Material religion

Connection with the material world is inevitable for a person with all senses in tact.   Upon rising at 5:30am, one can watch the sun rise over the land, eat breakfast, listen the news, shower, and dress, put on jewelry, and maybe even find a few minutes to establish a connection with the Divine.   One great dialogue among contemporary social scientists today, is determining the place religion occupies in the material world: i.e., how does it influence the culture of a people?   Within the body of this paper, we will explore the influence of Buddhism on Chinese Culture, Christianity on American culture, and the role of the physical senses in one’s experience of the divine. For many years, spirituality and the material world were seen as two different spheres†¦one is governed by the tides of commerce while the other is inhabited by mysterious supernatural beings.   In the twentieth century, the rise of the natural sciences and Communism pushed religion into the background, however with the terrorist attacks of 9/11, conservative governments in many Western countries, and movies like The Passion of the Christ, the question of religion’s place in society had once again come to the foreground. Since the enlightenment period, sensory data was used to dispute claims of the existence of a super-natural world beyond this one.   Because one cannot hear, see, smell, or feel God, the angels, ghosts, or draw tears of blood from a statue through any normal means, many, especially in the academic community, dismissed these possibilities.   Is religion not extrasensory by its very nature, requiring the faculties of human intuition and faith?   Some might say that these human sensory deprivation entities have more spiritual advantages because they are not tempted by the physical world.   However, Clark argues that religion cannot exist without the input of the same senses used to disprove it. Calling upon the readers to imagine living without the imagery, musical, and gustatory rituals surrounding many religious ceremonies, she says that such a spirituality would never come into being, â€Å"Close your eyes and imagine a life without mediation.   You are blind, deaf, dumb, and unable to touch or smell anything in your environment.   The majority of us would find it difficult to cope with the loss of even just one of these senses.   Now pause and consider a religious life without mediation.   Even the least overtly sacramental faiths depend on visual, oral, and material culture in everyday life†(Clark, 123-4). Apparently, it is her argument that the religious and the material work together in a symbiotic relationship to form a coherent vision of reality for adherents.   Paintings of saints, prophets, angels, the crafting of temples and cathedrals, and symbols such as the Cross, Star of David, and swastika (in Buddhism) help to forge a material link to the spiritual realm. When Buddhism was first introduced to China, many of its symbols were adopted into the mainstream of Chinese culture.   For example, elaborate circular paintings called mandalas, had become objects of meditation, as did swastikas.   Many important figures such as Kuan Yin were venerated as bodhisattvas, enlightened beings that returned to the world repeatedly to help liberate all other beings from the wheel of death and birth before claiming this liberation for themselves.   These Bodhisattvas were extremely popular in China before the rise of Communism. The robes monks and nuns used to adorn themselves were immediately indicative of the Buddhist order, and the laity would support them, and visit the monastery for instruction in meditation,  Ã‚   â€Å"Images and relics allowed the ordinary person to experience Buddhism in a manner that was at once powerful and intimate, without the immediate intervention of learned intermediaries explaining what should be felt, what should be understood.   Sacred objects, perhaps more than any of the other types of Buddhist objects, rendered the religion tangible and proximate for any who wished it, from the most erudite of monks to the illiterate devotee†(Kieschnick, 24). Today, Asian philosophical systems such as yoga and Zen are marketed to American consumers through fitness classes, clothes (containing Sanskrit script such as the OM symbol), and books promising to help the reader with relationship dilemmas and career moves.   Today, more Westerners are embracing Eastern philosophy because of its dissemination through the popular culture of the Internet and the bookstore scene. Even in Christianity, a religion that traditionally eschews the trappings of materialism to embrace a life of simple service, iconographic images aids the faithful not only in making their religion more practical, but helping to connect strangers that share the same beliefs, â€Å"Religious objects function within complicated networks of beliefs, values, myths, and social structures. Clerical elites articulate the proper use of objects based on their understanding of scripture and religious traditions.   People relate to objects as if they were sacred characters, in spite of warnings against idolatry.   Religious artifacts may also function like tools they help Christians to acknowledge common commitments, delineate differences, express affection, or socialize children†(McDannell, 57). In the modern age, many people buy jewelry, t-shirts, and bumper stickers to share their beliefs with the world.   For example, since the 1980s, Christian Rock had gathered quite a following, and there are many radio stations in the area dedicated to playing Christian music.   To many children and young adults, attending religious institutions is a boring way to spend a Sunday (Friday, or Saturday) afternoon.   With the introduction of religion into pop-culture, people are viewing spirituality as a more socially desirable phenomenon. Works Cited Clark, Lynn. Religion, Media, and the Marketplace. NJ: Rutgers UP, 2007 Kieschnick, John The Impact of Buddhism on Chinese Material Culture. NJ: Princeton UP, 2003 McDannell, Colleen. Material Christianity: Religion and Popular Culture in America. CT: Yale

Case Study Jyske Bank Essay

Jyske Bank was established in 1967 after merging four Danish banks operating in Jutland. Jyske Bank had been considered as a typical Danish bank, which is prudent, conservative, well managed and undifferentiated till the late 1990s. However, with the new strategy, the bank developed to guide differentiation from the mid of 1990s among great amount of Danish banking customer satisfaction. Q1. What is Jyske Bank’s new positioning or competitive differentiation strategy? Base on the case, Jyske Bank’s new positioning strategy is strongly believed to be developed from its core values and Jyske Differences by the managers. In order to achieve Jyske Differences, which comes from Jyske Bank’s core values, the bank’s managers just became overt about values they had long held. The core values allow managers to reevaluate how the bank operate and service its consumers. Therefore, managers decided to have some specific practices that deliver service differently from both how it had in the past, and how other banks delivered service. In other words, they would have to change their conservative position of the past and become a service driven and customer innovative bank within the competitive banking sector. With the assistant of Dutch consultant that the research findings showed the target market consisting mainly of Dutch families (60% retail) and small Danish businesses (40% commercial), were favorable towards the idea of bank that had a persona and believed in what it stood for. Additional research was also conducted in more difficult areas concerning the banks 4P’s- Product, Place, Price and Promotion from a customer orientated standpoint. In contrast, soft factors such as customer relationships with the bank, served as the bank’s differentiation. From Exhibit 1, which indicates that Danish Banks were in intensive competition, Jyske Bank’s managers should reestablish its competitive position, it went through a major transformation and positioned itself as a highly customer-focused bank, eager to foster relationships with customers, understand their needs and sell solutions accordingly. Jyske Bank’s new positioning is only targeted less risky customers who could afford its premium pricing and were comfortable with the banks candid personality and portrayed image. Although after that the bank  is only about 6% of the market, but that is what call personality, some people should dislike them. Jyske Bank’s competitive differentiation strategy was born out of its ‘values and differences’ discussed in the case Exhibit 4, which emphasized equality, transparency, honesty, respect and efficiency. The aim was to have these values embedded in each of the external customer-facing and internal aspects of its business and operations and distinguish itself from competition. Jyske Bank differentiated itself on the service delivery aspect and invested in tools that would improve its employee’s ability to deliver solutions and increase the time spent with its customers. Thus, the competitive differentiation strategies mainly contain a shift from traditional product focused selling to a customer- solution approach and the way the bank’s core financial product to deliver so as to give customers a different banking experience. Q2. What changes did the bank make to gat to its new position? What effect did these changes have? In order to successfully implement its new customer- focused strategy, Jyske bank had to make both tangible and intangible changes in their business operations, as well as how they delivered service to its customers, where necessary not only to influence the outcome of the business but also to provide guaranteed customer satisfaction. These changes were made to reflect Jyske Differences in every possible way. The tangible changes they made were changes to the account teams, branch design, and details. To be more specifically, account teams were created to work together and provide personalized service to each customer to foster customer intimacy and increase understanding of customer needs. The branch interiors were remodeled to make the customers feel welcomed and cared for. The round table design, similarity in chairs and customers sitting near the employees’ workstations was deliberate as it helped in the effective use of IT programs designed to structure interactions between account team members and consumers, that facilities the employee’s ability to deliver solutions and save time. Settle a cafà © inside the branch that provides homely environment to consumers. Those visible screens also reinforced the portray openness of information with the customer. The intangible changes were training involved  teambuilding and consumer service, empowering the branches as well as throughout the bank, management style, and human resources. The effect of these strategic changes as lead to an increase in customer satisfaction based on data collected by independent third parties and has the highest customer satisfaction level among its major competitors. Q3. Analysis Jyske Bank’s success using the Service Quality gaps Model. (e.g. what are Jyske Bank’s strategies for closing each of the 5 gaps in the model?) Service Quality gaps ModelJyske Banks’s success The customer gapThe bank was able to close this gap because providing customer with their superior services. They had only targeted the premium customer’s to whom the price did not matter. As a result of which they were able to provide the customers high quality services and were able to achieve minimum customer gap and highly satisfied customers. The listening gap (Not knowing what customer expect)Refer to competitive positioning of the bank; the â€Å"soft factors† relating to individual customer relationship are relatively important. Jyske Bank changed the way they deliver services and had come out with IT tool to first figure out the customer’s problem and expectations. They had dedicated a team of 4 employees per customer to get a better understanding of customer’s problems. A good marketing research orientation also benefits to decline the listening gap. They conducted surveys to detect customers’ expectations. Thus they highlighted that customers’ expectations had changed: factors like price, product or location had become â€Å"basics† for customers, who focused more on differentiating factors like bankers’ behavior and interest toward customers. Finally, the firm developed an effective relationship focus on what consumers need. They first decided to specialize only on t wo customer segments, Danish Families and Small-to-medium-sized companies, and to focus only on people sharing the Jyske Bank values. This strategy made it easier to understand customers’ expectations and to build long- term relationship with them. The service design and standards gap (Not selecting the right service quality designs and standards)To close the poor service design, absence of customer- driven standards and inappropriate physical evidence, the bank assigned a small team of branch bankers to serve each customer, which provided its customer with the best in class service in terms of the customer solutions and also provided customers with the best infrastructure facilities to make them feel at home, e.g. cafà ©, fruit juice, openness of banker’s screen. The service performance gap (Not delivering to service designs and standards)In human resource policies, the bank has an effective recruitment that looking for social abilities instead of banking skills. Jyske Bank was successfully able to retain its employees and provide them with adequate trainings. Jyske was not only the leader in customer satisfaction but was also a leader in employee satisfaction as well. The employees were provided with good incentives and were kept happy so that they could work. The communication gap (Not matching performance to promise)The bank provided interactive marketing communication plan to the customers that all the possible information that the customer required all the solutions are delivered to consumers. Jyske Bank also implemented a good upward communication to employees. According to their re-organization of the structure (dissolution of headquarters), which leaded to less layers between top management and front-line employees, and thanks to a good intern communication between managers and contact employees, customers’ expectations were transmitted easily and quickly trough the firm. Most employees like working for Jyske and appreciate to Jyske Difference. Q4. In your opinion can Jyske Bank’s sustain its growth and success? Would you invest in Jyske Bank? I think Jyske Bank can continue its growth and success and I am willing to invest in Jyske Bank. Because the bank already has its own competitive positioning that they made a lot of changes on service delivery in both tangible and intangible sides. Secondly, the leadership that Jyske Bank  established is also an important reason, Jyske was the largest and most richly- priced bank in Demark in 2003, and they achieved the leadership in customer and employee satisfaction, which enable Jyske to step further. According to the net income increased considerably, shareholders could receive growing annual return in coming years. Besides, Jyske Bank’s core value is to gain the balance among their three stakeholders: employees, customers and shareholders. â€Å"They were more interested in determining how the bank could remain in a position of leadership while still keeping the interests of its key stakeholders in balance.† Reference: http://thefinancialbrand.com/2893/jyske-bank-branch/

Strategic Management of Next Plc Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Strategic Management of Next Plc - Case Study Example "If only I knew then what I know now, I would have done things differently". (Halbleib, 1993, 803) public constantly makes this statement after they have implemented the incorrect corporate strategies. As we exist in era of entwining complication, acceleration, and ever changing market, making the correct decision is enormously significant for strategic planning. It is fair-haired to state that each organization and individuals have their sole set of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. "It is extremely vital that an organization determines its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, as well as the competitors". (Halbleib, 1993, 804) by linking the SWOT examines with the fair scorecard, an association can balance its strengths Boosts its competitions' weaknesses, and optimise its opportunities within the market. Next is a UK based vendor contribution stylish, good quality harvest in clothing, footwear, accessories and home products. The group first and foremost operates in the UK. It is headquartered in Ender by, Leicester, and employs about 39,000 people. The group recorded revenues of 3,283.8 million during the fiscal year ended January 2007, a BOOST of 5.7% over 2006. The operating profit of the group was 507.5 million during fiscal year 2007, a boost of 8.2% over 2006. The net profit was 331.5 million in fiscal year 2007, a boost of 5.7% over 2006. Next's Mission Statement Next's mission is to be the natural choice retailer in the UK for fashion aware men & women who expect style, distinction & quality from their clothing Business Description Next is primarily engaged in vending, and customer excellences management. The group operates 480 stores and has operations in the UK, the Middle East, Asia and other European countries. The group giving its services through five business separations: Next retail, Next directory, Ventura, Next sourcing and other. Other segment includes investment in associates; Choice Discount Stores Limited and Cotton Traders Holdings Limited. The Next trade separation is engaged in the vending of fairly priced clothing for men, women and children. It also sells house wares and furniture through 480 stores in the UK and Eire. This separation also has franchisee stores in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The group currently has 129 franchise stores in the Middle East, Russia (13 stores), Turkey (5), India and Thailand. The Next directory separation markets women's wear, mens wear, children's wear, home products, accessories and jewellery through direct mail catalogues, phone and a transactional website with more than 2 million active customers. The Ventura separation provides call centre and customer support excellences to NEXT and other companies. It operates across many sectors including telecom, utilities, monetary excellences, travel, media and the public sector. Ventura employs about 10,000 people. It has a call centre in the UK and another call centre in Pine, India, which handles business on behalf of Next Directory and two other clients. The Next sourcing separation has operations in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Romania, Sri Lanka, Turkey, the UK and other locations. It is engaged in the design,

Power of Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Power of Language - Essay Example It is not surprising that our native language is often referred to as our "mother tongue" a terms that recalls our earliest memories and influences. The term itself has different meanings. The sociolinguist Tove Skutnabb Kangas (1981) hypothesizes five definitions of "mother tongue" depending on who is defining it. For the sociologist, mother tongue is the language one learns first. For the linguist, it is the language one knows best. For the sociolinguist it is the language one uses the most. For the social psychologist, it is the language one identifies with and through which one is identified. For the lay person, it is "the language one counts in thinks in, dreams in, writes a diary in, and writes poetry in" (Skutnabb- Kangas, 1981: 18). Skutnabb- Kangas' social psychological definition of mother tongue brings out the importance of language as part of one's cultural identity. The mother tongue is the langue through which in the process of socialization one has required the norms and value systems of one's own group. The language passes on the cultural tradition of the group and there by gives the individual an identity which ties her to the in-group and at the same time sets her apart from other possible groups of reference.. Since this socialization process to a large extent occurs with the aid of language, language itself comes to constitute a symbolic representation of the group. Diversity in Language If just a few of the majority languages of the world solely existed, how tedious and uninteresting it would be. Rather, for the moment we have a language garden full of variety and color. The initial conclusion is simply that language diversity in the garden of the world makes for a richer, more interesting world with a depth of experience gained from a breadth of cultures. However, language diversity makes the garden more difficult to tend. In a garden, some flowers and shrubs spread quickly. Some majority languages, particularly English, have expanded considerably during the last century. When the garden is neglected, a few strong species of flower may take over, and small minority flowers may be in danger of extinction. Therefore some delicate flowers need extra care and protection. A free language economy will mean the extinction of many languages' Language planning is essential to avoid such trends. When a gardener wishes to create a beautiful garden, there will be both careful planning and continued care and protection. Sometimes radical action may be taken to preserve and protect. The analogy suggests that language diversity requires planning and care. If language resources are to be maintained and developed, of ensuring that the speaker of all languages value their language and take pride in their language skills. This will occur only if the society as a whole values those languages, recognizes and values language skills, and recognizes and values cultural and linguistic diversity. Value of diversity Linguistic Diversity helps sustain human existence. At times, medical cures are found in plans and flowers native to a particular region; knowledge about these cures comes from native speaking the local language. If the language disappears, the medical knowledge will disappear as well. Languages contain other types of knowledge; they express particular

Summarize an article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Summarize an - Article Example In support of this prediction, when participants in a lab experiment were frequently interrupted by instant messages, they reported greater stress and frustration while working on another task (Mark, Gudith, &Klocke, 2008). Reducing stress by checking email less often may have broader implications for well-being. People who experience more day to day stress report lower productivity and less meaning in life. This pattern of indirect effects points to the conclusion that checking email less frequently might have broader downstream consequences for well-being by reducing stress. Furthermore, lower stress is associated with other positive outcomes including higher mindfulness, self-perceived productivity, and sleep quality. Recent research suggests that some people feel stressed by email in part because others expect them to reply quickly (e.g., Gillespie, Walsh, Winefields, Dua, & Stough, 2001).I believe checking emails less often reduces stress directly and indirectly in our lives thu s affecting our well-being. E.g. in work place like of supply job, one has to constantly keep on checking mails to see who is ordering goods and this is very stressful in fact when you have a lot of clients. Therefore frequency of checking emails affects individual’s well-being. Because one will not be able to note the work overload, they will not have to reply to the emails immediately thus reduced psychological stress results to positive well-being for an

Bryan Forbes The Stepford Wives Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Bryan Forbes The Stepford Wives - Movie Review Example The TV show Desperate Housewives clearly references the film in its depiction of one of the main characters, Bree Van De Kamp, due to her 1970s-era standard of wifely and motherly perfection. But while the novelty of the concept of wives being turned into robotic versions of themselves may be exactly what is needed to affirm the 1970s genre of horror cinema-as evidenced by Carrie, The Exorcist, The Omen, and many others-the social implications of the film were not always welcomed by concerned parties. In particular, the undeniable strengthening of the feminist movement in America in the 1980s that gave women even louder voices in societal issues did not find much significance in The Stepford Wives, despite the clear commentary on the prevalent patriarchal norms being followed by general American societies. The analysis then would be centered on this issue, from the communication of female-related concepts and the subsequent interpretation made; the statement about women, after all, is much more pronounced in this text than in the author's previous work, Rosemary's Baby. The film is quite curious from the very beginning, with the ominous perfection of a scene showing a young couple, Joanna and Walter, moving their family from busy, noisy New York City to the peaceful suburb of Stepford. As many horror stories would have it, the idyllic situation slowly starts changing, mainly due to the peculiar behavior of some of the wives in the community. They were strange in their demeanor and ideals, akin to TV portrayals of perfect mothers and wives who spent all their time cooking and cleaning with nary a hair out of place. Subsequently, the transformation of Joanna's friend Bobbie and Joanna herself reveals how the community is controlled by the men, who apparently discard their wives for mechanical look-alikes that would function exactly as expected. But the image created by the film with regard to the epitome of womanhood-specifically in women's roles in the home, such as cooking, cleaning, and maintaining an appearance that conforms to standards promoted by media-is largely within the stereotype of the Caucasian female married to a Caucasian man of stable economic means, enough to provide for a home equipped with the necessary elements that would allow for the keeping up of the image. Children would not be more than two, and are well-dressed and well-behaved. Husbands would leave home and return at very specific times, during which the wife must be ready to attend to his every wish. As this cannot be possible in the frenetic environment of cities and urban addresses, it essentially finds its setting in the suburbs of America, taking from the afterthought to the phenomenon of urbanization, which is the contrary suburbanization. Joanne and Walter's move from New York to Stepford is typical of this occurrence, as more and more problems become associated with living in cities. The growing concern for less substantial economic costs and adhering to a lifestyle denoted by family and community time is at the core of suburbanization, which led many to move back to the suburbs. One of the major influences of this change is "the preference for

A Critical Assessment of the Requirement of Utmost Good Faith in Essay

A Critical Assessment of the Requirement of Utmost Good Faith in Marine Insurance Contracts - Essay Example However, in a world with modern technological methods of obtaining and sharing information, the duty of utmost good faith, particularly the duty to disclose all material information appears to be a bit harsh.5 More troubling perhaps is the fact that a failure to disclose material facts, regardless of the absence of fraud or specific intent renders the contract voidable ab initio. As such the result can be entirely disproportionate and unduly harsh. However, it is accepted that the insurers not only underwrite risks but assess them based on the facts known to them at the time of underwriting the risk. It therefore follows that information solely in the possession of the insured is crucial for this purpose.6 This research study provides a critical assessment of the duty of utmost good faith in marine insurance contracts with a view to determining the rationale for the duty and whether or not the duty can and should be reformed. The main issue is whether or not reforms can equitably add ress the harsh consequences and to ensure that the duty to disclose corresponds with the realities of the relationship between the insured and the insurer and the current state of modern technology. This paper is therefore divided into three parts. The first part of the paper examines the origins of the duty of utmost good faith in the common law. The second part of the paper examines the developments of the duty of utmost good faith and the final part of the paper analyses possible reforms that can effectively create more balance between the insured and the insurer having regard to the purpose of the doctrine of utmost good faith and modern technological advances. I. Origins of the Duty of Utmost Good... This essay stresses that insurance contracts in general represent a special class of contracts since they are bound by the uberrimae fedei doctrine. As a result all contracting parties have a duty to ensure that they do not misrepresent crucial facts and are likewise under a persistent duty to disclose all facts that might induce insurers to assume the risk. Understandably, the duty of utmost good faith was necessary during the 18th century. However, in a world with modern technological methods of obtaining and sharing information, the duty of utmost good faith, particularly the duty to disclose all material information appears to be a bit harsh. This paper makes a conclusion that the duty of utmost good faith or uberrimae fidei sets an unrealistic high standard on the insured and functions to liberate the insurer to such an extent that insurance claims can be avoided for the slightest misstep on the part of the insured. The duty of utmost good faith, although 200 years old, has evolved about as far as the courts can take it. It is obvious that over the last 10 years of so, the courts have taken as much latitude as the separation of powers will allow to modify the existing doctrine so as to minimize the harsh results. However, the courts are bound by the implementation of the Marine Insurance Act 1906 which is perhaps the most likely reason for the perpetuation of the unjust functioning of the duty of utmost good faith.

Factors that influence female entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia Essay

Factors that influence female entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example The first issue is that it puts further pressure on the male jobseekers; second, it contradicts social customs that prelude women from working in environments where they can openly mix with men. As such, women prefer to work in environments that respect the local customs and traditions, but also allow them to contribute fully to the country’s economic development. The current economic status of Saudi women is unknown, as there are no recent government figures. However, a 2004 study carried out by King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah states that women held nearly 30 percent of the bank accounts in the kingdom, with deposits worth SR62 billion, held 20 percent of corporate shares, own 15 percent of private companies and 10 percent of the real estate sector (Abdul Ghafour, 4 June 2004). The status of the Saudi economy remains untouched by the recent global financial crisis because of high oil revenues. Thus, the lavish lifestyles of Saudis, particularly women, have not changed at all. Despite all of these socioeconomic figures, the beauty salon industry is being squeezed in this economy because businesswomen prefer to invest in safe business opportunities. The Saudi beauty salon industry is huge, yet it is not a trouble-free industry. There are large risk factors in this industry, particularly inherent operational risk. This type of risk can be divided into two subcategories: (1) internal risk, which comes from within the industry and its daily practices; and (2) external risk, which is derived from outside factors such as governmental amendments or social ethics. According to a study carried out by Ghaida Aljerfani, who is a member of the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce, more than 150 beauty salons are put up for sale every month. This number is quite significant compared to similar industries.

How Italian Food Defines You, Your Family, and Your Ethnicity Essay

How Italian Food Defines You, Your Family, and Your Ethnicity - Essay Example A side dish of salad or vegetables rounds out the meal. After a beverage, predominantly wine, a decadent dessert is also consumed. And always, conversation and laughter dominates the family table. Many Italian-Americans still keep the Vatican custom of seven fishes served on New Year's Eve, including squid, eels, and conch. The traditional meal on Easter is lamb. Of course, all meals are accompanied with a pasta side dish. Since gorgonzola, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses were first made by Italians, these dairy products are incorporated into just about all Italian fare. To discuss Italian culture and food, we have to include the topic of the all-American pizza. USA pizza is different from Italian pizza in that pizza served in Italy has less cheese, and the crust is thin as paper. The New York Times published an article stating that it is as important how we eat opposed to what we eat. That could be a lesson in cooking. When Italians dine, they take their time eating. They have a relationship with food. Mealtimes with the family are almost sacred. Conversation at the table strengthens the bond of family. Italians also lead active lives. Cars are not allowed in many Italian town centers. Therefore, walking is necessary. Most residents are walkups without elevators. Most importantly, portion sizes are much smaller in Italy.

Envs 1000 research essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Envs 1000 research - Essay Example The field of agriculture accommodates many workers as compared with most other industries. In addition, agriculture helps in boosting international trade through imports and exports. Therefore, without productive agriculture, people and society as a whole would not be privileged to enjoy the same quality of life. This paper presents a discussion on the role of agriculture in Canada and its possible environmental implications, and it covers food, food production and loss of biodiversity. Agriculture plays a very significant role in society by improving life quality and in the production of marketable commodities for food, fuel, fiber among others (Holland, 2012). Agricultural activities facilitate the production of individuals’ basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing thereby improving the living standards and quality of life. Primarily, agriculture provides people with food from either crops or animals and agricultural food are full of nutrients and nourishes individuals ’ bodies. Agriculture provides the basis of subsistence by ensuring adequate production of food and safety (Holland, 2012). Food is very essential for individuals to survive; therefore, agricultural intervention is necessary to ensure that there is adequate food supply. Agriculture assures food security to the people and individuals work hard to increase agricultural productivity and secure enough food. Animal products such as milk, meat, or even eggs serve as a food source and are consumed by people. Similarly, plant products such as cabbages and other vegetable are also other food sources produced though agriculture. All food produced in Canada guaranteed high quality of production, environment as well as welfare standards. Secondly, agriculture provides us with fiber, cotton, flax among others and all these are necessary materials needed to manufacture natural cloth. Additionally, agriculture offers different job opportunities for many Canadians considering that some peopl e prefer working on the farms while others engage in agricultural based activities. According to studies, agriculture has been stated to be the main source of income to many people in Canada especially in the rural areas. More so, agricultural industries are one of the industries that employ many people; hence, agriculture is a major contributor of Canadian’s wealth (Britton, 1996). Mostly in rural areas, the main activity that people engage in is agriculture and they depend on various agricultural activities in order to earn a living. The increasing farm size and productivity have led to larger labor productivity gains in agriculture. Approximately 340,000 Canadians work on agricultural production sites (IICA-Canada, 2005); thus, agriculture is their occupation and so they dedicate their time to it and focus on how to increase agricultural products. In addition, one of the objectives of agriculture is to eradicate poverty in the society and this is possible through job creat ions especially working on the farms. However, working on the farms can sometimes be very demanding because it requires energy in that, those working on agricultural farms should be physically energetic and this leaves those who are physically weak disadvantaged. Moreover, agriculture plays a leading role in promoting both regional and international trade thereby boosting the country’

Historical Perspective of Management Essay Example for Free

Historical Perspective of Management Essay Max Weber was a German sociologist that pioneered the term bureaucracy. Weber founded six major principles of bureaucracy Formal hierarchical structure, Management by rules, Organization by functional specialty, An up-focused or in-focused mission, Purposely impersonal and Employment based on technical qualifications. (Busting Bureaucracy. com) A formal hierarchical structure is the management pyramid that is designed to control the level below with organized planning and decision making. For example (chain of command). Then he developed management by rules such as policies and handbooks that are used by lower levels. Next is organization by functionality specialty this means that each individual will be placed in a position according to their specialty. These three steps of bureaucracy are still used today in every business known. Max Weber designed this pyramid because in the 1930’s the industrialism of our country was expanding and it was no order of command business was ran without consistency. And a change was needed to make things run smoothly. My advice to managing people today is to organize your business according to functional specialization. Your employees and managers according to their skills and expertise so that each job will be done to the best of that person or persons knowledge and capabilities. Use clear lines of hierarchical authority in doing so you will need to put together a clear set of policy and rules that underline the chain of demand in detail. Your managers will need to be trained accordingly with consist seminars and meeting so that they can be well trained and fully informed about their duties and the duties of their staff. Decision making should be based on the rules and guidelines developed to guarantee consistent and effective reflection of organization goals.

Care Of The Patient In Recovery Inadvertent Hypothermia Case Nursing Essay

Care Of The Patient In Recovery Inadvertent Hypothermia Case Nursing Essay Before the author can discuss hypothermia in regards to the patient above they must first review how the body regulates heat control within the body. Many sources, give varying definitions of what normal body temperature or normothermia is. For example Marieb (2004) defines this as a core temperature range from 35.6 °c and 37.8 °C. Meanwhile Kiekkas and Karga (2005) defined the normal temperature range of adult patients as between 36.5 °C and 37.5 °C. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) 2008 guideline for the management of inadvertent perioperative hypothermia agree with this definition. Core temperature, defined by Kiekkas and Karga (2005), is the blood temperature of the central circulatory system, which can be measured for example at the pulmonary artery, rectum or via the tympanic membrane, which occurs in recovery at Hospital x. The hypothalamus is the central organ that acts as the bodys heat promoting and heat loss centre, then brains thermoregulatory centre. Body temperature is kept stable and regulated with the help of blood. The neuronal centre in the posterior hypothalamus is triggered when there is a decrease in temperature in the blood or the external temperature is low. Mechanisms for heat conservation and heat production are triggered such as, shivering, which is the bodys natural response to cold, constriction of blood vessels in the skin and increased metabolic activity to produce energy (Hatfield and Tronson, 1996; Marieb, 2004). As with the varying definitions of normothermia, there are also differing definitions in hypothermia. NICE (2008) guideline defines hypothermia as a core temperature of less than 36 °C. Similarly several authors agree with this definition, Aikenhead et al (2007), American Society of Peri Anesthesia Nurses (ASPAN) (2009); Clarke and Clark , 1997). Meanwhile Kiekkas and Karga state, hypothermia as a core temperature of more than 1 (standard deviation) less than the mean value under resting conditions in a thermoneutral environment (Kiekkas 2005, p444) There are 4 ways in which the body loses heat; conduction, convection, evaporation and radiation. Talk about these briefly! There are patients who are more at risk of developing hypothermia these include; older and younger patients. The size of the patient: thin, due to the lack of tissue mass and obese, due to the large surface area. The type of procedure: open thoracic, abdominal, gynaecological or genitourinary. Patients having a combined general and spinal anaesthesia (Welch, 2002) Patient A falls into some of these categories, because of the type of surgery, age and anaesthesia she will be having. As part of the pre operative check in Patient A was asked the last time she had eaten, this was 12 hours before the procedure. Advice of fasting for 6 hours plus is given to patients to prevent nausea and vomiting during and after the induction of anaesthesia, as this along with the spinal causes the constriction of the abdomen and stomach. This in turn deprives the body of the metabolic system of energy it needs from food digestion (Cobbold Money 2010; McNeil, 1997). Following administration of Propofol and Remifentanil via a TIVA syringe pump, the patient was intubated with a size 7 endotracheal tube. Anaesthetic medications such as those given to Patient A; Propofol, depress the central nervous system which mean the hypodermic thermoregulatory centre function is decreased. This occurs as there is an increase in conduction and radiation to the peripheral points of the skin, where heat loss is at most, as the skin has a large surface area. This loss of heat is difficult to manage after anaesthesia has been administered as heat distribution, which is the increase in peripheral temperature and a decrease of core temperature has taken place (Kiekkas Karga, 2005; Sasad Smith, 2000). With her airway secured, Patient X was positioned for the administering of a spinal. Her back was exposed and sprayed with chlorhexidine gluconate solution, for pre operative skin disinfection (BNF, 2008), a cold solution thus further contributing to the decrease in Patient As body temperature, via evaporation (Bellamy, 2007). The effect of administering Diamorphine and Marcain Heavy ® is that it causes the sympathetic nervous system to be compromised as vasodilatation occurs (Fallacaro et al, 1986). Patient A was taken into theatre, where the ambient temperature as recorded by the author was 21 °C, reason for the temperature being so low is to minimise the growth of bacteria. However such a low temperature would affect Patient A as her body temperature will vary according to the environments conditions (Bellamy, 2007). McNeil (1998), advocates that the temperature in theatre should be raised from 21 °C to 24 °C to maintain Patient As core temperature, which unfortunately was not taken until the procedure in the operating had started. Whilst the author agrees with the later point so that the patients temperature is taken into consideration, they have to agree with Bellamys (2007) point on minimising bacteria production. Patient A was exposed for catheterisation and for the Bair Hugger ® to be positioned. This is a forced air system used in Hospital X, which several sources agree, is the best form of preventing inadvertent hypothermia (Hegarty et al, 2009; NICE Guidelines, 2008; Welch, 2002). This was however switched on at 36.5 °C after Patient A had been prepped and draped. Fluids were firstly administered to Patient A in the anaesthetic room at room temperature; they were then transferred into a warming coil at a temperature of 37 °C. Whilst the NICE (2008) guidelines recommend warm fluids are administered in the operating room at the temperature stated, the author feels that warm fluids should have been started in the anaesthetic room. The monitoring of Patient As temperature occurred after draping and prepping, it was measured using an oesophageal temperature probe as this measures the core temperature accurately and documented every 15 minutes (Al-Shaikh and Stacey, 2002; NICE, 2008). NICE (2008) recommends that temperature of a patient should be 36 °C before a procedure should proceed, the temperature of Patient A on arrival to the anaesthetic room was not taken and the first temperature in theatre was 35.6 °C increasing to 36.0 °c at the end of the procedure. After the procedure, which had no surgical complications and Patient A was extubated, she was transferred to recovery where the tympanic temperature; which is associated with the brain temperature therefore reflects the core temperature (Al-Shaikh and Stacey, 2002), was taken in recover 10 minutes after the patient arrived and was recorded to be 35.4 °C. Handover to the recovery personnel included patients name, date of birth, procedure, what drugs had been administered and the anaesthetist made an emphasis on the patients temperature which they wanted to make sure was up to at least 36.0 °c before the patient was transferred to the ward, part of the NICE (2008) guidelines. Standard recovery monitoring including Oxygen saturation, electrocardiogram and blood pressure results were constantly observed, with results being documented every 15 minutes. The effects of hypothermia are not known until the patient comes into recovery for some time as the effects are masked by the anaesthetic drugs given to Patient A. (Kiekkas et al, 2005). To prevent this a Bair Hugger was placed on Patient A to continue the warming cycle. There are many complications associated post operatively with hypothermia, the most common is post anaesthetic shivering, which is an involuntary muscular activity. This is bought on by the body returning to normal Delayed emergence, where the metabolism of drugs is decreased, as it makes it more difficult for the anaesthesia to be reversed due to the hepatic and renal functions being impaired. Add liver metabolism of drugs to this section Pressure sore development Blood clots clotting cascade, platelets do not work increased bleeding Discharge criteria Patient A woke up fully after 20 minutes in the PACU with no complaints of pain, sickness or nausea but thirst. Her temperature was taken again and this was found to be 35.8 °C, a marked improvement on her original recovery temperature. Before the patient is transferred to the ward what scale used observations etc? Urine output from catheter Sats BP

Milk Adulteration and Its Toxicological Effects

Milk Adulteration and Its Toxicological Effects Introduction Despite the governing the control of quality and sale of milk existing for decades, adulteration of milk could not be checked. With the increase demand of milk, the adulteration of this commodity is on increasing day by day. The problem of adulteration is more during summer and rainy seasons, when milk production in comparatively much less than the winter season. Adulteration of a food article may be defined as making the article impure by the addition of some of the legally prohibited substances into a more valuable product or the subtraction into a more valuable component a product to devalue the latter or the combination of both, with a view to increase the bulk or quality and to increase unlawful, excessive profit through sale of such a food. Ever since the system of organized milk collection was introduced in this country, the quality of milk received by our dairy industry has not been improved. The adulteration is carried out through a number of fraudulent practices, which not only lower down the nutritional value but makes it unfit for human consumption with toxic effects. The adulterated milk also leads to the production of standard dairy products resulting in economic losses. The practice of adulteration has become extensive due to existing conditions of production and handling of milk. Various no. of tests determine the nature and extent of adulteration of milk and even adulterants. The purchasing power of many consumers in our country is very low. Consequently such consumers often go for the lower price of milk, even knowing about the poorer quality of the same. Such attitude of the consumers makes adulteration of milk possible to a greater extent. [1] Types of adulteration The commonly used adulterants are Addition of water. Addition of separated milk. Addition of thickening agents when milk id watered it becomes deficient in density and also viscosity which may be restored by addition of substances like gelatin, cane sugar, starch, glucose. Partial skimming. Addition of coloring matter to restore color lost by skimming or diluting or to make naturally poor looking to appear rich. Unusual adulterants-of late, due to more wide spread use of fertilizers by farmers in India, who are also the primary milk producers, a few new types of adulterants like urea, ammonium sulphate etc. have come up. [2] MILK ITS COMPOSITION Milk is an emulsion or colloid of butterfat globules with in a water based fluid that contains dissolved carbohydrates and protein aggregates with minerals. Milk is the secretion, practically free from colostrum, obtained by the milking of healthy udder.it represents one of the sources of essential amino acids for human nutrition. These nutritional attributes of milk have long made it a mainstay particularly in the diet of growing children. There are estimated to be the 8 to 10 thousand milk products made of milk available in world thus making it exceptionally versatile raw product. Milk is composed of water, fat, protein, lactose, and minerals. The concentration of these products varies between cows and breeds. Total milk solid refers specifically to fat, protein, lactose and minerals. This is to be differentiated from SNF (solid not fat), a frequently used term which describes the total solid contents minus fat. The nutritional as well as economic value depends upon its solid contents. The higher the solid content the greater the milk product yields. Cheese yield are directly relayed to milk casein content. Milk contains dozens of other types of proteins beside the caseins including enzymes. These other proteins are more water-soluble than the caseins and do not form larger structures. Because the proteins remain suspended in the whey left behind when the caseins coagulate into curds, they are collectively known as whey proteins. Calcium, phosphate, magnesium, sodium, potassium, citrate, and chlorine are all included as minerals and they typically occur at concentration of 5–40 mm. [3] Composition off milk Water 84-90% Fat 2-6% Protein 3-4% Lactose 4-5% Ash .1% NEED FOR PROCESSING OF MILK A multitude of events takes place in the process of delivering milk from the farm to the dinner table and all are designed to provide the consumer with wholesome, nutritious and safe products. The production of quality milk and milk products are begins in the farms and continuous through further handling, processing and distribution. Milk processing has two primary objectives: Destruction of human pathogens through pasteurization. Keeping the quality and shelf life of the products without significant loss of flavor, appearance, physical and nutritive properties. Milk processing and plant procedure seeks to: Prevent further bacterial contamination of raw material. Reduce bacterial numbers in milk. Protect the finished products from recontamination through careful handling, proper packing and storage. Pasteurization is the means whereby raw milk is rendered safe for human consumption. It is the process of heating milk to a sufficient temperature for a sufficient length of time to make it free from pathogens, and spoilage bacteria. [4] TOXICOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF ADULTERANTS FORMALIN Formalin is added in milk to preserve it for longer period. Formalin is very toxic. Many cases of biological mutation and reproduction complication have been noted. On toxicity it causes tumors formalin causes CNS disorders and also irritates nose, throat and lungs. When taken in high dose it cause cancer and may lead to coma. UREA Urea is generally added in the preparation of synthetic milk to raise the SNF value. Potential symptoms are burning sensation in throat and chest; cough, dyspnea, exercise-induced asthma (one case); redness, in eyes and skin, headache; nausea, vomiting, lung damage-fibrosis, inflammation (HE11). Affected organs are respiratory system, skin, eyes, it has also used medically as an abortifacient and a skin moisturizer. AMMONIUM SULPHATE The presence of ammonium sulphate increases the lactometer reading. The product has low toxicity. However, the following points should be noted. On skin contact prolonged contact may cause some irritation. On eye contact it may cause irritation. On ingestion small quantities are unlikely to cause toxic effect and large quantities give rise to gastro-intestinal disorders. On inhalation high dust concentration of air-borne material may cause irritation of the nose and upper respiratory tract with symptoms such as sore throat and coughing. Inhalation of some decomposition gases may cause irritation and corrosive effects on the respiratory system. Some lungs effect may be delayed. HYDROGEN PEROXIDE Milk is treated with different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05 and 0.06 % of H2O2), along with control sample (untreated sample), for the purpose to activate Lacto peroxidase system, which destroy the bacterial population by its antibacterial effect. Lacto peroxidase (LP) system is naturally present in raw milk that prevents the bacterial multiplication due to its bacteriostatic effect. By activating the LP-system, shelf life of milk can be increased for 8 to 12 hours. Lacto peroxidase (LP) system consists of three components; LP, thiocyanate and hydrogen peroxide. And it is active only when all of three components are present. Lacto peroxidase catalyzes the oxidation of thiocyanate by hydrogen peroxides and generates an intermediate product with antibacterial properties. These products have a broad range of antimicrobial effects against bacteria, fungi and viruses. Objectives Raw milk preservation by use of H2O2 is done for many important purposes like; To enhance the shelf life of milk for consumption without microbial contamination. To minimize the processing cost by heating the milk. Side Effects of Hydrogen Peroxide Eye exposure to dilute hydrogen peroxide may cause extreme irritation and pain, but is unlikely to cause permanent damage. Enemas of dilute hydrogen peroxide have been reported to cause serious gastrointestinal side effects. Skin contact with concentrated hydrogen peroxide can cause severe burns and even gangrene. An overuse of H2O2 can cause damage to DNA cells, and prevent them from replicating, hence leading to premature aging. The use of hydrogen peroxide can cause your skin to dry out or rather drains away the moisture content in skin, which is required to keep your skin looking young and supple. Vitiligo is a disease that is marked by the loss of skin pigment, which affects a lot of people. Studies show that it is due to the high levels of hydrogen peroxide in the blood and epidermis. It can cause irritation in gums and teeth, since H2O2 is a highly reactive compound. Hydrogen peroxide being highly reactive can easily pass through your tooths enamel and react with the dentin and pulp part of your tooth. Throat soreness is another common side effect of hydrogen peroxide. [5] SUGAR The common sugar present in milk is lactose. The fat content of the milk is more compared to the protein content. Table sugar like sucrose is added to the milk to increase the carbohydrate content of the milk and thus the density of milk will be increased. So the milk can now be adulterated with water and it will not be detected during the lactometer test. Ketose sugar will react with the resorcinol to give a red colored precipitate, indicating the presence of Table sugar in milk. SIDE EFFECTS OF SUGAR Sugar can suppress your immune system. Sugar eaten during pregnancy and lactation can influence muscle force production in offspring, which can affect an individual’s ability to exercise. Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses and return them to fasting levels slower in oral contraceptive users. Sugar can increase reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can damage cells and tissues. Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, inability to concentrate and crankiness in children. Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides. Sugar causes a decline in tissue elasticity and function – the more sugar you eat, the more elasticity and function you lose. Sugar reduces high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Sugar can lead to ovarian cancer. Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose. Sugar causes copper deficiency. Sugar can make tendons more brittle. Sugar can increase the levels of glucose in the blood much higher than complex carbohydrates in a glucose tolerance test can. Sugar can cause two blood proteins – albumin and lipoproteins – to function less effectively, which may reduce the body’s ability to handle fat and cholesterol. Sugar can contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. Sugar can cause platelet adhesiveness, which causes blood clots. Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance – some hormones become underactive and others become overactive. Sugar can cause free radicals and oxidative stress. Sugar increases the concentration of bile acids in stool and bacterial enzymes in the colon, which can modify bile to produce cancer-causing compounds and colon cancer. Sugar combines with and destroys phosphatase, a digestive enzyme, which makes digestion more difficult and can aggravate premenstrual syndrome (PMS).[6] Salt Addition of salt in milk is mainly restored with the aim of increasing the corrected lactometer reading. All four cationic electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium) are available in unrefined salt, as are other vital minerals needed for optimal bodily function. Too much or too little salt in the diet can lead to muscle cramps, dizziness, or even an electrolyte disturbance, which can cause neurological problems. Excess salt consumption has been linked to: Exercise – induced asthma. Heartburn. Osteoporosis. Gastric cancer is associated with high level of sodium. Hypertension. Left ventricular hypertrophy (cardiac enlargement). Duodenal ulcer. [7] Vegetable Fat Milk fat is the natural source of variable variety of fatty acids diversified in nature. It is separated to make the cream and sold at high prices. People separate the cream from the milk and add vegetable fat into the milk and then sell it after homogenization. Vegetable fat is unsaturated and it gets oxidized and becomes rancid when exposed to air so become hepato-toxic and may cause liver cirrhosis. Small milk globules become rancid when oil and vegetable fat is being added and interesting thing is that color and consistency of the milk remains normal. [8] Starch Milk contains relatively large amount of fat. Addition of carbohydrate to milk increases its solid content. There by reducing the amount of fat present in the milk. Starch is one such component that is added to adulterate milk. The test to detect starch in milk uses iodine solution, addition of which turns the milk solution to blue black color due to the formation of starch Iodo complex, in the presence of starch. Potential symptoms are irritation of eyes, skin, mucous, membranes, rhinorrhea, cough, chest pain, dermatitis. Soap Soap is added to milk to increase the foaming of milk and thus to have thick milk. Addition of such chemicals will cause health problem especially related to stomach and kidneys. Soap can be detected by adding phenolphthalein indicator to the adulterated milk. A pink color will be observed if soap is present as the alkali will be neutralized by the acidity of the milk when phenolphthalein indicator is added. [9] Neutralizers The new Neutralizers Test manufactured by Astori Tecnica allows the immediate colorimetric determination of the presence of added neutralizers (such as NaOH, KOH, carbonates, bicarbonates, ammonia, various alkalis, etc.) in milk or cream. These prohibited substances may be added to fresh or badly preserved milk with the tricky purpose to correct its pH and acidity values to optimal ones, and so pretend the milk is freshly milked or perfectly preserved. [10] REFERENCES Research Can Lead To Longer Shelf Life For Dairy Products (http: //www.sciencedaily.com/releases /2002/12/021223084204.htm).Sciencedaily.com. 2002-12-23. Retrieved 2010-08-28. Detect Adulteration in Milk: Empowering Consumers to Test Themselves (http://cgsiindia.org/2013/05/detectadulteration-in-milk-empoweringconsumers-to-test-themselves/). Henriksen J, (2009) â€Å"Milk for Health and Wealth. (ftp: //ftp. fao. org/doc rep/fao/011/i 0521e/i 0521e00.pdf) FA O Di versification Booklet Series 6, Rome. Schultz, Madeline (April 2012) fluid milk profile (http: //www. agmrc.org/commodities products/lives tock/dairy/fluid-milk-profile/). Iowa State University. T. Matsuoka (2004). Detection of adulterants in milk using near infrared spectroscopy. J. Food Sci. Tech. 41(3): 313-316. Borin, A., M. F. Ferrao, C. Mello, D. A. Maretto and R. J. Poppi (2006). Least-squares support vector machines and near infrared spectroscopy for quantification of common adulterants in powdered milk. Analytica Chimica Acta. 579:25-32. Tipu, M. S., I. Altaf, M. Ashfaq, S. Siddique (2007). Monitoring of chemical adulterants and hygienic status of market milk. Handbook published by Quality Control Laboratory, Lahore, Pakistan. pp.: 7. Jha, S. N. And T. Matsuoka (2004). Detection of adulterants in milk using near infrared spectroscopy. J. Food Sci. Tech. 41(3): 313-316. Sengar, M. S. (2007). Milk adulteration on rise in Agra. Friday, November, 07, India. Accessed from www.google.com. Anonymous, (2012). Introduction to dairy science and technology: milk history, consumption, production, and composition. International Dairy Federation, Bulletin 423/2007. Accessed from: http://www.foodsci. cuoguelph. ca/dairyedu/intro.html.

Consider the implications of the title, Persuasion Essay -- English Li

Consider the implications of the title, Persuasion â€Å"Something intended to induce belief or action† is how the Oxford Dictionary defines the term persuasion. To consider the implications of the title successfully, it is essential that we first understand the term persuasion within the context of the novel. The Oxford Dictionary also defines the term ‘persuade’ as â€Å"to successfully urge a person to do; to talk into or out of an action†, â€Å"to attract, lure or entice† or as â€Å"to talk earnestly with a person to secure agreement or compliance.† By these definitions we can notice that the concept of persuasion is ever-present throughout Austen’s novel. One of Austen’s traits is that her titles appear to offer some indication towards subject content; ‘Sense and Sensibility’,’ Pride and Prejudice’ and in this novel; ‘Persuasion.’ The first of these titles seems to suggest a tone of appraisal and the second, a tone of condemnation. From this recognition, we can also notice that Austen’s novels deal with the concept of moral perameters. ‘Persuasion’ however, does not seem to provide a clear indication of the nature of the subject matter. Yet isn’t persuasion less of a moral concept than ‘Sense and Sensibility’ and ‘Pride and Prejudice’? It seems therefore, that ‘Persuasion’ can be seen to challenge the idea of social class and position as opposed to the large issues of morality which are seen in ‘Sense and Sensibility’ and ‘Pride and Prejudice’. We must not consider the implications of the title with a closed mind. When Jane Austen penned her last complete novel, ‘Persuasion’ could be interpreted in two different ways; a strong belief in the process of persuasion of one’s thinking and secondly, the act of being pers... ... Lady Russell’s moral inferiority as Anne â€Å"lost her bloom† due to the persuasion of Lady Russell. Idealised love is, in fact, performed away from the public in ‘Persuasion’ as we see that public interferences are able to turn relationships sour; â€Å"a short period of exquisite felicity followed, and but a short one. Troubles soon arose, Sir Walter on being applied to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  From Anne and Wentworth’s lasting affection, we can see that most persuasion in the novel revolves around the concept of love. At the time of writing ‘Persuasion’, there had been a change in popular taste from Augustan values to Romanticism with its focus upon intense feelings. By carefully weaving between Romantic and Augustan values, Austen leaves it up to the reader to consider the case of romance between Anne and Wentworth, determining whether we find ourselves for or against persuasion.

Physics of Skiing :: physics ski skiing

The sport of skiing has been around for thousands of years, originally existing solely as a form of transportation. Today the sport is entirely dependent upon the laws of physics, and has even had advancements through reliance on physics. There are two types of Nordic Skiing. These are Classic (or diagonal) and Skate Skiing. Usually these two forms are raced separate. To be fair, there are actually two slightly different forms of skate skiing; V1 and V2. As these can get very very complicated and precise in the technique, I will focus mainly on classic skiing, which is also the type of skiing that most people are familiar with. Cross-Country Skiing is the most basic form of skiing, even preceding downhill skiing. Primitive skis may have even been used about 3000 B.C. in Norway. There have been cave drawing found that seem to depict men on skis. Skiing has its roots in Scandinavia; Vikings used skis as a form of transportation in the 10th century A.D. Early skis were made of wood, and even the word ski comes from the Norse word skith a stick of wood. Norse skies were very rudimentary, little more than snowshoes. Glide was little to none. It was not until the early 1800s when Sondre Norheim changed the face of skiing and gave skis glide that the sport was introduced to the world. Competitive skiing started in the late 1800s, again in Norway. In the 1932 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, Nordic Skiing as we know it was added. Today the sport has evolved to be both extremely competitive and leisurely. In the past 30 years the sport has changed dramatically, adding skis made of synthetic materials, and utilizing waxes for improved speed. Physicists have been at the front line of all this; from determining the coefficent of friction for both the wax and the ski, to helping skiers change their technique based on the laws of physics. To maximize speed, Nordic skiing is more about form than probably any other sport. Brute strength and athletic prowess certainly have their advantages, but these pale in comparision to proper technique. While the shape of classic skis is slightly different than that of skate skis, the real difference is that classic skis have a "kick zone." This is a spot directly underneath the foot that has kick wax applied to it. Kick wax is a sticky poly-hydrocarbon that in theory is only supposed to provide a sticky surface from which to push back from.

Shopaholism Essay example -- Shopping Shop Buying Essays

Shopaholism I have fifty minutes before my exam will be over. Ten minutes have already passed and the only thing I've written so far is my name. I continue to stare at the black type and attempt to make sense of it all. Five minutes remaining and I quickly jot down my final thoughts. My time is up. Usually I would be excited to find out my exam score, but this time there was no use in knowing. I knew I failed. I decided not to attend the rest of my classes for the day and instead do what I usually do when I need to forget about my troubles and just escape into my own world where everything is perfect; go shopping. After my little excursion to the mall, I came back elated, with a bunch of shopping bags in my hands and a huge bill in my pocket. I find myself escaping reality through shopping quite often, but fortunately I do know my limits; however, there are many people who have formed an addiction to shopping. They're almost like alcoholics. Reasons for excessive shopping vary from wanting to keep up with friends or fashion to simply cheering oneself up. But dysfunctional shopping behavior can easily get out of control. Like alcoholism, notes Chicago psychoanalyst Robert Galatzer-Levy, compulsive shopping represents a case of "the ordinary pleasures of living getting out of hand." Just as nearly every alcoholic starts out as a social drinker, a shopping addict starts out as a recreational shopper -- bringing a little color into a gray day by picking up a pair (or three) of shoes. About 90 years ago, German psychologist, Emil Kraepelin defined excessive shopping as an illness, calling it "oniomania" after the Latin onos, or price, but only recently has this disorder begun to be understood. According to Observer Magazin... ...ed because at times I do go shopping to relieve stress and I do come back with lots of bags in my hands, but I don't own a credit card so I know my limits since I'm using cash. Now I wonder what will happen when I do get a credit card, but hopefully I'll be alright since I'm reducing my expenditure on unnecessary items already. I think if we recognize a problem in our spending habits at an early stage, then we can prevent falling victim to shopaholism, but if we continue to deny the problem and go on buying more and more for no apparent reason then the situation may get out of hand and treatment would be needed. Like binge eating or pathological gambling, shopaholism distorts our sense of self and if anyone feels as though he or she might be falling victim to this disorder then it is highly recommended that something is done immediately, before it becomes too late.

History of Fiber Optics

HISTORY OF FIBER OPTICS * In 1840, Daniel Colladon and Jacques Babinet demonstrated the principle of guiding light by refraction. * It was followed by a public demonstration by John Tyndal in 1852. In 1870, Tyndal wrote about the property of total internal reflection in his book about the nature of light. * In 1880, Alexander Graham Bell and Sumner Tainter invented the Photophone, a device capable of transmitting sound waves over beam of light.This is considered as mankind’s first attempt to to use light for carrying information. * In 1930, Clarence Hansel and John Logie Baird demonstrated independently image transmission using fiber. * In 1940’s, Heinrich Lamm successfully transmitted images through a single glass fiber used for internal medical examinations. * In 1951, Harold Hopkins and Narinder Singh Kapany experimented with light transmission through bundles of fiber.Their study led to the development of the flexible fiberscope, which is used in the medical field. It was also Kapany who coined the term fiber optics in 1956. * In 1953, Charles Townes and two of his graduate students developed the MASER (Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation), and in 1960, Theodore Maiman developed the first LASER ( Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation). In 1967, Charles Kao and George Bockham of the Standard Telecommunications Laboratory proposed the cladded fiber cables. * In 1970, Robert Maurer, Donalk Keck and Kapron of Corning Glass developed the first fiber optics with losses less than 2dB/Km. * In 1980’s, losses in fiber optics were reduced to as low as 0. 16 dB/Km. This is due to the development of high-quality light sources and detectors. * In 1990’s, the photonic crystal fiber was developed that can carry high power than the conventional silica based fibers.

Advertising is not bad for children’s health

Majority of the children are still healthy – there is no clear proof that Australian children are becoming less healthy – survey of 5000 children aged 4-16 in schools across NSW, conducted by NSW government, concluded that only 5% increase of overweight population since 1997 to around 25% – children are exercising more frequently more than they were in 1997 2. Children’s good health may be attributed to food chains – Ryan, 9, plays organized sports, intelligent and has a healthy weight and eats McDonald’s burger and fries and fastfood pizza– McDonald’s encourages children to be involved in sports through sponsoring competitions 3. Advertising detractors just want to make the fastfood chains business difficult – most of them are not interested in children’s eating habits at all 4. Advertisement for food aimed at children do not really make them eat more than they otherwise would – companies advertise not with the aim of making children eat more but of the market share 5. Advertising is the only way for producers to share information with the community about their products – it would be disservice to the company and to the community they serve– children, like consumers, need access to information to allow them to be educated C: Advertising is not bad for children’s health Evaluation: This article was written by the author in response to the imperative demand of groups lobbying for banning advertisements of fastfood chains as it harms the children’s health. These groups have claimed that the ill-health and obesity among children are caused by these advertisements and that banning these advertisements is vital to the health of the children. The author uses informal language in the counter arguments.It attempted to produce scientific claims as rebuttal. There are five major premises in this article. One scientific data was included to support the first claim and no other researches were used as evidence in the succeeding arguments. The first argument suggests that according to a survey conducted by NSW government, the children in Australia are still healthy compared to only 5% increase in the overweight population. This statement gives the impression that the rest of the 70% of the population do not suffer from overweight problems or are normal.The survey should have furthered on how many in the population are underweight because unhealthy weight of children come in both directions. Also, the article lacked information as to when the survey was conducted to compare it with the results in 1997. A more exact time frame conducted might produce a stronger comparison as to the health of the children in terms of their weight. The second support statement saying that children exercise more frequently than they were in 1997 could have been made more substantive if detailed in the survey.This might give the readers the impression that selective read ing might have been done to support the claim. Variables in the survey should specify the frequency of exercise that makes the children healthier. The second premise is an argument based on example. In logic, this is a big fallacy. One can not claim to have his own experience applicable to the entire community or to a group of people. What is true to one may not be true to another. A specific example of Ryan can not suffice as evidence. Logically it is applying a conclusion out of a single example which may be illicit generalization.The statement about Ryan saying that his favorite food are from the fastfood chains do not necessarily mean that eating them would make him healthy. Making these foods as his favorite does not also mean that he eats these foods exclusively everyday. For all we know, Ryan may be taking vitamin supplements to make him healthy and maintain optimum function. Secondly, Mc Donald’s sport competitions may not necessarily mean that they are concerned abou t the children’s health. This article has mentioned already that the interest of the company is to produce market share, to therefore produce good profit.If McDonald’s chooses to be visible in children activities, it does not necessarily make them nutritious and healthy as a fastfood chain. Supporting events do not necessarily exempt McDonald’s from any allegation the pro-health lobbyist groups have indicted them. The third argument attacks on the main motivation of detractors. The article suggests that the qualms of these advertising antagonists is that they are mainly concerned about destroying the reputation of fastfood chains and not really caring of children’s health.The single subpremise provided by this argument can not be sufficient in supporting this argument. This argument, let alone, does not have enough bearing to stand on its own because it did not clearly illustrate the real world scenario as it has claimed. The undertone of this argument im plies that there is a bigger competition in the food business against the fastfood chains. This may at least be true thinking that it eats up the market share of other cuisines in terms of children.However, the claim should have included statistics to point into figures the alleged claim of the madness among detractors. The fourth argument, saying that the aim of advertisements is not really to have the children eat more but to have a bigger market share may prove to be a realistic argument. This is the only argument that does not rely on health statistics right at the onset. It may not be obvious in the advertisement upon its theme and delivery, however, the clear picture among the businessmen running the company is to have a bigger share in the market to produce more profit.It does not have control as to how much food the children are going to eat in their foodchains, their main concern is the number of sales they get at the end of the day. Health may not be a selling ground in th is argument, however, it is the only sensible and truthful among the other arguments posted in the article. The last argument saying that advertising is the only way for producers to share information to their community may not necessarily be true. The trend of having models wear a specific product for example or incorporating in movies the product of McDonald’s may not be blatantly advertising but it gives out the same information.The last argument is generalizing that the only outlet for information dissemination among companies is through paid advertisements in televisions when in fact people can always have testimonies, researches, tabloids and other media sources. The subpremise saying that it may be a form of disservice to the community if the company may not be able to advertise may partially be true. If the company has perks that are available for the community in a specified time frame, this argument may be acceptable. Otherwise, the company may exist without the ben efits of advertisement.The second subpremise in this argument is that children need information, too. Just like people who are in quest for knowledge of a certain product or are just slack and waiting for information, children need adventurous or interesting ways of product presentation and information. Most likely, the creative way to producing such is through advertisements. There is greater product recall and product orientation in the way the product is presented in advertisements rather than reading it in tabloids or in journals.Advertisement seem to capture interest and in its emotional appeal rather than the rationalization in broadsheets, and the like. Like all people, children need information. As a whole, the entire article in its specificity and clarity is not persuasive enough to claim that advertising is not bad for children’s health. Perhaps, the biggest loophole in this article is the failure to provide a causal link between the two terms: advertising and child ren’s health. It has also failed to define the nature of advertising and the nature of children’s health, although, obesity was implied as the main illness in the argument.Objectively, right at the outset, these terms would have been defined and given background as to the qualms of the detractors to make the entire tone of the article more substantive. There must be a direct link as to advertising directly affecting a group of children, making them really unhealthy and must cause a wave of urgency to have this stopped. The article is highly opinionated and may need evidences to support its claims. A better article should contain statistics relating to specific arguments as a number of 6th grade students are reported obese after eating at mcdonald’s once a day for the entire 2 months.Further researches and surveys should be made to support claims and to make the entire article more persuasive. Claims could have been furthermore substantiated to make the article m ore convincing. The survey conducted by NSW would have been more convincing if it included complete information as to the date of the conduction of the survey to have a better comparison to the status of the health of children today. This should have at least mentioned as to the frequency of the subjects going to fastfood in a week or any information in that line.If complete information was released in this survey, it would have been more convincing and more substantive. This is the only survey produced in this article and the only form of science that can be investigated further to support the claim of this article. However, it still poses questions in the readers’ thoughts therefore compromising its validity and accuracy. In general, I should say that the author was not clear and satisfactory in its counter argument in his claim that Advertising is not bad for children’s health.

Informed Opinion Outline

It is a career/Job choice selected by the person performing the Job It has the potential for large financial profit It is highly regulated and safer than illegal prostitution It generates tax revenue for the counties that allow it Personal Opinion: Women should have the right to work in this field safely, and without harsh punishment for a service that is elsewhere considered to be profitable and respected. Support and Statistics: Buzzed. Mom's Hillary Reinsert reports In How I was a Prostitute, without ever reeking a law; an unnamed woman reported â€Å"The first thing I have to say is that I was not abused, I don't drink or do drugs and I don't come from a troubled home-my parents Just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. † â€Å"l became a working girl because I really love having sex and I like the money' According the CDC In Nevada; women have to undergo weekly pap smear as well required HIVE screenings and condoms are also mandatory.In in article from Family Plann ing Perspectives It sates that a study conducted In the US on the Prevalence of the HIVE Infection among female prostitutes Zero out of the 35 restitution from southern Nevada were positive for HIVE and 25 percent out of the 59 from Newark, New Jersey (where prostitution Is Illegal) were positive.In the Article â€Å"Novena's Legal Brothels Make Workers Feel Safer† In the New York Times Written by Barbara G Brent (University of Alas Vegas Professor In the Department of Sociology) she writes that â€Å"In legal Brothels, employees report that they feel safe, are free to come and go, and are bound only by their contract† † Workers report that they felt Largely safe because the police, employers and co- workers were there to protect them† By summarize Buzzed.

Speak Response to Literature

â€Å"It is easier not to say anything. Shut your trap, button your lip; can it. All that crap you hear on TV about communication and expressing feelings is a lie. Nobody really wants to hear what you have to say. † (Speak. Pg. 9, Paragraph 4. ) Everyone at some point in their lives have felt that terrifying feeling of dejection, sorrow, anger, frustration and pain. Whether it is an action done by one or an action done by others, there is always the fear of being judged, to which people decide it is best if they don’t talk their problems with others.Melinda used to be a serene, sweet loving girl that loved to play sports and had a good relationship with her parents and friends, but suddenly, as she started her first high school year, she skips days of school, drop her grades and feels completely empty. The tones of fear and relief in Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson reflect an inner growth presented by the main character when she overcomes the challenging and devastating condition of being sexually abused.The foreshadowing presented several times in the story reinforces the mystery and the intrigue in the reader as it discovers and resolves the conflict and causes of it. In the beginning of the book, Melinda expresses what she has â€Å"been dreading†; she is the â€Å"Outcast† and the only person â€Å"in the entire galaxy [she is] dying to tell what really happened† (Pg. 3, Paragraph 3; Pg. 4, Paragraph 2. ) and whom she trusted all her life, Rachelle, Melinda’s best friend until 8th grade, hates her to death.For this reason the reader can infer that something inconveniently awful occurred since there is a very sudden shift in their friendship that caused not only their total isolation, but also, feelings of anger and resentment. The author does this to emphasize a sense of interest, charm and curiosity as a hook to capture the reader’s attention from the beginning to build up the plot in the story. Equally, lat er on in the book, there is a shocking event when Melinda gets trapped with Andy Evans in the janitor’s office; she was about to â€Å"wet [her] pants† as Andy lividly â€Å"cracks his knuckles† and â€Å"stares at [her] without talking. (Pg. 193, Paragraph 3. ) As Melinda gets corned face to face with her biggest fear, the reader feels anxious wondering whether he is going to rape her again or is Melinda going to stand up for herself, be courageous and take revenge from that pervert selfish man. The author does this to built suspense in the reader as it gets to the ending resolution of the book’s plot; this anxiety is built up by giving small clues that indicate certain actions. For this reason the reader is able to get the traumatic feelings of terror and affliction from a likely experience.The symbolism behind the abandoned janitor’s office in Speak, conveys the reader of the powerful conflict of man versus self. In a moment of trouble, Melinda discovers the inactive and decrepit janitor’s office and she describes it as an â€Å"abandoned [place] – [with] no purpose, no name† and finds is it appropriate for her. (Pg. 25, Paragraph 4. ) The closet represents isolation from the rest of the school as well as it provides her with a place of self-reflection and tranquil safety.The author does this to emphasize Melinda’s affliction and her insecurity, hiding from people and not expressing her feelings to others. Consequently, the Secret Annex was a place for protection and avoiding any type of harm during the World War II in which Anne Frank and her family lived for a very long time. Furthermore, in the end of the story, Melinda is packing her stuff from the closet when suddenly, â€Å"some body slams into [her] chest and nocks [her] back into† it (Pg. 193, Paragraph 3. ); she trapped with Andy Evans, the beast that hurt her once and came to do it once more.As they were fighting, Melinda break s the mirror hanging form the wall and â€Å"wrap [her] fingers around a triangle of glass†; she holds it into Andy Evans neck â€Å"hard enough to raise one drop of blood†. Immediately, â€Å"his lips are paralyzed† and â€Å" cannot speak†. Melinda added, â€Å"I said no† (Pg. 195, Paragraph 2. ). The closet reflects the place of self-transformation as she becomes courageous and gains control of the situation to fight for herself. The author does this to demonstrate the rewarding satisfaction of fighting over the problems and the huge change that involved courage and maturity.Melinda is able to defeat her biggest fear by growing up, having confidence in herself just like an invincible hero. The first person point of view gives the reader a personal-hand experience of the struggle the protagonist experience as she overcomes her condition. After confronting the truth about what happened that night in a TV show, she feels extremely sick, devastated and confesses, â€Å"My head is killing me, my throat is killing me, my stomach bubbles with toxic waste. (†¦) A coma would be nice. †¦) Anything just to get rid of this, these thoughts, whispers in my mind. Did he rape my head too? † (Pg. 165, Paragraph 2. ) When the character starts reflecting about what happened, she feels fearful and uncertain. The author does this to help the reader understand a personal experience by getting inside her head, which is the only place where Melinda expresses without restrictions or concerns of being judged by her parents, friends and society. In the last pages of the story, Melinda makes a self-reflection in which she says, â€Å"IT happened.There is no avoiding it, no forgetting. No running away, or flying, or burying, or hiding. (†¦) It wasn’t my fault. He hurt me. It wasn’t my fault. And I’m not going to let it kill me. I can grow. † (Pg. 198, Paragraph 1. ) As Melinda cogitates on the events t hat occurred that night, she has a drastic transformation from her mature beliefs compared to her callow, insecure ones. The author uses this point of view to emphasize the emotional and personal growth of the protagonist by becoming courageous and confronting her fear.This perspective is intended so the reader can feel empathy and understanding as it becomes aware of the main character’s personal opinions. Melinda’s challenge reinforces life’s most challenging task, growing up. Being in such a traumatic age of 14 to 16, it is very hard to deal with these types of situations that are ordinary in our society but are often excluded from conversations; however Melinda’s actions should endure as being a raw model to other people that have experienced the same abuse.Society should protect and look after everyone involved in any abuse, instead, of being so close-minded and judgmental. Furthermore, in order for these abuses to stop, people should gain courage to defend themselves by denouncing their acts; the society around them should not let these misdoings be forgotten with neglect. Bibliography Halse Anderson, Laurie. Speak. New York: Penguin Group, 2009. Print.

Marbury vs. Madison Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marbury vs. Madison Case - Essay Example Some legal scholars have accepted the legitimate reasoning of Marshall while others remain to challenge the decision he made toward the Marbury vs. Madison case. Alexander Bickel question John Marshall ruling, Bickel argued that Marshall Verdict in advocated justice for Marbury vs. Madison case was unconvincing and power-driven interpretation of jurisprudence. Marshall recommended that the Supreme Court had an outright obligation to strike-down every rule it discovers violated the constitution. â€Å"It is emphatically the province and duty of the Judicial Department to say what the law is" Bickel foresees that consenting the constitution to mean whatever the Supreme Court perceives to be right might turn the constitution into a mere document in the hands of the judges. Consequently, judges may twist and shape the constitution into any form that delights them rather than giving the legal decision that will facilitate court attaining decision that depict legitimate, fair and just rul ing. Alexander Mordecai Bickel puts evidently that the aim of John Marshall was using federalist tactic to craft a strong central government over the opposition of Jeffersonian who was alacritous to have a resilient state government. Therefore, John Marshal used the case to establish the Supreme Court as center of power, proficient at overruling the legislature, the president, and the state. Bickel believed that allowing Supreme Court to dictate the constitution might turn it susceptible as judges may desire to shape and twist the constitution towards their lusts, personal gains and egotistical interests2. It is important that Alexander Bickel’s notion is taken into consideration to circumvent future judges from using their positions for personal interest. Conversely, Supreme Court remained to be a vital constitutional independent branch, but it has to incorporate other institution such as congress, and the state interest thus fashioning a holistic relationship for sustainabl e governance of the country.

Expensive weddings are an obscene waste of money Essay - 1

Expensive weddings are an obscene waste of money - Essay Example For instance, when a couple plans for an expensive wedding, they consider inviting prominent and wealthy guests whether they personally know them or not. The common notion about this perception is the value of gifts couples would receive from the guests. With such inclinations, evidently, there is a moral looseness that expensive weddings bring about. The focus is now on the wedding gifts rather than the celebration time together with friends and family. Moreover, couples tend to concentrate on how perfect the ceremony should proceed so that they spend a lot on clothes, make-up and other fancy things that will make the wedding flawless. As a result, the essence of the wedding ceremony becomes a secondary or even the last concern of the people involved. On the other hand, if a wedding ceremony is planned to be simple and private, concerns about how the wedding will take place would be minimized and the wedding becomes more

Article review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Review - Article Example This lack of concern for the management always ends having cost effects on the company’s transport system, zoning, and environment and family lives of their employees. For instance the company hence has to compete with other companies for workers. Housing cost hence affects many businesses in various ways. The article also explores the housing options benefits that Tyson Foods, Inc. as a company are planning to offer in homeownership initiative. In addition, there is mentioning of the partnering of Tyson Foods, Inc. with Freddie Mac to provide financial assistance to specifically income-eligible workers. Most notably is the reference on various similar successful homeownership initiatives by other companies such as Cisco Systems, Mayo Clinic, Hewlett-Packard and Intel among others. Finally, the article substantiates the role companies should play in strengthening their workforce through proper homeownership initiatives. For in one way or another, all these companies have helpe d increase their workforce and communities through lasting housing solutions. The article substantiates the information provided by other reading concerning this subject of management’s role in provision better housing benefits to their workforce and the impacts it has on their operational cost. This article offers a significant contribution to various topic of urban planning giving detailed analysis of how housing costs affects many business bottom-line and society vitality more broadly. This is a concern for many urban planners, and hence the article helps in substantiating this subject. It adds to concerns of other studies including that done by Brown (2004). According to Brown (2004), by employers engaging in homeownership initiatives help retain loyal employees and cut on operational costs. Brown further added that such programs have been around for a while and have allowed employers expand operations, recruit new employees and be

Inquiry letter Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Inquiry letter - Assignment Example Do they initiatives fully counter the challenges? 4. What leads to either the failure or success of firms in the Parma PDO Ham Sector? What tactics and methods are used to determine whether a firm has failed or succeeded in a particular year? How does the sector’s management ensure that the firms with debts pay them? 5. What characteristics place a firm in the SMEs category of the Parma PDO Ham Sector? What provisions are put in place to ensure that a SME does not go bankrupt? Does the sector have a limitation on the number of firms involved? 6. What is the comparison between the profit margins and the financial margins? Are there statistically significant differences? What approaches are applied to calculate the Interest Coverage Ratios (ICRs)? Are there any similarities between the traditional and non-traditional Interest coverage Ratios (ICRs)? 8. How is the general equation of the balance sheet in the Parma PDO Ham Sector expressed? Which factors and results are compared in the sector’s balance sheet? Which specific intermediate profit margins are applied as variables and why? 9. What strategies doe the Parma PDO Ham Sector put into place to ensure that firms can differentiate in the production and at the same time raise the sales? What demerits come with these strategies? Are there any characteristics that have the effect of increasing the capital needs? 10. Are there any characteristics of production and investment applied by the sector that affect the capital structure? What are the large amounts of capital required by the firms for? Is there any correlation between economic and financial margins? If yes, what is the main cause of the correlation? If No, what strategies do you apply to avoid this 11. Do the Parma PDO Ham processing firms often have difficulties paying interest charges and distributing dividends? What is the analysis of the relationship between the sector firms and the

In postcolonial contemporary societies there are no longer any Essay

In postcolonial contemporary societies there are no longer any frontiers, only borders'. Critically consider this view and con - Essay Example The colonial states therefore created order within the colonial territories and hence the possibility of conflict emerging between different communities was limited to certain levels due to reduced interaction. This also saw the reduction in the cultural diversity and the exchange of cultural values between different colonial societies. The postcolonial state and the freedom that has been created as a result of revolution within different countries have resulted into different consequences to the society. According to Singh & Schmidt (2009), these consequences are directly or indirectly related to the artificial boundaries that were created by the colonial power. It is important to note that the post colonial and the decolonization movements adopted the boundaries that were created by these colonialists and hence created a nation state. Even though it was imagined that the nation so created is different from the colonial one, it was not different, the nation remained the same through out. The concept of imprisonment within the territories created the state nations through colonial territorial cartographies. It is this state nation that resulted to the creations of borders in which the frontiers territories were lost. However, the creation of borders has resulted into certain benefits within the borders with regard to the interaction with other nation states. However, it has dismantled the order that existed before and hence has resulted to certain adverse impacts. The problems that have been created by the building of the nation states include; the problems of minorities, ethno-nationalism, sub-state nationalism, ethnicities and separatism (French, 2000). All these have resulted from the diversity in the territorial lands that were converted into the nation states. The root causes of all these problems are the increasing interaction between different communities that has increased the vulnerability of conflict. This can be described as globalization often termed as economic globalization which is the increase in the levels of interaction between individuals and other business entities. This has increased the way individuals access information, perform business, transfer information, competition and the general flow of capital in different economies. This has resulted into the positive impacts as well as the negative consequences. Globalization refers to the integration of regional economies, cultures and societies with regard to transportation, communication and trade. The concept also describes the changes that have taken place in the contemporary society with regard to the interaction and socialization process across the world. The society that has gone through this concept is therefore said to be globalized. While many scholars argue that globalization has resulted into the increased benefits, others have taken contrary opinion, stating that this has resulted into more bad than good. The latter school of argument asserts that globalizat ion has increased the possibility of the intra-national conflicts and the international conflicts while reducing intercultural contacts (Steger, 2009). In this context, it is evident that there is increasing concern and debate about the world peace and the international relations. This is because globalization and the creation of the borders have interfered by the territorial system and there is no longer secrecy or