Interview with My Mom Essay

For this assignment, I decided to interview my mom. Her name is Tracy Michelle Jorgensen, but she goes by Michelle. She is a strong woman who single handily raised two girls. With a heart of gold, she always puts others first. She is generous and would never expect anything in return. And although I may be biased, she is the best mom I could possibly ever imagine. As wonderful as she may be, seldom does she ever go into detail about her past, mostly because she is a very private person. So given this opportunity, I can now better understand what has made my mom the person she is today. Before I conducted the essay†¦. Born on July 21, 1954 in Canada, my mother grew up in a small house with seven brothers and sisters. After her parents divorced, she barely spent time with her mother, as she always had to work to support the family. The hardest part about childhood was â€Å"feeling lost in the shuffle† my mom said. â€Å"I felt invisible, and I was blamed for everything†. When my mom started school, she met her friend Lisa. My mom described to me the time they got in trouble. â€Å"The only time I’ve ever stole anything was with her,† she said. â€Å"The cops found us stealing quarters from the newspaper boxes† and â€Å"I was mostly scared that my mom would find out.† Once my mom was old enough to leave the house, she moved in with her boyfriend and started to work for him. At the age of 23 she was expecting her first child. Things became rough in the relationship, as her boyfriend was being unfaithful to her. They moved to Florida in search of better job opportunities, when all of sudden, baby number two was on the way. Even with her doubts, my mom found it best to get married. â€Å"That was my biggest regret,† said my mom. â€Å"Having my two daughters were the best blessings, but actually marrying your dad is my only regret in life.† After splitting with my dad, my mom became determined to create a good life for us. She became part of the neighborhood church where she met Father Brian. He was the most impactful person in her life, because he fully believed in my mom. â€Å"When I felt like I couldn’t do it, he had this way of making everything okay† she said, â€Å"and making me feel stronger.† For my mom, his support was the kindest thing anyone had done for her, and because of it, it encouraged her to not let anything hold her back. Growing  up, we were a huge s occer family. My sister and I would eat, sleep, and breathe soccer. â€Å"It was my most favorite past time to watch my girls play,† my mom said. She would love nothing more than to be back on the sidelines hollering and cheering us on. Being an avid soccer fan, it’s my mom’s favorite sport to watch. I once made the mistake of taking her out in public to watch a World Cup match, as her tendencies to scream and holler follow her everywhere she goes. Even though it’s a past time for her, she relishes in the fact that she will one day watch her grand children play. 4 years ago, my mom found out she was going to be a grand mother. At first she freaked because she felt like she was too young to have that title. She said, â€Å"It made me feel like I instantly aged 10 years†. However, it brought out a new sense of fulfillment for her as she stated, â€Å"in 20 years I would love nothing more than to be a soccer grandma, cheering on my grand kids!† My mom then br iefly told me how her dream has always been to travel Europe. Her face instantly brightened, and she began to almost overflow with excitement about how her first trip to Europe would be like. She said enthusiastically, â€Å"If someone could give me a gift of anything, it would be a trip to travel Europe†. She even mentioned in one of her three wishes that she would fly on a magic carpet and travel around Europe. I sort of chuckled at the thought of that idea, but soon realized her unique and kid-like imagination is what keeps her dream more thrilling. It puts life into perspective for me to see how my mom overcame her struggles growing up. She made mistakes, but always got up, brushed her shoulders off and kept moving. When I asked her what made her unique, she briefly paused, then said â€Å"Conviction.† â€Å"If you let your stress, and tough situations weigh you down, you can’t move past it, and you will miss out on the great things that lie ahead.† Her conviction has been her guiding light in life. That answer really hit home for me, and encouraged me to push through any hard times I face. I learned a lot about my mom in this interview, it was refreshing to see her goofy side, and it was humbling to see how she overcame her struggles. If anything has changed, its that my love for her has grown.

Concepts of Developmental Psychology

General adaptation syndrome (GAS) and its stages (think of real-world examples) 8. Lazarus' primary and secondary appraisal (think of real-world examples) 9. Problem-focused and emotion-focused coping (think of real-world examples) 1 1 . Type A and Type B behavior pattern 12. Optimism 13. Sexually transmitted diseases CHAPTER 11 STUDY GUIDE (Define,'describe all terms) 1. Personality 2. Sigmund Freud and his emphasis on unconscious forces 3. Unconscious, preconscious, conscious 4. ‘d, ego, superego – what they are and what â€Å"principle† the operate with 5. Defense mechanisms – list and define 6.Psychosocial stages of development (see chart on page. 358) Know how to apply these! 7. Alfred Idler's individual psychology . Inferiority complex 9. Conditions of worth 10. Characteristics of self-actualization individuals 11. Unconditional positive regard 12. Trait theories 13. Cardinal and central traits 14. Raymond Chattel's source traits 15. Five-factor model 16. Extroversion and introversion 17. Reciprocal determinism 18. External and internal locus of control Please reproduce the pyramid and label the levels representing Mascots Hierarchy of Needs.The five questions that help determine whether behavior is abnormal 2. Definition of psychological disorder . Cognitive perspective 4. The category of disorders that is most prevalent in the U. S. 5. Panic disorder 6. Generalized anxiety disorder 7. Social phobia 8. Obsession 9. Compulsion 10. Major depressive disorder 11. Bipolar disorder 13. Risk factors for suicide 14. Psychosis 15. Schizophrenia 16. Delusion 17. Paranoid schizophrenia 18. Dissociation disorders (remember, this is NOT THE SAME THING as schizophrenia) 19.Dissociation identity disorder 20. Antisocial personality disorder (Define,'describe all terms) 1. Insight therapy 2. Psychodrama therapy 3. Techniques used in psychoanalysis 4. Carl Rogers, humanism, and person-centered therapy 5. Humanistic therapy 6. Person-centered the rapy 7. Types of relationship therapies 8. Behavioral therapy 9. Time out 10. Factors that increase the effectiveness of time out 1 1 . Systematic desensitizing 12. Flooding 13. Exposure and response prevention 14. Aversion therapy 15. Participant modeling and Bandanna's observational learning theory 16.

Arfa Batik

From the backyard of the founders house, our exclusive hand drawn batik is now a multi million ringgit industry with markets as far ranging as Europe and the Middle East. Our batik fashion house or haute couture combines contemporary design and traditional Malay motifs into batik of simple elegance, and are very much sought out by discerning customers from around the world. WHAT WE DO We are involve in various batik production processes from manufacturing from printing, colouring/dyeing, designing and tailoring, wholesaling, exporting to retailing of our batik products. We seek to open a chain of Noor Arfa Batik retail throughout the world through franchising. Noor Arfa is Malaysian’s largest commercial Batek producer. Noor Arfa has built a reputation as the leading manufacturer of superior hand – drawn fashion items and accessories. We also train and develop master craftsmen that consistently produce quality with excellence. We stand out as leader in our industry in the way we have perfected the art of combining distinct colour with classic designs and traditional Malay motives, to create Batek of simple elegance. The Market Noor Arfa Franchise operates in a dynamic and evolving marketplace. Consumers are presented with many options for batik textile and we see a growing interest in fashionable and contemporary batik that address the need to be trendy and yet unique in identity. We find our customers desiring the look that is Malaysian and yet global in application. Noor Arfa addresses this gap in the market by providing a more comprehensive product range that addresses the various needs of the different segment of the market for batik wear and textile. Our customers would also not have to worry about quality as we provide a consistent buying experience with our quality policy which is to produce excellent quality product that satisfy our customer needs. We also believe there are other areas of the market that would benefit from our products which we have not yet targeted. For example we see huge potential in offering our product to the trendy and fashionable young market which is looking for cool and â€Å"in† fashion wear. This is an area of the market that is fully aware of the benefits of self identity and yet contemporary.

Wilderness programs for juveniles Research Paper

Wilderness programs for juveniles - Research Paper Example The programs are designed with an approach in the wilderness therapy. The programs defined do not appear to force change but instead allow the environment to persuade the client reactions through natural outcomes. As per the programs if it is observed that the client is not ready to be a part of the entire program the staffs stake a backseat and focus on other factors and let them continue to work such as time away from closed once and family, physical work out etc and continue doing so until the client is completely ready to initiate the programs itself. Wilderness identity concern and group protection are made possible by natural outcomes that helps to educate on personal and social liability, which in turn creates an unbiased and protected environment to relate to the real or metamorphic lessons of the life. The programs provide treatment for the troubled adolescents or drug addicts. It is basically an endeavor which is meant for providing self confidence and mental help to the tr oubled teens by creating a light of new hope for them (Russell, 2001, pp. 70-73). Objectives, Process & Staff’s Training and Development: The wilderness programs for juveniles are being progressively more used for those adolescents who in serious trouble owing to use drugs, alcohol or victimized due to intense parental conflict etc. The preliminary objective of the program is to make the victim get rid of the chemical dependencies by removing them from the disparaging environment that perpetuated their dependence. It emphasize on eradicating the juveniles from the trap of their former surroundings including numerous diversion of adolescent culture. Moreover the programs are conducted to build up a positive outlook within the juveniles towards life. They help them to learn and recognize and take up social and personal responsibilities. These programs are facilitated by virtue of natural outcomes. Their goal is to assist juveniles to take a broad view over the metaphors of pers onal care and natural outcomes of real life which often are a difficult task for the wildness program juveniles. The juveniles are directed to get a grasp on their anger, addiction, sorrow and every kind on emotions related to their social personal life through the program. In connection to the objective of the program Hendee & Russell has said, â€Å"If the goal for a client was to communicate better with parents, the therapist helps them develop strategies to accomplish this goal† (Hendee & Russell, 1999). The programs follow definite process through which it develops the personality of the juveniles in the right direction. The programs process the juveniles through outdoor adventure quests and other activities such as archaic abilities and reflection in order to develop personal and impersonal augmentation. Involvement in this outside quests used to occur in presence of the skilled leaders who used to keep a note that these activities, as processed, generate differences in the targeted behavior. After these the victims were taken for a session of psychotherapy in vigilance of qualified professionals. The entire process of the program was segregated into three phases where it was a mandate for all the juveniles to go through the three to compete the entire program. Going through all the three processes helped the victim to evolve a as reframed personality (Russell, 2001, pp.74-75). The programs choose their staffs very carefully. Having professional qualification is a must criterion to be a part of the program. Handling the victims with care is essential parameter while recruiting. Specials preferences are given to professionals who are husband and wife by relation to be a part of the program (Greenwood, 1986, pp. 217). As per Lawrence & Hesse,

Annotated bibliography for a study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

For a study - Annotated Bibliography Example The participants for the study included hearing-impaired students attending junior high or high school. Besides that, their mothers were also qualified to participate in the research project. The student and mother required to make use of any quantity of American Sign Language so as to be able to be involved in the study (page # 177, Lines #12-24). Correlations were conducted to establish whether a relationship exists between skill level of the mothers and the English literacy of the children according to the STAR test (page # 174, Lines # 5-7). A total of seven children and six mothers were involved in the study (page # 178, Lines # 1). Results indicated that there was no significant relationship between skill levels of the mothers and the students’ English literary as measured by the TGSL-R. It was also found out that from 2010, students with higher A’ scores from TGJASL-R also seemed to possess higher scores on the CMA or ELA CST. There is a significant relationship between the ASL ability of a student and skills in English literary. These findings were supported by Strong and Prinz (1997). The amount of years a mother utilized ASL influenced her A’ scores on the TGJASL-R. Finally, there was a significant difference in performance between those who are native users of ASL and those who are non-native users of ASL (page # 185-186, Lines # 4-20; Lines # 2-16). Buchholtz, S., Lachs, L., & Boudreault, P. (2011). The effect of mothers ASL skill level on the English Literacy of their Children. Journal of the American Deafness & Rehabilitation Association , 45 (1),

How best to improve competition in the banking market Essay - 1

How best to improve competition in the banking market - Essay Example In most cases, application of the efficient structure hypothesis is projected in two primary ways depending on the nature of efficiency considered. When considering the X-efficiency form, the more efficient organizations have relatively lower costs, which results to higher profits and a larger share market. According to WISE, BLINDER & GORDON, (2001), this is true because of presence of superior ability in diminishing production costs. On the other hand, Scale Efficiency form serves the same purpose as the X-efficiency, since it works towards achieving production to the minimum average-cost point. Relationship between quiet Life Hypothesis and efficiency structure If quiet life hypothesis holds, then it implies that, the positive profit structure association is partially offset by cost increase from poorer cost efficiency, which explains why the profit-structure association is weak in numerous banks. A unified approach based on the both quiet life hypothesis, structure hypothesis can be used to define the degree to which competition, and stability in the banking sector is influenced (WISE, BLINDER & GORDON, 2001). ... Relationship between quiet Life Hypothesis and efficiency structure If quiet life hypothesis holds, then it implies that, the positive profit structure association is partially offset by cost increase from poorer cost efficiency, which explains why the profit-structure association is weak in numerous banks. A unified approach based on the both quiet life hypothesis, structure hypothesis can be used to define the degree to which competition, and stability in the banking sector is influenced (WISE, BLINDER & GORDON, 2001). Structure Conduct Performance The SCP studies of banking universally can be subdivided into two primary groups according to the measure of performance (JOHNSON, 2003). The groups include the use of measure of pieces of some banking products and service in order to capture the firm’s performance. The second involves the application of profitability measure such as return on assets or equity. Nonetheless, using the piece of a single product may be misleading sue to the multi-product nature of a bank’s output. On the other hand, profit measure may be more informative, however may exhibit difficulty in comprehending and interpreting due to the complexity of the accounting procedures. Relationship between QLH, ESH and SCP The relationship between market structure and performance treated within the framework of structure-Conduct –Performance (SCP) explains well, the competitive status of a banking system. The SCP closes relates with that efficiency Hypothesis (JOHNSON, 2003). When Efficiency Hypothesis is applied in a banking sector, the hypothesis defines that a bank, which operates more efficiently than its competitors achieve higher gains that results from low operational costs.

Time Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Time Management - Essay Example With saved time, it would mean plenty of time for me to study my lessons in mechanical engineering. The second lesson is â€Å"Do the ugliest thing first.† This means the same as having a priority list. This lesson teaches me to do the important things first or to deal with the important people first. Some things and people can wait while some have to be dealt with as soon as possible, or else the opportunity is lost. Although I am just 20 years old, I should not think that opportunities will always be there for me so I can just let them pass me by. I should not waste time. The third is â€Å"Group your phone calls and make calls before lunch.† The lesson I can get from this is another lesson on saving time, which is to group activities and work that are similar in nature and can be done at a single time rather than lose all the time in a whole day doing just the same thing. With this, I can spend more time doing other

Business strategy in Chinese restaurant Assignment - 1

Business strategy in Chinese restaurant - Assignment Example The purpose of this report is to explore the marketing strategies of Hai Di Lao hot pot by applying the PESTEL and SWOT framework. The strategic options for expansion of the restaurant are discussed in this report and finally the recommendations are suggested. Political: The Chinese government has been following liberalization policies and this includes a drive of opening foreign based fast food chains in the country. Since 2007, the government have banned all the unlicensed food suppliers. This implies that the restaurant owners have to be highly careful in terms of procurement of food from suppliers. The Chinese government’s policy on food safety is paramount. Economic: China is one of the fastest growing markets among the emerging market economies with an average rate of growth of 9.10 % from 1990 to 2014 (Trading Economics, 2014). The growth of the Chinese economy has been coupled with the growth of disposable income of middle class (Wang, 2012). The average rate of per capita GDP of China is estimated to be about $ 2611 dollars (World Bank, 2014). According to statistics, the fast food restaurant in China is expected to grow by 6% in terms of value sales (Euromonitor International, 2014). Social: Based on social taste and preferences, Chinese fast food market can be differentiated on the basis of domestic fast food industry and foreign fast food industry (Deloitte, 2012). Though, the consumers are acquiring a taste of foreign fast foods yet the domestic Chinese fast food is very popular representing 70% of market share (Research and Markets, 2011). Technological: Technological elements like using Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale (EFTPOS) and advanced equipments in the kitchen reduce cost of production of the company. Using social media marketing and using internet technology to manage inventory can also help companies reduce their costs. Legal: Legislations for restaurant industry in China is

Hold on to Your Dreams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hold on to Your Dreams - Essay Example    The first step of my long journey was to get my father’s consent. My family tried to persuade me to change my mind. But I was a rock which let the waves of their arguments just wash over me. My reply to every objection was, â€Å"If you love me, let me go.† Finally, my father agreed to give me the freedom to pursue my dream. But I now faced a bigger hurdle: My father could not afford the financial costs of my studies. My application for a scholarship was turned down because I did not have the necessary background in Science. My disappointment ate into my heart like acid. I thought, ‘Maybe I should accept what cannot be changed.’ Then, my love for the field of medicine made me work as a call center representative and as a translator at hospitals, just so I could be a part of the world of doctors and nurses. Although my dream of wearing scrubs seemed to be far beyond my reach, I absorbed medical information. I became a part of the hospital community, which wa s a family to me. I accepted that my dream would always remain a dream, locked in its box. I was content to live in the hospital world. Then one calm, sunny day, a storm rushed through my life, cleared away all the doubts in my mind, and opened my eyes again. My best friend, Name, showed a flushed face, heavy sweating, and sudden tremors. But she said, â€Å"Don’t worry, Daliya. I’m fine.† As we worked in the office, my calm and patient friend screamed, and knocked everything on her table to the ground. Obviously, she was ill. Obviously, she was ill. The name was diagnosed with depression and started on medication. The next morning, Name was in the hospital with severe palpitations and high blood pressure. She was hooked to a saline drip. But there was no change in her situation. Suddenly, Name started to fight for breath and bloated like a balloon.  

Cover letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cover letter - Essay Example My goal is to follow a career as an emergency room nurse. Through my past emergency room experiences I have gained a deep understanding of a nurse’s role in patient care. I am committed to providing the best outcome possible for those who come to me for help. It has been humbling to see the miracles that happen on a daily basis at my work, and I couldn’t imagine a more satisfying job. In my current position at Beth Israel, I have learned the importance of maintaining accuracy and precision in high pressure situations. Having gained the awareness of how my decisions impact those around me, I know that one of my top priorities is being a team player. I am very interested in working for St. Johns because of the excellent reputation the hospital has gained throughout the medical community. Paying close attention to following hospital policies have become second-nature for me. I am thoroughly acquainted with the proper procedures to get things done in the most efficient way possible. I would welcome the opportunity to talk with you in person about the possibilities. I will give you a call next week to discuss whether a meeting would be appropriate. Please feel free to contact me by phone or email if you have questions in the

Ecological Concepts Essay Example for Free

Ecological Concepts Essay Ecology is the study of the relationship of between organisms and their environment, including both the living and nonliving compounds. Some of the ecological concepts include succession, energy flow between trophic levels, limiting factors, and carrying capacity. First, succession is a change in species structure of an ecological community over time. Over time species in the community become more and more abundant and may not be present at all one day. Also, sometimes new species might invade the community from nearby ecosystem. Ecologic successions occur as a result of drastic change in the environment or species inability to reproduce or grow in a particular environment. There are two types of successions primary and secondary. Primary succession is when an area that was not occupied previously is occupied by a new community. Secondary succession starts where natural vegetation is disrupted by humans, animals, or natural forces. Examples of ecological succession are fires, wind storms, floods, earthquakes, tornados, and forest fires. Energy flow between trophic levels is another ecological concept. Trophic levels are the feeding position in a food chain. This food chain involves primary producers, herbivores, primary carnivores, and more. Plants are producers and in the first trophic level, herbivores form the second level, and carnivores from third and fourth trophic levels. As only small amount of energy is transferred to the higher level there are fewer organisms in higher levels. Limiting factors is the third ecological concept. Limiting factors limit populations from growing any larger than they already are. There are two types of limiting factors Abiotic and biotic. Abiotic factors are nonliving components that affect living organisms and biotic factors are living components. For example 50 foxes can live in an environment that has enough food, water, and space for 60 foxes, but no more than 60 foxes could live there. Lastly, carrying capacity is one the ecological concepts and is the population size of the species one environment can support. Food, water, habitat, and space are the factors that affect carrying capacity. For xample environment could have enough water for the community but not have enough space or food. Best example of carrying capacity is predator-prey relationship. For example in the Isle Royale National Park moose would overgraze the vegetation if wolves did not eat them, and without moose wolves would starve. Overall, these ecological concepts help up understand relationships between one species to another and to the environment they all live in. Also these concepts show how might changes in the environment affect species that live in it.

Management and Steel Industry Essay Example for Free

Management and Steel Industry Essay 1. List and elaborate some strategic issues facing NUCOR. Key strategic issues challenging NUCOR include legislation related to climate change, fluctuating cost and supply of iron ore and scrap steel, increasing amount of steel imports, production technology improvements and economic weakness. Changes in legislation could have severe impacts on the firm’s numerous production facilities and could be costly to become compliant. The fluctuations in both the cost and supply of iron ore and scrap steel directly impact the firm’s profitability because it is difficult to pass those costs on to the customers due to the price-driven level of competition in the steel industry. The rise of low cost steel imports increases the domestic U.S. supply which puts pressure on NUCOR. The firm must stay at the front of technological advances for the production and processing of steel in order to stay competitive. Common for many firms and industries, economic weakness is an issue that challenges NUCOR’s strategy because it can impact the demand for its reputable high quality steel products. 2. What are the key elements of NUCOR’s low cost strategy? What factors have helped NUCOR achieve a low cost position? Key strategy elements for NUCOR: Conservative financial strength Team-based culture and decentralized operations Vertical integration Diversification Innovation – information technology, speed of design process Close proximity to important customers Financially stable employees – higher than average wages and non-discretionary incentive programs Employee empowerment Honesty and openness within the company No employee lay-offs Factors that have contributed to NUCOR’s low cost position: Strong, long-term relationships with outside parties for services such as research and development, purchasing recommendations, advertising, public relations, and  legal or environmental regulation compliance Stepping away from the steel industry’s tradition of equalized freight and offering all customers the sales terms of price plus actual shipping costs Not offering customers volume discounts Fleet of nearly 150 trucks for product delivery Vertical integration from joist manufacturing into steel production Steel production utilizing mini-mill technology Holding workstations responsible for identifying bottlenecks to increase efficiency Sophisticated computer program is used to compute accurate bids Improvements in the melting and casting processes for steel production including â€Å"continuous casters† Flat organizational hierarchy 3. Please apply Porter’s Five Forces model to the steel industry. While doing so, clearly identify who is behind each force and what the impact is of each force on the profitability of the industry (high/medium/low). At the end, also provide a summary of all the five forces and propose whether you think the steel industry is attractive or not. The bargaining power of buyers is high due to minimal product differentiation, low switching costs, excess capacity of steel production and large volume purchases. The threat of substitutes is medium because substitutes such as aluminum and plastic would not provide equivalent strength and durability but could still serve the same purpose as steel. The bargaining power of suppliers is low primarily due to the product being a commodity, high ratio of imported raw materials, and low switching costs. The threat of new entrants is low due to the trend toward consolidation and high amount of capital required to establish production/processing facilities capable of achieving economies of scale. Rivalry is intense because the steel industry is mature with little differentiation among products and mergers both in the U.S. and across the globe creating giant companies with deep pockets. Generally speaking, I think the steel industry is unattractive primarily due to its maturity, significant capital requirements and intense price-based competition that ultimately lead to low profitability. 4. What are NUCOR’s resources and capabilities? Resources: Team-based organizational culture Alliances with outside parties for support services Joint ventures with Physical locations of plants in proximity to key customers Loyal employees comprised of production workers, department heads, support and administrative staff, and senior management Innovative mini-mill technology Own fleet of nearly 150 trucks for distribution Computer program to generate bids Plants, mills, equipment, and machinery Reputation Financial capital Capabilities: Management’s philosophy and leadership skills Successful quality control process Flat organizational hierarchy and incentive program that keeps the workforce cooperative and productive Acquisition management Multidivisional coordination Speed of design process 5. Elaborate on some of the key lessons you have learnt from the case analysis. The most significant lesson I learned from this case analysis is that management style and culture can be key to being competitive. These really are the two things that will give NUCOR sustainable competitive advantage  because they are the most difficult to find and imitate. Building such an impressive employee loyalty takes time and cannot be replicated easily. In addition, the minimization of the corporate bureaucracy is something that makes employees at all levels feel comfortable and as if they are part of a family. I think there are many companies, including the one I work for that could really benefit from adopting this management style.

Purchase behaviour of Malaysians

Purchase behaviour of Malaysians The previous chapter has highlighted the objective and also the importance of this study.This chapter will cover previous literature of each topic area.Literature review are known as the secondary sources obtained from published work such as journals,books,masters thesis,articles,conference proceedings and other reports.It is vital in supporting the hypotheses that will be discussed the next chapter. The changes in Malaysia have been acknowledged by its admirers and critics alike. Two decades of uninterrupted economic growth and political stability have managed to guarantee nearly-full employment and a constant rise in living standards for the population (Noor, 1996). The rise of this consumerist culture would not have been possible had it not been for the loyal support of Malaysias youth, for it is they who are both the patrons and targets of this youth-oriented consumerism (Noor, 1996).T he study conducted by Singhapakdi, et., al. (1999) compared Malaysia and the US in terms of their perceptions of marketing situations, their attitudes toward business and salespeople, and their personal moral philosophies. The survey results reveal some significant differences between the consumers from these two countries. It indicated that Malaysia is more oriented towards cultural leanings than that of the United States. Self-image, product image and their combination, self-congruity, are im portant concepts in consumer behaviour. They have been hypothesised and found to affect significantly product choice and purchase intention. Questern, Karunaratna and Goh (2000) studied two samples (Australia and Malaysia) from contrasting cultural backgrounds are compared in relation to the importance of self-congruity with respect to four brands of two products categories of contrasting involvement levels. Unexpectedly, samples from Australia and Malaysia were found to use differently actual vs ideal self-image in their product evaluation. This confirms overall the role of self-congruence in consumers choice and points to the need for further investigation of this concept in a cross-cultural context.   2.2 Independent Variable 2.2.1 Purchasing Behavior Determining the definite reasons that influence consumers and their purchasing attitudes that directly linked to consumer decision making has become a significant focus of consumer research. Thus, a large number of studies have examined how individual consumers learn what to purchase (Keillor et al., 1996; Moschis and Churchill, 1978; Ward, 1974). According to Sproles and Kendall (1986, Pg. 268), a consumers decision making style is a mental orientation characterising a consumers approach to making choices. To conceptualize these styles a model which composed of eight mental orientations of consumers decision making behaviour was established by Sproles and Kendall (1986). The 8 characteristics are: Perfectionism/Quality conscious decision style that is concerned Shoppers with this decision making style will not settle with products grade as good with perfection. enough Brand conscious decision style that is concerned with getting luxurious, renowned brand. Consumers with this style believe that the higher the price of a goods, the better the quality. These consumers also aware of a brand as a distinct product separate from others as it is related to image and perception Novelty fashion conscious decision style for seeking out new things. The behaviour reflects a taste of innovative products and a motivation to keep up to date with new styles and fashion trends. Habitual and Brand Loyalty Decision style for shopping at the same stores and tendency to buy the same brands each time. Recreational shopping conscious decision style that view shopping as being enjoyable. Buyers with this trait enjoy the stimulation of looking for and choosing products. Price and value conscious decision style that is concerned with getting lower price. It also suggests that the consumer is conscious of sale prices and intends to get the best value for their money. Impulsive and careless tendencies decision style that describes a shopper who does not plan their shopping and appears unconcerned with how much he or she spends. Consumers with this style might regret their decision later. Confused by over choice decision style that reflects a lack of confidence and lack of ability to deal with the number of choices available. Consumers with this trait experience information overload. The eight features describe the most basic mental characteristics of a consumers decision making, which are directly associated to consumer purchase behaviour. Such knowledge is also essential in identifying segments of consumers sharing similar attitudes to shopping (Lyonksi et al., 1996). Besides the eight-factor consumer decision-making orientation model, work by Sproles (1985) and Sproles and Kendall (1986) developed the Consumer Style Inventory (CSI) which is used to evaluate consumer decision-making styles on the basis of a sample of United States (U.S.) teenagers. This method has been applied to different societies in eight different countries, including the U.S. (Sproles, 1985, Sproles and Kendall, 1986, Lysonski et al., 1996), New Zealand (Durvasula et al., 1993, Lysonski et al., 1996), United Kingdom(Mitchell and Bates, 1998), South Korea (Hafstorm et al., 1992), Greece, India (Lysonski et al., 1996), Germany (Walsh et al., 2001) and China (Fan and Xiao, 1998, Hui et al., 1 999, Hui et al., 2000). By using 210 university student samples in New Zealand, there were eight characteristics, same as Sproles (1986) findings, identified in Durvasulas (1993) research. However, in Lysonskis (1996) New Zealand study the factor of price and value consciousness was not found. The three consumer decision-making orientations; brand consciousness, novelty-fashion consciousness and habitual and brand loyalty are commonly found in two developed countries (USA and New Zealand) and two developing countries (Greece and India), identified by Lysonski (1996). The influences of the market environment, in particular the economic environment and market structure on consumer decision-making styles were suggested in the study. Walsh (2001) and Mitchell (1998) and had also applied the CSI in his study in the German and UK consumers respectively. Out of these eight styles, only six were identified in the study for Germans which are brand consciousness, perfectionism, recreational shopping conscious, confused by over choice, careless and impulsive and novelty-fashion consciousness. In addition to these, variety seeking was new style that found in Walshs (2001) Germany study. Besides to Sproless (1986) eight styles structure, Mitchell (1998) suggested that two others styles which are time-energy conserving and store loyal consumers were identified with UK consumers. The CSI has also been administered to the consumers of South Korea and China, in addition to the studies conducted in the western countries. However, varied results were shown in Fans (1998) and Huis (1999 2000) studies on Chinas consumers and only five styles were found in South Korea. Furthermore, as results of various researches relating to consumer behavior; an explanation of diverse purchasing behavior models is extended. The EKB model; a relatively clear, inclusive, and organized theory model concerning consumer behavior by three scholars, Engel, Kollat and Blackwell (EKB), was first presented in 1968. The model assumes that a consumers decision processing is a consecutive processing which leads to solving problems, and which features considering decision processing as the center of merging relations of relevant outside and inside elements. The EKB model has three advantages (Yang, 2001), which consist of: It is process oriented: The EKB model has rather relevant variables, which are collected with signs, are easier for researchers to confirm the relationship of variables, and also benefit hypothesis development and research result interpretation. Thoroughness/attention to detail: The EKB model contains rather complete variables, which are capable of explaining entire processing of consumer behavior. The dynamic feature: The EKB model combines many scholars and experts opinions towards consumer behavior and performs many revisions; therefore, is considered as a fairly thorough consumer behavior model. The EKB model contains four major parts, which include: information involvement; information processing; decision processing; and variables of decision processing. Consequently, based on the EKB concept; Engel et al. (1993) report that, the center concept of the model indicates consumer purchase decision processing, which is also problem-solving processing to consumer decision processing, consist of five stages. The five stages are: demand confirmation, search for information, and evaluation of alternatives, purchasing, and purchasing result. Basically, researches on consumer decision-making issues were mainly focused on the decision-making process. However, consumers may sometimes usually rely on simple approach, rather than going through a series of steps or processes rationally when they made purchase decisions, argues Bettman (1979). Consumer may simply emphasize or evaluate some typical dimensions or characteristics that are obvious and being conscious of (Sproles, 1985). In this regard, Sproles and Kendall (1986) pioneered to examine consumer decision-making processes by profiling consumers into diverse decision-making styles. In Wickliffes (1998) study, such styles have recently been found to be highly correlated with some product characteristics, for example; price, country of origin and brand. A consumer behavior model, Wheel of Consumer Analysis, was created by J. Paul Peter and Jerry C. Olson (1994) as a basis for explaining car buying behavior. According to the American Marketing Association, consumer behavior is defined as the dynamic interaction of affect and cognition, behavior, and environmental events by which human beings conduct the exchange aspects of their lives. (Olson Peter, 1994). Marketers can analyze am consumer behavior situation according to the three elements using the Wheel of Consumer Analysis the environment, behavior, and affect/cognition (see Figure 1). However, because these three factors interact and influence each other, no one factor can be isolated from the other. To understand consumer behavior, marketers must pay close attention to all three elements, each of which is discussed below Affect and Cognition Both affect and cognition are important for understanding consumer behavior, because affect and cognition refer to the internal and psychological reactions that consumers may have in response to objects in the external environment i.e., marketing stimuli, or to their own behavior. In other words, affect concerns feelings, while cognition involves thinking. Affective feelings can be positive and favorable, or negative and unfavorable. Whether positive or negative, they will affect the decisions of consumers. The Chinese consumer presents a good example of this. When Chinese consumers go to car dealers to purchase a car, their emphasis is on the services, including the attitude of sales people and option packages. An important factor for the Chinese is that dealers are sincere when conducting business rather than focusing solely on the price. Many international companies have experience when dealing with the Chinese and they understand that the Chinese like to negotiate, especially on price and service. Behavior The second important component is behavior or the overt acts of consumers. While affect and cognition are concerned with what customers feel and think, behavior deals with what customers actually do. Examples of consumer behavior include watching a TV commercial, visiting a store, or purchasing a product. Chinese consumers typically pay more attention to the informational content than entertainment features of the advertisements. One study found that Chinese customers considered themselves to be sophisticated and knowledgeable in their purchasing choices. (Shen Zhao, 1995) Environment The last component of consumer behavior concerns the environment. The environment refers to all the physical and social characteristics of the consumers external worlds on both a macro and a micro level. Marketers need to know which level of environmental analysis is relevant for the marketing problem and choose or design strategies appropriately. The macro environment includes general environmental factors such as, the climate, demographics, economic conditions, and political system. The micro-environment includes face-to-face social interactions among smaller groups of people such as families and reference groups. (Olson Peter, 1994) Both environments could include the objects, places, or other people who influence consumers affect/ recognition, and behavior. In the Chinese society, friends are good reference providers, particularly in the case of large, durable goods purchases.While the environment in which marketers operate is largely uncontrollable, marketers can influence cert ain aspects of the environment. Therefore, every marketing strategy needs to change or at least adapt to some aspect of the social and physical environments. While attempting to influence consumers affect/cognition and their behaviors, marketing strategies must often be altered to fit the social and physical environments such as, designing cars without ashtrays, reflecting shifting social patterns of reduced smoking 2.2 Literature of Variable 2.2.1 Price Prices range widely and an executive sedan may cost more than ten times the price of a small car (White,2004, 2006). Various studies have applied hedonic price modeling to show that price variation among new cars can be explained by differences in key product characteristics such as horsepower,engine capacity, speed, and safety features (e.g. Couton et al.,1996; Andersson, 2005; Reis and Santos Silva, 2006)Price is probably the most important consideration for the average consumer according to Cadogan and Foster (2000). Price plays an important role in affecting consumers decision towards purchasing a product.The effect of price has been studied extensively for many years. Consumers view price as an important element when purchasing and it has a large influence on consumers satisfaction judgments (Hermann, Xia, Monroe Huber, 2007). Price is an important factor of customer satisfaction since whenever consumers the value of an acquired product or service, they usually always think price (Zeithaml, 1998). Price is more likely used by consumers as a cue in forming product expectations when they are faced with performance or quality uncertainty (Urbany, 1997). Customers who view a firms pricing practices as unfair, are most likely to respond negatively. These include immediate attitudinal and affective responses such as dissatisfaction and lower purchase intentions (Oliver Swan, 1989). Consumers have the perception of high price giving high quality products and a number of academic works have shown that low prices are associated with low quality (Huang, 2004). According to the range theory, people use the range of remembered price experiences to set lower and upper bounds on price expectations, such that the attractiveness of a market price is a function of its position within this range (Janiszewski and Lichtenstein, 1999).Consumer have a strong belief in the price and value of their brands so much that they would compare and evaluate prices with alternative brands(Evans et al.,1996;Keller,2003). According to Helegeson and Beatty, (1985),consumers rely on various information cues or product attributes in their decisionmaking including price. The general consensus in research is that price is one of the most important reasons in purchasing decision factor. According to Bucklin et al. (1998), price significantly influences consumer choice and incidence of purchase. He emphasized that discount pricing makes households switch brands and buy products earlier than needed. Price is described as the quantity of payment or compensation for something. It indicates price as an exchange ratio between goods that pay for each other. Price also communicates to the market the companys intended value positioning of its product or brand. Price consciousness is defined as finding the best value, buying at sale prices or the lowest price choice (Sproles and Kendall, 1986). Additionally, consumers generally evaluated market price against an internal reference price, before they decide on the attractiveness of the retail price. 2.2.2 Brand According to Bhimrao M. Ghodeswar (2008), brand is defined as a distinguishing name or symbol such as logo, trademark, or package design that intended to identify the goods or services of either one seller or a group of sellers, and to differentiate those goods or services from those of competitors.Consumer brand-knowledge can be defined in terms of the personal meaning about a brand stored in consumer memory, that is, all descriptive and evaluative brand-related information(Keller 2003). A brand act as signals to the customer the source of the product, and protects both the customer and the producer from competitors who would attempt to provide products that appear to be identical (Aaker, 1991). Brands provide the basis upon which consumers can identify and bond with a product or service or a group of products or services (Weilbacher, 1995)Consumer decisions about brand choices follow a certain sequence (Bettman, 1979).A brand can be defined as the total accumulation of all his/her experiences, and is built at all points of contact with the customer from the customers point of view (Kapferer, 2004)The way consumers perceive brand is a key determinant of long-term business-consumer relationship (Fournier, 1998). Consumer attitude towards a brand is an extension of the psychological assessment of the brand in terms of favoritism and is about positive or negative predisposition held towards a product (Churchill Iacobucci, 2005).The way consumers perceive brand is a key determinant of long-term business-consumer relationship (Fournier, 1998).Consumers have been found to be more willing to pay extra for a symbolic brand or a brand with symbolic value (Wu Shing, 2006). Mithall (1989) establishes that when it comes to purchasing, customers care about brands, perception on brand differences, importance of brand choice and feeling concerned about brand decision. As consumers become more familiar with a brand, their knowledge structure about the brand changes so and their uncertainty about the brand decreases. Brands have been perceived as providing a greater security and a higher level of performance while eliminating alternatives by providing a better overall customization of perceived preference s (Jiang, 2004). Gardner Levy (2005) found that consumers were not just looking for product functionality, but also brand status or the symbolic meaning or property of the brand. Brand status depends largely on the consumers perception of the brands association with symbolism and prestige (Baht Reddy, 1998). The modern day consumer has also started to build emotional bonds with brands, becoming friends with them and are even said to be seduced to look like, eat like and be alike (Klein, 2000). Famous brand names can disseminate product benefits and lead to higher recall of advertised benefits than non-famous brand names (Keller, 2003). There are many unfamiliar brand names and alternatives available in the market place. Consumers may prefer to trust major famous brand names. These prestigious brand names and their images attract consumers to purchase the brand and bring about repeat purchasing behaviour and reduce price related switching behaviours (Cadogan and Foster, 2000). Furthermore, brand personality provides links to the brands emotional and self-expressive benefits for differentiation. This is important for brands which have only minor physical differences and are consumed in a social setting where the brand can create a visible image about the consumer itself. Consumers are usually able to evaluate each of International Journal of Economics and Management the products and brand name attributes (Keller, 2003). It is noteworthy that this information is essential for marketing managers to make informed decisions concerning product positioning, repositioning and differential advantages. According to Kohli and Thakor (1997), brand name is the creation of an image or the development of a brand identity and is an expensive and time consuming process. The development of a brand name is an essential part of the process since the name is the basis of a brands image. Brand name is important for the firm to attract customers to purchase the product and influence repeat purchasing behaviour. Consumers tend to perceive the products from an overall perspective, associating with the brand name all the attributes and satisfaction experienced by the purchase and use of the product. 2.2.3 Appearance Appearance is defined by HunterLab(2008) as a combination of its chromatic attributes(color) and geometric attributes(shape,texture,shinines,haze and translucency)and both types of these attributes should be measured and accounted for when making visual or instrumental assessments appearance.Appearance is the foremost and most impressive product message because when customers have a choice and all other factors are equal,they buy what looks best(HunterLab 2008).Also according to HunterLab,buyers will expect uniformity of appearance within any group of the same product and when customers see a difference between them on display,they will associated the difference with poor quality. Product design has been recognized as an opportunity for differential advantage in the market place and the appearance of a product influences consumer product choice in several ways(Marielle and Jan,2005).The appearance of the product influences consumer perception of aspects such as ease of operation, weight, and stability, which affect the perceived ease of use of a product(Marielle and Jan,2005). Consumers may use product appearance for categorization (Bloch, 1995; Veryzer, 1995). According toYamamoto and Lambert(1994) , even for industrial products, appearance has an influence on product preference. A products appearance communicates messages(Murdoch and Flurscheim, 1983), as it may look cheerful, boring, friendly, expensive, rude, or childish. Furthermore, the product or package appearance can reinforce the image of a brand, as the identity of a brand is expressed visually in the appearance of products (Schmitt and Simonson, 1997). The aesthetic value of a product pertains to the pleasure derived from seeing the product, without consideration of utility (Holbrook, 1980). Car manufacturers often try to keep different car models recognizable as belonging to the same brand. The distinctive radiator grill of BMW automobiles is an example of a recognizable design element. The linking of brand meaning to elements of the product appearance will be easier when the associations these elements engender by themselves because they are innate or are determined by culture correspond to the desired brand image.Color preferences differ between cultures and in time (Whitfieldand Wiltshire, 1983). Garber (1995) defined visual typicality as the look or appearance that most consumers would associatewith a product category, and by which they identify brands that belong to the category. For example, use of bright colors and a large size, which is associated with aggression (Murdoch and Flurscheim, 1983), will make it easier to position a car brand as aggressive. In addition, personal factors, such as design acumen, prior experience, and personality influence the design taste of consumers (Bloch, 1995) 2.2.4 Safety According to BBC Science article, moving cars have kinetic energy and energy cannot be created or destroyed.When the car brakes this energy will transfer to the surroundings and this happen during the car collisions.The safety feature were design to absorb this kind of energy at the same time avoiding serious injury.The typical features were seat belts, air bags and crumple zones.The modern safety features in new automobiles including Anti-lock braking system(ABS),traction control,safety cage,electric windows,cruise control,paddle shift controls and adjustable seats. In 2003,The Dohring Company which is the North Americas largest provider of custom market research has conducted a random survey of 7.995 American drivers intending to purchase a new vehicle in the near future.The result of this survey stated that 83% of the participants reported that vehicle safety would be an important or very important consideration when purchasing their next vehicle(The Dohring Company,2003).Based on the Safety Advisory Committe I(SARAC I 2001) reviewed on incidential consumer survey in Europe,United States and Australia,safety had become an important attribute when purchasing a new vehicle (Zeidler,Kullgren,Fildres,Morris ONeill,2001) . According to the research of SARAC II(2005),one of the main aims of the research was to determine how important the vehicle safety in new vehicle purchase process in Sweden and Spain.The research finding indicate that while vehicle safety has become increasingly important to new consumer ,it is not the primary consideration in the vehicles purchase decision.However when the participant were ask to rate and select the importance vehicles factors from the list,most participant select the vehicle safety as the most important factor. In similar case when the participant of this research were ask to select the vehicles features,most of the participant selected the safety related features for example air bag and advanced braking system.Overall,the participants from both countries were most likely select safety related factor and safety related features from the list of factors and features as their highest priorities in the new vehicles process.The Swedish new private vehicle consumer significantly more concern in vehicles safety features compare to the Spanish new private vehicles consumer. According to the Roy Morgan Research Centre (MUARC,1992) on the consumers willingness to pay for vehicle safety features,consumers who purchased more expensive vehicles tended to be more willing to pay for the safety packages and however the author noted that the willingness to pay was still quite high for consumers who purchased vehicles from the lowest price range.In the summary most private vehicle purchasers would willing to pay the best estimate retail price or more for both the airbag and non airbag package.The factor were influence by age,gender,parents,household income,size of car and cost of the vehicle. According to European Road Safety Observatory, the design of the vehicle are the most important and basic critirea to a safe traffic system that requires safe interaction between users, vehicles and the road environment. Vehicle design, which takes account of the behavioural and physical limitations of road users, can address a range of risk factors and help to reduce exposure to risk, crash involvement and crash injury severity.Up untill now, vehicle engineering for improved safety has usually been directed towards modifying and designing a vehicle in order to help the driver avoid a crash, or to protect the passenger inside the vehicle during a crash.Recently, attention in  Europe  has been given to crash protective design for those outside the vehicle Key system risk factors Human Vehicles and equipments Road Exposure traffic system use too early access to driving or riding a motor vehicle availability of high performance motor vehicles poor land-use planning, user mix Pre-crash crash occurrence speeding, impairment poor lighting, braking, handling, speed management poor road design or layout, absence of speed limits and pedestrian facilities Crash injury during the crash non-use of restraints or helmets poor crash protective design absence of forgiving roadside (e.g. crash barriers) Post-crash post crash injury poor access to care poor evacuation absence of rescue facility European Road Safety Observation on the vehicle design contribution Based on Broughton, J. et al. (2000) research on a review of the effectiveness of casualty reduction measures in the  United Kingdom  between 1980 and 1996.The Author found that the greatest contribution to casualty reduction was secondary safety or crash protection in vehicles. This accounted for around 15% of the reduction, compared with 11% for drink-drive measures and 6.5% for road safety engineering measures.

Once there Was a Village :: essays research papers

The book, Once There Was a Village, written by Yuri Kapralov, is an autobiographical tale of his experiences living in the ethnically diverse East Village of New York City. The story takes place during the late 1960s and early 1970s and most of the events occur around Thompson Square Park-- the center of Alphabet City. Yuri Kapralov came to America after World War II, displaced from the Caucuses. He made the East Village home. In the book, he was adamant about what is the â€Å"East Village†. His description was west of Avenue A. He describes the ethnic composition as ever changing, but for the later part of the sixties, was mostly divided into Puerto Ricans, Russians, Polish, Blacks, and Bohemians; the bohemians were further divided into black-and-white couples, students, left-over beatniks and hippies. Kapralov describes how the area around Thompson Square Park and much of New York, during the late sixties and early seventies, became a dangerous place to call home. Crime was a daily occurrence brought on by the drug infestation and poverty typical of the location and era. People of the East Village were poor and disheartened by what they considered the New York Police Department’s lack of protection. In the late 1960s,although the East Village was overrun with crime, police officers were rarely seen east of First Avenue. Letters were written to the mayor and to newspapers requesting patrol officers in the area. The letters were either ignored or the authors were told the manpower was not available. Due to this situation, the Police become an object of hate. They never seemed to be there for protection against the ever recurrent muggings, robberies, and general violence against East Village citizens. The crime was so frequent that the residents began defending themselves with anything available and even resorted to buying illegal weapons. Many residents were caught with these illegally purchased weapons and arrested, further straining relations with law enforcement The summer of 1966 saw the climax of the antagonistic relationship with law enforcement and residents. There were street riots on Avenues C and B. Cars were burned, stores were robbed and people were killed. That evening, the area turned into a War Zone during the evening east of Avenue B. The community had many different views of the events. The Russian immigrants, who were deemed by the writer to be "more racist", saw the events as evident of the Black and Puerto Rican people acting "out of control" and the neighborhood "going to hell".

Italy in World War II Essay -- Essays Papers

Italy in World War II World War II, which only lasted about five years, changed the course of history forever, and affected millions of lives. Among the major nations that were involved in the war, Benito Mussolini and his Italian army sought to settle their differences with many nations. Benito’s fascist views, his idea of a nation built by one race, and his relationship with Adolf Hitler ultimately led to his involvement in the war. His responsibility, in essence, was to ally himself with the superpowers of the world, and lead his people into a war that they could not fight. "Il Duce", (the leader), was the name that Benito Mussolini gave himself as his rise to power in Italy continued. He led the people of Italy with the mind set and many of the same ideas that Hitler used in Germany. "†¦ a tendency had been developing in Italy in favor of closer relations with Germany, both politically and economically." (1) Mussolini, along with Hitler, pushed towards a nation that was free of Jews, and would consist solely of the "perfect man". Mussolini’s goal was to create an ultimate Italian empire, in alliance with Hitler’s Germany. (2) "The manner in which Mussolini and the Fascist Party gained possession of the government was regarded in most foreign circles as an illegal act of violence." (3) As the nation of Italy began to suffer great debts, Mussolini had been summoned by the King to form a government to aid in the economic needs. This marked the birth of the Fascist Party in Italy. In the beginning of his rise to the top, Mussolini was popular amongst his people. His popularity was high, and people began to trust in his judgment and ideas. (4) He was, in essence, saving the people from the turmoil that had ensued the nat... ...hat they controlled, but affected the history of the world from then on. End Notes 1. Villari, Luigi. Italian Foreign Policy Under Mussolini. New York: The Devin-Adair Company, 1956 2. "Benito Mussolini in Pictures". 3 March 2000. Factual information on Mussolini. http://www.gvn.net/~lowe/mussolini/1.htm 3. See Villari 4. "World War II" (1939-1945) http://infoplease.lycos.com/ipa/A0001288.html 2000 Lycos, Inc. (March 2, 2000) 5. See Villari 6. Deakin, F.W. The Brutal Friendship. New York: Harper and Row, Publishers, 1962. 7. See Deakin 8. See Villari 9. Smith, Denis Mack. "Benito Mussolini" http://gi.grolier.com/wwii.wwii_mussolini.html Grolier Online Publishing (March 3, 2000) 10. See Villari 11. See Villari

Investigate notions of sisters and sisterhood within Top Girls :: English Literature

Investigate notions of sisters and sisterhood within Top Girls In Act 1 the women at the dinner party, speak of their suffering in the past, but they all relate to Marlene and to each other as a sisterhood of the present, even though the women represent contemporary figures supposedly alive in the early 1980’s in England. Lady Nijo and Pope Joan are similar in that they both had babies in difficult situations, and both stood up for their rights as women. The portrayal of these women contrasts with the traditional and ‘classical’ representation of women in plays. In the past women characters have been presented as dependent on men and limited by the conversations of a male dominates world. A typical example of this is seen in Hamlet by William Shakespeare, with both Gertrude and Ophelia saying ‘I will obey my lord’ however in Top Girls the characters think independently and believe in themselves and show support for their sisters. The characters are individualised which is dramatically interesting as they open to a new experience on the stage. The modern women is shown in Top Girls to be living in the time of shifting priorities and expectations, challenging the female ‘roles’. An example of this is Louise in act 2 saying, ‘She has a different style, she’s a new kind†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Many themes that run throughout Top Girls relate to the time when the play was written. An example of this and also an example of sisters in the play is the argument between Joyce and Marlene. Marlene is an individualistic and through her own determination and effort has managed to lift herself out of working class environment to middle class. Class structure, as seen by Marlene, is the cause of oppression and the row between the sisters is exaggerated and simplified with Marlene saying ‘I hat the working class’ and Joy replying ‘ I spit when I see a Rolls Royce.’ Marlene shows support for Thatcher saying ‘She’s a tough lady, Maggie†¦. Certainly gets my vote.’ Which can be interpreted as, her own success could have been due to the encouragement and initiative of an individual. Act 3 reveals aspects of Marlene’s life that could be questioned. She left home at the age of 17, she cut herself of from all family ties, she hasn’t been home for 6 years and Angie’s arrival in the office is a complete inconvenience to her. In many respects Joyce can be interpreted as a failure too, she is worn out, let down by her husband and has a mixed success to look after Angie. The history of the sister’s social and family background is grim.

Accounting Profession

The workload of the office is measured 2 In terms of actual clients; rather than attempting to measured the firm In terms of the billing hours or dollars. Two individual clients serviced by the firm illustrate the complexity of coordinating the activities within one local, targeted firm within the region. One client Is an independent 011 and gas entrepreneur that operates over an expanded region which may involve operations in multi-states when exploration is active. A second client is a construction company that has crews operating in four states on a weekly basis..The required accounting and tax documents (paperwork) ND information change exponentially with the addition or deletion of new clients to the existing client list. A concurrent change is that of administering a database to ERM the tell to manage the required coordination between separate accountants working independently but for the same client. The firm's workforce is made up of two partners, one non-partner associate an d various other hourly personnel. The firm currently operates offices in two locations within a single state.The CPA Firm (CPA) partners recognized within the past several years that a paper intensive environment ad resulted in a firm-wide system that was in danger of collapse. One of the two partners, the senior partner, was assigned the specific task of developing policies related to two interrelated purposes involving the use of technology: (1) to improve the management of the processes and work (data) flow within the firm's system and (2) to undertake strategic planning to insure the firm's continued growth and success by improving cost efficiencies through better usage of technology.The research group (authors of the study) used the results of an interview of a partner of a repressions law firm (in a parallel study) using the nine milestones recommended by the SEARCH (the National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics) during the literature review as a guide in dete rmining the strategic planning and implementation for a typical law firm within the Justice system in order to compare research results between two different, but similar, professional firms.The milestones permitted the research group to organize its findings in a manner that is consistent with other efforts within the Justice system (law firm) while also providing similar structure for a CPA that is governed by parallel expectations.However, since the law firm was a component of the Justice system the findings are grouped into fewer categories to allow the research group to structure the intent of the recommendations provided by SEARCH to a specific case study (of the CPA) regulated by professional, federal and state statutes/regulations to a professional law firm within a specific segment of the overall Judicial system yet regulated in a similar manner. Both types of professional firms have legal and ethical obligations to protect their clients' interests (manual and electronic do cuments, etc. 3 STRATEGIC DISASTER PLANNING The CPA notionally had a self-contained computer- based information system housed internally in one of the two branch offices of the firm. As growth of the client base grew and the firm expanded the firm added a part- time, consulting-in-nature IT support that continues today. Initially IT periodically backed up the firm's data on an infrequent basis that evolved into a routine practice over time. However, no firm backup policy or procedure existed; rather the IT staff simply implemented common sense and applied what experience had shown them was the service the firm needed.In short, simple use of backup tapes and disks as determined informally by the IT consultant as his time permitted. However, as the CPA continued to grow the partners began to informally create a plan for backup; however, the backup was still localized and stored at one of the firm's office where the primary IT operation was housed. The easy plan established and used wa s to store duplicate copies of computerized files in the same physical location where the master copies were located.Experience proved to be a lesson learned. The offices of the firm are located in an area of the U. S. That is prone to hurricanes. While the offices are not located on the coast hurricane damage NAS occurred within the elite to the firm and the original partners learned that offside storage of backup copies could prove to be a wise course of action in an area that has experienced hurricanes on a frequent basis. Thus a backup of computerized records with offside storage became the default plan for several years.The senior partner, upon being charged with the responsibility to improve the management of the processes and work (data) flow within the firm's system and to undertake strategic planning to insure the firm's intended growth and success by improving cost efficiencies through better usage of technology initiated planning by developing a firm wide identification o f technology needs, policies and procedures that would be necessary for the firm to successfully survive a natural disaster.This planning effort included charging the IT consultant with the responsibility to recommend changes in the computerized firm-wide system that would permit the daily backup of all databases and other files at remote sites including alternative network capabilities that could be used to resume email and there communication capabilities as quickly as possible if the main office location was down due to a natural disaster. The plan was to have alternatives that would permit the firm to resume and maintain operations from various sites within the U.S. If necessary. On no single date was the system to be backed up at only the main location by having the master and backup files physically located at the same system. The IT consultant recommendations were used by the senior partner to subsequently develop plans for the CPA which addressed the backup, relocation, secu rity, and covert in the areas of hardware, software, databases, and physical 4 structure or operational areas, and telecommunications-network links internal and external to the CPA.The IT staff was requested to provide the senior partner with suggested scenarios that would describe the cause and effect of actions (procedures) that the CPA should implement. Examples provided by the senior partner included the following: 0 Hardware – laptop computers were to be taken home (and subsequently to evacuation locations) by individuals the laptop was assigned to by the firm. All non-removable computers, etc. Were wrapped in heavy plastic for retention from wind and water damage (anything short of a direct destructive hit).The CPA buildings were to be secured to minimize the effect of wind and water debris and structural damage. 0 Software – All software programs, systems and applications, backed up and sent to offside locations in second firm office located another geographical region of the country. 0 Databases – all data backed up and copies moved to local and distant locations electronically and hardcopy. Two sets prepared and kept at two different locations locally and one set sent to an off-site location in Tennessee (and not in line for hurricane damage).Telecommunications- network – reviewed the backup contingency plans with vendor that was located in another geographic region to initial recovery efforts once the CPA and vendor could resume contact and after power and other utilities were restored. Partners of the CPA were obviously kept in the loop and were advised to carry identified hardware, software, and paper files to other locations (homes and perhaps subsequently to evacuation location areas outside to the disaster area). The partners supervised t transfer of items to the second CPA location (from one gulf coast state to an inland state overnight).August 26, 2005 the path of Hurricane Strain continued to indicate that the CPA likely would be within the projected landfall area and subsequent inland path of destruction. The increasing magnitude of the hurricane became obvious to the firm personnel and the disaster plan was set in motion. The plan identified those responsible for each of the planned areas of responsibility. When the decision was made by the partners-owners of the firm to implement the disaster plan there was approximately four hours remaining in the work week.CPA employees were already concerned for family and personal reporter and the firm began to allow employees to leave work early to tend to those needs. However, a core of employees – partners and one staff person remained to oversee the completion of disaster procedures. Who did what? When asked this question the senior partner stated that the partners did the activities related to insuring the hardware, software, databases, 5 telecommunication-network and structural preparations were completed as quickly as possible.He commente d that what most have to remember is that Hurricane Strain grew from a category 1 too category 4 or 5 within a very short timestamp. All disaster planning had been based on what disaster experiences in the past had shown would be probably. The IT consultant worked non-stop until the last items were relocated, secure, backed up and ended their efforts on Sunday, August 28th. The CPA partners at both locations dealt with the business end of the disaster plan implementation.Those tasks included : 0 Notifying clients and carriers the CPA was â€Å"battening down† and would be back in touch as soon as possible, 0 Arranging to have any imminent incoming checks re-routed to the off-site inland state location (for feet and operational banks), 0 Updating voice messages for the office, 0 Making final decisions about which paper (hard) copy file needed which level of protection (covered, uncovered, removed to another location, etc. , 0 Reviewing that all electronic (soft) copy were back ed up according to the plans to insure that copies were located in several locations locally and remote and the person responsible for each copy, Providing phone contact lists for all employees and giving out partner information to all employees (who had already been sent home to deal with personal and family assister preparations), and 0 Checking insurance policy coverage (and later following through [for example, business interruption insurance has been troublesome]).

Ghandi Speech Essay

To what extent does Gandhi use relatively simple syntax, expressing ethos and pathos, to appeal to a larger audience. The ‘Quit India’ speech was given by Mahatma Gandhi on August 8th of 1942. â€Å"Let me explain my position clearly†, Gandhi said, to begin his first point. He uses very simple syntax when giving this speech because he wants his points to be made more â€Å"clearly†. Throughout the whole speech, Gandhi’s speaks using very basic language, therefore appealing to a much larger audience, of people rather than a select few. Gandhi uses ethos and pathos in order to captivate and enthrall his audience. Gandhi said â€Å"I want you to know and feel that there is nothing but purest Ahimsa in all that I am saying and doing today.† He addresses the audience using â€Å"you† to make everything more direct and personal. Ethos and pathos is also used throughout this speech to gain credibility of the people, motivating them into  "joining† the â€Å"Quit India† movement he is advertising. â€Å"It is to join a struggle for such democracy that I invite you today.†, Gandhi said. â€Å"The power, when it comes, will belong to the people to the people of India, and it will be for them to decide to whom it placed and entrusted.† Promoting congress and rejecting dictatorship are the two biggest topics Gandhi is trying to support in this speech. And that is why the above excerpt is such an important sentence to the speech. Another strategy Ghandi incorporated was the repetition of the word â€Å"we† throughout the whole speech. This was to designate that he is the voice of the people of India, not merely voicing out his own individual opinion. â€Å"We must get rid of this feeling. Our quarrel is not with the British people, we fight their imperialism.† When giving a speech, it is crucial to know who your intended audience is. That way it will make it easier for you to persuade them since you know what they are about. Mahatma Ghandi used this indication in order to persuade his audience and made his speech meaningful. In â€Å"Quit India†, he used simple sentences and being more informal in order to attract and keep the audience’ attention. Overall, the power of speech is so incredible and can impact more than just the intended audience. But in order for that to occur, the speaker must choose their words wisely, not just jotting down everything that comes to mind when given a topic. Not everyone wants to read something that is serious and not everyone is literate, especially during the time Mahatma Ghandi was delivering this speech. Therefore, putting together and  delivering this speech was important in order to attract people from all different ethnicities and political views. â€Å"Quit India† was not just a speech intended for a select audience, but it is a speech intended for ev ery human being to hear and interpret in their own way. That is the genius of Gandhi’s basic, yet meaninful, and relatable, syntax used through this speech.

Dialectical Theory

Interpersonal relationships have been the subject of research and discussion for many centuries. Whether a relationship lasts or breaks depends so much on how the parties involved respond to the emerging challenges and how they respond to issues. According to the dialectic theory, all relationships undergo tensions which often result into contradictions. It is how the parties engaged in a relationship respond to tensions that shapes the way parties will handle tensions. For a husband and wife in a marriage or a boyfriend and girl friend in a love affair, the knowledge of the underlying assumptions of the dialectic theory is fundamental. This essay looks into the impact of dialectical tensions in relationships, the management of tensions in relationships and finally the strategies those in relationships can adopt to deal with tensions. The writer incorporates personal experience of tensions to expound and make clearer the points deliberated. Autonomy This is the desire to be independent in the things that you set out to do and also in your entire life. It occurs regardless of the closeness or intimacy that one has established with his/her partner or even with other people. The need to be autonomous in a relationship may lead to conflicts since your partner expects you to cooperate and do everything together inclusive of sharing ideas and experiences. Individual identity This refers to the process of trying to understand oneself in a better way. It involves making attempts of stabling ones weaknesses and strengths so that one can be able to his/her living grounds. It can result to tensions in a relationship in that on the process of trying to understand yourself your weaknesses may outweigh your strengths and this may bring about doubts on the side of tour partner. Change This is the desire to acquire and sustain variety for example in a relationship. It can be both positive and negative whereby negative change brings about much tension in a relationship. This refers to turning against the plans and agreements that were entered into during the beginning of the relationship. Desire for Separation This refers to the strong need to part ways with your partner may be because of inevitable circumstances like a job or due to existence of varied decisions between the partners whereby none wants to give in to each other’s decisions. This leads to tensions in a relationship and it can even yield into a divorce. Varied approaches- this refers to use of different means and ways to solve problems or address issues in the relationship by the partners. The partners may therefore have a lot of disagreements and this strains and puts tensions to the relationship. Privacy- this refers to the tendency of keeping things to oneself. The partners may decide not to disclose anything to each other and this really puts a lot of tension to the relationship since open-ness is not practiced. I have been in an intimate relationship for the past five years. Although there have been fundamental communication differences, at least the theory of dialectical tensions has been evident through out. There have been tensions which require to be solved constantly. First of all, my partner is from a different religious background, very committed and totally unyielding to compromise. Constantly the practices and doctrines he advocates are against my personal beliefs. On the other hand, I am reserved and although religious, I am not overly given into religiosity as was the case with my partner. Dialectical tensions are manifested in that, while my partner desires to have a baby I do not and often it is a subject of debate, something which has been going on and on for the last three years. Although both of us have learnt how to balance the tensions, it has taken quite a number of strategies and a good measure of effort. First of all, we had to agree on how many kids we were going to have if any. Secondly, we were in different careers with different goals in life. The prospects of marriage and therefore of having to raise a family together implied that one or both of us had to make quick changes to career path and it turned out to be me. This obviously was the last thing I had anticipated for and my family members as well as close friends were very much against such a decision. So a decision had to be made and for that matter very fast. To achieve a balance of the contradictions I had to balance between what I wanted for my relationship versus what my friends and family wanted for me. I also had to balance between the career and the prospects of changing as well as the cost that goes with raising a well rounded family. I also had to balance between being faithful and obedient to my spouse and being truthful to myself. Integration/separation. The fact that I was changing career paths in order to be together with my spouse meant that, I was undergoing a major dilemma as far as sacrificing my identity was concerned. We were going to integrate into marriage and therefore someone if not both of us needed to make some sacrifices. I made some. In terms of the advice and discouragement from my friends, I had to ignore their pleas. This was a separation in that, my decision which was final was against their advice and therefore a separation resulted. Stability/change. Having underwent several relationships which were all intimate, switching or at least breaking one and later forming another was a change in itself. This resulted into stability tension in that. Every time I entered into a relationship, I never wanted to break it even if it seemed like it was not headed into a marriage. There was and imminent fear of life without this and that partner and this was a major cause of stability tension for me. Expression/privacy. This tension has continued to grip me to date, disclosing to my partner something has never been easy especially when the consequences are not clear and are unpredictable. In my current relationship, I am the private one while my partner is the open one. While my partner can virtually open up about any issue however damaging or secret, I always find myself struggling to do that. It takes a lot of pestering to get information out of me especially when I consider the information potentially damaging. Strategies of responding to the above tensions. The strategies discussed here are real and have worked for me. In my relationship whereby the partner and I have major differences, including religious beliefs, I had to select to hang by my feelings and choice of action. It was not going to join my partners bandwagon and subscribe to the religious sect he belonged to. This eventually worked as he later accepted my choice. If I had acted in order to please him, I was going to suffer. I would have just sacrificed too much for nothing. In that, my strategy worked. By sticking to my position but still maintaining the relationship, I learnt how to cope with the tension of differences. In all other relationships before marriage, I ended up adopting separation strategy hence the reason why I would break up if a relationship was not working. Reaffirmation to me was not an ideal strategy in my relationship, although I hold the view that, it is applicable in cases whereby a spouse may be sickly but however serious the condition, the loved ones look up to the person getting well one day. In some cases it could be that, a relationship is abusive and a partner keeps on promising that they will change although actually nothing ever happens. Reframing again for me is a strategy I use in my current situation whereby I look at the demands of my relationship differently and therefore gives a new meaning to every contradiction. The tension of having to change career path so as to marry was a dialectical tension I overcame using the reframing strategy. Conclusion. Dialectical theory is very much effective for relationships and I would suggest it to all of the buddies out there who are undergoing hard times in their relationships. From the meanings to the strategies, an in-depth solution to tensions is offered. Therefore theoretical theory is an ideal alternative to solving crisis in relationships.

Investigate a Type of Public Speech Such as Political Speech, School Assembilies Etc.

A political speech is a type of public speech; public speeches are usually prepared with the intentions of informing, influencing or entertaining an audience. The main purposes of a political speech are to transmit information among others, motivating people to act either for or against something or to tell a story. A good orator should be able to change people’s emotions and keep the audiences interest. For my language study I am analysing David Cameron’s speech to his campaigners in Brighton before the election 2010 because I thought it would be an interesting topic as it is in current news. Firstly, David Cameron’s excessive use of pauses is interesting. They seem to be the most used technique in the transcript, for instance David Cameron says ‘we’ve got the ambition (1) to make this country great again (2) and as you go out there (1)’ this shows that there are a lot of long pauses in just one utterance, a pause can sometimes be just a hesitation but in political speech is it more likely to be deliberate. It is an interesting technique because when the orator has paused, even if only for a second, it gives the audience a chance to reflect on what has been said and interpret the information said across in their own way. However, many people may not realise that whilst letting the utterance play on the audience minds it also gives the speaker the chance to develop and prepare in his head how he will express his next point to the crowd, the longer pauses in this particular transcript seem to be after every main point so the crowd will remember those points in particular when they come to vote. Secondly, David Cameron uses pragmatic phrases in his speech such as â€Å"when we get knocked down we don’t roll over and die we get up and fight (1)† pragmatic phrases are common in political speeches to create humour or to give what is being said a second interpretation, some people make take this point literally and think about the current wars in Afghanistan but others may think of it as a personal comment made directly to them to tell them that they should never give up on what they believe in and that they should always be determined. The purpose of the pragmatic phrase in this particular speech is probably to make the audience relate to the points being made and think that they can relate to the orator themselves. Another intriguing technique is the use of repetition in this speech, â€Å"another day we’re not gripping our problems (1) another day we are wasting our opportunities (1) another day when this country is not being all that it could be (2)† repetition in this utterance is powerful because it gives the speech more drama and make more of an impact and stick in the audiences minds for when it is really needed, at the polling station. The orator might choose to use repetition to make the speech easier to remember if he does not want to seem like he is reading off a sheet because a good orator needs to at least try and look like he is delivering it naturally because that is what the audience would want. Also, in the transcript quote above the main points are emphasised, words that are emphasised are more likely to be remembered because they are spoken louder and clear than all the others. . In political speeches, language is affected because it is slowed right down and is spoken more precisely, because in theory, a speech is a performance and you would want people to listen and not think, boring! A political speech is prepared, but that does not mean that the audience does not want a natural delivery, they would not want any false starts, that are seen in normal face-to-face conversations, because that would make the audience lose confidence in the speaker, also there is no slang unless that is the way the speaker wants to put the speech across. Generally, in political speeches politicians tend to use words that the audience don’t really understand, the audience might not like this because they feel that politicians’ should talk in a way that every educational ability can understand and try not to diverge away from them, however that’s what is so interesting in this speech is the lack of political jargon, i would have thought there would have been a lot. However, i realise that the orator may not want to speak in political jargon because he may want to act like one of the public and speak in a way they are more likely to understand because if the audience understands the pitch they are more likely to vote for the one they actually know what was said. The delivery of a speech welcomes peoples own interpretations and opinions, and politics is all about opinions.

Best Self Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Best Self - Essay Example I am also ambitious and can imagine things on my own. As far as my hobbies and pastimes are concerned, I write poetry as I believe this is something that holds a lot of value for me. I also indulge in photography and love traveling around new places and destinations. This excites me endlessly. Also reading is something that comes very naturally to me. My qualities include leadership skills, efficiency and skills to take on any job at any time. In addition, I am unselfish and take very little stress. I like to acquaint new places and explore buildings and architectures. I also have a liking for seas and water in essence. I am a firm believer of the green architecture and how this has shaped up the world in this day and age. Sunset and sunrise are some of the most significant pleasures that I derive from the different moments happening in a day. What others think of me is also important to me. My mother believes in me and she knows that I am an honest individual. She knows that I yearn for family and the relationships that hold me with all of them at all times. One of my friends (Ahmed) is a Director in a bank. He asserts that I am respectable and have a dignity of my own. He knows that I can come up with all sorts of creative ideas.

Illinois laws for educating incarcerated students Research Paper

Illinois laws for educating incarcerated students - Research Paper Example (Illinois 1833). Incarcerated students get in trouble due to poverty, substance abuse issues, chaotic schools and dysfunctional families and the rate of recidivism has been going high each new day. Therefore the State of Illinois decided to educate them and help correct their ways. This is with an aim of equipping them with knowledge and skills that will help them find work and earn a living making them respectable members of the society. It sad that nearly 55% of the youth who are incarcerated end up back in the correctional facilities before 12 months are over. The Illinois laws for educating incarcerated students therefore were enacted help reduce this numbers and give this young people a life (Meiners, 2007). Research shows that there is an overrepresentation of incarcerated juveniles both in long and short term correctional facilities. This study results have done little to change the special program that is offered in many juvenile facilities in the State of Illinois. They are lacking in facilities and services that are mandated and required by the federal law. The State law lacks many provisions that are supposed to support these children before they are released back into the public. There many legal difficulties that faces correctional facilities for them to be able to offer special education for incarcerated juveniles with disabilities. The laws that exist do not protect the rights of incarcerated juveniles as they are supposed to (Law, & Whitehorn 2012). The Education for all Handicapped Children Act was reauthorized in 1997 and given a title Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and later changed recently in 2004 to Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA). Each change has seen the law change the type of special programs and services that are available for incarcerated students. They do not consider the

Manging organizastion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Manging organizastion - Essay Example Psychology is the study of human mind and their behaviors. Without this, managers would likely confront the difficulties and dilemma in understand and predicting the responses of employees, especially in time when changes are introduced. Workers, regardless of nationalities and their personal orientations, illustrate their responses to stimulus depending on their principles, social influences, and cultures (Senaratne, et al., 2008; Kotler et al., 1979). The substances of their responses can be understood when they started articulating their position to an issue or to intervening changes (Shore, 2009). As psychology is focused on the science of human behavior, psychology offers a variety of theories that can help managers understand the considerations of human behaviors. Ajzen (1991) have pointed that human actions are governed by behavioral, normative and control beliefs. Ajzen (1991) perceived that these considerations are significant in knowing the surrounding circumstances, projects and programs when changing of workers behaviors is required (Cox & Nkomo, 1990; Senaratne & Sexton, 2008).). With sufficient knowledge on human behaviors, managers can strategically identify which and who of them can help him in introducing changes within the organization and make others follow through (Rogers & Wright, 1998). It can lessen possibility of confusing, unsubstantiated, uncontextualized and unintelligible observations. Managing an organization requires ability to predict the responses and attitudes of its personnel to proposed changes (Rogers et al., 1998; Senaratne & Sexton, 2008). Such way, manager is able to make objective and concrete analysis of situation, evaluate assumptions, objective understanding on peripheral issues and the emotional discomfort affecting them when presented to complex situations (Cox, De Cieri, & Fenwick, 1998). Through it, managers will be able to note where his technical, leadership and support are needed. While behaviors and