Business Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Management - Essay Example Its worldwide establishment did not happen immediately, rather, the spread into other areas of the United Kingdom and to other, states happened strategically, and involved serious and efficient planning by the founders and stakeholders of the company. Tesco has its stores in many nations, including the United States, China, Korea, India, and Japan among others. It has established many stores, which exceed 4,811 and a staff of workers of over 472,000. Its operations are on a large surface area that is estimated as 94 sq. feet (St. James Press, 2013). When first established, Jack Cohen established it as a grocery, which was a food retailing store. However, as time went by, the founders found it necessary and efficient to diversify into different markets such as clothing, electronics, and financial services. Tesco Company engages itself in a myriad of market operations, including those of extra stores, metro, hypermarkets, express, superstores and home plus. The company was formed with an aim of providing total satisfaction to its customers in order to build customer loyalty. In building customer loyalty, Tesco Company had in mind an aim of retaining its customers. In that way, Tesco Company was sure of dominating the market in no time since it would have had a huge market share composed of the loyal customers. In its venture of diversifying its operations, Tesco ventured and continues to venture into the provisions of both food and non-food products. Some of the non-food products include clothes, beauty products, health and electronic commodities. Not only does Tesco provide the non-food products mentioned above, but also kitchen equipment, stationery products and home entertainment products. It’s worth noting that Tesco also specializes in the service provision. Some of the services Tesco provides include financial services, website selling and telecom services (Laurin, 1977; Tesco Still Top of the Shops, 2007). Tesco’s location strategy Growth of Tesco has been measured using the profits the company makes yearly. The profits are attributed to the large market share the company has over many nations, which are over 14 in number. The profits are all from both the domestic and foreign Tesco business stores. Tesco Company has the largest market share in United Kingdom compared to the share of other renowned companies. Its market share is 35% of the whole country. Tesco’s growth is attributed to many factors, most of which contributed by the environment in which the market stores, and hypermarkets have been set up. Business environment is divided into two; internal environment and the external environment. The internal environment basically involves the leadership, and management put in place in a business or company. It also includes the employee’s contribution to the organization. Without the presence of hardworking and committed workers, attainment of a company’s targets and achievement of objectives would be challenging. Internal environment is one where the management has influence over. On the other hand, external environment is one that the management of a company has little or no control over. It is divided into micro and macro environments. Basically, external environment of a business is influenced by the location strategy of the firm. Location

Economic Implications on Social Media Essay Example for Free

Economic Implications on Social Media Essay The developments in the information technology sector have led to facilitation in information sharing across the globe in what has been referred to as social media. The internet has brought many changes in the way individuals across the world interact. Through the use of social media, individuals are able to exchange photographs, videos, post their thoughts on blogs and take part in discussions that takes lace online. Social media allows the people, organizations, companies and governments to be able to reach large numbers of people with a lot of ease. This paper shall give an overview of how the social media has impacted on the economic domain of development in the society by analyzing both the positive and the negative impacts. Social Media: Social media refers to the various internet based and mobile services which allows the user to take part in online exchanges, contributing user-created content and being able to join the online community. It also refers to the tools and technologies that enable an online interaction, networking, sharing and collaboration. There are various services internet services that are usually associated with social media which includes blogs, wikis, social bookmarking, social network sites, status updates services, virtual word content and media sharing site (Dewing, 2010). Blogs is a short form of ‘web log’ which can be described as an online journal in which pages are put on view in an overturned chronological order. The blogs can be hosted for free on various websites including WordPress and Blogger among others. Wikis on the other hand refers to collective websites in which anyone participating can modify the pages or create their new pages using a Web browser. A good example of a wiki is the Wikipedia which is a free online encyclopedia that utilizes the wiki technology. Social bookmarking sites are those sites which allow the users to share and organize links to websites for instance the Delicious, Digg, and Reddit. Social network sites are the web-based services which enables the individuals to build a public or semi-public profile in a delimited system. The individuals are also able to articulate a list of other users whom they share connection thus being able to navigate through and view their list of connections and those of others in the system. Such sites include Facebook, MySpace, and Windows Live Spaces amongst others (Dewing, 2010). Status-update services are also referred to as micro-blogging services are more like social network sites but they allow individuals to share short updates and also be able to view updates from others. A good example is the twitter services. Virtual world content on the other hand offers a game-like virtual environment for the users to interact. A good example of this would be the imaginary world that is created in Second Life whereby users can create avatars to interact with each other. Avatars are the virtual representations of the users. Media–sharing sites are those which enable the users to post videos or photographs for instance the You Tube and Flickr. It must be noted that some of these categories do overlap for instance twitter can be regarded as both a social network site as well as a stats update service (Dewing, 2010). Social media is capable of affecting the manner in which individuals interact online. Social media is known to open up new ways for cooperation and dialogue in today’s world. Most of the content posted in social media may remain there permanently at least by default. The content may also be accessible, replicable, and searchable. Social media can therefore be used anywhere, and at any moment provided that there is internet connectivity in the area. Such factors are responsible for shaping of the dynamics of the social media. The fact that the players in the social media are usually invisible raises various questions regarding the framework, correctness and unambiguousness regarding the communication. The identity and motives of those who post contents in the social media are not always clear (Dewing, 2010). Evolution of Social Media: The internet became popular in the last two decades and web sites which allowed individuals to create and upload content started appearing with the first network site said to have appeared in 1997 for the first time. The first social network site to be launched was called ‘SixDegrees. com’ and it was followed soon by many others at the turn of the millennium. In 2002, there was an upsurge in the number of social network sites with some surging to popularity only to fade in a little while such as the Friendstar. However, others were able to develop niche communities for instance MySpace appealed to adolescent music enthusiasts (Dewing, 2010). Towards the end of the first decade of the second millennium, social media was widely accepted, for instance; by the year 2009, Facebook made the announcement that its users were well over 350 million worldwide (Dewing, 2010). There are a number of factors that have led to a surge in the social media participation which include technological factors, social factors and economic factors. Technological factors include things such as readily available broadband, improvement in software tools, and the development of more powerful computer and mobile services. Social factors on the other hand include the rapid uptake of social media by the young generation while the economic factors include the growth in commercial interests in the social media sites and affordability of computers and related software (Dewing, 2010). Impacts of Social Media: Since the widespread usage of social media is a recent phenomenon, social and economic implications can only be barely understood. Some quarters hold the belief that social media is causing isolation amongst the people whereas others believe that social media has broaden democratic participation. According to a research conducted by statistics Canada; We should expect neither a dysfunctional society of loners nor a blissful society of happy net-workers. Rather, we are facing a society that is differently cohesive from the one we have known. There do not appear to be any significant differences in the number of social ties or in the amount of social interaction between Internet users and non-users. Instead, the Internet is providing ways of fostering participation with community members and enhancing relationships, including through social media (Dewing, 2010, para 10). Social media has also had economic impacts in regard to the manner in which what is contained in the social media is created and consumed. This can be summed up to the growth in the information and communication sector of the economy. In most economies, growth in this sector of the economy has been tremendous even surpassing the overall economic growth. Many business firms and organizations have also incorporated social media in their marketing strategies (Dewing, 2010). Socio-economic Impacts: The socioeconomic theory appears to be spearheading the deflationary cycle more than the financial or the political economics. Previously, the Keynesian and libertarian theories were believed to be the key players in the deflationary cycle. According to the socio-economic theories, it is claimed that in order for us to get out of the deflationary cycle, there is need to view it as both a sociological and fiscal problem. The solution is therefore to be found in the ground-breaking technology which promises huge profits to be used in investment so as to commence the next boom cycle, and snap the society out of the predicament created by the economic downturn. Social media could play a role in mitigating the damages that arise from the deflationary cycle. It could also be instrumental in the construction of the next opportunities for technological innovations (Fischer, 2009). Understanding the objective economic potential is very crucial and dependant on the revolution of the social media. Social media is known to utilize technology in enhancing the people’s ability to interact with others. Social media is to be found in interaction, connection, trust and relations that are driven by technology. In regard to business, this implies establishment of trust and channels of communication which supports and enables collaboration and building of engaged teams through the removal of barriers and frustrations that were created by conventional structures. Social media particularly in regard to collaboration has the potential to unlock the hidden knowledge in organizations when required. It also lowers the cost of software via open source cooperation, easing the finding of appropriate information, and making organizations to be more responsive. These are however cultural changes that occurs gradually. Nevertheless, the promise for change is there even though it might take much longer time. However, the technological investment that is required to bring about these changes is quite cheaply available (Fischer, 2009). With social media, change is bound to happen. Social media has the prospects of creating more effective organizations via the collaboration, â€Å"providing a greater variety of information services at low cost through mashups and open source, and a lower cost to product and service messaging, when the product and service has great appeal†(Fischer, 2009, para 7). Similarly, social media has detrimental impacts on the established industries. The conventional advertising media has become decreasingly effective due to the increasing numbers of the individuals who are networked and therefore attentive to one another. It is imperative to observe that; Friend of a friend referrals, rating sites or consumer oriented websites will become the norm and rely on their objectivity to maintain trust with their followers, therefore are not as subject to trying to manipulate their audience based on the promise of big advertising revenue (Fischer, 2009, para 8). There is no doubt that manipulation is part of the social media practice though the ability for any individual to broadcast and gain audience to the large network in the social media indicates that it is not an easy task and it is destined to be the exception and not the norm in the long run (Fischer, 2009). The distribution of retail products may also come to the forefront due to the social media influence. Due to the fact that e-commerce has been enhanced in the recent past owing to a revolution in the social media, some social observations have been made in regard to marketing trends for instance, there has been a relation drawn between the trends on how particular products are moved in the market. Such observations may be observed as ‘individuals who bought product X also bought product Y’. Large business organizations may also offer lower prices and utilize the social media to achieve the personal touch, a domain previously associated with small business organizations. This has been geared towards the ‘commodization’ of products that are produced on a large scale and the futuristic markets with the chances of realizing massive profits. The markets of the future are said to be niche markets that would require subject matter expertise and customization (Fischer, 2009). The gains of the social media in economic venture may be offset by the unsettling role associated with it in the conventional industries. In the past, any technological changes would result in obvious and simple routes to massive increases in the production and demand. However, with the social media, increase in productivity and demand over a short time is not palpable due to the fact that it requires cultural changes together with the technological transformations. Eventually, as the cultural changes are realized over time, massive increases in the production may be realized; however, in the short term social media can not be used to provide an obvious path for investment capable of leading to gains in effectiveness and productivity (Fischer, 2009). There is this argument that tightly knit society has the capability to survive economic stress better compared to a loosely knit society. Social media ensures that the world is woven in complex interactions and also offers individuals with something to do when they are not involved in an economic activity. This is motivated by what can be referred to as ‘reputation economics’ which is designed to motivate individuals to engage in activities such as creating open source software, report on events, and many more information services that would have required individuals to pay for before the advent of the internet. This allows for rich content and growth of valuable products to be carried out devoid of investment and yet with returns for instance a â€Å"business entity that hosts their websites on Linux servers or uses open office to create and manage documents† (Fischer, 2009, para 9). To add on the long term effectiveness of the social media which include the creation of complex systems like an operating system at relatively low cost; it could also enable the development of new innovations presenting a clear path that shall increase production and demand. The deflationary cycle that is predicted by the socio-economic theories could only be shortened if only we are able to find out the kind of innovation required and be able to bring it more quickly (Fischer, 2009). Social media is said to provide revenue to both the users and platforms. It has to be noted that social media better known as social computing is a driver for competitiveness. The effects of social computing may be seen on the industry itself for instance, the development in the social media or the information and communication technology sector. It can also be observed in other industries that uses the social computing. There is evidence that â€Å"more targeted marketing and user research which are reliant on user profiles and content interest are opening new channels to markets† (Pascu, 2008, para 11). There are emergent employment possibilities vial social networks and new opportunities to utilize user innovations in developing the products or as an intermediate between organizations and consumers (Pascu, 2008). The impact of social media can not be wished away as insignificant. This is because, faced with the modern reality where social media provides a platform for the consumers, competitors and the market place to discuss products, services and employees. All this is carried out online â€Å"whether its a protest group on Facebook (United Airlines Sucks! ), a persistent hashtag on Twitter (#attfail) or just a meme that travels from blogger to Blogger† (Taylor, 2009, para 5). At this juncture, it does not matter as to whether it is of importance to probe into the social networks. What is of importance is whether one is paying attention to the social media where the message has gone to. This means that the customer to the company products is the one to define the brand in the market. This is quite challenging as it means that those organizations with acceptable products are bound to be reap benefits even with minimum branding and marketing strategies whereas those companies that are considered bad by the customers are destined to suffer from a bad reputation even when they spent more money to advertise themselves and try to position themselves as market leaders (Taylor, 2009). It is therefore important for organizations to take time and monitor what is going on in the social media. There are various services at the disposal of whoever would like to monitor the social media which include the individual services such as ‘Search. twitter. com’ and more complicated ones such as ‘Filtrbox’ and ‘Radian 6’. For successful business undertaking, there is need for organizations to embrace the social media which provides an avenue to engage with the customers. Interaction on the social media with the customers is crucial and thus joining these sites for creating new bully pulpits for the organization’s marketing and sales messages without proper interaction with the customers is not commendable (Taylor, 2009). The organizations can not be isolated from the social media as they create a powerful impression with the capability of having a lasting impact that may prove to be hard to change. Accompany with a bad reputation might score poorly even with spirited advertisement due to evaluations that are obtained from the social media. It is therefore important to address the problems that are affecting the organizations one by one rather than spending huge sums of money in advertising the products (Chong, 2010). Conclusion: Social media has been a new discovery in the information and communication sector and that its impacts on the economic development are worthy noting. The economic impacts of social media are two fold and may bring positive results or negative results to a business organization. With social media, the consumers of the company products are able to talk about the products, services and competitors and definitely such discussions are to impact on the business entity either for better or for worse. Social media can therefore have far reaching repercussions on the business organizations in terms of profitability. Reference: Chong, S. , (2010). Nothing Can save Negative Buzz on Twitter. Retrieved on 26th July 2010 from; http://www. penn-olson. com/2010/07/02/nothing-can-save-negative-buzz-on-twitter/. Dewing, M. , (2010). Social Media: 1. An Introduction. Retrieved on 26th July 2010 from; http://www2. parl. gc. ca/Content/LOP/ResearchPublications/2010-03-e. htm. Fischer, K. , (2009). Exploring the economic impact of social media. Retrieved on 26th July 2010 from; http://www. web20blog. org/2009/03/24/exploring-the-economic-impact-of-social-media/. Pascu, C. , (2008). ERoSC-The Socio-economic Impact of Emerging Social Computing Applications. Retrieved on 26th July 2010 from; http://docs. google. com/viewer? a=vq=cache:dHneLXVRkYgJ:www. foresight-network. eu/index. php%3Foption%3Dcom_docman%26task%3Ddoc_view%26gid%3D352+Economic+Implications+on+Social+Mediahl=engl=kepid=blsrcid=ADGEEShixNJSG5ddAxmDsp3_H0NmsZ-LetSdSeKnGykkb0y_4ruRrW-EstMaeGHfs16v1u66MJlBbpW-WIgVRxtCabedvJWeojTeW4mfj7Z70xD-y31hAWGz7VhQwakzAylysKUUV0NNsig=AHIEtbRbStc-eBG_GjfGNgsEL-OmZ0oP8g Taylor, D. , (2009). Whats the impact of social media on business growth? Retrieved on 26th July 2010 from; http://www. intuitive. com/blog/impact_of_social_media_twitter_facebook_business_growth. html

The Positive Effects of Media Violence Essay -- Media Violence, 2014

A school shooting has just taken place. As I write this, the newscaster wonders if there is any connection between this and other school shootings, whether through method or motive. There will likely be a discussion on one of the myriad talk shows later, the ubiquitous scrolling headline at the bottom reading something along the lines of â€Å"Shooters Played Violent Video Games† or â€Å"Teen Killers Watched Action Movies.† And why not? Violence in the media has received an ample amount of attention in the past few years. The prevailing opinion seems to be that the effects of violent television programming and video games on children is harmful, damaging, and possibly influencing violent acts in turn. Yet children have long been drawn to violent fantasy scenarios, whether it be Beowulf or Gunsmoke or Mighty Morphing Power Rangers. There is a magnetic pull for children toward these types of stories and there has been since the dawn of time. Children like the shooters i n Helsinki are an aberration, the sociological equivalent of a defective gene. Far from creating generation after generation of serial killers and gang bangers, violent stories can be and usually are beneficial to the young people that they target.   My own development would be sorely lacking without such tales. In my youth I was an awkward, overweight child with no social skills. In this vacuum of social input, I was instantly drawn to comic books. Spider-Man was by far my favorite. There was an appeal there in reading about the hero beating up his villains, and I admired this fictional character so much that I took to heart his credo: "With great power comes great responsibility." The violence that drew me in and thrilled me also inspired me.   Later, as a still awkward teenager, I fell in love with martial arts films. Again, the violence and action drew me in. In the fantastic athleticism of Bruce Lee, Yuen Biao, and Jackie Chan, I also discovered a sense of right and wrong, of honor and nobility. There was a moral code in these films imparted through the characters, not much different from the moral codes extant in Medieval tales of knights slaying dragons or in the stories of Wild West lawmen. Lacking a father figure in my own life, these characters (who were no doubt strong and in control of their lives) gave me something to aspire to, some sense of what a grown man should be and how he should i... ...y purposeless. Comic books and fantasy films offer a way for these children to escape such stresses, if only for a small period of time. The heroes of such stories usually pummel their foes into complacency, and this can offer a feeling of empowerment to outcast youth, even if only vicariously, that they tend to not experience in their lives. For every bully that has ever picked on them, or every verbal abuse that they've received, they are able through such media to gain some measure of confidence back. Like most issues, violence in the media is a complicated and gray issue. But put aside the knee-jerk reaction that incidents like Columbine and Helsinki engender, and it's easy to see how every child needs to slay a dragon, even if it’s just a virtual one.   Works Cited Sipes, Richard G. "War, Sports and Aggression: An Empirical Test of Two Rival Theories." American Anthropologist, New Series, Vol. 75, No. 1. (Feb., 1973), pp. 64-86. Lorenz, K. (1963)  On Aggression. San Diego: Harcourt Brace, reprinted in 2012. Block, Jerald J, MD. "Lessons From Columbine: Virtual and Real Rage." American Journal of Forensic Psychiatry, Vol. 28, Issue 2. (Feb., 2007), pp. 3-25.

The Outsiders Essay

The Outsiders Critical Lens Essay The quote in question is  Ã¢â‚¬Å"All good is destined to be defeated. †Ã‚  The quote means,  for every good guy,  there is a bad guy. For every hero,  there is a villain. Everyone who has ever tried to do something good has been destined to be stopped. The quote not only speaks for literature,  but for everything. If you look from now, all the way back to ancient times, you will see examples of this in many works of literature. The book The Outsiders is a good representation of the quote. I agree with the quote â€Å"All good is destined to be defeated†. I can’t think of any good that hasn’t had an attempt to be stopped. In the story The Outsiders there are many examples of good being defeated. When Johnny went into a burning building to save kids, he ended up getting killed. When Darry was trying to give Ponyboy a better life, he ended up forcing him to run away. When Ponyboy attempted to make friends with Cherry and Marsha, he was jumped by their boyfriends. These are just a few of examples from the story. I feel that the story The Outsiders really showcased the quote â€Å"All good is destined to be defeated. † It was a story of how fun loving greasers turned to cold blooded killers after a gang of socs continue to attack them with violence. The story builds up to a climax, where there are many nail biting things are happening simultaneously. Johnny kills Cherry’s boyfriend Bob, The greasers are preparing for a big rumble with the socs, and Ponyboy and Johnny run away The Outsiders Essay The Outsiders Critical Lens Essay The quote in question is  Ã¢â‚¬Å"All good is destined to be defeated. †Ã‚  The quote means,  for every good guy,  there is a bad guy. For every hero,  there is a villain. Everyone who has ever tried to do something good has been destined to be stopped. The quote not only speaks for literature,  but for everything. If you look from now, all the way back to ancient times, you will see examples of this in many works of literature. The book The Outsiders is a good representation of the quote. I agree with the quote â€Å"All good is destined to be defeated†. I can’t think of any good that hasn’t had an attempt to be stopped. In the story The Outsiders there are many examples of good being defeated. When Johnny went into a burning building to save kids, he ended up getting killed. When Darry was trying to give Ponyboy a better life, he ended up forcing him to run away. When Ponyboy attempted to make friends with Cherry and Marsha, he was jumped by their boyfriends. These are just a few of examples from the story. I feel that the story The Outsiders really showcased the quote â€Å"All good is destined to be defeated. † It was a story of how fun loving greasers turned to cold blooded killers after a gang of socs continue to attack them with violence. The story builds up to a climax, where there are many nail biting things are happening simultaneously. Johnny kills Cherry’s boyfriend Bob, The greasers are preparing for a big rumble with the socs, and Ponyboy and Johnny run away

Masculinity in Beloved

Bondage steals away the human characteristics of the slaves. They are treated by others on par with animals that the fine distinctions that inhabit their society are not only blurred from the vision of the observers but also from themselves. Masculinity as a human trait that defines the other half of human race is an expression of individuality and it is no wonder that any trace of such individuality is suppressed and disfigured beyond recognition in the era of slavery.In Tony Morrison’s Beloved, there is a lot of malevolence and violence but the masculinity is itself like a slave trying to buy its freedom of expression and more often than not failing to do so. The murderous rage and grief of Sethe which prompts her to behead her own daughter with a saw (how savage) and try to kill her other children is an expression of the brutality of Slavery that mother would want her children dead than suffer the same fate as her.It is the destruction of masculinity, which finds more expre ssion in Beloved than the ideal shape of Masculinity. The distinction between the genders is obliterated in their common suffering and pain. Halle, who is reported to be a witness to the molesting of his wife by the nephews of he school master who nursed their milk which was by natural right her other daughter’s and also hid in the attic as a mute witness to her punishment which left her scarred is an expression of helpless ness that pervaded the male of the species called Slaves.A father’s natural instinct to protect his children and a mate’s instinctive reactions to the suffering of his partner are the truest and most enduring qualities of Masculinity which are denied to Halle (which perhaps leads him to become the mad, invisible, melancholy loser of the book) The biggest blow to a man’s identity and his gender is, perhaps, when his own wife is taken as a mistress by the man who is also his master and he can do nothing about it. Stamp paid was a victim of such misery and he became apart of the under ground railroad which helped the Negroes escape to freedom.All that he asked in return for his assistance was that their homes remain open for him always. The lack of a family or the loss of his erstwhile family and the need to be seen as a savior/protector, which is the ordained role of male of the species according to the rules of nature drives stamp paid o be of help to all who need it. He is also Baby Sugg’s friend, and keeps frequenting 124. In fact he is instrumental in saving Denver and the other two boys the day school teacher comes to take Sethe and her kids away and Sethe in a fit of rage kills her elder daughter.The central character, which in all its multihued splendor or pain brings about the various stages of suppressed masculinity in Beloved, is Paul D. He is the still living sweet home man and he has a colorful past to say the lest. He along with his two brothers, Halle and Sixo plot their escape from Schoolteach er but are captured. He is captured and lie an animal in chains with a metal in his mouth is dragged to prison for allegedly trying to kill Brandywine. He escapes to north and since attaining his freedom; he is restless with the normal human and male emotions of finding a home and settling down.He reaches 124 and finds Sethe whom he has fancied from their time in Sweet home and chooses to settle down there with her as she had none to take care of her except Denver and Beloved. In spite of himself and against his wishes he becomes tempted by Beloved’s seduction and makes her pregnant. He leaves 124 after he learns from Stamp paid about the fact that Sethe had killed her own daughter. A person trying to run away from himself and his painful past does not want to be man enough to deal with a life with Sethe, which forever shall remain ensconced in the past of murder of her own blood.On the other end of the spectrum is Sixo, the indigo colored slave at Sweet home who has his soul mate in a slave yard 30 miles away and therefore he calls her the thirty mile woman. As he along with Paul D and F and the thirty-mile-woman plan to escape, Schoolteacher catches him and sets him on fire. It is mentioned that he laughs for the first time when he set on fire and as his legs are burning, he shouts Seven –O as his thirty mile woman has escaped and she is pregnant with his child.This one instance of defiance and mirth in the face of mortal danger is the only symbol of malevolent and idealistic black masculinity to be found in the entire book. Paul Garner, as the kind man who knew to treat his slaves with respect and trust their judgment in the plantation matters and who gave them the independence to marry and in the case of Halle, buy his mother’ s freedom comes across as a man who is quietly confident of his won masculinity and also in the fact that men in any race or tribe try to be responsible for their women folk and children.Black masculinity is the most mutilated under-current of the story Beloved that Tony Morrison is able to create pathos in the novel towards the travails of Slavery by bringing into sharp contrast the suppressed need of a man to be a man and the deathly anguish (like that of Halle sitting by a butter churn, with a vacant look on his face with butter smeared all over his face) when he is not allowed to be so.More tragic than the murder, loss or betrayal is the denial of basic human traits and the lack of identity, which Slavery forced upon the colored people and shall forever remain a blot on the history of all civilized nations, which permitted the inhuman practice.

Add your spirits of choice and stir Writing across genres Reedsy

Add your spirits of choice and stir Writing across genres Reedsy "Add your spirits of choice and stir": Jessica Bell, Independent Author Jessica Bell  has written her way across a variety of genres: in fiction, a variety of thriller and drama novels; in non-fiction, writing guides including the ’†¦in a Nutsell’; poetry; and the vignette, a form she’s resurrected with the Vine Leaves Literary Journal. So where to start? With our interview below!We talked to Jessica about being an indie author, how she works creatively, her style, and the benefits of being part of great indie associations like the ALLi! Enjoy!Jessica Bell  is Australian novelist, poet, and singer/songwriter/guitarist who lives in Athens, Greece. In addition to her novels, her poetry collections (including  Fabric, which was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards in 2012), and her bestselling pocket writing guides (Writing in a Nutshell Series), she has published a variety of works in online and print literary journals and anthologies, including Australia’s Cordite Review. Additionally, she is the Publishing Edit or of  Vine Leaves Literary Journal, and the Coordinator of the  Writing Day Workshops  which take place throughout the United States on a rolling basis.  REEDSYWhen did you found Vine Leaves?JESSICA BELLIn late 2011, with Co-Founder Dawn Ius.REEDSYWhy vignettes? What’s attractive about them?JESSICA BELLLess rules, more freedom! â€Å"Vignette† is a word  that originally meant â€Å"something that may be written on a vine leaf.† It’s a snapshot in words. It differs from flash fiction or a short story in that its aim doesn’t lie within the traditional realms of structure or plot. Instead, the vignette focuses on one element, mood, character, setting or object. It’s descriptive, excellent for character or theme exploration and wordplay. Through a vignette, you create an atmosphere.REEDSYThrough Vine Leaves Press, it seems like you’re able to use your skills as an indie to help others release their work. What motivated you to s tart doing this?JESSICA BELLActually, I don’t really help others release their work, though I am open to answering questions if people want to reach out. As well as using it as a publishing platform for my own work, Vine Leaves Literary Journal run an annual vignette collection award. Through that we choose single-author vignette collections to publish. At the moment, that’s the extent of what the press offers. So if you want to be published by us, you need to write a vignette collection, and you need to submit it to the award. What motivated this? I want the vignette to be more recognized as a â€Å"form† rather than what some people like to call â€Å"stream of consciousness.† A vignette is so much more than a stream of consciousness and deserves some of the limelight.Oh gosh †¦ how do I answer this without sounding completely up myself? Ha! I’ve had many fabulous comments that I cherish and keep in a file on my computer for those horrible d ays that I doubt myself. One that was especially exciting was in a recent review of muted by the current Poet Laureate of Florida nominee! He said: â€Å"This utterly brilliant short work is not merely dystopian; that is too easy a label. It is a wholly organic, poetic warning of a future where a master may ‘dress his staff in false expression’ and other, more dire, imaginings. There are too many gifted turns of phrase and images for this to not be regarded as an extraordinary outpouring of poetic narrative.†REEDSYThank you for your time Jessica.

How to Get a 5.0 GPA Expert Guide

How to Get a 5.0 GPA Expert Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips In the increasingly competitive atmosphere of high school, you may be wondering how you can best all your classmates with a 5.0 GPA. It's a lofty goal, to be sure. In this article, we'll discuss why that goal is often impossible, or at least impractical, to meet, ways in which itmay be possible to earn a 5.0, and what's really more important than a 5.0 GPA. What Is a 5.0 GPA? In the United States and some other countries, the letter grades you receive in classes can be converted into grade points, usually up to 4.0 per class. For instance, earning an A or A+ gets you 4.0 grade points, while earning an A- nets you 3.7 grade points, and so on: Letter Grade Grade Point A+ 4.0 A 4.0 A- 3.7 B+ 3.3 B 3.0 B- 2.7 C+ 2.3 C 2.0 C- 1.7 D+ 1.3 D 1.0 D- 0.7 F 0 Your grade point average, or GPA, is the average of the grades you've earned in all the classes you've taken. If, for example, you earned A's in five ofyour classes and B's in another five classes, you would havea 3.5 GPA. Youget thatby averaging together the 4.0s and 3.0s that correspond to those letter grades. Now, sometimes classes are "weighted" on a 5.0-scale (or higher). We'll talk more about that later; basically, it means that each grade earns you one full point (or more) past what it would earn in regular classes. Weighted classes are tougher, on average. A 5.0 GPA, then, is a grade point average that results from a weighted scale. A 5.0 generally indicates that a student took only 5.0-scale classes and earned only A's (and/or A+'s). Normally, all perfect straight-A grades result in a 4.0; with weighted classes, though, perfect straight-A grades could result in a 5.0 (or even higher). Sounds impressive, doesn't it? There are, technically, other ways to earn a 5.0, as we'll see below; the basic point is thatyou always need weighted classes to earn a 5.0. Juggling weighted classes with ease will not get you in the Olympics, sadly. Weighted vs. Unweighted Grading Scales In an unweighted grading scale, an A is worth 4.0, a B is worth 3.0, and so on, right the way down, just like we say above. No consideration is made for how hard the class may be; an A in Quantum Physicsis treated the same way as an A in Navel Contemplation. In a weighted grading scale, tougher classes earn you more points. Typically, that maximum is a 5.0, so that an A is worth 5.0, a B is worth 4.0, and so on. There are exceptions; for example, some schools weight honors classes on a 5.0-scale and IB/AP classes on a 6.0-scale. This is, on the whole, rare. Why Is a Weighted Scale Useful? Essentially, weighted scales encourage students to attempt harder classes, knowing that falling short of an A will not affect their GPA as much as it otherwise would. Also, having weighted scaleshelps with class ranks. If two students are both straight-A students, but one took the easiest classes available at the school and the other took the hardest, it hardly seems fair to rank their 4.0s equally. If the harder classes were weighted, though, one student's GPA of, say, 4.57, would clearly outrank the other student's 4.0. Why You Usually Can't Earn a 5.0 There are two reasons this goal is often unfeasible. First of all, not all schools weight classes. If you go to a school where no class earns you more than 4.0, you're out of luck: you can't earn anything above a 4.0. Second, even at schools where classes are weighted up to 5.0, there are usually unweighted classes you must take. Health and P.E. come to mind. If weighted classes are worth 5.0, but you have a few 4.0s thrown into the ultimate average, you can't come up with a 5.0 as the result. It's not possible,even if you get perfect grades. This is a mathematical truth of averages. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. How You Might Be Able to Earn a 5.0: 2 Methods At most schools it's simply impossible to geta 5.0 GPA; however, there are two situations in which you might be able to do so. Method 1: Taking Classes That Are Worth More Than 5.0 Points If you happen to go to a school that weights some classes abovefive points, you have a much better chance of earning a GPA of 5.0. The idea is to take (and excel in) as many classes weighted above 5.0 as you can. That way, even the 4.0 classes you need to take won't pull your average down below a 5.0. (This method still assumes you're getting straight A's, or pretty close.) Method 2: Taking Classes Pass/Fail Another possibility involves making use of your school's pass/fail policy, if you have one. At some schools, you can elect to take a class pass/fail, meaning you don't receive a letter grade. Satisfactory performance earns a pass; unsatisfactory, a fail. Generally, a pass does not affect your GPA, although often a failwill count against you. The trouble is, relatively few high schools have pass/fail policies; it's more of a college thing. Your school may not give you this option. If, though, your school does offer the pass/fail option, you can take all of your regular, unweighted, 4.0-scale classes as pass/fail, earning your GPA solely off of your 5.0-scale classes. This may not be the wisest idea, however, as colleges tend to be suspicious of seeing a number of pass/fail courses. They figure this could indicate that a student didn't want to try in that course or lacked confidence in their ability to get an A. Pass/fail classes may be a golden ticket to a 5.0 GPAbut not necessarily to college. Why a 5.0 Doesn't Really Matter While, as enumerated above, there are some ways to get a 5.0 GPA, it's generally either extremely difficult or flat-out impossible. The good news is, colleges don't really care if you got a 5.0 GPA. Colleges generally look at your unweighted GPA (converting it back to the 4.0 scale: 4.0 for each A, 3.0 for each B, etc.). They also look at how hard the classes you took were. Your school will send colleges a profile sheet that details the grading policy of the school. All will be revealed regarding pass/fail classes, 5.0 classes, etc. Colleges want to see that you took hard classes and excelled in them; they care less about what absolutenumber your school assigned to your stellar performance. What Does Matter: Excelling With a Rigorous Course Load As I've hinted, what really matters is doing well in challengingclasses. Do well in your electives and other 4.0-scale classes, too, of course. The first step, then, is choosing the right classes. Choose classes that are difficultand that will challenge youbut not conquer you. Recognize your limits, but also seek to stretch and expandthem. If you know you have no real hope of passing a class, don't take it, but if you think some very hard work will get you where you need to be, go for it. High school is about learning and working hard, not just about the final grades. The next step is excelling in the classes you've chosen. You should be working hard. Attend every class and listen attentively; ask questions and engagewith the teacher. Do your homework consistently and well. Review regularly. In general, apply good study habits. Be confident that colleges will look at the big picture, not just your exact GPA. Colleges want to see that you took advantage of the hardest classes available to you and mastered them, not necessarily that you had an outrageous grade point average. Conclusion Earning a 5.0 GPA requires taking weighted classes and doing well in them. Depending on the grading policy of your school, a 5.0 might be perfect, less than perfect, or quite literally impossible to attain. To earn a 5.0, you need to take weighted classes, and, depending once again on your school's policy, you may need to use pass/fail opportunities for unweighted classes.If you can't (or don't) earn a 5.0, however, it's not the end of the world.Your GPA goes outto colleges with a lot of context that will help them understand the broader picture of your performance. What's Next? If you want to knowmore about GPAs and their application, by all means, read on! We have an article that covers what a GPA is in all its glory. We also cover weighted vs. unweighted GPAs. Then, there's always our article on how to calculate GPA. Also, take a moment to read some very helpful advice on what colleges actually look for. If you're wanting advice on getting good grades and a great GPA, look no further than this advice by a Harvard alum. Finally, if you're wondering how much your GPA will help in the college search, check out our very nifty tool for that very question; the article starts by discussing a 4.0 GPA, but you can adjust the GPA within the article to customize it to your needs. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Come Participate in the DWT Poetry Competition

Come Participate in the DWT Poetry Competition Come Participate in the DWT Poetry Competition Come Participate in the DWT Poetry Competition By Daniel Scocco I am pretty sure we have many poets and wanna-be poets among our readers (not to mention the ones who just like to read poetry), so it was about time to run a DWT Poetry Competition. First of all here are some good reasons for you to participate: The winner will receive a $100 Amazon gift card. The three runners-up will receive a free license for the Fanurio billing software. Youll get people reading and giving feedback on your poems. Are you in? Good, now just read the rules: The deadline for the submission is the 1st of March 2010 (midnight GMT). Submissions must be made via email to daniel@dailywritingtips.com (Send your poem either in the body of the email, or as a .doc attachment) The poem must be in English, original, and must not have been published in the past. By taking part on the competition you allow us to publish your poem online (it will stay on the blog even after the competition). But you retain all the publishing rights over the material. From March 2nd onward well publish a batch of poems every Tuesday, and our readers will be able to vote on their favorite poems, until we elect the winner. It is time to reveal the Robert Frost or the Emily Dickinson you have inside! Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Competitions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Using "a" and "an" Before WordsLatin Words and Expressions: All You Need to Know5 Tips to Understand Hyphenated Words

Internal analysis of SLS Beverly Hills Research Paper

Internal analysis of SLS Beverly Hills - Research Paper Example The Albert Ballroom at this place can be converted into a wedding hall that can accommodate up to 400 people. This place is decorated with huge chandeliers and light boxes that boast of adaptable lighting and colors to reflect different moods. In addition, there is a beautiful foyer that provides a perfect transformation from cocktails to dinner followed by dancing. The furnishings are elegant and typical of the genius of Starck. The catering at this hotel is far superior to the ordinary banquet fare. The objective is to provide a personalized multisensory experience. The wedding menus tend to be unique and are crafted by the Chef Josà © Andrà ©s and his team. Moreover, handcrafted cocktails and custom wedding treats by Patisserie are available (SLS Hotel, 2015). The SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills boasts of 297 sleeping rooms, 27 meeting rooms, and a 13,000 square feet meeting room space (Cvent, 2015). The service provided is appropriate and outstanding, whether it is the parking by the valet, room service or poolside service. The staff and management of this hotel make every effort to provide the client with a highly enjoyable stay at the hotel. This client had resided at this place in March 2015, and had arrived at that place, in connection with a business trip (Trip Advisor, 2015). This hotel does not charge a rental fee for the reception. The ceremony fees varies from $1,500 to $2,600. The venue permits five hours of event time, and this is excluding the time taken for setting up the show and then dismantling the same. With regard to weddings, the average expenditure varies between $26,101 and $44,222 for a ceremony and reception to be attended by 100 guests (Wedding Spot, 2015). The SLS Hotel Beverly Hills, which is a block distant from the Beverly Center and in the vicinity of the glittering storefronts of Rodeo Drive and the Grove, is ideally located at the intersection of Los Angeles style and Beverly Hills luxury. The customers of SLS Hotels are

From Literacy to Electracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

From Literacy to Electracy - Essay Example This rote memorization is not uncommon in other religions besides Islam itself. Christians also emphasize the importance of hiding words in one's heart with regards to the Bible (both with the Old and the New Testaments, but especially the New Testament). Many cultures are orally-based cultures, which is to say, they have no need for writing. "The Brazilian Indians sporadically studiedbetween 1935 and 1939, as well as the American Indian and Polynesian and African tribes who have figured in other reports, exemplify societies which....did not require the support of a developed orality with a complex vocabulary."1 Julian Jaynes notes, from a scientist's perspective, that "In the last paragraph of The Origin of Species, [Darwin] implies that God created mind and body in the first primitive organisms and then both evolved in parallel together."2 If this is true, then the mind had as much importance as the body, and consequentially, what a human said. "But this sunk the problem in metaphysics, and it was soon realized that there should be some criterion of consciousness. It seemed obvious in the empiricist climate of the time that this was learning. So the question became: when did learning originate in evolution"3 The answer is, learning evolved with the word. This is because, before reading or writing of any stripe, the spoken word came first. This is the basis of all of our literacy and electracy, ultimately-the linguistic representation of some form of information. Ultimately, people became seemingly uber-sophisticated, and a new avenue of expression came into being. III. Literacy Tribes, as well as individuals, are having a difficult time with literacy. As Barton states, "There are common social practices associated with learning."4 Being able to read and write well (in print) is what truly makes humans superior to other animals. What truly distinguishes men from the beasts is the fact that humans can not only verbalize (which is orality), but they can read and write languages due to the advanced development of their brain structures. "'Civilized' peoples have long contrasted themselves with 'primitive' or 'savage' peoples[which] should be replaced by 'without writing.'"5 Interestingly enough, the phenomena has occurred that people are now less able to read books as a result of the fact that everyone is now living in a post-literate society-post-literate meaning that the use of visual images is more favorable than materials that people can actually see to read. "Bruce Freidmanhas described how the Internet has altered his mental habits. 'I now have almost totally lost the ability to read and absorb a longish article on the web or in print,' he wrote earlier this year'I can't read War and Peace anymore,' he admitted. 'I've lost the ability to do that. Even a blog post of more than three or four paragraphs is too much to absorb. I skim it."6 This is the beginning of electracy. IV. Electracy "Part of electracy (which is to the Internet what literacy is to print) is to help citizens think with the image."7 Increasingly, visual images are becoming the new book for individuals as well as schools. In fact, no one has the time to read a book. Truthfully, why would someone read a book when he or she can

Has Reality Television Made Voyeurism Another Form of Entertainment Essay

Has Reality Television Made Voyeurism Another Form of Entertainment - Essay Example Although earlier forms of this type of entertainment have been seen as early as 1948 with Candid Camera, it gained more notoriety and a wider genre by the end of 1990s with the introduction of the shows like Survivor, Big Brother, and American Idol (Caudle, 2011). These shows portray various situations and activities, with some featuring contests between ordinary people competing for money and other prizes, others portraying ordinary people living their lives while raising their children, and some others featuring celebrities carrying out daily activities. All in all, these shows seem to share common themes – taking ordinary people and placing them in extraordinary situations or presenting the reality of celebrities’ lives to an audience who would likely be engaged in the fascinating and magical lives that these celebrities are living. Reality shows seem to portray the magical and the ordinary, the reality and the ‘non-reality’ of celebrity or non-celebrity lives. For some shows, an element of voyeurism seems to be one of the common elements, especially as these allow the viewers a peek into the lives of celebrities and non-celebrities. The voyeur element also seems to lend entertainment value for viewers as melodramatic events like weddings, dates, births, and arguments often draw in high ratings. This paper shall explore reality television and how it engages the magical and the real. It will also discuss how reality television has made voyeurism a form of entertainment. Initially, a brief overview of popular reality television shows will be discussed, indicating reasons for their popularity. Secondly, this paper will present the negative and the positive impact of reality television. Thirdly, a deeper analysis of the reasons for the popularity of reality television shall be considered. Lastly, this essay shall be summarized and its themes clearly established in order to answer its primary goals and research issue. This article is be ing carried out in order to establish a clear understanding of reality television, its general impact, and what it implies about current TV behaviors as well as preferences. Body Overview of reality television shows When the shows Big Brother and Survivor became major successes in 2000, reality television suddenly gained widespread popularity. Specifically, the shows Survivor and American Idol consistently topped the television ratings since their inception (Hill, 2005). Other shows like America’s Next Top Model, Dancing with the Stars, The Apprentice, Fear Factor, and Big Brother were soon able to gain a global audience in the years that followed. Some television companies have also set aside networks, including Fox Reality, Global Reality Channel in Canada and Zone Reality in the UK to cater specifically to these reality shows (DeVolld, 2011). Other networks like Bravo, VH1 and MTV have also numerous reality shows in their line-up. Other successful shows like COPS have beco me major successes and the profit generation for TV networks and producers has also been very significant (Hill, 2005). Reality show celebrities have also made millions of dollars in profit for their TV contracts and product endorsements (Hill, 2005). This genre has also spawned new singers, dancers, models, chefs, actors, directors, and celebrities like the Kardashians who have been known as

Marketing Plan 2007 for NESCAF Coffee (Nestle) Assignment

Marketing Plan 2007 for NESCAF Coffee (Nestle) - Assignment Example In 1996, Nescafe Kenjara was added to the range. (Nestle, UK) External Marketing Audit: In 1939 Nescafe was introduced in Britain and coffee production started at the Hayes factory. In 1954 Nescafe was made with 100% coffee. The company's technology in 1964 helped it to retain the coffee aroma in Nescafe. Nescafe Original decaf was launched in 1998, and today there is a whole range of instant Nescafe coffees available to suit every taste. (Nestle, UK). Nestle has been continuously improving its instant coffees using new technologies and much innovation. It was the first manufacturer in the UK to introduce coffee with a new rich aroma to enhance the coffee flavour. The market: Nescafe has been around for many years since 1937 and for many years it has been the number one instant coffee brand in the UK. Nescafe, of course, has to contend with competition from other brands. One such brand is the Good African Coffee (GAC), formerly known as Rwenzori Finest Coffee. President of Uganda predicted that one day Good African Coffee would become a household brand like "Nescafe". Another competing brand is Kenco Instant Coffee, one of the UK's leading coffee brands. ... During 1962 the company changed its name to the Kenco Coffee Company. Baby Milk Action, which campaigns against the aggressive marketing of baby milk in the Third World, blacklisted Nescafe Partners Blend, produced by Nestlewhose activities in the baby milk market have attracted most opprobrium from such campaign groups. In 2005, Kraft Foods, the world's second biggest food company, predicted that within the next decade, 60% to 80% of the coffee market would be taken up by products with independent certification for fairtrade issues. Ethical marketing: Nestle and its product, Nescafe, have to cope with this fact in their external environment facet of their marketing activities in 2007. Market share: In terms of market share, Nescafe is the nation's default coffee of choice valued at 375m. Internal Marketing Audit: Product development Packaging can be used to help in establishing product differentiation. Marketing Objectives: Generally, the objective of marketing a firm's product is to help the firm achieve its objective of maximising profit. Ethical marketing Marketing mix: One of the important concepts in marketing is that of the marketing mix. A product can be marketed on three levels. The core product is the benefit which the product delivers to customers. It is benefits which customers actually buy and not products, so benefits and not products should be marketed. A product's physical features represent the tangible product, i.e. quality, style, dimensions, packaging etc. This is the second product level on which a marketing strategy may be built. A Marketing technique: Sales of Nescafe have been growing ever since 1938 when Nestle launched the first commercially successful soluble coffee. The Group

You choose A topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

You choose A topic - Essay Example Brave Orchid studied in a medical school, and had spent nights in a room haunted by ghosts. She encountered actual ghosts there, and made a successful exorcism. Brave Orchid lived in the caves which served as shelter to the Chinese people in Japanese air raids. She calls Moon Orchid in the fourth chapter, her younger sister, and continuously badgers her to defy her husband who has abandoned her and had gone to America to a second wife. The final chapter discusses how Chinese women are quiet as compared to the American women. The chapter brings up Kingston’s childhood memories of her school. One of the main themes that â€Å"The Woman Warrior† presents is femininity. Kingston dreaming of being a warrior named Fa Mu Lan, motherhood and bravery of Brave Orchid, the role of Moon Orchid as a wife and sister, and Tsai Yen whose Chinese songs the grandma loved, all are a depiction of the femininity the Chinese women are believed to have. Kingston states, â€Å""Im not a bad girl," I would scream. â€Å"I’m not a bad girl. Im not a bad girl." I might as well have said, "Im not a girl"† (2.152). This statement shows how Kingston feels that her femininity is a shame for her when she observed the world treating her differently. Another theme presented in the novel is identity. Kingston has given the name ‘memoir’ to the collection of her stories, which means that all the stories are her personal experiences. She identifies herself as a Chinese woman who cannot understand the double standards women are subjected to in the Chinese culture and the identity of women in the American culture. â€Å"Chinese-Americans, when you try to understand what things in you are Chinese, how do you separate what is peculiar to childhood, to poverty, insanities, one family, your mother who marked your growing with stories, from what is Chinese?† (Kingston 1.12) shows how Kingston explores Chinese identity in America. Third main theme is communication. Kingston has tried to

Marketing Plan 2007 for NESCAF Coffee (Nestle) Assignment

Marketing Plan 2007 for NESCAF Coffee (Nestle) - Assignment Example In 1996, Nescafe Kenjara was added to the range. (Nestle, UK) External Marketing Audit: In 1939 Nescafe was introduced in Britain and coffee production started at the Hayes factory. In 1954 Nescafe was made with 100% coffee. The company's technology in 1964 helped it to retain the coffee aroma in Nescafe. Nescafe Original decaf was launched in 1998, and today there is a whole range of instant Nescafe coffees available to suit every taste. (Nestle, UK). Nestle has been continuously improving its instant coffees using new technologies and much innovation. It was the first manufacturer in the UK to introduce coffee with a new rich aroma to enhance the coffee flavour. The market: Nescafe has been around for many years since 1937 and for many years it has been the number one instant coffee brand in the UK. Nescafe, of course, has to contend with competition from other brands. One such brand is the Good African Coffee (GAC), formerly known as Rwenzori Finest Coffee. President of Uganda predicted that one day Good African Coffee would become a household brand like "Nescafe". Another competing brand is Kenco Instant Coffee, one of the UK's leading coffee brands. ... During 1962 the company changed its name to the Kenco Coffee Company. Baby Milk Action, which campaigns against the aggressive marketing of baby milk in the Third World, blacklisted Nescafe Partners Blend, produced by Nestlewhose activities in the baby milk market have attracted most opprobrium from such campaign groups. In 2005, Kraft Foods, the world's second biggest food company, predicted that within the next decade, 60% to 80% of the coffee market would be taken up by products with independent certification for fairtrade issues. Ethical marketing: Nestle and its product, Nescafe, have to cope with this fact in their external environment facet of their marketing activities in 2007. Market share: In terms of market share, Nescafe is the nation's default coffee of choice valued at 375m. Internal Marketing Audit: Product development Packaging can be used to help in establishing product differentiation. Marketing Objectives: Generally, the objective of marketing a firm's product is to help the firm achieve its objective of maximising profit. Ethical marketing Marketing mix: One of the important concepts in marketing is that of the marketing mix. A product can be marketed on three levels. The core product is the benefit which the product delivers to customers. It is benefits which customers actually buy and not products, so benefits and not products should be marketed. A product's physical features represent the tangible product, i.e. quality, style, dimensions, packaging etc. This is the second product level on which a marketing strategy may be built. A Marketing technique: Sales of Nescafe have been growing ever since 1938 when Nestle launched the first commercially successful soluble coffee. The Group

A Challenged Personal Decision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Challenged Personal Decision - Essay Example l stages of work had been challenging yet fulfilling until one of my friends started taking unusual control of the group by seemingly imposing uneven delegation of assignments claiming that the majority of the pupils requested more of his service than those of others in our roster. This conflict eventually called me to respond to a personal challenge of deciding how to balance treatment between friendship and profession. I had thought all along that my own performance was capable of radiating motivation in such a way as to get everyone in the team to operate with interdependence. Then I figured that some people desired the same amount of recognition I was receiving so that the spirit of teamwork would be best acknowledged. Another cause that might have led to indifference and the urge to manipulate was my failure to interact properly, being accustomed to the individualistic approach toward personal growth at the expense of quality relations. Apparently, I occurred to have overlooked the equivalent significance of the contributions made by the rest of the members. By such failure to promote the welfare of others especially their worth in the collective effort, my friends and certain other members had narrowed to thinking that I was conceited. In effect, factions naturally emerged in our group and a friend of three years, as aforementioned, expressed straightforward disagreement on the current setup. T hough seeing that I had successfully proven remarkable skills at carrying out lectures on the subject I knew with mastery, the inability and unconscious reluctance of communicating good intentions with mentoring, however, rendered the other person to suppose that I was merely trying to get an edge over the rest rather than acting on my improved version of using knowledge and skills to meet the needs and satisfaction of the learners.  Ã‚  

Contemporary to Social Work Essay Example for Free

Contemporary to Social Work Essay Taking into consideration all the material received regarding the Benjamin family, I have chosen to make use of the think child, think parent and think family approach in analysing the material. This method identifies what changes are required to improve service planning, delivery and practice and this will assist to improve the wellbeing and life chances of families affected by parental health. This essay will examine all the material provided focusing particularly on Daniel and Emma Watson. However, an examination of the Benjamin’s family will be performed in view of developing a modality on how to provide support to them. This essay is aimed at making preparation for assessment, taking into account individual needs, culture, diversity, and available resources that will enable me to provide support for everyone especially Daniel. Firstly, the essay will look at the Law that governs adoption processes, Daniels wishes and what needs to transpire to improve his quality of life. Secondly, I will also look at the Benjamin family and their proposal to adopt Daniel. In addition to this, I will examine Emma Watson and try to find out how I can facilitate her need to get her son back and what can be done to overcome barriers she may encounter, and finally I will offer a summary of the essay. In order for me to begin to think about the assessment process, my main duty would be to find out what the law declares. As put forward by Brammer (2003), Adoption Order may not be made unless the parent’s consents to the Adoption Order under Children Act 1989 S.20, or their consent should be dispensed and the child has been placed for adoption by an adoption agency with the prospective adopters in whose favour the order is proposed to be made. A parent is the mother or married father or father with parental responsibility, and not the unmarried father without parental responsibility. Steps are made to contact the unmarried father of a child and counsel him and seek hi s views on adoption even though he does not have to give his consent. The court or adoption agency must have regard to the following matters (the list is not intended to be exhaustive nor in any order of priority) Children Act 1989 S. 1(4) a) The child’s ascertainable wishes and feelings regarding the decision (considered in the light of the child’s age and understanding). The guidance to this Act reinforces this aspect of the checklist stating; â€Å"it is essential that an adoption agency, in so far as reasonably practicable , involves and consults the child at all stages of the adoption process, ascertaining and taking into account his views in a way which is sensitive to, and consistent with his age and understanding† (para.13). b) The child’s particular needs; This factor includes the child’s physical, emotional and educational need as expressed in the checklist and is likely to extend to other needs including social psychological and health. c) The likely effect on the child (throughout his life) of having cease d to be a member of the original family and to become an adopted person, in addition to this statement The United Nation Convention on the Rights if the Child states that it is the fundamental right of every child to belong to a family and Article. 8 of the ECHR the right to respect family life. As with the welfare principle, the court must consider the effects on the child throughout his life. d) The child’s age, sex, background and any of the Child’s characteristics which the court or agency considers relevant. e) Any harm (within the means of Children Act 1989) that the child has suffered or is at risk of suffering. This refers to any harm and not just significant harm The relationship which the child has with relative and with any other person in relation to whom the court or agency considers the relationship to be relevant, including (i) the likelihood of any such relationship continuing and the value to the child of doing so, (ii) the ability and willingness of any of the child’s relatives, or of any such person to provide the child with a secure environment in which the child can develop, and otherwise to meet the child’s needs, (iii) the wishes and feelings of any of the child’s relatives, or of any such person regarding the child. This factor is one of the provisions in the Act that calls on the courts to consider contact. (S.1 (8) (a) allows the views of other important people in the child’s life to be taken into account such as foster and it also includes the child’s birth parents. Moreover, the delay principle is drawn from the Children Act. Section 1 (3) the court or adoption agency must at all times bear in mind that, in general, any delay in coming to the decision is likely to prejudice the child’s welfare. The court draws up a timetable for the avoidance of delay. The Public Outline also has an impact on the overall timescale for a child between care proceedings and final placement. In addition to this Section 1(5) states that in placing the child for adoption the agency must give due consideration to the child’s religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background. The guidance in a circular â€Å"Adoption – Achieving the right balance† re cognised the importance of a child’s ethnic origin, culture and religion as significant factors to be accounted for; noting that placement with a family of similar ethnic origin is most likely to meet the child’s needs as fully as possible†. Adoptions takes a while to process and this allows the Multi-disciplinary agencies time to prepare the family and especially give Emma the support she requires if she is still interested in having Daniel back or not. Studies indicate that when the child is placed for adoption birth parents face bereavement as they face losing their child for good even if it is the child’s best interest. On-going contact help alleviate some of their anguish and bringing them benefits such as reassurance that the child is alright, making the loss of their child easier to accept, helping them to feel more positively about the adoptive parents and seeing a positive role for themselves in their child’s future. Coulshed and Orme (2006) define assessment as â€Å"an on-going process in which the service user participates, the purpose of which is to understand people in relation to their environment; it is the basis for planning what needs to be done to maintain, improve and bring about change †. The five stages of assessment process involve Preparation, data collection, examining the data, data analysis and acting on outcomes of the data analysis. Bell et al (2007) and White (2009) state that a good assessment ensures that the child remains at the heart of the assessment, contains full, brief, significant and precise data, makes good use of information from a range of sources, includes a family and social history and includes a clear analysis. Here I am now examining the data. In the correspondence, it appears that the Benjamin family want to adopt Daniel, whilst both Mr and Mrs Benjamin may be a little old to adopt Daniel; they might be an exception as Daniel is already in their care and he appears to fit in well with the family. One of the Benjamin’s roles in Daniels life is to help him maintain attachment with his mother. They must also help the child to develop healthy and strong new attachments with themselves and then transfer those attachments to the permanent caretakers of Daniel who may be either Emma or adoptive parents. Barbara has good support network in the family, which includes Naseem who has worked as a Social Work assistant and has had good background of meeting the needs of ethnic minority children. Barbara is already an expert in caring for Daniel in the documentation I received it appears she responds to his behaviour and deals with his need on a daily basis. However, I have to carry out an assessment on attachment to determine whether it is advisable that they have such strong bonds as suggested by document A1 received 09.01.12. When assessing attachment between Daniel and the Benjamin family, I would look at Daniel and his environment. I would observe his developmental functions and take note of the behaviour he displays in the home and how he responds to the family. As I observe, I need to look at the interactions with the adults and observe whether Daniel appears relaxed or not. Observing the Benjamin family includes how they react to the Daniels advances; the interactions that they ini tiate with him, disciplinary techniques used in the home and the family’s awareness of Daniel as a separate individual who has needs of his own and not relating all of his behaviour to their needs. Furthermore, I would observe whether Daniel engages in age appropriate activities and is able to express frustration or not. I would be interested in knowing whether Daniel responds appropriately to being apart from Barbra and how he responds upon her return. In addition to this, I would need to know if the environment provides adequate stimulation and safety measures appropriate to Daniel’s age and stage of development. If the case is that Daniel is not receiving support he will become disconcerted, insecure and without self-esteem. Fahlberg (1988), suggested that toddlers aged two should be able to use words like â€Å"me† and â€Å"mine†, point consistently to body parts, combine two to three words, name pictures of common object and follow simple direction. However, Daniel suffers from cytomegalovirus and because of this, his developing is slow and he will need extra care and time for caregivers to meet his needs. It is important that Emma is educated on what it is and what kind of responsibilities is attached to caring for Daniel for a lifetime. According to The National Health Service UK, Cytomegalovirus also known as CMV is part of the herpes virus. CMV is part of the human to human transmissible through close bodily contact. Coughs and sneezes are also possible routes of transmission. There is no current cure for CMV infection however medication can help people with weak immune system; in Daniels case, he was born with what could be medically termed as congenital CMV, children born with it show no signs or symptoms although some eventually develop hearing loss like Daniel. Some of the symptoms these children have are treatable but the children may develop hearing loss and one or more disabilities during the course of their lives. These symptoms may include seizures, problems with physical co-ordination, deafness cognitive difficulties and many more. Fahlberg (1988) propose that Caregivers who understand developmental issues are less likely to be as upset by normal behaviour and more likely to support the child as he struggles with the basic tasks at each stage. They are more readily able to perceive what a child needs to help him grow. Emma Watson made a phone call to Social Services recently. In the conversation, she stated that she wanted her son Daniel, back. Daniel has been in a foster placement with the Benjamin Family. The Benjamin’s would like to adopt him and it appears that Daniel has settled well with the family. According to Rutter, (1989) and Black, (2000), research shows that children end up doing badly when an attachment bonds are disturbed. They suggested that children are to be moved when it is inevitable, in situations such as, when parents die or when they are being placed away from an abusive home they continue and state that it is unjustifiable to move a child from a safe foster home. Bowbly (1951) advised that a child should receive the continuous care of a single most important attachment figure for approximately the first two years of his life. He claimed that mothering is almost useless if delayed until after two and a half to three years and if the attachment figure is broken, during the critical two year period the child will suffer irreversible long term consequences of this loss of the care giver as well as failure to develop an attachment. For Daniel this means that if his bond with the Benjamin’s is disrupted, he will almost fail to thrive in his new environment as he had already formed his attachment with the family. In relation to the phone call made by Emma, I would like to explore further and find out whether Emma has any knowledge on parenting and what she thinks a family entails, I would like to know what Emma knows about Daniels disability and needs. I would investigate on what she knows about Cytomegalovirus and if it results that she is unaware, I would help her expand her learning – build and share library resources, encourage her to be involved with parents groups to access support and community resources and if she wishes, I would look at finding her additional support such as an advocate. An advocate will help to increase resilience and self-efficacy. In addition to this, I would investigate on why she has come to the decision of wanting him back. I would be interested in knowing whether there is any communication between Emma and Daniels father, including people in Emma’s life. I would find out whether they are aware of Daniel and that, he is of the Asian race and I would explore on whether the people in Emma’s life would be able to appreciate Daniels uniqueness, and discretely examine on whether they are aware of his learning disability. I will also be interested in Emma’s living condition, environment, financial situation and lifestyle up to date, if these are not up to standard, attempt to help her have a secure base. Turney et al., (2007), states that an assessment needs careful consideration of the inter-relationship concerning the good and the bad influences in a child’s life i.e. the risk factors that are possible to impact on the child’s health and growth as well as the protective factors. Both Macdonald and Williamson (2002) and Preston-Shoot (2003), suggest that the Assessment Framework for Children in Need and their families demands that each child needs are assessed as well as the aptitude of the parents and the impac t of family and environmental influences on each child’s growth and on the parents capacity to meet the child’s needs. Bell et al., (2007) and Mitchell and Sloper, (2008) advises that assessments of disabled children may involve tailoring of the recording templates to reveal their individual strength, capability and needs and to capture their involvement to the assessment process through their preferred method of communication, this implies that a person is an expert in their own experience. Holland (2010) and Thomas and Holland (2010) put forward that the knowledge of child development is important for good assessment outcomes. Selwyn et al, (2006) and Ward et al., (2010) identified problems while carrying out an assessment on attachment, they claimed that clingy behaviour was misinterpreted as evidence of strong attachment moreover some assessments were based on observation of a few circumstances to be consistent. Jones (2009) and Reder et al., (2003) state that assessment of parents includes capacity to meet the child’s needs and the importance of understanding the basic requirements of par enting and taking into consideration the parent’s ability to change. Moreover Farmer et al., (2008) and Harwin et al., (2003), recommend that psychological assessments are valuable when assessing parenting capacity. It was also their suggestion that one way of testing parental capacity to change parenting behaviour and to give them managed opportunities to change. This is achieved by giving the parents clear objectives of what needs to change and informing them on how this will be assessed, monitored and the time scale required completing the task. Forrester and Harwin, (2008) and Harwin (2009), also propose that motivational interviewing techniques are useful in addressing readiness to change in situations of alcohol or drug misuse. This shifts the decision to change to Emma allowing her to discover her own strength and hidden motivation. According to Farmer et al., (2008) and Harwin and Forrester (2002) the role of fathers and men in the household needs to be examined and Social Workers need to ensure that information about fathers is available whenever possible, as fathers may exert a considerable influence even when they are to living with the child. In addition to this, Social Workers need to take account of the impact of factors related to family functioning and family history. Assessing family functioning provides a basis for a strength-based approach that’s accepts that all adults and children possess the power that can be comprehensive to improve the quality of their lives. Mental Capacity Act S. 1(3) states that, an adult does not lack capacity to make any specific decision unless all practicable steps have been taken to aid him or her to make the decision. Laird, (2010) advises that a vulnerable adult may require advocacy support or communication communicated in other form to be able to participate in decision-making. This relates to the GSCC Code 3.1 â€Å"promoting the independence of service-users and assisting them to understand and exercise their rights. Therefore, Assessment of parental capacity depends on communication. Improving the assessment requires different approach when collecting information; these approaches may include observation, assessing changes in parenting practises, use of validated tools and consideration of previous reports regarding the child and family. Assessment involves gathering of all sort of documented information and records from a range of sources this include medical history, social and developmental history. Consent is sort and confidentiality adhered too. To conduct my assessment successfully, as well as working with Daniel, Emma Watson and the Benjamin family I will be looking at liaising with a multi-disciplinary team, which would involve Social Services, general Doctor and the one who is trained in cytomegalovirus, Occupational therapist, Speech therapist and a mental health worker. These people will assist me to add data to my assessment and contribute to making informed decisions about Daniels future needs. In summary, I would give Emma a chance to prove that she can be a good parent. I will offer her support, information and guidance to what needs to take place, and set targets. I believe that she might not realise the impact of uprooting her son until she is made fully aware of Daniel’s disability needs. In my assessment, I have to prioritise Daniel’s best interest and now, it appears this lies with the Benjamin family who give the impression that they are a dedicated family. Prior to this, Daniel has thrived in t heir care. References 1. Brammer, A., (2010) Social Work Law, 3rd Ed, Harlow: Pearson Education. 2. Bell, M., Shaw. I., Sinclair. I., Sloper. P., and Rafferty, J., (2007) An Evaluation of the Practice, Process and Consequences of the ICS in Councils with Social Services Responsibilities. Report to Department for Education and Skills Welsh Assembly Government. 3. Coulshed, V Orme, J., (2006) – Social Work Practice, 4th edition, Hampshire, Palgrave Macmillan 4. Department for Health (2005) The Mental Capacity Act. London HMSO 5. Farmer, E., Sturgess, W. and O’Neill, T., (2008) The reunification of Looked After Children With Their Parents: Patterns interventions and outcomes. Report to the Department for Children, Schools and Policy Studies, University of Bristol 6. Fahlberg, V., (1988) Fitting the pieces together. London: British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering. 7. Forrester, D. and Harwin, J., (2008) Parental substance misuse and child welfare: outcomes for children two years after refer ral. British Journal of Social Work, 38: 1518-1535 8. General Social Care Council (2002) Code of practice for social care workers and code of practice for employers. London: General Social Care Council 9. Harwin, J., Owen, M., Locke, R. and Forrester, D., (2003) Making Care Orders Work: A Study of Care Plans and their implementation. London: The Stationery Office. 10. Holland, S., (2010) Child and Family Assessment in Social Work Practice, 2nd Ed. London: Sage Publications. 11. http://www.legislation.gov.uk (assessed on 17.04.2012) 12. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cytomegalovirus (assessed on 02.05.2012) 13. http://www.simplypsychology.org/bowlby.html (assessed on 17.04.2012) 14. Jones, DPH., (2009) Assessment of parenting. In Jan Horwath (ed.), The Child’s World: The comprehensive guide to assessing children in need. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. 2nd Edition. 15. Llaird, S.D., (2010) Practical Social Work Law: Analysing Court Cases and Inquiries, Harlow: Pearson Education 16. Macdonald, G. and Williamson, E., (2002) Against the Odds: An Evaluation of Child and Family Support Services. London: National Children’s Bureau/ Joseph Rowntree Foundation. 17. Mitchell, W and Sloper, P., (2008) The Integrated Children’s System and disabled children. Child and Family Social Worker, 13 (3): 274-285 18. Preston- Shoot, M. (2003) A matter of re cords? Practice, 15(3): 31-50 19. Reder, P., Duncan, S. and Lucey, C., (2003) Studies in the Assessment of Parenting. London: Routledge. 20. Selwyn. J., Quinton, D., Sturgess, W and Baxter, C., (2006) Costs and Outcomes of Non- infant Adoptions. London: BAAF.

Lord Of The Flies Civilization Versus Savagery English Literature Essay

Lord Of The Flies Civilization Versus Savagery English Literature Essay The theme for Lord of the Flies can be different things to different people. Some of the themes could be good vs. evil, sensibility vs. impulsiveness, or civilization vs. savagery. In Lord of the Flies there are two sides conflicting with each other throughout the whole story, and these are civilization vs. savagery. In Lord of the Flies civilization represents good while savagery represents evil. Civilization is the good inside of man to choose to live by rules, under authority, act reasonable, and peaceful with others. Savagery represents the evil of choosing not to live peacefully with others and not live by rules, but instead living to gain power over others and acting violently. However, living by rules and authority does not always guarantee peace and acting violently does not make someone a savage. The boys in Lord of the Flies show the decision they have to make whether to live by rules or to live violently and gain power for themselves; this shows the boys change of behavior from being civilized and having good behavior to being wild and violent, as shown in the two main characters Ralph and Jack, and the loss of the boys innocence. When Ralph and Piggy arrive on the island they realize that there are other boys on the island other than themselves and decide to gather the boys all together by blowing through a conch that they find. . Once all the boys are gathered, Ralph tells them they need a chief to rule over them. Some thought that they still needed adult leadership and asked, Arent there any adults? (Golding 20). Once they realized there were no adults on the island with them, they were not exactly sure what to do. The boys decide to still stick by previous rules and behavior. They decide they want a leader when they say, Vote for a chief! (Golding 22). This shows the boys believed in some kind of leadership whether an adult or an older kid. Once they voted Ralph as chief they also agreed to use the conch that Ralph used to call them together. The conch plays a very important role throughout the story. The conch helps gather meetings and also allows the person holding it to speak. This is an example of order among the boys. The conch governs the group of boys more than Ralph does. As the boys good behavior starts to disappear, so does the power of the conch and order. The disappearance of this is shown throughout the entire story until at the very end of the story all the boys, even Ralph, became what Golding wanted to show: Golding sees moral behavior, in many cases, as something that civilization forces upon the individual rather than a natural expression of human individuality. When left to their own devices, Golding implies, people naturally revert to cruelty, savagery, and barbarism (SparkNotes Editors). This shows the decision the boys in Lord of the Flies had to make either to live by rules or to live wild and violently. In the end they chose to live wild and violently. The two main characters of Lord of the Flies are Ralph and Jack. Ralph is the protagonist and the representative of civilization (Golding 206). Jack is the antagonist and symbolizes savagery and violence. The conflict between Ralph and Jack begins at the very first meeting when the boys vote for a chief and Ralph is chosen over Jack. I ought to be chief, said Jack with a simple arrogance, because Im a chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing in C sharp (Golding 22). This shows the beginning of Jacks jealousy towards Ralph because he was used to being the leader. It also shows the jealousy of man and how it makes someone want their own power. Ralph is a very big influence on the younger boys. He believes in taking care of the boys and finding ways for everyone to be rescued. Some ways he did this is by building the fire and huts. For this reason, Ralphs power and influence over the other boys are secure at the beginning of the novel (SparkNotes Editors). To the boys, Ralph, Piggy, and Simon are a sign of security. However, gradually, throughout the story the security of Ralph is not enough for the boys when their violent side takes over. Throughout the whole story Ralph symbolizes order until he is the only who doesnt join Jacks group. Jack is the opposite of Ralph. Jack desires to have power over all the boys but it is taken away when Ralph is voted chief. The violent side of Jack begins when he starts hunting pigs and uses the idea of the beast. The idea of a beast causes the boys to feel fear. The more of a savage Jack becomes, the more he influences the boys to become savages. Some symbols that represent Jack are the Lord of the Flies that becomes both a physical manifestation of the beast, a symbol of the power of evil, and a kind of Satan figure who evokes the beast within each human being (SparkNotes Editors). This shows the evil that hid in Jack but is also in mankind. The beast is the primal instinct of savagery that exists within all human beings (SparkNotes Editors), the one thing that frightens all the boys and is the main reason that Jack gains power over the boys. In The Scarlet Ibis there is a resemblance between brother and Jack because they manipulate people to listen to them and do what they want them to do. The conflict between Ralph and Jack is the choice of gaining ones own power or caring for the needs of others. When they come to the island the boys have no thought of acting violent or wild. They dont know really what to do without adult supervision so they create their own rules. Here it is hinted that the rules the boys have agreed to will not be followed or enforced for very long because of the situation the boys are in which is complete freedom from everything theyve known. In Liberty the family wants freedom from the danger that they are in. However there is good freedom and bad freedom. The boys are in a place where freedom is all around them and there are no adults to tell them what is right or wrong. This kind of freedom is very dangerous because the longer they stay on the island without any rules, the more they forget what good behavior is and eventually become wild and violent. Through the influence of the beast and Jack all the boys slowly become enthralled by the ways of savagery. The influence of Jack causes the boys to find pleasure in killing, torturing and spilling the blood of animals. The boys become so enthralled that they chant, Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood! (Golding 152) They become so violent and wild that they even beat and kill some boys, pretending they are the pig. It was dark. There was that that bloody dance. There was lightning and thunder and rain. We was scared! (Golding 156) shows the boys dont think of what they did as wrong but as a game. Their savagery represents the evil that dwelt inside them of wanting to hurt someone or something. The group of boys in the beginning of the book is far from being the same group of boys at the end of the story. Ralph at the end of the story cries because he realizes that evil dwells not only in adults but also in children. Throughout Lord of the Flies civilization represents good, while savagery represents evil. However, the books theme also shows the evil that man has inside if given the opportunity to show it. The boys in Lord of the Flies had to decide if they wanted to live by rules or live violently. They had rules that they followed but there was no one to enforce it on them. Civilization may have rules but that does not mean that people will always obey them. Lord of the Flies shows that a good amount of time away from civilization can have a drastic affect on a person and they might not remember how to act properly in society. The decline of the boys behavior throughout the story from being civilized and having good behavior to being wild and violent shows that evil dwells in every human. Man can chose to control that evil or fall under its control as shown in the fall of the boys in Lord of the Flies.

UBIQUITY :: Essays Papers

UBIQUITY As many people have expected, We are living in an environment saturated with wired and wireless connections. This technological explosion has become a part of our daily lives; but we don't really realize, to what extent , our trivial behaviors rely on informatic systems and our interaction with them. While we are living in the era of pervasive computing, we may wonder about the change that pervasive computing has brought to our lives and our social and cultural responses to these fascinating technologies and increased change. Some people remain fearful of the impact of the brain machines on our human behavior, on the other hand, others are struggling to make our environment filled with intelligent machinery, like the air we breath, and to make our interactions with this machinery as smooth as possible. The story of creating smart machines equipped with the same reasoning capabilities of humans is very old but the era of computers makes it very realistic in the eyes of scientists. Since we have machines that manage to do all these tasks, it is time for a new generation of machinery that can do exactly what we can do or better; from understanding our behavior to making decisions on their own. The article: " A Bayesian Computer Vision System for modeling Human Interactions", provides and excellent example of what people interested in artificial intelligence are trying to do. In fact, they focus on creating machines that understand human behavior and respond according to this interaction. It is stated in the article: " Our approach to modeling person-to-person interactions is to use supervised statistical machine learning techniques to teach the system to recognize normal single-person behaviors and common person-to-person interactions" (Oliver, Rosario, Pentland 831). There are many l imitations to accomplish this goal as any new technology or knowledge but the dream seems to be realistic for these people. according to the same article, if the models are trained to recognize a limited number of human behavior, how to make them understand new patterns without limitations : "A major emphasis of our work, therefore, is on efficient Bayesian integration of both prior knowledge (by the use of synthetic prior models) with evidence from data (by situation-specific parameter tuning). our goal is to be able to successfully apply the system to any normal multiperson interaction situation without additional training". This article provides an example of what is going on in many laboratories spread throughout the world and how artificial intelligence focuses on creating smart practical machines that understand and interpret our behavior and probably surpasses our reasoning capabilities.