Intersectional Analysis of Bend It Like Beckham

Intersectional analysis of Bend it Like Beckham. For this assignment, to make an intersectional analysis I decided to watch a movie. After searching and thinking for a while I picked the movie Bend it Like Beckham, since a lot of elements in this movie are applicable on my own life and I really could relate to one of the characters in the movie. As the title of the movie already implies, it is about football and takes place in England. Jesminder is a Sikh, Indian girl from a very traditional Indian family. She is not interested in fashion, boys and her looks; the only thing she is interested in is football.One time when she is playing in the park with her friends, who are all boys, Jules sees Jesminder play. Jules is an English, white girl who plays football. Jules askes if Jesminder wants to join the team, but Jesminder’s parents do not agree. She joins the team anyways and this causes a lot of friction in her own family. Parminder Nagra, who is in her real life also a member of the Sikh religion, plays Jesminder. She grew up in England and from an early age on she wanted to become an actress. Her parents wanted her to finish her education first before she was allowed to start acting.Bend it Like Beckham was her breakthrough film and got her a role in the popular TV-show ER. Keira Knightley is the actress who plays Jules in the movie. She is a white woman, born and raised in England. She started acting at a very young age. Bend it Like Beckham was also her breakthrough movie and she has played in countless of popular movies since, for example Pirates of the Caribbean, Love Actually, Pride and Prejudice. The director of the movie, Gurinder Chadha, is a woman from Indian decent, who is also a member of the Sikh religion, was born in Kenya but grew up in London.She studied journalism and ended up working as a reporter for the BBC and quickly realized she wanted to direct movies and documentaries. Most of her films focus on the differences between Indian an d English families and the inequality between them, mostly in a negative way for the Indians. Bend it Like Beckham is one of her most famous works. After describing the movie contents, the main actors and the director, I am going to apply intersectional analysis to this movie. Before starting the intersectional analysis the term intersectionality needs to be explained.Kimberle Crenshaw was the first person that mentioned the theory of intersectionality. This theory is a study that focuses on the different biological, social and cultural categories that define someone’s identity and place in society. All these categories are in relation with each other, for instance gender, class, race and sexual orientation combined define your place in society and sadly also the way people treat you. These so called axes all influence each other, there is not just one aspect that defines our place in society.Combinations of all the axes, the starting point of intersectionality, contribute to social inequality, such as racism, sexism, homophobia, but also religion-based discrimination. According to this theory the person who would be the most accepted is a white, straight male from a higher class. A black, gay woman from a lower class would take the lowest position in society, while a white, gay woman from lower class would stand above her, and a white, straight woman from lower class would even take a higher position in society.Now that I explained the theory of intersectionality I can apply it to the movie, but before I do that, I would like to make a point about football-movies in general, and also a point about the lead actresses of the movie. After watching this movie I decided to search for other movies about football. There are over hundreds of movies that focus on men’s football in one way or another, a team, the fans, a coach, but only a few movies, a total of seven, focus on girls that play football, and Bend it Like Beckham is the only one with the foc us on a girl who is not white.This shows that football is a sport that is still very gender-based, despite the fact that in the Netherlands alone already 120. 000 girls play football. Also race plays an important part, because all the other movies about girl’s football focus on white girls, while I know from my own experience there are a lot of girls from different races who play football. I myself played football for seven years, and I played in a team where half of the girls were non-whites. I will focus on this later on.The second point I would like to make is that despite this movie is the breakthrough for both main characters, Keira Knightley and Parminder Nagra, Keira is way more successful than Parminder. I researched both their filmographies, and Keira got a lot of movie offers after this movie, while Parminder’s only offer was a role, not even a leading role, in the TV-show ER. Parminder played in a few small movies, and in every single one of them the focus w as on her racial background, while Keira Knightley got very divers movie offers, from playing a pirate to an historical person. The fact hat the role offers for both women depend on their race shows that in this case Parminder has a lower position in the society. She has very limited choices to pick from, while Keira has, because of her white skin-color, more choices. With that being said I can focus myself on the movie itself. This movie really focuses on gender and ethnicity, but sexual orientation is also a big part of it. Football is still seen as a men’s sport, and these girls in the movies are automatically a minority because they play football. I myself have encountered the same problems as these girls.I am a white, straight girl living in a western country, but when I told people, that I played football, their reaction was always: ‘a girl who plays football? That is so weird! ’ And without their knowledge of my sexuality, quite often people assumed I was a lesbian because I played football. Without knowing any axes of my life, I was automatically put in a lower position, just because I am a girl who played football. This also is seen in the movie. Jules has short hair, wears baggy clothes and plays football, and her mother overhears a conversation between Jules and Jess about love, but she misinterprets it and thinks Jules is gay.The mother is very upset about her daughter being gay and when Jules tells she is not gay, the mother is very relieved and then says there is nothing wrong with being gay. Even though she says that, she is still happy her own daughter is in fact not a lesbian. This shows certain stereotypes towards girls that play football, have short hair and wear baggy clothes. Football is such a gendered sport that it automatically leads to sexism, thinking girls who play football must be lesbian because they play a men’s sport.Lesbianism is also seen as something less good than being straight, seeing the mother i s relieved her daughter is not a lesbian. The coach of the team, a young, straight white man is ashamed to be the coach of a girl’s team. He had to stop playing football due to an injury, and he wanted to do something with football. He ended up coaching the girls team, but he has never told this to his father because he is afraid his father will get angry because ‘they’re just girls’. This also shows the gender-based thinking towards girls, but intersectionality becomes even clearer when race gets involved. When Jesminder first joins the team, the eaction of the coach is that he has never seen an Indian girl play football, and he is angry with Jules for bringing her to the team because he expects her to not be able to play football, because she is an Indian girl. He says this without even seeing her play. She turns out to be the best of the team. Without knowing anything about her he places her in a lower social position than white girls, just because of h er race, and he already places himself above girls. During a match a girl from the opponent calls Jesminder names, a specific word being used is ‘Paki’, which is a swearword used towards people from Indian decent.Even though it’s a girl who calls Jesminder this and probably has experienced the same gender and sexism problems as the other girls in this movie, she still places herself above Jesminder in the social hierarchy, only because Jesminder is from a different race. A different scene that shows the lower position of Jesminder is when her parents want her to focus on school instead of football. They literally say she needs the highest grades possible for a good future because her chances for a good job are smaller than the chances of an average white girl, whose chances are again smaller than those of a white boy.This sentence alone shows her chances of a good future are gender and racial based. The class she will belong to when she’s an adult depends on how good her job is, which again depends on her gender and race. This thus shows that women who are not white almost automatically end up in the lower classes of the society. A white woman has more chances to end up in a higher class, but still has fewer chances than a white man. Jesminder would make more chances for a good job if she were an Indian boy, because then only race would be a problem, while in her case it’s race and gender.As I said, in my own football team were a lot of non-white girls, and all of them, at least they parents did, belonged to the lower class, while the white girls in my team, including myself, were from a higher class than they are. There is one point in the movie where the lower position of the male is seen. Her best friend, a boy named Tony, confesses to her he is gay, but she must promise him she will not tell anyone about this. In the Indian religion it is not acceptable to be gay, that is his reason not to tell anyone. But if he would be o penly gay, his position on the social ladder would get lower, because he would be gay, Indian man. If Jesminder would be from a different ethnicity I do not think it would have made any changes for the movie. The main point is that a white skin colour in the western world means a higher place in society than any other skin colour. If Jesminder had been a lesbian it would have placed her even lower on the social ladder. This also applies for Jules, she is a white, straight female, so she is quite privileged in general, but I think if the director had made her a lesbian, the stereotypes towards girls that play football would be even clearer and also show more struggles of women in a society.Sexuality does play a part in the movie, since Jules’ mother thinks she is a lesbian, but yet she turns out to be straight. I think this movie really shows the importance of using intersectuality when it comes to determining someone’s position in the society. The struggles of girls th at play football to be accepted playing a men’s sport and overcoming typical stereotypes are shown, just as well the struggles of an Indian football-playing girl being accepted in the western society. This movie shows that football is still a very gendered sport and that a girl’s choice to play football influences her position.Gender, race and sexuality play an important part in this movie and combinations of these axes are shown really well. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Internet Movie Database, ‘Bend it Like Beckham (2002)’, http://www. imdb. com/title/tt0286499/? ref_=sr_1 [ 2 ]. Internet Movie Database, ‘Parminder Nagra’, http://www. imdb. com/name/nm0619406/bio [ 3 ]. Internet Movie Database, ‘Keira Knightley’, http://www. imdb. com/name/nm0461136/? ref_=tt_cl_t2 [ 4 ]. Internet Movie Database, ‘Gurinder Chadha’, htt p://www. imdb. om/name/nm0149446/? ref_=tt_ov_dr [ 5 ]. UCLA School of Law, ‘Kimberle W. Crenshaw’, http://www. law. ucla. edu/faculty/all-faculty- profiles/professors/Pages/kimberle-w-crenshaw. aspx [ 6 ]. E. Midden, Transnational feminism lecture, 12 February 2013. [ 7 ]. E. Midden, Transnational feminism lecture, 7 January 2013. [ 8 ]. Internet Movie Database ‘movies about soccer’, http://www. imdb. com/list/Rt0kVvuG_IA/ [ 9 ]. Koninklijke Nederlandse Voetbalbond, ‘vrouwenvoetbal’ http://www. knvb. nl/competities/amateurvoetbal/vrouwen) [ 10 ]. K.Crenshaw, ‘Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics’, University of Chicago Legal Forum (1989) 59. [ 11 ]. G. Wekker, and H. Lutz. , ‘High winds on a cold Plain’, Botman, Jouwe and Wekker, (eds. ) Caleidoscopische Visies, (2001), 2-4. [ 12 ]. K. Crenshaw, ‘Demarg inalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex’, 65. [ 13 ]. G. Wekker, and H. Lutz. , ‘High winds on a cold Plain’, 8-9. [ 14 ]. E. Midden, Transnational feminism lecture, 12 February 2013. [ 15 ]. G. Wekker, and H. Lutz. , ‘High winds on a cold Plain’, 14-16.

PHP vs. ASP Scripting Software Research Paper Essay

ABSTRACT This paper examines the differences between the ASP (Active Server Pages) and PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) scripting languages. Both ASP and PHP are scripting languages that can be used to create dynamic web pages which are capable of interacting and exchanging information with databases. ASP is a Microsoft product, and is used with Internet Information Server (IIS) which runs on Microsoft Servers. PHP was originally designed by Rasmus Lerdorf, and was later modified by various people. As a parsing language, PHP can run both on Unix and Linux servers, and also has a version that runs on an NT server. This paper also discusses the differences in cost, speed, integration of features, speed, additional costs, base language, database connectivity and Platform Compatibility between both languages. This paper also presents some suggestions offer recommendations as to when one of these languages should be preferred over the other, and how efficiency can be maximized in the usage of each of these scripting languages Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ASP and PHP are both website design scripting languages that are processed by backend severs like Apache Server and Windows OS. Apache Server is usually used for PHP and a Windows OS with IIS Server is used to process ASP scripted websites. PHP processed website scripts can also be processed by UNIX OS backend servers, while Window OS IIS backend servers are used to process ASP scripts. ASP.NET is part of the .NET Framework and is the core technology for developing web applications and XML Web Services. ASP.NET is a compiled, .NET-based environment; you can author applications in any .NET compatible language, including Visual Basic .NET, C#, and JScript .NET. Additionally, the entire .NET Framework is available to any ASP.NET application. Developers can easily access the benefits of these technologies, which include the managed common language runtime environment, type safety, inheritance, and so on. .NET developers write Web Parts using Visual Studio.NET 2003. The Web Part Framework is the basis for extensibility in Windows SharePoint Services. It allows developers to write custom components that plug into the SharePoint infrastructure by encapsulating web services and enterprise data as Web Parts. Web Part Pages are special ASP.NET pages which are the building blocks of a Windows SharePoint Services based data driven web site. Web page authors can use Microsoft FrontPage 2003 to leverage Windows SharePoint Services and use the Web Part Framework to easily build data driven web sites using a library of readily available web parts. Microsoft FrontPage 2003 integrates closely with Windows SharePoint Services and is the easiest and the most powerful web site design tool that enables creation of a new category of collaborative, scalable, data driven web sites. (http://www.sharepointcustomization.com/resources/whitepapers/webpartdocs/wp_asp_net.doc)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   PHP and ASP are the two best web technologies in use today. In their own ways, they have created trust and market for their product and development environment, although many people are of the opinion that PHP is an all around better choice than ASP.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Anstey, â€Å"PHP belongs to a free software community and open source general purpose software which is very easy to use and correct its bugs from the community of developers around the world.† (Anstey 2003). ASP runs on an IIS server and is a free component with the Microsoft windows operating system. ASP offers various useful features like type safety, inheritance, and a managed common language runtime environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In a broad sense, PHP is scripting Language, while ASP.NET is a Designing Tool. Also, PHP contains mainly scripting tabs, with a minimum number of controls being used, while ASP.Net has a lot of controls to the designing process.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ASP.NET is a unified Web development platform that provides services necessary for developers to build enterprise-class Web applications. ASP.NET provides programming model and infrastructure for more secure, scalable, and stable applications. ASP.NET is a compiled, .NET based web environment developed in .NET compatible languages like Visual Basic .NET, C#, JScript.NET, etc. Additionally, the entire .NET Framework is available to any ASP.NET application. Developers can easily access the benefits of this technology, which includes the managed common language runtime environment, type safety, and inheritance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From many views and perspectives, PHP is an overall better choice than ASP. Although both ASP and PHP are languages used to build Dynamic Web sites that can interact with Databases and exchange information. ASP (Active Server Pages) is from Microsoft and is used with IIS (Internet Information Server) that runs on Microsoft Servers. PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) is from Rasmus Lerdorf, who originally designed this parsing language which was later modified by different people. It runs on Unix and Linux servers and it also has an NT server version. (Pires, Halstatt 2005. ASP vs. PHP. Retrieved 18, February 2008 from http://www.webpronews.com/expertarticles/2005/12/22/asp-vs-php)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The foundation of all Web applications is that they deliver dynamic content over a protocol which by model is stateless. Most of the ASP.NET developments fall in client-server architecture programming model. Minimal points to be considered for a typical web application modeled as client-server architecture are given below. User interface and client environment (Page layout). Data verification, transfer and store. Security. Scalability, reliability and availability of the application. Optimized resource utilization and performance. Handling unpleasant instances gracefully. Navigation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   PHP traces back to the development of Perl and C which emerged quite successfully as a result of the contribution of the various programmers around the globe and as a result of its being an open community. The various versions came out successfully through 1997 to 2004 where the features were added and successfully taken up to cater to the development paradigm of the large scale of internet users.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ASP came handy with Windows 95 with the features of IIS server installed. It was an established standard which takes into account the various databases into consideration and is based on the COM model. The various differences among PHP and ASP make sure that all to a good extent the feature are compiled and carries enough advantage to understand the loopholes and make sure that all the various utilities are enforced well. Differences between PHP and ASP   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   PHP and ASP depict a large array of differences in the form of various factors. Some differences between ASP and PHP include differences in cost, speed, integration of features, speed, additional costs, base language, database connectivity and Platform Compatibility. Cost   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As PHP is not singly owned by any individual or an organization, it does not require purchase before use. â€Å"PHP uses a database technology named MySQL for back-end support. MySQL is also available free of cost.† (DuBois, 2002). The hosting and deployment of PHP webpages into the Linux server is quite affordable and can be done with ease.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"ASP is synchronized with the Microsoft Windows operating system and comes along with it, thereby bearing the cost of the operating system.† (Glass 2004) Moreover, hosting ASP pages over the internet is expensive and features like email, file uploading and other features are quite expensive at the same time. PHP is free, but ASP is not free. If you want to use ASP, you have to use IIS, and if you want to use IIS, you have to buy Windows. Traditionally, the cost of Windows has been high. Microsoft has been aggressively trying to reduce this factor but they’re hardly going to give Windows away for free. The cost of running an ASP-based website implies a full Windows server platform; development costs are higher, software licenses are expensive and speed, security and flexibility are all sacrificed. (Anstey, M 2003)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     To run ASP programs, one needs IIS installed on a Windows platform server, which is not free. PHP programs can run on Linux, which is free. Even the connectivity of the database is expensive in the case of ASP as MS-SQL is a Microsoft product that needs to be purchased. PHP generally uses MySQL, which is freely available.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many of the tools used in PHP are free of charge and a lot of PHP code can be found in open source forums, because PHP is open source. â€Å"PHP also has inbuilt features like ftp, email from a web page and even encryption mechanisms but such features are not built into ASP, which requires some additional components. Therefore additional costs might be incurred for such components.† (Pires, Halstatt 2005. ASP vs. PHP. Retrieved 18, February 2008 from http://www.webpronews.com/expertarticles/2005/12/22/asp-vs-php) Speed   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In terms of speed, PHP is faster than ASP, because when the speed of PHP and ASP are compared, PHP would have the upper hand. â€Å"This is due to the fact that PHP code runs faster than ASP. Also, ASP is built on COM based architecture, which is an overhead for the server, whereas PHP code runs in its own memory space.† (Pires, Halstatt 2005. ASP vs. PHP. Retrieved 18, February 2008 from http://www.webpronews.com/expertarticles/2005/12/22/asp-vs-php) Integration with operating environments and databases   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   PHP makes sure that all the operating environments are taken care to its fullest capability and is compatible with Windows, UNIX, Linux, Solaris and others. Its platform dependency format makes sure that all the various compatibility with operating environments makes it quite viable in nature. PHP integrates with the databases like MySQL and others in a great fashion. â€Å"ASP on the other hand is compatible with Windows only and makes sure that Microsoft oriented databases like MSSQL server would be well integrated with it. For other database platforms it requires to download various libraries and components for integration and workability.† (Hull, 2002) Performance   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   PHP is an interpreted language and make sure that the interpreted nature makes it fast for getting the customization done. The memory requirement of the PHP pages is quite optimizable and runs very fast with the greater understanding of the various features. Database connections of PHP are also quite flexible and make sure that all the various database functionality like stability, transactions, replication, triggers and stored procedures are handled quite well (Merrall, 2000).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ASP on the other hand is a compiled language and the software glitches are quite often not corrected or take a long time to get it done. The compiled nature makes sure that all the various factors like throughput and response time is quite low for the hosted pages. Its exclusivity with Microsoft windows operating system makes it platform independent with regard to various hosting and access problems. PHP offers the best integration of speed and performance, and ensures that all the various promises are met for catering to the web development. ASP is most suitable with the Microsoft platform and makes sure that all the features are captured and managed for the various services. (Zhang, 1999). Base Language   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ASP has a type of syntax that resembles Visual Basic, and is closely related to Microsoft products. In contrast, PHP is based on the C++ language, and the syntax used for PHP looks a lot like C/C++ programming syntax. â€Å"C/C++ is still considered the best programming language by many programmers and people who love this language would surely feel more comfortable with the syntax of PHP.† (Pires, Halstatt 2005. ASP vs. PHP. Retrieved 18, February 2008 from http://www.webpronews.com/expertarticles/2005/12/22/asp-vs-php) Enhanced capabilities and compatibility   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These include file transfer programs and utilities, compression of data, uploading of files, integration of XML an MD5, encryption techniques and email facilities are not included in ASP, even if it does it requires the support of large third party packages installed, which are very easily integrated in PHP. PHP.net (2008) mentions that complex functions like dynamic images, IMAP, SNMP, dynamic flash, PDF, native access to Oracle, Ovrimos, Postgre, Sybase, mSql, MSSQL, Ingres, Interbase and Informix databases, LDAP, and sockets and many others are easily integrated with PHP, â€Å"however it would create a big problem with its integration with ASP. PHP is compatible with various web servers for its functioning however ASP requires it to be easily integrated with only IIS and PWS† as explained by Pires (2005).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   PHP programs can run on various platforms like Linux, Unix, Windows and Solaris whereas ASP is mainly associated with Windows platforms. However, ASP can run on a Linux platform with ASP-Apache installed on the server. PHP is based on C++ language and the syntax used in PHP is quite similar to C/C++. C/C++ is still considered the best programming language by many programmers and people who love this language would surely feel more comfortable with the syntax of PHP. ASP on the other hand has a more Visual Basic kind of syntax that again is closely related to only Microsoft products. So, it depends on the individual, and which language he or she is comfortable with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For Database connectivity, PHP is being extremely flexible, and can connect to various databases, the most popular being MySQL. ASP mainly uses MS-SQL for databases. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Although both ASP and PHP are good web server end languages for web development, there are some differences between them that should be considered to ensure that factors like cost, installation, performance, and compatibility issues are economized to the full extent. Both languages have advantages specific to various users. Some would argue that both languages have their own importance, and usage of either ASP or PHP depends on the user’s requirements, the language and the platform in use. â€Å"If a user is looking for some e-commerce application development then ASP is probably the ideal choice. This does not mean that PHP cannot provide e-commerce solutions, but a lot of people tend to choose ASP in such instances.† (Pires, Halstatt 2005). If we talk about developing a discussion board then ASP is equally capable but some people feel that the best discussion boards are developed using PHP.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While PHP offers the best integration of speed and performance, and ensures that most web development requirements are met, ASP is most suitable with the Microsoft platform, and enables features to be captured and managed for various services. References Anstey, Marty (2003). PHP vs ASP. Retrieved 19, February 2008 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://marty.anstey.ca/programming/php/articles/ An Architectural Introduction to Web Parts and ASP.NET A Microsoft ® Office FrontPage ®   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2003 White Paper. (Retreived from   Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.sharepointcustomization.com/resources/whitepapers/webpartdocs/wp_asp_net.doc Argence d Ricardo (2008). Web Hosting, PHP vs AS.P. Retrieved 18, February 2008 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://articles.topofhosting.com/web-hosting-php-asp.php DuBois, Paul (2002). MySQL Cookbook. O’Reilly, October 2002. Glass, Michael (2004). Beginning PHP, Apache, Hull, Sean (2002). PHP vs. ASP.NET Redux. Retrieved 18, February 2008 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.oracle.com/technology/pub/columns/hull_php2.html Merrall, Graeme (2000). PHP/MySQL Tutorial MySQL ® Web Development. Wiley Publicizing sons. ISBN: 0-7645-5744-0. PHP.net (2008). See: http://www.php.net/manual/en Pires, Halstatt (2005). ASP vs. PHP. Retrieved 18, February 2008 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.webpronews.com/expertarticles/2005/12/22/asp-vs-php Zhang, Ying (1999). Web Database Step-by-Step Guide.

Answers to questions on the spread and control of diseases

Answers to questions on the spread and control of diseases List and discuss briefly major public health strategies for communicable disease control. Choose five communicable diseases and discuss what public health strategies will be appropriate in each case. Major Public Health Strategies for Communicable Disease Control The main public health strategies to control communicable diseases include all measures designed to prevent or reduce the incidence, prevalence and consequences of disease (WHO 1984). These measures are included in primary health care and involve participation of community, support from different government, public and private sectors and coordination between these sectors (WHO 1978). The control measures are directed against reservoir or sounce of infection, the root of transmission and susceptible host ( people at risk). i) Controlling Reservoir of Infection. It includes early diagnosis or detection of cases or carriers, notification of disease, isolation, treatment and quarantine. ii) Interrupting Transmission of Disease . This is done by interrupting direct transmission and indirect transmission of infective agent from patient and carrier to susceptible host by changing some part of man’s environment. The public health strategies to achieve this includes clean water supply, improving sanitation, proper cooking and refrigeration, improving personal hygiene, controlling vectors and proper handling of secretions and excretions of humans and animals. iii) Protection of Susceptible Host or Patient at Risk This includes active immunization, passive immunization, combination of active and passive immunization and prophylaxis by drugs. iv) Other measures that have interrupted transmission of many diseases in developed countries include legislation for integrated and effective public health programs, improved quality of life and better education. Surveillance follows control measures. Five Communicable Diseases and Public Health Strategies to Control them 1-Chickenpox is acute highly infectious disea se caused by varicella zooster virus (VZV) usually in children. It spreads by airborne particles and direct contact. The control strategies are notification, isolation of cases for six days after the rash appears, disinfection of articles soiled with secretion from nose, mouth and skin and using gloves and face mask while attending patient. Antiviral drugs are effective if used in first 24 hours of appearance of skin rash. Human varicella zoster immunoglobulin is given to contacts and immunocompromrised. A live attenuated vaccine is available and used in US and some other countries for children at one year of age. 2-Measles is acute highly infectious disease of childhood caused by a myxovirus. The control strategies include routine vaccine coverage of all children at 9 months and 4 years of age using live attenuated vaccine. Catch up vaccination is done for children who miss out. Successive generations of children are vaccinated. Isolation in initial stages of incubation period and disinfection of articles can help control spread. Notification to local health authorities, epidemiological investigation and health education are also necessary. 3-Diphtheria is caused by corynebacterium diphtheriae and affects upper respiratory tract. Control includes early detection of cases and carriers, notification, isolation in the hospital, and treatment of cases by diphtheria anti-toxin and carriers by erythromycin. Contacts are given booster dose of anti-toxin if they have not received in last two years and surveillance of close contacts is done for several weeks after exposure. On community bases the effective control is achieved by active immunization of diphtheria vaccine at age of six weeks, ten weeks, fourteen weeks, and booster doses sixteen to twenty-four months and five years.

Perspectives on African Experience- Examine Ayi Akwei Armah's Essay

Perspectives on African Experience- Examine Ayi Akwei Armah's representation of the failures of decolonisation and national independence in The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born - Essay Example who is the main character in this story, is the protagonist, who seems to be the embodiment of good morals since he is not corrupt and has refused involvement in its gleam. The author wishes to communicate uprightness and good character through the Man, in order to awaken Ghanaians to the reality of corruption, materialism, poverty, political rhetoric and desperation. Promises made during the fight against colonialism were socialistic by nature, featuring equality and betterment of people’s lives, but none of them were fulfilled during the reign of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, or even after the coup. The novel brings out the reality of life in Ghana after independence, where people’s dreams of a better nation were shattered by the filth of corruption at that time. The Man’s dream was to go to the University of Legon, a dream that never came true just like most Ghanaians’ dreams of a better nation were shattered by the corrupt government system that came into power a fter colonialists had left. In this paper, I am to discuss in detail how the author uses symbolism to show moral decadence in the post-independence Ghana, and how it applies to other African states today. The theme of corruption covers the larger part of the novel, as witnessed by the Man on his way to his working place at the railway administration, when the conductor in the bus refuses to return the full change and keeps extra amount over the normal fare as his (Armah 1968, p.1). The conductor smells the cedi and says that it is strange that a man could have so many cedis pass through his hands and yet not really know their smell, implying that the conductor was money hungry. The bus in this case represents Ghana, the conductor represents its leaders, who are very corrupt and the passengers are the Ghanaians. The poor citizens in most African states participate in the economy through working but the money ends up in a few people’s pockets (Ferguson 2010, p. 170), no wonder the conductor is mocking the

E tourism (The global hunter website evaluation) Research Paper

E tourism (The global hunter website evaluation) - Research Paper Example The web page of Senegal-Tourism could be categorized as an example of ICT since it is a technology heavily employed for a certain purpose (i.e., commercial in nature). It must be noted, however, that Carlsson’s concept of ICT is strikingly broad. For one thing, Senegal-Tourism as website or software technology is far from being a â€Å"general-purpose technology.† Conversely, Paquette’s idea of ICT is more attuned to the Senegal-Tourism web page mainly because of its prominent relation or connection to such website in terms of strategy, medium, and communication resource. In the long run, ICTs vitally require a kind of evaluation commonly called heuristic evaluation method. The concept of heuristic evaluation was originally designed by Jakob Nielsen (Reeves & Hedberg, 2003). Mack and Nielsen (1994 as cited in Nielson, 1993) generally defined heuristic evaluation as a method of rigorously inspecting a â€Å"user interface design for usability.† Similar to c onventional methodology, heuristic evaluation roughly consists of a well-defined set of principles. This set of principles widely varies from the particular type of heuristic evaluation method being used or employed. In general, heuristic evaluation has ten basic heuristics, which are applicable to any type of software technology; three of the heuristic evaluation methods, to give few examples, are pluralistic walkthroughs, cognitive walkthroughs, and formal design analysis. The methodology called cognitive walkthroughs was mentioned by Nielsen, which he described as one of the two â€Å"[o]ther usability inspection methods.† Conyer extensively defined cognitive walkthroughs as a method utilized in order to â€Å"evaluate the ease of learning to use a product, particularly by exploration† (as cited in Reeves & Hedberg, 2003). On the other hand, Nielsen’s heuristic evaluation is essentially a kind of pluralistic walkthroughs. Based from several studies conducted, he concluded that a minimum of three evaluators are needed in order for the heuristic evaluation to be â€Å"reasonable† (Neilson, 1993). By and large, using heuristic evaluation method in evaluating certain interface’s usability is advantageous because it is less time-consuming and more cost saving (Reeves & Hedberg, 2003). In evaluating a particular interface or software product, several key concepts or terminologies considerably require definition of terms. In computer-science jargon, web content could be defined as the textual representation contained in a specific website. Fiore and Tang (2006) implicitly categorized web content, or simply content, as words or group of words -- essentially a paragraph construction -- primarily intended to be placed into one’s â€Å"online store.† Content is fundamentally the text seen or viewed on the Site. Text here is, normally, in a form of written text containing, like the human language, codes or signs that hav e meaning. Moreover, web content imperatively requires weekly, if not daily, update and upgrade -- what Fiore and Tang called â€Å"

A holiday i don't like Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A holiday i don't like - Essay Example New Year Eve (late hours of December 31 and the early hours of January 1st) is the event I do not like. Although it is a social holiday in the United States (Immihelp.com), I have found few of the public activities relevant to the practical life. Moreover, I have been frequently haunted by the aching memories of a black New Year Eve since my childhood. I dislike this holiday for numerous reasons. Initially, I do not find any fun in saying good bye to the outgoing year and welcoming a better new year since we are solely responsible for the peace and adversity of our lives. It is ridiculous that people undertake new commitments in the beginning of every year and forget them as time passes. Subsequently lives go worse than that of the previous year and people again burn effigy of the outgoing year as if it was the perpetrator for the hardship. Taking great vows and putting little effort to perform them make little change in one’s life. This is what generally happens with people in every New Year event. Furthermore, many people who participate in the New Year celebration are not really aware of the relevance of the activities and functions. To the majority of them it is the day of unlimited fun and abuse. Drunkards and thugs make complete mayhem and perform anti-social activities and crimes on this eve. The whole nation plunges into atrocity on every New Year eve and in fact, New Year dawn wakes up from a horrible night of disorder. The excessive consumption of alcohol intensifies accidents, conflicts, fights, and deaths. Several people die because of fireworks mishaps and other accidents. It was at the age of twelve, I confronted with the evil facet of New Year celebration for the first time in my life. My parents were highly religious that they used to attend ‘Watch Night’ on every New Year Eve. Manhattan with its all beauty appeared to be alluring in

Loss of Productivity in The Workplace and Modern Technology Essay

Loss of Productivity in The Workplace and Modern Technology - Essay Example Simplistic assessments driven by special interests tend to convince the confused corporate employer to attribute the blame of productivity loss to an errant workforce and jump into a frenzy of surveillance and lay-offs without being sure at the first place, whether the traditional ideas of productivity can be applied at all to the situation. New technology creates new stresses as also new benefits, and the idea of productivity itself needs to change and take into account the whole rather than a part of the consequences of the computer network in the workspace. "To be sure, part of the problem is that we are mismeasuring productivity" (Blinder & Quandt, 27-28) for we have not yet standardized the inputs and outputs, and the traditional workspace is already being pushed by the virtual workspace that extends the office workspace into the homes of telecommuting employees. When we talk about productivity in the workplace, our primary concern is labor or employee productivity, and the way modern technology affects it. Despite its obvious boons, modern technology also affects the workspace by its inherent tangible and mechanical complexity, fallibility, and speed of change. Usually these are overlooked as corporates tend to view system failures as part of the game while employee failures as unpardonable. Too often, in the confus... 'Hand it round first, and cut it afterwards.' Too often, in the confused state of the market, employers buy systems and software first and understand their compatibility and utility later. This results in a terrible lack of standardization that affects both the employer and the employee. A hardware failure can cost between 2-16 hours of productivity on an individual computer. A server failure affects the entire workforce and can throttle productivity and raise stress to unbearable heights especially if deadlines are on hand. (Johnston) Slow operating systems and machines take away productive time frustrating the employee who feels out of control, and that the computer sets the pace of work rather than the human. The effect of system failures on worker stress and productivity has been a matter of research and "some studies have shown that characteristics of computer technology can add to the stress experienced by office workers. Johansson and Aronsson ( 1984 ) showed that computer breakdown yielded an increase in adrenaline excre tion and diastolic blood pressure, as well as in selfrated irritation, fatigue, rush, and boredom. Schleifer ( 1987 ) showed that slow computer response time generated higher ratings of mood disturbances."( Carayon-Sainfort, 246) The loss of valuable data and related productivity loss exhibits worker stress in a phenomenon termed as PC rage. In a research conducted by Symantec in UK in conjunction with the National Opinion Poll, it was found that nearly half of Britons have reacted to system crashes by "either abusing colleagues, hitting the computer, screaming, shouting or hurling parts of the PC." (PC Rage, The Birmingham Post) More than half of the Symantec research subjects admitted to experiencing a loss of productivity as a result of

Fed Acts to Fix Jobs Market Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fed Acts to Fix Jobs Market - Article Example Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve, this move would urge the people to spend more in buying commodities, investments and exports. The Federal Reserve has given its commitment to this program until the job market scenario in the US improves. This move has resulted in heavy investments in the stock market, gold and other such assets and the Dow Jones average for industries reached a new high after a similar rise in 2007. However, this announcement has resulted in a price hike for basic commodities such as oil that has created unease among the people who fear an impending rise in basic essentials. Though the present program is considerably less compared to the $1.25 trillion and $600 billion bond-buying programs which were launched in 2009 and 2010 respectively, the Federal Reserve has further announced that the current program could be extended to buy agency-mortgage securities and other assets if no major improvement is seen in the job market. Though this move has been criticized as being less aggressive by academics and economists, the central bank chairman has argued that the Federal Reserve is doing its best to stimulate the economy and also the present program could be further extended if and when required. The Federal Reserve has mainly aimed its program on those who have been out of employment and are in need of economic security until they find employment. In his address to the media, Mr. Bernanke noted that the longer people are out of work the harder it is to find another job as their work experience is at stake. The central bank has also announced that it would co ntinue its Operation Twist program through which it would buy treasury bonds amounting to $45 billion every month which will be used to fund the mortgage purchases. And if the economic situation does not improve significantly it has proposed to purchase treasury bonds through money printing in addition to purchasing mortgages. In addition it also plans to keep short-term

Portfolio Diversification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Portfolio Diversification - Essay Example client of Bill Guru’s and was â€Å"very happy† with Bill’s advice and professionalism, in helping here rebalance and reallocate her portfolio that resulted in its increasing value over the years without much volatility. Bill wanted to diversify her portfolio and reduce its beta, thereby minimising the risk inherent in her portfolio. The case presumes that the individual betas of the 5 stocks are greater than the market index beta of 1. It is the task of Bill Guru to explain to Mrs. Jones what diversification meant and what the advantages were of having a diversified portfolio. He also needed to explain why at her stage in life she would need her portfolio to be rebalanced and her assets reallocated to meet her needs both for capital appreciation and for steady income. At the same time, Bill would have to discuss with Mrs. Jones the possibility of putting part or all of her assets in other forms of investments such as money market funds or fixed income securities such as Treasury bills or Treasury bonds. The possibility of transferring all of her investments to fixed income securities would preclude the question of a beta coefficient as the latter applies only to stocks in relation to the main market index such as the FTSE. On the other hand, if a significant part of her assets continues to be invested in stocks, the beta would be a relevant concept. He will need to explain the impact of the overall market on her stock portfolio as the market is subject to systematic risks. Also he has to explain that there are factors that affect a particular stock and a particular industry, factors that are unique or specific to the stock in question. The rebalancing of Mrs. Jones’ portfolio may take any form that is tailored to the particular situation and needs. Some kind of distribution among different types of securities would have to be discussed with her that would take into account the need for steady income in the form of interest and dividends as well as

Japanese Americans Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Japanese Americans - Research Paper Example The migration of Japanese Americans to the United States is associated with the Hawaiian sugar industry between 1870 and 1880 in addition to, Japan painful transition to the modern economy that resulted in civil disorder, unemployment, and bankruptcies. This was a major reason why there was a large migration of Japanese to Hawaii. As a result, from 1900, a majority of Japanese in U.S live in Hawaii. Over 30,000 Japanese moved to Hawaii, single men being the majority. They practiced farming and farm laborers, who immigrated as sojourners instead of settlers. They are also said to have gone to Pacific Northwest in 1880 when federal legislation excluded the Chinese immigration and as a result demanded new labor immigrants. The Japanese immigrants comprised of 40 % of railroad laborers in Oregon (Spickard, 2009).As years passed, the Japanese returned to Japan. They anticipated for the legislation of the American Law against the Hawaii contract labor after the Americans took over their pl antations. They imported more than 27,000 Japanese laborers. However, the contracts were void under American laws leaving a number of Japanese free to migrate to U.S. Hawaii still remained the center of concentration for Japanese in many years. The Japanese immigrants preferred to live in Hawaii rather that U.S mainland because of race relations which were worse in U.S mainland than Hawaii.The U.S government was, however; at ease issuing passports for both Hawaii and U.S mainland but still controlled the Japanese emigrants.

Macbeth Critical Approach Essay Example for Free

Macbeth Critical Approach Essay The tragic story of Macbeth is a tale of a man, who spirals into a deep, dark, depressing life attempting to escape his unhappy, mundane, unsatisfied existence. All of this would not be possible without the assistance of three wicked witches. These witches serve as a catalyst for the evil brought out of Macbeth, which becomes amplified by his own heinous actions. While Macbeth is cold hearted and dark minded his intentions were not awakened till he encountered the witches who changed his coarse of history. †Stay, you imperfect speakers. Tell me more. By Sinel’s death I know I am Thane of Glamis but how of Cawdor?† After the witches tell him he is destined to be king, Macbeth becomes interested. He fell for evils trap and now hopelessly tumbles down the rabbit hole. Macbeth knows what he is destined to be but Duncan stands in his way. This leads Macbeth to the first step of his corruption, through his sinister thoughts he realizes he is descending into darkness. â€Å"Stars, hide your fires! Let not light see my black and deep desires† Fearing he will be discovered for his true self, he pleas to the stars so that they may dim their lights. This fear is what drives him further into madness and deeper into his own despair. Macbeth has destroyed everything that has mattered to him, his best friend, his king, his wife, and his relationship with his people. He has ruined so much that it becomes clear to him that he was much happier in his previous status. â€Å"For mine own good, all causes shall give way. I am in blood stepp’d in so far that, should I wade no more, returning were as the tedious as go o’er† By comparing his own actions to a river of blood he hints to the fact that once a man kills for his own single benefit, there is no going back. He has gone too far and would be nearly impossible to undo what has been done and seems too tough to live with.

Importance of Early Childhood Education

Importance of Early Childhood Education Brain in early childhood takes what environment offers and learning environment that challenges and motivate children is the first preparation of child education. The education given in early childhood shapes foundation of the life and helps mental and academic development of child. It is very essential to recognize importance of early childhood education and how it effects to persons life. Effective curriculum and education in early childhood encourage and develop language skill and ability to acquire vocabulary. Throughout the play and education, children learn social skills along with how to deal with others and develop their own values. Importance of Early Childhood Education In old days, people used to think that children dont have ability to distinguish what is right and wrong so there is no need to educate them in their early ages. However, even though it is true that they cant differentiate right or wrong, it is also true that children absorb everything what they hear and see like sponge and therefore early education is essential. The education given in early childhood shapes foundation of the life and helps mental and academic development of child. It is very essential to recognize importance of early childhood education and how it effects to persons life. Research and study on brain development shows how closely they connect to development of emotional, physical, and social capability of individuals. If these fundamental capabilities are not developed in early ages, it would affect to childs learning potentials. Early childhood is defined as first eight years of life of individual. Eighty-five percent of brain develops by age of five and brain of child in age of three have 2.5 times more active brain than adults (McCarthy, 2011). The learning experience of diverse areas in early childhood makes number of childrens brain connection and such brain cell connection strengthens by continuous new stimulation from the environment (McCarthy, 2011). Brain takes what environment offers and there is prime time that brain absorbs new information like sponge especially in the first three years of life (Bouchard Gilles, 2011). By proving proper education in early childhood, children learn basic foundation of their whole life and also develop social, mental, and academic activities. Among many benefits of early childhood education, most fundamental reason is that education provided in five to eight years is very influential to what kind of person a child would grow up and is vital for academic and mental development of an individual. Effective curriculum and education in early childhood encourage and develop language skill and ability to acquire vocabulary. According to early childhood education research journal, most capacity of language skill of learning vocabulary, which is a foundation for literacy, develops by ages of three (Bouchard Gilles, 2011). Bouchard and Gilles have studied the importance of encouraging language skills in early childhood and argued that educators who are in daycare services by age of five have lots of opportunities of stimulating practice that helps children to acquire language skills (Bouchard Gilles, 2011). Studies show that how educational setting and specific training of language skills can develop and promote language skills of children. The studies were conducted at daycare center with 22 educators and 174 children and language skills practice have been divided into three parts; educator wait and listen, educator follows childs lead, and educator adjusts childs sentence. Practice that educators adjust childrens language shows rather few instances than educators wait and listen. Children in groups that educator waits and listens what they say and educator follow childs lead tried to use new vocabulary and to finish their sentence while children in group that educator makes correction when they use wrong grammar or vocabulary didnt use any new words and some werent even to start to talk later. Children learn language skills by interacting with immediate environment and training or simple structural changes can improve language skills of children (Bouchard Gilles, 2011). Development in early childhood does not only affect to academic and physical activities, but also involves relationship with other people and emotional and cognitive development. People easily think children struggle to find their ego in adolescence; however children actually start to realize their identity in first eight years and inner capacity of imagination and self-image of gender roles start to develop. In that age, they learn how to associate with friends and start to look people around them. Throughout the play and education, children learn social skills along with how to deal with others and develop their own values. Teaching language or academic skills in early ages is not only education, but rather child-directed play and interacting with them is most important education (Webster-Stratton Reid, 2010). Webster-Stratton and Reid conducted experiment to show difference and its effects between child-directed play that lets children to play what they want to do and express feeling and adult- directed play that parent or educator specifically asks to how they should play. In the therapy, five years old boy, Dylan who had multiple tantrums and aggressive behaviors to other people and no friends, was asked to child-directed play with his parents. First, he rejected his parents attempts to play with him, but gradually started to interact and invite them into his play. These child-directed plays enable to establish ego and practice how to express and control (Webster-Stratton Reid, 2010). Throughout the play and education, children learn social skills along with how to deal with others and develop thei r own values. Brain takes what environment offers and learning environment that challenges and motivate children is the first preparation of child education. Parents and educators should understand that children also have own thinking and proper education based on care and attachment is potent influence to them. Society and community should also recognize education given in these ages is very critical to childs mental and intellectual development and therefore provide more productive education program not only for the children, but for parent, since early childhood education is most efficient investment for society.

Factors Influencing Accuracy of Interpersonal Perception

Factors Influencing Accuracy of Interpersonal Perception What factors influence the accuracy of interpersonal perception  and the judgments we make about other people? Within the social environment, interpersonal perception is used frequently to make judgments about other people. The accuracy of these can have considerable bearing in a business context, affecting, for example, whether a colleague is considered trustworthy or an individual motivated enough to warrant managerial training. These are clearly important decisions which could prove detrimental to an organisation if incorrect, yet for a number of reasons, assessments of other people may be quite inaccurate. By recognising such risks, the organisation may be able to develop strategies to help ensure more effective decision-making and operations. Establishing the accuracy of social judgments is highly complex and perhaps impossible (Pennington 1993: 108). Most such assessments have a culturally situated element: they are made in socio-cultural contexts that influence what might be correct. For example, Saucier and Goldberg (2001), who have carried out research in the applicability of personality testing in different nations, find that terms used to describe personality do not have equivalents in all languages, resulting in a need to recognise different personality frameworks from region to region. Various cognitive phenomena have been identified that may also compromise accuracy. Stereotyping, for example, is identified by Huczynski and Buchanan (1991: 48) as present in interpersonal perception, and involves attributing particular qualities to an individual on the basis of limited information using prior knowledge and experience. The tendency to stereotype has been attributed to cognitive economy (Pennington 1993: 115-6). Because the environment is so rich in information, the cognitive processing capabilities of the mind struggle to respond to it all. Stereotyping allows a detailed assessment to be created from limited information processing, making fewer cognitive demands. However, because a large proportion of information is overlooked, stereotyping can lead to significant inaccuracies. The related concept of prejudice is described by Goleman as â€Å"emotional learning that takes place early in life† (1996: 157). Goleman notes that nevertheless, individuals typically deny prejudices and attempt to justify prejudiced decisions by formulating alternative reasons for them (ibid). This perhaps reflects the cognitive dissonance of wishing to appear reasonable within a context where prejudice is unacceptable while nevertheless holding such beliefs. This results in a situation where not only do prejudices lead to inaccurate assessments, but also the reasoning behind the assessments is itself inaccurate. The fundamental attribution error (FAE), described as â€Å"the tendency to attribute another person’s behaviour to their dispositional qualities rather than situational factors† (Langdridge and Butt 2004: 359), has been widely researched by psychologists working in the social cognitive tradition. In Western cultures, the FAE is reflected by a scenario where a worker blames having to de-ice their car (a situational factor) before driving to work for their lateness, while their employer may see it as a reflection that the worker is poorly organised (a dispositional factor). Again, cultural factors are influential: it has been found that in the US, dispositional biases are widespread while in East Asia a more holistic approach is taken (Norenzayan and Nisbett 2000: 132), resulting in the FAE being less commonly seen in eastern cultures (ibid). Huczynski and Buchanan (1991 48-9) suggest that if interpersonal judgments are to be more accurate, then it is important to be self-aware and recognise one’s own biases. However, even this process demands culturally-situated reflexivity and may be subject to similar inaccuracies. For example, Seligman finds that the majority of individuals overestimate their social skills, with the most accurate self-perception being among those with depression (1990: 109-110). This may suggest that a positively distorted view of oneself is advantageous to well-being, and that its abundance leads to poor evaluation of others because of individuals’ inability to recognise their own weakness of judgment. A further factor to consider is whether judgments are made by individuals or socially. Gleitman identifies the mechanism of social comparison as important in making judgments: this involves establishing what others’ views might be in order to help form a judgment (1995: 418). Group dynamics were explored extensively by Tajfel, who notes several characteristics of stereotyping in group situations with, for example, role stereotypes are more often applied by groups to themselves (the in-group) while ethnic stereotypes are more often applied to out-groups, the groups which are not part of the in-group (1982: 5-6). Additionally, if one member of a group stands out from the others, the tendency of the rest of the members is to stereotype them more actively (ibid: 8). The mechanisms by which judgments are made may contribute towards inconsistencies between individuals making them. Comparison is fundamental to assessment, according to Mussweiler (2003) who argues that this is done against a standard already established by the judge. Because of individual variations, different judges would be likely to use different standards, leading to different assessments. Comparison against low standards may lead to the ‘halo’ effect, where an individual is seen more positively than might be warranted (Huczynski and Buchanan 1991: 48). Another issue is the use of formalised models that may have limited flexibility and overcategorise. This is particularly relevant when applying theoretical constructs in the workplace. For example, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs suggests that individuals move up through different levels of need as each lower level is satisfied (Maslow 1943). It has been criticised for its implication that one need will take precedence (Hersey et al 1996: 45), but it is possible that for some individuals, higher needs may be of little interest even when lower needs are satisfied. The challenge emerging from the above evidence is to establish whether it is possible to minimise risks of poor judgment through conscious effort to overcome the cognitive mechanisms leading to biases. While it is possible that formal controls such as empirically-tested measures could help, there are still issues of the informal judgment of one individual when introduced to another, not to mention the practicalities and ethical issues regarding testing. Overall, this appears to be an area where inaccuracies and biases may always be influential to some degree, thus awareness may be the best approach to preventing them having a detrimental effect on the organisation. Bibliography Gleitman H (1995) Psychology 4th Edition (New York/London: W W Norton and Company) Goleman D (1996) Emotional Intelligence (London: Bloomsbury) Hersey P, Blanchard K and Johnson D (1996) Management of Organizational Behavior: Utilizing Human Resources 7th Edition (New Jersey: Prentice Hall International) Huczynski A and Buchanan D (1991) Organizational Behaviour 2nd Edition (Hertfordshire: Prentice Hall International) Langdridge D and Butt T (2004) ‘The fundamental attribution error: A phenomenological critique’ in British Journal of Social Psychology Vol 43 pp357-369 Maslow A (1943) ‘A Theory of Human Motivation’ in Psychological Review Vol 50 pp370-96 Mussweiler T (2003) ‘Comparison Processes in Social Judgment: Mechanisms and Consequences’ in Psychological Review Vol 110 (3) pp472-489 Norenzayan A and Nisbett R (2000) ‘Culture and Causal Cognition’ in Current Directions in Psychological Science Vol 9 (4) pp132-135 Pennington D (1993) Essential Social Psychology (London: Edward Arnold) Saucier G and Goldberg L (2001) ‘Lexical Studies of Indigenous Personality Factors: Premises, Products and Prospects’ in Journal of Personality Vol 69 (6) pp847-879 Seligman M (1990) Learned Optimism (New York: Simon and Schuster) Tajfel H (1982) ‘Social Psychology of Intergroup Relations’ in Annual Review of Psychology Vol 33 pp1-39

War And Peace :: essays research papers

The book â€Å"War and Peace† by Leo Tolstoy is a story about the lives of the Russian royal family from 1805 to 1815. This book describes things and events that happened during the war. The story begins at a cocktail party being held at the home of Anna Pavolvna in St. Petersburg. Most of the action, however takes place in Moscow, at the home of the Rostov family, and the battle front in the war with Napoleon. Their are the good people and the bad people. The good people being Natasha Rostov, a teenage girl who grows and matures throughout the book and Pierre Bezuhov, the son of Kirill Vladmirovitch Bezuhov, who speaks much of the novel expressing his purpose on earth. Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, the leader of the Bolkonsky family and a great war hero. The â€Å"bad† people are: the protagonists themselves, as they torment themselves and Napoleon Bonaparte, (who, by some, is believed to be an impostor) the emperor and military leader of France. Bent on world domination. Secondary characters are the families of Bolkonsky and Kuragin, Anna Pavolvna, a famous St. Petersburg socialite and Kutuzof, the military leader of the Russian forces. The basic conflict is the effects of the changes to the protagonists through the Napoleonic wars. One important event occurs when Prince Andrei is wounded during the battle of Austerlitz, and he is given a chance to recollect on his wartime experiences. Another important event occurs when Pierre is take prisoner by the French, (this is where he has the chance to look into his feelings and come to a peace with himself.) The climax of Pierre’s story occurs when he is held before a firing squad by the French. This is his climax because he is convinced that he is going to die, and after he is spared he becomes more caring and it is obvious that he will continue on this course until the end. The climax of Natasha’s life occurs when Andrei dies. It makes her reconsider the way she has lived her life, maturing her further from her state of mind as a seventeen year-old. The climax for Andrei occurs when he is mortally wounded while attempting to protect Moscow from Napoleon’s forces. This is his climax because his outlook on life becomes so negative and morbid that he can only wait to die.

The Cost of Discipleship Essay -- Papers

The Cost of Discipleship The definition of the word disciple means a follower or one who learns. Jesus chose several disciples to follow him and to go out and preach his teachings. We are told in the 'call of the disciples' in Mark's gospel that the men Jesus chose weren't special or significant in any way, the men he chose were just normal men consisting of fishermen and tax collectors. Jesus appoints his first four disciples, Simon, Andrew, James and John by simply saying: "Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately, they left their things and followed a man they hardly knew. This is the only indication we get that the disciples were in a way special, because the disciples had the courage and trust in God follow Jesus. The same also occurred with the selection of the fifth disciple Levi who was later renamed Matthew. Jesus approaches Matthew in his tax collectors booth and says "follow me", Matthew then rises and follows Jesus. The selection of the disciples seems very strange as none of the...

Human Gene Therapy :: Science Genetics Papers

Human Gene Therapy Each of us carry about half a dozen defective genes. Most of us do not suffer any harmful effects from our defective genes because we carry two copies of nearly all genes, one derived from our mother and the other from our father. Because in the majority of cases, the potentially harmful gene is recessive, its normal counterpart will carry out all the tasks assigned to both. Only if we inherit from our parents two copies of the same recessive gene will a disease develop. Every year a considerable number of children are born with a genetic disease, a disease that occurs because each of their parents carries a defect in the same gene (Rigby 1995). The most common disease of this sort, with about couple thousand affected children born each year, is cystic fibrosis, which leads to a clogging of the lungs, and to problems with digestion and other functions. Although improvements in care and treatment mean that people with cystic fibrosis can now live for up to twenty-five years, there is no cure. A much rarer but nevertheless well known disease, is severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). SCID children with this condition have a defect in both copies of a gene which is required for the proper functioning of the immune system. The children can be kept alive but they have to live in sterile plastic bubbles to isolate them from bacteria and viruses. These children would die of infections which would only keep the rest of us in bed for a couple of days. Again , while there are treatments, there is no cure. However, in simple terms the cure is obvious. If the children are ill because they have two bad copies of a gene, it follows that if we could give them a good copy of the gene they would then be like their parents and be healthy. This very obvious idea is called gene therapy. Concept of Gene Therapy Gene therapy is the insertion of a functioning gene into the cells of a patient to correct an inborn error of metabolism or to provide a new function in a cell. This is a very broad definition that includes the potential treatment of essentially all types of human disease through the genetic modification of cells of the human body to prevent or eliminate disease. There are two main types of gene therapy, germinal cell and somatic cell gene therapy (Culver 1996).

Macro Environment of Zara Essay

Zara is a very big clothing chain from Spain. The chain was founded in 1975 by Mr. Ortega, and it now has more than 1.000 stores in approximately 63 countries – so it is a very big chain. However Zara has its biggest market in Spain, where they have 364 stores in total. They sell fashion clothes of a fairly good quality to reasonable prices – this also means that they have a broad target group, which we believe to be from kids to adults younger than 50, both men and women. Over the years Zara has expanded their product line heavily, so now they also sell accessories, cosmetics, furniture and perfumes Zara is one of the most famous and popular high street brands in the world. It is a brand from Spain and it belongs to the Inditex group. Inditex group consist of seven different clothing chains of which Zara is considered as a fast fashion brand which aims at low inventory rule; just in time manufacturing; delivery and sales, flexible structure, low inventory rules and quick response policy.(Castellano, 1993). The first Zara store opened in 1975 in Spain. On product manufacturing basis, Zara strategizes by manufacturing majority of their clothes in Spain and Portugal unlike many other top brands, which outsource them to Asian counties such as China and India. (Castellano, 2002) One of Zara’s key marketing highlight has been in in zero advertising strategy, it instead markets its product by investing their percentage of revenues in opening new stores.. Zara is known to meet the customer demands and they are flexible in adjusting to the changing demands quickly. They are also variable when it comes to product design; as it keeps changing once in four weeks. (The Economists, 2005) Executive Summary The main goal of this report is to analyze the environment how Zara wil be marketed and launched in India. Analysis shows that the main problem of the product is to in terms of making the target market know the existence of the product in the country and the competition of the current clothing lines available in the market. In order to solve such complexities, the solution is to implement strategic marketing approach in terms of advertisement and promotion to make the target market become aware of the existence of the product in the marketplace. In addition, strategic market planning can also be attributed as a better solution to ensure that the product will be introduced effectively. The only problem that is unsolved is to find a company that will commit to the distribution of the product. With this, it is suggested that the organization must be able to use a more effective market planning and strategy which will enhance the market value of the product. This paper examines the case of the Spanish clothing retailer Zara’s experience of and plans for further expansion into one of the fastest emerging markets in the world, India. It argues that given the unique distribution and production functions of the retailer that possible problems exist for continued expansion in the US market. The problems associated with this given the characteristics of local markets and pressures from rival operators’ means that a recommendation is made for an adjusted international strategy for the company despite its broad successes elsewhere globally. Introduction Globalisation has become an essential element of international marketing principles and it has been argued that one of the keys to success in global markets is the effective development and marketing of standardised products and brands (Douglas & Wind, 1987). Jay (2000) suggests that the development of Introduction The introduction of new technologies and globalisation has permitted consumers to have vast access to fashion and as a result, consumers are getting more sophisticated and demanding and competition between companies became more intense as every company strive to outdo each other to meet consumer’s demands. Zara is one of the example companies that had successfully managed to penetrate the international fashion industry and carve its name in the fashion industry. Zara fashion chain was originally founded in the town of Arteixo in the year 1975 by Amancio Ortega. Zara had helped its parent company, the Spanish firm Inditex, to grow from anonymity and positioned itself as the world third’s biggest fashion retailer, overtaking the US-based Gap Inc and Swedish clothing company, H&M with excellent financial performance ahead of these two rival companies. After its first store in A Coruna, Spain, proved to be a hit, this giant clothing company intend to seek for more chain stores to be opened abroad and eventually, started their first international expansion in the 1980 through Porto, Portugal. Since then, Zara chains have grown into retailing giants and until today, the company have almost 1000 stores worldwide. Being different and special from other apparel retailers, Zara is a vertically integrated retailer where it plays an important role in controlling the supply-chain, manufacturing, designing, and distribution of its products. According to Mazaira (2003), the company’s structure is consumer oriented and satisfactions of consumer are heavily emphasized. The achievement by Zara was described by Louis Vutton Fashion Director as â€Å"possibly the most innovative and distressing retailer in the world’. According to an extraction from an article, the company had also been described as a â€Å"Spanish success storyâ⠂¬  (CNN, 2001). 2.0 Zara’s Strategic Analysis

Great expectation Novel vs Film

In 2012, Mike Newell created a film replicating one of Charles Dickens's famous novels Great Expectations. Both novel and film both are set in Kent, England and recount us through the life of a young commoner named Pip. Pip eventually moves to London and has wealth bestowed upon him by an anonymous benefactor. With the money he receives, Pip is able to become a gentleman.The film was not an effective representation of the novel because the omission of certain characters, the haracters are presented differently than they are In the book and the story Is told through dialogue instead of narration. Due to the film being so fast and compressed, some of the Characters are left out. For example, the character that was missing In the film was a menacing, broad-shouldered, loose-limbed (15. 35) cruel man named Orllck. Dickens uses these types of characters In his novel to set a cruel nature and to give an unpleasant feeling of threat.The omission of Orllck Is significant because it does not allow the audience to see PIP's final repentance. This is important because it is when pip realizes his guilt and disloyalty towards his loved ones, Joe and Biddy. Another instance is when Orlick is interested in Biddy, as a result she becomes frightened, and this leads to his hatred and disgust towards Pip. Orlick began to bully Pip. Without Orlick, viewers are unable to see the characteristics of his cruelty, and the unpleasant feeling, atmosphere that he gives towards people and the protagonist.Another difference between the novel and the film was that some characters are represented differently. Dickens portrays Estella as a cold hearted, unloving and one whose goal is to break others men's hearts in the novel. She shows no feelings of love towards men and especially not towards Pip. In the film, Holliday Grainger, the one who played Estella poorly presented Estella. For example, when Pip comes back to see Estella and Miss. Havisham, She speaks to him with care and love, showing her feelings and affections towards Pip.Another character that was poorly presented in the film was Wemmick. In the novel, Dickens howed his dual personality between his â€Å"Office â€Å"and â€Å"Walworth† personality. Although his â€Å"Walworth† personality was shown in the film, his office personality was not. At the offce, he seems to have his loving and kind personality towards others and especially to Pip. These changes make the viewers view Estella and Wemmlcka completely dfferent way, not the way that Charles Dickens's intended. In the film of Great Expectations, there was no narration.Dickens wrote the novel from the point of view of the protagonist Pip. Throughout the novel, Pip usually spends most of his time expressing his feelings and thoughts through narration. In fact, Newell did not portray fully the details of PIP's love for Estella. In the novel, through the narrations, Pip expresses his feelings and love for Estella and his love for her was the reason why he wanted to become a gentleman, wanting to Impress her. In the film, It seems that Pip only lust over Estella and makes It seems that he Is only attracted to her because of her appearance.Jeremy Irvine, the actor of PIP uses dialogue and ctions to portray Pip's feelings and emotions. Although the dialogue and actions help the audience know about Pip's character, viewers are unable to identify the true similar in comparison to Dicken's novel. However the omission of certain characters, the way characters are presented, and the narration make the film different enough to illicit a different response from the viewer as opposed to the reader. This difference in response indicates that the film is not an adequate representation of the novel.

Pepe jeans Essay

The company maintains contact with its independent retailers via group of 10 agents and each agent is responsible for retailers in a particular area of the country. Pepe is convinced that a good relationship with the independent retailers is vital to its success. Pepe’s requirement to place firm orders six months in advance with no possibility amendments, cancellation, or repeat ordering. Some claimed that the inflexible order system forced them to order less, resulting in stock outs. Pepe felt that a change was going to be needed soon. The easiest solution would be work with the Hong Kong sourcing agent to reduce the lead time associated with orders but this was going to increase the cost significantly. Even with the significant increase in cost, consistent delivery schedules would be difficult to keep. Another suggestion was to build a finishing operation in United Kingdom. Pepe was interested to see how system worked at U. S. operations. They found that they would have to keep about six weeks’ supply of basic jeans on hand in the United Kingdom and they have to invest ? 1,000,000 worth of equipment. They also estimated that it would cost about ? 500,000 to operate the facility each year. They could locate the facility in the basement of current office building, and the renovations would cost ? 300,000.

The Scarlet Letter: Hester’s Secrets Cause Harm

The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, follows the story of Hester Prynne and her dealings with a nasty love triangle and life with the sin of adultery. Hawthorne also outlines the consequences of keeping secrets and the effects it may have on the lives of oneself and others. In this novel, Hester keeps many destructive secrets that harm more than herself and some that she should have shared before it got too late. Hester most likely believed that her secrets harmed herself and spared others pain as long as they were hers and hers alone.However, Hester’s secrets harmed many more people, including her lover Dimmesdale and her husband Chillingworth. Her secrets hurt Dimmesdale the most. When she shared that her husband was Chillingworth, he seemed almost heartbroken at the fact that she would hide such an important piece of information from him. Dimmesdale was also hurt in many ways when she withheld the identity of the father of Pearl from the community, such as ha rming himself to deal with the fact he did not come forth at court.In fact, this very act also resulted in the harm of Chillingworth. He vowed revenge because he did not know who the baby’s father was, which sent him and his health in a downward spiral. Her acts in holding these secrets were destructive in the community as well, not just harmful to a few people. The community as a whole had to deal with the shame of having an adulteress within its jurisdiction and many people were disgusted with the idea of it in the first place.To make matters worse, her secrets caused the downfall of the local minister and doctor, both of which were very esteemed. Her secrets caused Dimmesdale’s aforementioned self harm and Chillingworth’s spite towards him, which when combined sent his health downwards very quickly. He, also sharing the secret, eventually collapsed under the pressure and, in his last sermon, died. Chillingworth died as well because he had spent so much of his time and energy being evil that it impacted his health negatively, which did not mix well with his age.Now the town’s beloved doctor and minister were dead and much of the community was, understandably, distraught. These problems were caused by Hester’s secrets and could have been completely prevented if she shared them with the right people at the right times. She was right to not reveal the identity of her lover in court, as it saved Dimmesdale’s life, but she should have shared with him the identity of her husband.If she had done this right away, Dimmesdale could have avoided Chillingworth completely and not been unaware to the harm that was being done by the doctor. This may have also increased the chances that Chillingworth would remain oblivious to who Dimmesdale really was since their time together would have been severely reduced. Hester should have also shared with Pearl who Dimmesdale really was earlier on to help her understand more about her life an d their strange relationship.Perhaps Pearl could have grown up with Dimmesdale as her father after they retreated to another city, had a more normal childhood. Ultimately, Hester’s secrets harmed many. They were destructive and reckless and perhaps she should have shared some of them in a better fashion at better times. It was these secrets that caused much pain, as they do in many circumstances in life. This may have been one thing Hawthorne was trying to portray in his novel, that secrets hurt more than those who keep them.

Vanish by Evan Ratliffs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Vanish by Evan Ratliffs - Essay Example First, while the idea of someone living a life on the run is certainly exciting, Ratliff wasn’t for the most part being physically chased. The people â€Å"hunting him† were largely doing so from their homes, in front of computers, writing code and scanning through Twitter accounts. That’s not very exciting and extremely technical to explain. Secondly, there are really two stories to tell – Ratliff’s story and those of the people who were hunting him down. Since Ratliff himself is writing this article, how can he do that? How can he technically be two places at once? Ratliff immediately tackles the problem of making a very technical story gripping by opening with his â€Å"getaway,† not unlike the way it’s been seen in â€Å"man on the run† movies from The Fugitive to The Bourne Identity. It starts with a first-person explanation of his â€Å"escape† and gives no reference at first to this being part of a magazine-sponsored contest. He uses words loaded with intrigue like â€Å"fleeing my life† and â€Å"going on the lam† (1). He details all the steps he takes to â€Å"confuse investigators† and calls an oil change on a car he is about to sell â€Å"another head fake† (1). This is an exciting language that catches the reader immediately. What could just be a scene of an average guy getting an oil change, picking up business cards, and shopping at Best Buy becomes the set-up for an ingenious plot? This language also makes the sections with all of the technical explanations easier to understand. Most of the tracking down of Ratliff would be done by people sitting alone in rooms, in front of keyboards, using lines of code and IP address tracking software. Too much technical jargon – even in a publication like Wired – does not make for an interesting story. But just as he heightened the tension during his pre-escape shopping trip with his use of word choice, he does the same when describing one of his trackers.  Ã‚  

Assessment Brief Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assessment Brief - Essay Example groups, as well as our group, and with proper observation, we should be able to determine their good points and offer constructive comments about the part that we deem would need improvement. Our group was assigned the topic of Customer Care. The members were Fares Al- Naami,Ali Guhfli, Mohamed Echtibi, Issam Dalati, Ahmad al aomar. Our three good points were first, our effective power point slide show presentation that went well with our topic; second, our introduction was attention-getter even though it was brief, and third, the write-up that we had distributed was relevant to the information we presented. However, we have to admit that we have to improve in some issues, like team preparation. We displayed poor teamwork. We were obvious in relying on our personal notes, that we appeared less prepared and we missed employing the proper eye contact with the audience and the use of body language was almost totally missed because we were more preoccupied with our notes. On the process, we were not effective in the interaction aspect, and for a while, lost our contact with the audience because we were not able to hold their attention. Without waiting for anyone to suggest to us, we acknowledge the need for our group to research more, spend time with the other members in reviewing our presentation over and over again and aim for more quality in our work. We could have rehearsed and prepared a list of possible questions that the audience would be expected to ask. The second group, composed of Martin Kredba, Selcuk Ugur, Refik Iyiuyarlar, Cuong Khuat, and Tomas Vagasky, was given the topic Interactive Marketing. The only good points worth mentioning about their group was their presentable physical attributes which were quite impressive. They looked so formal, as if they really meant business. And next, they were able to adhere to the time element allotted for each group. Regretfully, other than these two, we cannot pinpoint anything else that could be

Was MacBeth responsible for his act of violence or was he made to do Essay

Was MacBeth responsible for his act of violence or was he made to do it - Essay Example This being the case, the play should be viewed as attempting to teach a moral as opposed to the futility of individual choice because of fate. In the third scene of the first act, the witches appear to Macbeth and Banquo. They say to him â€Å"All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!/ All Hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!/All Hail Macbeth; that shalt be king hereafter!† (48-50). They also inform Banquo that he will not be king, but his sons will be kings. This is the event that the other events surrounding the play are a result of. Macbeth is in fact the Thane of Cawdor at the time, but he does not heard about Glamis until the end of the scene. Since this prediction comes true, he assumes that the prediction about his becoming king will also come true. The first thing to consider is that they did not tell him that he had to murder Duncan in order to become king. Their prediction turned out to be true, and Macbeth did not personally have to take any action in order for it to do so. Therefore, there is nowhere inherent in the information that he receives that tells him that he has to murder the king ; he might have become king with no foul play involved. Also, we should consider that Banquo was told that his sons would become kings, and yet he did not take any action to make this happen. The weird sisters merely gave him Macbeth information; they did not tell him what to do or force him into doing anything. In their descriptions of what they were doing before the scene started, they give accounts that imply that they had the sort of power that would be capable of placing spell on Macbeth that would force him to do what they wanted. However, as we see no scenes in which that takes place, we must assume that Macbeth acts upon his own free will. Upon hearing the news about the prediction of the weird sisters and the fact

John Stuart Mill's On Liberty as applied to an issue of modern times Essay

John Stuart Mill's On Liberty as applied to an issue of modern times - Essay Example He was concerned that this majority would stamp out diversity, repress individuals whom failed to conform to herdlike values, and stifle dissenting views. The mass media presents a complex study because it involves an interplay between a tightly controlled corporate elite and masses of citizens whom too often turn to and rely upon the mass media for facts and information. How the mass media presents events is critical to American citizens attaining the intellectual and physical sovereignty to which Mill referred as constititing the foundations of their liberty and freedom. This essay will argue that, viewed through the principles articulated by Mill, today's oligopolistic mass media undermines and stifles the ideals to which he aspired for American citiens; as a result, notions such as the legitimacy of diversity and the sanctity of variety have been dealt a critical blow. As a preliminary matter, before discussing Mill more particularly, it is necessary to place modern American mass media in context. ... In democratic societies the manner by which the media system is structured, controlled, and subsidized is of central political importance. Control over the means of communication is an integral aspect of political and economic power" (McChesney, 1997: 6). The irony is that, although the mass media is privately controlled, it is structured in a way which more resembles a non-democratic oligopoly or military junta than a democratically-structured disperssion of media outlets. In short, from a structural point of view, American mass media is controlled and delivered by a wealthy corporate elite, economic and political barriers often bar entry to new participants, and American citizens receive their news from this structural mass media creature. In addition to structure, it is important to discuss the more substantive features of American mass media. A superficial analysis might yield the view that American mass media, as a corporate enterprise designed to generate profits for corporate shareholders, reflects like a mirror the diversity and the variety of the American citizenry. If the mass media oligopoly didn't give the American consumers what they wanted, this logic goes, then the consumers would switch allegiance and the corporate profits would dry up. There are two fundamental flaws with this argument from the point of view of a theorist such as Mill. First, how the corporate mass media decides to present programming is often a product of detailed surveys and focus groups (Carper, 1995: D-19.2); in effect, the mass media is appealing to the majority as a primary justification for the selection of suitable subject matter and viewpoints. Rather than making programming decisions independently, based on

Strategic managment implementation, for the golar lng company Essay

Strategic managment implementation, for the golar lng company - Essay Example Floating Storage and Regasification Unit is a product of GolarLNG. According to their website, it is based on the conversion of an existing LNG carrier into a floating terminal that can be situated offshore or at a new or purpose-built jetty/pier. It will receive liquid natural gas (LNG) from offloading LNG carriers, and the onboard regasification system provides gas send-out through flexible risers and pipeline to shore. European imports rose 0.9 bcf/d, where Spain led by +0.5 bcf/d and Italy by +0.1 bcf/d. The entire shortfall was absorbed by the US with import s down 1.7 bcf/d year-on-year. In 2009, overall 22 countries were importing LNG. The imports are expected to grow by a large amount in the coming years. The Floating Storage and Regasification Unit have become really popular in the last few years. It is relatively a new concept, and Golar LNG is the first one in the world to deliver it. With this fact that they are the first one to introduce it, they have a competitive edge. With these advantages, Golar LNG has to market its service in a way that it maintains its market share in FSRU. They haven’t marketed their service greatly in order to attract and retain their customers. For this purpose, they need to create a proper marketing plan. Although this service does not have any specific customer. This service is for all the importers of LNG. But in order to start marketing, Golar has to cater to individual regions needs first. This marketing action plan will be the segment catering to the importers in Asia. The segment is made according to the demographics. The FSRU service is for providing ease and comfort to the importers, who would easily be able to import LNG with the help of these floating terminals. The Service is positioned to be inexpensive, yet having a highly advanced technology. Any kind of product or service needs marketing. In maritime industry, marketing is considered to be unimportant. But experts say that marketing is

What form of market structure best describes the supermarket chain in Essay

What form of market structure best describes the supermarket chain in the UK Explain your answer using examples - Essay Example These have led to many analysts accusing them of taking advantage of their market power to evolve an unfair advantage. The Competition Commission (CC) confirmed this indicating that they indeed enjoyed higher gross profits as compared to similar firms in other countries, though their return on capital employed (ROCE) was substantially lower (Smithy, 2002). The total UK grocery stores sales in 2005 generated total sales volume of approximately  £120 billion, which was an increment of 4.2 percent from the previous year. In this category, grocery items contributed 95, which accounts for almost half of all retail sales and 13 percent in household spending. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) reported that by 2005, the five largest supermarket chains had a market share of grocery items of approximately 75 percent (OFT, 2006). The OFT reports that the expansion of the large supermarket chains into the convenience store sector (those below 280 sq metres) had considerably expanded this market segment, from 54 stores in 2000 to 1306 by 2005 within the UK market. According to IGAD Research (2009), there are 92,796 grocery stores located in Britain by end of 2008. This are divided into four main segments including: convenience stores; traditional retail; hypermarkets; supermarkets and superstores; and online channel [See Figure: 1]. IGAD Research reports that by 2008, the UK grocery market had grown to  £146.3bn, a 4.8 percent rise from 2007. Clarke (2001) reports that the big five supermarket chains account for half of all food retail sales within the UK market while the two largest (Tesco and Sainsbury) command a market share of third of the market share. Due to their predominance, these supermarkets have evolved monopolistic tactics since they control the downstream market or the retail level hence are able to fix prices to generate higher profits by using their market power