Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Essay

In the book, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Douglass chronicles his slave life during the mid 1800s. By informing his readership of the realities and cruelties of slavery, Douglass’ seeks to persuade Northerners to become involved in the abolitionist movement. He accomplishes this purpose by delivering his message throughout the entirety of the book — slavery is harmful to all participants – with the effective utilization of ethos, logos, and pathos. The trio works to support his thesis, and this support therefore aids Douglass’ overall purpose. Although each of the argumentative devices is effective, the most powerful component is pathos, which is a quality that evokes pity or sadness. Unlike ethos or logos, pathos speaks directly to the readers, in this case the North, and profoundly influences their emotions and thoughts on the issue of slavery. Therefore, pathos is the most effective strategy in Douglass’ narrative because it accomplishes the author’s purpose by sufficiently delivering his message, through the manipulation of emotions to Northern readers. Ethos is without a doubt an apparent strategy throughout Douglass’ narrative; in fact, the entire book is ethos. Douglass’ life was, at the time, living proof of the cruelties of slavery. He takes advantage of this fact in his narrative and describes almost every detail, being sure to leave out names whom he did not intend to offend or embarrass, and brings to reality the treatment of slaves in the 1800s. In addition, Douglass incorporates references to the Bible, often relating slaves’ lives to peoples’ lives in Biblical times. For example, â€Å"My friend Nathan Johnson (of whom I can say with a grateful heart, ‘I was hungry, and he gave me meat; I was thirsty, and he gave me drink; I was a stranger, and he took me in’).† This is a reference to Matthew 25:35, which discusses the importance of caring for others, even strangers. Douglass includes this passage to compare Nathan Johnson to a humble, selfless man that would care for anyone. Furthermore, the reference supports Douglass’ credibility as an educated man of God and a reliable non-fiction author. Just because he was once a slave, ignorant of freedom and all its blessings, including education, it did not stop him from brilliantly writing his narrative through which he sufficiently proves his credibility by means of correct grammar, references to the Bible and other highly respected pieces of literature, and the simple fact that he was once a slave and therefore contains the most reliable information. However, ethos is not the most effective strategy on his readers; it does not support his purpose or meaning as much as pathos does. Logos is also a strategy used throughout the entirety of the book, simply because it is a narrative of Douglass’ life, therefore it must be composed of non-fiction occurrences. He includes as much detail as he can, but he leaves out particular names and happenings in order to prevent embarrassment of the individual or even potential consequences. Despite his restrictions, Douglass still includes amazing thoroughness and accuracy. For example, â€Å"I left Master Thomas’s house, and went to live with Mr. Covey, on the 1st of January, 1833.† He uses three specific details in one tiny sentence, which just shows the reader his incredible memory and accuracy. Although his precision within the book is rather impressive to the Northern readers, the simple facts do not supply them with Douglass’ deeper meaning, that slavery is harmful to all participants. Rather, logos gives the readers the direct happenings of his slave life, but it does not reach out to the Northerners’ emotions, humans’ weakness and main influence to take action, to the extent pathos does. Pathos is a strategy in argument that aims to draw pity or sadness from the audience or reader, and it is often the most persuasive tool to accomplish a purpose. In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Douglass uses a generous amount of pathos in order to persuade his Northern readers to become involved in the abolitionist movement. He accomplishes this purpose by including sad incidences he saw or experienced himself. For example, Douglass tells the story of his Aunt Hester being punished with a whipping, â€Å"He commenced to lay on the heavy cowskin, and soon the warm, red blood†¦came dripping to the floor. I was so terrified†¦that I hid myself in a closet.† This description of the first time he saw someone whipped is drawn out in detail purposefully; Douglass wants the reader to engage in the narrative and let his/her emotions drive them toward pity for slaves and hatred of slavery. He includes many other descriptions like this, but they all have the same purpose. Emotion drives many peoples’ actions, and Douglass wants to persuade his Northern audience to become active in the abolitionist movement by letting their emotion take over. Pathos also brings out the meaning of the essay; by explaining cruel experiences, Douglass includes proof of his meaning, that slavery is harmful to both the slave and the slaveholder. Northerners are persuaded by this meaning and affected by the traumatic incidences in the book, and are driven to involve themselves in the move to abolish slavery. Pathos is therefore the most effective strategy that encourages Northern readers to follow through with Douglass’ purpose. Douglass utilizes ethos, logos, and pathos in a brilliant way, but it is acceptable to claim that pathos had the largest effect on the readers of the North in the 1800s. While ethos and logos give the author credibility and information to discuss, pathos affects the reader directly. It becomes tiresome to hear of straightforward facts, like moving from master to master or plantation to plantation. The readers want to hear of excitement, so when Douglass talks about sad topics, it involves the reader, as well as affects their opinion of slavery. By taking advantage of pathos and the readers’ impressionable emotions, Douglass conveys his message and fulfills his purpose, and therefore, pathos is the most effective strategy in his book. Works Cited Douglass, Frederick, and Houston A. Baker. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England: Penguin, 1982. Print.

Jean Baudrillard’s concept of the orders of simulacra Essay

‘A commodity appears at first sight, a very trivial thing, and easily understood. Its analysis shows that it is in reality, a very queer thing, abounding in metaphysical subtleties and theological niceties’ (Marx). It has long been a condition of western culture to act for the accumulation of material objects. This is in part due to the capitalist nature of the world within which we live. Marx identifies in ‘The Critique of Capitalism’ the emergence of two new classes of people, namely ‘capitalists’ and ‘labourers’. The term ‘capitalist’ describes any person who has personal ownership of capital, which ‘consists of raw materials, instruments of labour and means of subsistence’ (Marx). In contrast a ‘labourer’ has only the value of his labour (life activity), which he exchanges with the capitalist for a wage and as such ‘the worker sinks to the level of commodity’ (Marx). Because the labourer produces for the capitalist a commodity of greater value than that of his wages and in addition those wages are paid back to the capitalist in return for subsistence, therefore social control in exerted over the working class, whilst providing the capitalist with excess commodity. The labourer consentingly becomes a slave to the system on which he depends. In addition Marx states that as the relation between capitalist and labourer (manufacturer and consumer) develops, so competition between rival capitalists becomes apparent. In effect the capitalist is forced to capture more of the market by selling goods more cheaply by the consolidation and exploitation of labour power e.g. by machinery. Such a strategy ultimately limits the demand for labour and so new industries must be developed for exploitation. These new industries are necessary because capital exists only in relation to its ability to command labour and social control and as such ‘they reciprocally condition the existence of each other’ (Marx). These forced increases in demand and therefore production are evident in the contemporary world market. Important to the development of Capitalism is the use of money which abstracts labour and commodity values to a common unit for the purpose of trade. In effect the labourer discovers that ‘the product of his activity is not the object of his activity’ (Marx) thus a level of abstraction occurs, which was consistent with the modernist values of the time. Karl Marx and early capitalism were mainly concerned with production which remains important but it was Situationist, Guy Debord, who gave the first insights into late capitalism and the theories that best apply to today’s world economics and culture of commodities. Debord, in his book ‘The Society of the Spectacle’, bases his examination of commodities around consumption, media, information and technology. As such Debord suggests that ‘in societies where modern conditions of production prevail, all of life presents itself as an immense accumulation of spectacles. Everything that was directly lived has moved away into a representation.’ By this he means to describe the world and its products as mere appearances, where the real meanings and values of commodities are translated into signs. Essentially ‘it is a world vision that has been objectified’ (Debord). Debord explains the phenomenon of the spectacle as resulting from the ever increasing production of capitalism. Because competition between capitalists inevitably leads to an excess of produce, so consumer demand must be increased. Such an increase is controllable by the spectacle as ‘the real consumer becomes a consumer of illusions,’ (Debord) so he can be manipulated to believe he must consume beyond the basic necessity for survival e.g. leisure products. Therefore ‘the spectacle’s form and content are identically the total justification of the existing system’s conditions and goals’ (Debord). The spectacle is mediated in society ‘as information or propaganda, as advertisement or direct entertainment consumption,’ (Debord). The effects of the mediated spectacle tend to lead the consumer to an experience of alienation as the consumers’ want for commodities is dictated to serve and maintain capitalism. In addition the spectacle constantly reinforces itself, for example the television, which is in itself a product of the spectacle that is then used by the capitalist to implement the advertisement of other spectacles. Essentially the ‘spectacle is the nightmare of imprisoned modern society’ (Debord) and explains the transition from the ‘degradation of being into having’ to ‘having into appearing’ (Debord). Jean Baudrillard took Marx’s ‘Critique of Capitalism’ and Debord’s ‘The Society of the Spectacle’ to their conclusions with his own theory of simulation and simulacra. Similar to the idea of the spectacle, Baudrillard describes a world where the subject of everything has been replaced by a semiological value that has become more important than the original, ‘real’ meaning of the object. This object he calls a ‘simulacra’. In ‘Simulacra and Simulation’ Baudrillard adds extra complexity to these ideas by establishing a hierarchy of simulation, which he gives four orders. In the first order the object is a copy of an original and so can be linked to a basic reality, for example a photograph of an actual event. The second order of simulation misrepresents the original subject; in the example the photography has been digitally manipulated in Photoshop to present a non-occurrence. In the third order a reality is recreated from a simulation of an original reality, when in fact, through the process of simulacra, the original has been lost, e.g. a scene is recreated from the digitally manipulated photograph of the original event. Finally, the forth order of simulation is the combined process of the first, second and third order to such an extent that the object bears no relation to reality or the original, for example the photograph has become a virtual reality. In this instance the link between reality and the signifying systems is almost impossible to ascertain, thus creating a ‘hyper-reality’. It is the use of one simulacra as a basis for the formation of another simulacra that shows the first signs of relevance to post modernity. Consequently, in post modernism, everything is understood in relation to everything that has come before, which in design manifests itself in referencing. Post modernism is also concerned with the fact that there is no right or wrong and essentially that no real truth exists. It is of course possible for a sign to make a transition through all four of the orders of simulation, constantly abstracting meaning and widening the gap between simulation and reality. However due to the complexity of repeated abstraction and signification it becomes necessary for an amount of speculation and simplification to occur when examining transitional examples. If we take, for example, the now famous emblem of automotive company Rolls Royce, it becomes apparent the extent to which a symbolic object can be re-simulated, each time loosing a part of it’s original meaning. ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’, designed by sculptor Charles Sykes and mass produced in 1911, is a cast metal emblem representing the figurine of a girl with arms outstretched to hold the folds of her gown blowing in the breeze. To the present day this emblem has been displayed on the bonnets of Rolls Royce cars and is the first order of simulation in terms of it being a representation of a real person from which the sculpture has been modelled. The object also references the figure heads of classic sailing ships in an attempt to convey the automotive product as an elegant, quite and reliable vehicle, which were the mediated associations with the brand during the early development of the company. In this instance the object enters the third order of simulation as a real event (model posing for sculptor) is created from an existing symbolic object (sailing boat figure heads) in order to be recreated as a new symbolic object (Spirit of Ecstasy emblem). At this point it is important to note that this example as an investigation could examine many more stages of referencing prior to the sign’s use as figure heads, though this could prove too difficult and inaccurate, again reinforcing the existence of a hyper-reality. The tea pot, designed by Michael Graves in 1985 for Alessi, brings the symbol to its conclusion. The tea pot employs a plastic emblem of a bird that is attached to the spout of the kettle and creates a whistling noise when the water is boiled. This creates a pun between the whistling of a kettle and the singing of bird but more importantly, its similar visual appearance (i.e. the wings of the bird and the outstretched arms and gown of the girl) makes a reference of Rolls Royce cars. Because during the late 20th century the values associated with Rolls Royce have matured to convey the brand as one of top class and status, so it are these value that are associated with Grave’s tea pot, supposed to the original associations that Rolls Royce was referencing from classic sailing ships. Therefore the product has clearly entered the forth order of simulation is it holds no relation to the original meaning that the original object as sign attempted to represent. Also, by referencing past signs, it can be described as a post modern object. Like Debord, Baudrillard agreed that simulation was important to the survival of capitalism as it, through mediation, can control the level of consumption within society. Baudrillard used the term ‘valorisation’ to describe the process through which symbolic objects attain value. An excellent example of valorisation is Pokemon cards, which are essentially printed illustrations on card and so their use value is very low. However, via mediation, Pokemon cards have been given a simulated symbolic value that has made them desirable and powerful as a commodity. As well as design, Baudrillard’s theory of simulation and simulacra has also proved influential in film making, for example in ‘The Matrix’, directed by the Wachowski brothers. The Matrix is set in the future at a time when the real world has been reduced to a desert waste land by a war between humanity and machines; after the invention of artificial intelligence. Because the machines are dependant on solar power, the humans have caused the equivalent of a nuclear winter by blocking out sunlight. This has caused the machines to retaliate by imprisoning humans in gel filled pods so that energy can be extracted from them in the form of heat. In order to control the humans in this procedure a computer simulated world called the matrix exists, that all of the imprisoned humans are connected to, living their lives in what they believe is the late 20th century, oblivious to the fact that their real bodies are in stasis in the real world. The film therefore acts as a metaphor for contemporary western cultures. Firstly the matrix is an existence of the fourth order of simulation in that it is a system of mere signs that are completely detached from reality, i.e. hyper-reality. Just as in contemporary cultures, the people who live in the matrix are unaware that they are controlled by a system through simulation. â€Å"You are a slave, neo, like everyone else you were born into bondage, born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch, a prison for your mind†¦ What is the matrix? Control. The matrix is a computer generated dream world built to keep us under control in order to change a human being into this† (he holds up a copper battery) (Morpheus talking to Neo, The Matrix). In addition the film suggests that the prisoners of the Matrix are also dependant upon it, to the extent that they will fight to protect it. Baudrillard’s idea of mediasation appears in the film when it is suggested that there was a machine â€Å"spawning a whole race of machines† (Morpheus talking to Neo, The Matrix), thus the social control of the machines (mediation of signs) increasingly exert themselves with every new generation. Interestingly The Matrix seems to offer a solution to simulation and social control by the system, which is one of enlightenment. Once Neo understands the systems and can see the signs (computer code) of the matrix for what they really are, then he can choose to follow a different set of rules thus gaining control of his environment. As well as a theological basis on Baudrillard, The Matrix tends to convey the story via symbolic references and thus is post modern by nature. For example the ‘follow the white rabbit scene’ employs a tattoo of a white rabbit, which is referenced from ‘Alice in Wonderland’ in order to convey the uncertainty in discovering the truth of an alternate reality. In the same scene Neo also opens a copy Baudrillard’s ‘Simulacra and Simulation’ in effect reinforcing links to that element of the film. In conclusion, I have identified the main themes surrounding Baudrillard’s orders of simulacra and simulation, shown how they relate to modern and post modern design and have given contemporary examples of their use in product design and film making. I believe that such an understanding of simulation has served well to better understanding referencing in post modernity. References Debord, G., (1977) The Society of the Spectacle, Black & Red Poster, M., (1998) Jean Baudrillard: Selected Writings, Polity Press Tucker, R. C., (1978) The Marx – Engels Reader Second Edition, Norton & Company Bibliography Hebdige, D., (1994) Hiding in the Light, Routledge http://www.geneseo.edu/~bicket/panop/baudrillard.ht http://www.artisanitorium.thehydden.com/nonfiction/film/matrix.htm http://www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com/master_frame.html

Comparative Criminal Justice Systems

In Phillip L. Reichel’s book Criminal Justice systems 6th edition Phillip Reichel uses the historical, political and descriptive approaches to compare criminal justice systems, although it is the institution and actors strategy that Lynch emphasizes. Legal systems and legal traditions have been studied and compared since the early 18th century. We will be discussing why criminal justice systems are studied and evaluating and comparing how the historical, political and descriptive approaches are used to study today’s criminal justice systems.In reference to why we study other justice systems although a society cannot replace their legal system completely with that of another country’s legal system it is important that we use comparative studies, as there are both provincial and universal benefits. Comparing how other criminal justice systems operate provides a point of contrast for a country’s own justice system also enabling them to analyse and to better u nderstand their legal system in order to help improve the way in which their system operates.As to the universal benefits comparative studies help nations to better understand differences and similarities in other nation’s justice systems to help them cooperate and work together to combat international crime. Although law enforcement agencies have worked together for centuries with the first extradition agreement between America and Great Britain being made in 1794. One may suggest that it is essential that criminal justice systems work more closely today than ever before as organised crime has developed more on an international scale. Countries can co-operate together on both a bilateral and multinational basis.The latter being where more than two countries work together for example the EU and the former being where two countries work together usually neighbours for example America and Canada. As with all three approaches the primary goal is to convey information. With the h istorical approach information studied is used to tell us what mistakes and successes have already occurred and what earlier experiences tell us about the present. Although perhaps the most important benefit gained from using the historical approach is how knowledge of the past prepare us for the future?As the criminal justice system and judiciary changes over time and by not having an understanding of the past one may suggest it would be difficult to prepare for the future. Over the years there have been many changes in criminal justice systems around the world and the historical approach has helped legal systems learn from past mistakes and successes in their penitentiary system’s, rehabilitation processes, judiciary, case law and other areas such as investigative techniques and the way in which we gather evidence.As mentioned some of the benefits of using an historical approach is how knowledge of the past can help prepare us for the future and what we can learn from our m istakes and successes. Improving conviction rates and decreasing wrongful convictions has always been a goal sought by criminal justice systems globally. The introduction of DNA had a huge impact on law enforcement agencies around the world and improved the way they investigated crimes, gathered evidence, prosecuted, solved crimes, decrease wrongful convictions and helped in exonerating people who had already been wrongfully convicted people.In 2002 the innocence project was set up in the United States and as of December 2011, 307 were exonerated of wrongful convictions by the use of DNA testing since 1989, 17 of whom had been sentenced to death. The first use of DNA was in England in Leicester when police asked Dr. Alec J. Jeffery’s in 1986 to help identify a suspect involved in two rape-murders. The tests actually cleared the original suspect and police then took several hundred DNA samples from males in the local area which led to Robert Melias being the first person being convicted with the use of DNA in 1987.After this case America began using DNA evidence and Tommy Lee Andrew was the first person to be convicted in the United States in November 1987 also for rape. Another example of the historical approach is Gustave de Beaumont’s and Alex de Tocquellive’s report of the American penitentiary structure in 1831 and 1832 and the French’s prison system. They criticised the French penitentiary system as it was costly to the treasury, was low on discipline and there was a high rate of inmates being sent back to prison.The American system however showed a profit as inmates were made to work during the day and there was a high level of discipline as inmates were kept in isolation at night. Having the system run this way not only showed a profit but also provided a low rate of recommittals. Gustave de Beaumont and Alex de Tocquellive’s compared the American penitentiary system with not only their own French system but also the p enitentiary system of Switzerland. Their report suggested ways to try and help their system by incorporating the American system and is an example of how we can learn from earlier mistakes and successes.As discussed one of the reasons we compare legal systems is in order for countries to work together to combat crime they must understand the differences and similarities in how their legal systems operate. Although for a country to work with another country it is also important to understand each other’s political system. The political approach is of importance when comparing legal systems as politics not only has an effect on a nation’s justice system but also effects interaction among nations.An example of how politics has effected both a nation’s justice system and interaction among nations is the case of Yvonne Fletcher. On the 17th April 1984 Yvonne Fletcher a Police officer was on duty during a protest outside the Libyan embassy. Without warning from one of the windows of the embassy gunfire was discharged at the protesters. Eleven people were injured including Fletcher who was fatally wounded after being hit in the stomach. Yvonne Fletcher died one hour later after being taken to Westminster hospital.The shooting resulted in MI5 being called and armed police surrounding the Libyan embassy for eleven days in one of the longest police sieges in London’s history. Britain at the time had diplomatic relations with Libra which meant they needed permission from the Libyan government to enter their embassy as under International law an embassy is a diplomatic premise. Although police were aware of this they still wanted to enter the Libyan embassy but at least needed authorization from the British prime minster, then Margaret Thatcher.As Margaret Thatcher was not in the country the responsibility was Douglas Herd’s then Home secretary to negotiate permission from the Libyan government to enter their embassy or to ignore Interna tional law and enter the embassy without their permission. The leader of the Libyan government then Gaddafi not only decided to not give consent to enter the Libyan embassy but declared that their embassy was under attack and in turn Libyan soldier’s surrounded the British embassy in Libya. With the risk to employees of the British embassy being harmed and diplomaticimmunity under International law the British government allowed the embassy staff to leave the building and escorted them to the airport to return to Libya. As a result of the embassy siege and Yvonne Fletcher the United Kingdom ended all diplomatic relations with Libya and in 1987 passed the diplomatic and consular premises act. The Diplomatic and consular premises act 1987 allows the UK government to determine which land is considered to be a diplomatic or consular premise and has been used once when the Cambodian embassy was occupied by squatters.Another example of how politics has effected a nation’s ju stice system is the war on Iraq. In 2003 George Bush declared war on Iraq and within a month America had declared victory. Although the American army had taken control there was widespread looting and riots and the need for a new police force was required. New York City’s former police commissioner Bernard Kerik was given the task to not only reform the police but to improve other areas such as: the border controls and customs.Bernard Kerik decided that the best way to do this was to retrain the Iraqi police force from everything from human rights to the use of fire arms. The training was out sourced to an American consulting firm called Dyn Corp International, this is an example of how a political system can influence a nation’s police force. Today there are 42,000 members of the Iraqi police all of which have completed the training provided by DynCorp International with more than 5,700 also completing specialized training from the Italian police and NATO.Although whe n comparing legal systems Lynch uses the historical and political approaches it is the descriptive approach and in particular the institution and actors strategy that Lynch emphasizes on for his book. In order for us to evaluate and compare each other’s legal system’s we first need to know how a system is supposed to operate. The descriptive approach gives as a description of how a country’s legal system is supposed to operate. It is by using the descriptive approach that we can compare similarities and differences between legal systems.The descriptive approach use’s two strategies the functions and procedures strategy and the institution and actors strategy. The main difference between the functions and procedures and institutions and actors strategy is that the institutions and actors strategy enables us to compare a large number of legal systems. It is because of this that Lynch emphasizes this strategy. The functions and procedures strategy can help u s group and compare countries based on their similarities as Lynch argues that all countries require that similar jobs be done or thou there may be more differences between the people doing the job then the jobs themselves.The functions and procedures strategy is not as helpful when comparing differences between legal systems. For example America, France and China have procedures for arrest and gathering evidence or trying to protect suspects against prolonged pre-trial detention. The functions and procedures strategy can be used to group such countries and compare similarities for example America, France and China all have time limits on how long a suspect should be held without charge. However when comparing a large number of legal systems on how they try to protect suspects against prolonged pre-trial detention we may find more differences.The institution’s and actors strategies approach helps us more when there are more differences between legal systems. For example when comparing how countries protect suspects against prolonged pre-trial detention. If there are a number of differences the institution and actors strategy compares systems based on their institutions such as their courts and corrections thus enabling to compare more countries and both similarities as well as more differences. The Historical, Political and Descriptive approaches each provide ways to compare criminal justice systems and each have their own benefits.The Historical approach tells us how knowledge of the past can help us prepare for the future and helps us learn from past mistakes and successes. The Political approach tells us how politics can affect a nation’s justice system as well as interaction among other nations. The descriptive approach (functions and procedures/institution and actors strategies) explains how a nation’s justice system is supposed to operate, the main components of a justice system and helps us compare a large number of different justic e systems.We compare legal systems not only for the provincial benefits but also to improve multinational cooperation to help combat international crime. Organized crime has increased over the years and criminals work more closely with criminals from other nations, as Thomas Friedman a New York columnist writes in his book â€Å"The world is flat†. Therefore it is equally important if not more important that criminal justice systems work together and understand each other’s legal systems and traditions.

Take a company of your choice... Describe how you would launch a new Essay

Take a company of your choice... Describe how you would launch a new product or service with that company using t - Essay Example ....................................................................... 4.0 The Sainsbury Style Service Model......................................................................... 5.0 Entry Strategy, Targeting Strategies and Critical Dimensions of Marketing Mix. 6.0 Marketing Objectives............................................................................................... 7.0 Conclusion References EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Sainsbury, a renowned UK grocery retailer, is currently seeking diversification strategies to sustain its revenue growth in a highly competitive environment where competitive rivalry often dictates business strategy direction. Sainsbury will be expanding into personal grooming services targeted primarily at young male adult consumers between the ages of 18 and 34. This service model will be positioning under premiumisation strategies justified by years of brand loyalty achieved by the business through consistent and socially responsible marketing efforts. To ach ieve objectives of improving revenue by 18 percent, the new service, Sainsbury Style, must align the most critical dimension of business strategy, the promotion function in the marketing mix, with key lifestyle and attitudinal factors for this target segment. Sainsbury Style 1.0 Introduction Sainsbury’s is one of the largest grocery retailers in the United Kingdom, maintaining approximately a 16 percent market share over such competitors as Morrison’s and Tesco. In recent years, in this oligopolistic market structure, major competition to Sainsbury has begun diversification strategies in order to gain a market share and improve its revenue position through new market engagement. An oligopoly is a market environment with very few large competitors and where competitive rivalry is important external threats (Boyes and Melvin, 2005). In order to compete successfully, Sainsbury must begin providing supplementary services unrelated to grocery procurement with a private labe l brand focus. Tesco, its largest competitor, witnessed a 100 percent growth in private label brands from 1982 to 2004 (Coriolis Research, 2004). To effectively diversify, Sainsbury will be launching the Sainsbury Style service, a hair styling, sculpting and consultation service targeted primarily at young male consumers, a private brand benchmarking existing promotional success for private label food promotions. 2.0 Methodology Examination of trade-related publications, corporate annual reports, and research literature on psychographic segmentation and targeting was conducted to gain a richer perspective on the opportunities of diversification for Sainsbury. In order to successfully launch this new service concept at the organisation, trends in consumer purchasing of personal beauty products and services were necessary to predict revenue growth and demand in the desired male target market group. 3.0 Situation and Market Analyses Sainsbury has had difficulty in gaining a market shar e over major competition such as Tesco as it is becoming commonplace for these major grocery competitors to select diversification strategies to maximise revenue growth in a rapidly maturing industry. Sainsbury has managed, through years of effective integrated marketing strategies, to establish a well-recognised and favoured brand in diverse market segments. The business must capitalise on its brand personality to realise an effective launch of Sainsbury Style. 3.1 PEST and SWOT Analyses Research did not uncover any imperative political factors

Are international organisations sufficiently accountable Essay

Are international organisations sufficiently accountable - Essay Example human rights violations and the accountability of both the United Nations and the role of the related states are those complex challenges that make it necessary for critically assessing the role and negligence of the United Nations and its accountability relating to the gross violations of human rights are those issues that must be understood by keeping in view the jurisdiction of the international law and its different provisions relating to such cases in the international and regional conflicts. In the following parts of this paper, first the concept of accountability has been defined and discussed. In this part, various definitions of explanations by keeping in view the international law have been detailed. Subsequently, Along with this topic, the application of accountability concept to the United Nations has also been detailed. In this part, how the UN has failed to remain accountable for its activities and role in the conflict zones, such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine war, have severely damaged the perception of the UN as an international institution providing and protecting the human rights globally. Before the conclusion part, two cases studies, Somalia and the Kosovo war, have been critically discussed and analysed as well. Accountability is a highly controversial legal term and represents a legal dilemma.1 Accountability has not been properly defined and explained by the legal experts. Even if some legal authors have explained this concept with certain jurisdictions, others do not agree with it and remain critical of that definition and explanation. In this regard, it is important to further describe the term legal dilemma. For example, the international law and national legal law have different perspectives on certain issues as they have different stakeholders. More specifically, some countries legalise marijuana whereas the international law strong discourage and disallow such items as they are harmful for health. Under this situation, any

Assignment 6 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

6 - Assignment Example In this particular case, the plaintiff was able to sue her employer for the simple reason that the employer relieved her of her duties on the basis of her age. Following this, the plaintiff went ahead to request for a jury trial although the district court failed to grant her this favour. However, the Supreme Court finally received an appeal concerning the case in order to give a clear statement on whether the jury was justified to give a verdict on the issues brought up by the plaintiff in accordance to ADEA despite the fact that these issues were considered to be private (Bible 163). According to the Supreme Court, such a violation is equivalent to the violation of the Fair Labour standards and if the case went through taking the available evidence into consideration, it would imply that the plaintiff deserved monetary compensation. A simple fact of the matter is that the plaintiff in this situation is presented with an option of approaching the Secretary of Labor who would try to solve the issue without too much involvement of the law. If the secretary spends more than sixty days without starting up a relevant follow up, the plaintiff was expected to sue the defendant. On the contrary, if the secretary started actions towards compensation of the plaintiff by the defendant, then the right to sue the defendant would be denied. Realizing that he was wrong as long as the ADEA was being used to deal with this case, the complainant had no any other option other than wait and listen to the Supreme Court’s final verdict (Bible 164) An interviewer, who eliminates a candidate just because of medical condition of low vision capability can be sued since given some reasonable accommodation, the candidate can still perform as much as the normal humans would perform. Similarly, an employer who rejects a candidate with AIDS is liable to being sued since this is discrimination based on employee’s state of

Managerial economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Managerial economics - Assignment Example 6) Firms competing in a perfect competitive market industry in most cases have little motivation for competition due to knowledge on the market dynamics (Baumol 67). As a result, their understanding of the market hampers the growth and need for incentives for developing technology. Changing consumer trends, the stature and change of traditional target markets could encourage development of research so that these trends can be monitored and dealt with effectively. For instance, young people are difficult to understand since they change their trends and preferences dynamically (Baumol  68). 1) a) MTA is monopolistic in the New York Area and it poses a great deal of control over the transport market in the New York Area. This is because despite the drop in the vehicle numbers, MTA still had the opportunity to increase the toll charges for accessing and using the roads and bridges. This strategy and move is a monopolistic move since it does not conform to the rules of demand and supply (Baumol 70). b) MTA could set small toll charges for them to maximize on profit to be realized in using the toll service. This is because this strategy would not increase the expense but it would lead to increased revenue. Increase in vehicles numbers is related to the reduced toll charges (McConnell  46). c) The best decision would be to lower the tolls fees because this would the help in increasing in the customer/vehicle numbers (McConnell  91). On the other hand, increasing the vehicle numbers would make more money through revenues to MTA. 2) a) The strategy of increasing the ticket prices could work for QuadPlex in its push to make more earnings and profit. This is because; QuadPlex theatre enjoys monopoly in the cinema business in Idaho Falls. b) The market power for QuadPlex can be measured through the number of people who visit the cinema hall and the other alternatives forms of entertainment eating on

Real life research Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Real life research - Coursework Example 2. A major advantage of mail panel research is that the cost is low especially since bulk postage is cheap. There is also no interviewer bias and the respondents can answer at their convenience. Furthermore, mail surveys may be long so a large amount of information can be obtained. A major drawback of this kind of research is that the surveys can be returned after several months; thus, a cause of delay in the research. There is a low response rate with this kind of survey. This kind of research is not suitable if the issues in the survey need clarification such as very technical topics. I think NFO used a mail panel because it is less costly. Since NFO has a set of panelists already, they did not have to gather a new group for the research. This means less effort and expense on their part. Moreover, NFO can reach a larger population with this kind of survey because it does not require personal

Hypothesis Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hypothesis - Coursework Example se: Providing financial security for teachers is the underlying problem and the goal of the research is to identify the best approach to achieve such an objective (Brace, 2008). Therefore, the goal is to improve compensation for teachers in order to order to improve their service in teaching students. Riverdale high School aims at achieving at least 75 percent mastery among its students. This can only be achieved through an effective pay for performance system. Students Response: Data collection will involve the use of surveys and questionnaires. The data relates to the effects of the economy to the financial security of teachers. Teachers will respond to questions and field assistants will assess the living standards of teachers. Findings will be analyzed and results presented (Brace, 2008). Problem: Riverdale High School is currently overcrowded in terms of high numbers of student enrollment. There is an urgent need for a reduction in the number of students in order to reduce overcrowding. The school is also facing the problem of low pay for their teacher which has negatively affected their working morale. However, low pay for teachers has become the main problem facing the institution and this can only be addressed by devising a systematic plan. Students Response: Selection and interpretation of data will involve identifying relevant data from the survey and questionnaire. Such information will have to be related to the research problem and propose a solution. The information will also be identified as relevant based on its relation to the research hypotheses (Brace, 2008). 8) Describe how your research proves or disproves your hypothesis. In addition, list any additional research avenues created by researching the original problem. Hint: Based on an analysis of the data, the hypothesis is either supported or not supported. The question may be answered or not answered. Research can create more research while the process remains never-ending. Students

International Relation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Relation - Essay Example ional anarchy where the international systems currently exists under dislikes and power politics which translates to each state surviving though building up of military (Burchill, et al. 2013). This is a situation where states pursue their own interests but they all agree that each needs to attain as much resources as possible for their own relative gain. This they believe will make them much more independent. These resources are mostly material resources and this leads to classification of the world in terms of the developed and the developing with the developed having much more resources than the developing. An example is some of the Asians nations which for a very long time have been among the developing nation’s lists but have collected so much resource that they are currently almost richer than the United States. A perfect example is China which rose out of nowhere to become currently one of the richest nations with their resources being used all over the world from cars to electronics to clothes and toys and even food products. Other nations that seem to have nothing have also suddenly been accumulating wealth by utilizing their natural resources properly such as the Middle East countries especially Arabian nations such as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates which have suddenly become rich because of the oil in their nation (Burchill, et al. 2013). In this proposition, states are considering themselves as the most important actors and hence seeking only what is best for them and not minding how that will play with the rest of the nations in the world. The best example is the xenophobia taking place in South Africa where the foreigners are being killed and chased away from the country or the reasons that they have been utilizing the best resources and having more positive gains than the locals in terms of employment and housing among others (Brock & Dludla, 2015). The locals consider this to be the only way to cater for their own interests and

Child Psychology Services (Part 1) Essay Example for Free

Child Psychology Services (Part 1) Essay Explain the importance of safeguarding children and young people Safeguarding children and young people is a key for all professionals who work in all settings where they have contact with children, more so children who could be more vulnerable than others i.e. a child who struggles with a physical or mental disability. All children need to feel safe and secure and are being taught or mentored by adults they can trust. It is of the upmost importance that the correct people, whether they are full time employees or volunteers are given CRB checks. All agencies involved with children (more so, vulnerable children and young people) must take practical measures to make certain that the risk of harm to children/young people’s wellbeing is minimised. If there are concerns about a child/young person’s welfare then all agencies must take appropriate action to deal with these concerns, i.e. working to the agreed local policies and procedures for safeguarding children, keeping records of all reports made about the child is essential as a source to safeguarding children. Explain the importance of a child or young person centred approach Essential to safeguarding and encouraging the welfare of a child or young person is having a child’s centred approach. This could include seeing and keeping a child focused through difficulties they could be experiencing. Listening and ascertaining a child’s wishes and feelings will be important for the child, especially if they have formed a strong bond with the professional they are opening up to. It will also be imperative to a child if that professional close to them understands their daily lives and what they might be experiencing, no matter how hard it could be for the adult to hear. Crucially the child or young person will know there are people out there to help and support them when they need advice or guidance. It is important for a child centred approach because every child is different and a unique individual. A child’s wishes should always be taken into account. The national framework for Every Child Matters (Children’s Act 2004) was set up to support children or young people to ensure the joining up of services to ensure that each individual achieves the five Every child Matters Outcomes which offer support to children to enable them to be; †¢ Healthy. †¢ Stay safe. †¢ Enjoy and achieve. †¢ Make a positive contribution. †¢ Achieve economic well-being. Explain what is meant by partnership working in the context of safeguarding. When it comes to safeguarding, children are best protected when professionals know what is required of them and how they work together. This means that everyone who works with children has a responsibility for keeping them safe which involves identifying concerns, sharing information and taking prompt action. To carry this out effectively professionals need to work in partnership with each other. Unfortunately, the importance of doing this has come about from professionals failing to protect Victoria Climbie who died in 2000. Her death was preventable as doctors, police and social workers all came into contact with her and had concerns. However, the doctors who treated her discharged her to her abusers care and admitted they assumed the social services would investigate. The social workers were described as incompetent and Victoria’s social worker felt unsupported by her supervisor and described her colleagues as conflicted and chaotic. The police too failed to fully investiga te Victoria’s home (for fear of catching scabies) although close family members and Victoria’s child-minder raised their concerns. Following this case lessons were learnt and recommendations put into place to try and prevent another tragedy where successful partnership working for safeguarding should have stepped in earlier to avoid this abuse. To provide adequate safeguarding measures it helps to have a complete ‘picture’ of the child. Partnership working means each professional, (whether it’s the police, NHS, educations departments, NSPCC or social workers), if they have concerns to do with safeguarding, welfare child protection, they should work with the other agencies in contact with that child. Each of these professionals may have one snapshot and a concern that  may, on its own, not necessary need intervention. By working in partnership and sharing information the bigger picture evolves and, if each profession has a different concern, together the dots can be joined and a clearer decision can be made on any intervention measures. To help co-ordinate partnership working professionals use the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) to assess a child’s needs and use the outcomes to provide access to services to provide necessary support. CAF is a voluntary process which is used with informed consent so families do not have to engage and if they do they choose what information that they want to share. The CAF process is aimed to be used when a teacher, the child concerned or their parent raises concerns about that child’s health, development, welfare, behaviour or progress in learning/wellbeing. The information gathered enables an assessment to be made of what help is required and how it will be delivered and by whom. A Team around the Child (TAC) is then created to implement the requirements. The professionals that make a TAC vary from child to child depending on their needs and within the TAC a lead professional will have the responsibility to coordinate the work. Describe the roles and responsibilities of the different organisations that may be involved when a child or young person has been abused or harmed. When a child has been abused or harmed the first line response will be at the point of the allegation or discovery. This could happen in any number of settings, for example at school, in a medical setting or by a child calling child line. All of the agencies or organisations will need to work together but have their own roles in helping the child. Social Services have statutory responsibilities to provide support to vulnerable children and families in need. This may be after a death or when families are finding day to day life difficult. Most social workers are employed by social services. Health Visitors have a responsibility for the health of babies and young children under the age of five. They provide support and guidance to the parents of young children and carry out assessments of the child’s development. General Practitioners (GPs) work in the community, usually from health centres, and are the gateway to other health services. GPs are often the first people to identify possible abuse when a child attends the surgery. Probation Services support people convicted of some offences to be rehabilitated into the community. They have a key role in monitoring people convicted of offences against children and should ensure that those people do not pose a threat to any local children. Police are involved in the criminal proceedings that may result from safeguarding issues. Schools and Training Organisations are key to identifying and supporting children between the ages of 5 18 years when they are in need of help. All staff working with children and young people should be trained in safeguarding and protection. Child Psychology Services will often be needed to support children who have experienced harm or abuse.

Creative Writing Commentry Essay Example for Free

Creative Writing Commentry Essay The kite runner presents a tale of intertwined personal conflicts and tragedies, its a compelling novel set in 1970s Afghanistan, revolving around a tragic incident that allows Hosseini to examine themes of loyalty and betrayal, revealing its significant flaws in 1970s Afghan society. This capturing plot is what attracted me to use The Kite Runner as my stimulus text as it presented me with an opportunity to explore the themes of loyalty and betrayal whilst adding a modern twist to it. For my creative piece I decided to compose a short monologue of a friend witnessing his life long companion being a victim of knife crime, this short monologue mirrors that of Amirs thoughts during the scene in the kite runner whilst his half-brother Hassan is being raped by another boy from the neighbourhood. From this monologue it is clear I have specifically formed it by taking certain aspects from the rape scene of the kite runner and also empowered another aspect from the kite runner by utilising the theme of betrayal and also considering the historical context of the novel as it was set at a time of conflict in Afghan community during the 1970s therefore by modernising it so it relates to the social context of today, as knife crime is almost a daily, fashionable occurrence in modern society, just like conflicts between the Pashtuns and Hazaras were during 1970s Afghanistan. The title Loyalty Juxtaposes the actual monologue as it portrays an act of disloyalty, and in a sense betrayal. This was done to make the reader think back to the title after reading it as the plot of the monologue is likely to have been a contrast of their assumptions before they actually read it, this also adds a sense of ambiguity and leaves the reader to speculate or predict what may have happened next as I purposely did not make it clear what the narrator does after Jamals final words, does he in fact empower the title by then pursuing his murderer? This is a question that is likely to linger in the readers thoughts. My title has a similar effect to that of Khaled Hosseinis novel, as the title The Kite Runner is one which immediately create assumptions about a story which portrays freedom and unity, however just like my monologue, the novel juxtaposes its title as the story is based around oppression in Afghan society and intra-conflicts between a religion . Like Khaled Hosseini, I employed the use of short and single word sentences in the build up to my climax to create a sense of anticipation just before one of the main characters Jamal is stabbed Jamals filled with panic. Confusion. Regret. This is also done in kite runner towards the rape sceneHe unzipped his jeans. Dropped his underwear. He positioned himself behind Hassan. Hassan Didnt struggle. This was done as It creates a hostile environment, reinforcing the readers belief that something dramatic is inevitable. Another technique I have adopted from Khaled Hosseini is his use of flashbacks to provide the reader with information of the two boys relationship before this tragic night, this is effective as it allows them to understand why this young boys thoughts are filled with such hatred and hostility towards himself for not helping his dying friend. Furthermore I attempted to employed Hosseinis use of imagery effectively in my Creative piece, this is shown through my description of the scenes prior to the knife incident Jamal still lay on the ground dampened by the slight drizzle of rain. Stationary. His blood slowly dripping from his jacket to the ground landing into the pool of water, diluting it. This is similar to the way Hosseini approaches the climactic scene of his novel when he describes the alley in which Hassan is raped A havoc of scrap and rubble littered the alley. Worn bicycle tires, bottles with peeled labels, ripped up magazines, yellow newspapers, all scattered amid a pile of bricks and slabs of cements. Another technique of Hosseinis that I attempted to replicate was the way in which he structured The Kite Runner, many critics have suggested that Hosseini develops a structure in the novel where he is able to set up expectations at the beginning of the novel, then turn these expectations into a reality by the end. I have attempted this by incorporating flashbacks into my first paragraph making it appear as something dramatic is going to occur in the next paragraph, whilst Hosseini employs flashbacks also to represent the fact that the key character Amir will be forced to rectify these early experiences to salvage what is remaining of his guilty conscious. I also incorporated a similar sentence structure in my piece utilising short sentences and pauses. Overall I have tried to replicate certain aspects from my stimulus text The Kite Runner, mainly those involving form structure, the key themes and also the significance of the title and flashbacks, the historical and social context of the novel, the use of imagery, juxtaposition of the themes as loyalty and betrayal are almost opposites of each other. I believe I have been successful in achieving most of these factors as the majority are included in my creative peice.

Surveillance Cameras And The Right To Privacy

Surveillance Cameras And The Right To Privacy With the rapid advancements in technology, video surveillance platforms have become a widely used method to enhance security in both the public and private settings. These systems act as a force multiplier and provide constant surveillance in areas that are difficult or impractical to do so by other means. Surveillance of public areas has become an area of concern for privacy advocates. While these systems have so far successfully navigated legal challenges, abuse or misuse of the systems can jeopardize the ability to continue their use. In the years following 9/11, a considerable investment has been made by federal, state, and local governments to increase security and protect the homeland. Areas that once were not given a second thought by law enforcement agencies are now considered high value targets. A key to maximizing law enforcements effectiveness to cope with the growing demand for service has been to increase their use of technology. Video surveillance systems are one way they have made investments that act as force multipliers and allow one operator to monitor multiple locations simultaneously, regardless of how remote or difficult to access the locations are. This increased need for surveillance has coincided with advancements in technology that have made the necessary equipment to operate a video surveillance system more available, functional, and at a lower cost. Government entities are not the only organizations tapping into this emerging technology, many private businesses are also installing surveilla nce cameras to protect their assets. It is difficult to argue with the benefits of employing these systems when you consider for a moment that it was a bank ATM camera that filmed Timothy McVeigh parking a Ryder truck outside Oklahoma Citys federal office building just before the April 1994 blast that killed 167 people. Had it not been for this critical evidence, the outcome of the investigation may have been very different. While there are certainly benefits to this enhanced level of safekeeping, some watchdog groups have cautioned that this security comes at a cost, but does the end result in fact justify the means. At one time in the not so distant past it was uncommon to see video surveillance being used at all with the exception of large shopping malls, banks, and other private businesses where large amounts of money or high valued property was found. It simply was not cost effective for smaller businesses to make the investment. However, with increased availability and decreased cost it is not uncommon to see these systems in place almost anywhere, to include small businesses, private homes, and even religious centers. The sophistication of modern surveillance platforms provides a higher quality, easier to use system. Video surveillance has always been a useful tool to document an event for use at a later time as evidence against the perpetrator of some act, but modern systems are intuitive and will not only record an event they can be programmed to activate certain real time triggers to sound alarms, alert the owner, and/or the police. Probably more than any other benefits, employing video surveillance security systems have filled an immense security void created by lacking human assets (Crean, 2002). Law enforcement agencies have never been able to be in all places at once so they employed staffing and patrol protocols that covered as much terrain as possible. The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, along with several other high profile incidents occurring here and abroad, have highlighted the fact that current public safety initiatives were unsatisfactory. Law enforcement agencies had to find ways to do more with their current levels of staffing. One solution was to employ an elaborate array of video surveillance systems as force multipliers. Examples of U.S. cities where this strategy has been employed are Chicago, New York, and Washington D.C. Chicagos public safety managers have access to a collection of approximately 15,000 publicly and privately owned cameras. It is estimated that from their operations center officials can monitor 232 square miles of Chicagos urban landscape. In New Yorks Times Square, an area no larger than about half a square mile, as many as 200 surveillance cameras are active at all times. Washington D.C. Metro Police may have them all beat. During a tour of their command center with CBS News reporter Erin Moriarty, D.C. Police Chief Charles Ramsey was asked about what officers were monitoring on several of the screens in the center. Ramsey explained they were observing a group of protestors at one of the local public buildings. When asked how many cameras they currently had observing the activities of the group, Chief Ramsey commented that they had twelve of their own, but had access to a practically unlimited number as a result of being able to tap into images being fed by an array of privately an d publically owned surveillance systems in the immediate vicinity (2010). These devices are accessible on demand via wireless routers and Internet connections. This on demand capability is not restricted to their command center. Field units, if equipped properly, also have the ability to remote access video surveillance images via a wireless connection. Technology has provided the ability to create this link to nearly any device capable of a Wi-Fi connection. Whether it be the laptop computer in an officers patrol car or the handheld PDA a precinct commander carries. The San Diego Police Department has taken this technology one step further and automated it (2010). Instead of merely providing on demand access to the assortment of public and private video surveillance systems in the city, they automatically make that real time information available to officers who are operating their laptop equipped police cruiser in the vicinity of the system. This video information is also available on demand at the police dispatch center. The benefits to this set up with respects to enhancing officer safety are incredible. Imagine the lone police officer responding to a commercial building alarm in the middle of the night. As soon as the dispatch center receives the call they would be alerted that a video surveillance system is available. Before the responding officer puts their vehicle in drive to go to the call, the dispatch center is already studying the location for signs of trouble. When the officer is within a few blocks of the business he receives a noti fication on his computer that the building has video uplink capabilities. Prior to arriving he pulls to the curb and in just a few seconds is able to view the real time surveillance video to familiarize himself with the buildings layout, potential hazards, signs of an actual crime in progress, or perhaps live video of the suspects fleeing the scene in their vehicle and heading directly at him (Crean, 2002). There is also a deterrent factor at play when overt video surveillance is in place. Cameras that are highly visible to the perpetrator can instill an enhanced fear of committing the crime because of the perceived likelihood of getting caught. If they do opt to commit the act, then having a properly monitored video system vastly increases the probability of being caught. Experts in this field of study have noted that even though the economy underwent a major recession in past years, the crime rates have not increased dramatically. In fact, some categories have made substantial decreases. This is notable as history tells us that when the economy is bad people become desperate and crime typically increases. More than one advocate of increased use of video surveillance has pointed out that as these systems became more prevalent the crime rates decreased (Osborn, 2006). Whether there is an actual link between the two remains to be seen, but the speculative evidence is very interesting. Just as there are those who preach the benefits of employing video surveillance systems, there are certainly those who argue just as vehemently against its use. Probably the single greatest concern voiced is the invasion of privacy that goes along with this type of surveillance. Generally speaking, if the video monitoring is taking place anywhere that is open to the public then it does not constitute an invasion of privacy. As with most general rules, it is not always that simple. Watchdog organizations have argued that the use of covert cameras is an invasion of privacy since the cameras cannot be detected (The Constitution Project, 2007). In other words, if the public is not made aware they are being filmed than their privacy rights have been violated. Because of the proliferation of these systems, adequate notifications would be a nearly impossible goal to attain. Cities like Washington D.C. would probably need to put signs at the city limits on all major thoroughfares that securi ty cameras are in use in the city and you are subject to being captured by one of these systems at all times. Certainly not very practical. This begs the question, are these privacy concerns without basis? Consider for a moment the hypothetical situation presented by Angelo Pompano of the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute: On a typical day you wake up and walk out to your mailbox. A neighbors private security camera is trained on his driveway across the street and picks you up. Later, you drive to work and when you get to the light on the corner, a video camera is watching to see if you went through a red signal. You stop off at an ATM and you are taped. You go into the 7-Eleven-taped; pump gas- taped; get on the interstate and the traffic control cameras are focused on you. You get to work and the camera in the parking lot follows you into the building. Then you finally get you your desk and once more you are monitored (2010). As Mr. Pompano points out, on the average day by 8:15 AM you have already been captured on video surveillance a dozen times. This is only the video we know about. This report will not touch on the clandestine surveillance being undertaken by the government at all times. Im not saying I agree with Pompanos opinion that this is a bad thing, but it is a reality. A second concern that is frequently raised is the potential that video surveillance recording will be misused by the organization that captures them. Critics point out that it is difficult to control how the data from video surveillance because cameras are so easily attainable and the technology is so advanced that nearly anyone could manipulate it for unethical purposes. As with any technological advancement, there will be those that find ways to abuse it. Take for example a number of incidents highlighted by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in their article Whats Wrong With Public Video Surveillance? (2002). The general manager of a prominent Florida newspaper installed a hidden video camera in the employees bathroom under the guise of eliminating employee theft. The problem lies in the fact that when confronted with the cameras placement the manager could not document any thefts that had occurred. Or the management at Bostons Sheraton Hotel covertly recording its employee s changing clothes in a locker room on the pretext that it was investigating suspected drug use by its workers. Or the JC Penney security guard in Concord, California, that was caught showing off recordings during which he zoomed in on female customers breasts as they walked around the store. Needless to say, there is certainly room for abuse. However, the claim by those opposed to video surveillance that there is no way to control this type of abuse is unfounded. Each of the situations described here exposed the responsible person and/or their employing organization to both criminal and civil penalties. Laws to curb this type of infraction are already on the books and are capable of dealing with these infractions when discovered. Opponents might say that this type of illegal activity is difficult to detect so we should ban this type of surveillance. I would submit that this logic is akin to banning automobile use because driving under the influence is a difficult crime to detect an d prevent. The argument simply does not make practical sense. When holes are found in the current laws that new technologies take advantage of, our legislatures have been quick to respond with new laws and practices. Legislation has been presented at both state and federal levels that would restrict the use of public video surveillance, but many of these proposed changes have been stricken down. The courts and legislatures have made it clear that this type of surveillance in areas commonly open to the public and conducted for public safety purposes are neither illegal nor unconstitutional (USLegal, Inc., 2010). Where these systems do find trouble with the Constitution is when they find themselves pointed into a private dwelling or other place protected by the search and seizure doctrines of the Fourth Amendment. The United States Supreme Court has decided a number of privacy rights cases, but most critical to the concept of video surveillance is seen in Katz v. United States (1967). The court ruled there is no expectation of privacy in a public place. They confirmed the limits of Fourth Amendment protections against an illegal search did not apply in areas that a person lacked this expectation of privacy. In Katz the court ruled, What a person knowingly exposes to the public, is not a subject of Fourth Amendment protection, but what he seeks to preserve as private, even in an area accessible to the public, may be constitutionally protected. As such, a person in a public place does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy from video surveillance cameras. As for the general publics perception of the legitimacy of utilizing video surveillance technology to monitor their daily lives, most have recognized it as a necessary reduction in their privacy to combat todays threat of violent crime and terrorism. Most accept the loss of some personal freedom for a feeling of security. Video surveillance by law enforcement agencies in public places is accepted by most as a minimally invasive measure implemented for the well being of the public. As highlighted in the Pompano article, Although (citizens) may not be happy with the use of the video surveillance equipment to catch them as they go through a red light, few people will argue with the reasoning that video cameras promote safety (2010). Most law enforcement agencies will tell you there is no replacement for having cops on the beat when it comes to fighting crime, but the police cannot be everywhere at all times. With the technology advancements made in video surveillance systems and capabil ities now they dont have to be.

Princess Diana Spoke Volumes on AIDS Awareness :: essays research papers

During Princess Diana's life she helped with many foundations and charities. But she finally dedicated herself to one cause in particular. Princess Diana became very involved with helping AIDS sufferers and their families. Starting in the early nineties until her death in 1997 Diana did everything she could to help all AIDS foundations. Even though she was regal, she did not consider herself better than any AIDS sufferer, and constantly held AIDS victims and visted them when everyone else was afraid of their touch. Princess Diana first became interested in helping the needy when she was in high school. Diana fisrt started charitable works with the Voluntary Service Unit, where she would visit mentally handicapped teenagers. While many of Diana's friends were afraid and resistant about visiting Darenth Park, a huge mental hospital, Diana found that she had a natural desire for this work. Even though Diana was a princess and part of the royal family, she was not afraid to help AIDS vi ctims and sufferers. Diana wasnt afraid to touch or even hug kids or adults who had AIDS or were HIV-positive. On the other hand,the Queen, the Queen's sister, and the queen's niece always wore gloves when merely shaking hands. "Everyone needs hugs" Diana once said. Diana, Princess of Wales, was the first royal family member to openly work with and support AIDS victims. "I touch people, I think everyone needs that,"stated Diana when discussing about how she freely hugs and touches AIDS patients and people who are HIV-positive. In 1989, Diana made one of her first public visits to an AIDS facility in England.Diana started her work with AIDS during a very hard time in her life. Even though Diana could have quit her charitable works after her divorce, she embraced them with a renewed passion. Diana's support for AIDS victims and sufferers came a crucial time when tabloids and her royal family didnt fully approve of her works.Diana became a favorite around normal, ev eryday people because she made them feel loved. Diana thought it was normal to touch and have conversations with AIDS patients when others wouldnt go near them. Diana conquered public fear of AIDS when she held a baby with AIDS in Washington in her arms. Diana was special because she won people's devotions by simply being devoted to them. To many people Diana was a hero because she actually listened and understood AIDS patients, as well as show affection and love.

Folklore in the Movies: An Analysis of Willow :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Folklore in the Movies: An Analysis of Willow My research for this report began when I read Joseph Campbell's article "Departure" in which he discusses folklore; he outlines the course of action that a hero takes in an adventure. He describes the five steps the hero takes as "the call to adventure, the refusal of the adventure, use of supernatural aid, crossing of the first threshold, and the belly of the whale." After reading Campbell's criteria of an adventure, I decided to choose a movie and see how it ties into Campbell's outline of an adventure. The movie I chose was Willow and in this report I will note how it complies with Campbell's outline. Upon finishing Willow I was able to confirm that it did indeed fall into the five criteria in Campbell's article. In Willow Queen Bavmorda seeks control of the world, and she knows that an infant will be born with a mark on its arm and this infant will be able to stop her from gaining power. Therefore, she inspects every child that is born; upon discovering the child with the mark, she will promptly have it killed. One day Willow's children Ranon and Mims find a baby while playing in the river. This child happens to bear the mark for which Queen Bavmorda is searching. The children take the baby to their father. Willow takes the baby to the High Aldwin, and he tells Willow that the safety of the city depends on him and that the baby must be taken across the great river to the Dakini crossroads. This is Willow's call to adventure; it is "a blunder" of "the merest chance", and Willow is thrust "into a relationship with forces that are not rightly understood" (Campbell 1). As Campbell expresses in his article and as is apparent in most adventure movies, Willow is not completely convinced and willing to go on this trip to take the baby back to its homeland. Ranon reminds him of the dangers he may encounter on his way to returning the baby such as fairies, brownies, dragons, and trolls. Willow gets upset at Ranon for mentioning trolls because he knows how much he fears them. Willow is also reluctant to leave his wife and children. Kaiya reminds him that they have never been apart before, and it is apparent that Willow is experiencing feelings of guilt.

Utopia :: essays research papers

What is â€Å"Utopia†? What does this word mean to you? What would be your â€Å"Utopia†? Think about this while it is being read to you or while you read it and hopefully by the time the you get to the end you to will know what it means to you; and what your utopia would be like. By definition from a dictionary â€Å"Utopia† means, an ideally perfect place, especially in its social, political, and moral aspects. Utopia is your perfect world or society. It is a world of your choice, a world that meets every single expectation you have of life. A utopia in my mind would be a world where all people great and small, all shapes and colors, and all creatures are treated as one or as equals. It would be a world without discrimination and racism. My utopia would never have to worry about pollution or chemical weapons. People could believe in whatever god they wish but they would not kill others just because they did not believe in their god. Artist and utopia; is there any connection or resemblance in either?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is art not an artist’s utopia? Think about it. Isn’t utopia whatever world, society, or maybe space you want it to be? So for artist a sculpture garden could be their utopia because they put the pieces of art that they had made or bought in that area. The artist could have also designed that place of perfection or tranquility to their liking, so if that were true it would that artist’s â€Å"Utopia†. The, Nasher Sculpture Center, in Dallas, is a perfect utopia for the owner of the center because it houses everything that person wanted just to make the center. To make that utopia the owner had trees brought in from all over the world and the trees were put in certain places all around the 54,000 square foot property.

Personal Influence Model, Intercultural Communication

1. 0 Literature Review 1. 1 Personal Influence Model Public Relations Practitioners in Chinese society lead by traditional value especially confucism. (Yi-Hui Huang, â€Å"The Personal Influence Model and Gao Guanxi in Taiwan Chinese Public Relation†,28th Dec 2010 Confucism ) emphasize five cardinal Relations(wulun). Yi-Hui Huang stated the unhealthy situation, where people can use own personal influence (Guanxi) major and favour ( mianzi and renqing ) to to reach a shortcut coorperation.This will causes the lost of human resource in community, where people who have the ability may not contribute due to the imperfectness of managing public relationship, and not being treated fairly. However, Gupta, Chandi and Barlett, Jennifer L. 2007 mention this hierarchical system is to reduce conflict between people, it’s managed by establishing guanxi and giving mianzi reciprocally, and is often establish through determining commonalities between the parties and giving mutual respe ct to each other.Palanca in Mexico and throughout Latin America, for example, dictates how personal networks function. Such interpersonal networking focuses more on trust, less on legal systems, more on relationships, and less on principles, which is more on 1. 2 Intercultural Communication Intercultural communication affect the models of publics relations as the different culture will affect the way of public relation practitioner do their job. (R. S Zahara, American University, 2001) Example, ‘Intercultural harmony’ communication campaigns such as â€Å"Merdeka Day† is always practice in Malaysia and Singapore.Being big companies, especially multi-national companies, public relation practitioners need to understand different kind of culture. Cultural sensitive will seriously affect the business that’s why PR practitioners should know about situational issues within an external environment. ( Zulhamri Abdullah, 2007) 1. 3 International Public Relations Di fferent countries practices different cultures therefore PR practitioners from different countries have their own ways of working things out when it comes to using PR strategies. Basically, different aspects in the countries uch as its economic system, political ideology level of activism and the media culture will affect their PR practitioners in the country. Besides these aspects. The country technology’s development such as the satellite communication and so on also affects the way they do PR. (R. S Zahara, 2001) Reference Zuhamri Abdullah, ‘Towards international cultural diversity management of public relation. 1(2):285-299(2007),department of communtication, faculty of modern language and communication, University Putra Malaysia’ Timothy L.Howard, Carol AnnHackley,Qingwen Dong, ‘The Impact of Palanca in shaping Mexico Public Relation,2009 Gupta, Chandhi and Barlette, Jennifer L. (2007) Guanxi,astrology and symmetry: Asian business and its impact on pub lic relation practice. Asia Pacific Public Relation Journal, 8(1). Yi-Hui Huang,(2000) ‘The Personal Influence Model and Gao Guanxi in Taiwan Chinese Public Relations’. Public Relations Review,26(2):219-236,Elsevier Science Inc. Krishnamurthy Sriramesh,(2001) International public relations :A framework for future research. Journal of Communication Management, Henry Stewart Publications.

United States Declaration of Independence and People

PLS201 Reading Notes 1 Concepts of Politics and American Politics STUDY: Lecture Notes 1, and We the People, chapter 1 Be informative, rigorous, critical. Provide specific, page-indicated references to the text. NOTE1A 15 lines.In chapter one of We the People the authors address the question of how government is made up of the institutions and procedures by which people are ruled in terms of four propositions: 1) Different forms of government are defined by power and freedom; 2) Limits on government encourage freedom; 3) Expansion of participation in America changed the political balance; 4) The goal of politics is having a say in what happens. Organize your paragraph into four or five sentences identifying the main characteristics of these concepts, as established by the authors.The authors present a concept where the amount of power the government holds and how much freedom people have defines different forms of government. When comparing a Monarchy versus a Democracy, we can clear ly see the differences within the two forms of government. Within a Monarchy, supreme power is bestowed upon one individual whereas Democracy is based on a principle of equality and freedom. The limitations placed upon the government allow the people to have a voice in politics while strengthening the principle above.This balance of power gives the people the ability to voice their opinions. Rather than being another â€Å"person† within a society, Americans are citizens who can influence the government in many ways. This expansion of participation lead to more people having legal rights to participate in politics where they can vote, send letters, lobby, and participate in protest marches and demonstrations. All of this ties back to how American Democracy, unlike many other forms of government, aims to give people a voice while developing the meaning behind â€Å"we the people. †NOTE1B 10 lines. In this same chapter one, the following section examines how the identity of Americans has changed over time, the impact of diversity and race, but in the end, the authors observe, â€Å"the country still confronts the question of who are the Americansâ€Å". Explain, please, what is this about, what is at stake, how do the authors explain it. Even though the American government focuses on the principle of equality and freedom and giving people a voice within this government, they still stumble on a simple question of who are the Americans and what defines them.The government faces a constant flow of immigrants and increasing ambiguity of racial categories raising challenging questions about politics and governing arrangements. Population growth has also spurred debates on how congressional districts should be apportioned. The paradox of the American identity is that although America is a melting pot of different traditions, ethnic backgrounds, and ideology, there are nevertheless distinctive qualities that define who Americans are. The diversity of ci tizens created what America became, a country developed from the ideas of equality and freedom. NOTE1C 15 lines.Concluding chapter one, the authors make an interesting declaration, that America is built on the ideas of liberty, equality, and democracy. They then discuss it in terms of four propositions: 1) that liberty means freedom, 2) that equality means treating people fairly, 3) democracy means that what the people want matters, 4) that American political values conflict. Okay, now, read it and summarize the main of these concepts, about 3-line each. â€Å"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,† in the Declaration of Independence exemplifies the inalienable rights which is based on the idea that all men are created equal.For Americans, liberty is â€Å"freedom from government control, and also economic freedom. † Going back to the idea of limited powers within government to allow freedom, the people have the right to alter or abolish the government to institu te a new one for their safety and happiness. When thinking in terms of equality, it can be interpreted in different ways. Equality of opportunity allows the people to reach their fullest potential and political equality refers to the right to participate in politics where every person can vote.In addition to this, political authority rests in the hands of the people, also known as popular sovereignty. The idea of majority rule with minority rights also plays a key role within the government because it allows for the preference of the majority of voters but still protects the interests of the minority. (21) Conflict helps set policies and laws because it considers both sides of any argument and prevents any discrimination against the disabled, elderly, etc. A NOTE ON FORMATThis is a 1- to 2-page, typewritten, single-spaced, font 12 reading note. Write your note where it says text and according to the indicated lines, etc. Your note must reflect you have read and are referring in your writing to the study materials established for this course unit. All references must be credited by indicating the page number in parenthesis. Edit your text before printing it. Once you are sure you are done with the assignment, check that your name and date are written above, print it, and bring it to class as scheduled.

Evolution of Financial Management Essay

The Traditional Phase:This phase has lasted for about four decades. Its finest expression was shown in the scholarly work of Arthur S. Dewing, in his book tilted the Financial Policy of Corporation in 1920s. In this phase the focus of financial management was on four selected aspects. It treats the entire subject of finance from the outsider’s point of view (investment banks, lenders, other) rather than the financial decision maker in the firm. It places much importance of corporation finance and too little on the financing problems of non-corporate enterprises. The sequence of treatment was on certain episodic events like formation, issuance of capital, major expansion, merger, reorganization and liquidation during the life cycle of an enterprise. It laid heavy emphasis on long-term financing, institutions, instruments, procedures used in capital markets and legal aspects of financial events. That is, it lacks emphasis on the problems of working capital management. It was criticized throughout the period of its dominance, but the criticism is based on matters of treatment and emphasis. Traditional phase was only outsiders looking approach, over emphasis on episodic events and lack of importance to day-to-day problems. The Transition Phase: It began in the early 1940’s and continued through the early 1950’s. The nature of financial management in this phase is almost similar to that of the earlier phase, but more emphasis is given to the day-to-day (working capital) problems faced by the finance managers. Capital budgeting techniques were developed in this phase. Much more details of this phase is given in the book titled Essays on Business Finance. The Modem Phase: It began in the mid 1950’s and has shown commendable development with combination of ideas from economic and statistics has led the financial management to be more analytical and quantitative. The main issue of this phase is rational matching of funds to their uses, which leads to the maximization of shareholders’ wealth. This phase witnessed significant developments. The area of advancement was – capital structure. The study says the cost of capital and capital structure is independent in nature. Dividend policy, suggests that there is the effect of dividend policy on the value of the firm. This phase has also seen one of the first applications of linear programming. For estimation of opportunity cost of funds, multiple rates of return-gives way to calculate multiple rates of a project. Investment decision under conditions of uncertainty gives the formula for determination of expected cash inflows and variance of net present value of project and also defined how probabilistic information helps the firm to optimize investment decisions involving risk. Portfolio analysis gives the idea for the allocation of a fixed sum of money among the available investment securities. Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), suggests that some of the risks in investments can be neutralized by holding a diversified portfolio of securities. Arbitrage Pricing Model (APM), argued that the expected return must be related to risk in such a way, that no single investor could create unlimited wealth through arbitrage. CAPM is still widely used in the real world, but APM is slowly gaining momentum. The Agency theory emphasizes the role of financial contracts in creating and controlling agency problems. Option Pricing Theory (OPT), applied Martingale pricing principle to the pricing of real estates. The cash management of models (working capital management) by Baumol Model, Miller and Orglers, Baumol models helps to determine optimum cash conversion size; Miller model reorder points and upper control points and Orglers model helps to determine optimal cash management strategy by adoption of linear programming application. Further new means of raising finance with the introduction of new capital market instruments, such as Pads, Fads, PSBs and Caps, etc. Financial engineering that involves the design, development and the implementation of innovative financial instruments, and formulation of creative optional solutions to problems in finance. Even though, the above mentioned developed areas of finance is remarkable, but understanding the international dimension of corporate finance formed a very small part of it, which is not sufficient in this era of globalization.

Importance of Agriculture Informative Speech Essay

Imagine a world without food. Without restaurants, grocery stores, or convenience stores. Imagine children lying in the middle of the streets because they’ve gone days, even weeks without eating anything. Imagine waking up every morning and going out to scavenge for food, because it isn’t available anywhere commercially. Imagine living without your morning coffee or your after school snack. I’d bet this is very hard for you to imagine. Almost everything that we eat or consume is all thanks to agriculture. First, we will set the table and look at the history of agriculture. Then we will dig in to the importance of agriculture. Finally, we will clean our plates and look towards agriculture’s future. We will start by setting the table and looking back at the history of agriculture. The development of the domestication of plants and animals actually began over 10,000 years ago, believe it or not. It is thought that agriculture first began during a time when there were shortages of plants and large game that would normally be found in the wild. To make up for these shortages, people began to plants crops to supply them with the food that they needed. Some people also theorize that agricultural production was driven by figures of great power, who would throw feasts to show their dominance over others. Also, as population density grew higher, so did the production of food to supply the population. The Middles Ages was a time of great agricultural improvement for Europe. Draft horses were bred to work plows and do other types of work. The scythe and plow were invented in Europe, as well as the development of crop rotation. Because of Europe’s higher population density, there was lots of extensive farming to supply the people with food. India brought the domestication of crops such as barley and wheat, as well as beginning to raise livestock such as sheep and goats. In South America, the major crop was the potato, but many types of beans were developed as well. South America also began the trend of llamas and alpacas used as livestock. The natives of early eastern North America also were known for growing many crops, such as sunflowers, tobacco, and some varieties of squash. The introduction of machinery during the industrial revolution brought with it the tractor, the combine, and many other types of farming machinery. These new tools allowed farmers to produce and harvest crops at a rate previously thought impossible. The development of railroads and other types of long distance travel have also aided the agricultural revolution in its massive growth. Now that we have looked back at the history of agriculture, we will now examine the role agriculture plays in our society, and its importance. What do you think of when you picture agriculture? Do you imagine a farmer in denim coveralls holding a pitchfork, or an old guy in a tractor going through fields? This misconception of agriculture has greatly affected its reputation in today’s society. The FFA creed begins with the words â€Å"I believe in the future of farming with a faith born of not words but deeds. † Agriculture is important because our farmers actually get things done. Agriculture is one of the oldest activities known to humankind. Without today’s farmers, we wouldn’t have food. Without agriculture, we would all be forced to scavenge for food, rather than buying it from the grocery store. But even more than food, agriculture also provides us with clothing and shelter. Wool is spun for sweaters, trees are chopped down for lumber, plants are made into medicines. Fruits and vegetables, herbs, meats, even dairy products. All of these somehow stem from the soil that covers this very earth. And unfortunately, these things aren’t just simply readily available to us. We need farmers to grow and produce them for the use of today’s society. Clearly, agriculture is a very large part of our lives. Now that we have looked back at the history of agriculture and examined its importance, we will clean our plates and look into agriculture’s future. As the world’s population continues to grow at an alarmingly fast rate, resources will most definitely become limited in the very near future. Therefore, the first duty of farmers will be to maintain and preserve those resources for generations to come. The population is expected to more than double by 2050, which is all too scary, since the earth only has limited land. There has been lots of controversy as to whether industrialization, agriculture, or wildlife preservation will take precedence. Even today farmers are still developing new technology to increase rate of crop production and the overall effectiveness of current farming methods. Today, even the youngest people are taking steps to harness agricultural opportunities. Many organizations are out there, including FFA, 4-H, and many more. FFA is a great thing, because it helps today’s students prepare for a future where agriculture will be bigger than it ever has been before. FFA also teaches high school students leadership, responsibility, and even friendship. 4-H aims even younger, with members as young as kindergarten or first grade learning the importance of agriculture early in life. Today we have set the table and looked back at the history of agriculture. Then, we dug in to the importance and impact agriculture has on today’s society. Finally, we cleaned our plates and looked forward into the future of agriculture.