Can feminism be thought of as a theory of law Essay

As a concept, feminism is very much a modern notion within legal circles, which aims to eradicate any prejudice against women’s rights. This in a society strongly founded upon a male-orientated legal system, which historically fails to recognise the social and legal rights of women, and instead focuses upon â€Å"male-orientated theories and ideologies.†1 It is this patriarchy that feminists thrive to eliminate. The essence of patriarchy is emphasised by the Marxist legal theory, developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the 19th Century, which places no emphasis upon gender, and consequently belittles the feminists fight for gender equality. Juxtaposed with the rigid Marxist approach to legal rule is the postmodernist dialect that offers a â€Å"positive method of forcing individuals to confront and change the rigid contexts and structures (including laws) within which they have arbitrarily confined themselves.†2 The ideology of feminism is split into three distinct categories, all of which work towards one common goal of removing gender prejudices: 1) Liberal feminism is grounded in â€Å"classical liberal thinking that individuals should be free to develop their own talents and pursue their own interests. Liberal feminists accept the basic organisation of our society but seek to expand the rights and opportunities of women. Liberal feminists support equal rights and oppose prejudice and discrimination that block the aspirations of women.†3 2) Socialist feminism is an evolution from Marxist conflict theory, essentially made in reaction to the little attention Marx paid to gender. Socialist feminists argue that the â€Å"bourgeois family must be restructured to end ‘domestic slavery’ in favour of some collective means of carrying out housework and child care. The key to this goal, in turn, is a socialist revolution that creates a state-centred economy operating to meet the needs of all. Such a basic transformation of society requires that women and men pursue their personal liberation together, rather than individually, as liberal feminists maintain.†4 3) The third form of feminism is radical feminism. This, as the name suggests is the most extreme version of feminism, it disregards the liberal theory as â€Å"superficial and inadequate,†5 and they claim that even a socialist revolution would not end patriarchy. Radical feminists strive to create a society free from any gender inequality by completely abolishing the cultural notion of gender. To look at these three forms of feminism an observer would be ignorant to discard feminism as having no legal influence, as it is clear to see from these that support for such movements is vast and comes in various forms, all of which attack the same enemy, patriarchy, albeit in differing manners. These differing methods are accentuated by recent developments and movements in society, particularly in the 20th Century these can be clearly highlighted by looking at the actions of the suffragettes in 1910, which illustrate a more active approach to campaigning. As previously mentioned feminist legal theories are a contemporary concept, for this reason a â€Å"radical new methodology in legal theory† is required in order to encompass the new issues raised by feminism as a legal theory. Such a new methodology could be found in the ‘critical legal theory’ method, as it would be able to incorporate feminist views such as the theory that a â€Å"male-orientated appreciation of law emphasises individualism and ‘rights’ at the expense of ‘female’ emphases upon interaction and cooperation.† 6 This approach is however, solely a theoretical one, and as such it does not entirely cover the needs of feminism, insofar as â€Å"feminism is only partially and peripherally concerned with academic theorising,†7 the major part of the work of feminism is to promote the â€Å"dissatisfactions of a wide spectrum of women,† which highlight the general inequality felt by women in regards to legal and social equality. Therefore critical legal studies, instead of acting as a definition, are rather a useful means of indicating the â€Å"explicit and implicit male orientation of law and legal administration and the resulting disadvantage and marginalisation often suffered by women.†8 This has led to the recognition of three fundamental elements which personify a feminist legal theory. â€Å"These are: a) asking the ‘woman question’, i.e. the extent of the presence and recognition of women’s experience in law; b) feminist practical reasoning, meaning a reasoning which proceeds from context and values difference and the experience of the unempowered; and c) consciousness raising, meaning an exploration of the collective experience of women through a sharing of individual experiences.†9 These three elements, outlined above by Katherine T. Bartlett, are designed to act as the source for future feminist legal theory development, particularly in respect of women’s outlook upon law with the intention of improving women’s legal position in the future â€Å"development or redevelopment of law.†10 The legal evolution, or, redevelopment, mentioned above is one in which women strive to see a revolution from an â€Å"inherently ‘male’ legal mindset implicitly discriminating against women because it is framed in terms of male experience which does not necessarily relate to that of women.†11 That is to say, that in numerous situations women are expected to mirror full-time, long-term and unionised male workers, when in reality women digress from this norm insofar as their working patterns tend to be far more interrupted and part-time. From this a clear paradox is produced, as feminists while thriving to be treated as the males equal simultaneously require a variant from this norm in order to account for their differing responsibilities. This attitude is stressed distinctly by the remarks of Joanne Conaghan and Louise Chudleigh, when they say, â€Å"labour law both embodies and conceals the gender division of labour and, by focusing exclusively on the world of paid work, ignores the differing responsibilities [of] †¦ men and women.†12 Such inadequacies within the legal system are numerous and ironically even legal structures that aim to eradicate gender discrimination can be seen to be based upon analogies created from â€Å"irrelevant, and sometimes outdated, male experience.† An unmistakable example of this is the treatment of maternity leave as analogous to the sick leave of their male counterpart. This is coupled by the notion that parenting is predominantly the female’s role, which is highlighted by the â€Å"very limited provisions for paternity leave.† 13 The underlying problem here is that, in order to be treated fairly and without any prejudice women are required to meet a norm set by existing male experiences which by there very nature do not create a balanced equality, and thus â€Å"existing legal standards and concepts disadvantage women†14 as they merely incorporate women into existing male-orientated legal structures, rather than recreating the legal structures so as to be established upon male and female requirements. The above mentioned relationship between female legal theory and critical legal studies creates a clear enhancement, in regards to political knowledge and understanding of feminists legal argument, and consequently for the female legal theory. The noticeable thing to emphasise from this is the â€Å"disadvantaging effect of concealed and frequently unrealised bias in a legal order which has for the most part developed from male rather than female experience,†15 and has therefore produced a rather lopsided legal system in favour of men. This prejudice has now been identified, thanks to the relationship between critical legal studies and feminist legal theory, this identification can be perceived as a significant legal stepping stone towards a legal system that not only incorporates females, but is instead founded upon female and male experiences resulting in an equality which is not merely all encompassing in terms of a male perspective, but rather an equality that is derived f rom the experiences of both genders. Strongly contrasting the accommodating nature of critical legal studies in relation to female legal theories, are those theories of law and society created by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Their creation, Marxism, a derivative of a much older proposition by Immanuel Kant that stated that, â€Å"every thesis has a contrary antithesis†16 and that eventual resolution of these two contradictory perspectives, through revolution, would end up creating an ‘absolute understanding’. This led to Marx placing specific importance upon an economic foundation from which all things within society, both social and political, are merely ‘superstructure.’ It is for this reason that Marxism has been described as being a distinctly materialistic theory. A strong contrast can be seen between the feminist legal theory, which bases its social beliefs at the apex of its legal structure, and the Marxist theory which states that â€Å"social understanding is seen as an ideological perception of the economic relations existing at a given time which will change as the underlying economic relationships alter.†17 Here it is clear that a Marxist approach would place very little emphasis upon the social question of gender inequality, but would instead focus upon an economic foundation with the speculation that if a high enough proportion of society feel a need to increase gender equality then a revolution would take place. For Marxism social revolution appears to be the basis for the theory to develop. It would therefore appear to be a theory that shows little appreciation for social needs, such as those displayed by the female legal theory. For feminists to advance their legal theory through a Marxist approach, the attitude of socialist feminists, as discussed above, would have to be adopted. That is to say that the â€Å"bourgeois family must be restructured to end ‘domestic slavery’ in favour of some collective means of carrying out housework and childcare. The key to this goal, in turn, is a socialist revolution that creates a state-centred economy operating to meet the needs of all. Such a basic transformation of society requires that women and men pursue their personal liberation together, rather than individually, as liberal feminists maintain.†18 This once again highlights the idea of a union between both genders, encompassing experiences from both so as to enable females not only to be incorporated into an existing legal structure but instead to recreate a legal structure based upon the needs and experiences of both genders. A legal theory that promotes the liberating philosophy required in order to create a society able to accept the alterations needed to adequately unify both genders in a legal sense is the ‘postmodern’ legal theory. This theory, commonly portrayed as a â€Å"recipe for relativism,†19 also displays the characteristics needed in order to force â€Å"individuals to confront and change the rigid contexts and structures (including laws) within which they have arbitrarily confined themselves.†20 In this sense it is the ideal method for women to promote and execute the installation of their female legal theory. As it would not only tolerate an amendment in the law to integrate women into existing law, but more than this it would allow them to â€Å"change the rigid contexts and structures† mentioned above, which have prevented the advancement of gender equality within the legal structure. However, postmodernism also raises some problems in relation to feminist jurisprudence. Hilaire Barnett states that â€Å"there must be developed critiques †¦ which reject the universalist, foundationalist, philosophical and political understanding offered by modernism†¦and in its place there exists diversity, plurality, competing rationalities, competing perspectives and uncertainty as to the potentiality of theory.†21 In general, here she is saying that women must resist generalising their condition within society, and instead focus upon the â€Å"multiplicity of subjectivities, identities, which inhere in the individual.†22 Overall, I believe feminism to be undoubtedly ‘fundamental in some way.’ The critical legal theory discussed above shows how society has failed to display mutuality, not only towards women as members of society but towards men and women, through an â€Å"improper discriminatory selectivity, generate alienation and, ultimately, disfunctionality in the working of a legal order.†23 This inequality has led to the recognition of three fundamental elements which personify a feminist legal theory. Resistance is however, met by a Marxist legal theory, which displays very little appreciation of gender issues. However, a feminist theory could be adopted through the Marxist ‘bourgeois’ revolutionary approach, which would see both genders uniting in a revolution to change the pre-adopted norms of society. This idea of changing preconceived rules and laws within society would allow a feminist legal theory to develop, an idea given weight to by the postmodern legal theory, which also places special emphasis upon withdrawing from a united generalisation of women and instead focusing upon them as individuals. Therefore, I would argue that ‘feminism’ can be thought of as a theory of law, albeit not on the same scale as other theories previously mentioned, such as Marxism. But it’s rapid evolution and recent political and legal enhancement within society makes it a theory with considerable weight, and certainly a theory ‘fundamental in some way.’ 1 Textbook on Jurisprudence – Hilaire McCoubrey and Nigel D. White 2 Textbook on Jurisprudence – Hilaire McCoubrey and Nigel D. White 3 Sociology A Global Introduction – John J. Macionis and Ken Plummer 4 Sociology A Global Introduction – John J. Macionis and Ken Plummer 5 Resisting Patriarchy: The Women’s Movement and Feminism 6 Textbook on Jurisprudence – Hilaire McCoubrey and Nigel D. White 7 ‘Dworkin, Which Dworkin? Taking Feminism Seriously’ in P. Fitzpatrick and A. Hunt, eds., Critical Legal Studies (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1987), p.47.) 8 Textbook on Jurisprudence – Hilaire McCoubrey and Nigel D. White 9 Katherine T. Bartlett, ‘Feminist Legal Method’ (1970) 103 Harv L Rev, 829 10 Katherine T. Bartlett, ‘Feminist Legal Method’ (1970) 103 Harv L Rev, 829 11 Textbook on Jurisprudence – Hilaire McCoubrey and Nigel D. White 12 ‘Women in Confinement: Can Labour Law Deliver the Goods?’ In Critical Legal Studies, p. 133 at p. 137. 13 Textbook on Jurisprudence – Hilaire McCoubrey and Nigel D. White 14 ‘Feminist Legal Methods’ (1970) 103 Harv L Rev , p.829 at p.837. 15 Textbook on Jurisprudence – Hilaire McCoubrey and Nigel D. White 16 Textbook on Jurisprudence – Hilaire McCoubrey and Nigel D. White 17 Textbook on Jurisprudence – Hilaire McCoubrey and Nigel D. White 18 Sociology A Global Introduction – John J. Macionis and Ken Plummer 19 Textbook on Jurisprudence – Hilaire McCoubrey and Nigel D. White 20 Textbook on Jurisprudence – Hilaire McCoubrey and Nigel D. White 21 H. Barnett, Introduction to Feminist Theory (London: Cavendish Publishers, 1998, p. 180. 22 H. Barnett Introduction to Feminist Jurisprudence, pp. 1179-80 23 Textbook on Jurisprudence – Hilaire McCoubrey and Nigel D. White

Implications for Marketers

Implications for Marketers Marketing strategies (Marketing mix elements – price, product, distribution, and promotions) has to reflect the brand and its image appropriately. Marketers should constantly be up to date with the changes in consumer’s demographic, lifestyles, and trends in order to develop marketing programs that appeals to them, so that they are able to be more adaptive to the marketing programs to the brand to achieve brand awareness. Marketers should always develop marketing programs that fits the image of the brand in order to achieve consumers association with the brand. Fast and effective strategies need to be implemented whenever there are negative news and views regarding the brand before it spreads further and tarnishes the brand’s and corporate image. Marketers need to avoid manipulation of the benefits of the product in order to avoid any boycotts, protest and suing by health organisations and various parties, which will generate negative publicity that will tarnish the brand and company. Advertising message and strategies has to reflect the brand’s image in order for consumer to associate better with the brand. The candidate (celebrity) selected as the brand’s ambassador must reflect the image of the brand and connects well with brand in order for consumers to associate well with the product, hence achieving brand association. Marketer s has to ensure that congruence (resemblance) of brand association exists to ensure that consumers (with little knowledge regarding the brand) do not get confused with the meaning of the brand. Furthermore, it is to ensure that brand associations do not get easily changed by competitive actions. Lastly, to ensure that consumers will not overlook or discount some potentially relevant brand associations in making brand decisions. Marketers must ensure the marketing programs are executed in a right manner in order to build long term brand knowledge and to ensure the success of its marketing strategies in the long run, which will then generate repeat business, triggering customer loyalty and sales. 0. Store layout and location has to reflect the brand’s target market in order to enhance brand association. 11. Marketing strategies should be executed extensively in order to ensure consumers are constantly being exposed to the brand to increase brand awareness. 12. Appropriate leveraging strategies should be implemented in order to enhance the brand extension, which then creates a positive brand image. 13. Marketers have to ensure that the right licensors is selected in its licensing strategy. The licensor selected is able to carry the brand without altering the significance of the brand and its image to ensure consistency in the brand’s image so that it does not confuse consumers. 14. Marketers must ensure they are constantly exceeding and satisfying consumers expectations in developing its marketing programs (marketing mix elements) in order to gain favourability and positive reviews from consumers regarding the brand, gaining a sustainable competitive advantage. 5. Marketers must ensure they are constantly exceeding and satisfying consumers’ expectations in order to gain a favourable brand and corporate image. 16. To foster profitable customer relationships. 17. Foster relationship marketing with various firms to get further in the market place and in order to form more strategic alliance with other strong powerful firms out there in order to gain competitive advantage over competitors.

Consolidated Electric Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Consolidated Electric - Case Study Example Contrastingly, for the other 20,000 separate line items, the company will buy discount minimums that match the various inventory sizes. In the warehouses managed by Consolidated Electric, for instance, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Davenport, and Sioux City should ensure the fixed ratios are part of the wholesaler concept. In the same view, actual rations should be calculated using the clerk posts transactions because determining on-hand inventory balance will result to $1 million of pre-tax profits. Integration of the vendor-managed inventory (VMI) systems is equally part of increasing customer stocks as the company expands on operations and warehouse layout (Ravindran, 2007). Calculation of quantities and reorder points, thus, are ordered in terms of low-cost items in order to control profitability that are targets for earn-turn rations. Product lines should equally reflect what Joe Henry called a balance between constant values and supplies in the four warehouses as seen in the diagram below: The above inventory control system above will enable the company to meet customer-service and cost objectives in various ways worth noting. First, entering of electric data interchange is part of refining database connectivity because it generates earn-turn ratios that help wholesalers in different parts of the country. It means when the Cardex system is infused in the Consolidated Electric’s case, inventory formulas will help in the sale of product line items that ensure translations happen smoothly. Second, there is also the quantification of assets and label inventory using the QR Code as noted in the second diagram to keep the total count of stock (Jaber, 2009). Warehouse operations also deserve automations and controls that are efficient within the system to assist in the calculation of electrical equipment and goods for enhancing customer

Hip Flexion In Kicking Motion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Hip Flexion In Kicking Motion - Essay Example The acceleration of the kicking leg, in addition to the resulting velocity at impact, is concluded by the muscle forces being applied by the kicker. It has been accounted that the speed of the ball at impact was directly proportional to the calculated strength of his themes. The release velocity of the ball in regards to its timing had the strongest relationship to the maximal torque formed during the i. hip flexion, ii. Knee extension and iii. Short ankle alleviating in the kicking leg. In addition the relationship between the maximal resultant forces of the thigh and shank and the release velocity of the ball was tough. The link between the release velocity of the ball and age was elevated however less than with weight or height. Consequently the augment of the body mass means boost in the mass of the foot and this by design increases the release velocity of the ball in the kick. A significant ability in the game of soccer is the capability to kick the ball powerfully and precisely. The instep kick is the kick which is most frequently used for the utmost force as well as distance, as for a shot on goal or a long pass. The force for the long kick is put on from the run-up into the ball, and from the movements of a maximum number of body parts. These comprise hip and trunk rotation, in addition to hip flexion, knee extension and ankle plantarflexion to shape a rigid surface for impact. The kick with run-up creates longer and more potent kicks than the standing kick. This is due to the augmented momentum of the kicker at impact.

Advocating for laws that promote treatment for drug addiction as Research Proposal

Advocating for laws that promote treatment for drug addiction as opposed to incarceration - Research Proposal Example ortant to note that use of drugs leads to intoxication that in return holds the possibility of impairing the judgment of a person leading to criminal behavior, violent actions or limited anger management. That in return leads the drug users to commit other criminal behaviors rather than drug abuse alone that is equally illegal. It is therefore evident that over half of the offender in the U.S correctional system had used drugs prior period before they committed the crime. Focusing on treatment measures as opposed to incarceration for drug users is more beneficial for both the affected individuals and the society in general. Drug offenders are affected with the struggle of substance abuse and it serves better to provide such victims with treatment as opposed to imprisonment. Right from the onset, the role of prison is to serve as a correctional system for offenders with the officers charged with the role of controlling the system utilizing disciplinary and reform measures for offenders. However, unlike other criminals, drug offenders suffer partly different problems and discipline and reform programs are not the best measures for them. Borrowing from a proposal presented by the Drug Policy Alliance in 2010 after the organization studied the effects of incarceration to persons under substance abuse, treatment serves as the best practice as opposed to jail term (Zezima, 2014). The proposal identified community-based treatment as the best form to address the issue citing that it enhances public safety through reducing drug-related crime while in the same time ensuring preservation of the space of prisons a nd jails for other violent criminals. Such a process will not only improve the welfare of the community, but equally ensure a reduction of costs in the correctional systems used while dealing with drug offenders. Sending drug offenders to prisons presents more security risks to the public because whenever the drug offenders are sent to prison, they mix with other

Assignment #5 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assignment #5 - Research Paper Example that have to be applied by the participants to score positively in all other succeeding levels, which concern with changes in behavior, results, and ROI (Phillips, 1997, p.43). In calculating Cost/Benefit Ratio, the total benefits are divided by the cost while for assessing ROI formula, â€Å"the costs are subtracted from the total benefits to produce the net benefits, which are then divided by the costs" (Phillips, 1997, p.43). Thus ROI is the Cost/Benefit Ratio calculation that is done by taking not the total benefits but the net benefits, which is calculated by subtracting total costs from the total benefits. The ROI formula takes into account the tangible costs and benefits alone while Cost/Benefit Ratio incorporates both tangible and intangible costs and benefits, thereby being more comprehensive (Phillips, 1997, p.73). The most often used validity testing approach is content validity just because it is more â€Å"cost-effective† (Phillips, 1997, p.90). This is also so because the â€Å"successful mastery of program content† as is shown by this validity test will be â€Å"related to improved job performance† (Phillips, 1997, p.280). Control groups, customer input and forecasting model are three methods that can be used to isolate the effects of an HRD training program (Phillips, 1997, p.105, 197, 70). In the control group method, it is the â€Å"results of the experimental group, when compared to the control group† that show the â€Å"impact of the HRD program† (Phillips, 1997, p.105). In a training program that is intended to ensure that customers come back to the company, customer input could be a valuable strategy to isolate the effects (Phillips, 1997, p.197). In a situation where â€Å"input and output variables are known†, it is easy to predict the effects out of logical reasoning and common sense and hence the forecasting model will be an effective method to isolate effects (Phillips, 1997, p.70). It is for consistency of data that an evaluator should gather

Linguistics and Reading Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Linguistics and Reading - Research Paper Example Hence, discourse analysis is a useful way of understanding the relationship between power and discourse. A common setting where these forces apply includes the classroom particularly during classroom discussions. A classroom is a learning place which heavily relies on communication in a socio-cultural, educational setting and thus discourse. Additionally, the classroom involves major teacher-student power relationships that underlie the learning process as both entities engage in meaningful discussions. In addition there are some other factors, such as class size, communication channels, technology, et cetera, that also affect discourse within the bounds of the classroom. According to a research conducted by Shepherd (2010), the role of discourse in balancing the power relationships inside the classroom in terms of teacher control over lessons and classroom dominance has changed over the years. However classroom discussions still remain a prevalent way to communicate and learn within the class. As such, discourse analysis provides a useful way of understanding classroom teacher-student interactions, most importantly classroom discussions, as they occur in the classroom setting. The classroom is a crucial space for learning however the setting is heavily impacted by the way communication occurs and is understood. Class discussions are a common way to think and learn by communicating collaboratively in a socio-cultural environment. The presence of two main individuals – the teacher and the student – in a learning context (class discussion) together with the role played by communication and discourse consolidates the importance of discourse analysis when studying classroom interactions, particularly during a class discussion. The two concepts of discourse analysis and class discussions are heavily related to each other; discourse analysis provides a methodology to understand the role of language and

Quiz Review Questions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Quiz Review Questions - Coursework Example 15, Rios indicate that the boys may embrace strategies such as going dumb, acting stupid or even being dummy smart as a strategy to discredit the system that punished and excluded them (Rios) 4. These are knowledge and ideas that people try to draw upon in their day-to-day life activities. Cultural capital ranges from ability to speak, ability to write effectively and even rule of etiquette among others. 5. These benefits of economy are gained from the preferential treatment and cooperation between a group of people and individuals. Social capital tends to share the main idea that networking has a significant value. 8. In the 21st century, people are living together despite the differences. According to Sandercock, people must understand their differences and how important it is to their politics and cooperative success in order to live together. Without such understanding, problems might arise. He also develops a multicultural perspective that embraces unity of culture of every individual that is inescapable of cultural diversity and which is part of the right to differences (Sandercock). 9. Therapy can be an effective statement in most cases. But to reap its benefits, it is important that the right strategies that incorporate emotional wellbeing to be utilized. Emotions help in diagnosing several health related problems including mental health conditions. Therefore, emotions play a huge role in dictating the types of therapy and when an individual should initiate the therapies. 10. City building- cities are always in constant change. This comes alongside with struggles. The struggles are developing to shape up and protect as well as improve places. People have roles to play in the city change since it affects everyday life. While the cities are changing, the professions in building do not act alone. The transformation recognizes that these professions are effective when they act in a transparent way of politics; in association with residents,

For one more day by Mitch Albom Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

For one more day by Mitch Albom - Research Paper Example Charley’s mother Posey had died some years ago though he wished to spend additional time with his mother. According to the book, the love between a child and his mother is strong because it can save a child. The major theme of the story is family because it reflects occurrences in many families today as evident in themes, viewpoints, and characters. Character The main characters of the book are Charley’s family members. Charley is the storyteller and the major character of the story. The story reveals pertinent concerns focusing on the relationships between children and their parents in the current society (Albon 2). Most male children like to be associated with their fathers though they have difficult relationships with them. Charley always sided with his father. He always wanted his father’s approval though he was always hard on him. He made Charley believe that he was never good enough. This made him try hard with the intent of affirming his worth. This happen ed in his childhood and adulthood when he was at the Old Timers baseball team. Charley’s father in the novel represents the fathers who live their dreams through their children. It is true that parents like to achieve their targets through their children by forcing them to do what they do not like. Charlie’s father wanted him to realize his vision of playing baseball. He bullied his son though he was growing up. This is shown when the father ordered him to leave his mother’s birthday party for a baseball game. He told Charley that he should choose either his mother or him. The father told him that he could not choose both. Charley discovered later that his father was a hypocrite who led a double life. This is because his father has a second alcohol store, a second wife, and another child (Albom 17). Charley’s relationship with his mother in the novel shows that mothers support their children though they tend to make serious mistakes. His mother always mad e him realize that he should return to his life. Charlie discovered that his mother was considerate compared to his father. This was evident when Charlie told his mother that he made a wrong mistake when they visited the Italian wife. He told his mother that he loved and admired her. Charlie thought that he should have chosen his mother over his father. However, his mother opposed by indicating that it was not his culpable because he never had a chance to choose. She knew that his son was confused throughout his life because he failed to acknowledge whether to support his mother or to please his father. She also knew that his son was pressured by his father to choose him as his role model (Albom 43). Charlie’s relationship with his daughter was also poor because he felt guilty for neglecting his mother making him an alcoholic. His wife left him because of this habit. This shows that a child’s life is immensely affected by his parents’ behaviors. Charlie had prob lems with his wife and daughter because of the effects of his relationship with his parents. He never saw his daughter after his wife left him. His daughter got married but he was not invited to the wedding. This made Charlie to feel so lonely that he wanted to kill himself. During their meeting, Charlie’s mother helped him realize that he should reclaim his relationship with his daughter (O’Hara 1). Setting The novel is set in a fictitious village where Charlie had created good and bad

Same-sex marriage debate Essay Example for Free

Same-sex marriage debate Essay The world is constantly changing and evolving. It isnt possible to stop this from happening, but it is possible to stand up for what is morally right and for what isnt. And now, we are faced with what many people feel is the inevitable evolution of marriage: legalizing homosexual marriages. Not allowing homosexual marriages to be recognized by the government and to be legal would prevent changing a fundamental institution, would prohibit breaching the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and would prevent unthinkable consequences. Marriage has been around for as long as anyone can remember. And after all this time, it has changed very little in the eyes of the law. Every major religion and culture has embraced marriage as a unique relationship between a man and a woman. One of the only times marriage was altered, was when no-fault divorce was legalised. No-fault divorce was introduced, and it has proven to be a complete disaster for children and often for the adults involved. Statistics now show that 53% of marriages end in divorce. And now, we find ourselves gambling yet again with an institution that is foundational to the well-being of our children and a healthy society. The same argument once made in support of no-fault divorce, This will not affect good marriages and healthy families, is now being made in support of gay marriage. Yet we have no credible evidence to prove that altering our marriage laws again will be any less problematic for children and society than was no-fault divorce. The painful lessons we have learned as a result of no-fault divorce should stop this process cold in its tracks. To fundamentally change an institution whose worth has been proved over thousands of years and in hundreds of cultures risks unintended and unexpected consequences. It is with infinite caution that any man ought to venture upon pulling down an edifice which has answered in any tolerable degree for ages the common purposes of society. Secondly, it has been argued that prohibiting homosexuals to marry would breach the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Charter was modified in 1981 with the following heading Whereas Canada is founded upon the principles  that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law. With such an acknowledgement, how could the acceptance of same-sex marriages even be considered? Time and again, the Bible clearly states and demonstrates Gods position on homosexuality: Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of homosexuality (Gen 18:20-21; 19:5-7, 13); Homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor 6:9-10); Those who practice homosexuality are called perverted men (Jdg 19:22); The penalty under the Old Testament for homosexuality was death (Lev 20:13); It is abominable, whether committed by men or women (Ro 1:26-27) Three Ontario judges stated that prohibiting gay couples from marrying violates the Charter The Charter, acknowledging the supremacy (ie. dominion, preeminence) of God strikes down any notion that same-sex marriages can be accepted in Canada. Thirdly, the Marriage Act of Ontario, when speaking of a marriage mentions a man and wife. How does a same-sex couple fit this definition? The same document outlines a list of people whom a man cannot marry (grandmother, mother, daughter, sister, granddaughter). Likewise, a list of people whom a woman cannot marry is provided (grandfather, father, son, brother, grandson). If the Marriage Act permitted homosexual marriages, why is a man not restricted from marrying his grandfather, father, son, brother, grandson? And likewise, why is a woman not restricted from marrying her grandmother, mother, daughter, sister, granddaughter? It is for the simple reason that same-sex marriages do not fall within the framework of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Marriage Act of Ontario, or most importantly, Gods holy word. To change the definition of marriage would be to change the nature of marriage; to recommend that, the full impact of the change must be understood. And that impact must be considered not just at the individual level, but most importantly at the societal level, and not just for the present, but also the future. Definition (and language in general) create human reality. We dont just change words, we change the nature of an entity when we redefine it. Definitions are frames that we place on events, concepts or circumstances, in order to give them meaning we frame reality with language in order to find meaning in that reality. Those in the gay community who want same-sex marriage are right to seek meaning in their relationships and to want to have that meaning publicly recognized. They are wrong, however, to try to do it by co-opting the institution of marriage. The institution of marriage cannot function in that way without being deformed and destroyed.

PESTEL Analysis of Toyota

PESTEL Analysis of Toyota Toyota Motor Corporation was established in year 1937 by its founder Kiichiro Toyoda, headquartered in Toyota, Aichi, Japan. Its a part of Toyota Industries which diversified into automobiles. In 2009 Toyota Motor Corporation was declared as the largest automobile manufacturer in terms of sales and production in the world. It has more than 320,000 employees worldwide (Arkadi Borowski, 2010). It includes Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino Motors. The product range of Toyota Motors Corporation is very large and includes cars, sport utility vehicles, trucks, electricity driven vehicles, crossovers and luxury-type vehicles. Its total revenues per year are more than 30 trillion Yen. Some of the key persons are Fujio Cho (Chairman), Katsuaki Watanabe (Vice Chariman) and Akio Toyoda (President). Importance of external environment analysis Often the external environment is the one which cannot be controlled by individual compared to internal environment. However, these factors are responsible for most of the decisions taken by the company and help in understanding the limiting factors. Without analysing the external environment it is difficult to draft a successful strategy (Michael A. Hitt, R. Duane Ireland Robert E. Hoskisson, 2009). Without proper analysis of competitors it would be difficult to craft a strategy to compete with them (Robert E. Hoskisson, Michael A. Hitt R. Duane Ireland, 2008). It is also necessary to understand the culture of the country in which the company is operating (Kip Becker, 2000). The kind of political stability and government ruling in a country is also a crucial factor in choosing the country (R. K. Singh, 2009). The key analysis areas would be the political condition of the country where the company is situated, the economic growth of the target market, technological factors, legal factors and ecological factors. These factors provide the overall impact of these factors on the company. These all factors in combination can be termed as microenvironment analysis. Justification of choice of analytical framework For analysis of the above environment issues and factors PESTEL framework can be used appropriately since PESTEL framework provides the overall impact of the external environment on the given company/firm. PESTEL framework which is complete in itself since starting from the Political to Economic to Sociological, Technological, Ecological and Legal aspects of any firm and hence analyses the overall macro environment for any company. External environment analysis: PESTEL Framework In the below analysis the PESTEL model is used to see the effect of various parameters mentioned below on the industry and their impact on Toyota with respect to the human resource policies of the company. This will help us to get better insight of the effect of these external parameters in crafting of human resource policies. Political: Political aspect of the framework consider the factors like trading policies, Funding grant and Initiatives, International pressure group, wars and conflicts, government policies, terrorism, political trends, government leadership and structure in which a company is dealing. Basically the political environment of the region in which company is dealing affects its policies a lot. Since due to recent economic downturns in which government in different nations played a major role in helping the companys to cope up with extreme economic situations. And for a company like Toyota which is operating in so many nations and has such a wide range of products that the political interference by the government becomes very important in such cases. The policies of the government and earnings of the bank also affect the macro environment due to which big impact comes on the company. Due to the US government intervention in the recruitment process of the companys who is advocating to provide more and more in house jobs so the company now have stopped hiring their manpower from home nation but hiring major portion of their manpower from the US for their US operations. Also they take into consideration the political dynamics of the country and avoid any issues that can generate from the already existing unhealthy political relations of the two countries like the company has operations both in India and Pakistan but they avoid relocation the employees of both the countries in the opposite countries. Economical: Economic aspect of the PESTEL environments investigates into all the external economic factors related with the company, impact of these factors on the company favorable or unfavorable. Economic analysis in PESTEL framework includes economic situations and trends in home country, economic trends overseas, taxation rules, market and trade cycle, disposable income of the customers, demand and supply effects, CPI, exchange rates, inflation rate etc. All these factors are very important to the company as they directly affect the revenues of the company. For most of the rising economies of the world Toyota is a pillar company since without Toyota in automobile industry it is not easy to develop the steel business, glass sector or plastic industry. Though Toyota at present is facing rising losses due to improper structure of some of their automotives which they have to recall in large numbers due to which company have to incur big losses from year 2007 till date. Economic factors have contributed maximum for the HR policy changes in Toyota and other forms as well. As with the recent recession which almost impacted the countries around the world, companies have changed themselves a lot so as to cope with the current situation in the marketplace. Economic factors such as customer demand, inflation rate, disposable income and GDP growth rate has a major impact on the HR policies of the company. Some of the major impacts of the economic factors are as follows: Recruitment policy: Since during economic slowdown demand for the companys product will reduce hence the demand will also reduce for the employees of the company. Hence the recruitment policy of Toyota also gets affected during the recent slowdown in the economy. Toyota minimised the input of employees they were hiring in previous years. Even the rewards and incentives suffered due to economical slowdown. Layoffs: There have been various cases in the past where the employees were laid off due to financial crisis in this industry (Jeremy W. Peters, 2005). Though at Toyota which is provides assurance to its employees that they will not be laid off until extreme conditions but due to the bad economic condition world-wide and the losses which company have incurred due to recall of various model of its cars they have to lay off the people who were performing reasonably good. Relocations of staff: During the economic crisis need for the efficiency of the employees get increased so the process of retraining and relocation get increased. At Toyota also during recession special training were provided to the employees to increase their productivity and due to limited number of staff employees were shifted from one place to other according to the requirement. Location choices: Human resource department of the company is also looking in to hiring more from the country and thus trying to take most of their work from the country which offers better export and import policies and where the overall cost is less which could be due to cheap available labour or raw material, tax concession and lesser tax rates offered. Sociological: Sociological parameters of the macro environment analysis of the company includes the consumer attitude and behaviour, media news, trends, diversity, education, lifestyle changes, demographic changes, ethical issues, employee attitude, management style etc. Toyota Company works as a part of the society as it employs millions of people directly and indirectly. Its various products have revolutionalized the society by changing trends in mobility world. Ethically Toyota motors is taken as one of the strongest company as despite of huge losses they have recalled some of their car models and have repaired many cars which were having minor defects at free of cost. Toyota understand that there are cultural differences in every country and it is reflected even in the way of working and hence they prefer to employ people of the same country as of the country in which there offices are located so that it is easier for the employees to adjust to the work cultural. Also, the avoid relocation of employees unless it is very essential. Technological: Technological aspect of the framework includes the competing technology development, research funding, replacement technologies, maturity of technology, information and communication, Innovations, research etc. The technological investments made by Toyota are huge and it has always being pioneer in technological field. It is always known for its innovation initiatives, replacement mechanisms, and research funding and other initiatives. The large investments which Toyota has made in technical field have increased the risk and uncertainties for the company. The technological environment is changing at a fast pace so the companies need to cope up with this change. Henceforth, more number of employees with the highly functional skills is required for coping up with those changes. Toyota also promoted various trainings among employees to abreast them with latest technological advances. Following are some of the HR policies changes which have been observed due to the changes in the technological factors: Numerical flexibility: Numerical flexibility refers to the flexibility in the workforce in term of number of workforce employed in the company. Due to the technological up gradation and automation of various operations the number f recruitments have decreased over the year. Most of the temporary workers or agents who were working at Toyota were released from their services at Toyota while some of the Toyotas real work force was downsized. Functional flexibility: It is a special skill with the employees of the company that they are functionally flexible and trained for multiple skills. Since such employees can be proved as of great importance to company at the time of crisis. At Toyota employees are trained more on job and they are trained for multiple skills and they are functionally flexible and can work different work whenever required. So during economic crisis the employees were made functionally flexible and were involved into many a functions. Ecological: Environmental aspect of the PESTEL analysis takes into accounts the ecological factors, environmental regulations, customer values etc. The environmental factor has big impact in case of Toyota as the Environmental factors especially customer values and regulation decide the fate of any business. Toyota has established many RD centres to make use of its infrastructure and human capital resource which is very crucial for Toyota. Toyota spends as much as $1.1 billion per hour for research and development purpose so as to improve the quality of technology in order to minimize their carbon foot prints. In order to encourage employees to conserve energy and minimize the wastages it started an initiative to reward the employees for doing so. This helped in establishing a culture where the employee became more aware and conscious about the environment and participated in saving it (Kathryn Tyler, 2006). Legal: Legal framework considers the factors like current legislations in the home market, future legislations, regulatory body and processes, employement laws etc. Toyota Company is subject to various legislations such as competition laws, intellectual property laws, consumer protection and taxation etc (Terry Halbert Elaine Ingulli, 2008). When the auto industry reached to development efforts were made so as to create a web of local suppliers that make possible to meet the growing legal requirements for the national integration of production. Toyota gives a lot of emphasis on whistle blower policy and has even drafted a document that explains the legal rights of the employee regarding this. They also have strict norms against sexual harassment and discrimination among employees on the basis of race, colour or nationality. They have outlined code of conducts for employees so that they do not violate any of these laws and are very strict on these especially after the Sayaka Kobayashi sexual harassment case in 2006. Conclusion: It is evident from the above analysis that the external environmental factor has a huge impact on the human resource policies of an organization especially in the case of the Toyota. Though Toyota always believe in consistent and fair HR practices providing clean and safe work place to employees but the impact of the recession which was a major economical factor was apparently observed even in the HR practices of the company. The company was always committed in providing stable employment to employees and rewarded with rapid promotion to skilful worker but due to recession and various other external factors Toyota reduced the number of new recruitments and was even forced to lay off the employees. The employees were asked to relocate and functional flexibility was demanded from them. Even the rewards were then depended on the profitability. The company is very serious about the environment and has initiated a go green mission where they give incentives to employees for minimising the wastage and saving the energy. They give a lot of emphasis on training and cross functional culture due to dynamism in technological advancements. They have very strict norms for unethical practices, sexual harassments and whistle blowing policy. Thus we can conclude that external environmental factor has a huge impact on the HR policies of a company and they are highly related as company has regularly addressed these problems by bringing changes in their policies.

The Puffy Chronicles :: Puff Daddy Music Musicians Rappers Essays

The Puffy Chronicles Puff Daddy, born Sean Combs on November 4, 1969 in Harlem to Melvin and Janice Combs, began his life of violence at a young age. When Sean was two years old, his father was tragically murdered. This forced Janice to move to a safer environment in Mt.Vernon, NY where she had to work three jobs in order to provide for her family. One can see that Sean’s broken home and the violence that constantly surrounded him influenced his lyrics and style of music throughout his life[I1] . His angry lyrics and shouts of aggression in his individual tracks certainly support the argument of his childhood having a big impact on his style of rap. Exploding onto the rap scene, Puffy soon found himself engulfed by the lifestyle of a rapper. For a short time, Puff Daddy was involved in one of the biggest East Coast vs. West Coast battles. Violence erupted, which lead to the death of two rappers: 2Pac and Notorious B.I.G. During this whole time, Puffy was busy producing music and influencing the style of other artists.[I2] Biggie’s single â€Å"Hypnotize† soared up to number one and stayed there long after his death. It was not long until the world would get a taste of Puffy’s very[I3] own style. Puff Daddy released the solo album No Way Out in the summer of 97’. No Way Out is an odd mixture of gangsta rap, soul, and r&b. But, somehow it seems to work for Puffy and his crew. At times while listening to the tracks, one is confused as to which direction Puffy and such featured artists as Mase, Lil Kim, Notorious B.I.G., and Busta Rhymes are headed because the tracks are either violent, apologetic, or r&b. In â€Å"Victory†, Busta Rhymes spews out angry lyrics of violence about kidnapping rival West Coast Rapper families and gunning down enemies. Then in a spin-off of Sting’s â€Å"Every Breath You Take†, one can feel the pain and anguish as well as the regret in Puff’s voice as he raps about the death of his best friend, Notorious B.I.G. â€Å"I’ll Be Missing You†, a tribute to Biggie, won the award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group (vh1.com 2). Biggie’s wife, Faith Evans, provided background vocals to th e song while Puffy raps, â€Å"Give anything to hear half your breath/I know you still living your life, after death.

Essay --

In modern day society it has become a scary reality that it could actually be argued that individuals are becoming bored of simply existing(REFERENCE). The individuals needs has increased and their need for complete satisfaction is one that requires them to step outside of what is known to be a ‘normal’ existence (REFERENCE). We are more acquainted with the world around us and therefore we want to experience it. We are more aware of the possibilities of who we could be and what we could do that the exposure of popular culture through various forms of media leaves the individual with much higher aspirations as we are a society that feels that anything is possible, it is unfortunate that in the majority of cases within society we cannot all attain the level of material wealth that so many wish for. Society appears to be escaping from normality and constantly searching for something else (REFERENCE), Yet this factor can be so easily justified as there seems to be so much more that the individual needs to escape from then there ever was before. However, Are we actually escaping? As we...

Philosophy Of Science Essay

The topic of essay is â€Å"There is more to seeing than meets the eyeball†. These are words of N. R. Hanson, and I’ll try to show here my point of view. In his work â€Å"Observation† Hanson says that if two different people (for example, microbiologists), look at prepared slide, they give different answers for question what did they see there. It means, they see the same object, but their feelings and understanding of object, as well their definitions regarding it are different. Hanson gives the following answer:† ‘These are different interpretations of what all observers see in common. Retinal reactions to figure are virtually identical; so too are our visual sense-data, since our drawings of what we see will have the same content. There is no place in the seeing for these differences, so they must lie in the interpretations put on what we see. † (Hanson, p. 9) So, everything depends on interpretations of the object – the characteristics are given by us, while seeing the same by different people. Let’s take a picture and will try to find out what can be seen there. Again, some people can see only birds – they see an opened bick of some big bird, the others see horns and antelope. Another question: do the people, who have never seen antelope, see an antelope in this picture? We can see the picture as one shape, then as of another. We interpret it and see it as we interpret it. (Hanson, p. 7) Another idea which Hanson gives is that this kind of interpretation depends on experience. So let’s take as example the picture of an X-ray tube viewed from the cathode. Some experienced physicist will recognize here an X-ray tube, but a small baby and a driver, for example, will have another interpretation based on their visual experience. They see the same object, but have different interpretations. Hanson says:† Seeing is not only the having of a visual experience; it is also the way in which the visual experience is had†. (Hanson, p. 8). A physicist saw this object in school, but from his visual experience he saw only an instrument made of metal and glass. When he studied at the university, he learned about this instrument and saw the construction in the book and had completely another interpretation. The object didn’t change, but the visual experience did. So, in order for driver to see the same what physicist sees, he needs to learn physics. The baby is blind to what driver sees, although he is not blind and sees the same object. Seeing means also some kind â€Å"to have knowledge of certain sorts† (Hanson, p. 11). Let’s take another scientist, Hacking, with his article â€Å"Do we see through a microscope? † He speaks about the ways we get new kinds of perception when we use different objects to manipulate a world we cannot see by our normal eye-sight. Hacking says that â€Å"we don’t see through a microscope, we see with a microscope†. For example, we can use electrons in order to get other results, and by doing this, we are convinced of their existence with their stable properties. It doesn’t mean that we have an entire knowledge regarding those electrons, but we have those properties as known because of our experience. Here comes the slogan:† If you can manipulate them, they must be real. † (I. Hacking, p. 150). So, really, we can make a conclusion that â€Å"There is more to seeing than meets the eyeball†.

Informative Marijuana Speech Essay

Marijuana, the â€Å"Killer Drug† as it has been called, has been around for longer than you think a. People really don’t know the origins or the properties of the plant at all. b. Not only has the usage of pot grown in recent years, but the number of strains and uses have grown as well. Lately state legislation across the nation have allowed marijuana for medical and even recreational use. However there are still many out there against marijuana, saying it’s harmful for you or makes you lazy and inattentive Transition: The growing of marijuana on American soil actually dates back to the 1600’s in the form of Hemp and wasn’t considered the â€Å"Killer Drug† until about 1910 Body: 1. Back then hemp was used to produce rope, sails, and clothing. a. All vital finished products that the colonists relied on to live. 2. In fact in 1619 the Virginia Assembly passed a legislation that required each and every farmer to grow hemp on their land. a. Hemp comes from the fibers of a marijuana plant stem. b. Hemp became so important that it actually was considered a legal tender in colonial markets. i. In fact the Deceleration of Independence was written on hemp. 3. However back then, no one thought to every grind it up and put it in a pipe like people do nowadays. 4. As the 19th century rolled around many pharmacies began using at refined hemp, marijuana, in many medicines to treat ailments ranging from a toothache to a broken heart. 5. Marijuana didn’t get a bad name until 1910 during the Mexican Revolution. a. During the revolution Mexicans came over the border in waves and with them they introduced marijuana for recreational uses to the U.S. citizens b. The plant became associated with the immigrants, and the public fear and prejudice became one with marijuana. Any terrible crime that was committed by a Mexican immigrant was blamed on marijuana. i. That’s just unfair honestly. c. It took until the 1960’s for marijuana to be used widely in America. i. Reports commissioned by JFK and Johnson discovered that marijuana had no chemicals present that led to violence nor lead to heavier drug usage. (PBS) Transition: Since then marijuana enthusiasts went all out creating new strains with different purposes and â€Å"highs† as you’d call it. 1. A strain is a specific type of marijuana, like a specific species. 2. All strains of marijuana come from two basic types. a. Sativa and Indica. 3. Sativa plants usually grow tall and thin and are better suited for outdoor farming because it’s hard to grow a plant indoors that can sometimes reach 25 feet in height a. Also the Sativa high you get is more known to provide energy and can be very uplifting to the user. This uplifting energy also sparks creativity in which you can see in many artists and musicians work. 4. Indica plants are nearly the exact opposite. They are better suited to indoor growing because its tendency to grow short and wide. a. The high you get from indica is usually a sleepy, groggy high. â€Å"Couch Locked† as people like to call it. Indica strains tend to have a very strong sweet or sour odor to the buds that can be very relaxing and is helpful when treating severe anxiety, sleeping disorders, and general body pain. 5. However these two strains are usually bred together to target certain form of effects that can be better suited to treat illnesses or just to be way more fun to smoke. Tra nsition: Currently the politicians around the country have begun passing legislation on the legal uses of marijuana. 1. As many people already know Colorado and Washington both have legalized marijuana for recreational use. a. Some may say California has too, but at this point it’s still supposed to be solely for medicinal purposes, and you will be arrested without the proper licenses to possess marijuana. b. As of now there are 20 states in the nation that have some form of legalization. i. Two states, California and Washington, have completely legalized weed. ii. Whereas the other 18 states have either decriminalized possession, making it a civil fine rather than criminal, or has made it attainable for medicinal use. c. The nation is taking steps, slowly but surely, to legalization across the board. Transition: However the legal use of weed just doesn’t benefit patients with  painful diseases, or people just trying to relax and have a good time. It could benefit the nation’s economy. Drastically. 1. Marijuana is currently one of the largest cash crops in the nation, and the government is receiving no benefit from it a. As of right now it is the largest cash crop in 3 states, a top 3 crop in 30, and a top 5 crop in 39 states. (NCBS). i. These profits are readily accessible as well. 2. Since there has never been a time of widespread legal use among the nation’s people, it’s very hard to judge the kind of profits that will come from the sales. a. Economists for NBC have judged that this new market can raise anywhere from 10 to even 40 billion, but with the potential to grow to even 100 billion annually. Transition: It’s apparent that the selling of marijuana can generate large profits, but do you know the health benefits and risks? 1. First off there has never been a recorded overdose death because of marijuana. a. That’s a few million deaths short of alcohol and tobacco cause 2. Marijuana is used by cancer patients to reduce pain and induce appetite. a. I’d like to quote a high school buddy of mine who was diagnosed with cancer at 18 â€Å"They say pot smoking is entrance to harder drugs†¦ I say it’s an entrance to the local drive through.† 3. According to the University of California, marijuana has been know n to increase happiness, reduce anxiety, and might even contain cancer preventing chemicals. a. However, long term usage has also been linked to increased schizophrenia at an older age, as well as lowered IQ’s in young developing minds. 4. The big question is it addictive? a. Some say â€Å"yes absolutely addictive! You’ll rot your mind out kid!† b. Scientists claim that marijuana is addictive, others claim the opposite. (WeedBlog) c. If you asked a user however they’d tell you straight up â€Å"I can quit whenever I want, I just choose not to.† d. I’m going to quote the late comedian Richard Neville here â€Å"Is marijuana addictive? Yes, in the sense that most of the really pleasant things in life are worth repeating.† Transition: Hopefully I was able to shed some light onto y’all about a very controversial subject in our modern society. Ending 1. So next time you judge someone for smoking down, think about what I’ve told you. a. Its history in the U.S. dates back before the Deceleration of Independence was signed. i. Artists from all over the world for many decades attribute marijuana to their creativeness and success. ii. It’s one of the few all natural medicines out there with no nasty side effects. iii. Not to mention we as a people are just years away from full legalization. b. Marijuana has been entrenched in our society for a long time, and it’ll be here for even longer.

Prince Case Study Essay

Over the years Prince has proven themselves as an industry leader in tennis racquets and equipment that has transformed the game of tennis through their innovations. They have proven themselves as innovators through their development of the first synthetic gut string and many other things that have met the levels of all tennis players. As the world of tennis changes and the number of participants increases, Prince is once again faced with a challenge to reinvent themselves to meet the demands of 21st century tennis players. The growth in tennis participation results in a change in the market environment and requires Prince to think of new ways to stay ahead of competition. In the 21st century the presence of technology and social media are two major tools that can be used to Prince’s advantage. Prince’s first attempt to use technology in a new racket innovation was a failure. They released aracket with â€Å"O Port† holes that was supposed to improve racquet speed. â€Å"The idea was to differentiate itself from the marketplace, but it wasn’t necessarily what the market wanted† (Rovell, 2012). Knowing the market demand when releasing a new product is one of the most important details to ensure success. Another issue they faced in the release is they put all their faith into this new development and lost focus on the other products that made them who they are today. To reverse this mistake I feel it is the right time with the tennis market growing to release a new type of racquet. This must meet the demand of the new emerging market while still paying attention to their older market to continue growth without loosing consumers. They can achieve this by directly contacting consumers and seeing what they would like or feel they are missing in a tennis racquet. Another idea to steer away from their last racquet release would be developing three new racquets that meet the need of each group. I don’t think its possible to develop a racquet that caters to all strokes and levels. I feel that using new technological developments to design a racquet based upon the three different strokes would meet the needs of all levels of their market. Along with the growth of the tennis industry, Prince needs to continually  market themselves and the industry to influence consumers to invest in their products. To accomplish this Prince could host local tennis tournaments in cities to get people playing the sport. As a result this would link tennis directly to their brand which markets themselves and the sport all in one to maximize profitability and gain consumer awareness. To increase their market segment and reach a new audience to increase their market presence they could sponsor a school tennis team or donate racquets to a school to get kids into the sport at a young age. If the child enjoys the sport the odds are the parent will purchase their products from Prince which is a great way to get a younger audience into the sport and also use this as a social media opportunity. They could start an after school tennis program with school where they donate equipment and teach kids the sport while keeping them active and out of trouble. This could certainly result in many opportunities for social media and increase brand awareness through their donations. Parents are always looking for ways to keep their children active and out of trouble so this serves as a great opportunity to do so and once again allows them to diversify their market and give them a competitive edge. As Prince begins to grow their company in attempt to keep up with 21st century demands they will need a new way to market and promote themselves to keep ahead of competition. One way to do this is hosting a sponsorship for players that can be promoted through social media such as twitter and Facebook. It is important for Prince to reach a younger audience and their large presence on social networks makes it important for them to gain as much presence through social media as possible. Each market segment has a different way to be reached so it is important for Prince to understand each of those markets and then decide how they will promote themselves according to their demands. The large number of distribution channels within Prince poses challenges but also holds many opportunities for growth. One of the most important distribution channel is mass merchants such as Wal-Mart. It is important that their presence within mass merchants is well received and this can be done by setting up specific displays to promote their product in which the general consumer of these stores will relate to. The way a product is promoted in Wal-Mart may be very different than the way its promoted in a specialty store. I feel that smaller store displays should be centered around the sponsored player linked to Prince. A store like Wal-Mart should have the display accessible and visible amongst the many products within the store. Wal-Mart is also known for their low prices so Prince should have a presence in the catalog and advertise discounts on their products within the catalog and in the the store. Wal-Mart can carry the lower end racquets to allow this discount where as smaller shops can carry higher end racquets to cater to their audience. Understanding the audience of each distribution channel will allow Prince to properly promote and advertise their product within each store. Another area that Prince relies on to generate revenue is the global market. Global success is extremely important in having a competitive advantage and constantly needs to be improved to meet global market demands. Being that tennis is played all over the world their global presence is just as important as it is in the US. Latin America has a large presence with professional tennis players and due to this the sport is continually growing in this area. To enhance their global presence I feel it is important to sponsor players outside of the US to maintain their global presence. When a consumer sees a professional player from their country using a Prince racquet it will influence them to purchase it. Prince should use the origin of top players and target these markets. There is a great deal of pride that comes when someone reaches a level in sports from your home country. Prince can use this to their advantage and enhance their market presence in the countries of professional players. Prince continues to be one of the leading companies in the world of tennis. They strive to continue their name as a top innovator in the field and maintain their global market presence. With the current growth in tennis participation there is no better time to re market themselves to stay ahead of competition and developing trends. Their impressive track record with major inventions over the years have shaped the game of tennis and give them  a competitive advantage. To accomplish the results they are after they need to create a new development that caters to their extensive market and increase their presence among youth by expanding their social media presence. The company has all of the tools for success and if implemented correctly they can solidify their spot as the top manufacturer in the world of tennis. Rovell, D. (2012, August 28). Tennis Company Prince Eying a Comeback . Retrieved from http://espn.go.com/blog/playbook/dollars/post/_/id/1295/tennis-company-prince-eyeing-a-comeback Authentic brand group propels prince sports throughout the globe with key operating partners. (2012, August 16). Retrieved from http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/authentic-brands-group-propels-prince-sports-throughout-the-globe-with-key-operating-partners-166404106.html Glassel, L., & Skaly , N. (n.d.). Prince sports, inc. tennis racquets for every segment [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/0078028892/943336/transcript_vc_Prince_Sports.pdf Kerin, R., Hartley, S., & Rudelius, W. (2011). Marketing. (11th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill-Irwin

Million Dollar Baby Film Essay

In the film ‘Million Dollar Baby’,directed by Clint Eastwood is mainly based around the theme of how the important characters as vehicles to convey the theme familial love and support. This is shown when the theme is set up through Maggie and Frankie having broken relationship with their families, but it was resolved when they came together. Having familial love and support is important to an individual’s wellbeing. Without love, humans become isolated and unsatisfied. Therefore, by coming together, they express a similar familial love although they are not biologically related and experiences this fulfillment in life. The characters from the film demonstrated the beauty of this relationship. Eastwood successfully conveyed the idea through various visual and oral techniques. Throughout the film, secondary characters also supports the success of the protagonists to show family support is essential for the main character to achieve their specific goals. Eastwood conveys the idea of the importance of familial love for Maggie, in â€Å"Million Dollar Baby†, through the relationship between Maggie and Frankie, her boxing trainer. Maggie and Frankie, both have broken relationships with their own families but the resulting emptiness is filled when they came together. Maggie does not want to live in a dysfunctional family as her family cares little for her well-being. Her plight is summed up in the quotation when the audience is told that she wants to escape from her miserable life, â€Å" I’m 31, Mr. Dunn, and I’m here celebrating the fact that I spent another year scraping dishes and waitressing which is what I’ve been doing since 13. My brother’s in prison, my sister cheats on welfare by pretending one of her babies is still alive, my daddy’s dead, and my momma weighs 312 pounds. The only thing I ever felt good doing was boxing.† Although Maggie saves up enough of her prize money to buy her mother a house, her actions are not appreciated. Her mother berates Maggie for seizing her welfare payments and Medicaid benefits. Frankie’s support provided the energy for Maggie to succeed in her career. In Frankie’s situation, he was alienated from his daughter for an unexplained reason. This is shown when Frankie’s letters along with his pain comes back to him with‘ Return to Sender’ written on them. Frankie expresses the pain of rejection through his facial expressions. Lighting was used in the film to portray this. Dim lighting was used whenever Frankie appears. His face was made barely visible with many shadows, one side being darker than the other. This technique of the different shades on the character’s face symbolized the two sides of Frankie’s life. The darker side symbolizes the terrible past of his life while the brighter side symbolizes the bright future Frankie will share with Maggie. Dim lighting on the returned letters is also used to express the sad mood in the scene. The letters are on the ground forcing Frankie to bend down to pick them up, which symbolizes his daughter’s rejection and his distant relationship with he r. When Frankie says to Maggie â€Å" I made many mistakes in my life. I just want to prevent you from doing the same† it demonstrates his regret. This shows the relationship progress between Frankie and Maggie. He wanted to redeem himself by finding a ‘replacement’ daughter-Maggie. In â€Å"Million Dollar Baby†, Frankie’s life changed because of Maggie’s entrance. They each had personal needs due to the lack of familial love so personal fulfillments developed to satisfy each other. Both Frankie and Maggie have a lack of familial love therefore, as they meet, a non-biologically related love and support develops. Two examples of dialogue stand out in particular showing the development in their relationship. Maggie said: â€Å" You’re gonna leave me again?† ,Frankie replied, â€Å" Never† and when Maggie expressed â€Å" I’ve got nobody but you, Frankie.† Frankie answered with a definite answer of â€Å"Then youà ¢â‚¬â„¢ve got me.† Eastwood used both dialogues to express the same idea of that strong bond between Frankie and Maggie that has developed throughout the film. Frankie is the only one who helped and supported Maggie through her victory as he saw her as his own and wanted to make her the best by training her harshly which can be seen as another type of love. Maggie sees boxing as one important part of her life and does not want to give up. Finally won by her determination, Frankie accepts Maggie by making an agreement between them. Frankie then slowly shapes her into a viable fighter. The other technique used to show her success was lighting. The lighting used at the beginning of the film was dim and dark indicating the dark sides of Maggie’s life. When she succeeded, it changed into a very bright background. The brand, Everlast, on the speed bag was used subtly to show Maggie’s determination. She used this support to work hard to change her life and be successful for once in her life. It all paid off when she was standing inside of the boxing ring. Without Frankie’s support, she might have never dreamed of that day. The theme of familial love and support plays a significant role in the film â€Å"Million Dollar Baby†. It is shown through Frankie and Maggie’s development of familial love due to their dysfunctional family. Familial love and support was also conveyed by the secondary characters supporting the protagonists as they express care and support to each other. Familial loves is shown as a complex idea in the film as biological love fails and another form of family is reconstituted. The audiences also learn that love is a powerful force that can transform families and provides fulfillment in the lives of people and to be successful in life, you have to have love.

Schema Theory

A schema describes an organized pattern of thought or behavior. Scripts are schemas which provide information about a sequence of events. Self-schemas organize information we have about ourselves, such as our strengths and weaknesses. The last is the social schema, which represents information about groups of people, and this is how stereotypes are also developed. Bartlett (1932) wanted to look at the effect that schemas have on memory. He had his participants read â€Å"The War of the Ghosts†. the 1st participant read the original story, and then wrote it on paper.Then a 2nd participant, reads whats been written by the 1st participant. Then the 2nd reproduces it on paper for the 3rd participant and so on. In repeated reproduction, the same participant reproduces the story 6 or 7 times. Bartlett found that as the reproductions went on, the stories became shorter and that certain details had been left out or changed. These changes were in an effort to make the story more compre hend-able from within the participants experiences and cultural backgrounds. For example the word canoes became boats, and hunting seals became fishing. Your brain also fills in blanks based on ones existing schemas.Your memory is processed into three main stages; which are encoding, storage, and retrieval. Encoding is when u put the memory into your mind. Storage is maintaining it in your mind. Retrieval is using what you saved in your mind. Cohen (1993) criticized schema theory, saying that the concept of schemas is too vague to be useful. However, many researchers use schema theory to explain cognitive processing. Anderson and Pichert did an experiment to investigate if schema processing influences both encoding and retrieval. The results showed schema processing influenced both.

Macroeconomics-long run effect on budget cutting in the uk Essay

Macroeconomics-long run effect on budget cutting in the uk - Essay Example One of the primary concerns of the governments in UK, both the previous Labour Government and the present government, has been to reduce the public borrowing to sponsor the expenditure of the government (Giudice, Kuenzel and Springbett, 2012). The agenda behind the reduction in the public spending is that it is believed that the economy will grow faster in the medium-term. The simple economics behind the fact is that if business corporations believe that the economy will grow in the medium-term then the confidence in them increases which raises their present level of investment. On the other hand the consumers increase their spending with the belief that the economy will grow in the future. However, the standard component of GDP can be represented as (Mankiw, 2011): This implies that with reducing in spending by the government the total output of the economy falls. However, it is now an established economic convention that the level of output will increase up to a certain point with rise in government spending after which it tends to fall (Lilico, 2012). If the government follows a contractionary fiscal policy, which implies a reduction in spending by the government then the magnitude of impacts of the same is different in case of an open economy and closed economy. A closed economy structure is one that can be described as an economy which involves in no trading activity. A closed economy is assumed to be self-sufficient and all the needs of the consumers are met from inside which eliminates the need of the economy to have any trading relations with the outside world. An open economy on the other hand is the one which has sufficient treading relations with the other countries in the world and there are no barriers to the development of the free market forces. An ideal open economy is the one that is characterized by

The Ethical Implications from Marketing Cigarettes to Young People in Essay

The Ethical Implications from Marketing Cigarettes to Young People in African Countries - Essay Example The paper tells that marketers have often been critiqued for using selective marketing strategies aimed at targeting a vulnerable group. The criticism is even worse when the product being sold is harmful to the society. Other than the inordinate criticism, little has been done to deter such practices. Cigarette related harms have raised global concerns over the recent past. Although cigarette smoking and addiction have reduced in some parts of the word, the problem remains rampant in developing world such as in Africa. Majority of people in developed countries are informed on the negative health effects of addictive smoking cigarettes. Additionally, governments in most developed countries have enacted laws to prohibit marketing strategies that may result in sale of cigarettes to young people particularly children. However, most third world countries such as in Africa have no laws to prevent sale of cigarettes to young people. Cigarettes products generate a lot of revenue and third wo rld countries often allow reckless importation and marketing of cigarettes. In most third world countries, the importation as well as market of cigarettes is legal and there are no laws prohibiting sale of cigarettes to young people. This raises the ethical question regarding sale of products such as cigarettes, which cause health problems, addiction, and death. In recent years there have been considerable concerns concerning marketing of products considered harmful to humans. Following reduction of consumption of tobacco products such as cigarettes in developed world, tobacco firms are now targeting the young people in Africa. In the attempt to attract these young people, the companies have been adjusting their marketing strategies to ensure that they entice young people to use tobacco products. One strategy that the companies use includes selling of cigarettes as single stakes. This is attractive to the young people from the poor African countries who cannot afford to buy the prod uct in packets. It is appropriate to use attractive strategies in marketing to attract customers. However, this should not be the case if the marketer is aware of negative implications associated with use of a product. Moreover, targeting a vulnerable group is even more unethical. In case of British American Tobacco, there has been cases where children as young as 11 years have been involved in both smoking and selling of cigarettes, Free Markets and Marketing Marketing is an essential component for the success of any business. Companies have marketing strategies that go beyond advertisements. The marketing policies entail identifying the target market for a given product and applying market strategies likely to entice the particular market. Therefore, marketing strategies are designed to ensure that the advertisement is received and understood by the target market. However, companies are required to be responsible in the way they convey their message. This should be through use of marketing policies that are truthful and reflect ethical standards. Although the main aim of most companies is to maximize on profits, the public is increasingly demanding that companies act responsibly and ethically in their activities. In marketing, ethical issues take different forms. They include the advertisement or promotion methods used in marketing a product.

Presentation and Supplementary Report Assignment

Presentation and Supplementary Report - Assignment Example Organizations have to bear the high initial cost of acquiring and running the operations, but innovative developments in technology is shortening the life span of the previous one. This is leading the organizations to re-invest in current technology, and increasing the cost to the company. Apart from this, if today’s environment is considered, then the likes and dislikes of customers are also changing frequently. The fast altering opinions, lifestyle, and preferences pose a challenge for the manufacturing business organizations, as they cannot exactly estimate the preferences of their target customer group. Further, generation gaps in the society have also made it difficult for the marketers to determine the consumer behaviour. Companies are investing heavily on analyzing consumer behaviour, so as to determine the appropriate way of satisfying the needs of the customers. Business organizations are facing a two sided challenge, in which the first side is consumer preference and behaviour, on the other side is the cut throat competition in the market. The recession is certainly squeezing the spending of the consumers and the market of the companies. Countries like UK, USA slipped into deep credit crunch, which also led its companies both in public and private sector into the economic slowdown. This also indicates that the challenges faced by the organizations in the past are different from those faced now. The world is changing rapidly and the organizations are facing challenges like intense competition, rigorous ethical inspection, globalization, digitalized workplace, requirement for fast response, and increasing level of diversity. These mentioned challenges which are affecting the business organization are further affecting the society at large. Managers in organisations measure marketing performances for evaluating and analysing effectiveness and efficiency of the business. This can be accomplished by concentrating on the

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

Esssy - Essay Example When they do, the organization then can evaluate where they are now in terms of that purpose and where they expect to be in the future. The International Federation of University Women deems organizational purpose essential that they have created a thirty-minute module for each member to comply with. This module focuses on making members assess who they are, what they desire to do, and with whom they intend to do these things together. The members are reminded of their purpose that IFUW is a non-profit, non-governmental organization of women graduates committed to empowering women and girls through education to reach their full potential throughout their life span. After answering a questionnaire, the members are asked to gather in a small group to discuss their answers openly. This strategy is used to help members develop a common understanding of the organization’s purpose and to clarify any misinterpretations about it. Disoptimization can be best understood in terms of optimization and that means being able to make full use of a tool or program to the best potentials it has and can offer. This translates to the optimum performance of a program or policy. For example, Benini et al. in the study of policy optimization for a dynamic power management suggests that â€Å"the main function of a power management policy is to decide when to perform component state transitions and which transition should be performed, depending on system history, workload, and performance constraints†. The paper proposes power management policies that are of a finite-state so that the power consumption of complex computer systems can be reduced by exchanging performance for power in a controlled manner. On the other hand, disoptimization may mean that all options for the good of the organization as well as the good of the general public is ignored. One good example would be that of the European Transmission System Operators (TSO). TSOs are the ones who make trade

Movie Indusrty Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Movie Indusrty - Research Paper Example Indeed, The Economist (2010) noted that the industry â€Å"churns out about 50 full-length features a week, making it the world’s second most prolific film industry after India’s Bollywood.† In fact, the Hala Gorani reported that the industry was starting to catch up with Hollywood (Inside Africa, 2004). While the industry may be the most prolific, the quality of the movies is incomparable to the quality Hollywood produces. Jeff Koinange, reporting on location during a movie set, quipped that the â€Å"movie set hardly stands up to its wealthier and distant cousin (Inside Africa, 2004). In this regard, the distant and wealthy cousin is Hollywood, which indicates that Nollywoods budget is one of the cheapest used to shoot a movie. Furthermore, Koinange noted, â€Å"The props are cheap, the setup amateur, and the paychecks laughable† (Inside Africa, 2004). In conclusion, Nigeria’s movie industry has become one of the most productive in the world and especially in Africa. With the movies playing in clubs, restaurants, and in various other African settings, most Africans identify with the themes in the movies and effectively making the industry famous. In addition, it is evident that the industry employs mane Nigerians directly during production and indirectly during the sale of the movie. Nevertheless, the industry has gained fame, and it might catch up with Hollywood one

Marketing communications proposal for P&O Ferries Essay

Marketing communications proposal for P&O Ferries - Essay Example P & O Ferries is a company that focuses its interests on customer comfort. One can rely on this firm for all their travelling and all vacation needs. This is because they understand how significant a holiday is to the customer. It has stable brands that are quite effective that would not fail their customers. Finally, they are capable of providing family holidays valuably. The organisation is also flexible, they use different routes and go to different destinations; their goods and services are worthy trusting in. It is necessary to take a ferry trip for holiday, relaxation, shopping, refreshments and also partying (Hackley 2005). Nowadays there have been many interruptions in air transport, increased insecurity, discomfort, inconveniences and many other problems. This is the reason why ferries have been introduced for convenience and cheap transport to ones destination. The main challenge though is dealing with the negative views people have on ferries. People have the belief that f erries are slow, uncomfortable and are more risky incase breakdowns in the middle of the ocean. P & O Ferries caters for ones travelling, vacations and holiday needs by providing efficient transport facilities that are reliable and customer friendly. As a company, it understands the importance of holiday to its customers, providing its customers with value for their money and it is a stable brand which is reliable (Hackley 2005). The main objectives of the report will be to develop a tourist creative idea aiming at non-ferry users to increase their awareness about P&O Ferries as an effective and credible alternative method of travel which is less costly than the air travel. This will encourage many more people to opt to use ferries when travelling instead of using other costly means. The target audience will include non-ferry customers in Europe taking into account that Europeans travel mostly during spring and summer. To add to that our target will also include customers who want to take their cars with them when travelling. This is because ferries allow one to travel with the car as they are huge enough to accommodate cars and do not charge exorbitantly. Our target audience would also include customers who have become fed up with the inconveniences by air transport and also the restriction of bags and other luggage (Fill 2006). There will be no restriction on the amount of personal luggage one would want to travel with as long as they can afford to pay the fee. The company's other target audience will include people who take holiday travel as being too expensive. A ferry provides a very cost efficient and effective alternative. Finally, the target audience would include customers who seek security, trustworthiness and established ferries. The competition will i nclude other ferries and the cheaply charging flights (Smith & Taylor 2000). About tools, media, recommendations and justification, we are going to use different marketing strategies to sell our idea to our target audiences and esteemed customers. The strategies will include among others, advertising where the organization will go to the media and buy a space for a publication of their products and services; the more the space taken,

Change Management Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Change Management Paper - Essay Example He came in as a tough and very aggressive manager, always demanding results from employees across all company outlets. This new approach to leadership faced initial resistance by some outlet managers who stuck to old style of business operations. His concerted efforts, together with his likeminded team, helped turn around company operations while at the same time maintaining its traditional appeal (Roush, 1999, p. 171)1. Images of Managing Change Capacity building and trainings are conducted across all management levels to keep its employees up to date with requisite skills. These are necessary in positioning the company as a leader in provision of consumer responsive business solutions. These forums changed employee attitude towards work by adopting performance based approach to management. The overall benefit associated with this culture change is increasing sales volumes. The company is introducing policy papers and action plans for instance; it implemented a Strategic, Operating and Resource Planning (SOAR) program that completely overhauled its internal environment. This improved its daily business practice and human resource management to become a store with efficient processes which improved accountability and transparency. Home Depot opened its doors for clients to engage productively in shaping organisation culture, and is now more responsive to consumer needs (Cummings & Worley, 2009, p. 14)2. Such programs give employees the much needed motivation, shifting their approach to target keeping in line with company vision, and ensuring set goals are actualised. The SOAR action plan determines resource allocation, and ensures expansion plans are done according to projected growth forecasts in individual outlets. The company appreciates sales as an important department, and this informs changes in human resource management planning to focus on capacity building and training. These initiatives improve employee performance to scale up sales in an increasingly competitive business environment. It holds an annual meeting which assesses human resource needs, and then relevant changes are made to come up with a cohesive workforce. Environmental Changes That Drove Culture Change at Home Depot Advances in technology provide management with tools that has significantly improved internal communications infrastructure. Nardelli introduced a two hour conference call every Monday where outlet managers update him on weekly activities and closing financial reports. This changed the hands off approach which restricted coordination of activities between the two managerial levels. In the meeting, they set weekly targets in their respective lines of duty, and make decisions that improve business environment in both short and long term. This Monday meeting is conducted via video conferencing and is a great contribution to improved synergy witnessed in the management (Marcus, Blank & Andelman, 1999, p.135)3. Employee empowerment strategy gave them power t o set their performance targets, and top management helped in giving the right environment to ensure the set goals are met. For instance, they channel funds for expansion strategies and product diversification to stores with realistic growth forecasts. Employee attitude towards work is completely overhauled, and this makes them be part of the change process. Signs and Reasons for Resistance to Change at the Depot Slightly