom instead? Gatsby and Daisy meet themselves for the first time in Louisville, where he was stationed at Camp Taylor as a young officer before being shipped overseas during World War I. Gatsby had to go to war and left Daisy at home. She once told him that the reason she didn’t wait for him is because â€Å"rich girls don’t marry poor boys†. Daisy was flattered by Tom’s generous gifts. 6. How do you know that Daisy and Tom’s marriage is troubled? She and Tom were in love at one point as well, and he also had the money to provide her with the lifestyle she was  accustomed to. Tom cheated on Daisy by having an affair with Myrthle. Tom hasn’t been faithful from the very beginning. 7. What are Daisy’s ambitions for her daughter? Why? Daisy hopes that her daughter once will be a little fool, because then she will never have to suffer the harsh realities of the real world. 8. What kind of background does Gatsby come from? How did he acquire his riches? He was born in North Dakota to an impoverished farming family. Gatsby made his fortune through criminal activity. Gatsby had a mentor from whom he learned the things that rich people do, how the live. Gatsby was a bootlegger and sold illegal alcohol. 9. Give reasons why Daisy doesn’t just leave Tom and break up her marriage. Daisy has a child with Tom and they also had a pleasant and wealthy life. Tom buys Daisy a lot of jewellery. Tom is also a Bully, so Daisy fears Tom. Above all, Daisy fears a scandal. Daisy doesn’t love Gatsby as much as he loves her. To Daisy, Gatsby is an affair. 10. Give reasons why Gatsby’s dream to get Daisy back doesn’t work. Daisy loved him, but she wanted to live with Tom. She didn’t want to leave him. It would be a scandal for Daisy’s family if they knew how Jay earns his money. 11. Explain what the â€Å"green light† at the end of Daisy’s dock symbolizes to Gatsby. The green light is a symbol for the hope and promise of the future. It’s like a guiding light to Daisy. 12. What does Mr. Klipspringer represent? He’s not a true friend, he is a shiftless freeloader who almost lives at Gatsby’s mansion. Though he takes advantage of Gatsby’s wealth and generosity, he fails to attend his funeral. 13. Why does Nick return to the Midwest at the end of the novel? After his friend Gatsby died, Nick wanted to return to the Midwest. He was disgusted at the behaviour of the East Eggers. To Nick the people of the Midwest are more honest and down-to-earth. 14. Explain the symbolism of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg. It’s a symbol of God seeing everything, even Myrtle’s affair. It is a metaphor for God.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Concert Orchestra experience Essay

I went to the UNT Concert Orchestra on Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012. It was held in Winspear Hall at the Murchison Performing Arts Center at 8:00 pm. The Concert was led by Conductor Clay Couturiaux and featured soloist Christopher Deane, who played the Marimba. The first piece was Variations on a Theme of Tchaikovsky, Op. 35a (1894) by Anton Arensky (1861-1906). The piece was written in 1894, in tribute to Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893). It was based on the theme from the poem â€Å"Legend†, written by Richard Henry Stoddard (1825-1903). This poem portrays the crucifixion of Christ. Arensky admired Tchaikovsky so much that he used the theme of â€Å"Legend† for a set of variations in the second movement of his Second String Quartet. This piece’s style is a themes and variations. Its instrumentation includes Cello solo, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets (A), 2 Bassoons + 2 Horns (F) + Violins I, Violins II, Violas, Cellos, and Double Basses. The second piece was Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra, Op. 34 (1957) by Robert Kurka (1921-1957). This piece introduced the marimba, which proved to the musical world that it could contend with instruments that had been used in orchestras and also provide a unique sound to the traditional orchestras played in regular concerts. This piece’s style is solo concerto. Its instrumentation includes the marimba and the orchestra. The third piece was Pictures at an Exhibition (1874) by Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881). This piece was inspired by the paintings of the artist Viktor Hartmann (1834-1873). This piece’s style is an orchestral suite. Its instrumentation includes 3 Flutes (2nd and 3rd doubling Piccolos), 3 Oboes (3rd doubling Cor Anglais), 2 Clarinets in A and Bb, Bass Clarinet in A and Bb, Alto Saxophone, 2 Bassoons, Double Bassoon, 4 Horns in F, 3 Trumpet in C, 3 Trombones, Tuba, Timpani, Percussion (xylophone, triangle, rattle, whip, side drum, bass drum, cymbals, suspended cymbal), 2 Harps, Celesta, and Strings. I picked the pieces was Variations on a Theme of Tchaikovsky, Op. 35a (1894) by Anton Arensky and Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra, Op. 34 (1957) by Robert Kurka. Both of these pieces were distinctly different than one another. The piece by Arensky depicts a sense of deep sadness and despair as a whole. It starts out containing elements of intimacy and moves towards a slow moving harmony. The structure of the music matched the structure of the original poem. The variations of sounds expressed many shifting moods such as a dialogue between instruments. Mood changed quickly throughout the piece and showed different parts of the melody, from increments of joy, to sadness, to a deep sorrow. The rhythm seamlessly continued throughout the piece acting towards each of the different themes described in its construction. The piece by Kurka produced a new and different type of classical music that is unique to the orchestra. The use of the marimba stood out from the traditional orchestral instruments. The first movement begins with an alternation between the marimba and the orchestra. Its upbeat sound resonates in a catchy chiming sound whose rhythm is clear yet unexpected. It provides a playful side to a usually stern and focused orchestra. As the second movement begins, it as if the marimba is communicating to the orchestra itself. As if it is trying to fit in with these classic types of instruments through its unique dynamics and resounding tone. It seems to clash with its orchestral counterparts. By the third movement, it seems as if all the instruments reach an agreement on the legitimacy of the marimba through its colorful and exciting solo. Although both pieces are completely different than one another, they both exhibit emotion. Arensky exhibits cruel sounding music that discusses the importance of religion and a series of events that affects a wide variety of people. It evokes a sense of despair that expresses a deep sounding melody. Kurka exhibits a different type of music that discusses the marimba’s rise to becoming a part of classical orchestra. Its colorful timbre expresses a joyful and unique melody that pleases the human ear. Anton Arensky (12 July 1861 -25 February 1906), was a Russian composer of Romantic classical music, a pianist and a professor of music. Pyotr Tchaikovsky was the greatest influence on Arensky’s musical compositions. Indeed, Rimsky-Korsakov said, â€Å"In his youth Arensky did not escape some influence from me; later the influence came from Tchaikovsky. He will quickly be forgotten. † The perception that he lacked a distinctive personal style contributed to long-term neglect of his music, though in recent years a large number of his compositions have been recorded. Therefore, his values are seemingly non-existent because of the major influence of Tchaikovsky and absence of his own personal work. Throughout the performance I did perceive a strong sense of historical value and defines not who Arensky was, but his role model Tchaikovsky and how his music conveyed a strong sense of religious value. Kurka’s Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra was the first marimba work to enjoy both widespread public appeal and widespread recognition of having a high level of musical sophistication fit for the concert hall. It debuted during the modern style period. It provided important historical value by Kurka finally representing everything that early marimba composers set out to do in one piece: create a sophisticated and serious musical work that is both challenging to the performer and which has widespread public appeal. I perceived an ongoing struggle throughout the piece, but as the performance continued it conveyed the struggle the instrument had to do in order to become a prominent part of the classical orchestra. Citatation Keunning, G. (1999). Symphony of the canyons. Retrieved from http://lasr. cs. ucla. edu/geoff/prognotes/mussorgsky/pictures. html Strain, James. â€Å"Vida Chenoweth. † Percussive Notes 32. 6 (1994): 8-9. Print. Stevens, Leigh Howard. â€Å"An Interview with Vida Chenoweth. † Percussive Notes 15. 3 (2002): 22-25. PAS Online Archive . Weir, Martin. â€Å"Catching up with Vida Chenoweth. † Percussive Notes 32. 3 (1994): 53-55. Print.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Sociological Theory Journal Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sociological Theory Journal Analysis - Essay Example The hypothesis says that "religious attendance promotes higher intergenerational closure, friendship networks with higher educational resources and norms, and extracurricular participation." (Jennifer 1). The study depends upon many previous researches (which say that religious participation improves psychological balancing, and there is an inverse relationship between religious participation and delinquency) to reach such a hypothesis. Ans. Yes, the article provides a very logical theoretical background by citing some other studies that speak about social capital. The article cites the theory put forward by Coleman (1988) who argued that in adolescents social participation enhances educational backgrounds. This article uses this theory to study about religious participation. The article uses various other related theories also. The author’s theoretical perspective shows us that religious involvement of the teens leads them to social networking and, eventually it leads to more beneficial outcome in the form of academic achievement and engagement. It is found that religious attendance improves adolescent friendship networks. Also religious attendance leads to less skipping of schools frequently. It is found that religious attendance encourages the teens to participate more n sports and other extra-curricular activities. It is very significant to the above inferences, since the participation in sports and extra-curricular activities improves academic performance. Ans. Even though the data are given to show that the hypotheses in right, the psychological dimensions are not given or explained. The study failed to explain convincingly how religious participation enhances academic performance. Ans. This theoretical is very useful in many ways. The socio-educational scientists can use the theoretical ideas for more researches in this field. The school managements can use these ideas in the application level to enhance the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The Impact of the Informal Economy on Mozambique Research Paper

The Impact of the Informal Economy on Mozambique - Research Paper Example This is based on the government’s efforts to encourage the informal firms to formalize their operations. The informal economy is characterized with unpredictable expansions especially when the economic growth is significantly low. It is also likely to shrink when the economic performance improve. The informal economy in Mozambique is comprised of about 7.7 million workers who are direct beneficiaries of the informal economy. Mozambique is a country that has enjoyed substantial success after going through a conflict that devastated its economy. The country experienced a significant economic increase between the years 2000 and 2006 of about 8 per cent. This success is attributed to the political stability and the macroeconomic stability that it has witnessed over years that it has under economic recovery. The strong economic development is mostly driven by foreign funded projects that are also boosted by the significant flow of aid. The informal economy has not been left behind as it is considered part of the vibrant economic growth2. The informal sector refers to the industrial sector that is not regulated by the government or the informal sector. It has made substantial contributions to the economy that has enabled the country boost its economy. The informal economy is an essential solution in ending poverty because it employs a good number of people. Statistics reveals that the informal economy in Sub Saharan Africa contributes about fifty per cent of the whole economy. Most African country’s economies depend on the Agricultural sector, while the informal sector has increasingly contributed to their GDP. The business in the informal economy employs a significant number of workers who are not employed by the formal sector. The statistics further indicate that over 89% of workers in the informal sector are women3. This is compared to only 54% of the workers who are

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 13

History - Essay Example Note the Confucius section is the last section of your paper and incorporates your experience from the two individual studies. There is only one Confucius section, not one for each individual   Thomas Jefferson was one of the most significant figures in U.S. History. He played a central role in the revolution; however, his most important contribution to the development of the new nation was his work on the Declaration of Independence. Indeed, Jefferson could be described as the most important of the Founding Fathers. Jefferson was born in1743 to a prominent Virginian farming family. Like most children from well-to-do families in the South he was well educated, studying Latin, Greek and eventually Law and philosophy at the College of William and Mary (Whitehouse.org). It is here that Jefferson was introduced to the British Enlightenment thinking of John Locke, Francis Bacon and Newton – three figures who were to have an enormous impact on Jefferson’s own political views (Peterson 1236). Upon graduating Jefferson practised law and entered Virginian political life. It was here that Jefferson began his more radical writing, protesting against the introduction of what he considered the implementation of unfair laws by the British Parliament (Remini 34). Jefferson was involved in the Second Continental Congress which produced his most famous and enduring document; the Declaration of Independence. After the Revolutionary War Jefferson entered re-entered politics serving as Governor of Vir ginia, a member of the new Congress, Ambassador to France, Secretary of State, and ultimately, the third President of the United States (McPherson 2000: 28-29). Jefferson made tremendous contributions to the evolutions and development of the Untied States. The three most important were, however, the creation of the Declaration if Independence, his co-founding of what was to become the Democratic-Republican party, and his actions during his Presidency – namely the

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Consumer Cultures, Environmental Futures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Consumer Cultures, Environmental Futures - Essay Example Catfish is one of the types of fish that people consume, which differentiate the consumers along different lines of the economy, society and political differences. Through this differentiation, people have different perspectives of looking at the catfish both from the perspective they may have from the influence they have from their culture and social ties. The analysis of production and consumption of catfish will help in explaining the various reasons that make it a consumer product of a specific group of people within a society, which may mean a lot of structure formulation within a society. The analysis focuses on the sources of catfish and the places in which it is a common form of food while in some others; it could be a rare commodity (Tucker and Hargreaves, 2004, p.27). Catfish are popularly produced in different places in the world as one of the small-fish that people consume as food for their own and which they sell to a few people around their environment. However, researc h shows that production of small-fish in sector of fishing is an aquaculture that usually target different people who fall in the low economic classes in the society. In the economy, consumption of these small-fish is therefore, related to specific people in the country who could be a having similar general characteristic (Tucker and Hargreaves, 2004, p.39). Catfish is mostly common among the Vietnamese who invest in production of the organisms for food in different place in both large-scale and small-scale levels of the economy. This production is facilitated by the demand that is raised for the food that that has some contents of fish and the different levels of production of catfish through the aquaculture technology implies the different demanding issues that surround food fish production within the society. In this respect, when food fish demand increases, people have adopted various ways through which they can improve the amount of products they obtain from their investment. I n the Vietnamese culture, fish are highly regarded and therefore, people adopt aquaculture in order to meet the local demands as well as the needs of others that are away from the country. In the aquaculture for production of the catfish species of the fish, there are different factors that favour the production in the area, which motivate people to invest in the production as a mode of subsistence or as a commercial activity. In order to produce, people depend on different opportunities that the environment offers, which help people to exploit it for their benefit. In this respect, people have different ways through which they produce the catfish to the different market in Vietnam or away from the country. The most common factors that are important in determining the production of the catfish include the sources of water where the fish will grow, the availability of fingerlings that grow to be the mature catfish and the space that is available for people in to establish their produ ction and the aquaculture. In most cases, people who invest in aquaculture try to establish their production by varying the conditions in the condition of the environment to allow the production even in places that are not very favourable for production. This aquaculture in

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Neo Aristotelian Analysis of Sex and the City Essay

Neo Aristotelian Analysis of Sex and the City - Essay Example According to Bushnell, the main characters of the story are based on her and her friends in real life (Degtyareva, 2005). This inspiration from real life makes the series believable and identifiable. The story is told in first person by Carrie in the form of a narration. Carrie often talks to the audience in the middle of a scene to make a specific point. The first person narration also means that we see the lives of the four women through Carrie's perspective. This is important since it impacts the "character" aspect of the Neo-Aristotelian Analysis and will be discussed in details below. The entire series is set in Manhattan and so the overall character of the city also influences the characters and their actions. At the start of the series, the audience is introduced to the four friends who are all single and looking for love. Carrie is a writer, Samantha is in public relations, Miranda is a lawyer and Charlotte works in an art gallery. The four friends have contrasting characteri stics. For example, while Samantha is assertive and aggressive and has a number of short lived affairs, Charlotte is much more traditional and believes in marriage and relationships. The four main characters hope to find love and marriage and so are shown dating a number of men through the series in an attempt to find the right life partner. The main theme repeated several times through the series shows someone of the main cast finding what seems to be the perfect man but then realizing that the said man is not the right one. Keeping this overall theme in mind, we shall now attempt a Neo-Aristotelian Analysis of the Sex and the City series. Action: The Neo-Aristotelian Analysis defines action as "any occurrence performed by a character, be it physical, mental or emotional that furthers the plot, delineates character, or explains or dramatizes a theme" (Taflinger, 1996). Action consists of eight parts. These are exposition, problem, point of attack, foreshadowing, complications, cris is, the climax and the denouement. In Sex and the City, we see these eight parts of the action being repeated in every episode, every season and in the series as a whole. In other words, every single episode had an exposition which establishes the status quo at the beginning of the episode. This is quickly followed by the problem definition as we were introduced to an issue that needs to be solved. Some kind of complication furthers the story to the crisis point which is than solved by the characters in the climax. As such, each episode is a complete story on its own and any person not following the series could still enjoy a particular episode. Just as each episode is complete on its own because it follows the eight parts of action, similarly, each of the six season is a complete story on its own. And the whole series also follows the eight actions to form a complete story which can be said to have an exposition, a problem, a complication, crisis, climax and denouement. This charac teristic off Sex and the City is common to all sitcoms wherein every episode is a complete story on its own and the entire series also tells a story. This action is extremely important for the success of a sitcom because every audience, irrespective of whether or not he/she is regularly watching the show, should be able to enjoy the episode. The aim of each episode is to hook any new viewer as well as keep the old

Monday, September 23, 2019

Genus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Genus - Essay Example The workers keep busy in construction and provision of food. Being sterile, they do not have a direct offspring but work cooperatively together to look after the offspring of the queen. However, these workers are not â€Å"obligatory sterile† (Ciszek 2000:1), meaning that they are capable of reproducing but when they have to live in colonies, they are not supposed to breed. But, if they are separated from their colonies, then they are able to actively reproduce. Worker mole-rats are able to transmit their genes to the next generation if they are sterile through the concept of inclusive fitness (Hamilton 1964:1; Axelrod & Hamilton 1981:1390), according to which if the worker mole-rats share genes with their mother queen, then they are able to assist her in raising future queens, thus, enabling the workers to transmit their genes. This assistance is a special feature of eusociality. Hence, we see close inbreeding in these mole-rats since there is high genetic similarity (Faulkes , Abbott & Mellor, 1990). This close inbreeding eliminates the chances of out-breeding in mole-rats which increases their relatedness to the queen’s offspring. This close genetic relatedness maximizes the workers’ potential to do more work. ... The male members of these non-workers mate with the breeding female. Since most of these non-workers are sleeping most of the time, thus, the overall energy requirement for the colony is reduced. Their main role is the assistance in the brought up of the offspring. Female mole rats of all these categories are non-breeding, and will never reproduce. Although they are not sterile, yet their ovaries have been found to be inactive. Male mole-rats are able to inseminate; however, small mole-rats have difficulty mating with the bigger breeding female. As far as the breeding female is concerned, she belongs to the category of non-workers, and is of the same size as that of non-workers. She is identified through her prominent mammary glands. The offspring that is born is fed by the breeding female, and rests with the sleeping non-workers. If the nest is in some danger, both the sexes of the frequent and infrequent workers pick up the offspring, and take him out of the nest. When the danger i s over, all the members of all castes bring him back in. During weaning, he feeds on the food brought in by the frequent workers; and, when he is about 2 months old, he joins the army of frequent workers, and is about their size at one year. His joining the caste of frequent workers is an evidence of that the naked mole-rats share an extended family, which makes them eusocial. Hence, the naked mole-rats are a perfect example of eusociality. They resemble a lot with eusocial insects but differ in that mole-rats do not have a clearly defined breeding male. The breeding female is not easy to catch which shows that she does not reside at such a place that is frequently exposed to dangers like predators. This feature is also present in eusocial insects.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Effects of Methamphetamine on the Human Body What Cases Have Been Seen to Prove this and How It Leads To Addiction Essay Example for Free

Effects of Methamphetamine on the Human Body What Cases Have Been Seen to Prove this and How It Leads To Addiction Essay Effects of Methamphetamine on the Human Body What Cases Have Been Seen to Prove this and How It Leads To Addiction Introduction Part A                   What effects does the over dependency to methamphetamine cause to the human body.                   Are there any cases that have been reported to prove this and if yes which ones are they? Methamphetamine is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that is a bitter tasting white crystalline powder devoid of smell. In street language it is popularly known                   as ice, chalk, crystal or meth with high solubility in water and alcohol making it an easy target for packaging into various forms. Methamphetamine affects the central nervous system and once it is in the body system, it creates a short but intense rush and users start experiencing a sense of increased activity, decreased appetite, and strong feelings of well being, high energy levels and sense of more power with the feeling lasting from a period of 20 minutes to 12 hours. When the effects start to where off, the user is left with a feeling of drained helplessness and depression this effects leads to the user having a high craving for the drug to maintain the state of euphoria. This craving for a sense of well being, hyper activity sense of power is what leads to addiction. Addiction to methamphetamine has to a large extent been classified as a moral issue by the public while to medical practitioners it has also gained weight as a medical issue.                   Methamphetamine causes development of side effects which are increased activity, euphoria and decreased appetite with methamphetamine being more potent because it passes through the blood brain barrier and enters the brain cells. The effects are more long lasting making it more dangerous on the central nervous system. It has been reported to have effects lasting as long as eight hours. This inquiry will focus mostly on the scientific research that has been carried out on methamphetamine addiction, its side effects and how it causes them and any remedies. Part B                   By the end of this learning process, the following objectives should be met. Reasons that lead to use of methamphetamine should be clearly understood. The various side effects should be well outlined and possible causes explained. Mechanisms involved and leading to methamphetamine addiction should be comprehended.                   Medically methamphetamine was developed for the treatment of nasal blockages and clearance of bronchioles in the lungs. Lately it has been used in low dosages for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and also in weight loss programmes but in a controlled manner and prescriptions is usually not refilled.                   Effects of methamphetamine vary and they mostly depend on the dosage type. For small doses, the drug causes strong and quick addiction, lack of sleep, increased blood pressure, pulses and respiration with decreased reaction times. This effects leads to a desire for more and in large doses, it causes convulsions, overheating of the body, and in more severe cases stroke and even heart attacks. The side effects are grouped into the following major categories (Methamphetamine in Jefferson County, 2008 p 3). Physical effects                   The most noticeable are muscle weakness, tremors and seizures dental decay, weight loss, anorexia, coughing, dry mouth , facial aging, brain damage kidney, heart and liver damage, skin sores and infection and also increased risk of stroke. Cognitive effects:                   This effects lead to decreased ability to recognize and recall words and pictures, make inferences manipulate information, learn from experience and users have the tendency to ignore irrelevant information Psychological effects:                   These effects are classified into two depending on the duration for short term effects; users experience increased sense of euphoria, high confidence and increased alertness. The users become more talkative, they are not bored easily and have an increased sex drive.                   Increased confidence Increased alertness Increased good mood Increased. Long term effects include increased aggression, lack of sleep; they become over anxious and are confused most of the time. Meth users become moody and they develop psychotic behaviours characterized by false delusions, they become paranoid and become suicidal.                   When ingested by pregnant women, the methamphetamine dissolves in the blood stream and is able to pass through to the fetus. The effects on the unborn children are diverse and so serious since they affect the normal development of the child. The most common effects are premature child birth and low birth rates for long time users, low birth weight since the mother does not eat enough food due to poor appetite and in most severe cases brain damage. Nutritionally, the baby is disadvantaged since the mother does not care a lot apart from craving for the next fix. Mechanisms leading to methamphetamine addiction                   Addiction to methamphetamine is caused by the drug’s pharmacology mainly how it is ingested, absorbed in the body, broken in the body and excreted (Otero et al., 2006 p. 4). The pharmacology of the drug is quite a complex process which involves the peripheral and central nervous actions. The drug belongs to the group of drugs known as amphetamines with a structure closely related to that of epinephrine norepinephrine and dopamine (Kish, 2008 p. 2).                   Due to its structure which is close to that endogenous neurotransmitters the drug is classified as a sympathomimetic drug and as such it interacts with sympathetic receptors of the central nervous system. Specifically, methamphetamine interacts with pre-synaptic receptors and induces effects by competitive antagonisms.                   There are different modes of methamphetamine usage and they determine how long the effects take to kick in and also increase the chances and easiness of addiction. When ingested the effects may take up to twenty minutes to be effected while I snorting the effects set in much quicker as fast as five minutes. The two routes of usage are not so much addictive. Highest rates of addiction have been reported when the route of intake was intravenous injection and lung inhalation through smoking. These last two routes potentiate risk of addiction since the drug is absorbed more rapidly in the brain. Effect on the central nervous system                   The amphetamines potent central nervous system appear as a result of the release of biogenic amines from the nerve terminals. This enhanced release of norepinephrine results in the anorexia effect of amphetamine and together with release of dopamine it creates a feeling of euphoria. When higher levels of dopamine are released to the mesolimbic system, it results in increased levels of serotonin which is responsible for mental disturbances and the psychotic behaviours.                   When the high dose of reaches the brain, it leads to a decrease in the levels of dopamine and serotonin and this is achieved through the activity reduction of the enzymes used in their synthesis mainly tyrosine dehydroxylase and tryptophan hydroxylase respectively. The following table shows a list of websites that were visited for the purpose of this research Title of report Website Retrival date Medication and behavioral treatments (2004) www.psattc.org11-11-2014 Children at clandestine methamphetamine labs: Helping meth’s youngest Victims(2006) www.ojp.usdoj.gov10-11-2014 NIDA Community Drug Alert Bulletin: Methamphetamine (n.d.). www.drugabuse.gov10-11-2014 Methamphetamine – Drug Facts 2005 www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov11-11-2014 Parenting Children Who Have Been Exposed to Methamphetamine (n.d) www.orparc.org10-11-2014 The sites used for this study are from various government departments, and organizations that carry out various health and substances abuse researches. From the websites, they end with either gov. or org. meaning they are reputable websites. Hence, the information obtained from these websites is also reliable and thus they were considered for this paper. In addition, the sources have evidenced based reports where quantitative or qualitative research were used to write the reports thus making the data included in this paper very reliable and viable. Part C Data from various website sources on methamphetamine and journals published online was used to come up with this report. Table showing the various side effects for methamphetamine users Physical effects Cognitive side effects Short term psychological effects Long term psychological effects Weight loss Failure to recall pictures Increased good mood Mood disorders Kidney and heart damage Failure to learn from experience Increased alertness Lack of sleep and increased anxiousness Increased risk of stroke Decreased ability to make inferences Increased talkativeness Confusion and aggression Skin sores and infections Decreased ability to manipulate information Increased confidence Increases psychotic behaviour Tooth decay Increased sex drive Hallucinations and increased suicidal tendencies Increased transmission of HIV due to sharing injecting needles Table showing usage of methamphetamine in terms of age (a 2003 survey on methamphetamine users among college going children and non-college attending children obtained from NSDH, 2005). Ages/ grades Used at least once Used in the past year Used in the last 30 days College students 5.8% 2.6% 0.6% Young adults(19-28) 8.9% 2.7% 0.7% Table showing use of methamphetamine in USA (NSDH, 2005 n.p) Used at least once Used in the past year Used in the last 30 days 12+ YEARS 4.9% 0.6% 0.2% Table showing use of methamphetamine in school going children (NSDH, 2005 n.p) Grade Used at least once) Used in the past year Used in the last 30 days 8th 2.5% 1.5% 0.6% 10th 5.3% 3.0% 1.3% 12th 6.2% 3.4% 1.4% Part D                   Comprehensive data obtained from various government and non-governmental websites, show that methamphetamine abuse cuts across all ages and social classes with the high-risk groups being people with low self-esteem, social pressure such as weight loss to gain an athletic or modeling body, depression, and those traumatised. While continued abuse leads to addiction, amount and ingestion routes are also determinants with smoking and injection contributing greatly to addiction. Though used medically for nasal and bronchial blockages, its abuse is the main concern due to the resulting side effects and the damages it causes. Journal                   Methamphetamine side effects are as a result of it passing through the brain blood barrier into the brain cells, where its main action is to decrease extracellular monoamine neurotransmitters, especially dopamine, via interfering with their reuptake and promoting their release at the nerve endings (Fleckenstein, et al., 2007 p. 687). Dependency on methamphetamine is a serious issue with major medical, psychiatric and social economic impacts in the society (Lapworth, et al., 2009 p. 383). Withdrawal from methamphetamine also results in impaired social functioning, fatigue and aggressiveness and more craving for the drug. This menace affects most people and users should not be alienated but helped to overcome the vice by taking them to rehabilitation centres.                   While it has been used medically to solve medical conditions such as nasal and bronchial blockages, it misuse is the main problem. Methamphetamine abuse cuts across all ages and social classes with the main contributing factors being low self-esteem, peer pressure, social pressure, depressions and even people suffering from traumas. The resulting side effects vary from person to person but prolonged abuse results to both physical defects such as tooth decay, weak limbs due to poor appetite, damages of organs especially the heart, kidney and liver and also psychological effects. The psychological effects are usually aggressive behaviors which endangers their lives and of those around them and psychotic behaviors which leads them in committing suicide. References Fleckenstein A., E., Volz, T., J., Riddle, E., L., Gibb, J., W., and Hanson, G., R. 2007. New insights into the mechanism of action of amphetamines. Journal of Annual Review in Pharmacology and Toxicology. 47: 681–698. Kish, S., J. 2008.Pharmacologic mechanisms of crystal Methamphetamine. Journal of Canadian Medical Association, 178 (13):1679-1682. Lapworth, K., Dawe, S., Davis, P., Kavanagh, D., Young, R., Saunders, J. 2009. Impulsivity and positive psychotic symptoms influence hostility in methamphetamine users. Journal of Addictive Behaviours ,34: 380–385 Methamphetamine in Jefferson County. 2008. Methamphetamine in Jefferson County. Understanding the Impact of Methamphetamine Abuse: Issue Paper and Recommendations NIDA Community Drug Alert Bulletin. n.d. Methamphetamine. www.drugabuse.gov. Office of National Drug Control Policy. 2005. Methamphetamine. www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov. Otero, C., Boles, S., Young, N. K., Dennis, K., 2006. Methamphetamine Addiction, Treatment, and Outcomes: Implications for Child Welfare Workers. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Substance Abuse Treatment Substance abuse department. 2008. National Survey of Drug Use and Health: National Findings. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. US Department of Justice. 2004. Children at Clandestine Methamphetamine Laboratories. www.ojp.usdoj.gov. Source document

Saturday, September 21, 2019

History of the Selective Service and the Draft

History of the Selective Service and the Draft Albeit with some qualifying distinctions, women have always served in the U.S. Military since the birth of America. Their roles, responsibilities and numbers have steadily increased over the years and their strides in equality have afforded them the same opportunities as men. However, they have never been subject to Selective Service registration or a military draft in America. Women continue fighting towards being considered equals in the eyes of the nation even though U. S. Military policies changed, lifting all restriction on combat roles. Some might say it is time while others might say women should never have to register. Women should be given the same legal obligation as men to register for the Selective Service by their 18th birthday. In 1917, Congress passed the Military Selective Service Act (MSSA) at the end of World War I, which authorized them to draft men as troops. President Roosevelt supported amending the act to draft women as nurses during World War II and the act passed in both the House and Senate just before the end of the war. The country came close to drafting women as nurses during World War II, but a surge of volunteers made it unnecessary. The draft, again, was used during both the Korean and Vietnam Wars and pulled from qualified men only. There was a lot of protest against the Vietnam War and the draft during this time. Nobody wanted to send the nations boys off to fight and die in a senseless war. Many men would find ways to dodge the draft. The drafts immense unpopularity during the Vietnam War saw to its end in 1973 and in 1975, whereupon registration for the Selective Service was no longer required. U. S. Military would now and for the next 40 years be considered an All-Volunteer Force. In 1980, the MSSA was reinstated and, once again, men between the ages 18 and 26 would have to register with the Selective Service. This reinstatement of the Selective Service Act came in response to heightened Russian military action and President Carter wanted to ensure that the nation had the contingence force to meet any possibly threats. Included in the Act was an amendment to consider women for registration and service in the U. S. Military. Congress approved reactivating registration, but declined the amendment due to Department of Defense (DOD) policy excluding women from assignments in combat positions. Even with the reinternment of the MSSA by President Carter, the draft was never enacted after 1973. December of 2015 brought a major shift to the U. S. Military with the announcement that all military jobs were now open to women. Military officials and Senators took this opportunity to reexamine and amend the MSSA to include female registrants. In June of 2016, the Senate passed the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act that included the amendment as the next logically progressive course of action. The primary reason for the Selective Services exclusion of women relied upon womens restrictions from combat roles. Still, many legislators oppose having the nations daughters, mothers and wives being drafted and forced to fight in a war. There are speculations that Congress had removed the amendment and corroborated a compromised version of the legislation with the Senate. The White House initially opposed women having to register with the Selective Service, but in December of 2016 voiced support for amendment and with women in combat roles. The final decision may not be with the President, Senate, or Congress, but rather with Federal Judicial branch, which may ultimately be the deciding voice on whether this policy is effectuated. Legal case against the Selective Service The MSSA has been legally challenged on severely occasions by citizens and organizations claiming unfair discrimination or unconstitutional merit. The issues are: who is being discriminated against and what rights are being violated? The answer: women for not having the same obligation and opportunities as men to defend our country or men for being singled out and forced to fight in a war in the event of the draft being enacted. In July of 1980, Robert Goldberg filed a lawsuit against Bernard Rostker and the Selective Service System, claiming the MSSA violated the Fifth Amendments due process clause and was unconstitutional. Rostker appealed the decision of the Pennsylvania Federal Court to the Supreme Court when Goldberg won. In the Supreme Court case of Rostker v. Goldberg (453 U.S. 57) of 1981, the court ruled in favor of Rostker stating that the MSSA does not violate the Fifth Amendment due process clause due to current restriction of combat roles on women. Congress concluded the MSSAs purpose relied on drafting combat troops, and restrictions made registering women null. In April of 2013, James Lesmeister and the National Coalition for Men filed a lawsuit against the Selective Service Administration once more claiming that the MSSA was unconstitutional. The Central District of California Court dismissed the case, stating U. S. Military policies still excluded women from combat positions. However, in February of 2016, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the courts dismissal, since the lawsuit had new legitimacy due to combat roles being now opened to women. Women in combat roles Women have societally fought hard to be considered equally qualified for the same positions and opportunities as men, and the U.S. Military is no exception. Since the 1990 and for the next 27 years, women have started to take a more direct role in combat positions and so has their heroism and sacrifices. The nation saw the first of many in the increase of womens roles; U.S. Navy warship and U.S. Air Force fighter squadrons commanders, women fly fighter jets in combat and combat missions off of aircraft carriers, cleared to serve aboard combat ships at sea and aboard submarines, and most recently with two women graduating from the U. S. Armys Ranger School. Army Capitan, Kristen Griest, one of the first women to graduate became the first female infantry officer in U. S. Army history (Kamarck, 2016b, p. 7). Women are now being accepted to many training courses that were once off limits. The U. S. Army has approved female officers for the Infantry and Armor branches and the U. S. Marine Corps approved women as riflemen and machine gunners. Womens heroism and sacrifice The Global War on Terrorism has proven that women being outside of combat roles do not equate women not being involved in combat. Women have earned an overwhelming number awards for valor during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraq Freedom (OIF) than any conflict before. The awards included Silver Stars, Distinguished Flying Crosses, Air Medals, and Bronze Stars the same awards men have received valor in combat roles. U. S. Army Sergeant Leigh Ann Hester became the first female soldier to be awarded the Silver Star since World War II and to be cited for close combat action (Kamarck, 2016b, p. 7). Heroism and sacrifice often intertwine, and women bore witness to sacrifice in combat, just like men. Margaret Cochran Corbin became the first woman to receive a military pension for an injury sustained in defense of Fort Washington during the American Revolutionary War (Kamarck b p1). The nonlinear warfare of the OEF and OIF put women in direct combat engagement, as a result women casualties and wounded then all other military conflicts combined. Women required register In a world of unpredictable political climates, inevitable foreign and domestic threats to our country and its U. S. Military call forth the need for the Selective Service. It serves as a natural deterrent to possible threats, stating that the U. S. Military has the ability to assemble a much larger force in times of crisis. The Selective Service System to as a relatively low-cost insurance policy against potential future threats that may require national mobilization beyond what could be supported by the all-volunteer force (Kamarck, 2016a, p. 24). Having women register for the Selective Service benefits our country twofold as it grants the U. S. Military an equally qualified group of citizens protecting the nation and it shows the U. S. Military has a higher ability to fill its ranks. The nation would truly show women are equal and in a time of national emergence can be called upon. Women not required register The ethical and moral issues arise by excluding women from registering now that military restrictions have been lifted; men would be forced to fight on the front line while women get to choose if the draft is ever enacted, and the MSSA is unconstitutional and discriminatory. Concerns of fairness and equality for men are raised when exemptions for women are currently in place, as men would not have an equal opportunity to opt out of combat assignments. The ability to choose opting from combat may cause its own issues for the Service, as many would choose to avoid combat, especially in the event of a war or national emergency (Kamarck, 2016a, p. 26). Legal cases can now be made against the MSSA being unconstitutional and discriminatory. Previous court roles will have to be re-examined and whether or not the MSSA violate the U.S. Constitutions equal protection clause will have to be addressed. A clear message would be sent throughout the nation regarding womens equality in society and t heir inability to protect the nation, even with the changes in military views (McGuire, 2014, p. 709). Resolving the Selective Service System By resolving the Selective Service, it could potentially increase the possibility of crisis throughout the world. Studies have shown that if the government tried to reintroduce a registration requirement during a time of a national need, there would sufficient challenges fully staffing and optimizing the necessary infrastructure that would be needed to meet the urgent DoD requirements. Enforcing a new registration requirement during time of need would likely result in a very low compliance rates, making difficult to establish a database of eligible individuals. (Kamarck, 2016a, p. 25) Conclusion The desirable outcome for the Selective Service will be with either women having to register or resolving the system all together. The truth is, nobody wants to see their sons or daughters being forced to fight in a war. The draft has been negatively perceived since the Vietnam War. Even the mention of the draft during any military action insets many to protests. The last time the draft was enacted, the overwhelming unpopularity caused it to be resolved. Many men found ways to avoid the draft, some more extreme than others. The Selective Service System has come under legal fire many times, suits claiming unfair discrimination or unconstitutional merit. For far too long, the Selective Service has been gender-exclusionary in regards to U.S Military restriction on combat roles. Now that policies have changed, so should the Selective Service. Regardless of gender, people who meet the required standards should be assigned to roles consistent to their abilities.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Essay --

How Jazz Musicians Influenced the Harlem Renaissance Jazz music was changed forever during the blossoming Harlem Renaissance, due to the great singers that changed the genre forever. Jazz music was a way for African Americas to get a sense of freedom. Singers like Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, and Lionel Hampton, for example, all took advantage of this freedom. Holiday, Armstrong and Hampton were so important to jazz music because they are still influence music today. Billie Holiday was born April 7th, 1915 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. â€Å"Holiday’s life was tinged with constant sadness, and she made every performance sound as if she had lived through the melancholy lyrics of the songs† (Shipton â€Å"Holiday†). She moved to New York with her mother and she sang in local clubs in Manhattan, even though she had no experience schooling. Throughout her career she faced racism as she traveled, especially when she sang in an all-white big band; this inspired her to join the desegregation movement. One of her most famous songs â€Å"Strange Fruits† was about southern lynching. During her career,...

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Racial Discrimination and Disparity in the United States Justice System

Introduction The issue of racial disparity in the criminal justice system has been a longstanding debate in this county. According to Tonry (as cited in Cole & Gertz, 2013) African Americans make up to 50% of the prison population but are only 12 % of the total United States population. Bobo and Thompson (2006) stated that Hispanics make up to 18 % of the prison population but are only 14 % of the total United States Population, while Caucasians make up to 75 % of the total population and are only 35 % of the prison population in American. (Coker,2003) supports Cole and Gertz and states that African Americans make up to half of the prison population while only accounting for 12 % of the population in the United States. According to NACP statistics (http://www.naacp.org/pages/criminal-justice-fact-sheet) African American and Hispanics make up 58% of all prisoners even though African Americans and Hispanics make up 25 % of the United States population. According to Hurwitz and Peffley (2010) Cauca sian men older than 18 have a 1 in 106 chance of being imprisoned, while in comparison to a 1 in 16 chance of being imprisoned for African American men in the same age range. According to (Coker,2003) estimated that 28 % of African Americans will be incarcerated at one point in their lifetimes. Small (2001) stated that one out of three African Americans in their twenties are either in jail, prison, on probation, or parole. Small (2001) stated that although African Americans make up 13 % of all drug users in America, they are 35 % of the people arrested for drug possession and 55 % of the people convicted for drug possession. According to Small (2001) African American men are sent to prison for drug offenses at rate 20%-57% times great... ... Criminal Justice: How Much Is Too Much? Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, 100(3), 903-932. Engel, R.S., & Calnon, J. M. (2004). Examining The Influence Of Drivers' Characteristics During Traffic Stops With Police: Results From A National Survey. Justice Quarterly: JQ, 21(1), 49-90. Hurwitz, J., & Peffley, M. (2010). And justice for some: Race, crime, and punishment in the US criminal justice system. Canadian Journal of Political Science, 43(2), 457-479. Nation Association for The Advancement of Color People. Criminal Justice fact sheet. Retrieved from http://www.naacp.org/pages/criminal-justice-fact-sheet Small, D.( 2001) The war on drugs is a war on racial justice. Social research, 68(3) 896-902. The Bureau of Justice Statistics. Thomsen, F. (2011). The Art of the Unseen: Three challenges for Racial Profiling. Journal Of Ethics, 15(1/2), 89-117.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Adult Education Essays -- Teaching Education Essays

Adult Education Education is the most important activity that every human should be an active partaker. Education is an activity that is designed to bring about changes in the knowledge, skills, attitudes and perceptions of individuals, groups or communities. Adult learning does not occur in a vacuum. What one needs or wants to learn, what opportunities are available, the manner in which one learns-all are to a large extent determined by the society in which one lives. Whenever adults are asked about their learning, they most often mention education and training programs sponsored by the workplace, colleges and universities, public schools, and other formal organizations. They first picture classrooms with â€Å"students† learning and â€Å"teachers† teaching in a highly structured format. Yet when we ask these same adults about what they have learned informally over the last year, they typically respond with descriptions of learning activities outside these formal settings. They discuss, for example, remodeling a house, which has involved everything form reading and talking...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Ceremony “Tayo’s Conflicts” Essay

In Ceremony, Leslie Marmon Silko writes an interesting novel with many conflicting issues on the main characters side, Tayo. One of Tayo’s main conflicts is about his culture and how he is not well accepted by some of the people who coexist with him in his daily life. Other terrifying conflicts that Tayo had were the ones about Josiah and Rocky’s way of dying, which in Tayo’s conscious he declared himself guilty for their death. Therefore, he would have unhealthy psychological flashbacks. Problems compounded with his friends even more when he started hanging out with them after the war. Getting drunk, picking up women and bragging about his war heroics would never make Tayo completely comfortable, instead problems would soon initiate. With these conflicts in mind, Tayo would soon have to resign himself to find the way to recover from his psychological problems. Tayo’s mixed race between an Indian and Mexican was not well accepted by his native society, therefore Tayo experienced a great deal of cultural conflict. With Tayo being both white and Native American his life was surrounded by a great deal of neglect. He did not identify or felt completely part of one culture or the other, which made him struggle with a lack of knowing where he really belong. Eventually, Tayo improves and is able to better connect with both cultures. He acknowledges the influence of white American culture on his traditional Native American heritage. With his acceptance, Tayo’s life becomes better as he is able to harmonize the two cultures he was born into. With the death of both his Uncle Josiah and cousin Rocky, Tayo’s mental problems became worst. Tayo became disoriented believing that the man in the Japanese uniform was his Uncle Josiah. When Tayo saw this, he started screaming while Rocky attempted to calm him down, but Rockies words were not helping Tayo settle; for Tayo, his uncle was dead. Tayo faced the same dilemma after his cousin Rocky’s death. He experienced great guilt when Rocky died in a death march in the Pacific. Tayo was very hard on himself because he could not prevent his cousin Rocky from being killed in the war. Although Tayo never fully recovers from this conflict, gradually he will learn to reestablish himself from this drawback. Getting drunk, picking up women and bragging about his war heroics with his  friends, was making Tayo experience more psychological traumas. His problems turn out to be compounded by his friends. Harley and Leroy encourage him to use alcohol as a way to escape from life. However because of Tayo’s deep spirituality, he gets frustrated by his friend’s destructive behavior. When Emo, another Native American veteran starts to brag about how he enjoyed killing people during the war, Tayo’s tension erupts into violent anger and attacks Emo. Luckily Harley and Leroy stopped him before killing Emo. This attempt to fight violence with violence further aggravates Tayo’s psychological alienation. What I think about Tayo’s frustrating conflicts is that they don’t clarify progress at any point. Tayo will struggle throughout the ceremony because I believe that people that go to war never fully recover psychologically, especially because of what Tayo believed to have seen and lived during and after the war. Because the story goes back and forth, from past to present it confuses the reader. Also, the reader has to understand that stories about people who go to war will always make us have different opinions for the simple reason that people who fought in the line of duty will not come back home well mentally recovered. This is the case with the soldier narrator who plays his part hallucinating throughout the war. The reader faces whether to believe him or his partner who is more conscious and aware of what is really going on. What is your opinion?

Monday, September 16, 2019

Teaching pronounciation

Teaching Pronunciation Pronunciation involves far more than individual sounds. Word stress, sentence stress, intonation, and word linking all influence the sound of spoken English, not to mention the way we often slur words and phrases together in casual speech. What are you going to do? ‘ becomes Whaddaya gonna do? English pronunciation involves too many complexities for learners to strive for a complete elimination of accent, but improving pronunciation will boost self esteem, facilitate communication, and possibly lead to a better Job or a least more respect in the workplace.Effective communication is of greatest importance, so choose first to work on problems that significantly hinder communication and let the rest go. Remember that your students also need to learn strategies for dealing with misunderstandings, since native pronunciation is for most an unrealistic goal. A student's first language often interferes with English pronunciation. For example, [p/ is aspirated in English but not in Spanish, so when a Spanish speaker pronounces ‘pig' without a puff of air on the / p', an American may hear ‘big' instead.Sometimes the students will be able to dentify specific problem sounds and sometimes they won't. You can ask them for suggestions, but you will also need to observe them over time and make note of problem sounds. Another challenge resulting from differences in the first language is the inability to hear certain English sounds that the native language does not contain. Often these are vowels, as in ‘ship' and ‘sheep,' which many learners cannot distinguish. The Japanese are known for confusing [r/ and Ill, as their language contains neither of these but instead has one sound somewhere between the two.For problems such as these, listening is crucial because students cant produce a sound they can't hear. Descriptions of the sound and mouth position can help students increase their awareness of subtle sound differences. Here are some ideas for focusing on specific pronunciation features. Voicing Voiced sounds will make the throat vibrate. For example, [g/ is a voiced sound while / k/ is not, even though the mouth is in the same position for both sounds. Have your students touch their throats while pronouncing voiced and voiceless sounds. They hould feel vibration with the voiced sounds only.Aspiration Aspiration refers to a puff of air when a sound is produced. Many languages have far fewer aspirated sounds than English, and students may have trouble hearing the aspiration. The English /p/, m, /k/, and /ch/ are some of the more commonly aspirated sounds. Although these are not always aspirated, at the beginning of a word they usually are. To illustrate aspiration, have your students hold up a piece of facial tissue a few inches away from their mouths and push it with a puff of air while ronouncing a word containing the target sound.Mouth Position Draw simple diagrams of tongue and lip positions. Make s ure all students can clearly see your mouth while you model sounds. Have students use a mirror to see their mouth, lips, and tongue while they imitate you. Intonation Word or sentence intonation can be mimicked with a kazoo, or alternatively by humming. This will take the students' attention off of the meaning of a word or sentence and help them tocus on the intonation. Linking We pronounce phrases and even whole sentences as one smooth sound instead of a eries of separate words. ‘Will Amy go away,' is rendered ‘Willaymeegowaway. To help learners link words, try starting at the end of a sentence and have them repeat a phrase, adding more of the sentence as they can master it. For example, ‘gowaway,' then ‘aymeegowaway,' and finally ‘Willaymeegowaway' without any pauses between words. Vowel Length You can demonstrate varying vowel lengths within a word by stretching rubber bands on the longer vowels and letting them contract on shorter ones. Then let the students try it. For example, the word ‘fifteen' would have the rubber band stretched or the lee' vowel, but the word ‘fifty' would not have the band stretched because both of its vowels are spoken quickly.Syllables Have students count syllables in a word and hold up the correct number of fingers, or place objects on table to represent each syllable. Illustrate syllable stress by clapping softly and loudly corresponding to the syllables of a word. For example, the word ‘beautiful' would be loud-soft-soft. Practice with short lists of words with the same syllabic stress pattern (‘beautiful,' ‘telephone,' ‘Florida') and then see if your learners an list other words with that pattern.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

People Today Move to New Cities Essay

People today move to new cities or new countries more then ever before.what challenges do they experience ?what strateges are there to meet these challenges? Moving to a new place, either within a country or overseas, is a very hard situation. One must take several considerations before leaving the home where a person grew and live for many years. People who are planning to relocate should know the big challenges ahead and they must also learn to take note of the strategies in facing these upcoming changes. Humankind has many reasons for leaving their hometown and trying to mix and mingle with other races. Most if them will move temporarily for the sake of their career, for them to be able to gain new experiences, to search for a high paying job or simply for promotion. While others relocate permanently to be with their husband and wife. Some search for a new place to live in just to try different locations and environment. Most of the expatriates claimed that they had a hard time adapting to a new world. It is not really that easy to move away from one’s family and work without knowing how long one would stay far away from home. One of the big challenges in these kind of situation is homesickness. The family is celebrating a simple event and friends are having their new routines without one’s presence. Having a phone call is becoming hard for them, making the separated loved one sad and lonely. Another thing to take in consider is the location of the new soon to be haven. If it is safe, as well as the people and environment that surrounds it. If there will be a near department stores, groceries, bank and other daily things to be needed. Before moving to a different site, one must first search for the specific details of that place. Like for example, the cost of living, a person might not want to be surprise with a high cost of living, especially to those who have kids. Furthermore, to a career-oriented ones, they should know if the city or a country has a good economy for them to anticipate a good pay. As well as learning in advance the culture of the place in order for them to avoid culture shock and deal with it easily. relocating to a new world is a bad idea to some people. So, a person must be prepared to face the major changes and open-mindedly accept the inevitable challenges to make a successful transfer.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Diversification Strategy Essay

The Videocon group’s core areas of business are consumer electronics and home appliances. They have recently diversified into areas such as DTH, power, oil exploration and telecommunication. Consumer electronics In India the group sells consumer products like colour televisions, washing machines, air conditioners, refrigerators, microwave ovens and many other home appliances, through a multi-brand strategy with the largest sales and service network in India.[4]   Mobile phones In November 2009, Videocon launched its new line of mobile phones.[5] Videocon has ever since launched a number of innovative handsets ranging from basic color FM phones to high-end Android devices. And in February 2011, Videocon Mobile Phones launched the revolutionary concept of ZERO paise per second with pre-bundled SIM cards of Videocon mobile services along with 7 of its handset models. Colour picture tube glass Videocon is one of the largest CRT glass manufacturers in the world, operating in Mexico, Italy, Poland and China. Oil and gas An important asset for the group is its Ravva oil field with one of the lowest operating costs in the world producing 50,000 barrels of oil per day.[6] DTH Main article: Videocon d2h In 2009, Videocon launched its DTH product, called ‘d2h’. As a pioneering offer in the Indian DTH market, Videocon offered LCD & TVs with built-in DTH satellite receiver with sizes 19†³ to 42†³. This concept in the DTH service is relatively new in the presence of other players like ZEE TV’s Dishtv, Tata Sky, Air tel Digital TV and Reliance’s BIG TV providing only the set top box. Telecommunication Videocon Telecommunications Limited has license for mobile service operations across India. It launched its services on 7 April 2010 in Mumbai. Acquisition of Thomson SA Videocon through its Wholly Owned Offshore Subsidiary acquired the Color Picture Tube (CPT) businesses from Thomson S.A having manufacturing facilities in Poland, Italy, Mexico and China along with support research and development facilities. Acquisition rationale The acquisition came at a time when Thomson was facing a fall in demand in developed markets for television with CPTs and was moving more towards Flat-screen and Plasma Television. However, Videocon saw an opportunity in the emerging countries for CPTs and hence pursued with the acquisition. Besides, the acquisition gave Videocon, the access to advanced technology giving the company control over an R&D facility in Agnani, Italy. The major reasons behind this acquisition were:[7] Cost cutting – Videocon was better positioned to shift the activities to low-cost locations and also it could integrate the operations with the glass panel facility in India with the CPT manufacturing facilities acquired from Thomson S.A. Videocon wanted to leverage its position in the existing parts of the business and this acquisition would give it a strong negotiation position and could reduce impact of glass pricing volatility. Videocon could also reduce the costs by upgrading and improving the existing production lines. Vertical Integration – The acquisition helped Videocon in vertically integrating its existing glass-shell business where it had been enjoying substantially high margins.[8] Videocon’s glass division had the largest glass shell plant in a single location. This gave the company an unrivaled advantage in terms of economies of scale and a leadership position in the glass shell industry. The acquisition also gave Videocon a ready-market for its glass business and it was part of Videocon’s long-term strategy to have a global vertically-integrated manufacturing facility. Rationalization of Product Profile – Videocon modified its product profile to cater to the changing market needs like moving away from very large size picture tubes to smaller ones.[9] Apart from the overall strategy Videocon also had a plan on the technological front. It wanted to improve the setup for the production line and line speed post-merger. Its focus was to increase sales while reducing the costs and thereby improving the productivity of the existing line. The company also wanted to foray in a big way into LCD panels back-end assembly . On the sales front the company wanted to leverage on the existing clients of Thomson and build relation as a preferred supplier to maximise sales. Also, Videocon could benefit from OEM CTV business with the help of Videocon’s CTV division, invest for new models and introduction of new technologies.[10] Thomson’s perspective In 2004 Thomson planned entry into the high-growth digital media and technology business. Also, Thomson wanted to exit consumer and electronics businesses as they were incurring significant losses. After sale of its TV business to Chinese group TCL, and Tubes to Videocon, Thomson divested from the audio/video accessories business which was the last unit of its consumer electronics business. The need to divest are quite evident from the losses that it incurred in these businesses particularly that the unit that it sold off to Videocon, the Optical Modules activity, and the Audio/Video & Accessories businesses which totalled around â‚ ¬749 million for 2005. Moreover Thomson had done some acquisitions that were in line with boosting their revenues in the following years. [11] Other competitors for the acquisition When Videocon entered the race for the colour picture tubes manufacturing capacity of Thomson SA in November 2004, there were 16 other bidders. Videocon stood slim chances given the fact that it had to battle it out with players like LG, Philips, Samsung and Matsushita, Daewoo and several Chinese manufacturers but finally managed to close the deal. The deal catapulted Videocon into the No. 3 slot in the global pecking order for CPTs. An official of Videocon said on the deal â€Å"The word is out in the world that India and Indian companies are not just a good bet by themselves, but also a hedge against China.â€Å" [12] Pre-merger scenario analysis CPT industry is affected by many competitive factors such as change in the consumer preferences, the product offer strategy of retailers, the progress made by alternative technology manufacturers, capacity adjustment facility of competitors etc. Based on all of these factors there were two scenarios that emerged from the 2005 budget of Videocon. The first scenario is a conservative one. It mainly assumes Price pressures similar to those in the past(-8 to -12%),capacity reduction over a period of two years, a gradual shift to newer technologies like True Flat and good amount of growth for LCD makers. The second scenario is a more aggressive one in term of trends predicted. It assumes that the switch to TrueFlat would be faster, more overcapacity, more competition from LCD manufacturers and rising price strategy pressures in general. The second scenario obviously requires an industrial strategy which is more adapted to the environment. However even if the second scenario arises,Videocon believes there is an opportunity in the CRT business. Though it is very obvious that in the developed markets of the western world the demand is shifting towards the flat panel side(FPD it is expected to contribute 70% of TV market in these regions),in the emerging markets like BRIC CRT still holds fort. CRT holds a dominant 70% share in these markets. When translated into number of units the demand is more than 100 million units. As Videocon is primarily based in these countries, it hopes to harness the value of the Thomson acquisition in the coming years.[citation needed] [edit] Post merger situation (2008) Videocon has not been able to turn the plant around in Italy still. However it is getting support from the local government(which want to prevent job cuts) in form of grants. The government is in fact trying to set up a Greenfield venture in form of a LCD manufacturing facility in partnership with Videocon. The banks are also supporting Videocon and with help from all these quarters Videocon expects to turn around the plant in Italy.[13] The Thomson plant has not turned around in Mexico as well and in fact production has been reduced over there.In Poland,the situation is more promising and Videocon hopes that plant over there will get in black in the very near future.[14] However the surprise has been in the Chinese market .Despite facing a highly competitive market Videocon has managed to turn a plant around while the other is on its way. In China Videocon is adopting a different strategy for manufacturing CTVs as the local players dominate the market .It plans to supply these players by taking advantage of low-cost nature of mainland(the number targeted by it about 6 million CPTs).[15] [edit] Thomson’s exit from Videocon Thomson is looking to sell out its stake in Videocon (a 10 percent stake via GDRs) and in most likelihood it would be bought by Videocon itself. Thomson would be exiting at a loss as it had acquired the stake at around Rs 400 per share (approximately equal to $10 per share).The deal is expected to happen at current market prices. Videocon’s GDR is currently traded at around $5.06 on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. On the Bombay stock exchange its trading around INR150 against the 52 week high of INR868 in Jan 2008. Another point to be noted is that this won’t attract the market regulator’s â€Å"creeping acquisition† norm which comes into force once they acquire more than 5% stake,as the deal would be an overseas. [16]

Friday, September 13, 2019

Sexual Disorders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Sexual Disorders - Essay Example Nowadays, there is a universal framework of sexual disorders in terms of their causes, i.e. the scheme which will be presented below, can be applied to various forms of sexual imbalance. As Krueger and Kaplan write, Freudian approach to sexual dysfunction (Freud and his disciples identified sexual disorders as a result of incomplete Oedipus’ and Electra’s complexes in males and females correspondingly) is out-of-date, as psychodynamic perspective has already proved its inconsistency unless it is combined with social psychological views ( Krueger and Kaplan, 2000). As the scholars write, human matrix of sexual behavior underlies in the set of accepted sexual norms. â€Å"A forbidding, puritanical rejection of physical sexuality, including touching, by a parent engenders guilt and shame in a child and inhibits his capacity for enjoying sex and developing healthy intimate relationships as an adult. Relations with parents may be damaged by excessive emotional distance, by punitive behaviors, or by overt seductiveness and sexual exploitation† (Krueger and Kaplan, 2000). Fergusson adds to this viewpoint and claims that a number of sexual disorders are rooted in human guilt associated with masturbation (Fergusson, 1999), towards which the society has developed punitive attitudes so that the individual feels sexually marginalized (even though statistics suggests that about 97% males and 80% females satisfy their sexual needs on their own (ibid)) and thus impaired in terms of sexual performance. Furthermore, intensive and frequent sexual activity can also result in the ‘sexual tiredness’ and the emergence of sexual disorders, which serve the goals of sexual novelty and re-obtaining of intimacy (Federhoff et al, 1999). Furthermore, Federhoff and his colleagues hold that the gradual destruction of the bond between emotionality and sexuality leads to the mechanization of sexual life with following emergence of sexual

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Rhetorical Perspectivism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Rhetorical Perspectivism - Essay Example Rhetorical perspectivism, as union of communication and Philosophy, postulates that in practicing this stance, there would be a balanced objectivity when it comes to the openness of a person’s mind towards ideas opposing his own thought, and is vital in acquiring unbiased learning. Rhetorics and Perspectivism Rhetorics and perspectivism were once separate ideologies. The art of rhetorics can be traced back to the age of oratorical speeches in Ancient Greece. According to Cline (2010), Greeks of long ago wondered about language, and this curiosity has led to the â€Å"realization, coming from collective political arrangements† that spoken and written language â€Å"had very real effects towards the polis.† This idea is parallel to Aristotle’s view which states that rhetorics is â€Å"a means of persuasion† and makes it as a unique form of art (as Cited in Xiuguo, 2005). It is believed that rhetorics is practiced the way it is because Greeks who could afford education primarily want to learn how â€Å"to speak with authority† for future involvement in the state affairs or Politics (Cline, 2010). Nowadays, rhetorics is seen as a way to â€Å"coordinate social action† in response to an influence of an opinion (Xiuguo, 2005). Perspectivism, on the other hand, is more related to the area of Philosophy. The tenets of perspectivism were conceptualized by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, where his core assumption argues that there is no absolute truth. However, other contemporary philosophers questioned the â€Å"truthfulness† of Nietzsche’s concept. Clark (n.d.) argues that if Nietzsche’s claim is true, then no philosopher could assure the validity of their assumption, and even Nietzsche’s idea would negate itself (as cited in Olson, n.d.). However, Olson (n.d.) was able to resolve this dilemma by treating Nietzsche’s concept as â€Å"the best way to live one’s life in the absence o f an absolute truth.† Nietzsche’s perspectivism may have been the mother concept of the old phrase: â€Å"the truth at the other side of the table.† Both rhetorics and perspectivism, although different, have their own seats in the room of education. Basically, the two are treated as separate fields of concern, where rhetorics is categorized along with the other pillars of public speaking and perspectivism in the area of philosophy. However, rhetorical perspectivism shifts the normal treatment of both subjects is inter-related bodies of knowledge which are specifically helpful in the area of education, with respect to the different learning strategies of each student. Olson (n.d.) promotes open-mindedness as the main thought of Nietzsche’s perspectivism, and thus, it plays a critical role in the field of debate and argumentation; activities where rhetorics is strongly related. At this point, one can see the vague line connecting the two disciplines which co uld possibly be the key of unraveling the ideas of Cherwitz and Hikins and the birth of rhetorical perspectivism. Cherwitz and Hikins denounce subjectivity and intersubjectivity in rhetorical perspectivism, since it is much like weighing all sides of an argument rather than sticking to one’s belief as indispensable truth. Rhetorical Perspectivism and its Role in Education Lucaites, Condit, and Cuadill (1999) contend that rhetorical perspe