John Updike’s A&P Essay

The nineteen fifties marked the era of differences between the parents and their children. Not until the nineteen sixties was there turning point in the nation. The generation gaps are the differences amongst the younger generation and their elders, and mainly amongst children and their parents. Generation gap still occurs today, in thing varying from behavior, to genres of music, and even in usage of language. The new generations try to express themselves as something different from the old, embracing new slang, trying to form a separation between themselves and the previous generation. In John Updike’s â€Å"A &P†, a teenage boy named Sammy works at a local store called A&P. Sammy is a young casher, that stands up to his boss and he stands up for three girls who are dressed in bathing suits. Sammy lives in a small town, where nothing really happens. There is a struggle within every teenager. Sammy doesn’t like his job at the store or the store itself, and he finds the customers to be like sheep. â€Å"All this while, the customers had been showing up with their carts, you know, sheep, seeing a scene, they had all bunched up on Stokesie†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Updike 1170). The girls were like a pinball and the store is like the pinball machine, because Sammy could only see the girl’s heads as they went through the aisles, â€Å" the whole store was like a pinball machine and I didn’t know which tunnel they’d come out of†(Updike1169). Lengel is like a kingpin, because he is the manager of the store. Sammy’s observations on the people in the store build up on his internal conflict. According to Joseph Lostracco’s â€Å"Analyzing Short Stories†, Sammy shows an internal conflict between his limitation due to social class and the need to be admired (Lostracco 99). This conflict becomes a pparent when Sammy struggles between wanting to stand up for Queenie and her friends and the desire to be liked by others by not saying anything to Lengel. The other ‘market dwellers’ were shocked, with Queenie and her friends for walking into the store wearing bathing suits and no shoes. Sammy’s conflict occurs when his manager Lengel was telling the girls they couldn’t wear swimsuits out in public. Lengel found it to be inappropriate for women to be in swimsuits in public places, Lengel tells the girls â€Å"Girls this isn’t the beach† (Updike 1169). Updike states â€Å"Its one thing to have a girl in a bathing suit down on the beach, where what with the glare nobody can look at each other much anyway, and another thing in the cool of the A&P†¦.†(Updike 1168). According to Lostracco, Sammy’s  conflict becomes an external one between him and the grocery store manger. Sammy feels that if he comes to the girls’ rescue he will win their favor (Lostracco 99). Sammy feels like he can impress the girls, but the girls left before he quit. There is a conflict for approval in every culture. There were generation gaps going on during the nineteen fifties and nineteen sixties, the young people wanting different things from their parents. But the big turning point in culture was not during the nineteen fifties, but in the nineteen sixties. The Young people wanted to feel free, and be their own people. Queenie wanting to be part of the movement and Sammy is stuck between the two generations. Lengel claims that the girls are embarrassing themselves, where as Sammy states that â€Å"You didn’t have to embarrass them†(Updike 1170). Even if society is able to determine its own moral code and culture, it doesn’t fulfill everyone’s needs. According to Lostracco the tone achieved in â€Å"A&P† is based on humor at the expense of growing up. Updike handily illustrates the impulsivity of youth who yearn to be accepted (Lostracco 100). The three girls gets Sammy’s attention when they walked into the grocery store, wearing only their bathing suits. Sammy describes each of the girls in great detail, but goes in more detail with Queenie then with her friends. Queenie is the leader of her group, she’s confident. Sammy thinks that Queenie is ideal but not perfect, â€Å"She has sort of okay hair that the sun and salt had bleached done up in a bun†(Updike 1168). Sammy likes the girls and he thinks about them a lot- how they interact, and what they wear and goes into great detail of how they look. Sammy describes Lengel is strict, uptight and is you’re stereotypical boss. Lengel is a hard worker who is misunderstood and he takes Sammy’s place when Sammy quits his job. Sammy also sees Lengel as someone who doesn’t miss much-â€Å"Sunday school superintendent.† Lengel hides in his office all day. Lengel tries to explain to Sammy when he quits that he is hurting his parents, and that Lengel has known Sammy’s parents for years, â€Å" Sammy, you don’t want to do this to your mom and Dad†(Updike 1171). Sammy realizes that he doesn’t want to do this to his parents, but Sammy is his own person. Sammy rebels against the store, because how Lengel treated the three girls. Lengel criticizes the girls because they are wearing bathing suits. The bathing suits symbolize the girls’ neglect of the social rules of their small town. For Sammy the bathing suits symbolize freedom and a getaway from the world that he is  stuck in. Coming from two different generations Sammy and Lengel sees the girls wearing the bat hing suits from different sides. Lengel criticizing the girls symbolizing Sammy trying to find out who he wants to be. Sammy is a hero, because he stood up not only for Queenie and her friends, but also for something he thought was ok. The nineteen sixties had transformed the nation. The nineteen sixties was the turning point for the United States. According to Rennay Craats people demonstrated for the end of the war and racial discrimination (Craats 4). The nineteen sixties were full of huge protests, some of which turned violent. People protested racism, the war in Vietnam, and the government. The Civil rights movement had spread across the nation, as many young Americans protested to get the nations attention about the civil rights. Sammy was stuck between wanting to be his own person and wanting to make his parents happy. According to Lostracco, Sammy’s rebellion can see as a reaction to the basic morality he faces in his hometown, a very ordinary and uneventful small town (Lostracco 100). Queenie was ‘the leader’ of the group. Sammy realized how hard life was going to be for him after he quit his job, â€Å"My stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter†(Updike 1171). Sammy knew that he did what he thought was best for him, even though it might mean people being upset with him. Today the gaps are getting bigger due to the massive amounts of technology the younger g enerations use. During the nineteen sixties Americans took part took part in the social revolution. Taking part in peace, and social justice. Women were looking for equality, the younger generation looking to be different. Queenie and her friends wanted to be able to walk into the grocery store in the swimming suits and with no shoes, and having it be a problem. Today it is more acceptable for women to walk into grocery stores with shorts and a swimsuit on then it was in the nineteen sixties. Sammy had a reason to stand up to his boss Lengel and be his own person, because of how Lengel was criticizing the three girls. Generation gaps have been going gone for years. Sammy was trying to ‘find himself’, during the story. Sammy stood up for what he thought was right, and helped out the three girls. John Updike uses first person to describe the experience of the three girls in the store, and Sammy’s experience of working there. John Updike shows in A&P just because people believe in something doesn’t mean you have to believe in the same thing.  There is a co nflict that occurs in not just in teenagers but also the adults every day. Work cited Craats, Rennay. â€Å"History of 1960’s†. Weigl Publishers Inc., 2002. http://books.google.com/books?id=1tm_44Ln4EUC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false. November 14, 2012 Hawthorne, Nathaniel. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.† Fiction 100 an anthology of short fiction. Thirteenth edition. New Jersey,2012. Lostracco, Joseph. â€Å"Analyzing Short Stories.† Seventh edition. Revised printing. 1992.

Over Population Essay

The rapid increase of the Earth’s population is becoming an issue due to the depletion of forests and limited resources. There has been a dramatic increase in the World’s population by 5. 8 million from 1900 to the present day. In this era humans are reproducing more than in previous times causing them to cluster near each other in cities and to live in crowded conditions with limited resources. If the world continues to carry on these factors, in the near future the earth will not sustain its resources.There are many factors that contribute to the overpopulation of the world. Developing countries in need of education, major gap in wealth along with social class and the exploitation of earth’s resources are factors of overpopulation. In some countries, many individuals do not have money or the opportunity to be educated and as a result they do not know how to control the population in the means of using protection to control. â€Å"Lack of family planning is com monly seen in the illiterate lot of the world rise in birth rate.† (Beddinton, J, 2010)Illiteracy is an important factor that contributes to overpopulation. It has been proved that individuals with a minimum of a post-secondary education are likely to have fewer kids than those who do not possess a post-secondary education. â€Å"1/3 of the population growth in the world is the result of incidental or unwanted pregnancies. † (Beddington, J, 2010) The concept of birth control isn’t quite accepted in many cultures. Using birth control measures is considered forbidden in certain cultures.In some cultures, male children are preferred. This ultimately forces couples to produce children till a child of the preferred gender is conceived. Women are often pressured from the family and society to children. It is a role that women are given, not by choice, but by their societies. They are child bearers and always will be.â€Å"Those lacking education don’t quite und erstand the need to curb population growth. Modern methods of birth control and  family planning don’t reach certain societies either, making it difficult for them to have methods of curbing their growing population. † (Oak, M, 2012) These people are unable to understand what impact overpopulation can have because they are not taught about the international concern not do they have time to think about it with all that they already deal with. Those with education can make more responsible decisions about marriage and childbirth. Thus education is an effective tool to curb overpopulation.Human nature always wants something more or better and realistically people are never completely satisfied. The problem is that, there are too many people on the planet for all of them to live well and carry a comfortable life. There is an immense difference in the income of individuals and there are also such differences in the power between social classes. As more wealth and resources have become available, the cost associated with obtaining these resources is forced to increase, resulting in unequal access to them.â€Å"Those living at the middle, lower, and bottom of the income brackets find it more difficult to sustain a viable quality of life. †(Beddington, J, 2010) Compared to the entire population, there are only a few people that possess large amounts of money and power over the rest of the people. As the Earth’s population continues to increase, the more poverty that there will be. There are evidently more than enough resources to go around to everybody on the planet, but the distribution of these resources is not equal.Millionaires are constantly trying to figure out how to make more money and they hire people at extremely low wages because those people are unfortunately desperate. The Bourgeoisie will always have the money by passing along wealth and the Proletariat will always be stuck in the position of doing heavy labour for little inc ome. Money is scarce to some extent for everyone. The top one percent holds way too much money and power over everyone else. Because of these people the wealth is very unequal, causing poverty and allowing the rich to hold all the riches and the poor to have less.Increasing population leads to companies increasing the need for products thus more productions are made. People in agriculture such as farmers have always had the ability to exploit their resources in order to reach the fullest potential of their harvest but this is starting to change. One resource that is particularly running low is the element of life, fresh water. â€Å"Out of the total water on earth only two percent is fresh and of that only one is able to be used the rest is locked up as parts of gasses or as ice in the polar caps.†(Beddington, J, 2010)Humans use half of all the available fresh water yet many still can’t find enough. Over one billion people lack access if they have any to clean and safe drinking water. As population grows, so will the number of people living in these conditions where they are unable to obtain basic resources. â€Å"The water tables of China, India, Pakistan, Mexico and Yemen are dropping by 1 to 3 meters per year, as are those of the US, especially in the southern Great Plains where â€Å"thousands of farms †¦Ã‚  have gone dry†.Since one ton of grain requires 1000 tons of water, this water deficit will cross international borders in the form of increasing grain prices worldwide. †(Beddington, J, 2010) The planet is clearly having a difficult time managing the need of products due to the growing high demands of goods and resources. Nearly 80 million people are added to the planet every year and a healthy future does not lie ahead unless a change for materials and materials that can be recycled is demanded.Overpopulation is a serious subject and a growing issue for today’s generation and those ahead. There needs to be incre ased awareness on this issue, because it’s becoming a problem that is increasing every second. Education needs to be provided for those in need in order to help reduce the birth rate, resources must be managed wisely in order to save resources for the years to come and a development for a better share of wealth throughout the world needs to be found in order to control this problem that generations ahead and maybe even this era is facing.People need to look at the numbers, according to U. N the world population is projected to hit 9. 6 billion by 2050. Earth cannot hold an infinite population and the pollution that they cause. Overpopulation won’t resolve itself; the birth rate will not magically decrease and change will not take place until the people truly want it and act upon it.

Which Is the Most Successful Gothic Horror Short Story

Gothic horror (Gothic Fiction) is a genre of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. As a genre, it is generally believed to have been invented by the English author Horace Walpole, with his 1764 novel The Castle of Otranto. The effect of Gothic fiction feeds on a pleasing sort of terror, to thrill and scare the reader. The Red Room, by H. G Wells and The Monkey’s Paw by W. W Jacobs are both good examples of Gothic Horror. Both stories deal with the theme of the supernatural – the ‘ghost’ and the wish granting paw. Another, less obvious theme is the nature of humans, the main character in The Red Room is very confident in the face of the wisdom of the elderly residents of the castle. Even in the opening sentence the man seems to simultaneously acknowledge and dispel the fear of the paranormal in the Castle by saying â€Å"it will take a very tangible ghost to frighten me. † He is showing off his confidence, which will slowly diminish on his journey to the red room, his actual stay in it and as the tension builds. This is confidence and arrogance is ironic as he will end up defeated by this so called ‘ghost’. In The Monkey’s Paw, the family, particularly Herbert is also very cocky – â€Å"might drop on his head from the sky† yet again this is also ironic as the in order to get the money Herbert gets mutilated and dies. The setting of each story is a very important way of adding to the tension. If the story was set in a nice, happy cottage, in the middle of a suburb, on a warm summer’s day there is nothing scary about it. If it is set in an old rotting house in the middle of nowhere, which is engulfed in darkness, there is an aspect of fright and scariness. In both The Red Room and The Monkey’s Paw there is this aspect of darkness, isolation with the stories setting – the isolated, dark and cold Lorraine castle and the dark, isolated house. The darkness and isolation, for the readers, increases the risk of something bad happening. The rain and storm outside the isolated house in The Monkey’s Paw also adds to the risk of danger. We know this house is isolated, as the wife says â€Å"the worst of living so far out† The time of both stories is also important. Both stories involve the night – in The Monkey’s paw, we meet the Sergeant Major at night and the knocking also start at night. This is also the case in The Red Room. The story is set at night. This adds to the tension through fear. People are naturally scared of the night as it takes away our vision. This would allow someone to creep up on us. Particularly in The Red Room this is the case as the darkness itself creeps up on the man, and we think there might be something behind that blanket of darkness. Both authors use a lot of in depth descriptive text, such as to describe the three custodians, or but I find Wells does a lot better job then Jacobs. Wells creates an amazing, tangible feel and sense to the story, despite the massive contrast between modern life and that of that era. ‘The glow vanished, the reflections rushed together and vanished, and as I thrust the candle between the bars darkness closed upon me like the shutting of an eye, wrapped around in a stifling embrace, sealed my vision, and crushed the last vestige of reason from my brain’. The detail and quality of this quote is very powerful and is very good at describing the scene, which is integral for the story and shows off the writer’s actual skill. Jacobs isn’t quite as skillful as Wells, but he isn’t bad either and while his descriptive text isn’t quite as good, it’s still quite effective. This might have been a decision on his part, but I personally prefer Wells’ method. However, in my opinion the most important technique in both stories is the author’s use of characters. Yet again, Wells is better in a more obvious way than Jacobs. Wells is very good at describing and turning the custodians into horrible, non-human creatures. The idea of using old, crippled people is very smart and ties in with the theme and even the setting very well. It’s almost like their part of the castle with their age and grotesqueness. The description used, could almost make a horror story. Instead of making each monster a similar monster, he makes them all unique and gives them all their own ‘quirk’. One man has a withered and wrinkled arm, the other red eyes that could pierce the night sky, yet the lady seems not to have as much of a quirk as the others, she only seems to repeat one thing over and over again. Each has its own weird personality, one saying nothing apart from, â€Å"tonight of all nights† and another, constantly warning him. Yet the third character is very interesting and says practically nothing, but his presence is strange and unexplained. This makes us very curious of his purpose. Some of Jacobs’s characters are quite interesting, like the soldier, but the idea of having characters as part of the horror story doesn’t seem to be important. The personality of the Whites seems to be non-existent, even the name is very plain and not interesting but it’s obvious when everything goes wrong – Mrs White goes hysterical in grief and becomes very desperate and maybe even loses the plot a bit. This lack of personality provides a nice contrast to the hysterical side. However, Mr White seems to keep it together a bit more. In The Red Room the main character seems to get more and more desperate. At the start he was very matter of fact and by the red room he is frightened by a statue of Ganymede and Eagle. Ganymede is a character from Greek mythology. He was supposedly the most beautiful of all mortals, and so the king of the gods took the form of an eagle and stole him from earth to become the god’s cupbearer. This relates to the story, as in both the story and the myth, the main character finds himself powerless in the face of a greater power. He reaches the room, which appears normal, and then suspense is built again, as the candles are extinguished due to an unknown cause. This is similar in The Monkey’s Paw. The characters are very relaxed at the beginning and confident of the lack of power by the paw, only Mr. White’s and the soldiers fear gives us warning of possible problems. Then once Herbert dies they start panicking and the wife even goes slightly mad. The Monkeys Paw’s ending, in my opinion, is much better as it is a better story plot and it keeps the tension and suspension right up to the very end. As the race between the husband and wife unfolds we are desperately wishing that the mutilated thing doesn’t come in, this keeps the reader involved and absorbed until the very end. In The Red Rooms ending was a let down and quite dull – an anti-climax. The tension finished before the ending and this made the ending quite boring, and though the concept of the fear of fear is very interesting it’s not very exciting. I personally prefer The Monkey’s Paw despite the better style of writing by Wells. For me, The Red Rooms ending completely ruined it and the story line was not as interesting or as gripping as Jacobs story.

SCHOOL FINANCE BUDGET REDUCTION PLAN AND JUSTIFICATION Essay

SCHOOL FINANCE BUDGET REDUCTION PLAN AND JUSTIFICATION - Essay Example It is the duty of the principal to go back to their respective campuses and then collaborate with their school leadership teams in order to develop a comprehensive plan regarding how to accomplish such budgetary reductions from their existing operating budget. The objective of the study is to plan the budget cut from given information and justify the items chosen to remove or reduce from the school budget in order to meet the district requirements. Budget Reduction Plan The most challenging task of budget cut is to determine the primary sources of revenues and expenditure and then to allocate scarce resources according to requirements. It is general that in a high school, the majority of school budget is allocated towards the benefits and compensations of their staff. In such a scenario it is very important to keep in mind that any significant reduction in the compensation of core teachers and most important staff might lead to de-motivation of staffs and unrest in the campuses. In order to avoid such disputes, the rest of the budget allocations have to be re-planned and prioritized in such a manner so as to help the districts meet goals and standards of the students’ academic performance (Williamson, 2011, pp.1-5). The annual budget is a statement of expenditures and revenues that are likely in a high school during the fiscal. It has to be determined at a prior stage whether the school would have enough funds to pay for the necessary activities by ensuring optimum resource allocation matching school priorities. The budget has to be realistic in the sense that all items of reduction have to be justified to respective departments when cuts will be introduced. All minute details must be highlighted such as any probable error in estimating teaching staff requirements in case any staff leaves the school. Also, it must be ensured that all regulatory and statutory requirements have been complied with. A realistic school budget will ensure financial stability by lowering financial crisis risk during the year; educational excellence by hiring the best teachers available at attractive packages; and reputation and image of school reflected from the relationship between the authority, pupils, and staffs. T he first stage of budget reduction plan is to identify the primary sources of revenues and expenditures (Hechinger Institute, 2011, pp.1-9). Identification of Primary Sources of Revenues The expenditures of a high school are generally divided into three categories namely, salaries and employee benefits, materials and supplies and capital expenditures. In addition, the states also collect expenditure data of school by transportation, operations, debt service and maintenance. It is important to note that the schools hire instructional staffs, custodians, and cafeteria workers in addition to licensed staff members such as administration and teaching staffs, librarian, counselors, etc. Thus, the biggest expenditures in a school are consumed by the personnel. During the 1950s, the teachers’ constituted almost 74% of total school staff and the numbers have been reducing since then as the percentage of instructional staff has been increasing. In the 20th century the percentage of te achers dropped by almost 33% and they have been replaced by instructional aides. The teachers’ salaries are compensated by most districts under single salary schedule where teachers are compensated on the basis of their educational level and total years of experience in teaching profession (Serwach

Computer Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Computer Security - Essay Example To understand the nature of this proverbial beast we must take a closer look at the misaligned incentives that guide the basic design and deployment of computer systems, which form a major chunk of the issue. These misguided incentives begin with what economists call a moral hazard effect which resulted in a landslide of fraud. Other incentives include consumer’s lack of prioritizing on security measures which resulted in their minimum spending on software security. This is referred to by economists as ‘The tragedy of the commons’ with consumer’s unwilling to spend on measures that did not directly benefit them. Third is the failure in privacy and prolonged regulatory issues due to poor allocation of online risks. Last is the ability of these incentives to affect defense and offense strategies. With highlighting these key aspects we can move on to examining two mutually exclusive reasons for the decline in credit card number prices and violations of securit y based on economics being the reason for the existence of economics of security. The first of these reasons is ‘Network Externality’. In the information sector network externality refers to the software industry. Where the number of software users’ counts as the operating system developed depends on the choices of these people. So when the software company is in its initial development phase it tends to ignore security to strengthen its market position, later they add security measures once they have locked down on their target market. In economies this principle is called the Metcalfe’s law, stating that the value of a network grows with the number of people using it. This principle when applied to credit cards can be viewed as more merchants take credit cards their usefulness increases in the eyes of the customer. This results in more customers having credit cards increasing the likelihood of more merchants accepting them. So we notice that although the credit card network grows slowly initially but as positive feedback rolls in an exponential growth results. This has a direct impact on the decrease in the credit card number prices with a burst of credit card users. The second reason for this mutually exclusive occurrence has to do with ‘competitive applications and corporate warfare’. In reference to credit cards we look at the business strategy that requires manipulating switching costs. This can incorporate direct and indirect switching costs in terms of making systems incompatible or controlling marketing channels. Sometimes product differentiation and higher switching costs can both be used as security mechanism goals. For example look at Microsoft Passport, which operates with the promise of a single sign-on that facilitates consumer convenience. However that being said the real goals of Microsoft Passport is to subtly gather huge sums of date on consumer purchasing patterns with the expansion of a strong networ k externality. Also it limits the customer choice since the undertaken transactions are only operational on Microsoft software. This shows how instead of a concentration on security the product concentrates instead on web server control and acquisition of information markets. The products credit card transactions and details, which are all kept by Microsoft, result in the creation of a target market. This increases the probability of a greater external threat as well as a complete stranger

Privacy Policies of Social Media Sites Case Study

Privacy Policies of Social Media Sites - Case Study Example Nonetheless, numerous individuals who may not be friends and relatives have an interest in the information person post on social media. People aiming to steal identities, scam artists, debt collectors as well as stalkers and companies in search for market advantage have resulted in using social media to collect information concerning the consumers. The organizations that operate the social media platforms are also gathering various forms of data concerning their users with the aim of personalizing their services as well as selling advertisements. Social media sites have different degrees of privacy offered to the users in that for some of the sites such as Facebook, users are encouraged to provide their actual names along with other personal information through their profiles2 (Magdalinski 149). This information typically includes dates of birth, telephone numbers as well as email addresses and locations. Other sites give users the chance to provide additional information about themselves that includes their interests, hobbies, preferred films and relationship statuses. Nonetheless, there are sites like Match.com where most of the users favor anonymity and therefore connecting to their real identities may be difficult. Regardless of this, people may sometimes be identified through face re-identification and studies that have been done on two social media sites have demonstrated that through overlapping fifteen percent of similar photos, profile pictures with the same pictures over multiple sites may be matched to clearly iden tify the users. Security along with privacy that is linked to social media sites are essentially issues of behavior and not technology. With an increase in the amount of information that is posted on social media, the higher the amount of information that is accessible for potential compromise by the people whose intentions are malicious. The individuals who provide personal information about themselves or people they are  associated with, knowingly or unknowingly, are at more risk.  

Global economic Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Global economic - Assignment Example Simon, an economist, and P. Ehrlich, a biologist (Economist 2011). In the book of Ehrlich under the title ‘Population bomb’ reference is made to five metals, the price of which was expected to increase in the following ten years because of the increase of population globally; a bet has been set between Ehrlich and Simon who opposed the above argument, noting that no such increase would take place, a view that was verified up to 1990s (Economist 2011). According to the article, if the above issue were reviewed now, a different result would be revealed. Indeed, if the views of these scientists were compared today, Ehrlich would have won the bet (Economist 2011). In other words, the article aims to highlight the different effects of growth of global population, as reported through the decades. It is noted that in the past, the effects of the increase of population globally would be less negative for the environment compared to today; this view is based mostly on the argumen t of the World Bank that the global food production would have to increase by about 70% by 2050, so that the food needs of global population, estimated to 9 million in 2050, to be covered (Economist 2011). However, it has been proved that areas with stable population, like Europe and USA (Economist 2011) tend to affect more the global climate, compared to countries where the level of population is unstable. Under these terms, it is suggested that the control on the rate of growth of population should be developed both at state and at family level. 2nd version The rate of increase of population globally has been often considered as related to the economy of countries worldwide. At the same time, the effects of increase of population on global climate seem to be important. However, these views have not been standardized through the decades. For example, according to the book ‘The Population Bomb’ of Ehrlich, the increase of global population between 1980 and 1990 could le ad to the increase of the price of five metals: ‘copper, chromium, nickel, tin and tungsten’ (Economist 2011). By 1990, no such increase occurred, a fact that was already highlighted by Ehrlich opponent, Julian Simon (Economist 2011). In the years that followed, a different trend appeared: it was made clear that the increase of global population could lead to the increase of food required for covering people’s daily food needs, an issue highlighted by the World Bank (Economist 2011). In addition, it was proved that the increase of global population could negatively affect the environment. It seems though that the economic and environmental effects of the increase of global population are more intensive in rich countries, like USA and China. Introducing a birth-control policy, as in China, would minimize such risks. Still, the article notes that the control on global population should be rather based on appropriate family planning and less on the intervention of s tate, which can lead to severe demographic and economic turbulences, as in the case of China. In the above country, the one-child policy promoted by the government has helped to control the excessive increase of population, which would have adverse effects on the country’s economy and climate, but this policy is expected to lead to the radical decrease of the country’s working population in the near future (Economist 2011). B. Peck, Don. â€Å"Can The Middle Class Be Saved?† Atlantic Monthly September 2011 1st version Commonly,

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

ISIS - Essay Example ich has seized significant territories in western and northern Iraq and eastern Syria and established â€Å"caliphate† in accordance with Islamic Law, or Sharia. The history of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria goes back to 1999, which is the year when Tawhid wa al-Jihad, a militant Islamist group, was established by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Jordan. This militant group achieved its ill name due to the numerous attacks on coalition forces, beheadings of hostages and suicide attacks held in Iraq. After the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, al-Zarqawi pledged alliance with al-Qaeda network and changed the name of the organization to al-Qaeda in Iraq (usually referred to as AQI), which became the main force of the insurgency (BBC, 2014). In 2006, the leader of the organization died, and AQI created an umbrella organization named Islamic State in Iraq. During 2006-2007, the group lost support of the population because of violent attacks committed by the members of the organization. As a result, AQI found itself in a deep crisis as it was isolated its supporters. However, 2010 can be regarded as the year of revival of the organization as its new leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, restored the capabilities and reputation of the Islamic State (BBC, 2014). It was in April 2013 that al-Baghdadi made the merge of his forces in Syria and Iraq public and announced the establishment of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. In the end of 2013, the organization focused on the conflict between the Sunni Arab community and the government and took control over Fallujah with the help of tribesmen. In June 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant seized Mosul and advanced to Baghdad. In this very month, the organization changed its name to the Islamic State, and its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi announced the creation of caliphate, a state led by one and the only political and religious leader (BBC, 2014). There is no certain data on the area controlled by the organization. For

Central American Migration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Central American Migration - Essay Example War, persecution, and violence in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua due to political upheavals spurred the mass migration of their citizens into the United States (Guierrez, 1960). The migration occurred in phases with the elites fleeing first followed by the professionals and the middle class and lastly the poor working class. Nicaraguan migrants went to the us in three waves with the first consisting of the overthrown Somoza family and their associates, wealthy business peoples and members of the National guard in 1970s followed by the middle class professionals and business people in the 1980s and lastly the poor workers and young men escaping recruitment in the contra war. Their flight unlike the Cubans was not welcomed by the American government who classified them as illegal aliens and used varied ways to try to stop their entry into United States. Even after conditions improved in their home countries many Central Americans did not return home due to a variety of reasons, the end of hostilities did not improve their security at home. In Nicaragua former contras and fragments of Sandinista army continued to fight especially in rural areas and in El Salvador and Guatemala death squads and vigilante groups also operated. (Guierrez, 1960). This coupled with increased crime rates reduced the number of immigrants willing to return home and led to many more Central Americans migrating to United States Depending on their social economic status, Central Americans used several strategies to survive in the harsh United States. Wealthy immigrants used their economic resources and business connections to buy assets in the United States on which they lived comfortably. Many exiles including the Somoza family transferred their assets to Miami banks in the; late 1970s and they moved into fashionable residences in key Biscayne and Brickell avenue where the invested heavily on condominiums in the suburban western edge of the city (Alenjandro, 1993). These were later t o be sold to Nicaraguan professionals and business people during the second wave of migration. This group experienced tough economic hardships on United States soil and the majority worked in unskilled trades to earn a daily living due to an uncertain future. The professionals gradually moved into their fields of work and some steadily advanced in professional capacity because of prior work experience in their country of origin. Professionals used existing friendships with Cuban Americans developed in school to get financing to start their own businesses (Alenjandro, 1993).The peasants and Nicaragua workers migrated chiefly due to war and economic hardships brought by war. Nicaraguan peasants and workers migrated because of the United States sponsored contra war and they became unskilled laborers in the host country. The decision by the United States to classify Nicaraguan immigrant’s illegal aliens exposed them to very many challenges because they did not receive any benefit s like their predecessors the Cubans despite their situations being the same. Finding jobs was exceedingly difficult and the few jobs available had very low wages. They had to

Service Experience Diary Report (restaurant)- A Assignment

Service Experience Diary Report (restaurant)- A - Assignment Example Through such an analysis, the researcher provides a list of recommendations for improvement of the business scope and activity for Diner’s Eden. I am a 25 year old man who has had post graduate education. I seek high quality dining experience and am primarily health conscious. I live in Manchester city in United Kingdom, which is renowned for its sporting interests and hence, health consciousness. Before eating at the restaurant, I was looking for a fine dining experience and wished to have a continental dinner with authentic cuisine. Although my cuisine preference for the dinner would have been Japanese, I was also willing to look into other Asian preparations. Along with fine dining, I desired for live entertainment at the restaurant, which would help me relax after a long and tiring day at work. Price was not an issue and I was willing to drive for about 60 minutes to arrive at the restaurant of my choice. I looked over the internet and found out that there was a new and upcoming restaurant right in the heart of the city, close to the university area, which was serving Asian preparations. It also had live entertainment facility. Since both my primary objectives had been fulfilled, I chose the restaurant by the name of Diner’s Eden and prepared to visit for the evening. As I entered the restaurant, the red interiors were quite relaxing and the aroma of spices was indeed refreshing. Overall opinion regarding first look of the restaurant was indeed impressive. The waiters were uniformed and dressed in traditional Thai, Chinese and Indian attires separately for each section. The interiors were a mix of Indian, Chinese and Thai cultures with decorative and wall arts, depicting the three different nations. The seating arrangements were a little cluttered as they tried to fit in a large number of people at the dining space. However, the live entertainment system was a separate enclosure, which

Fashion Opinion Leadership Essay Example for Free

Fashion Opinion Leadership Essay 1. Introduction Consumers influence each other in several ways: they exchange information through communication, seek or give opinions and copy each other’s behaviour. Researchers recognise the giving and seeking of opinions as one of the most important word-of-mouth influences on brand and product choice (Bristor, 1990 and Weimann, 1994). Especially in fashion, social groups and opinion leaders influence product and brand evaluations (Amaldoss and Jain 2008). Fashion consumers often refer to fashion opinion leaders who they desire to be alike. The Internet and social media speeded up the way of communication within reference groups and made it possible to share interests without physical interaction. The following essay will outline an overview of fashion opinion leaders and reference groups before giving a better understanding of how fashion retailers make use of fashion opinion leaders in order to influence customers. 2. Reference groups and reference group influences Consumers use several sources when they seek information or opinions on decisions; informal and social (Goldsmith and Clark 2008). This aspect of consumer behaviour is described as opinion-leadership-opinion-seeking, word-of-mouth, buzz or social communication (Goldsmith and Clark 2008). This means that consumers refer to something or someone when they seek information and clears the way for the term referential or reference group. Solomon and Rabolt (2009) define Humans as social animals that try to fit into certain groups, please others and take â€Å"cues about how to behave by observing the actions of those around† (p. 422) them. A group can simply be defined as two or more people sharing common goals and interests. All members of a group interact by certain patterns, frameworks and networks. A group member must therefore be perceptible to belonging to this group. Groups can be primary (family), secondary (professions), formal (churches), or informal (certain group of frie nds). Belonging to a herd or group, makes consumers want to identify themselves psychologically and physically with desirable individuals of this group. Thus, an individual or group conceived of having significant relevance upon an individual’s sociological attributes, such as evaluations, characteristics, aspirations, or behaviour is defined as reference group (Park et al, 1977). As stated by Holton (2004), Merton hypothesized that individuals compare themselves with reference groups of people who occupy the social role to which the individual aspires. Hence, the group becomes the individuals frame of reference and influences his ideas and decisions. Reference group influence can occur in different ways. According to Solomon and Rabolt (2009), group members of reference groups can be influenced informational, utilitarian or value-expressive. Furthermore, individuals are also mostly influenced by normative referents of the group, such as parents, teachers, or peers (Childers and Rao, 1992). There are also so called aspirational groups of which individuals aspire to be a member of. This phenomenon can be considered as comparative referents, such as public opinion leaders or celebrities. Belonging to a group, aspirational or not, can influence the buying behaviour of individuals, and decisions are often based on what the group members please in order to be accepted (Joel et al 1972). According to the above, a reference group is as an individual or group that significantly influences an individual’s behaviour (Bearden and Etzel 1982). 2.1 Online referential groups and virtual consumption communities Literature mostly concentrates on face-to-face interaction within reference groups on a regular basis or on aspirational groups without direct interaction (Pentina et al, 2008). However, Sheth and Parvatiyar (1995) stated that it is not directly necessary to have physical contact and interactions with members of a group in order to refer to it. More common forms of reference groups are online reference groups, which only exist in the World Wide Web. Within the age of the Internet, arising social media networks and communities it is possible to share interests with people who the individual never met personally (Solomon and Rabolt, 2009). A virtual community of consumption is defined as â€Å"a collection of people whose online interactions are based on shared enthusiasm for and knowledge of a specific consumption activity† (Solomon and Rabolt, 2009, p 426), such as fashion for instance. In the concept of virtual communities any group of people can share common bonds, without being dependent on physical interaction and common graphic location (McDonough, 1992). But the issue of relationships between each other still lies at the heart of virtual communities (Farquhar and Rowley, 2006). Although online sharing of interests takes place on blog websites, social media platforms, like facebook or twitter or sharing services like as Pinterest, members build up relationships when sharing. On facebook, for instance, members liking other people’s post in certain theme groups and commenting on those can explain a relationship. Solomon and Rabolt (2009) state that the impact of virtual communities on individual’s product preferences and decisions are huge. Because of that, an online referential group can be considered as consumers who write about their opinions towards certain topics, seek information, publish recommendations, and post products or services. 2.1.1 Online referential groups in fashion and fashion bloggers Fashion and apparel shopping are seen as the most popular discussion topic among social networks (Thomas et al, 2007). In fashion, online communities are seen mostly through social media emergence such as blogs or facebook groups. Fashion blogs are mostly run by one person who writes or â€Å"blogs† about different products, occasions or events within the fashion industry. The community is then formed by readers of the blog, so called â€Å"followers†, that read the stories or comment on it. With gaining popularity bloggers are also able to gain money by advertising on their blog websites. According to the Telegraph, the most popular bloggers make up to  £10,000 a month in advertising (Telegraph, 28/10/2012). Meanwhile, also fashion retailers look into the blogging business. For retailers the building up of social media groups could help them to gain direct feedback from consumers while monitoring discussions in referential groups online. Burberry for example not only has its own group on facebook, but also launched a blog, showing images of people wearing their trench coats (The Art of Trench, 28/10/2012). 3. Fashion opinion leadership Referring to an opinion leader is one of the social or informal sources of decision and opinions seeking, named by Goldsmith and Clark (2008) in reference group behaviour. A person who has knowledge about a certain product and whose advice is seriously taken by others explains opinion leadership. An opinion leader or influential is a person, who is frequently able to influence attitudes and behaviour of others (Solomon and Rabolt 2009) Further, it can be explicated by the desire of leaders to distinguish themselves from followers, while followers pursue the countervailing desire to assimilate with leaders (Amaldoss and Jain 2008). Feick and Price (1987, p. 95) state that opinion leaders are more likely in product categories in which association with the product provides a form of self-expression. Fashionable clothing embodies information about the personality and status of its wearer to other people (Dodd et al, 2000). However, Amaldoss and Jain (2008) argue that in fashion, this occurrence is mostly seen within the purchasing of luxury clothing and accessories. There are several types of opinion leaders that can be observed in fashion. Firstly, some heavy consumers of fashion clothing who become extremely interested and preoccupied with it, so that their interest, knowledge and experience qualifies them to become fashion opinion leaders for others (Goldsmith, 2000). Today, these types of fashion opinion leaders occur mostly online, such as fashion bloggers. Secondly there are people who are in the public spotlight, such as celebrities. Celebrities mostly look adorable and therefore individuals follow their look because they desire to assimilate with this leader (Amaldoss and Jain 2008). But sometimes celebrities are being dressed up by personal outfitters in order to create, perform and accomplish a certain image without actually having the interest or knowledge in the area. This shows that also the perception that individuals have about a person can make the person an opinion leader. Of course, there are also people whose profession is related to fashion that can be an opinion leader for individuals, such as designers, fashion photographers, models or fashion magazines. A recent study on Mintel shows that fashion content in celebrity, lifestyle or fashion magazines, newspaper supplements and makeover shows has a direct influence on the shopping behaviour of 2 3.5 million people. Especially women are most likely influenced by such coverage (Mintel, Fashion Online, 29/10/12). As the fashion magazine example illustrates, an opinion leader does not have to be only one person, it can also be a company or an organisation. 3.1 Fashion opinion seeking â€Å"Opinion seeking is the behavioural counterpart to opinion leadership† (Goldsmith and Clark, 2008, p 309) and is important to the diffusion of new fashion products because it can spread word-of-mouth about the advice gotten from opinion leaders. Unlike opinion leaders, opinion seekers do not have the same knowledge of and interest in a product category than opinion leaders in this segment do (Goldsmith, 2000). Opinion leaders do also absorb risk (Solomon and Rabolt, 2009) for opinion seekers when buying a new product. Therefore, Opinion seekers consider opinion leaders as appropriate sources for information and advice (Bertrandias and Goldsmith, 2006). Nevertheless, opinion seekers are very important to opinion leaders because they act on the information they got from the opinion leader. The fashion industry is one of the industries that show the most frequent changes in trends and styles. When consumers determine on buying a new product they might ask or even search for information about the desired fashionable product. Because of that they often make use of informal or social sources when seeking information (Goldsmith and Clark 2008) or opinions on decisions from fashion opinion leaders in any form. Consumers can seek for an opinion through various types of social communication, word-of-moth recommendations, observing opinion leaders, researching a subject or buzz (Goldsmith and Clark 2008). In an online perspective, consumers can use social network communities as sources for apparel shopping. 3.1.1 The process within referential groups in fashion: coherence of opinion leaders and opinion seekers The basis of forming referential groups in virtual communities is the process combining interpersonal connectivity, social enhancement and sharing of information. Dholakia and Bagozzi (2004) state that interpersonal connectivity between members is important to retain social benefits of participating online. In fashion opinion leadership and fashion opinion seeking, the process is based on the social need of each other, shown in figure 3. Figure 1: The process of fashion influence between fashion opinion leaders and fashion opinion seekers in referential groups, adapted from Goldsmith and Clark, 2008 This process can especially be observed in online communities where opinion leaders post pictures of themselves wearing a new product. Several opinion seekers may like the product and give a positive feedback to the opinion leader or even share it with others, which shows symbolic validation to the opinion leader and creates a loop. 3.1.2 Victoria Beckham as fashion opinion leader for the Birkin Bag A good example for an opinion leader in fashion is Victoria Beckham. The ex-singer, designer and wife of English football star David Beckham is referred to being an A-list celebrity in the public spotlight. She is not only famous for designing fashion and wearing high-heels, but also for her collection of the Hermes Birkin Bag. The Birkin Bag is a hand-made handbag designed by the luxury fashion brand Hermà ¨s and is estimated to start at $6,000 (Branch, 2004). The bag is often seen adorning the arm of celebrities and has become a cult fashion phenomenon (Tonello, 2009) and is an example of a fashion product that gained high popularity. Its brand, Hermà ©s limited its production, to limit its accessibility. Victoria Beckham is presumed of possessing the largest collection of Birkins (Fashionthroughtravel, 26/10/12). The following figure shows an example of her and her Birkin Bag collection. It can be the fact that Victoria Beckham is popular and has a lot of people referring to her what made the bag so famous and desirable. Followers or referents to her then adopted the product, Birkin Bag. The more leaders adopt a product, the higher value is crated among its followers. â€Å"Thus, followers are buying the product for its reference group effect† (Almadoss and Jain, 2008, p 935). Therefore individuals that look up to their opinion leader may want to follow his choices (Amaldoss and Jain, 2008). As being outlined before, fashion clothing transmits a certain personality and status of its wearer to other people (Dodd et al, 2000) and is also a form of self-expression. Wearing certain trends or accessories like a Birkin Bag show commitment to a certain image of being wealthy, belonging to a higher class or having a sure feeling of trends and fashion. 4. Why and how marketers make use fashion opinion leaders The innovator theory by Rogers (1962) shows that consumer attitudes towards purchasing products can be classified into five categories. The following figure shows Rogers’s adoption of innovations curve. Depending on how quick consumers are to purchase they are either: 1. Innovators or Designers (2.5%), 2. Fashion opinion leaders or early adapters (13.5%), 3. Early majority (34%), 4. Late majority (34%), 5. Laggards or late adapters (16%) Directly after innovators or designers of the product, opinion leaders come second in purchasing or adapting this trend. According to the theory, opinion leaders are the key to product diffusion (Mituse, 05/11/12). Although innovators and opinion leaders combined account for no more than 16% of the overall market, a company can try to target opinion leaders already in early product stages and see if product diffusion will spread to the early and late majorities (Mituse, 05/11/12). Following Rogers’s theory and transferring it to the fashion industry, it can be argued that it is from extreme importance for fashion retailers to get opinion leaders on board in order to establish their designs and products within the market. Thus, the reasons why fashion opinion leaders influence others by sharing information are extremely important for companies (Bertandias and Goldsmith, 2006). Fashion retailers make use of â€Å"key opinion leaders† to influence the purchasing behaviour of consumers through their perceived position of authority. Therefore employing opinion leaders as advertising mascots or models in commercials or adverts, as seen in the figure below, is common in fashion retail. Figure 4: Fashion opinion leaders advertising for retailer Furthermore, collaborations with opinion leaders that are famous for their profession are common in fashion retail. This can be underlined by collaborations between mass retailer hm and designers like Donatella Versace (2012) and Jimmy Choo (2009) or online premium retailer NET-A-PORTER and Karl Lagerfeld, as figure 5 illustrates below. Figure 5: Collaborations of retailers and designers as fashion opinion leaders Nevertheless, marketing products or brands effectively today requires tools that reach beyond normal advertising methods: by prior targeting fashion opinion leaders, marketers are able to engage positive word-of-mouth behaviours (Bertrandias and Goldsmith, 2006) about their products. According to Chaney (2001), opinion leaders act as human information processors and are an attractive marketing tool as part of the overall communication strategy. Influences by fashion opinion leaders are not only verbal, but also visual (Bertrandias and Goldsmith, 2006). In fashion, a product has to be desirable to a consumer. If no one is seen with a certain product, most consumers don’t see a reason in buying it. If someone famous is seen with the product, the probability of referential groups buying or wanting the product as well increases. When word-of-mouth networks are generated around opinion leaders, it can pave the way for spreading news or opinions about certain fashion products. Thus, it is beneficial to address fashion-marketing communications directly to opinion leaders of this segment in order to speed up advertising messages. Therefore, advertisers may address womenswear or accessories fashion campaigns directly to opinion leaders like celebrities or high-fashion magazines. Because of the important role they may have in influencing markets, advertisers may also hand out free fashion product samples to opinion leaders (Yahoo, 29/10/12). Handing out such testimonials, which often embody free designer clothes, handbags or shoes, retailers encourage opinion leaders to wear the brand in order to influence reference groups around the opinion leader visually. Outfitting celebrities that have public appearance for free, mostly sees this occurrence, exemplarily stated in the below figure. Figure 6: Celebrities on the red carpet, adapted from ELLE By doing so, the marketer uses the position of the opinion leader to carry and break down its message to influence its relevant target group. Well-established magazines such as Vogue, Elle or Glamour can also be expected to have high influences on fashion decisions of opinion seekers. A fashion magazine even has the ability to cluster a whole group of fashion opinion leaders together: celebrities, photographers, editors, industry experts and fashion journalists. This might be a reason why opinion seekers use those magazines as information source when seeking for an opinion. Thus, advertising in fashion magazines, outfitting celebrities, or using fashion opinion leaders in adverts can influence target groups in their purchasing behaviour. 5. Conclusion ‘Reference groups in fashion’ are defined as fashion consumers who are heavy fashion users and highly involved in seeking or reflecting opinions about fashion brands and products with others who share the same interests. Further, it is differentiated between fashion opinion leaders and fashion opinion seekers. As being part of a referential group, opinion leaders and opinion seekers are positively related to each other, as the one can’t exist without the other. Today, fashion opinion leaders are often classified as celebrities, people standing in the public spotlight, magazines, or bloggers, surrounded by networks of reference groups that admire to be like them. Especially in the age of social media it has become more important to marketers to understand the process of providing, sharing and seeking of information between fashion opinion leaders and opinion seekers. Therefore opinion leaders are seen to be an important marketing tool in fashion as they are able to influence reference groups in their product or brand purchasing decisions. List of references: Amaldoss, W. Jain, S. (2008), Trading Up: A Strategic Analysis of Reference Group Effects, Marketing Science, pp. 932-942 Bearden, W. Etzel, M. (1982), Reference Group Influence on Product and Brand Purchase Decisions, Journal of Consumer Research, pp. 183-194 Bertrandias, L. Goldsmith, R. (2006), Some psychological motivations for fashion opinion leadership and fashion opinion seeking, Jornal of Fashion Marketing an Management, Vol 10, Issue 1, pp. 25-40 Branch, S. (2004), ‘Hermà ¨s’s jelly ache’, Wall Street Journal Bristor, J.M. (1990), ‘Enhanced explanations of word of mouth communications: the power of relationships’, in Hirschman, E.C. (Ed.), Research in Consumer Behavior, 4th ed., JAI Press, Greenwich, CT, pp. 51-83. Chaney, I. (2001), Opinion leaders as a segment for marketing communications, Marketing Intelligence Planning, p. 302 Childers, T. Rao, A. (1992), The Influence of Familial and peer-based Reference Groups on Consumer Decisions, Journal of Consumer Research, pp. 198-211 Dholakia, U. Bagozzi, R. (2004), A socialinfluence model of consumer participation in network- and small-group-based virtual communities , International Journal of Research in Marketing, Vol. 21, Issue3, pp. 241-263 Dodd, C., Clarke, I., Baron, S. Houston, V. (2000), ‘Looking the part: identity, meaning and culture in clothing purchasing – theoretical considerations’, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 41-48 Farquhar, J. Rowley, J. (2006), Relationships and online consumer communities, Business Process Management Journal, pp. 162- 175 Feick, L. Price, L. (1987), `The market maven: a diffuser of marketplace information, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 51, p. 95. Goldsmith, R. Clark, R. (2008), An analysis of factors affecting fashion opinion leadership and fashion opinion seeking, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, pp. 308-322 Goldsmith, R. (2000), ‘Characteristics of the heavy user of fashionable clothing’, Journal of Marketing Theory and Practise, Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 1-9 Holton, G. (2004), „Robert K Merton – Biographical Memoriesâ€Å", Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 148 (4) p 506–517 Jetsetsocialità © , Jetsetjunior, Accessed: 26th October 2012, Source: from: http://www.jetsetsocialite.com/2008/10/19/the-hermes-birkin-bag-buying-guide/ McDonough M. (1997), â€Å"Frequently asked questions: virtual communities†, internal paper prepared for virtual community hosts at the Thomson Viral Community laboratory Mintel Oxygen, Fashion Online UK March 2012, Report Brochure, Accessed: 29th October 2012, Source: from: http://ezproxy1.hw.ac.uk:2840/display/590053/?highlight=true Mituse, Accessed: 06/11/12, Source: from: http://www.mitsue.co.jp/english/case/concept/02.html?lang=en_usoutput=json session-id=fae8bc3e4d3cd76794dcbdbd8fbff715 Park, H. Cho, H. (2012), Social network online communities: information sources for apparel shopping, Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 29, p. 400 Parvatiyar, A. Sheth J., (1995), ‘Relationship Marketing in Consumer Markets: Antecedents and Consequences’, Journal of Academy of Marketing Science, vol.23, No.4, pp. 255-271 Pentina, I., Prybutok, V., Zhang, X., (2008), THE ROLE OF VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES AS SHOPPING REFERENCE GROUPS, Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, pp. 114-136 Pierce, S. Yahoo, Clothing, Accessed 29th October 2012, Source: from http://news.yahoo.com/why-celebs-free-designer-clothing-221500536.html Rogers, E. Mituse, Accessed 28th October 2012, Source: from http://www.mitsue.co.jp/english/case/concept/02.html Rogers, E. (1962), Communication of Innovations, 2nd ed., The Free Press, New York Solomon, M. Rabolt, N. (2009), Consumer Behaviour in Fashion, 2nd ed., Prentice Hall Salter, J. (2012), The Telegraph, Fashion, Accessed 28th October 2012, Source: from http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/beauty/news-features/TMG7037668/Britains-best-fashion-bloggers.html

Irish Drama Essay Example for Free

Irish Drama Essay In the book â€Å"Blood and Oil: The Dangers and Consequences on America’s Growing Dependence on Imported Petroleum† by Michael T. Klare, he focuses on the growing attention that the natural resource of oil has had and for sometime has been the main focus of just how American foreign policy has been molded to gain, either by force or peace, oil. Klare offers an important look at U. S. national security policy in very turbulent regions of the world where most oil is black gold. The author argues that U. S. foreign and military policy has been increasingly driven by the need to ensure reliable access to foreign oil, especially in the Middle East, and that American foreign oil dependence continues to grow, U. S. forces in increasingly find themselves fighting to defend oil producing regions and supply routes. Klare points out his thesis by documenting the substantial and growing U. S. dependence on foreign oil and the problems it has creat4ed, Klare describes the increasing involvement of the United States in the Middle East since World War II and with the particularly close ties with Saudi Arabia as well as the negative consequences of this involvement has on American security. The authors writes in detail the latest phase of the story by analyzing the energy strategy adopted by the Bush administration in 2001 and how this has only reinforced U. S. dependency on foreign oil with this being especially true in the Persian Golf. Klare goes on to describe the administrations polices toward that region. In chapter five the author discusses the possible prospects for diversifying foreign oil supplies and concluding that this approach offers little hope of reducing U. S. reliance on the Gulf even though it would increase the chances of conflicts in other region. In one description Klare discusses how the U. S. oil dependence may increasingly turn towards conflict with Russia and China. The author summary of what the cost of oil dependency in the final chapter and briefly gives an alternative strategy which would detach our pursuits of energy from security commitments to foreign governments by reducing oil consumption and in the development of alternative energy sources. Michael Klare gives a good argument and shows just what the national security consequences of U. S. foreign oil dependence or consequences that have been overlooked. The theme throughout the book is that American leaders have gone to great lengths to secure oil and has made this a matter of national security to be able to safeguard it through the use of military force. The author well documents his writings with a great number of notes and uses primary sources. The most shocking is the current policies Bush has in place towards the Gulf and how Bush has a very detailed strategy for the American domination of the Persian Gulf for gaining great amounts of oil. This strategy has three goals; the first is the stability of Saudi Arabia, the second was removal of Saddam Hussein and to replace him with a stable government that could give more output for oil and finally pushing Iran for a more stable leadership change. As the lust for oil increases an increase of military response will be seen as a necessary and just cause for wars. Reference: Klare, M. T. (2004). Blood and oil: The dangers and consequences of America’s growing dependency on imported petroleum. New York: Henry Holt.

Martin Luther King: Montgomery Bus Boycott

Martin Luther King: Montgomery Bus Boycott In my opinion Martin Luther King was the most significant result of the Montgomery bus boycott. King played a key role in the organisation and leadership of the boycott which ultimately lead to its success. He was the focal point of the boycott; however, there were other factors that contributed to the success of this movement. For example, the successful effort of the 50 000 black population in Montgomery which demonstrated black unity and a new attitude to protest. The strength of the boycott developed from the unity of the black population to boycott the busses. It demonstrated the power and effectiveness of the black community when they worked as one. Martin Luther king actively encouraged the black unity by acting as a role model and an inspiration to many stressing the protest was not to be violent or passive resistance but an active non-violent resistance to evil. The role of King in the boycott was extremely important in keeping the unanimity of the black community, this was the fundamental factor if the blacks were going to win the boycott and challenge the segregation laws. Thus, King was the most significant result of the Montgomery bus boycott. The Montgomery bus boycott also emphasised the importance and the potential of the black economic power. Black shoppers were unable to go downtown without travelling on public buses so businesses owned by the whites lost in excess of one million dollars. This was a turning point for many white business men and resulted in them working against the segregation ordinance. If violent protest was used, which a large proportion of the population wanted, then victories such as this would not have occurred. Therefore Kings strength of leadership and his use of non-violent protest justifies that he was the most significant result of the boycott. The boycott highlighted the significance of organisations such as the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People) and the MIA (Montgomery Improvement Association). It showed the continuing effectiveness of these organisations strategies of going through the law courts to pursue equal rights for Black Americans. These particular associations challenged the bus segregation laws by taking them to the district court where they were proved unconstitutional (Browder V. Gayle). Although the district court declared the segregation laws unconstitutional, there was little change in the situation (De jure change) until the supreme court backed the ruling in December 1956. Therefore, the organisations working for the rights of blacks and the Browder V. Gayle Supreme Court ruling were also an extremely significant result of the boycott. In summary, although Martin Luther King had a major impact due to his inspirational leadership and motivational skills, other key factors, such as the ones mentioned above also played n important part and must have recognition. Other individuals involved in the boycott were also important such as Jo Ann Robinson, who decided to challenge the Brown V. Board of Education case by distributing propaganda leaflets to get support from the black population. Rosa Parks also played a big role in the protest; after all she initiated the protests which lead to the boycott which subsequently lead to the bus segregation laws being declared unconstitutional. This proves that although King was arguably the most significant result of the boycott, other individuals also played an important role. The success of the boycott inspired others like Melba Pattillo who volunteered as a guinea pig for the NAACP and church leaders during the Little Rock crisis in 1957. Pattillo volunteered to transfer to the all white high school with eight other black students where they were faced daily harassment from white students. Due to the courage and determination of Melba Pattillo and the other eight black students it proved that the Brown V. Board of Education (whereby it was declared that separate schools were unequal) was a De Jure change as it faced wide spread resistance from the white Americans. This forced President Eisenhower and the authorities to intervene as the constitution seemed threatened. This resulted in Cooper V. Aaron ruling which confirmed that keeping public schools segregated was unconstitutional. Individuals such as Pattillo were therefore a significant result of the boycott and although it brought King to the forefront of the movement there were other significant resu lts which arose from the success of the boycott. The SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) set up by King in 1957 aimed to improve the black situation in the South which had specific problems. The SCLC was set up to work alongside the NAACP but provide an alternative (direct non violent action) to the NAACPs litigation strategy. The SCLC attracted national attention to racial inequality an example of this is the march in Washington in support of Eisenhowers civil rights bill in May 1957. Therefore Martin Luther King was the most significant result of the Montgomery bus boycott as he also made a positive impact on the situation for black Americans in the South. In conclusion, I agree that Marin Luther King was the most important result of the Montgomery boycott. Kings leadership and motivation inspired the black community to unite and work as one to overcome the bus segregation laws in an active but non-violent resistance to evil. The boycott saw the rise of King as a civil rights leader and as a spokesman of the modern civil rights movement. However, there were other very significant results of the boycott such as the Browder V. Gayle Supreme Court ruling that proved that the bus segregation ordinance was unconstitutional. Other significant results of the boycott were that it challenged and invalidated many of the Jim Crow laws and that it inspired many other successful boycotts in Southern States. As a result, I believe there were many significant results of the boycott however; I feel I must agree that Martin Luther King was the most significant.

A Day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Essay -- Papers

A Day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art I. Jan van Eyck’s â€Å"Last Judgment† Jan van Eyck was active since 1422 and died in 1441. He was the most celebrated painter of the fifteen-century in Europe. One of his famous works is â€Å"The Last Judgment†. At first sight this work immediately attracted my attention. The painting’s stunning colors and the fact that it reminded me of a previous similar work I have seen, triggered in my mind. The material that is used is oil on canvas, transferred from wood. The size of this work is 22 1/4 *7 2/3 in. (56.5 * 19.7cm). As I closely approached the painting I began to realize the differences between Jan van Eyck and Michelangelo’s â€Å"Last Judgment†. Contrary to Michelangelo’s â€Å"Last Judgment†, Jan van Eyck’s work has specifically distinguished â€Å"Good† and â€Å"Evil†. It is separated into three tiers. In the upper portion of this work of art only heaven is represented. Jesus Christ is on the top, above all the people in heaven, having Maria next to him, on his right hand side and surrounded by angels. In the middle part of Jan van Eyck’s â€Å"Last Judgment† limbo is represented. This is state midway between heaven and hell. Hell is represented at the bottom part of Jan van Eyck’s work. To clarify the separation between limbo and hell, death is vividly drawn. However, in Michelangelo’s â€Å"Last Judgment† each figure preserves its own individuality and both the single figure and the groups need their own background. In the depths of the scene figures are rising from their graves. Naked skeletons are covered with new flesh and dead men help each other to rise from the earth. II. El Greco’s â€Å"Christ Carrying the Cross† El Greco’s real name is Domenikos Theotokopoulos and his Greek... ...hnestock Hubbard, in memory of her father. It belongs to the Bashfored Dead Memorial Collection. At the begging, the idea that I had to visit a museum for my assignment did not make me feel happy and amused. It was the opposite. I was thinking that it would be really stupid and boring going there, spending my day looking at some expensive â€Å"drawings†. However, when I saw the museum as a building, it really impressed me. The structure and architecture was really beautiful. As I was looking for the pieces of works that I had find information about. I was attracted by other gorgeous paintings as well. I saw paintings and sculptures from different cultures, which I never had heard before. My day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art was really a pleasure and fun. Apart from pleasure and fun, I got an idea of art which is very important to anyone of us.

The Force of Hydropulsion Essay -- Hydrogen Force Physics Essays Paper

The Force of Hydropulsion Executive Summary For our project, our client, gave us the task of designing and developing a teaching aid that uses hydrogen to power a mechanical device. This task led us to the construction of a hybrid fuel cell/battery-powered model hovercraft. The hovercraft, which we call â€Å"Hovercraftica†, uses a battery to power the lift fan and two hydrogen fuel cells to power the fan that provides thrust. Hovercraftica is a self-contained demonstration unit with every aspect of its propulsion onboard. The hydrogen for the fuel cells is produced through the electrolysis of water. This is achieved by collecting light energy via a solar panel and sending it through the fuel cells. In order to work as efficiently as possible, our team split into three different groups: writing/ presentation, construction design, and electrical. While the construction and electrical teams worked on building and testing the hovercraft, the writing/presentation group created a 220-page teaching manual with student activities, wrote the final proposal, and designed the final presentation. During construction, our team ran into several problems with the hovercraft. First, we had problems trying to find the necessary parts. Second, the parts that we needed (especially the fuel cells) were more expensive than our budget allowed. Third, we had problems with integrating the hovercraft and fuel cells, and lastly, with finding the motor speed that worked. Eventually we solved these issues, only to be set back again when we fried one of the fuel cells. After we had our parts, we tested each of them separately to make sure that they worked as needed. We also tested the hovercraft as a whole upo... ...ww.olshove.com/HoverHome/hoverfaq.html Quick Facts About Wind Energy. US Department of Energy: Wind Energy Program. Retrieved October 19, 2003, from http://www.eere.energy.gov/wind/web.html Solarbotics.net. Retrieved November 17, 2003, from http://www.solarbotics.net Solar Cars - Solar Energy and Photovoltics. What You Need To Know About. Retrieved October 14, 2003, from http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blsolarcar.htm Solar Energy†¦. SunWater. Retrieved September 18, 2003, from http://wave.prohosting.com/sunwater/solar.html Urban Air: Health Effects of Particulates, Sulfur Dioxide, and Ozone. World Resource Institute. Retrieved September 27, 2003, from http://www.wri.org Why A Hovercraft? Universal Hovercraft. Retrieved November 2, 2003, from http://www.hovercraft.com/menu_why_a_hovercraft.html The Force of Hydropulsion Essay -- Hydrogen Force Physics Essays Paper The Force of Hydropulsion Executive Summary For our project, our client, gave us the task of designing and developing a teaching aid that uses hydrogen to power a mechanical device. This task led us to the construction of a hybrid fuel cell/battery-powered model hovercraft. The hovercraft, which we call â€Å"Hovercraftica†, uses a battery to power the lift fan and two hydrogen fuel cells to power the fan that provides thrust. Hovercraftica is a self-contained demonstration unit with every aspect of its propulsion onboard. The hydrogen for the fuel cells is produced through the electrolysis of water. This is achieved by collecting light energy via a solar panel and sending it through the fuel cells. In order to work as efficiently as possible, our team split into three different groups: writing/ presentation, construction design, and electrical. While the construction and electrical teams worked on building and testing the hovercraft, the writing/presentation group created a 220-page teaching manual with student activities, wrote the final proposal, and designed the final presentation. During construction, our team ran into several problems with the hovercraft. First, we had problems trying to find the necessary parts. Second, the parts that we needed (especially the fuel cells) were more expensive than our budget allowed. Third, we had problems with integrating the hovercraft and fuel cells, and lastly, with finding the motor speed that worked. Eventually we solved these issues, only to be set back again when we fried one of the fuel cells. After we had our parts, we tested each of them separately to make sure that they worked as needed. We also tested the hovercraft as a whole upo... ...ww.olshove.com/HoverHome/hoverfaq.html Quick Facts About Wind Energy. US Department of Energy: Wind Energy Program. Retrieved October 19, 2003, from http://www.eere.energy.gov/wind/web.html Solarbotics.net. Retrieved November 17, 2003, from http://www.solarbotics.net Solar Cars - Solar Energy and Photovoltics. What You Need To Know About. Retrieved October 14, 2003, from http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blsolarcar.htm Solar Energy†¦. SunWater. Retrieved September 18, 2003, from http://wave.prohosting.com/sunwater/solar.html Urban Air: Health Effects of Particulates, Sulfur Dioxide, and Ozone. World Resource Institute. Retrieved September 27, 2003, from http://www.wri.org Why A Hovercraft? Universal Hovercraft. Retrieved November 2, 2003, from http://www.hovercraft.com/menu_why_a_hovercraft.html

Shakespeares Midsummer Nights Dream is An Elizabethan Era Play with a

An Elizabethan Era Play with a Greek Twist William Shakespeare wrote the play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, sometime in the 1590's. The play, a romantic comedy, portrays the adventures of four young lovers, an amateur actor's group, their interactions with a Duke and Duchess, and with fairies in a moonlit forest. Although Shakespeare used certain themes in this play to portray Greek aspects, the reflection of Elizabethan England is dominant in several different ways. Shakespeare's use of fairies, the way women are treated, and the use of a class system in this play are all perfect examples of how very Elizabethan this beloved tale actually is. The Elizabethan era was approximately 1558-1603. During this period of time, the idolization of fairies was very popular. This is evident in A Midsummer Night?s Dream. Shakespeare introduces to his readers a group of fairies that delights everyone with their heartwarming antics. These enchanting and mischievous fairies are a product of the times that Shakespeare grew up in. The fairies that the people of the Eliz... Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream is An Elizabethan Era Play with a An Elizabethan Era Play with a Greek Twist William Shakespeare wrote the play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, sometime in the 1590's. The play, a romantic comedy, portrays the adventures of four young lovers, an amateur actor's group, their interactions with a Duke and Duchess, and with fairies in a moonlit forest. Although Shakespeare used certain themes in this play to portray Greek aspects, the reflection of Elizabethan England is dominant in several different ways. Shakespeare's use of fairies, the way women are treated, and the use of a class system in this play are all perfect examples of how very Elizabethan this beloved tale actually is. The Elizabethan era was approximately 1558-1603. During this period of time, the idolization of fairies was very popular. This is evident in A Midsummer Night?s Dream. Shakespeare introduces to his readers a group of fairies that delights everyone with their heartwarming antics. These enchanting and mischievous fairies are a product of the times that Shakespeare grew up in. The fairies that the people of the Eliz...

Compare and contrast two approaches Essay

Psychology is a huge science area with many variations on approach. Over many years Psychologists such as Freud, Skinner, Rogers and Watson, just to name a few, have contributed, providing us with invaluable tools to evaluate and treat mental illness, understand and treat phobias and indeed provide us with a window into the unconscious mind. In particular, two areas of study have intrigued me, so I believe it would be useful to compare and contrast these two very different approaches. Not only will I compare the methods of research used but also will note any similarities or differences they may have and indeed the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. My chosen approaches to evaluate are Behaviourist V Psychoanalytic. In 1913 John Watson published ‘ Psychology as the behaviourist view it’, in it he outlined his new ideas. These ideas were considered ‘new’ because Watson disagreed with Freud’s view of human behaviour; he dismissed it as ‘ philosophical to the point of mysticism’ (Watson 1913, citied by Christopher D. Green, York University). Watson also dismissed heredity as an important factor in human behaviour shaping. Watson stated that ‘The traditional methods of animal psychology are indeed the true method of scientific psychology’. (Watson 1913, citied by Christopher D. Green, York University). In this article Watson said ‘ The time seems to have come when psychology must discard all reference to consciousness; when it need no longer delude itself into thinking that it is making mental states the object of observation ‘ (‘Psychology as the behaviourist views it’ John Watson, Psychological review, 1913}. By saying this Watson meant that Freud and other Psychoanalysts could not prove their theories and therefore were not scientific. Also they studied abnormal patients (mental patients) so therefore they could not have a true picture. This publication did in fact establish ‘a new school of psychology, the School of Behaviourism’. The essential theories, which stand Watson out from the rest, are that he believed psychologists should look to the relationship between the environment and the behaviour, rather than the presumed contents of the consciousness. The principles that govern behaviour in animals and in  humans are virtually identical. Watson’s aim was to predict and control behaviour. He was able to provide evidence to his theories unlike other unreliable and unverifiable conscious experience studies. A behaviourist believes that the environment motivates behaviour and that a stimulus will create a response, therefore, ‘humans are merely passive respondents.’ This approach rejects the unconscious mind and believes that only behaviour that can be observed should be studied. There are three main areas of study Classical conditioning (Pavlov), Operant conditioning (Skinner) and Observational learning (Bandura). Classical conditioning uses a stimulus response, Pavlov when experimenting with the dog and salivation, conditioned the dog to know when a treat was inevitable by using a bell as the stimulus. He proved that the dog would salivate at the mere thought of food and therefore his learning was by association. In the Skinner experiment he used positive and negative reinforcement as forms of rewards or punishments, this was called Operant conditioning. Finally when using Observational learning (Bandura 1960) its proven to be far more scientific using laboratory for studies and experiments. This seems to be a far more objective approach. The behaviourist approach has a more scientific and objective view and provides a counter argument to the nature theory. By using a few basic principles, behaviourism can explain many characteristics in both human and animal behaviours and has many practical applications. However, on a more negative note it can be said that behaviourism rejects the conscious mental experiences and assumes that individuals are not responsible for their own actions. In addition it over simplifies the explanations for behaviour and experiences. The psychoanalytic approach was started and mainly developed by Sigmund Freud. He became interested in hysteria and was convinced that unconscious mental causes were responsible for all disorders and even ‘normal’ personalities. Freud’s approach and theory were greatly influenced by the  technology of the time (locomotives) along with the work of hypnotist Charcot. Whilst talking to Charcot, Freud realized how talking about traumatic experiences relieved the symptoms of hysteria. He also made a connection between the role of sex and hysterical behaviour. Freud saw sex as a potential cause of emotional stress. Another great influence was Breuer who pioneered cathartic therapy. This therapy was known as the ‘Talking cure’. Freud’s major technique was free association, were a patient would be encouraged to relax and express a free flow of thoughts entering their mind. Another popular therapy of Freud’s was Dream analysis where he would attempt to decode the symbols of a dream. His approach had a huge impact on psychology and psychiatry. Freud’s theory was developed further by Jung, Adler and Anna Freud (his daughter) The Psychoanalyst believed that behaviour was influenced mainly by a part of the mind which we have no awareness of; this was called the Unconscious process. They also believed in Psychic determinism, which dictates whatever we say or do has a cause. Hydraulic drives were believed to create psychic energy which if not released would create tension and anxiety. The two basic drives, which this refers to, are the Sex drive and the aggressive drive. Apparently according to Freud, different parts of the unconscious mind were in constant struggle with each other called the Psychodynamic conflict.. He along with others believed that the personality was shaped as we entered different stages of development. It has become apparent that the only similarity between these two approaches is that both Watson and Freud believed their theory could explain all concepts of human behaviour. They allowed no room for any other explanation. This in its self has causes doubt for both sides of the argument. It is obvious to the reader that there a very few similarities between these approaches, however it seems that both the pioneers solely thought their way was the only way. Both these men used their own theories to explain the same topics, such as: moral development, Aggression and Abnormalities. There are strengths and weakness to all arguments and this one is no exception. Freud’s ideas made a large impact on psychology; however, his theories had little experimental support except on repression and fixation. The psychoanalytic approach has huge explanatory of power on a variety of subjects. His methods were regarded as ‘unscientific’ and incapable of being proved wrong. Many experiments carried out using this theory have failed to support Freud. Psychoanalyst therapy has been widely criticised. Behaviourism was scientific and experimental and left a lasting effect on its subjects. It also provides a strong counter argument on the nature rather than nurture argument. Using simple principles, behaviourism can explain a great variety of phenomena and has many practical implications. So what, if any gain has been made by society by these theories? Far more has been gained from the Behaviour theories than that of the psychoanalyst. This is mainly due to the practical implications applied in today’s terms. The behaviourist approach has produced many practical implications such as education (programmed learning) also the treatment of those with behavioural disturbances such as phobias and behaviour shaping in autism. The Operant conditioning principles are used to train animals to do tasks. This approach has also been used in advertising and in child rearing. The only gain I can acknowledge from Freud and his theories is that of a therapy to help treat mental disorders. I find little evidence, however, that this theory actually works or indeed if the principles explain everything, I find it difficult to find any outcome in this theory. I find the Freudian theory (Psychoanalytic) to be inadequate and non scientific. The behaviourist view seems to be a far more objective approach. It has a more scientific and objective view and provides a counter argument to the nature theory. By using a few basic principles, behaviourism can explain many characteristics in both human and animal behaviours and has many practical applications. However, on a more negative note it can be said that behaviourism rejects the conscious mental experiences and assumes that individuals are not responsible for their own actions. In addition it over  simplifies the explanations for behaviour and experiences. Bibliography Watson, J.B, (1913) Psychology as the behaviour views it. Psychological Review, 20, 158-177 Thomas, R.K. (1997) American journal of psychology, 110, 115-125 Watson J.B (1914). Behaviour: An introduction to Comparative Psychology. New York: Holt. Tony Malim & Ann Birch ‘Introduction to Psychology’ (1998) Graham Hill ‘Psychology through Diagrams’ (1998) www.psychclassics.yorku.ca/Watson/intro.htm www.sntp.net/behaviourism/behaviourism-main.htm www.psych.utah.edu/gordon/Classes/Psy4905Docs.htm

Extracurricular activity Essay

My freshman year of high school was scary. Two rival middles schools coming together to make one freshman class did not seem like the best idea, the classes were harder, and the stress levels were higher. In eighth grade I was so excited to be in high school, but once I got there I could not wait for that year to be over. Then I realized I still had three more long school years ahead of me. Don’t get me wrong, I had plenty of fun times freshman year. I met so many new people and made a lot of new friends. The majority of my friends then are still my friends now. But I was ready to grow up. I think every teenager thinks like this at one point or throughout every year of high school. Most teenagers are ready to move from home and start a new and more independent life in college during most years of high school. I know that I thought this way for quite sometime. I thought that life in college would be a million times more eventful than life in high school. Sophomore and junior year were also similar to freshman year. Friendships became stronger, classes were continuing to get more difficult, and even though I involved myself more in extracurricular activities, I was ready to get out of town and start college more than ever. I had picked out my dream school and already had so many plans for my freshman year of college. But instead of time speeding up like I wished it would, it felt like it was slowing down. Summer going into senior year I began getting bored with the town and I felt like I was always saying â€Å"there is nothing to do here.† I thought I needed more adventure and was becoming tired of just going through the motions. Although I felt like that then, a few weeks into senior year my mindset had completely changed. Even though senior year has been the toughest year yet, my class has created a culture. There is so many things that define us as a class and set us apart from everyone else. From traditions started at football games, to the things that we do as a group, we have created our own culture and identity. I have realized that even though I have wanted the past three years to fly by, all I want is for this year to slow down. My friends and I have all created extremely close bonds and we have become almost like a family. I feel like throughout the past three years I have taken a lot of things for granted and have not really appreciated all the memories I have had that came from good experiences. I have learned not to take any special moments for granted because I could look back on these days and remember all of the good times and how much I enjoyed my senior year. At times I regret wanting to grow up so fast because I know now that these are some of the best times of my life and I wish I would have appreciated them before. Although I do regret that, I’m thankful I get to spend this year with every single one of my closest friends. I still have a long time to make memories, but as the saying goes, â€Å"time flies when you’re having fun.†

Novartis Pharmaceutical Gender Discrimination Class Action Lawsuit

Amy Velez, et al. , v. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. is one of the largest gender discrimination lawsuits ever to go to trial. The class action lawsuit claimed Novartis Pharmaceuticals (NPC) practiced sex discrimination against female employees under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Wilson 2010). The plaintiffs are nineteen women presently or formerly employed by NPC in sales related positions. They claimed the NPC discriminated against them in various ways, including compensation, promotion and promotional opportunities, personnel evaluations and by adverse treatment of women who take maternity leave.They seek injunctive relief, back pay and front pay, and compensatory and punitive damages (US District Court Document). The class action lawsuit later grew to include 6,200 women employed by NPC. The time period of the discrimination was from 2002-2007 Amy Velez, who had twins in 2001 claimed she was repeatedly passed over for promotions by men who had inferior sales numbers . She also claims to have overheard a manager asking recruiters prospective employees were married or had children. Wilson 2010). Another woman claims she was told by a manager that he prefers not to hire younger women saying â€Å"First comes Love, then comes marriage, then comes flex time and a baby carriage. † (Wilson 2010). In addition, the plaintiffs claim that men in the same positions earned more money than women in the save positions. The final approval of the settlement was November 19, 2010. The settlement, which totaled $175 million, included $152. million in back wages, benefits, and adjusted wages, service payments to named plaintiffs who helped litigate the case, and attorneys' fees and costs, plus $22. 5 million in nonmonetary relief representing Novartis's commitments to revise its employment policies to eliminate sex discrimination (McGowan 2010).In response to the decision, according to NPC’s web page â€Å"As part of its commitment to fostering a di verse and inclusive workforce, NPC is implementing comprehensive programs designed to ensure that all members of its sales force are treated fairly. NPC still denies these claims but admits some of its employees may have not followed company policy. NPC will also substantially revising its human resources policies, revamping its personnel management systems, and strengthening its commitment to ensuring gender equality in the workplace These practices by NPC took place over a five year period between 2002-2007. The severity of the claims shows an escalating conflict. There were repeated offences. First here was awareness of differences; a couple female employees knew they were being passed over for promotions. This continued to annoyance; more female employees learned they were being continually passed over for promotions. Later to frustration; when the female employees learned that certain managers were not hiring younger women or women with children. Next there was anger; when sexi st comments were made by management. This conflict finally escalated to hostility and war (war being the lawsuit).NPC could have avoided this class action lawsuit by making sure all their branches were following proper anti-discrimination procedures. Inappropriate comments by management should have been taken seriously by upper management. All employees should have been required to go to diversity training. Upper management should have looked more closely at the male/female promotion ratio. If only NPC’s upper management would have been more in tune with their subordinates this costly lawsuit might have been avoided.