Common agricultural policy (research paper) Essay

Common agricultural policy (research paper) - Essay Example Currently, there are reforms that are being instituted with a view to reducing control on imports, as well as the transfer of subsidy to land stewardship, as opposed to a specified production of crops. In addition, the implementation of this scheme usually varies among the various member countries of the European Union. Up until 1992, the European Union share on agricultural expenditure amounted to 49 percent of the union's budget. It has thus far been projected that come the year 2013, the traditional share spending of CAP will have reduced by half, to 32 percent. It has further been opined that the cause behind this reduction shall be as a result of a reduction in real terms in the present financial period. Conversely, the amount spent by the European Union on regional policy, and which in 1988 represented 17 percent of the EIU budget, will by 2013 be more than double, to stand at 36 percent. The Common Agricultural Policy hopes to provide reasonable living standards to farmers the one hand, while also ensuring that consumers receives high quality food at prices that are fair (Richardson 2000). In addition, the CAP hopes to preserve rural heritage. Although some critics have regarded the CAP as a project whose sole intent is a waste of money, still there is a majority of others who views it as the most successful policies of the European Union. ... As opposed to the paying of farmers so that they can produce more, the payment made by the European Union are conditional; as long as the farmers are able to meet animal welfare and environmental standards. Additionally, the farmers are also supposed to ensure that their land is kept in a good condition always. Thus far, the CAP has recognized a need to take into consideration the agricultural social structure, as well as the natural disparities among various agricultural regions. Through the maintenance of the levels of commodity prices, the integrated measures of the CAP ensure that production of commodities in the European Union is subsidized. To achieve this, the cap uses a number of mechanisms: First, import levies are charged to specific goods that are imported from outside the European Union. Such levies are often set at such a level as to aid in the raising of world market prices to reach the target price of the European Union. Secondly, the CAP uses import quotas as a means of restricting the quantity food that is to be imported into the European Union. Then, such prices of the foods are usually set with a view to raising the world market prices so at to reach the targets fro the European Union. Such a target price is often chosen to become the maximum price that can be desired for such goods within the co9nfuines of the European Union. Thirdly, the import quotas are also used as a way of restricting the amount of food that can be imported into the European Union. To this end, there are some countries who are non-members of the European Union that have been able to negotiate for quotas that enables them sell specific products within the EU minus the tariffs. Finally, there is

Assessment History Essay Example for Free

Assessment History Essay Then and Now: History of Assessments Used in Special Education In today’s world students are being diagnosed every day for multiple disorders. Over the history of special education both standardized (formal) and curriculum based (informal) assessments have been created and implemented to help make sure that students are receiving the proper support to help them meet their educational goals. Assessments within special education are implemented to determine a student’s strengths as well as pinpoint areas where they may need extra support and guidance. (Pierangelo Giuliani, 2007) The results of the assessments given to students will be used to decide if the student qualifies for special education services. The assessments used in the United States have developed in conjunction with special education services, to what we know and use today. This paper will outline the history of assessments administered in the United States, discuss how today’s application of assessment differs, and how these changes have impacted special education as a whole. History of Assessments The history of special education has evolved greatly over the years. Prior to the 1970’s there were very few individuals with special needs being served within the public school system. There were two federal laws passed in 1975 that would aid in the process of children enrolling in the public schools. The first law was Education for All Handicapped Children (EHA), this law requires that children of all ability levels receive the right to public education. The second law that played a key role in providing students with disabilities appropriate education is the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). The IDEA not only requires students with disabilities access to public education but that the school district provides personalized services (special education) for individuals who qualify. (Special Education News, 2013) The laws and legislative acts passed advocate for these students, making sure they receive free and appropriate education. As special education evolved over the years so did many of the tools used to assess students with special needs. Although â€Å"Interest in intelligence dates back thousands of years, it wasnt until [the early 1900’s that] psychologist. Alfred Binet was commissioned to identify students who needed educational assistance, that the first IQ test was born. † (Cherry, 2013). This type of assessment was a standardized test that measured the individual in areas such as their: skills, character traits, attitudes, knowledge, and educational measurement. As the special education field grew, the use of the Simon-Binet method spread quickly across the Western world. (Reschly, 2002). â€Å"Historically, educational assessment in the United States has been dominated by psychometric assumptions and approaches,† such as the Simon-Binet Scale. (McLaughlin Rouse, 2000). However, as time as the years have gone by the assessments and protocols used for special education have adapted and evolved. Today’s Assessment / Impact of changes In today’s world there are a variety of assessments and tools to choose from when working with and identifying students with special needs. These assessments fall under two categories, the first being standardized assessments, and the second being curriculum based assessments. The Binet scale, now known has the Stanford-Binet Intelligence scale has been adapted since it was introduced to educators in 1905, and is one of the many standardized assessment tools still used today. Although standardized tests are a great starting point for diagnosing students with special needs it should not be the sole contributor to the diagnosis of a student. Two main concerns when using a standardized test such as the Stanford-Binet scale are that it is culturally unfair and testing conditions and interpretation of test results influence how the student will do on the assessment. Often the standardized tests that are implemented within the school district have been created in the UK or the United States and are mainly designed to be used among white, middle-class children. Therefor if this test is used for any child outside of the specific target group it will be unfair and could lead to the misdiagnosis of students who need special education services. (Newton, 2009) â€Å"For example, if a student with limited English proficiency were assessed using an IQ measure where the directions are given in English, this students performance would likely be compromised based upon limited understanding of the instructions, resulting in a significant underestimate of the students true intelligence. † (GCU, 2013) It is  extremely important for educators to properly assess the students and to make sure we work with them in their areas of struggle prior to labeling them as needing special education. Since every assessment has its pros and cons it is a teachers responsibility to become familiar with their students and know what assessment would best fit their needs. Since there can be some limitations with standardized tests educators may want to explore various curriculum based assessments to aid in the process of identifying these students. One common curriculum based assessments that is used today is the Response to Intervention (RTI). RTI is a type of educational intervention that is implemented to provide students who are having difficulties extra assistance prior to referring them to a special education program. This informal assessment tool is a multi-level prevention system that helps students succeeds in their education. Teachers will follow RTI by monitoring the students’ progress on a regular basis, implementing evidence-based interventions of varying intensities depending on how the student is responding. (NCRTI, 2010). Curriculum based assessments such as RTI have many benefits to students and Educators. Educators today may choose to use these types of assessments because it allows them to be proactive about the problem at hand, they are easy to implement into a classroom routine, if interventions are successful the child will be brought back up to grade level without needing special education services. (Wilmshurst Brue, 2013) Conclusion The assessments and protocols developed throughout the history of special education have evolved and implemented to benefit the students, as well as special education as a whole. Each assessment and intervention has been created to aid educators in the process of serving their students to the best of their abilities. School systems went from using one assessment tool to identify and work with students with disabilities to having a vast selection to choose from. Both formal and informal assessment tools used by educators in today’s society aid in the process of diagnosing and helping students who qualify for special education services. Although, there are some assessment tools that may be better than others, each one will have their pros and cons. Educators can create and use assessment tools that reflect what we know about the student and their learning abilities. The educators and their school districts â€Å"can do so by building on what we have learned during the past decade, and ensuring that the process and outcomes of their approach to alternate assessment are transparent and subject to review, stand up to both technical and ethical scrutiny, push practices and outcomes in the expected and desired directions, and can be improved through data-based oversight over time. † (Quenemoen, 2008). Educators will have to use the best judgment and knowledge to decide what assessment(s) will best work for them. Whether educators use one assessment or a variety of assessments, the main objective is to give the student the best chance to succeed in their education and assist them in becoming functioning members of our their community. References Cherry, K. (2013). History of Intelligence Testing. Retrieved from: http://psychology. about. com/od/psychologicaltesting/a/int-history. htm Grand Canyon University. (2013). Types of Evaluation. Received from: www. my. gcu. edu McLaughlin, M. Rouse, M. (2000). Special Education and School Reform in the United States and Britain. New York, NY: Routledge. Newton, C. (2009). Problems with IQ and Psychometric Assessment. Retrieved from: www. inclusive-solutions. com/word/IQ_Problems_Jan. doc? NCRTI. (2010). Essential Components of RTI. Retrieved from: http://www. rti4success. org/ Pierangelo, R. Giuliani, G. (2007). Understanding Assessment in the Special Education Process. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. Quenemoen, R. (2008). A brief history of alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards (Synthesis Report 68). Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, National Center on Educational Outcomes. Retrieved from: http://www. cehd. umn. edu/NCEO/onlinepubs/Synthesis68/Synthesis68. pdf Reschly, J. D. (2002). Change Dynamics in Special Education Assessment: Historical and Contemporary Patterns. Peabody Journal of Education, V77 n2 p117-36. Retrieved from: http://owl. english. purdue. edu/owl/resource/560/10/ The History of Special Education in the United States. (2013). Special Education News. Retrieved from: http://www. specialednews. com/the-history-of-special-education-in-the- united-states. htm Wilmshurst, L. Brue, W. A. (2013). Advantages of Response to Intervention. Retrieved from: http://www. education. com/reference/article/advantages-rti/

Impact of Harassment on the Victim

Impact of Harassment on the Victim How does harassment have a psychological effect on homosexuals? Homosexuality has been an issue for people around the world seemingly since the beginning of time. It is a lifestyle that has been debated, unaccepted and stereotyped.But in recent years, society has welcomed more and more homosexuals into its loving arms under the umbrella of civil liberties. It is become increasingly acceptable to be homosexual in society today.1 Investigation made by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute including some surveys, found that there was a high percentage of discrimination against homosexual people. The investigation also stated that homosexual people have reported discrimination in public restaurants, medical facilities, insurance, and also education.2 Due to the investigation results the civil rights bills have introduced into the process that will give particular rights of nondiscrimination based on sexual orientation. Now a day as the adult homosexual community increases day by day, there is also an increasing number of homosexual youth in the present day. Results shown by the 1996 National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health found that in over 12,000 teenagers, ages between the 13 and 18, six percent reported same-sex attraction.3 So how does harassment influence a young homosexual psychologically? In order to answer the previous question, we must first deal with issues concerning homosexual discrimination while evaluating facts on the harassment and discrimination that homosexual teenagers have been exposed to and the psychological outcome that this has had on them. Also we must define what sexual orientation is, and study information of how many people in America are homosexual. We must then use the biological perspective to explain the origin of homosexuality. Over the past two decades data supports that there has been discrimination among the homosexual teenagers and that they are regularly being harassed by other people. The different types of harassment that the homosexual people undergo on a dail y basis are presented later on in order to discuss the suffering and psychological problems. Along with the explanation of the different types of harassment, studies made present results that suggest that the victims of the harassment had some type of psychological problem. In this paper we are going to examine the impact of the harassment in homosexual people, the explanation on how psychologists view homosexual trauma, including suicide, and the best ways to get rid of discrimination against homosexual students in school are going to be examined. 2. Sexual Orientation: Sexual orientation is the direction of ones sexual interest toward members of the same (homosexual orientation), opposite (heterosexual orientation), or both sexes (bisexual orientation).4 Homosexual people tend to remind themselves that they were the same as heterosexuals when they were younger, and that it wasnt until during or after they became adults that the majority of them become aware of their homosexual orientation. Most of them didnt announce themselves as homosexuals until they were in their twenties. At the beginning of the twenty-first century the press believed that ten percent of the American population was homosexual, but in 2002, the Gallup survey revealed that an estimated 21 percent of American men are gay and that 22 percent of American women are lesbians.5 Even though knowing the number of homosexuals will not change the civil rights issues, health experts consider that knowing sexual statistics would be very helpful. 3. The Psychology behind Homosexuality: In general, a variety of biological and behavioral traits of homosexual people are different from those of heterosexual people. There are biological associations of sexual orientations found among brain differences, genetic influences, and prenatal hormonal influences. Now a day investigations propose that sexual orientation is, at least, somehow biological. The British-American neuroscientist, Simon LeVay, discovered while studying dead homosexual and heterosexual people, that some sections of the hypothalamus have a connection with homosexual identity. He established out that hypothalamus cell clusters are larger in straight men than in women and gay men. He also stated that the brain does change with sexual orientation, which is completely supported by the theory that establishes that everything that is psychological is also biological.5 LeVay doesnt see the brain as a sexual orientation organ, but, as an essential part of the neural trail connected in sexual behavior. Later on he confirmed his theory as he discovered a parallel difference between the six and ten percent of sheep that presented homosexual orientation, and the ninety or more percent that presented heterosexual orientation. A discovery made by Laura Allen and Roger Gorski, supported LeVays theory, as it established that the corpus callosum or tough body (located in the brain) is one-third larger in homosexual men than in heterosexuals or females. Through this discovery it has been stated, Homosexual men are more likely to have female-typical neuroanatomy than heterosexual men.5 Another factor that may influence sexual orientation is genetics. Investigations were made in sets of twin homosexual brothers, and the results stated that between identical twins, 52 percent shared the brothers orientation, and 22 percent among fraternal twin brothers. So as a result it was concluded that genetics wasnt the only factor that causes homosexual orientation, but that it is a factor that influences.5 An additional theory that has been stated on why twin brothers share similar sexual orientation is that they share the same prenatal environment. Usually in animals and in some human cases, irregular prenatal hormone conditions have been recognized to alter sexual orientation. Throughout the important period after the middle of the second month and up to the fifth month after formation, the structure of the brains neural-hormonal control system have led scientists to structure a hypothesis that states that homosexuals were exposed to unusual prenatal hormones. It has also been proved that contact to the hormone levels inclines the fetus to be attracted to men later in life. Analyses also reveal that homosexual men have spatial abilities more like those of typical heterosexual women. In the case of lesbians it has been shown that they tend to have a more male-typical anatomy. It has been revealed that the hearing system of lesbians build up in a transitional way between those of heter osexual people, due to the fact that there has been some influence from prenatal hormones.5 Dahir Mubarak wrote a magazine article in The Advocate (The U.S. based national gay and lesbian newsmagazine) entitled, Why Are We Gay? which explores whether being gay is influenced by genetics, environment, or biology. He states that, for years, the gay and lesbian political organization has been stating that homosexual orientation is inherited and permanent.6 This has in fact won some few followers to the gay and lesbian civil rights group. The article states, Americans who believe sexual orientation is either genetic or biological are much more likely to support gay and lesbian civil rights than those who believe it is determined primarily by environmental influences.6 Scientists consider that approximately 70 percent of them are influenced genetically to have a homosexual orientation, even though they also think that three percent can influence their sexual operation. Scientists today suppose that homosexual orientation is influenced by genetics, environment, and has biological tendency. Their researches and answers may permit the public to put an end to harassment and discrimination for sexual orientation, if they demonstrate that sexual orientation cannot be manipulated and that it is not only influenced by the environment. 4. The Harassment of Homosexuals: On a daily basis lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people are victims of harassment and violence, for the most part at school. The controversial expressions hate crimes or bias-motivated crimes are frequently used to explain the psychological violence with lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender teenagers must deal. These hate crimes were defined by the U.S congress in 1992, as, when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certainsocial group, usually defined byracial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, class, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, social status, or political affiliation.7 In the last decade, the punishment for these hate crimes have develop into much harsher punishments, even though it is more probable to refuse a criminal with a death penalty for murder that is associated with hate. A study was accomplished by Gregory M. Herek, Ph. D, and two of his colleagues, in order to assess the mental health of hate crimes between the years of 1993 and 1996. This investigation was performed on 2300 gays, lesbians and bisexuals. The experiment included more or less an equal number of men and women within an average age of 34 years. The participants were provided a questionnaire about their personal experiences with crime, their attitudes, and beliefs on a diversity of topics, their community participation, and their psychological well being. The researchers found out that hate crimes had more psychological effects than other type of crimes. They researchers also noticed higher levels of pain shown by the gays and lesbians that had survived hate crimes, depression, stress or anger, than those who had survived crimes that were not linked to sexual orientation.8 The researchers accept as true that delicate suffering was caused by the involvement of personal hazard and vulnerab ility with their identity. Along with causing more suffering, the duration of the suffering caused by hate crimes was discovered to last longer than the suffering caused by crimes that had nothing to do with sexual orientation. Among these discoveries there was the prevalence of hate crimes against homosexuals; the reports of these crimes to any kind of authority were rather fewer than other type of crimes, but the majority of all this type of harassment is not the only kind to which this population is exposed.8 Harassment refers to the broad spectrum of offensive behavior. Behaviors that harassment refers to are found to be menacing or alarming, and further than those that are sanctioned by society. The Journal of Adolescent Health has published a study in order to examine the connection between intolerance at school and mental health risks, by using representative information and comparing lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) teenagers with heterosexual teenagers. The data was taken from the 1995 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, given in Massachusetts and Vermont; it included 9188 students, which included 315 students who recognized themselves as either homosexual or bisexual. The studys conclusion stated, The findings supplied evidence that differences in health risks among LGB teenagers are mediated by intolerance in school. Such discrimination of LGB teenagers are associated with health risk behaviors.9 In societies that support free speech, only monotonous, constant and dishonest types of speec h are sanctioned legally as harassment. To comprehend, we must make clear the different types of harassment that are important to todays teenagers. The different types of harassment include bullying, gang stalking, psychological harassment, racial harassment, religious harassment, sexual harassment, stalking, and street harassment. Verbal harassment is the most commonly reported type of harassment, because it contains no boundaries. It is just defined as something that makes a person believe as if he is in menace or that an announcement was taken abusively by the victim. The gay, lesbian, and straight education network (GLSEN) measured the anti-gay harassment found in schools and discovered that 61.1 percent of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students reported being verbally harassed.10 The Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology published an article that reviews the verbal and physical abuse of homosexual teenagers. The article states, This answer to gay, lesbian, and bisexual adolescents by significant others in their environment is frequently associated with quite a few challenging outcomes, including school-related problems, runaways, conflict with the law, substance abuse, prostitution, and suicide. Although the causal relationship between these stressors and outcomes has not been scientifical ly established, there is suggestive evidence that these outcomes are consequences of verbal and physical harassment.11 Bullying is one of the many types of harassment that usually takes place on the playground, in the classroom at school, or in the workplace. Typically physical and psychological harassing behavior is carried out against a certain person. Psychological harassment is degrading or offensive behavior that lowers a persons self-esteem or causes him or her a torture. This type of harassment is primarily seen in the form of verbal comments, actions, or gestures. Also psychological harassment can be expressed in the method of writing, such as on restroom walls in school. Sometimes another type of harassment appears which is the stalking, activity in which an unauthorized following and observing of an individual is done, to an extent that the persons privacy is inappropriately interrupted, and in most cases the victim fears for his own wellbeing. In March of 2005, UCLA researchers reported the first study that examined everyday school harassment, which was conducted on the 192 sixth grade students. 47 percent of them reported being bullied at least once during the development of the study, while 46 percent said that they had been bullied at least once. This study is in some way helpful because it addresses the psychological problems that these students were left with after being harassed. Juvonen, Mark and Graham Schuster wrote, Students who reported getting picked on also reported increased embarrassment and fury, while students who saw a classmate picked on reported increased concern and disliked school more.12 Adrienne Nishina, Jana Juvonen, and UCLA developmental psychology graduate student Melissa Witwok recently published in the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Middle school students who are bullied in school are likely to feel depressed, lonely and miserable, which in turn makes them more susceptibl e to further bullying incidents12 Because they are different from their school mates, the bullying that homosexual students are subjected to, is considered out of the normal. Homophobia is one of the main reasons the teenagers are often harassed, and homophobia starts early and is often influenced by the adult figures in the childs life. The Institute of Education conducted interviews in 1987, with teachers at schools, and it concluded that 82 percent of teachers are conscious of homophobic bullying, although the school still lacks the attempt to deal with these issues. Homophobic bullying and harassment has been estimated to be the reason of one in five homosexuals attempt to commit suicide or harm themselves. Bullying and harassment are types of disturbance and, therefore, may lead to cause damage to ones health. The warning signs that the victims usually present are the ones that are identified as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Aggression and harassment frequently cause the PTSD to be more difficult. Complex PTSD is often untreated because the sufferers of PTSD tend to find it difficult to find any kind of treatment or knowledge of treatment, and, if untreated, PTSD symptoms can last for a lifetime. In homosexual teens today, this seems to be one of the most important issues, because harassment leading up to PTSD, which it commonly does, in most cases prevents people from achieving their goals.13 Sexual harassment is also common among teenagers in educational facilities. In the year 2001, the American Association of University Women conducted an investigation on students in grades 8 to 11, and discovered that 4 out of 5 boys and girls reported some sort of sexual harassment.14 The GLSEN found in a study conducted in 2001 that 46.5 percent reported being sexual harassed. Although the percentage is rather bit smaller, the homosexual community is especially small compared to the total population in the world, and some students may have feared to testify the incidents of being sexually harassed. Over the past year, a national survey was conducted by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and administered to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) teenagers; and found out that, more than four-fifths of the LGBT teenagers have experienced verbal harassment, and that 42 percent have experienced some kind of sexual harassment. In 1997, an Iowa study found that on an every day average, high school students will hear 25 anti-gay comments. These types of harassment can rise up to physical attacks and even rape. During a five year study finished by the Safe Schools Coalition of Washington State, the researchers documented and stated that there were 111 incidents of anti-gay violence in 73 different schools. This violence included eight gang rapes with students from sixth to eleventh grade. Sexual harassment in America is considered a form of criminal prejudice and it is a form of mental violence. Many victims of psychological harassment go through physical di sorders, irritability, anxiety, nervousness, insomnia, stress, fatigue, depressive states, bum outs, and in some cases, suicide. 5. Suicide, a Result from Harassment: Gay and lesbian teenagers have increased rates of assault, suicide, substance abuse, and homelessness; these events are a reflection of what homophobic attitudes express by others or may be internalized feelings of self-hatred. Adolescents who have by now decide that they are gay or lesbian can happen to be depressed or act out, and commonly become absent or even run away from home, or they may get to express negative feelings towards the family members. Now a day homosexual teens need assistance managing the effects of the persistent attacks by social institutions on their self-esteem and hopes for a successful career.15 Suicide, although not always the result of sexual harassment, is fatal. Suicide is the act of a human being intentionally causing his or her owndeath16 It seems for a lot of people that gay and lesbian teenagers are in danger of committing suicide because of the sexual harassment throughout their lives. Several state and national studies have revealed that, among homosexual teenagers, there are more thoughts and actual suicide attempts than among heterosexual teenagers. Most of the time psychologists consider suicide as a way to call the attention of people. They also believe that reasons for suicide are not only external but also internal, meaning there is a chemical imbalance. They have not found any relations of suicide of homosexuals due to internal problems. This is important because it strongly suggests that sexual harassment is the major cause of suicide of homosexuals with internal problems. Statistics for homosexual suicide have fluctuated between 30 percent to less than 1 p ercent. Peter LaBarbera, in an article titled The Gay Youth Suicide Myth, uses statistics provided by Dr. David Shaffer, one of Americas authorities on suicides throughout todays teens. LaBarbera quotes Dr. Shaffer by saying, by broadening the definition, we therefore ran the risk of overdetermining the number of gay suicides. In spite of this, out of 107 male teen suicides, only three were known to have talked to others about a homosexual experience (2.7%) and two of these three died together in a suicide pact. A further four showed some behavior that could have been indicative of homosexuality. None of the female suicides were thought to have been lesbian. If all of the teenagers who showed any evidence of homosexual behavior were indeed gay, then a total of 6% of the suicides in our study would have been gay. Once again, there is no evidence that a large proportion of suicides are gay, but [6% is] more or less [what] we would expect in the general population17 In Oklahoma suicide, is the second most common cause of death in people among the ages of 13 and 25, including both sexes and all races. In the year 2003, according to the National Center of Injury Prevention and Control, 76 young adults in Oklahoma committed suicide. Out of that, five were homosexuals. Oklahomas statistics were considered because it is believed to be an enthusiastic and conservative state, considering it was one of the 11 states in November 2004 approving [the] constitutional amendments codifying marriage as an exclusively heterosexual institution. Additionally, the state defined it as a misconduct crime to issue a marriage license to a same sex couple.18 Throughout the United States, there were 4620 suicides in the year 2003, and the homosexual community accounted for 277 for all those deaths. Taking into consideration the population of the United States, 277 does not seem like a lot of people, but considering that the homosexual community only makes up 1percent or 2 percent of the whole country, it is quite a few. Suicide rates are significant to examine at in this case, even though it is difficult to do so because sexual orientation is not listed on ones death certificate. 6. Conclusion: In conclusion, harassment does have an effect on a homosexual individual by making him either feel stressed, afraid of being open with his sexual orientation, or even suicidal. There are all diverse types of harassment that face up to homosexuals, but all result in psychological violence against the individual, and it is essential to note that the reason that homosexuals have psychological difficulties is not because of their homosexuality, but rather than, from the harassment to which they are exposed. One of the psychological results from homosexual harassment is PTSD, which weakens the victim from the pressure of a traumatic occurrence; bullying and sexual harassment can cause this also. The most crucial result from homosexual harassment is suicide. The suicidal teenagers feel that the pressure of the attacks is too challenging and that they cant live with the weight of being homosexual. Suicide is the result of all types of harassment, including verbal, physical, and sexual harassment, which is the reason that discussing homosexual harassment is so important. The reason that homosexuals are treated differently is because people are not well-informed about homosexuality. The National Association of School Psychologists recognizes that children who question their sexual orientation are at a greater risk of harmful situations, such as suicide, physical and verbal harassment, and physical violence. These risks usually take place for the child at school, and in their study the NASP concluded that 28% of the students missed at least one day of school as a result of feeling unsafe because they questioned their sexuality. Their suggestions for creating a safe school for sexual minority teenagers include establishing and enforcing non-discrimination policies that apply to all students, educating students and staff, intervening when a student is harassing or being harassed, along with giving that student support. In order for the homosexual youth to feel secure at school, these students need to be incorporated in the non-discrimination policy that most schools have. The students and staff then need to be involved because of all the consequences that may follow the harassment of a homosexual student or peer. The education of students and staff about sexual minority teenagers should include a meticulous in service training on all diversities of human beings, as well as including pertinent research of the risks experienced by homosexual youth. Consequences should be applied to the perpetrators, but psychotherapy should be offered to both the victim and the perpetrator.

Chisholm Trail :: essays research papers

Chisholm Trail When the railroads moved west to the Great Plains, the "Cattle Boom" began. Southern Texas became a major ranching area with the raising of longhorn cattle from Mexico. Cattle was branded by the rawhides who guarded them on horseback on the ranges. Before the Civil War, small herds of Texas cattle were driven by the cowboys to New Orleans, some as far west as California, and some to the north over the Shawnee Trail. This trail passed through Dallas and near the Indian Territory, ending in Sedalia, Missouri. In 1866, the Shawnee Trail presented some major problems for the cattle drivers Farmers along the route did not like their fields being trampled. They also objected to the spread of tick fever. Longhorns carried the ticks but were immune to the fever. A few farmers were so angry, they armed themselves with shotguns to convince the cattle ranchers to find another trail north. There was a large increase icattle by the end of the Civil War. Over 1,000,000 cattle roamed the open range. At this time, people in the north had money to buy beef and cattle which was in great demand. A cow that cost 4 to5 dollars a head in Texas was going for 40 to 50 dollars a head in the east. Ranchers hired cowboys for the cattle drives north, realizing the great opportunity for a large profit if they could reach the railroads in Abilene, Kansas. Joseph McCoy, a stock dealer from Springfield, Illinois, decided a new trail was necessary west of the farms. In 1867, he chose a route that would reach Abilene and the railroads with the least amount of problems. This route was to become well-known as the Chisholm Trail. Jesse Chisholm was a half-breed, a Scotch Cherokee Indian trader, who in 1866 drove a wagon through the Indian territory, known now as Oklahoma, to the Wichita, Kansas, where he had a trading post. Cattlemen use the same trail in the years to come, following Chisholm's wagon ruts to Abilene, Kansas, and the railroads. The trail began below San Antonio, Texas, and stretched north for about 1,000 miles. The main course then passed through Austin, Fort Worth, The Indian Territory, and Wichita to Abilene. Side trails fed into the Chisholm Trail. The cattle fed on grass along the trail. Cattlemen moved about 1,500,000 cattle over the trail during a three year span. The biggest year was in 1871, when 5,000 cowboys drove over 700,000 head of cattle along the trail from Texas to Abilene. The Chisholm Trail was the most popular route because of the good terrain.

McCarthy’s power Essay

We also see this clearly when the corrupt Putnam ruthlessly and heartlessly kills off his neighbours to buy their land, using his daughter and Tituba as mediums to accuse people with and feeding names into their mouths, as he does with the words, â€Å"Sarah Good? Did you ever see Sarah Good with him (the devil)? Or Osburn? Before his daughter Ruth has even admitted to witchcraft, he spreads the word of witchcraft, cruelly calculating his next move. The words, â€Å"That is a notorious sign of witchcraft, a prodigious sign,† indicate his joy at the opportunity to make some money and settle some old grudges. His disregard for his daughter’s health is yet another example of his lack of humanity. Parris is equally selfish and cold. When questioning Abigail about her dancing in the woods, Parris proceeds to say, â€Å"I must know it now, for my enemies will, and they will ruin me with it†¦ you must understand I have many enemies†¦ there is a faction sworn to drive me from my pulpit,† like Putnam lacking any concern for Abigail. It is clear that people like Danforth, Parris and Putnam aren’t in the business of helping Salem’s society, as people of their status should be, but in furthering their own possessions. Without these individuals keeping order and maintaining justice in the town, all of the old grudges and petty grievances are allowed to run riot and influence the proceedings in court, as we see when Ann Putnam accuses Rebecca Nurse, arguably the most respected person in the town, of killing her babies. This is also an example of how little scientific knowledge was available at the time, and how eager people were to place blame on other people. Aside from the few individuals with integrity, like Proctor, Corrie and Rebecca Nurse, the rest of Salem’s society will sacrifice others to safeguard their name in the town. When questioned by Hale, Abigail seems to instinctively play the innocent child which the audience knows she is definitely not, an example of dramatic irony. â€Å"I’m a good girl! I’m a proper girl! † These words highlight how quick she is to defend herself, and her insecurity about her image and reputation in the village. Once she is safe, she proceeds to shift blame onto others, like Tituba. â€Å"She tried (to make me drink the soup) but I refused†¦ She made me drink blood! † Abigail realises her word is taken over Tituba’s because of the racial prejudice at the time the play is set in. People like Abigail, Parris and Putnam aren’t afraid to use this discrimination to their advantage, which only serves to kill more people, or to ruin their lives. It is ironic that one of the few admirable qualities that are found in the town is the reason that so many people die. Ultimately, people like Hale and Proctor realise that it isn’t being seen as a good Christian or letting people think you are innocent that matters, but knowing yourself that you are innocent and have nothing to fear. It is this that convinces them that everything should be done to protect your innocence, even giving your life, in Proctor’s case. People like Proctor and Reverend Hale are purified by Danforth’s crucible but for the wrong reasons. While Danforth’s words, â€Å"We burn a hot fire here; it melts down all concealment,† would appear to be correct, they are ironic, in that the only way the truth comes out is if innocent people die first These men, along with the many others who are convicted, struggle long and hard with the decision of confession and lies versus integrity and righteousness. For others like Rebecca Nurse the choice is already decided, as her words, â€Å"Let you fear nothing, another judgement awaits us all,† suggest. She is firm in her belief that they will be repaid by God for maintaining their innocence. John’s dilemma is much worse, as he has family and children to worry about, and his name is ruined in the village already, as news of his adultery charges would have circulated. The impact of outpourings like, â€Å"I lie and sign myself to lies! I am not worth the dust of the feet of them that hang,† gives you the feeling that he realises the complexity of his situation, and that he is trapped either way. The real problem to him is that he believes it is his fault. Elizabeth’s last line, â€Å"He has his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him,† lets you know that she understands his choice and she respects and forgives him once again, which is ultimately what he wanted. The society has the ability to let innocent people die, not only because they are loyal to themselves and no one else, but because these people are willing to die for what they believe, or what they want, in Proctor’s case. There are many other people in the village who try to speak their mind, and do what is morally right, but whose aspirations are crushed by the opposing factors, like Parris, Danforth and Abigail. Mary Warren is a good example of this, as she hides from her fears, but then confronts them, only to be brought to her knees by the sheer callousness of Abigail. We can also attribute this to the earlier mention of Danforth’s interrogation-style cross examining as well, as he repeatedly asks the same question to Mary, â€Å"Has Mr. Proctor ever threatened you for this deposition? †¦ Has he ever threatened you? †¦ Has he threatened you? † It personifies the disorder of the court’s legal system, as if Danforth doesn’t get the answer he wants, you will suffer, whether you are right or wrong. Mary eventually caves in to the pressure, condemning Proctor in the process, although sympathy is felt for her, as all of her weaknesses are ruthlessly exploited by the girls, betraying Mary and leaving her with no other alternative. When Mary goes to court, she feels as if she is on trial and it is her credibility that is questioned, even though it is she who is accusing the girls, again linking to Hale’s earlier comment, â€Å"Is every defence an attack upon this court? † Danforth refuses to question the girls, as if they are found to be guilty, his reputation will be ruined and his judgement will be compromised. Instead he turns a blind eye you any damning evidence against the girls, and with the help of Parris, forces people to lie to save themselves, vindicating his decisions in the process. This is revealed when Parris declares, â€Å"There is either obedience or the church will burn like Hell is burning! † This is ironic, as Parris’ church is already â€Å"burning like Hell† as a result of his wayward leadership. Outbursts like this not only show the real character behind Parris’ fai ade, but they also serve to highlight the way he and Danforth work against the community, with an attitude that only helps the corrupt. Once Danforth has weakened the accuser, he provides them with a way out, as he does with Mary, slowly pushing her to convict Proctor with suggestions like, â€Å"It may well be Mary Warren has been conquered by Satan,† practically putting words in her mouth. His desperation becomes much more apparent when he threatens Mary, â€Å"You will confess or you will hang,† another example of his twisted logic and self-serving nature. This pressure to do what is expected draws parallels to the McCarthy era, when Un-American activities were seen as wrong, and the one person who should represent hope, Danforth in the case of The Crucible, is in fact an antagonist in the whole predicament. This pressure again links to fear, but in this case it is fear of authority that reigns supreme, as there are few people who have the courage to challenge the decisions made by Danforth, and face the harsh consequences. Any Salemites who enter the court are forced to choose between Danforth’s and Parris’ version of right, and the Christian right, which, in a just system, should be the same thing. As the play goes on, the audience’s antipathy for Parris grows, as they see him twisting the words of others and lying in court to protect himself, hardly the actions people expect of a priest. A prime example of dramatic irony is witnessed as the audience can see straight through Parris’ false exterior, as he desperately tries to cover up anything that could point to his knowledge of the girls â€Å"just dancin’ in the woods†. Few Salemites have any knowledge of his ulterior motives, or that anything he does or says is purely for his own well being, and the manner in which he projects himself is a far cry from his real character. Parris attempts to use theology to secure his position in the good books of Danforth and the community, often referring to the Bible during the proceedings in court. He leads most of the society to believe that he is trying to help them and, by lulling them into a false sense of security, he then seizes the opportunity to rid the town of anyone he believes is a threat to himself, or his position. Utilising his status and reputation, he preaches, â€Å"You should surely know that Cain were an upright man, and yet he did kill Abel,† in an attempt to have Proctor convicted. No court can provide unbiased or uncorrupted justice if its own minister is trying to have the defendant killed. His words, â€Å"The devil lives on such confidences! Without confidences there would be no conspiracy,† are ironic but true, as it is he who as kept much greater secrets, and it is he is the devil of Salem. In this sentence he is accusing someone who contrasts greatly with him, Giles Corey. Miller uses Corey to bring humour to the play, but he also stands alongside Proctor and Rebecca Nurse as one of the main symbols of integrity and righteousness. Although he is revealed as a nai ve, slightly puzzled man, he isn’t afraid to speak his mind, albeit with some harsh consequences like his wife’s death. Unlike Parris, he values his friends, which eventually leads to his death. His response to the choice of betraying his friend or dying is admirable, his integrity clear as he replies, â€Å"I stand mute. † The audience feels a great deal of sympathy and admiration not only for Corey, but also Proctor and Rebecca Nurse who set a great example that, few others follow. There is immense injustice, as the only people who die are innocent, and they are the privileged few who have integrity. Although he can’t stop the proceedings in the court, Hale disassociates himself from the fraudulent proceedings in the Salem court, with the statement, â€Å"I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court,† ruining his reputation in the process. His efforts to correct Danforth’s judgement are brought to a halt, often by Danforth himself who quips, â€Å"I will have nothing from you Mr. Hale! † This again highlights the stubbornness of Danforth, as he refuses to listen to anyone The structure of the play is quite regimented, as there always appears to be a glimmer of hope in each act, but the end of every act ends with chaos. This shows that the situation could never be resolved, as the paranoia and hysteria undermined any efforts to do this. In reality, it was the Salem society that was the devil, as Proctor declares, â€Å"A fire, a fire is burning! I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours Danforth! † This again shows the humbleness of Proctor, as he has the integrity to face up to his shortcomings, while Danforth would prefer to hide, frantically trying to drown out Proctor’s words with his own, with the frenetic cry, â€Å"Take him (Proctor) and Corey with him to the jail! † This is another illustration of Danforth’s cowardice, and his inability to confront his flaws. Proctor’s earlier quote, â€Å"God is dead! † also serves to show the disorder in the justice system. The people who should represent God, like Parris and Danforth, are now the devils. We see further irony when Danforth states, â€Å"I will not deal in lies,† in a bid to obtain Proctor’s confession, when in fact, every pardon or conviction was based on a lie. No one can be sure if Danforth believed he was right in doing what he did, but it is obvious that he wasn’t right. In contrast, it is more obvious that Parris had a hidden agenda. However, both were responsible for the deaths of innocent people, although it seems that this was the only thing that could bring their reign to an end. One of the reasons Miller wrote this play was to denounce McCarthyism, and the end again draws parallels to this period, as the whole saga only came to an end when someone took a stand against the state. There were very few people who were willing to stand up for their beliefs, not only in Salem, but also during the McCarthy era, which is understandable given the consequences. . Miller projects other figures as unlikely heroes, everyday people like Rebecca Nurse, Giles Corey and John Proctor, who have the courage and integrity to admit to their faults, and die for their beliefs. In this era, with the town steeped in anger, vengeance and despair, these individuals stand alone making their achievements even greater. Once a stand had been taken however, the repercussions suffered by the corrupt leaders of these eras were also similar. Danforth’s power over the public diminished rapidly and Parris â€Å"walked the highroad, and was never seen again. † McCarthy’s power ceased as well, highlighting again, that a few individuals with a conscience can make a difference, one way or the other.

Free Essays on I Sat Belonely

and the strong use of Liverpudlian slang. Lennon wrote most all of his poems and sonnets in a manner consistent with that of children’s poems purely for the entertainment value of listening to the rhyme scheme and silliness of the poem itself. The general idea of the first stanza is simple enough to ascertain the speaker who could or could not be John Lennon himself states that he sat beneath the boughs of a tree in the shade. There in the shade he heard a lady’s voice singing. The second stanza directly relates to the first showing that the speaker has not moved from beneath the tree, but merely looks up in to the branches and all around the... Free Essays on I Sat Belonely Free Essays on I Sat Belonely In the poem â€Å"I sat belonely† the general rhyme pattern is that of standard crossed rhyme. John Lennon, the author wrote this entire sonnet in crossed rhyme with six quatrains which resembles an English sonnet except for the fact that it is twenty-four lines in length and does not end in a couplet. All six stanzas are iambic tetrameter, the first stanza has end stop on the first, second, and fourth lines with enjambment on the third line. The second stanza is crossed rhyme showing end-stop in all four lines with a caesura in line three. The third stanza also has end-stop punctuation throughout all four lines. The fourth stanza has a bit of a change in tempo due to the enjambment found in the second and third lines, the first and fourth still have end-stop punctuation. Stanza five has enjambment in the first line, and the rest of the quatrain has end-stop punctuation. The sixth and final stanza is a quatrain with end-stop punctuation on all four lines. The flow of the stanz a is changed from the other five by the use of caesuras in the second and fourth lines. This is different from a Standard English sonnet due to the lack of a couplet which is the standard ending of most all English poems. The overall theme of this poem is kind of hard to ascertain due to the suessian use of made up words and the strong use of Liverpudlian slang. Lennon wrote most all of his poems and sonnets in a manner consistent with that of children’s poems purely for the entertainment value of listening to the rhyme scheme and silliness of the poem itself. The general idea of the first stanza is simple enough to ascertain the speaker who could or could not be John Lennon himself states that he sat beneath the boughs of a tree in the shade. There in the shade he heard a lady’s voice singing. The second stanza directly relates to the first showing that the speaker has not moved from beneath the tree, but merely looks up in to the branches and all around the...

Theory of Knowledge Essay †Philosophy

Theory of Knowledge Essay – Philosophy Free Online Research Papers Theory of Knowledge Essay Philosophy For over the millennia, philosophers have questioned whether knowledge exists and if we know anything at all. The product from uncertainty is the theory of knowledge. It is actually quite hard to define knowledge; the dictionary defines knowledge as general awareness or possession of information, facts, ideas, truths, or principles but philosophers define knowledge as a belief which is in agreement with the facts. A belief is generally defined as acceptance by the mind that something is true or real, often underpinned by an emotional or spiritual sense of certainty. The question is do we know what a fact is and what sort of parallel corresponds these two? This is the difference between â€Å"I am certain† and â€Å"it is certain†. When we say â€Å"I am certain†, we already know who the subject is: it is I. When we say â€Å"it is certain†, who or what is the subject? â€Å"I am certain† generally relates to a belief. You can be certain on something like â€Å"I am certain that I will win the race† but someone else may hold that to be false because they say the same thing. There is like tug-of-war between the two’s thoughts but whoever wins the war doesn’t mean their certainty is higher than anyone else’s belief. So who will win the race? What if someone else, who didn’t have that belief won, and then wouldn’t your belief be shattered? â€Å"I am certain† makes one feel better. It is mostly bias and are opinionated predictions based on numerous factors like emotion, spiritual sense, life experiences, etc. because the subject is I. Humans are known to be selfish and greedy throughout history. The degree of certainty is very low and therefore it is not trustworthy. What about â€Å"it is certain†? We don’t know who the subject is in this statement. ‘It’ could be anything from news to time. Depending on the subject and the statement proposed, the degree of certainty varies. If the subject was news, we couldn’t trust everything we read. When the Apollo 11 made the first landing on the moon in 1969, it was world news and everyone held that to be true for decades. In the middle of the 1990s, people started to question whether this was a hoax or not. When the bombing of the World Trade Center happened on September 11, 2001, there were photos and thousands of eyewitness accounts to reinforce the statement â€Å"it is certain†. We could be certain there is an attack on that day because eyewitness accounts exceed the numbers on the Apollo 11 mission by couple of thousand times. Therefore the level of certainty is higher. â€Å"It is certain† is based on factors like environment, eyewitness accou nts, evidence, etc. The level of certainty is higher than that of â€Å"I am certain†. Since fact is undefined at this point, what do we need for a knowledge claim to be held valid? Conviction is used by everyone everyday for a knowledge claim. Conviction also has a twist and turn and knowledge claims made by convictions changes over time. When teachers teach, they use their authority to implicate to the students that their teachings are true. Their authority is their conviction. Students will believe their teachers until they reached a new conclusion from something more convincing. Since absolute truth doesn’t exist in this dimension, we might as well believe anything that looks convincing to us. Nothing is fixed and doubt will always be with us. People will believe anything that looks convincing. For example, the landing on the moon looked convincing enough so people believed NASA but over the decades, their conviction was doubted and some people no longer held that to be valid. Accepting passionate, personal belief as knowledge is easy for oneself because the origin of the belief comes from you. For someone else to take in your personal beliefs, they consider many factors such as seriousness, possibility, levels of conviction, etc. first before accepting it. If someone says â€Å"I can eat five cheeseburgers for dinner† you may actually find that convincing because it is possible versus someone who says â€Å"I can eat fifty cheeseburgers† then you might not believe them. If someone were talking to you about their religion then you might find it hard to believe them because you have more faith in your own religion. Faith and self-confidence also play key roles in determining acceptations of personal beliefs. If someone has low self-confidence and little faith in their own beliefs, then they are more likely to believe someone else. If someone has strong faith and high self-esteem, then they have a strong barrier against invasion. Knowledge is still being researched and explored by many today. There are different levels of certainty for a belief. All beliefs are bias though and nothing in this world is pristine. People find something to be true if it looks convincing enough to them. Truth has many forms, but none in which we can see with our naked eye. Research Papers on Theory of Knowledge Essay - PhilosophyComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThree Concepts of PsychodynamicBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XTrailblazing by Eric AndersonMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalCapital PunishmentUnreasonable Searches and Seizures

What Do I Do After Graduation Part 2

What Do I Do After Graduation Part 2 What Do I Do After Graduation? Part 2 If you’re still asking yourself what you should do after graduation, know that the job of your dreams may, in fact, be within your reach. A well-written, comprehensive resume is the first step in getting there. (Consider using a professional resume writing service to help craft a winning one!) However, a good cover letter is just as important- perhaps moreso, especially if you don’t have a lot of experience to put on a resume. The cover letter shows off your personality and makes employers curious to know more about you. It allows you to expand on points in your resume that pertain to the position of interest. With specific keywords, your cover letter matches your qualifications and shows that youre a good candidate. A cover letter is the first thing a potential employer sees, so you want to make a good impression. It may not be read it if it’s long or rambling, so get to the point quickly and limit yours to one page or less. It should also give a good indication of your communication and writing skills. A clear and organized cover letter that’s free of grammatical errors says a lot about the applicant- even with just a quick glance. The tone of your cover letter should be positive, friendly, and confident. A cover letter has several specific goals: To introduce yourself and give the employer an idea of who you are To show that you have the skills and qualifications to do the job To provide additional information or expand on items listed on your resume To request a meeting or interview Address and Letterhead On the upper right corner of the page, put your name, address, phone number, email address, and a link to your website or LinkedIn profile. (You can also design your own letterhead to give your cover letter a more professional look.) The address of the company you are writing to goes on the left side underneath your personal information. Remember to leave space beneath this information before starting your letter. Your resume and cover letter are best formatted in size 12 font so they’re easy to read. Also use a font that looks professional, like Calibri or Times New Roman. Leave the Comic Sans or other childish fonts for another time. Salutation A salutation can be confusing for job applicants. Is ‘To Whom it May Concern’ or ‘Dear Hiring Manager’ correct, or is it better to include the name of someone specific? If the hiring manager’s name isnt mentioned in the job posting, make the effort to find out what it is. If possible, also use the person’s correct title, i.e. Ms., Dr., or Mr. Look for this information on the organization’s official website, LinkedIn profile, or simply call the company and ask for the person’s name and official title. If you don’t address the employer correctly, your cover letter could seem like a form letter instead. A proper salutation will show that you are someone who takes the initiative (and it could be a positive point in your favour). Opening paragraph The goal of the first paragraph is to express your interest in the position, so clearly state the title of the job for which you are applying. (It’s not necessary to explain where you saw the position advertised.) Then write a few sentences about why the position interests you. Make your statements brief and concise; you’ll expand on these points later in the letter. Middle Paragraph The middle paragraph is important because this is where you’ll explain your resume in more detail. Show the reader that you match all or most of their requirements. It’s also important to know if you’ll fit in with the company, so learn about the organization and have a good understanding of who they are and what they do. Perhaps research the hiring manager (or whoever will receive your letter) as well. Employers often match job applications to specific keywords from their ad, so use those words in your cover letter. (Keywords can be anything related to the position or its requirements.) Let your letter reflect the tone of the ad and highlight how your goals match the company’s mission. If you think you’re well-suited for the job, you may want to add another paragraph here. Once you’ve learned about the company, you can express how you think your specific goals and experience fit in with its mission and future plans. Comment on what you think you could specifically accomplish for them in light of all this information. Final Paragraph The final paragraph of the cover letter should be about two to four sentences long. The purpose of this section is primarily to mention the attached resume and stress that you’re open to meeting for an interview. Phrase the final sentence or two as a call to action, such as â€Å"Please give me a

The Family and the Dignity of Women Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Family and the Dignity of Women - Assignment Example Human trafficking is a market driven industry whose operation depends on the market principles of supply and demand. The human traffickers generate billions of revenues yearly through victimization acts. 2. Pope Francis (2013) EvangeliiGaudium Ch. II: #66-67;70,74,75;103,104;CH.IV: #211-214. Retrieved from [Accessed 18th January 2015] Pope Francis in chapter two #66-67 points out of the cultural crisis that is facing the family as well as the communities as a whole. He states that the family is the fundamental pillar of the society. Through family, people learn how to live and tolerate each other despite the differences that may be in existence. Pope Francis attributes the crisis that is threatening family bonds to the individualistic lifestyle of the globalized era. In #70, 74 and75, Pope Francis calls for evangelization activities that will put emphasis on new ways of relating to God, to others and the world at large. He also discusses the issue of human trafficking, narcotics trade, exploitation of the minority and other social evils. The Pope advocates for the proclamation of the gospel as a basis of restoring human dignity. He also calls for a change in the family tendency to isolate and protect to that of connection and integration. In #103,104, Pope Francis acknowledges the role of women and their contribution to the society. The pope points out on the unique skills and capabilities many women possess and the contributions they make to the church. He proposes the creation of opportunities that will ensure greater inclusivity of women in the church and pastoral activities. Pope Francis also demands that the legitimate rights of women be respected and that the equality of men and women in the church is paramount. Pope Francis in Chapter IV, #211-214 addresses the issue of human trafficking and the victims of the

Managerial Marketing Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managerial Marketing - Term Paper Example Retention of the customers is a system which must be mastered because it is the key to success and profitability. Businesses start with dreams of financial independence and financial security. No business can ever start to germinate and soar to success without a good idea, a business plan, sufficient capitalization and mastery of at least two aspects of business, human resource management and marketing management. This paper zeroes in on marketing management Target market is defined as the specific groups of customers that a business entity aims to capture (www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/term/82498.html). Today, there is stiff competition in practically all kinds of business so it is imperative that to capture these target markets, there be target market strategies. It is also important that these target markets be identified, a process called market segmentation and a market niche be established (Daly,2001,p.50). To do this, an earnest research should be conducted to identify who these people are who have needs and wants that can be met by the services or the products of the business entity. If the business has already been started, then research begins with one's own existing customers. The questions to be answered are: who are these people; what sort of lives do they lead; who influence their buying decisions; what purchasing power do they have; what

Analyze Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analyze Film - Essay Example Controlling one of the busiest airspaces in the United States is a major reason that gives Nick a lot of pressure hence his stressful life. The job is very stressing as indicated by the 50% dropout of new recruits. The new recruits are unable to cope with this pressure and quit the job at its earliest stages. Later, Russell Bell joins the air controllers. Nick is challenged such that he is envious of the power and endurance portrayed by a new recruit (Pushing Tin). The entry of Russell into the airspace controlling job becomes a reason to pressure Nick since he always thought that he was the best in the crew. It is something that he can do away with by just swallowing his pride but since his inner character shows him otherwise, he ends up being very stressed by everything Russell does in life. Nick is jealous of the power to handle stressful tasks at the workplace that is portrayed by Russell. He perceives him as his competitor in everything in life. He always thought that he would be the toughest man to cope with compromising situations at the work place and at home, but someone appears into his life and proves to be even better. No matter how good somebody can be at their workplaces, there is always someone out there who is even better (Bickerstaff, 4). Nick is fed up by the strength and wit shown by Russell. He thinks of ways to hurt him and ends up liking his wife Mary. He competes with Russell in physical battles including racing cars, basketball shooting contests and worse still competing on a basis of who has the better marriage. Surprisingly, it is Nick who becomes stressed by these contests. He feels that he is losing every battle against Russell who seems not to be bothered by the contests at all. Nick takes everything that Russell does to be a contest and tries to be better than him but ends up being a loser in his view of things (Parker, 27). Nick tries in every way to make

Harlem poet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Harlem poet - Essay Example Claude McKay, a Jamaican-American poet, expressed concern over the heightened tension that emanated from racism that existed in the 1920s. His role during the Harlem Renaissance had outstanding impacts on a number of readers of poems. Some of his poems were quite militant with the core objective of challenging the brutal leadership experienced by the blacks. He was of key contribution in condemning the leadership while expressing the challenges faced by the blacks to cope with the racial tension at that time. He is iconic for advocating for the consideration of humanity and fair treatment of the oppressed. The celebration of the traditions and heritage of blacks was a key characteristic of the Harlem Renaissance. One of McKay’s most celebrated pieces of literature include If We Must Die poem. The piece of work was a justification of the rights of the blacks, who at the time experienced serious exclusion and segregation (Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2003). In the poem, he stated that blacks were confident to wage against the forces of tyranny given their resilience. He writes, in the poem, that blacks intend to â€Å"fight back† (Shmoop, 2010) even when facing death. The major theme that is evident is prejudice and abuse. He expressed the plight of the blacks and the brutal leadership that they experienced. Langston Hughes wrote inspirational poems during the period of the 1920s. He is prominent for his role in spearheading the upcoming literary appreciation during Harlem Renaissance. Through the poems, he encouraged the pleasure of the traditions of the blacks and their heritage. Among his inspirational poetic works was the poem, The Weary Blues. The theme of art and culture of the Negro is evident through the poem. He describes the relationship between art and culture as confusing and initiates weariness. The theme of race is evident from the poem, as well. The African

Reaction paper 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reaction paper 3 - Assignment Example Thus, showing how Lardo acquires new meaning as a result of the campaign as an exotic consumption item for the local and middle-class consumers (Alison 455). Therefore, the article explains the meaning of the movement in different areas. The entire article emphasizes on the impacts of the Slow Food Movement. In Italy, the movement succeeded in developing cultural space for a new consumer politics kind of performance. The article explains further that the Slow Food resists the easy categorization in any familiar political narratives terms. Though, it is evident that the promotion has penetrated to the politics process heart in societies of liberal democracy. Hence, the article explains the theory behind the food politics. Alison shows how the movement of Slow Food manifestos encourages the cultural diversity idea. The article explains that the movement urges consumers to purchase niche-marketed foods. Though, with the kind of promotional politics, there can be no guarantees of ideological outcomes. It is evident in the article that, the cultural marketing authenticity politics may have been unexpected results for the direct producers. The entire article explains the formation and impact of the European Union. The article explains the contribution of the union and community in making the world a better place in terms of economic fields, peacekeeping and climate changes. Thus, the main objective of the article is to define the European Union and determine its impact on the European nations in terms of development in economy. The article points out some of the factors that promoted economic development by the new community or union. It emphasizes that the political and economic unification of the involved nations paved way for the integrated economy. In addition the common market concept got extended in the mutual trade of the union; thus promoting the economic

The risk and benifits of younger workers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The risk and benifits of younger workers - Essay Example This means that an individual who comes in as a fresh graduate at his first job will need to be informed about company protocols and how things are done within the company. It may take them a day to learn all they need to know for some positions but for others they may take more than a month of dedicated training and may even need continued guidance while they are performing their duties for the company. At the same time, this investment made by the company may not be recuperated or even lead to substantial benefits for the organization if the individual decides to leave the company within a year of joining. In this case, all that the company would have done is to train a person in order to enable them to find a better paying job. Of course retention is also a part of the HR department’s duties but training is an investment in people which entails its own risks. On the other hand, there are significant advantages towards recruiting individuals with little or no experience and the immediately visible business benefit is to the bottom line of the company since a fresh graduate has to be paid a lot less than a person near the age of retirement who can demand a salary which is equal to the one given to the company’s directors. Of course an older person with experience might be able to bring a lot more to the table but the company has to balance how much it can afford to spend on recruiting and retaining such a star performer or business guru. Additionally, pouring young blood into the company will have the advantage of giving the company new ideas and instant familiarity with new technology which may not be known to older individuals. Again, in this case training can be useful as exemplified by GE which continually recruited individuals who were intimately familiar with computer technology in order to teach the older people working in much higher positions on how to use things such as email and instant messaging (Welch, 2005). Overall, the cost

Harlem poet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Harlem poet - Essay Example Claude McKay, a Jamaican-American poet, expressed concern over the heightened tension that emanated from racism that existed in the 1920s. His role during the Harlem Renaissance had outstanding impacts on a number of readers of poems. Some of his poems were quite militant with the core objective of challenging the brutal leadership experienced by the blacks. He was of key contribution in condemning the leadership while expressing the challenges faced by the blacks to cope with the racial tension at that time. He is iconic for advocating for the consideration of humanity and fair treatment of the oppressed. The celebration of the traditions and heritage of blacks was a key characteristic of the Harlem Renaissance. One of McKay’s most celebrated pieces of literature include If We Must Die poem. The piece of work was a justification of the rights of the blacks, who at the time experienced serious exclusion and segregation (Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2003). In the poem, he stated that blacks were confident to wage against the forces of tyranny given their resilience. He writes, in the poem, that blacks intend to â€Å"fight back† (Shmoop, 2010) even when facing death. The major theme that is evident is prejudice and abuse. He expressed the plight of the blacks and the brutal leadership that they experienced. Langston Hughes wrote inspirational poems during the period of the 1920s. He is prominent for his role in spearheading the upcoming literary appreciation during Harlem Renaissance. Through the poems, he encouraged the pleasure of the traditions of the blacks and their heritage. Among his inspirational poetic works was the poem, The Weary Blues. The theme of art and culture of the Negro is evident through the poem. He describes the relationship between art and culture as confusing and initiates weariness. The theme of race is evident from the poem, as well. The African

The risk and benifits of younger workers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The risk and benifits of younger workers - Essay Example This means that an individual who comes in as a fresh graduate at his first job will need to be informed about company protocols and how things are done within the company. It may take them a day to learn all they need to know for some positions but for others they may take more than a month of dedicated training and may even need continued guidance while they are performing their duties for the company. At the same time, this investment made by the company may not be recuperated or even lead to substantial benefits for the organization if the individual decides to leave the company within a year of joining. In this case, all that the company would have done is to train a person in order to enable them to find a better paying job. Of course retention is also a part of the HR department’s duties but training is an investment in people which entails its own risks. On the other hand, there are significant advantages towards recruiting individuals with little or no experience and the immediately visible business benefit is to the bottom line of the company since a fresh graduate has to be paid a lot less than a person near the age of retirement who can demand a salary which is equal to the one given to the company’s directors. Of course an older person with experience might be able to bring a lot more to the table but the company has to balance how much it can afford to spend on recruiting and retaining such a star performer or business guru. Additionally, pouring young blood into the company will have the advantage of giving the company new ideas and instant familiarity with new technology which may not be known to older individuals. Again, in this case training can be useful as exemplified by GE which continually recruited individuals who were intimately familiar with computer technology in order to teach the older people working in much higher positions on how to use things such as email and instant messaging (Welch, 2005). Overall, the cost

The Inheritors by William Golding Essay Example for Free

The Inheritors by William Golding Essay Abstract This analytical essay presents an in-depth analysis of the book The Inheritors, which was written by William Golding. The bibliography appends one source in APA format. Outline Introduction Primary ideas of the reading Reflection of the time in which the reading was produced Personal response to the reading Conclusion Introduction â€Å"Golding favored this work above all his others. Many have agreed that his account of the final defeat of the last Neanderthal individuals at the hands of the emergent human race is powerfully and above all consistently imagined. The triumphs and disasters of the future are tragically implicit in this evocation of the conquest of an earlier, gentler group by those who are for good and ill our ancestors†. Anonymous   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   William Golding was one of the most significant novelists of the 1950s and the 1960s. Golding was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in the year 1983 and he also won the Booker Prize in the year 1980. â€Å"The Inheritors† is a well-known book written by William Golding, who is the author of the famous novel Lord of the Flies. Written in the year 1955, the book is based on Neanderthals and Homo sapiens and basically shows the inherent violent nature of the Homo sapiens. The novel is about the last of the Neanderthals and how the Homo sapiens gained success over them by the use of brutality and pretense with their natural superiority. The Neanderthals have been shown as very simple people, whose most prominent characteristic is that they think in images. In their world, understanding someone meant being able to see their picture. Also, in their highly amusing world, fire and water have the ability to be awake or fall asleep and even a log decides where and how to place itself in the water. As the author says, â€Å"He had thought that he must make sure the log was still in position because if the water had taken the log or if the log had crawled of on business of its own then the people would have to trek a day’s journey round the swamp and that meant danger or even more discomfort than usual† (Golding, p.12).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The books written by William Golding are all based on the depravity of the human mind and nature. The Inheritors is one of those books. In the novel the author has brilliantly through his imagination recreated the world of the Neanderthals and of the successors of the Neanderthals, that is, the first of the human species. As mentioned above The Inheritors was the personal favorite of William Golding out of all his books and novels, and is related to the disappearance of the last of the Neanderthals by the hands of the much more refined and newly advanced species known as the Homo sapiens. Primary Ideas of the Reading â€Å"His novels†¦with the perspicuity of realistic narrative art and universality of myth, illuminate the human condition in the world today† Sweidsh Academy Nobel Prize Citation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Inheritors is a novel written by William Golding as an imaginative reconstruction of the life of a group og Neanderthals. William Golding in this novel takes the readers for a journey through the world of the primitive men and the world is such that is seen by the eyes, visions, and up-and-coming language expressions of the first of the humans. The characters have been drawn by the author rather very sensitively, covering each and every characteristic of theirs. In the novel, the language of the Neanderthals is limited to images or pictures, which they form in their mind. For example, in the words of the author, â€Å"He shut his eyes and frowned at the picture of the log† (Golding, p.12). The Neanderthals were highly dependant on their senses. They used them to detect intruders and to assure safety, As the author writes, â€Å"Then he searched the forest with ear and nose for intruders and only when he was sure of safety did he put down his thorn bush and kneel by the water† (Golding, p.12). The mental images of theirs are used by the Neanderthals to show them the way to food, their seasonal homes and to save them from possible dangers. The descriptions that have been given by the author are very precise. Marvelously defined are the surroundings and feelings of all the characters. Cold, drenched, starving, reliance on a sense of smell, stones for armaments, hyenas indicating a kill for the group of our most primitive ancestors to steal, and a blossoming plant intertwined forest of the early spring abounding with a mystical ice woman to be worshipped. This block of ice known as Oa is worshipped and awed by the whole of the tribe of Neanderthals. The book has been written by the author in such a way that at times one begins to consider the Neanderthals as the Homo sapiens. The Neanderthals are portrayed as characters, which do not talk but only gesture to each other, form images in their mind and carry out the burial of their dead with heartfelt, solemn rituals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are only eight of the remaining Neanderthals in the story, out of which there are six adults and a small girl and an infant. The tribal clan is led by a Neanderthal namely Lok. The story begins with a pair of Neanderthals who witness the death of a number of people of their group, which later proceeds on to the the kidnap of the infant neandethral. The parents of the infant neandethral begin observing the human species that live on a river island (and are scared of Neandethrals as they consider them demons of the forest). The neandethrals have their own religious rituals and while observing the humans through the tress they find out that the humans have completely different rituals. The religious activities of the Neandethrals are centered around Oa, the block of ice, while the activites of the Homo sapiens were centered around a female matriarch-priestess. The humans live across the river and the Neandethrals are extremely scared of crossing the water due to the fact that they cannot swim hence they are very scared to walk through the water to save their daughter. The homo sapiens have captured the daughter of the Neandethrals because their priestess wishes to keep her as her pet as she fancies the red her and the childish features of the infant. The new people, that is the homo sapiens are extremely different. The new people have already built boats, have weapons such as bows and arrows, have a very complex way of life and live rather sophisticated lives, know how to ferment honey into had used the bow-and-arrow as a formidable weapon, developed a more complex social structure, knew how to ferment honey into liquor, and also know of ways to protect themselves from h armful elements. These two groups of people have no single thing common between each other and do not gain anything common by the end of the novel. The new people, that is the homo sapiens have brought along with them art, war, lust, intoxication etc and eventually a battle takes place between them in order to see who the superior power is or that who has the ability to survive in the long run and who has the dominating power. A number of kidnaps as well as murders take place, but after all, humans with their treachery and sharp minds take over the Neanderthals and wipe them off the surface of earth. The Neanderthals had long before accepted the fact that the new species that is the Homo sapiens have such knowledge, wisdom, and weapons, control over the elements etc that the simpler species that is the Neanderthals would face nothing but doom at their hand. Reflection of the time in which the reading was produced   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Inheritors was written in the year 1955. By then, the general perception related to the first humans was that the Neanderthals had become distinct and they disappeared because of the fact that they fell in love with their beautiful human neighbors, that is the Homo sapiens. However, The Inheritors shows us a completely different picture. The book was written at a time when nearly nothing was known of the days when Neanderthals walked on earth. Back then, no research what so ever had been conducted regarding the period of the Neanderthals and the first humans and the way the humans had taken over the Neanderthals. It was in the 1950s that it was found that the primitive people, the first Homo Sapien had come up with a way to cross the water and not drown. This was a time when nothing was known of our ancestors, their society, their social lives, their characteristics, their features and all of this had to be brought out into the open so that we may realize just what we used to be and what we are now – sadly, there is not much of a difference.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When one goes through the book under consideration, that is, The Inheritors, he or she gets to see his ancestors. The ancestors, who had already made weapons, were extremely ignorant, had the tendency to kill for their own good and were completely corrupt. It was believed back then (when the book was written) from what little was known about the Neanderthals that the Homo sapiens were superior to the Neanderthals. This according to Golding was untrue. The Homo sapiens were not superior in anyway what so ever. What the Homo sapiens were was more evil and clever.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While going through the book today, we see a part of the current humans in the Homo sapiens of the first kind. There are extreme similarities between us and the Homo sapiens that have been portrayed by Golding in his book. The novel has been written about a time when the Neanderthals were disappearing and a new much cleverer and well-occupied kind of man came into being. These men were the Homo sapiens and they were none other than our ancestors. The Neanderthals were disappearing because of the Homo sapiens as they were gaining power over the land. Back then, the Homo sapiens killed the Neanderthals and today humans are killing off each other, which proves that man has not changed at all since then. Personal Response to the Reading   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the book we see a group of Neanderthals (they did not have family relations) who lived a peaceful life in their own world. Changes in the climate, the arrival of the Homo sapiens on the other side of the river along with certain bad omens from their God have upset them. The changes in the current environment is upsetting them because of the fact that they are not at all equipped to handle the changes that are taking place and all they have is the knowledge that they have inherited from their ancestors and completely lack in creative abilities and skills unlike the Homo sapiens who have equipped themselves with all it takes to counter the changing environment and are not at all afraid of the elements. These newcomers or the Homo sapiens have been portrayed as very clever, quick-witted beings that unlike the Neanderthals have a language and they also take up violence in order to get what they want. They notice that the Homo sapiens were armed with bows and arrows along with sharp tools that were made out of bone and they could cross the river without drowning by the use of rowing logs (boats). My personal response to the reading is that the book is very interesting although highly confusing as well. But no matter what, the book is very absorbing and it also presents us with an insight into the social life of the humans as to how humans can survive with only the earth as a guide for them to live. I believe that the story is somehow a bit disturbing, as it reveals the truth about our ancestors and it is rather hurtful to know that it was our ancestors, who were among the first to begin manslaughter. It is disturbing to find out that our ancestors were the ones who destroyed an entire species. This notion makes the reader feel very sympathetic towards the Neanderthals and it shows that the weak or the submissive people are not the inheritors of earth. They somehow, struggle to put up with the changing circumstances and we further see them failing badly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This piece of writing shows us the darkness that exists in the heart of the humans since the very beginning. It shows that the history of mankind is full of violence and barbaric acts that have been carried out against the innocent. Perhaps, the author is trying to show the two sides of a human beings nature. The innocent and caring nature of the Neanderthal symbolizing the love that perhaps every human has locked up deep within himself and the violent nature of the Homo sapiens depicting the darker side of a human being. The Neanderthals were very simple and believed in even a wooden log having its own will. They talked in pictures and thoughts. They believed in water being alive and awake or asleep. As the writer says, â€Å"the water was not awake like the river or the fall but asleep, spreading there to the river and waking up, stretching on the right into wildernesses of impassable swamp and thicket and bog. So sure was he of this log the people always used that he opened his eyes again, beginning to smile as if he were waking out of a dream; but the log was gone† (Golding, p.12). The only idea that I personally disagree with is that of telepathy between the Neanderthals. The story tells us that they did have the ability to talk, but they did not do so. Another aspect of the book which can cause problems for a reader is the fact that it is written completely from the point of view of Lok, hence certain things about the going-on’s are somehow confusing as it lacks clarity. At times one does not even know as to what is going on. But all in all, the entire book is very interesting and it lets a person learn much about they ways of his or her ancestors. The book is very enlightening and the fact that it is disturbing can be ignored in order to learn the truth about history and primitive men. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the light of the above discussion we can hereby culminate that the book under consideration, that is, The Inheritors was written by William Golding. The book was penned down by the author in the year 1955 after his extremely famous novel known as Lord of the Flies. The basic theme of the book is to educate the people about their ancestors that are the first of the Homo sapiens and the ways by which they took over the Neanderthals who were the last of their kind. The Neanderthals were simple, caring yet curious, while the Homo sapiens were clever, quick-witted, could cheat and commit treachery and could also get violent in order to get what they want. Eventually the Homo sapiens finished off the last generation of Neanderthals and took over the earth, or in other words, became the inheritors of earth. The book is at times very disturbing but all in all it is a good read as it tells us of the ways of our ancestors, which still prevail in our society and makes one think as to why we have not changed at all in all these years.                                           Bibliography Golding, W. (1955). The Inheritors. United Kingdom. Harvest Books. ISBN: 0156443791. Page 12

Exploring The Resources And Capabilities Of Dell

Exploring The Resources And Capabilities Of Dell This essay will be based on Dell Inc and how the topic resources and capabilities are used as a strategy throughout the company. The topic will be explored to identify how it applies to Dells strategy and how they use it within the company. The essay will identify the different types of strategys which are used to help them sustain competitive advantage. During the essay theoretical concepts will be used and applied to Dell in order to analyse the organisation. The theoretical concepts which will be used will be concepts from the module, these concepts will help draw conclusions from the essay and help identify why Dell continually sustain a competitive advantage. Dell was founded in 1984 by Michael Dell in his university dorm in Texas using his last $1000. With this money he created a company called PCs Limited. Within a year Michael Dell had turned his $1000 into $6 million in sales. He managed to do this by borrowing $300,000 from his family and upgrading computers for local firm from their existing software to IBM. By 1986 the company was producing sales of $60 million; this was due to dell starting their own assembly lines. 4 years later Dells sales had increased vastly to $500 million, because they had now created a wide line of products. By 1996 Dell launched their products online, this gave them $1 million in sales a day boosting their annual sales to an astonishing $5.3 billion, increasing to $7.8 billion the following year. The sales had risen 50% and tripled to making sales of $3 million a day in sales. By 2005 Dells sales had risen to $49.2 billion, showing how the company has become one of the most successful companies within rece nt times by being a fortune company while only being around for 14 years. Also during 2005 Dell was ranked 28th biggest company in America by revenue. In 2006 Dell was looked at as one of the most admired companies in America. Their sales for 2009 were $61.1 billion, simply showing why they were nominated a top 200 fortune. They are the highest earning company within the computer industry. Dell employs over 75,000 employees across the world, due to having to serve customers in over 170 countries. Dell took over as leaders in their market from their biggest and most successful competitors Hewlett Packard, whilst also staying ahead of rivals such as IBM and Apple computers who are the only other alternative substitute for a PC. Dell now offer a range of products and services, including computing software, computing systems, computing peripherals, consulting and IT services. Dell have gone a long way from upgrading computers for local businesses to offering products such as televisions , printers, peripherals, netbooks, notebooks, servers, scanners and their main product computers. In 2007 Michael Dell returned to the company as a CEO to help improve its financial performance by bringing new plans in for the company. Key Success Factors In the ever maturing PC industry it is very important for any company wishing to be competitive to meet the industries key success factors (KSF). In order to succeed, certain KSFs must be incorporated into their business model. Specific KSF include: Competitive prices Excellent relationships with suppliers Product customisation Excellent customer services Superior cost structure Dell has continued to perform well, through incorporating many of these factors into their business model. Dells customer centric approach with a closely managed supply chain and cash flow process has seen them succeed in the mature PC industry. Key Competencies Customer focus- Dell has a thorough understanding of their consumers needs and wants and it serves them very effectively. The custom build business model that Dell adopts accommodates the ever changing needs and wants of consumers. This model is very effective as it allows Dell to offer the latest technologies at competitive prices in a timely manner. This is exactly what customers demand in a hyper competitive market. Manufacturing Processes- Dell benefited greatly from the first mover advantage, through adopting the direct selling business model which was unique to the industry, aided by the boom of the internet. Supply Chain Management- The direct selling business model employed by Dell is run by an i2 technology supply chain management (SCM) system. Every 20 sec the software aggregates orders, analyzes material requirements, compares Dells on-hand inventory with its suppliers inventory and then creates a supplier bill of material to meet its order needs. SCM is particularly important as improving it by 0.1% has greater impact than improving manufacturing process by 10%. This system allowed Dell to go beyond a simple value chain model, into a more complex value web model. Customer Selection, Acquisition and Retention- Dell also employ a state of the art IT and customer relationship management (CRM) system. Through efficiently targeting customers they are able to keep costs to a minimum which suit consumers budgets. Consumers are very price sensitive in the PC industry as there are many substitutes. Customer Service- Dell offers a complete range of services, including, technical support through internet and global call centres. For additional fees Dell offers extended service and support plans. Dells customer service was considered to be the best in the industry. However after recently outsourcing this, their reputation is beginning to fall, after repeated poor treatment of cases. Porters value chain By identifying Dells value chain and network it will allow us to identify how Dell value their customers and how it is created. FIRM INFRASTRUCTURE Dell has a very strong and organised stock management. Dell sells straight thought their website cutting out intermediaries. They sell thought a direct model. Dell receives payments normally immediately as customers generally use credit cards online. Once the orders have been placed and paid the customers products are order from the suppliers, this is so dell only have stock in which is being used to build products from orders they have received reducing excess stock. OPERATIONS Dell deal with a few operations, they deal with the most important one in their opinion, being the final configuration of customer products. Dell outsources operations such as the assemblies of motherboards and most of the production chain for all of their notebook computers. INBOUND LOGISTICS As dell allows customers to build their own products and order the products when needed using just in time, it allows deal not to buy an overload of stock they just pay for what they need from the order made. Dells direct model in which they sell their products to their consumers they depend on time management, so that all the components they need arrive at the time they are need to produce the product for their customers. MARKETING SALES Dell using the direct selling model it has taken out all intermediaries. Normally the intermediaries would want to take about 20 to 30%. Dell managed to cut out intermediaries as they align their value chain and supply chain very closely, and also their assembly factories and order taking systems. Dell has incorporated their direct selling model with their supply chain. Dell put together 80,000 PCs daily, but they do not own their own warehouse as they only order components they need to assemble products within a few days as they only hold stock for a maximum of two days. TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT Dell spend a tiny amount on technology research compared to their biggest rivals HP. Dell spend around $400 million which is a small margin of HPs $4 billion. Yet Dell has near perfect assembly chain along with very efficient assembly operations. Dell have a unique way to identify if an employee is a fault for a product as a single product is made by a single employee making them accountable if it faulty. Value Web Model Dell moved beyond the simple value chain into a more effective value web organism. This positively impacted Dells just-in-time manufacturing and the inventory management systems. Dell relies on big players to provide their high-tech components. E.g. Microprocessors-Intel, Software- Microsoft. Dell rely on smaller multiple players to provide low-tech components. These low-tech, low- differentiation component manufacturers compete fiercely on price and availability. Dell Has one of the latest SCM systems, which is unmatched by competitors. This system enables Dells factories to have only 7 hours worth of inventory, whereas most of the industry holds a 10 day inventory. It also helps that 85% of all their supplies are provided by 15 suppliers. This value web organism has been achieved through careful knowledge management and 15 years of learning. It is a very complex system, and due to this it is inimitable. Dells Direct Business Model Unlike their competitors, Dell has adopted a direct selling approach to customers compared to all of their competitors. Dell have cut out all intermediaries meaning customers order straight thought their website, this allows Dell to sell directly to them. Due to customer buying straight from Dell it has given them a great understanding of customer needs. Dells main focus is on their customers which their strategy is based around. The Direct business model also allows customers to customize their products letting them have what they desire rather than a standard product. As customer order a want they want product, it allowed Dell to minimize their stock, as they will order only what they need adopting JIT strategy. This also allows Dell to deliver the newest technology to their customers sustain an edge on their competitors. Dells Direct Model Customers SUPPLIERS Competitors Model Dells competitors model has 2 extra sections, outsourcing and channels. This produces extra cost and it doesnt allow them to have complete customer focus as they dont deal directly with their customers. Their customer buy from channels which are shops taking away customer relation with the company. They also dont get supplies directly from their suppliers as they outsource 1st to other companies. Dells model is a far better strategy and it allows them to have a great focus on their customers. They use their resources and capabilities such as their great product lines to achieve the efficiencies they want to produce. Activity Mapping Through conducting detailed research into Dell, a number of conclusions can be drawn. At the core of Dells business strategy and its direct selling model is customer focus. Dells core competencies were developed around their customer centric approach, and its resources and capabilities were placed in a way to best serve their customers. This customer centric approach has enabled them to develop more competencies, including, manufacturing processes, supply chain management, customer selection and service. Within the hyper competitive PC industry it is imperative that companies provide the latest technology in a timely manner. Dell achieved this through adopting the kaizan approach to its supply chain. To compliment the increased efficiencies of the supply chain Dell also improved their manufacturing processes. A key advantage for Dell is that they have one of the best SCM systems in the world. This is complimented by the fact that 95% of their suppliers are located near to their assem bly plants making coordination easier. Holding only a 7 hour inventory, instead of the industries norm of around 10 days is another advantage. Holding such a short inventory means they do not have socks of slow selling products leading to poor cash flow. Dell aim to deliver the custom product within 36 hours of an order being placed, which competitors just cant match. Dell constantly operates with a negative cash flow conversion cycle as they only pay their suppliers once the customer has paid them. Building these strong relationships with suppliers has taken years and combined with Dells complex supply chain is inimitable and leads to a sustainable competitive advantage. Through the careful selection, training and retention of its workforce that could develop and evolve as Dell grows, they were able to manage knowledge, encourage honesty, loyalty and learning over time. Through employing the best Dell become more effective in recognising, acquiring and retaining customers through providing them with their needs and wants at competitive prices and in a timely manner. Through aligning their core competencies with the industry KSFs, Dell were able to perform favourable in an ever maturing market. Dells differentiation comes from process innovation. Through capturing the value of its suppliers and partners Dell has capitalised on their technology innovation. This enabled Dell to minimise their research and development spend and improve their cost structure. This strategy has yet to match by any of their major competitors in the industry, leading to a sustainable competitive advantage. Ultimately in order to sustain competitive advantage Dell need to continue to outdo their competitors. By adopting the direct business model and adopting their customer centric approach they have achieved competitive advantage. In order to ensure the sustainability of this they need to evolve as consumer demands change. Through their direct business model and their superior relationships with suppliers they have developed core competencies which align with the industry KSFs and are also difficult for the competition to imitate. Factors which will provide sustained competitive advantage include: Online custom build of each computer. Minimisation of working capital in the production process High manufacture and distribution quality- latest technology, timely manner, competitively priced, reliable products The careful management of their resources and capabilities make all this possible.