Ancient Egyptians Played a Board Game Called 58 Holes

The 4,000-year-old board game 58 Holes is also called Hounds and Jackals, the Monkey Race, the Shield Game, and the Palm Tree Game, all of which refer to the shape of the game board or the pattern of the peg holes in the face of the board. As you might guess, the game consists of a board with a track of fifty-eight holes (and a few grooves), in which players race a pair of pegs along the route. It is thought to have been invented in Egypt around 2200 B.C. It flourished during the Middle Kingdom, but died out in Egypt after that, around 1650 B.C. Around the end of the third millennium B.C., 58 Holes spread into Mesopotamia and maintained its popularity there until well into the first millennium B.C. Playing 58 Holes The ancient game 58 Holes most closely resembles the modern childrens game known as Snakes and Ladders in Britain and Chutes and Ladders in the United States. In 58 Holes, each player is given five pegs. They begin at the starting point to move their pegs down the center of the board and then up their respective sides to the endpoints. The lines on the board are the chutes or ladders that allow the player to quickly advance or to just as quickly fall behind. Ancient boards are generally rectangular to oval and sometimes shield or violin-shaped. The two players throw dice, sticks, or knucklebones to determine the number of places they can move, marked on the game board by elongated pegs or pins. The name Hounds and Jackals comes from the decorative shapes of the playing pins found at Egyptian archaeological sites. Rather like Monopoly tokens, one players peg head would be in shape of a dog, the other in that of a jackal. Other forms discovered by archaeologists include pins shaped liked monkeys and bulls. The pegs that been retrieved from archaeological sites were made of bronze, gold, silver, or ivory. It is quite likely that many more existed, but were made of perishable materials such as reeds or wood. Cultural Transmission Versions of Hounds and Jackals spread into the near east shortly after its invention, including Palestine, Assyria, Anatolia, Babylonia, and Persia. Archaeological boards were found in the ruins of Assyrian merchant colonies in Central Anatolia dating as early as the 19th and 18th centuries B.C. These are thought to have been brought by Assyrian merchants, who also brought writing and cylinder seals from Mesopotamia into Anatolia. One route along which the boards, writing, and seals might have traveled is the overland route that would later become the Royal Road of the Achaemenids. Maritime connections also facilitated international trade. There is strong evidence that 58 Holes was traded throughout the Mediterranean region and beyond. With such widespread distribution, its normal that a considerable amount of local variation would exist. Different cultures, some of which were enemies of the Egyptians at the time, adapted and created new imagery for the game. Certainly, other artifact types are adapted and changed for use in local communities. The 58 Holes gameboards, however, seem to have maintained their general shapes, styles, rules, and iconography — no matter where they were played. This is somewhat surprising, because other games, such as chess, were widely and freely adapted by the cultures that adopted them. The consistency of form and iconography in 58 Holes may be a result of the complexity of the board. Chess, for example, has a simple board of 64 squares, with the movement of the pieces dependent on largely unwritten (at the time) rules. Gameplay for 58 Holes depends strictly on the board layout. Trading Games The discussion of cultural transmission of game boards, in general, is currently of considerable scholarly research. The recovery of game boards with two different sides — one a local game and one from another country — suggest that the boards were used as a social facilitator to enable friendly transactions with strangers in new places. At least 68 gameboards of 58 Holes have been found archaeologically, including examples from Iraq (Ur, Uruk, Sippar, Nippur, Nineveh, Ashur, Babylon, Nuzi), Syria (Ras el-Ain, Tell Ajlun, Khafaje), Iran (Tappeh Sialk, Susa, Luristan), Israel (Tel Beth Shean, Megiddo, Gezer), Turkey (Boghazkoy, Kultepe, Karalhuyuk, Acemhuyuk), and Egypt (Buhen, Thebes, El-Lahun, Sedment). Sources Crist, Walter. Board Games in Antiquity. Anne Vaturi, Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures, Springer Nature Switzerland AG, August 21, 2014. Crist, Walter. Facilitating Interaction: Board Games as Social Lubricants in the Ancient Near East. Alex de Voogt, Anne-Elizabeth Dunn-Vaturi, Oxford Journal of Archaeology, Wiley Online Library, April 25, 2016. De Voogt, Alex. Cultural transmission in the ancient Near East: twenty squares and fifty-eight holes. Anne-Elizabeth Dunn-Vaturi, Jelmer W.Eerkens, Journal of Archaeological Science, Volume 40, Issue 4, ScienceDirect, April 2013. Dunn-Vaturi, Anne-E. The Monkey Race — Remarks on Board Games Accessories. Board Games Studies 3, 2000. Romain, Pascal. Les reprà ©sentations des jeux de pions dans le Proche-Orient ancien et leur signification. Board Game Studies 3, 2000.

Persuasive Essay On Gun Control - 1634 Words

Over the recents years, there have been many arguments about the issue of gun control at the state and national level. In California, there have been a variety of enacted laws within recent years to address the issue of growing gun violence around the country and ways to prevent terrorist attacks. California s new enacted laws about gun control in the state range from abolishing certain features on weapons to restricting certain handguns or other firearms a person might buy. The legislative branch within California wrote bills including a ban on large capacity ammunition magazines and were approved by Governor Jerry Brown and the Legislature in response to a 2015 terrorist shooting in San Bernardino. The hysteria developed when†¦show more content†¦Assault rifles are social artifacts within the community. Gun owners attach subjective means to their firearms and represents who they are. By California legislators officials to call gun owners assault rifles and its certain fea tures evil, reflects the person owning it as if he or she was evil themselves and that he or she maybe future threat to the safety of California. The new law will also require assault rifles to be registered before January 1st, 2018, or be forced to turn them into local law enforcement for destruction or removal from the State. If assault rifle owners fail register their rifles that contain evil features will result in a felony or some cases a felony wobbler. This is another aspect that makes it social policy because it not only includes the welfare of gun owners, but includes the criminal justice system. Knowing this, even more reinforces the idea that assault rifle owners are being negatively stigmatized. The reason being is the harsh sentencing of a felony towards not registering your rifle with evil features on it. When most people think of felony charges, people are most likely perceiving violent offenders like robbers, rapist, murders, and many more offenses that have a severe threat to our society. The fact that if you don t register your assault rifle you will be put into this socially negative category of not only being a felon, but beingShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Essay : Gun Control798 Words   |  4 PagesPersuasive Essay Did you know that in the United States almost 100,000 people are shot or killed with a gun in one year? 10,527 people die a year in handgun related incidents in the United States. This number, by far, outweighs the number of gun related deaths in countries such as Sweden, Great Britain, and Japan, which number 13, 22, and 87, respectively. What is the reason for such drastic differences in numbers? Sweden, Great Britain, and Japan are all countries that have stricter gun controlRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control1753 Words   |  8 PagesPersuasive Essay Rough Draft The United States of America has a problem that is growing worse every day. American laws are not protecting its citizens from injury or death. You may think the mass shootings in America the guns used were bought illegally, but â€Å"since 1982, there have been at least 62 mass shooter carried out with firearms across the country, with the killings unfolding in 30 states from Massachusetts to Hawaii. Of the 139 guns possessed by the killers, more than three quarters wereRead More Persuasive Articles on Gun Control Essays607 Words   |  3 PagesPersuasive Articles on Gun Control Persuading an audience can be done in several different fashions, one of which is Hugh Rank’s Model of Persuasion. Rank’s model states that two major strategies are used to achieve the particular goal of persuasion. These strategies are nicely set into two main schemas; the first method is to exaggerate an aspect of something, known as â€Å"intensify.† While the second is to discredit it, which is referred to as â€Å"downplay.† Al Franken, Jeffrey SnyderRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control1018 Words   |  5 PagesImagine, an America where no citizen, law abiding or not, has the legal ability to own guns. Three gunmen with fully automatic rifles walk into a crowded city and begin firing. No law abiding citizen can defend themselves. It’s hopeless. This future can only be prevented if Americans continue to keep the second amendment. We should keep the current gun control laws, but revise them to make them even better. Most gun own ers are responsible under the current laws, however, I think some laws need to beRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control1245 Words   |  5 Pagesand time again. Due to recent tragedies involving firearms, the view of guns and peoples rights to own and operate firearms have been frowned upon and viewed in a bad light due to Media. News sources have cherrypicked pictures of tragedies and stories about bad instances of gun usage in order to fight for Gun Control and the suppression of Americans rights. Due to the recent Vegas shooting, the argument for Gun Control has never been more intense, and Media outlets are having a field day onRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control915 Words   |  4 PagesHistorically guns haven’t been a national issue. It is not until relatively recently that an overwhelming amount of people have been in favor of placing stricter laws on the owning of a fire arm. The call for gun control has become more prevalent in the eyes of the government and the people; the gun laws that are also often proposed are irrational and ineffective. One could not simply ban guns, it is comparable to banning a certain genre of music; it’s unachievable and would be a fruitless pursuitRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control1745 Words   |  7 Pagescruelty to animals, and yet he was able to buy four guns legally (Rosenberg). That is the most recent example of why Americans need more gun control laws. Guns are not cool or makes you look good, they are a da ngerous piece of machinery that Americans take advantage of. The average American in the right mindset should not want to own anything more than one handgun or rifle for hunting or protecting their household. Gun control reform that limits gun ownership, enforces mandatory background checks, andRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control1439 Words   |  6 Pagesreason why Americans own so many guns is because of the Second Amendment, which states, â€Å"A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.† (Rauch) This amendment guarantees U.S. citizens the right to have firearms. Since this amendment is relatively vague, it is up for interpretation, and is often used by gun advocates to argue for lenient gun laws. Hence, gun control is a frequently discussed controversialRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control1569 Words   |  7 Pagesstocks, which allowed the guns to fire hundreds of rounds per minute (Goldman). From this unspeakable atrocity, an abundant perspicuity is created, portraying that gun control laws are unable to prevent many violent actions, including mass shootings and other horrific events. Even a drastic increase in gun laws cannot prevent men that have irreproachable records from acting recklessly, or predict when an event such as this will happen. The thousands of homicides generated by guns per year are an especiallyRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control1636 Words   |  7 PagesOn an average day, 93 Americans are killed with a gun (Everytown). Beginning with the National Firearms act of 1934, gun control has been a controversial topic in American society and politics. Gun control is a set of laws aimed to limit the production, distribution, possession and modifications of fire arms utilized by civilians. Presently, the United States outlaws the selling, and ownership, of fully automatic weapons but allows the distribution of semi-automa tic weapons. Purchasing extended magazines

Management and Business Context Globalization

Question: Discuss about the Management and Business Contextfor Globalization. Answer: Introduction Globalization is a process of integrating ones economy with others. People across the globe have come closer to one another due to cross-border exchange of goods and services. International transfer and communication has become as integral part for an organization in the present era of globalization. This phenomenon plays an important role while generating business across border (Beck, 2015). The growth of developing countries is caused due to globalization. Subways non-traditional growth in America has helped the chain to achieve a sustainable business within a short tenure. Its international expansion has remain extensive with its first international store was opened 16 years ago in Saudi Arabia. The brand has continued to grow despite of global recession. The secret of their success is due to the fact that people want healthy food over the traditional fast food. The company is persistently looking for new market in order to grow extraordinarily. There market is growing at a fast p ace by occupying the growth opportunities resting with it. At an international level the company is looking for an entrepreneur who is excited for the brand and wants to grow together with Subway (Hirst, Thompson Bromley, 2015). Companys Overview Subway is a privately held American Company that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. The company is owned and operated by Doctors Association, Inc. It is known to be one of the fastest growing fast-food chains with 44,882 stores in 112 countries. Surprisingly it is one of the largest single brand stores across world (History, 2016). The headquarter of Subway is in Milford, Connecticut whereas the regional offices are located in Amsterdam, Brisbane, Beirut, Singapore and Miami (Chancey, 2010). What is the Environment? Business environment consist of the set of external conditions that affects the business. These external forces have maximum potential to put a positive as well as negative impact on the business (Crane Matten, 2016). In case of Subway, the environment consists of its rivals like KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut etc, social trends, political and economic conditions affect the consumer goods. For the purpose it is necessary to breakdown the environment into the two components: The macro environmental factors and competitive environment. The former consist of overall trends and events taking place in the society that affects the product or an organization. Social, economic trends, technological trends etc forms to the part of the general environment factors. The latter includes factors that collectively compete with each other by providing similar goods and services (Pieterse, 2015). The action taken by the organization creates a degree of change in the environment in the surroundings. Most of the business organizations are limited to influence the similar business whereas there is certain business organization that affects the other industries as well. In case of Subway their decision to reduce the quantity of salt in sandwiches can lead to other organizations to revisit the amount of salt. The majority of business organizations have a sheer impact on the decision of the other organizations. There is an impact of the power and influence on the decision making of an organization which combines in general to form macro environmental factors. Overall the environment has a huge impact on the culture of the organization. These factors are given important privilege while formulation of the policies. It is recommended to the executives in an organization to give an important consideration while considering environmental factors (Baylis, Smith Owens, 2013). Firstly it is the environment that provides the resources to the organization to grow in an effective manner. No organization is self- sufficient. It requires help from the environment in order to grow extensively. Subway cannot grow without the contribution made by the allied organizations and franchisee. These external parties provide subway with appropriate resources in order to grow. An organization cannot grow with the help of the external environment. Secondly its the environment that causes oppor tunities and threats to the organization. Subway in the late 1990s has created an opportunity to position itself as a healthy substitute against the traditional fast-food restaurants. Threats are those events that can undermine the interest of the organizational performance. Subway has faced threat from the upstart restaurant chain. There are majority of business organization across the globe providing similar food. Noodles and Company provides with healthy food substitutes. These small sized organizations are famous among localities. They have positioned themselves as one of the most promising healthy food companies (Scott, 2013). Moreover it is essential for a business environment to create opportunities for the business environment in order to grow. There are natural disaster event that has caused wide spread destruction to the growth of the organization. It is difficult for a business organization to keep a check over the environmental factors. These factors affect the business organization on a long run. Thirdly, the environment affects most of the strategic decisions taken by the organization. It is the duty of the executives to create a sustainable environment helping in achieving a considerable growth. Organizational goal play a significant role for a business that struggle to achieve appropriate results. Environmental condition plays an important role for a business organization that wants to open a venture in a new country. The macro environmental factors of the other country need to be considered well in advance to launch an innovative product. Subway while expanding its business considers all the relevant macro environmental factors in order to attain success (Lutz, 2014). Trends Toward Greater Globalization There are two most important macro environmental factors that need to be considered towards greater level of globalization. Firstly it is due to the declining trade and investment barriers and the change in the technology. Another reason is due to the global financial and political crises that have created a massive involuntary refugee movement changing the complete trend of the business (Wiedemann, 2013). There are increasing opportunities in Asia that has lead to significant growth among various multi-national organizations. This has resulted in movement by multinational organization in order to grab the market. This has substantially reduced the barriers to the investment made by the organization in order to attain a major share in cross-border transactions. During the past decade there is an increase in the foreign direct investment made by the multi-national organizations in the countries like Mexico, China and India that has helped in increasing number of opportunities. It is d ue to the fact that the cost of labor and other input is less in the developing countries (Hitt, ET al.2012). Subway has surpassed McDonalds in term of global presence. There is more than 40,000 subway chain as compared to 30,000 approximately food chain of McDonalds. The latter is still facing the challenge posed by the competitor and lagging behind with a huge margin. Subway has a passion to expand its business operations across border with the strategic intervention (Austin Pinkleton, 2015). Below mentioned are the reasons that made subway a ubiquitous organization across border: Firstly the food chain is easily accessible with the restaurants are efficiently build and requires a very less square footage as compared to the McDonalds. It is due to the fact that the organization can open easily as compared to the other food chain. Secondly, subway has a strategy to serve healthy food that makes it different from the other food chains. It is one of the easy choices of the consumers across border. Thirdly it is due to the ability of the customer to use a customized product when compared with the other food chain which does not provide similar facility. Subway has provided with a customized option to its customers. Moreover it has modified its meals according to the local conditions. This has helped in gaining a better market position as compared to other food joints (Doyle, 2015). Necessity of Globalization For a company like Subway it is important to notice that the world is becoming a small space which has led to majority of positive effects in the future of the business. Where other companies have failed to adopt the globalization strategies, Subway has gained a greater market share through its marketing strategies (Fayol, 2016). Moreover there global expansion strategies have helped in gaining a considerable market place. Subway has concrete marketing strategies that have made it one of the globally acclaimed organizations. the fast food business organization has gained a considerable place as compared to other food chains like Pizza Hut, McDonalds, KFC etc. there product has created a huge fury in the market with rigorously retaining the market(Gopinath Siciliano,2013). SWOT Analysis Strength Subway is the Market leader with worlds largest single-brand franchise operating in 110 countries. The Brand is recognized throughout the world Healthy food options are available at Subways making it one of the most recognized brands among youth. Company is incurring High level profits Global presence helps in attracting more consumers across the border. Weaknesses There is a Lack of uniform performance among franchises Unstable service commitment by different stores causes an unpleasant experience to the customer. Subway has come under a serious scrutiny due to the use of corn syrup There are Restricted suppliers to purchase products from selected Subway The activities of the organization are controlled from the central position limiting autonomy in branches. The diversification strategy of subway is Poor and limited as opposed to other fast-food restaurants Threats Huge amount of competition from other fast food outlets such as McDonalds, Pizza Hut, KFC, etc. The company is facing Legal issues during its operations. There are maximum possibilities of Food contamination. Moreover there is a Rising costs of supplies reducing overall profitability of the franchise Change in the economic conditions such as disposable income, foreign exchange and taxes are affecting the company. Opportunities There are ample of opportunity for global expansion. Diversity is one of the major opportunities available with the organization while extending its business operations. They can diversify into other food products They can form Partnerships with toy manufacturers and other recreational organization in order to promote the brand name. They have rising opportunity in case of Merger and acquisition that would increase the market share. Recommendation It is highly recommended that a company while expanding globally must focus on its resources and structure. This not only provide with a long term sustainable growth but help in achieving targets. In a modern business atmosphere it is recommended to Subway that it should adopt a diversification strategy in order to penetrate in the global market. Diversification of product line while entering into the global market help in securing a better place in the market when compared with the other organization, Subway has to modify its menu in order to secure a distinguished market place socially in the case of Asian market. This market has ample of growth opportunities in order to outgrow the possible outcome. Subway has to penetrate in the market which has many opportunities. Global business organization needs to focus on the basis of the market. Every market has a different set of growth opportunity (Hill, Jones Schilling, 2014). Subway has to modify its meal and functions according to the market requirement. Globalization although has created major opportunities but in case of expansion the strategy need to be implemented focusing on the available business opportunities resting in the country. Conclusion The report examines the contextual factors affecting the growth of Subway while expanding its business operations. Subway is a world-class food chain with majority of stores providing healthy meals to the customers. Globalization is integration of worlds economy with other countrys economy. Marketing plan identified in the report will serve as a channel during the execution of the marketing strategies. The profitability of the company depends upon the adaptability o the company into the different environment conditions. Subway has its own strengths and weaknesses that have helped significantly at the internal and external level. The company in order to expect a sustainable growth should ensure stringent marketing plan that ensures growth. They need to focus on adopting the pricing and promotional strategies as per their franchise and position in order to secure a distinguished position. References Austin, E. W., Pinkleton, B. E. (2015).Strategic Public Relations Management: Planning and Managing Effective Communication Campaigns(Vol. 10). Routledge. Baylis, J., Smith, S., Owens, P. (2013).The globalization of world politics: an introduction to international relations. Oxford University Press. Beck, U. (2015).What is globalization?. John Wiley Sons. Chancey,B.(2010). How Subway Went Global. (Online). Retrieved from: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/interviews/how-subway-went-global Accessed on 3 February 2017 Crane, A., Matten, D. (2016).Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in the age of globalization. Oxford University Press. Doyle, G. (2015). Brands in international and multi-platform expansion strategies: Economic and management issues. InHandbook of Media Branding(pp. 53-64). Springer International Publishing. Fayol, H. (2016).General and industrial management. Ravenio Books. Gopinath, C., Siciliano, J. I. (2013).Strategize!: experiential exercises in strategic management. Cengage Learning. Hill, C. W., Jones, G. R., Schilling, M. A. (2014).Strategic management: theory: an integrated approach. Cengage Learning. Hirst, P., Thompson, G., Bromley, S. (2015).Globalization in question. John Wiley Sons. History.(2016). (Online). Retrieved from: https://www.subway.com/en-us/aboutus/history Accessed on 3 February 2017 Hitt,M. et al.(2012). Strategic Management: Concepts: Competitiveness and Globalization. Cengage Learning, Lutz,A.(2014).4 Reasons for Subways Explosive Growth. (Online). Retrieved from: https://www.businessinsider.in/4-Reasons-For-Subways-Explosive-Growth/articleshow/36313858.cms Accessed on 3 February 2017 Pieterse, J. N. (2015).Globalization and culture: Global mlange. Rowman Littlefield. Scott, A. (Ed.). (2013).The limits of globalization. Routledge. Wiedemann, L. (2013).Business Strategies and Value Chain Management. AuthorHouse.

Neighborhood Pride in New York City

The fact that New York neighborhoods have the sense of integrity and community is undeniable because residents of various districts often compete with each other. For instance, they can argue about the level of service in cafes, cuisine, the greenery, and employment possibility[1].Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Neighborhood Pride in New York City specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Regardless of the problem they discuss, the actual sense of pride for their neighborhood contributes to the development and growth of those districts. The confrontations between New York residents can also influence the budgeting of city communities. For instance, people from most neighborhoods recognize the problem of insufficient greenery of the city and, as a result, the completion provides a new underpinning for eliminating this challenge. Some people celebrate the superiority of their regions due to the presence of remarka ble places and attraction spots. At this point, the most livable neighborhoods include Carroll Gardens, Soho, Tribeca, the Lower East Side, Park Slope, and Greenwich Village[2]. Hence, residents of other regions, such as the Bloomberg, strive to gather information about currents trends in the neighborhood development to provide a rationale for the popularity of district’s restaurants, cafes, and places of interests. In contrast, Manhattan has advantages in terms of proximity, safety, and low density of population[3]. The presence of shopping services, public schools, creative capital, greenery, and environmental situations are also among the main reasons why some districts are popular in New York. Thus, in case some people value safety and high quality of services, they would prefer moving to Manhattan or Brooklyn. There are people who cannot afford living in such neighborhoods and, therefore, they often focus on the housing cost to manage their expenditures. To define which neighborhood suits best socially different categories of people, ten regions have been chosen. Highlighting the main characteristics will allow to provide a better picture of why people have neighborhood pride in New York. Melrose neighborhood is located in the Southern part of Bronx. Although its region does not have remarkable places, the residents strive to improve environmental infrastructure and affordable housing.Advertising Looking for research paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Silver Beach in Bronx should be visited by those who value cultural diversity issues because it is inhabited predominantly by people of German, Italian, and Irish origins. The residents of this region are proud of their beaches. Park Slope in Brooklyn is considered the most densely popular neighborhood because of the benefit it provides in terms of housing, restaurant services, and historic buildings. Therefore, this neigh borhood is regarded as the most desirable among citizens of New York. Brighton Beach in Brooklyn is an Oceanside region in the southern part of New York City. New York citizens know this neighborhood as the place for organizing television shows. So, residents have much to be pride of. Bay Terrace in Staten Island is distinguished by considerable demographic contrast and is famous for historic figures residing in this neighborhood. The emergence of commercial and shopping centers also contributed to the popularity of the district and, therefore, most residents often boast about these possibilities. Greenwich Village in Manhattan is regarded as a home for people from elite social class. The neighborhood was also popular among artists. Nowadays the district attracts citizens by thy rapid process of commercialization and gentrification. There are also many parks, squares, and beautiful attraction spot, which makes Greenwich Village even more in demand. East Harlem in Manhattan embraces the northeastern part of New York City and is populated mostly by the representatives of the Latino community, including immigrants from Mexico and Puerto Rico. The district is the least demanded among the New York citizens because there is the greater rate of violent crimes. The neighborhood also faces social issues, including low employment rates. Nevertheless, it has one of the highest densities of public housing; it has also made significant contribution to Salsa music. Midtown Manhattan is, probably, the most luxurious neighborhood in New York City. Being the home for such marvelous and historically important buildings as Empire State building, UN Headquarters, and Chrysler Building, the region is mostly inhabited by politicians and business people, being New York’s most important business center.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Neighborhood Pride in New York City specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn M ore Therefore, Midtown attracts most individuals who dream of promoting business career. Indeed, residents of Midtown can definitely consider the district as the Haven on the Earth because it offers a great number of opportunities. The residents of Oakland Gardens in Queens are concerned with the issue of proximity to Bayside, a prestigious region in New York. Therefore, the district is popular by middle class families who cannot afford to live in wealthier regions. The neighborhood is located near Alley Pond Park, beautiful place where people can spend their leisure time. The uniqueness of Bellerose neighborhood in Queens lies in its unique mixture of rural and urban areas[4]. Those who inhabit this region can boast about the peaceful and quite life. This is a perfect place for those who want to live in a family house, with many park areas for walking. There are also many schools, which are also considered the best in New York City. Bibliography Mulligan, M. â€Å"Garden Auction Is Slap at Civility; Neighborhood Pride†, The New York Times. 1999. Web. Roleke, J. â€Å"Queens-Nassau Borderlands†, About.com. Web. Silver, N. â€Å"The Most Livable Neighborhoods in New York†, New York Real Estate. 2010. Web. Footnotes Megan Mulligan. â€Å"Garden Auction Is Slap at Civility; Neighborhood Pride†, (The New York Times. 1999). Nate Silver. â€Å"The Most Livable Neighborhoods in New York†, (New York Real Estate. 2010). Ibid., n. p. John Roleke. â€Å"Queens-Nassau Borderlands†, (About.com) This research paper on Neighborhood Pride in New York City was written and submitted by user Alyvia N. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Drunk Driving and Its Consequences

Drunk Driving and Its Consequences Driving involves the mind of the driver; for safe driving, drivers should make the right decision when on road; they should follow traffic rules as required by the law. When driving under the influence of alcohol, the risk of causing an accident is high. When someone is intoxicated with alcohol to a state of high blood alcohol content (BAC), his or her decision making capacity is hampered.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Drunk Driving and Its Consequences specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Different states have different laws and legislations to legal drinking limit (blood alcohol content (BAC)), that someone can be allowed to drive. For instance some countries have blood alcohol content  in excess of 0.05% or 0.08% defines the offense while others have higher levels. Despite the varying rates, the underlying principle is that drinking under the influence of alcohol is risky (Laurence Gusfield, 1994). This paper dis cusses issues and consequences relating to drunk-driving. Issues around drunk-driving In all states of the United States, it is illegal to drive under the influence of alcohol beyond the set limit per state, according the countries legal definition, drunk driving is driving when one has taken alcohol to the extent that his or her mental  and  motor skills  are impaired. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about 40% of death on road accidents in 2006 was as a result of drunk-driving; it estimated that 17,941 people died in 2006 in alcohol-related collisions. It is the realisation of such statistics that each state in the country has its own drunk-driving reinforcement measures and methods. Consequences of drunk-driving When driving under the influence of alcohol, the driver ignores traffic signs, symbols, and lights; with the ignorance there is high chance that he will do the forbidden causing an accident. In the United States for instance, the leading cause of deaths for people under the age of 24 years is motor vehicle wrecks, of which 40% are alcohol related. When driving, the driver is in control of the machine with the decisions that he will make, when someone is drunk, the decisions that he or she will make are likely to be triggered by the intoxication resulting to the wrong decision. Some of the common forms of accidents that drunkenness leads to include getting into ditch, rolling, hitting another car (either stationary or otherwise), using the wrong lane resulting to head on collision, hitting pedestrians, and unnecessary hooting. When any form of above form of accidents occurs, the passengers/pedestrian risks the chance of dying or suffering from permanent disability (Buddy, 2007).Advertising Looking for essay on law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Accident related medical bills are a challenge to the authorities, they led to economic retard ation and stretching of medical facilities. When someone is a victim of an accident, the paid and the psychological trauma is likely to affect his lifestyle thereafter, the rate at which he will be producing or contributing to personal economic development will be hampered; the United States is among those nations with high rates of drunk-driving. The United States of America has enacted various laws and legislations to control drunk-drinking in the country. The policies include strict penalties on arrested offenders; the penalties include cancellation of one’s driving licence, imprisonment, and fine. Of the late, the country has enacted the Paradigm Developmental Model of Treatment (PDMT) which aims at rehabilitating drunk-driving drivers. To ensure that the laws are being followed, state governments’ works with traffic police to enforce the laws (Appel, 2009). References Appel, M. (2009). Must physicians report impaired driving? Rethinking a duty on a collision cours e with itself.  The Journal of Clinical Ethics, 20  (2): 136–40. Buddy, T. (2007). Drunk Driving The  Dangers. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/drunk-driving-the-dangers-63002 Laurence, R., Gusfield, F. (1994).  Confronting Drunk Driving. Yale: Yale University Press

How Salt Melts Ice and Prevents Water From Freezing

How Salt Melts Ice and Prevents Water From Freezing Salt melts ice essentially because adding salt lowers the freezing point of the water. How does this melt ice? Well, it doesnt, unless there is a little water available with the ice. The good news is you dont need a pool of water to achieve the effect. Ice typically is coated with a thin film of liquid water, which is all it takes. Pure water freezes at 32 °F (0 °C). Water with salt (or any other substance in it) will freeze at some lower temperature. Just how low this temperature will be depends on the de-icing agent. If you put salt on ice in a situation where the temperature will never get up to the new freezing point of the salt-water solution, you wont see any benefit. For example, tossing table salt (sodium chloride) onto ice when its 0 °F wont do anything more than coat the ice with a layer of salt. On the other hand, if you put the same salt on ice at 15 °F, the salt will be able to prevent melting ice from re-freezing. Magnesium chloride works down to 5 °F while calcium chloride works down to -20 °F. Key Takeaways: How Salt Melts Ice Salt melts ice and helps keep water from re-freezing by lowering the freezing point of water. This phenomenon is called freezing point depression.Salt only helps if there is a little bit of liquid water available. The salt has to dissolve into its ions in order to work.Different types of salt are used as de-icing agents. The more particles (ions) formed when a salt dissolves, the more it lowers freezing point. How It Works Salt (NaCl) dissolves into its ions in water, Na and Cl-.  The ions diffuse throughout the water and block the water molecules from getting close enough together and in the right orientation to organize into the solid form (ice). Ice absorbs energy from its surroundings to undergo the phase transition from solid to liquid. This could cause pure water to re-freeze, but the salt in the water prevents it from turning into ice. However, the water gets colder than it was. The temperature can drop below the freezing point of pure water. Adding any impurity to a liquid lowers its freezing point. The nature of the compound does not matter, but the number of particles it breaks into in the liquid is important. The more particles that are produced, the greater the freezing point depression. So, dissolving sugar in water also lowers the freezing point of water. Sugar simply dissolves into single sugar molecules, so its effect on freezing point is less than you would get adding an equal amount of salt, which breaks into two particles. Salts that break into more particles, like magnesium chloride (MgCl2) have an even greater effect on freezing point. Magnesium chloride dissolves into three ions one magnesium cation and two chloride anions. On the flip side, adding a tiny amount of insoluble particulates can actually help water freeze at a higher temperature. While there is a bit of freezing point depression, its localized near the particles. The particles act as nucleation sites that allow for ice formation. This is the premise behind the formation of snowflakes in clouds and how ski resorts make snow when its slightly warming than freezing. Use Salt to Melt Ice - Activities You can demonstrate the effect of freezing point depression yourself, even if you dont have an icy sidewalk handy. One way is to make your own ice cream in a baggie, where adding salt to water produces a mixture so cold it can freeze your treat.If you just want to see an example of how cold ice plus salt can get, mix 33 ounces of salt with 100 ounces of crushed ice or snow. Be careful! The mixture will be about -6 °F (-21 °C), which is cold enough to give you frostbite if you hold it too long.Gain a better understanding of freezing point depression by examining the effect of dissolving different substances in water and noting the temperature required to freeze it. Good examples of substances to compare are table salt (sodium chloride), calcium chloride, and sugar. See if you can dissolve equal masses of each substance in the water in order to get a fair comparison. Sodium chloride breaks into two ions in water. Calcium chloride forms three ions in water. Sugar dissolves in water, but it doesnt break into any ions. All of these substances will lower the freezing point of water. Take the experiment a step further by exploring boiling point elevation, another colligative property of matter. Adding sugar, salt, or calcium chloride will change the temperature at which water boils. Is the effect measurable?

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

Roman Masculinities - Essay Example the present days, during times of peace, war and truce negotiations which depict the manpower, management, money value, machinery strength (the intellectual property of the states powerfulness and ability to create creatively) as well as the manufacturing process of the elite-stature of the belonging-to state "nor must we forget the examples nor separate from these examples the memory of M. Marcellus. Such vigor of courage was in him that by the Po he with a few horsemen attacked the king of the Gaul, who was surrounded by an enormous host, and straightway slew him, stripped him of his arms, and dedicated them to Jupiter Feretrius." [1] a roman soldier – as with all the armies in world- is the honorary representative of the strength and decisiveness of the state in the war affairs among nations. He is the determiner of the strength of power as well as the education that has been bestowed upon him by the civility of the state he belongs to, as opposed to the Phoenicians, Hellen ics, Spartans and the Greek, in the race to define the meaning of "heritage" versus the declining of nations in their due times to be writ down in the pages of history honorably as well as worthily under the nations name; "Roma" in this case. The Roman Empire has been depicted in movies to be the "sole conqueror of the ancient world, defying the fate of degenerating states and the superior hand over the weaker states destinies. In battle, the strength of the roman soldier was the smallest moving wheel that instituted the armor of the armys artillery force. Strength of body as well as that of personality, pierced through the minds of nations when introducing oneself to another during war, the natural defense line for fearlessness against that of opposition in a battlefield for land conquest. Empires built their reputations in accordance to physical strength as well as educational / scholarly refinement, so as to fix the mind of the nation itself upon that of the enemys as not a brutal,

Uniforms at Schools as a Way to Minimize Violence Essay

Uniforms at Schools as a Way to Minimize Violence - Essay Example The essay "Uniforms at Schools as a Way to Minimize Violence" discusses the issue whether we should go for one uniform for the entire student population. Every society or group likewise has adopted some rules and regulations that classify and identify its members. It might be a certain haircut, or color of the hair, clothing or emblem- even a password that changes every week. The adoption of a common uniform for every child going to school not only helps identify and classify that child as a member of that particular school but also gives a sense of belonging and identity to the child that once in school, he or she must conform to their rules and regulations. Another very good purpose for a school uniform is that it makes all students easily identifiable and can help in increasing student safety while reducing cases of violence and quarrels in the school premises. Students are also members of the boy scouts or girl guides, which use a certain uniform and regalia that not only makes t hem look smart and elegant but identifies them as members of that particular fraternity. They are taught to be more confident and self-sufficient, get survival skills as well as the ability to help others in distress- especially in cases of emergency. They can likely help you survive in the desert and know first aid and related skills. No one grudges them or complains about their uniform- in fact, it is appreciated because it helps identify them as helping and caring members of humanity wherever they go.

Hate It or Love It Essay Example for Free

Hate It or Love It Essay

Berghaus’ Case Study :: Business Management Studies

Berghaus’ Case Study 1) Berghaus is very successful business having an annual growth rate of 25%. This indicates that there is an increasing demand for their products. They also have an export ratio of 50% meaning that their distribution rates are very good. Last year alone their per-tax profits were  £750,000 and a large amount of this money can, most probably, will be reinvested into the company for further development. Also, its pre-tax profits in 1991 were  £750,000 which is obviously not a small amount, Berghaus clearly mean business. By the sound of it, that number is only expected to increase in the years to come. It has an export ratio of 1988-9 of more than 50%, which is the vast majority, within the whole of Europe, meaning that its export increased by a great deal during those years specifically, and we assume it still increases in other years too, although maybe not as much as between 1988-9. 2) In the context of Berghaus, market differences mean many things. Berghaus currently conduct sales through large number of countries, from Germany through the United Kingdom and Switzerland, and as a result Berghaus have found out that the world cannot be treated as though as one market. Each country has its own customer preferences and may have certain social attitudes to a certain type of clothing, and these are known as market differences. Due to this Berghaus has to develop a certain product for a specific country and then modify that product or completely reconstruct it for another country. This as a result means higher costs are involved in research and development and also different advertising methods would have to be implemented. This market difference has meant Berghaus have had to operate quickly and efficiently to design, produce and distribute the product across all the parts of the world, beating all opposition and this is obviously very difficult for Berghaus. 3) There are many different reasons for the success of Berghaus, and these can be mainly divided into four parts, Production, Finance, Marketing and Management. Production is simply the fundamental part of the company, without it no product would exist to sell. Designing new products is what makes people want a certain product and Berghaus have strategically produced a wide range of products meaning that they will be able to successfully cover the different fields in the market. This means that they have more areas for money coming; by having more units and product innovation is an essential key t their success. Production has also been economised by the introduction automated production with continual processes. This allows an easy and flexible method to

Automobile Industry in India Essay

Chennai accounts for 60% of the country’s automotive exports. In tune with international standards to reduce vehicular pollution, the central government unveiled the standards titled ‘India 2000’ in 2000 with later upgraded guidelines as ‘Bharat Stage’. These standards are quite similar to the more stringent European standards and have been traditionally implemented in a phased manner, with the latest upgrade getting implemented in 13 cities and later, in the rest of the nation. The Automotive Industry has flourished in Pune Region in Maharashtra, What were the special conditions were there for this development. Still Indian cars are not considered as a class in itself compared to European cars. India’s strong engineering base and expertise in the manufacturing of low-cost, fuel-efficient cars has resulted in the expansion of manufacturing facilities of several automobile companies like Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen and Maruti Suzuki In recent years, India has emerged as a leading center for the manufacture of small cars. Indian brands: AMW(Asian motor works- Commersial vehicles), Eicher Motors(tractors, Buses, components), Force(Bajaj Tempo), Hindustan motors(Birla, Ambassador car, Joint venture with Mitsubishi), Premier(Padmini, Moved from Mumbai to Pune), Tata, Mahindra, BharatBenz. Per capita penetration at around nine cars per thousand people is among the lowest in the world. While the industry is highly capital intensive in nature in case of four-wheelers, capital intensity is a lot less for two-wheelers. Though three-wheelers and tractors have low barriers to entry in terms of technology, four wheelers is technology intensive. Costs involved in branding, distribution network and spare parts availability increase entry barriers. With the Indian market moving towards complying with global standards, capital expenditure will rise to take into account future safety regulations. Automobile majors increase profitability by selling more units. As number of units sold increases, average cost of selling an incremental unit comes down. This is because the industry has a high fixed cost component. This is the key reason why operating efficiency through increased localization of components and maximizing output per employee is of significance. Maruti Suzuki, which is the market leader in PVs, had to deal with labour strikes at its plant at Manesar as a result of which production was severely hit. As petrol prices firmed up, the differential between petrol and diesel widened. Thus, there was a surge in demand for diesel cars. Most companies faced pressure at the operating level as margins declined due to rise in input costs. Steep depreciation of the rupee also took its toll. Tractors: While good monsoon is a positive for the sector, given the fact that non-farm incomes have continued to climb up, volumes should still hold up well in the longer run despite a year or two of poor monsoons. privatisation of select state transport undertakings bodes well for the bus segment.

Pursuit of Happyness and the Glass Castle Essay

Both discussing struggles in life, these two memoirs, Pursuit of Happyness and the Glass Castle showcased the way to embrace life with absolutely no fear. They both provided ideals and showed that nothing is impossible with the use of right and appropriate attitude towards the quest for success. Both are true stories based on life of successful individuals in America. The Pursuit of happiness tackles the life of Chris Gardner, a salesman of bone scanner who turned to be a stock broker. This story can be considered as a modern day fairy tale set in a realistic world. This is no different compared to other success stories. The plot is basically structured to show the trend of rugs to riches. But what separated this story from others is the series of unfortunate circumstances and continuous lack of options. At the end, the choice made has always been to proceed with the chosen track with courage. On the other hand, The Glass castle discussed the story of horrendous childhood of Jeanette Walls, who later became a journalist. The book shows two polarity of human experience along the story of her family: first, the given life which they do not control; and second, the track of life they had chosen and fought for. The given life pertains to Jeanette’s childhood where she experienced bad situations with her family while they keep on transferring to different locations. Frequently, these complex canonic novels are bound with the stories with the relationships they had with the family. The struggles are either quest to free them from poverty and consequently lift their loved ones’ lives as well or the quest for dreams that they are meant to achieve. The family as an element of the story will provide the touch of power or inspiration for the main character to achieve. Taking a look at these two books, apparently, they both have this story element. The family of Chris Gardner is neither complex nor at ease. It is the typical â€Å"husband- wife- one child† New York family. Economically wise, the family is financially challenged due to the instability with their income. The couple is both working at day making them decide to send their son to a day care center. The problems they are encountering sometimes leads to arguments between Chris and his wife. At one of the heated arguments, his wife decided to leave him. This departure is the touch of the story for either the biggest downfall of the main character or the touch of breaking point for his upcoming success. The only one left for Gardner is his son, and as mentioned above, the child served as the sole source of his inspiration. From that point, he experienced the worst parts of his life as told in the narration. He became homeless- he carries all his and his son’s clothes along way and facing the fact that they are alone and can only rely with each other. Their schedule and budget became so tight that only a little mistake will make their situation drastically worse. In one instance, when they missed a bus ride, they also missed the stay in the place for homeless where they are regularly staying. While the Pursuit of Happyness has a little bracket of time setting used in its storytelling, the Glass Castle started from the childhood of the character. It showed the picture of the family, where Jeanette is involved, as not much functioning. Her father is alcoholic and her mother shows poor in handling the family and plays to be so childish. One thing cannot be denied though. These parents love their kids so much. Jeanette, as the narrator and the second oldest child in the family shows his solid belief with her parent’s desires not to send them to any form of harm and secure them with all their needs as long as they could. She believes that his father, Rex, is worthy of respect. She never lose the optimistic perception that if her father is not drunk, it will reveal his true side that he is caring for the children and just turned to alcohol out of despair from embarrassment and disappointment. The kids had hard time when they are crossing the countries to find a new place to stay. They are like nomads popping up in several different places and added to that are the behavior of their parents who are mildly psychologically ill. Their mother, Rose Mary is an artist at heart and was known to be childish at some point. There is a scene when she was caught hiding candies which make her gain weight. She went mad like a child when her kids learned about it. What made this mad is the fact that during those days, her children are in fact experiencing starvation and she still chose to hide food from them. Looking at these characters, it is obvious that the roles they have for the story as a whole are crucial in shaping the latter status of the main character. The characters are element of the story that provides the touch of human experiences. It is important to notice that every character in a story doesn’t just serve differently when it comes to their role but they also vary with the way they are presented according to the power they are contributing with the plot and the storyline. Perhaps, this is measured with the way and with the degree of their impact on the story and other characters. Emphasis on the characters can be leading for there are characters that are more exposed throughout the tale but have less significance with the essence of the story. Comparing these two memoirs, there can be assumptions that the set of characters in the Glass Castle shows strength more vivid than the set of characters in Pursuit of Happyness. The characters of Pursuit of happiness are dynamic humans but the picture of supporting characters of the Glass Castle shows a wider range of human tendencies. It doesn’t necessarily mean though that the characters of the latter are worth being followed than the characters of the former. Analyzing the two main characters, Chris Gardner and Jeanette Walls, there is one common characteristic between them- optimism. They are similar to Helen Keller, who prefers to see good things but not necessarily ignore those bad things. What they are doing is to move straight towards the path they have chosen despite those bad things. If we are to put that mindset into metaphor, it is about treating the obstacles and negativity as cheerleaders that are necessary to boost their hype of desire towards success. It is common that there are psychological pressures to ensure that the family’s security is sustained and assured. And with these two main characters, indifference had been the key. This serves the fact that whoever you were doesn’t define who you are going to be instead whoever you were doesn’t matter in the future (Murray & Fortinberry: 14-17). Chris Gardner is a composed man who has subtle knowledge about boundaries – boundaries that he has and boundaries that other people has. To prove this, along the argument he has with his wife, there was a neighbor who is trying to clean a rug and the dusts are all in the air. Being disturbed, Chris confront that guy and tell him to stop it for there are people trying to talk. This certain part of the story shows how Chris knows what he deserves in life although this given example is so subtle since it only talks about dusts and a rug. Later, his neighbor counter argues and continued cleaning. Chris was silenced but what shows here is not defeat but the strength of the character as someone who has a solid knowledge about his limitation as a neighbor, as an individual. Jeanette Walls, on the other hand, was remarkable because more than just her intelligence, she also has guts to get out from poverty without blaming others such as her parents. Her family supplied the role of somehow similar to a typical antagonist in a novel. But this is not how it was perceived in this memoir. The parents, throughout the novel, showed the picture of being irresponsible. The family is in the poverty line. These are both valid reasons for a child to hate the situations where they are involved. Surprisingly, Jeanette is not that kind of child or to be exact, she is the complete opposite of that. Unconditional love has been a subject for romantic fictions but seldom that it was used in the context of a family. The way it was shown is remarkably skilled. Jeanette, indeed, grew up as a learning machine that gains knowledge and used them to endure all the obstacles she is facing in her life. Like what was mentioned, the supporting character of the Glass Castle has added an unusual texture on the story. This happened because the characters were introduced with diversified tendencies. Rose Mary was inclined to art and is a brilliant woman. Later, it was revealed that due to some issues with her husband, she started to act childish. This shift with the mother will only contribute to the failure of their family. One significant key point in both stories is the concept of fatherhood. Fatherhood is a common subject for art pieces not just for literature. Patriarchy is a social phenomenon that needs to be handled with enough care for this is more than just an issue of individuality or masculinity but more on its social context. There are two dimension of fatherhood: First, the role as a father to children and second, the role as the husband. Contract theories had been applied in the field of social sciences to analyze each role further. Moreover, it has its political and social considerations mostly. In relation to paternal politics, in reference to the works of Robert Goodin and Philipp Pettit, in the separate story of Gardner and Walls, the dimension that was mostly tackled is the paternal role of fatherhood. The main difference is the direction of the issue in relation to the social environment. There are no issues between Chris and his son. The issues in the story are just directed on them from the outside social environment. Poverty is one situation which is characterized by being homeless, jobless and frequent starvation. This fatherhood example is a showcase of paternal situation that was determined by the outside factors. The direction of the issue is different in the case of Walls. Jeanette has issue with her father, whether she is indifferent of it or not. What remained clear is that the dynamics of the role of her father was ruined by depressions. It consequently ruined the social environment which is the family. This issue was even amplified when the father turned into alcohol as a defense mechanism for all their mishaps. This patriarchal politics had been one of the central ideas of both memoirs and is crucial in understanding the thought of them. Chris Gardner is a hero for his son, Christopher. This is a strong indicator of his paternal polarity. The track that Chris took is solely devoted for them. This shows that whatever is going to happen to anyone of them, the effect will be on both of them. This tie between the two is exquisitely shown in the book without any usage of sentimentality and without using too much romanticism. In the case of Jeanette Walls, the idea of paternal hero is also significant. Her wish to have a hero father is not repressed. For her, it is the reality that she is seeing. His father is more than just a drunkard but a loving individual to her and the rest of her family. In this perception, apparently, the idea of hero father is more realistic in the story of Pursuit of Happyness. There remained an interesting idea that what Walls is conceiving or perceiving is a better or even absolute symbol of a more perfect fatherhood. Both stories are carefully written which secured the hook it can make to those who are after self-improvement. After all, these are just memoirs which are supposed to provide the stories that are personally addressed. But in the history of this form of literature, we can’t ignore the fact that people are meant to be inspired by them and consequently change their selves. Works Cited Gardner, Chris and Troupe Quincy. the Pursuit of Happyness. MI: Amistad. (2006). Walls, Jeanette. The Glass Castle: A Memoir. NY: Scribner (2005) Murray, Bob and Fortinberry, Alicia . Creating optimism. USA: Mc Graw Hill (2004) Goodin,Robert and Petit,Philip. Contemporary political philosophy. MA: Wiley Blackwell (1997) University of Oklahoma. World Literature Today. OK: University of Oklahoma Press. (1999)

Barclays Bank believes that university students are an extremely valuable segmentation for business banking markets. The WritePass Journal

Barclays Bank believes that university students are an extremely valuable segmentation for business banking markets. Introduction Barclays Bank believes that university students are an extremely valuable segmentation for business banking markets. Introduction  I.  Ã‚  Research ObjectivesResearch Process  II.  Ã‚  Research QuestionsDefined the Research QuestionsResearch Questions for this ProposalIII.  MethodologyResearch PhilosophyResearch Philosophy for this ProposalResearch MethodResearch Method in this ProposalIV.  Research DesignDefined Five Research DesignResearch Design for this Proposal  V.   Ã‚  Data Collection DesignDefined the way of Data CollectionData Collection Design in this proposal  VI.  Ã‚  Ã‚  SamplingSampling methodSampling method used in this proposalQuestionnaire Design in this proposalVII. Collection DataDefined the method of data collectionVIII.  Data Analysis ProcessDefined Data AnalysisData Analysis in this proposalIX.  BudgetX.  Ã‚  Ã‚  RecommendationsConclusionsBibliography BibliographyRelated Introduction Barclays Bank believes that university students are an extremely valuable segmentation for business banking markets, but the business of banking services is intensely competitive. In order to Barclays Bank attract more university student customers and to keep them in a long term, Barclays requires understanding the target market, what are universities students in the UK â€Å"needs and wants†. By describing the research process, the objectives of this market research will be notified. Following with the research questions and research design and method details will be formed. In addition, this research proposal is helping Barclays to increase its market share, and using market research to ensure Barclays provide the right product and services to the UK students target market.   I.  Ã‚  Research Objectives The main objective of this research proposal for Barclays Bank is to achieve the target which can provide the right products or services to university students in the UK and understand what are their â€Å"needs and wants† for bank account. Otherwise, we will add value propositions to attract more students for Barclays and keep these customers over time. This has divided into the following objectives: To understand the reason that students choose Barclays as their first bank account. To investigate what feature would be considered when university students start a new bank account. To inspect the property for Barclays banking services can attract new university students. To increase university student account market. To ensure the graduate students will continue obtain their bank account. Research Process According to Kumar (2005), a well managed severe, systematic, reliable, demonstrable, experimental, and critical is substantial research. In the next parts, it will describe the following research process for Barclays Bank. Kumar (2005) has defined those eight steps for process of research, which is shown in Figure 1: The following research will be chosen some parts for the proposal.   Ã‚   Figure 1 Research Process (Kumar, 2005)   II.  Ã‚  Research Questions Defined the Research Questions According to Saunder et al. (2007) research design questions are related for many aspects: ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What intrigues me? ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Why am I doing it? (Is it a contribution to knowledge?) ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What models, frameworks, etc? ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   How am I going to collect data? Research Questions for this Proposal In this research, the title â€Å"Barclays Bank and targeting University Students† is being chosen the object of research and analysis. Otherwise, the questions are to understand student customers’ needs and wants. By using questions can get information that can utilise on market decision. There are four main research questions that can be developed and easily to understand this research objective. Which bank is your first account? What bank features would attract university students? What bank services would customers need? What reason would affect customers to continue their account? III.  Methodology Grinnell (1993) has pointed out that the word â€Å"research† can define as ‘a structured inquiry that utilises acceptable scientific methodology to solve problems and creates new knowledge that is generally applicable’. Methodology sections will separate into two factors which are research philosophy and research method. Research Philosophy In research philosophy area, the research methods are discussed ontology and epistemology commonly. According the theory, both of methods are related to philosophical perspectives. ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ontological perspective: The researchers can discover the essence of knowledge which exists in the world (Snape Spencer, 2003). ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Epistemological perspective: The perspective is to discuss what knowledge can be believed (Bryman Bell, 2007). Research Philosophy for this Proposal For this research, it utilises the epistemological aim to help the proposal to find out the right services, which may provide Barclays Banks to attract more university students. In addition, to understand the purchased behaviour by students, it may use EKB model on research survey to realise Barclay’s customers. ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   EKB model: Engel et al. defined EKB model in 1978. EKB model will be the method for survey, and it can help to realise customers buying behaviour on decision-making. Engel et al. (2001), defined five steps that consumers decided to purchase the products, which are shown in Figure 2. These steps are showing the process of purchase behaviour by customers. Figure 2 EKB five steps (Engel et al. 2001) Research Method In order to find out the value propositions for Barclays Bank, the main two research methods which are qualitative research method and quantitative research method will be considered in this proposal. Quantitative and qualitative research methods are the two ways usually use in the research area. ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Quantitative research method: This method is to collect quantifiable data and make it from objective views to produce the final results (Bryman Bell, 2007). ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Qualitative research method: This method is focus on understand and describe peoples’ perspectives to create a logical outcome (Snape Spencer, 2003). Creswell (2003) point out that how to choose a research method in the analysis research, which is based on the target audiences or past experiences. In addition, customers’ behaviour may affect their purchase decision. According to Engel, Kollat and Blackwell theory, EKB model is the basis of decision-making process for customer behaviour, and this process is referred to the actual consumers’ cognitive thinking when they purchase products. That is to say, EKB model is one of important elements to understand what customers’ thinking when they have decision-making situations. Research Method in this Proposal ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Quantitative research method was identified to be more suitable for this research. ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Quantitative questioning will be used in the proposal. All quantitative questions will be shown in Appendix. ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Using EKB model in questionnaires and it will be shown in Appendix as well. ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Likert scale will be one of the parts in the questionnaires, Likert scale will be used in most of questionnaires. The typical five levels for Likert item are: Strongly disagree, disagree, neither agree nor disagree, agree, strongly agree. IV.  Research Design Defined Five Research Design There are five kinds of research design different purposes such as, ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Experimental design: This main concept of design is to analysis of qualitative or quantitative research which can examine the differences and form the foundation (Bryman Bell, 2007). ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cross-sectional design: This design is usually used in quantitative research (Kumar, 2005). ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Longitudinal design: Longitudinal design is a study to determine the amount of changes (Bryman Bell, 2007). ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Case study design: Only single instance will be studied in the most case, and details related to that case will be collected. This model is suitable for qualitative research (Bryman Bell, 2007). ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Comparative design: The research can be seen as the comparative design which has consisted of more than one case and to compare or evaluate the differences or similarities (Bryman Bell, 2007). Research Design for this Proposal As for Barclay’s research, the aim is to add value propositions that can utilise in marketing decision. To consider of this research design, this research is to find out the customers behaviour for university students in the UK and to the collect a certain number of different information is needed to support for this research. This research would follow case study and collection data in order to have a deeper understanding of the impact on value propositions from the research, obtaining the appropriate strategy by the UK university students’ requirements. Moreover, the EKB model and Likert scale discussed previously will be the fundamental theories to analyse the survey data.   V.   Ã‚  Data Collection Design Defined the way of Data Collection According to Kumar (2005), data collection can be use in observations, interviews, and questionnaires these possible ways. The advantages of interviews are that when researchers are helpless to fulfill participants, researchers still can see specific information from interviewees, and interviewees can describe â€Å"history† which is suitable to the research case of topic to wider and deeper understanding (Creswell, 2003). In addition, researchers can be more flexible by asking questions which is comparing with interviews questionnaires (Bryman Bell, 2007). For research, the direction we need to see is the students consideration when they opening a new account. Qualitative research strategy in interview is too unstructured than in the quantitative research design. Researchers can an unstructured interview, which is more like a general chatting and more similar to having conversations with interviewees; researchers have to make a discussion guide with which has listed questions to understand (Bryman Bell, 2007). Data Collection Design in this proposal The collection of the information is to be the first step of data collection. The data focus on the bank services and marketing decision. In addition, there are three methods that will be use to collect the require data. ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   First approach :Face-to face ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Second approach :Telephone ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Third approach :Mail by post or email However, using three methods are too complicated to this research; Table 1 is shown the compare results. Compare Mail by post Telephone Face-to-face Budget Low Low High Flexible Need address Need phone number Go to every university Ask Questions Less questions Less questions More questions Validity Low Low High Non-response error High Low Low Collect Time Long Short Long Table 1 Comparison ofthree kinds ofinvestigation methods. After the compare evaluation, the mail survey approach is most appropriate to investigation of this study, these reasons are: ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This study research has budget consideration and restriction. Mail by post may be the lowest cost for the required questionnaires. ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The mail or email address from interviewee is easy to obtain. ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The questionnaires cannot be too long, but it is clear to see on mail. ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The validity by mail questionnaire is low. ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The mail questionnaires may have a high rate of non-response bias, but it can improve by send more mails. This action may help to reduce the rate of return non-response bias. ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The mail survey, takes a long time, but it may not influence the data results.   VI.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sampling Sampling method According to Patton (1990), the sampling method can be defined like ‘criterion sampling’ and the sampling is adopted in this research. It will find samples from criteria that receive research objectives. This sampling method also can ensure that the interviewees are supplied with complete information feedback that is required in the research (Patton, 1990). Using the Sampling method in the qualitative research can be same as in quantitative research, for instance, random sampling method. Most of the samplings in qualitative researchers are with some purposes or criteria since sampling may affect the outcome significantly (Coyne, 1997). However, the sample size is required in qualitative research; the result is not larger than quantitative research. Researchers are using purposeful sampling to acquire sufficient knowledge interviewees who can present the related research topic, and help researchers to get wider and deeper view points from interviewees (Patton, 1990). Sampling method used in this proposal There are several sampling methods that can adopt in survey research. For research, random sampling will be chosen as the research method. Following elements are the approaches for sampling: ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Element: Target market , all the UK university students. ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Population: Estimate5000 university students. ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sampling Units: Collection of about 5000 survey elements from the population. ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Frame: A frame is a list of sampling units, same as 5000 sampling units. ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Select sampling methods: Random sampling. Questionnaire Design in this proposal SNAP is an assistance software tool that can create questionnaires. This questionnaire will divide into three sections: ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   First part: Personal information for Interviewees University students in the UK or not. Demand for the services. ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Second part: Interviewees’ personal bank. First bank account. Bank name, it is Barclays or not. ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Third part: Using EKB model to design questionnaire (Likert scale will be used). Banking service satisfaction. Bank Loyalty. VII. Collection Data Defined the method of data collection The approaches to collect data have mention in front of part. That is, there are kind of ways can use in interviews. Interviews can be face-to-face, through telephone, or gather a lot of people to do the interview at the same time, which is also known as priority group (Creswell, 2003). Data Collection in this proposal ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Collection data will follow the front part which decides to choose mail by post method to collect to necessary data. ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are 5000 surveys will be sent by mails and emails. (2500 mails by post, 2500 by emails) ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Following data collection time divided into two main stages. Collection time will be a month. First stage is to collect post mail will from 1st of June 2011 to 16th of June 2011. Although first stage is to collect post mail, email questionnaires feedback may return as the same time. Moreover, this period of time will continue collection data until 30th of June 2011. These stages are shown in Table 2. Main stages Time Activity First stage   1st June 2011- 16th June 2011 Collect mail by post from interviewees Second stage 1st June 2011- 30thJune 2011 Collect email from interviewees Table 2 Survey Collect Time VIII.  Data Analysis Process Defined Data Analysis In the qualitative research validity can be seen from three ways, which are descriptive validity, interpretive validity, and theoretical validity; or to consider from another aspect which can be classified as internal validity and external validity (Johnson, 1997). ŸÂ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Validation of research Validity is divided into three types, including content validity (Content Validity), criterion validity (Criterion Validity) and construct validity (Construct Validity). Content validity: The primary purpose is to systematically check the appropriate of questionnaires; the questionnaires consider the samples and conduct appropriate proportion. Criterion validity: It is outside test criterion with the assessment based on the correlation coefficient. Criterion validity refers to test data which has been found, also name as the statistical validity. Construct validity: It refers to the test the measure theoretical construct or common quality level which observed variables and other theoretical consistency. Data Analysis in this proposal In this research, SPSS will be use in data analysis. As for the collect data, all questionnaires will be recorded and transcribed. The benefit of doing transcription is to help researchers who can get all details mentioned and to re-examine the data afterwards. The process of data will firstly help researchers to organised and it enabled to rethink and restructure the following analysis stages. At the same time the second stage data were collected and filed. In this data collection, the clearer idea information between data and final findings will be formed, and it will shown data analysis to support results. IX.  Budget With the research process, the budget will come with it. Higdon Topp (2004) has pointed that, to reach the project objectives of timeline and methodology, the research proposal budget is intertwined with its development. Therefore, the detail of the budget will be notified. The budget of details required to expense to a complete itemized accounting list for the project (Higdon Topp, 2004). The budget table3 and 4 will displayed the total research fees. Table 3 Worksheet Personnel Role Salary/month Smith Principle investigator  £3000 Brown Co investigator  £2750 Tsou Statistician  £2750 The research plan will spend one month. Table 4 Equipment Phase Description Fee Mail by post  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2500 mail letters  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚    £500.00  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2500 stamps  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚    £1250.00 Email 2500 email   Ã‚ £0 Data collection and analysis will consume a month as well. Total   fees     £10250.00 Timeline Date Activity 21st May 27th May Proposal Needed 28th May- 30th May Survey Development 1st June- 30th June Data Collection 2nd July – 6th July Statistical Data 8th July Final Report X.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Recommendations Here are some reasons that our team should be chosen. Our research team provides complete the research methodology and Data Collection. The objects reflect the goals and orientations of the organisation. Our agency wish to submit Barclays Bank with a compelling demonstration that has effectively represents. The research results will reflect new projects and interests, and provide for both current clients and new in customers. We can discuss this plan at your convenience.  Ã‚   Conclusions The valuable segmentation for Barclays Bank business banking markets is university students, however, the business banking competitive. Barclays Bank wants to attract more student customers and keeps them in over time. This research proposal starts from research process. Quantitative research method is adopted and the data collection is through by mail interviews. Then, the secondary data is from journals, articles, books. Finding of the research will help Barclays to increase its market share, and the market research will ensure Barclays provide the right product and services to the UK students target market. Bibliography Bryman, A. and Bell, E. (2003) Business Research Methods, Oxford University Press. Cresswell, J.W. (2009) Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, 3rd ed. Sage Publications. Coyne ,I .T. (1997 ) Sampling in qualitative research. Purposeful and theoretical sampling; merging or clear boundaries? Journal of Advanced Nursing , 26(3),623–630. Engel, J. F.,R. D. Blackwell P. W. Miniard (2001 ) Consumer Behavior 9th ed. Fort Wort: Drvden Press. Higdon,J.and Topp,R. (2004) How to Develop a Budget for a Research Proposal. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 26(8) 922-929. Johnson ,R. B. (1997)Examining the validity structure of qualitative research. Research Library 118 (2) 282. Kumar, R. (2005) Research Methodology: A Step-by-step Guide for Beginners. London: Sage Publications. Patton, M. Q. (1990) Qualitative Evaluation and Research Methods, 2nd ed. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications. Patton, M. Q. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods ,2nd ed., Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Saunders, Lewis Thornhill (2007) Research Methods for Business Students, FT Prentice Hall Snape, D. and Spencer, L. (2003) Qualitative Research Practice: A guide for Social Science Students and Researchers, London: Sage Publications. Bibliography Barclays Bank Website   barclays.co.uk/PersonalBanking/P1242557947640 Online Survey Software: SurveyMonkey Website   surveymonkey.com/MySurveys.aspx

Transitive Twist on Agree

Transitive Twist on Agree Transitive Twist on â€Å"Agree† Transitive Twist on â€Å"Agree† By Maeve Maddox A DWT reader wonders about the following uses of the verb agree in a British publication: In a November white paper laying out its vision for independence, Scotland said it would expect to agree a mechanism with London, whereby it would gradually refinance its share of the UKs debt as gilts matured. Under the proposed legislation, the US would place even tougher international restrictions on Iranian oil exports if it fails to agree a final nuclear deal over the next six months. Says the reader, In both, agree is used without a preposition following it. To my Canadian ears, this sounds odd. Is this a chiefly British use or did I simply miss that grammar class? When must one use a preposition with agree and when is it best avoided? Until this reader pointed it out, I’d never noticed this usage. A cursory web search leads me to believe that it is an aberration of British English and may be creeping into American usage by way of journalists who cover European news for the international market. I found this naked agree in respected British publications: Blackberry and Foxconn agree a five-year deal BBC News Business Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could agree a new three-year contract as early as this week as Stan Kroenke jets in to London The Independent Belfast pub bosses quit over a failure to agree lease Belfast Telegraph I found the usage on a British banking site: Agreeing a formal overdraft is fee free and keeping within your limit is a cost-effective way to manage your account. Agree your overdraft limit in advance. It occurs in a headline about U.S. affairs at an international news site: Democrat and Republican negotiators agree a new spending bill to put before Congress Euronews And it occurs at Forbes.com in a headline over an article written by a European correspondent: Time For ECB To Agree A New Plan For  Cyprus It has even found its way into the OED in a quotation from 2007: This does not stop retrials being ordered where the jury has failed to agree a verdict. C. Elliott F. Quinn Eng. Legal Syst. (ed. 8) iv. xxiv. 549. I find this usage not only odd, but extremely disagreeable. For me, agree is an intransitive verb. It does not take an object. A jury agrees on a verdict. Friends agree with each other. Countries agree to a plan. So far, the transitive usage that has countries â€Å"agree plans† and bank customers â€Å"agree overdraft limits† is distinctly British usage. May it remain so. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Avoid Beginning a Sentence with â€Å"With†English Grammar 101: Verb MoodDrama vs. Melodrama

A review of the relationship between poverty, uninsured children, Essay

A review of the relationship between poverty, uninsured children, childhood obesity and the well-being index - Essay Example The current study aims to look at obesity and chronic obesity causing conditions since these are emerging as major reasons for negatively affecting the well being of people. Data for the study has been acquired from Gallup-Healthway’s Well Being Index  ® website from a survey conducted and compiled in 2009. Data was also acquired from the State Health Facts website for targeted states only. The data acquired from Gallup-Healthway was used to demarcate five states that formed the upper most and lowest tiers of obesity prevalence in the United States. The states of West Virginia, Mississippi and Kentucky exhibit the highest obesity rates while the states of Hawaii and Colorado displayed the lowest obesity rates (Mendes & McGeeney, 2012). The states were chosen in this order also because West Virginia, Mississippi and Kentucky are on the lowest rung of the WBI while Colorado and Hawaii are near the top of the WBI list. In addition to these statistics, three other variables were also used that include the population in poverty, the amount of uninsured kids and the amount of obese kids. Statistical Analysis Descriptive statistics were tabulated for the acquired data (shown in Appendix A). Gallup uses defined metrics in order to survey well being which can be listed as the Composite, Life Evaluation Index (LEI), Emotional Health Index (EHI), Work Environment Index (WEI), Physical Health Index (PHI), Healthy Behavior Index (HBI) and Basic Access Index (BAI) (Gallup-Healthways, 2009). The other variables used include the Population in Poverty (POP IN POV), uninsured kids and obese kids (State Health Facts, 2012). Results for the descriptive statistics are presented in the table shown below. Table 1 Descriptive Statistics WBI (Rank) State Health Fact (%) Descriptive Statistics for WBI and State Health Facts for the Nation Overall and the Five States Selected Descriptive Statistic COMPOSITE LEI EHI WEI PHI HBI BAI POP IN POV UNINSURED KIDS OBESE KIDS Mean 65.03 44.73 78.2 48.82 75.33 62.27 80.78 23.5 7.83 34.05 Median 64.95 44.55 78.5 48.9 75.7 62.15 81.1 23.5 8.5 33.55 Range 9.7 15.9 8.5 8.3 9.5 10.1 7.1 12 9 17.2 Standard Deviation 3.51 5.83 2.93 2.67 3.66 3.88 2.89 4.04 3.31 6.36 Standard Error 1.43 2.38 1.2 1.09 1.5 1.58 1.18 1.65 1.35 2.6 The mean and median for the Gallup data remain fairly close to each other for all reported metrics. In contrast, the data acquired from State Health shows some skewness for uninsured kids with the mean being 7.83 while the median is 8.5. The range for most variables being analyzed stays under 10 except for LEI (15.9), population in poverty (12) and obese kids (17.2). these variables could be expected to display larger standard deviations as well since the range of data is greater. In terms of the standard deviation, the highest value is displayed by obese kids (6.36) followed by LEI (5.83) while other variables display standard deviations of around 4. The standard error tabulation reveals similar res ults with LEI exhibiting a standard error of 2.38 and obese kids displaying a standard error of 2.6. In contrast, the standard error for population in poverty is 1.65 while other variables display standard errors of less than 1.6. Based on these results it could be safely assumed that the data acquired displays a near uniform distribution except for LEI and obese kids that tend to exhibit some skewness. Composite and domain scores by state as well as the

Should we shop until we drop Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Should we shop until we drop - Essay Example Victor Lebow gave the solution that â€Å"Our enormously productive economy†¦demands that we make consumption our way of life that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption†¦we need things consumed, burned up, replaced and discarded at an ever-accelerating rate† (Leonard and Conrad, pp. 215). Therefore, the current wave of materialism and consumerism is not natural but something, which was planned. According to a research conducted in the start of the century, American households are currently spending 1.22 US dollars for every 1 dollar earned. There is all the probability that this difference, considering the historical and currents trends in consumerism, would have increased (Woolf, pp. 124-125). Therefore, the point here is that there are no doubts that with a systematic and strategic process, Americans have become a nation who have lost their inner self worth and the only way to gain the same has become through publicizing our ownership of goods and materials. Everyday, we find ourselves in a silent war with ourselves, forcing us to buy more, consume more and stock more so that our neighbors could see our superior lifestyle (Kukathas, pp. 85-89). Deeds, ethical norms, morality, dignity, achievements, intelligence and others are quickly fading away as the measures for one’s identity and social status. We do not know or picture others with their names and achievements but with what they own and what they have the potential to buy, the boy with iPhone 4, the woman with Porsche, the man with limo and so on. Therefore, we are not we are but we are what others think we are. As Leonard and Conrad mention in their book, â€Å"That is why, after 9/11, when our country was in shock, President Bush could have suggested any number of appropriate things: to grieve, to pray, to hope. NO, and He said to shop.43 TO SHOP† (Leonard and Conrad, pp. 215). Que stion # 2 – Consequences of our love for consumerism If our love for consumerism was only destroying our disturbing our own lives then this should never have been a problem at all. However, the problem here is that this is not only we are destroying our selves, our societies, communities and nations but the entire planet (Woolf, pp. 124-125). Leonard and Conrad in their book come up with a few examples on how the entire planet is paying the price for our love of products and materials. For making products such as rubber, furniture, paper and others, we have destroyed more than 80 percent of the world’s forest. More importantly, we are losing our rainforests. Once, rainforests covered more than 16 percent of the total land but today that percentage is less than six. Furthermore, the destruction rate is so high that we are losing 75 acres of rainforests every minute (Woolf, pp. 124-125). More than 25 percent of the current drugs sold in the America and Europe come from t he ingredients derived from rainforests. The loss that we are incurring to the human king becomes clear examining the statistics. Leonard and Conrad quote, â€Å"And the plants and other life we have discovered so far are just the beginning; most scientists estimate that only 1 percent of the species that exist in the rainforest (and only there) have been identified and examined for their beneficial properties†

Acounting for pensions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Acounting for pensions - Essay Example However, most employers invest the pensions to be managed by a separate entity. The entities that manage the pensions recognize the assets and liabilities on their net values. The accounting practices for pensions faces a lot of criticism such as lack of clarity in the disclosure of the postretirement accounting information. The accounting practices ignored the importance of full recognition of the effects of pension contracts on the company’s performance. For this reason, a big deal of pension contract related costs are borne by the users of such information. Secondly, some investors have expressed concerns on the reporting of gains and losses. They propose the elimination of the smoothing of gains and losses as allowed under GAAP. This method should be replaced by a separate recognition of pension plan’s assets and liabilities on the balance sheet. Lastly, preparers criticize the short-term approach to accounting for pension transactions (The United States Securities and Exchange Commission 49 – 59). In view of the above criticism, the staff members propose an improvement regarding the accounting practices. First, they suggest a long-term approach to accounting for pensions since the post retirement contract is long-lived. Second, further disclosures besides those contained in the financial statements should be provided to ensure further clarity of the contents of the financial statements. Lastly, the staff proposes that issuers should give more time the preparation of the postretirement financial information in order to facilitate the provision of more useful information to the users (The United States Securities and Exchange Commission 107 – 108). The United States Securities and Exchange Commission. N.d. Report and Recommendation Pursuant to Section 401 (c) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 On Arrangements with Off-balance sheet Implications, special purpose